Variety

TV Ratings: MLB All-Star Game Falls to ‘America’s Got Talent’ in Total Viewers

Joseph Otterson — Wed, 12 Jul 2017 15:56:31 +0000

The 2017 MLB All-Star Game was approximately even in the overnight ratings with last year’s historic low but still ranked below “America’s Got Talent” in total viewers, according to Nielsen data. Airing on Fox, the game is currently averaging a 2.2 rating in adults 18-49 and 8.6 million viewers, staying even in the demo and... Read more »

Roku Boasts 15 Million Monthly Active Accounts

Janko Roettgers — Wed, 12 Jul 2017 15:09:20 +0000

Streaming device manufacturer Roku has reached another milestone: The company now has more than 15 million monthly active accounts, it announced Wednesday morning. That’s a growth of 43 percent year-over-year, according to company data. Roku announced that it had reached 13 million monthly active accounts in January. It’s worth noting that this metric doesn’t really... Read more »

Snap’s Vanishing Value: Snapchat Parent Has Shed $15 Billion in Market Cap

Todd Spangler — Wed, 12 Jul 2017 15:07:24 +0000

Snap, the “camera company” whose business consists almost entirely of ads sold in the Snapchat app, has gone from Wall Street wunderkind to an IPO disaster. On Wednesday, Snap shares were down 1.4% in morning trading, to $15.26 per share at 11:05 a.m. ET. That’s 10% below the company’s $17 initial public offering price. Snap’s... Read more »

NBCU Notches Volume Gains In TV’s Upfront Market

Brian Steinberg — Wed, 12 Jul 2017 15:01:45 +0000

NBCUniversal notched volume gains of between 8% and 9% in TV’s “upfront” market, the latest signal that marketers have continued to pour ad dollars back into the medium as they face challenges with a range of digital media in both quality and accuracy. The company said it secured a “high single digit” percentage increase in... Read more »

China’s Wanda Will Lend $4.3 Billion to Buyer of Its Theme Parks

Patrick Frater — Wed, 12 Jul 2017 14:46:52 +0000

Dalian Wanda is to lend $4.29 billion (RMB 26.6 billion) to Sunac China, the property developer that is buying Wanda’s theme park business and part of its hotels portfolio. The details emerged in a regulatory filing made by Sunac before its Hong Kong-listed shares resumed trading. The shares rose by 13% on Tuesday and were... Read more »

TV Review: Netflix’s ‘Ozark,’ Starring Jason Bateman and Laura Linney

Sonia Saraiya — Wed, 12 Jul 2017 14:30:51 +0000

Playing Michael Bluth was a lot harder than it looked. As the lead of “Arrested Development,” Jason Bateman had to be a despicable straight man with delusions of his own goodness and sympathetic, as the only character capable of feeling pain in a family of narcissists. Bateman rose admirably to the task, providing a grounded... Read more »

David Bowie 11-CD Boxed Set Spanning 1977-82 Due Sept. 29

Jem Aswad — Wed, 12 Jul 2017 14:23:57 +0000

Parlophone Records have announced the third and latest installment in their series of David Bowie’s boxed sets covering the late artist’s career from 1969. “A New Career in a New Town” compiles his material from 1977 through 1982, arguably the most experimental years of his career. The 11-CD/13-LP set includes the so-called “Berlin trilogy” of... Read more »

Rich Sommer, Tiera Skovbye to Star in Horror Movie ‘Summer of ’84’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Dave McNary — Wed, 12 Jul 2017 14:03:36 +0000

“Mad Men” star Rich Sommer and Tiera Skovbye of “Riverdale” are starring in the horror-thriller “Summer of ’84” with production beginning Wednesday in Vancouver, Variety has learned exclusively. Brightlight Pictures and Gunpowder & Sky are the production companies. Matt Leslie is producing with Jameson Parker and Shawn Williamson from Brightlight Pictures alongside Cody Zwieg who... Read more »

Hollywood Heavyweights Help ACLU Fight for Civil Liberties in Trump Era

rljournoblog — Wed, 12 Jul 2017 14:00:37 +0000

When Kerry Washington invited the head of the country’s preeminent civil rights organization to speak about the group to a roomful of Hollywood’s most powerful people, executive director Anthony Romero balked: “I don’t talk to a lot of people in the entertainment business — I run the ACLU.” After his initial resistance, Romero agreed to... Read more »

Sun Valley: Bill Gates, Phil Knight, Gen. Lori Robinson to Address Moguls (EXCLUSIVE)

varietybrentlang — Wed, 12 Jul 2017 13:51:57 +0000

Some of the top media and technology chiefs are getting a crash course in economics, philanthropy, and the opioid crisis at Allen & Co.’s annual conference in Sun Valley, Idaho. The gathering is put on by the investment bank and is closed to press. It attracts an impressive array of moguls. Warren Buffett, CBS CEO... Read more »