Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery complete $110B megamerger, forming Skydance Corp.
The deal closes with David Ellison at the helm and roughly $80 billion in debt, drawing a Fitch downgrade and a longshot Supreme Court challenge.
Variety · +12 outlets
David Ellison says HBO Max and Paramount+ will merge into a single streamer
The new Skydance leadership is signaling consolidation of the two services and continued original film bets.
The Hollywood Reporter · +14 outlets
Xbox secures GTA 6 streaming rights, per internal all-hands
Microsoft's Xbox CEO told staff the company will do something around Grand Theft Auto VI that no other platform holder is doing.
The Verge · +5 outlets
Google signs 20-year nuclear power deal with Constellation for data centers
The agreement covers six US nuclear plant sites as Google seeks more electricity for AI infrastructure.
The Verge · +13 outlets
OpenAI publishes 722 manuscripts of math results from an unreleased frontier model
The batch covers 372 result families, extending a run of claimed mathematical breakthroughs.
The Verge · +9 outlets
Emmy Awards move to Prime Video under six-year TV Academy deal
Amazon reportedly paid about $120 million to stream the ceremony free, marking the Emmys' streaming-era shift.
The Hollywood Reporter · +14 outlets
Fitch downgrades Skydance credit rating on debt from Paramount-WBD merger
The agency questions the combined company's ability to repay roughly $80 billion in debt.
Variety · +13 outlets
Sebastian Maniscalco's SiriusXM channel takeover draws backlash from comedians
Patton Oswalt, Michelle Wolf and others say the Raw Comedy channel change is hurting up-and-coming talent.
The Verge · +5 outlets
OpenAI to add text watermarking in ChatGPT and Codex
The move aims to mark AI-generated text, a contentious area for detection and provenance.
The Verge · +14 outlets
Apple and LG partner on smart home lineup, including doorbell, lock and thermostat
The LG-branded devices would integrate with Apple's home ecosystem, per a Bloomberg report.
The Verge · +13 outlets
Luca Guadagnino's 'Artificial' draws first reactions, with Sam Altman commenting on the film
The Amazon film about OpenAI's CEO is dividing critics, and Altman confirmed Garfield filmed outside his house.
Variety · +5 outlets
Bobby Kotick and Laurene Powell Jobs join Skydance board of directors
The additions come as Skydance names leadership across its newly merged Paramount and Warner Bros. divisions.
The Hollywood Reporter · +6 outlets
RedBird invests another $4 billion in Paramount's Warner Bros. takeover
The additional commitment backs the financing of the completed megamerger.
The Hollywood Reporter · +13 outlets
Amazon's reported $120M Emmys deal moves the ceremony to streaming
Amazon will stream the Emmys for free under the reported arrangement.
The Verge · +1 outlets
Sam Altman says 'some bad things' will happen but AI is worth it
Altman's comments came as OpenAI PR told a journalist to 'move on' while being asked about a ChatGPT user's suicide.
The Verge · +14 outlets
Steven Spielberg returns to Transformers, Michael Bay in talks to direct for Paramount
The franchise gets a new creative push under the merged studio.
The Hollywood Reporter · +13 outlets
Skydance sets leadership across games, experiences, consumer products and HR
President Andy Gordon has filled out the non-TV/film side of the newly merged company.
Variety
Google to remove free access to Gemini Flash and Pro
The change ends no-cost access to the company's AI models for some users.
The Verge