Show Notes
After a nearly year-long legal battle, the biggest merger in Hollywood history closed on Tuesday. The $111 billion deal combines Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery, and the mega media company is now called Skydance. In addition to the two legacy film studios, it includes the streaming services HBO Max and Paramount+, and two of the biggest news outlets in the country, CNN and CBS. Three industry experts spoke to the Associated Press about what those changes could mean for Hollywood.
Meanwhile, a Southern California couple with 21 children – 19 of whom were born through surrogates – has been arrested in connection with allegations of child abuse inside their Arcadia mansion. Prosecutors allege that multiple children were subjected to physical abuse by live-in nannies and that the parents sometimes witnessed and even encouraged the punishments. The couple has pleaded not guilty, and their attorney denies the allegations.
And, the 2027 Super Bowl is coming to Disney+. ESPN’s telecast of Super Bowl LXI will stream on Disney+ on February 14, 2027, when the game takes place at SoFi Stadium. It’ll also air on ABC, ESPN, and the ESPN app. Meanwhile, advertisers are paying up to $10 million for 30 seconds of the Super Bowl broadcast – the most-watched TV event of the year.
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