John Ourand • September 20, 2024

Mahomes-Burrow vs. Harris-Trump

Early ratings suggest that, despite historical precedents, this election has zero hope of competing with the NFL for the hearts and minds of viewers. Welcome to America.

Dylan Byers • September 19, 2024

Woj’s Own Woj Bomb

It seemed implausible that Adrian Wojnarowski would leave more than $20 million on the table for the prospect of unlimited family time and his sanity—this is television, after all! But the craziest part of this story may be that there is no crazy part, after all.

John Ourand • September 17, 2024

Post Malone

Everyone in the industry seems to think that cable cowboy John Malone, a WBD board member whose parentco owns a large minority stake in Charter, engineered a tidy affiliate package between his two entities. But what if the reality is a little more complex?

Dylan Byers • September 13, 2024

This Too Shall Zaz

David Zaslav may be trumpeting a face-saving deal with Charter, but the forthcoming face-off with Comcast isn’t going to be any easier.

John Ourand • September 12, 2024

Caitlin Expectations

A candid conversation with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert on the league’s renaissance season and once-unthinkable $200 million per year media rights deal.

Eriq Gardner • September 11, 2024

Netflix on Trial & CNN’s Financial Colonoscopy

Republican-appointed judges are greenlighting a surge of defamation cases against the likes of CNN, Netflix, ABC News, and Media Matters, revealing everything from private communications to the most sensitive internal documents.

John Ourand • September 10, 2024

Full Nielsen

After enraging the sports media community last year by attempting to integrate Amazon’s numbers into its data, Nielsen will use some first-party data in its calculations for the NFL this season. But the devil is in the details.

Dylan Byers • September 7, 2024

Mark Thompson Prepares to Show His Hand

A year after Mark Thompson took over, he’s finally on the verge of revealing the first signs, such as they are, of his master plan.

John Ourand • September 6, 2024

Will NFL Media & ESPN Ever Tie the Knot?

The league’s three-year attempt to unload the entity, which controls the NFL Network and RedZone, is the latest casualty of the declining cable business.

Dylan Byers • September 5, 2024

Brian’s Song

The backstory on Brian Stelter’s return, and the real drama inside CNN: the potential arrival of former wunderkind Josh Tyrangiel.

John Ourand • September 4, 2024

The DirecTV Revenge Fantasy

News and notes on the existential fears—both real and imagined—of distribution executives as the future of the Venu sports streamer appears increasingly tenuous.

Eriq Gardner • September 3, 2024

The Murdoch Succession Trial Will (or Won’t!) Be Televised

Barricaded doors and records kept secret? Inside the Nevada battle for control of the Fox News empire—and whether the whole drama should be sealed off from public view.

Dylan Byers • August 30, 2024

The Burbank Campaign

News and notes on the intensifying shadow campaign to succeed Bob Iger at Disney as the fall closes in.

John Ourand • August 29, 2024

MLB’s Brewing Bidding War

I’m told that several of the world’s biggest media and technology companies—Amazon, Apple, Google/YouTube, and NBCUniversal—are checking in with MLB on a regular basis about the possibility of getting local rights as they come available.

Dylan Byers • August 28, 2024

CNN’s Debate Whisperers

Dana Bash’s interview with Harris and Walz is CNN’s latest “get” this cycle—from the Trump town hall to the Iowa G.O.P. debate and obviously debategate. It’s largely the handiwork of a relatively anonymous odd couple: Mark Preston and Christie Johnson.