Andy Cohen once described the Real Housewives franchise as “guilt free gossiping,” and now he, NBCUniversal, Warner Bros Discovery and others are denying any guilt in the workplace discrimination and retaliation claims from RHONY vet Leah McSweeney.
08.05.2024 - 22:15 / deadline.com
Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery are breaking ground in streaming with a bundled offering featuring Disney+, Hulu and Max in a single package.
The companies are aiming to launch the bundle this summer. The exact launch date and the price point have not yet been announced, but plans call for both ad-free and ad-supported versions to be available.
The move creates the first cross-company partnership for any of the top-tier services to come to market as the race to catch up with Netflix began in earnest about five years ago. It follows years of speculation and public musings by top executives about when cross-company bundling might begin to make streaming more cost-efficient for programmers and consumers alike. Pay-TV operators served as third-party bundlers in the cable age, but while distribution deals with the likes of Roku and Amazon are key to any streaming service gaining traction, it’s mostly every-app-for-itself in the streaming era.
Churn, the industry term for how many subscribers cancel, has been a nagging problem for media companies long accustomed to the far more stable patterns of pay-TV, which was built on a foundation of long-term contracts and physical equipment. In the realm of direct-to-consumer internet businesses, a tap of an app can vaporize revenue, one of the many reasons why companies have been looking more closely at bundling, especially with cord-cutting ravaging their pay-TV network holdings.
Viewers, meanwhile, complain of a dizzying landscape of apps and titles filling their screens, making the simple act of finding something to watch a grueling process. The “endless scroll” of Netflix and later imitators has exacerbated the old lament (cue Bruce Springsteen) about 57 channels and nothin’
Andy Cohen once described the Real Housewives franchise as “guilt free gossiping,” and now he, NBCUniversal, Warner Bros Discovery and others are denying any guilt in the workplace discrimination and retaliation claims from RHONY vet Leah McSweeney.
Mark Sutherland As he picked up his Ivor Novello Award in London Thursday, Bruce Springsteen told a story about the first time he came to the U.K.’s capitol city. In 1975, Springsteen and his band arrived at Heathrow Airport famished, and went in search of a cheeseburger — only to find that such exotic cuisine had yet to make it to that side of the pond, with only fish ‘n’ chips available.
Paul McCartney delivered an amusing roasting of Bruce Springsteen at the Ivor Novello Awards last night (May 23).The Boss became the first international songwriter to receive the Fellow of the Ivors Academy at Grosvenor House in London, following in the footsteps of Elton John, Kate Bush, Annie Lennox and Paul McCartney.Becoming an Academy Fellow is the highest honour the organisation bestows, and with it, the iconic singer, songwriter and guitarist becomes the first American songwriter that the Academy has inducted into Fellowship in its 80-year history.Presenting the prize, McCartney who brought Springsteen onstage along with Dave Grohl during his headline slot at Glastonbury in 2022, jokingly said: “Like Bruce’s concerts, I’m going to keep this brief,” referencing the Boss’ three hour plus concerts, before adding that he “couldn’t think of a more fitting” recipient “except maybe Bob Dylan, or Paul Simon, or Billy Joel, or Beyoncé, or Taylor Swift. The list goes on.”He also spoke about his performance at Glastonbury and said he never expected the Boss to show up.“Springsteen is a Dutch name. Did you know that? In Dutch it means man in charge.
The Simpsons voice actor Hank Azaria is starting his own Bruce Springsteen tribute band, named Hank Azaria & The EZ Street Band.The actor and comedian, known for voicing characters including Moe, Apu and Chief Wiggum, will lead the band for the first time on August 1 at New York City’s Le Poisson Rouge, with all profits going to the Four Through Nine Foundation, a social justice charity. Get tickets for that show here.The band have said they will play a “setlist packed with Springsteen classics and deep cuts, delivered with Azaria’s unique flair and the band’s top-notch musicianship.”Azaria himself has said: “I’ve never worked harder preparing for any role than I did in perfecting a singing vocal impression of Bruce.
RAYE, Yussef Dayes, Skepta and more have all won at the 2024 Ivor Novello Awards – check out the full list below.At this year’s awards ceremony today (May 23), RAYE was crowned Songwriter of the Year for having “the voice of a generation” as described by the judges. RAYE, who has spoken out numerous times for songwriter rights, won the award just one year after the release of her long-awaited debut album ‘My 21st Century Blues‘.Meanwhile, Yussef Dayes landed a win for Best Album for his record ‘Black Classical Music’, whilst the Best Contemporary Song went to the Speakers Corner Quartet (Kwake Bass, Peter Bennie, Biscuit and Raven Bush) with Kae Tempest for ‘Geronimo Blues’.Victoria Canal also won Best Song Musically And Lyrically for her track ‘Black Swan’ alongside Johnny Lattimer and Eg White.
KT Tunstall has expressed sympathy for new musicians ahead of her acceptance of the Ivor Novello award for outstanding song collection. The 48-year-old Scottish singer-songwriter is due to be honoured at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London on Thursday.
Manchester United attacker Marcus Rashford has been left out of England's provisional squad for the European Championship in Germany this summer.
A college comedy series starring Steve Carell has landed a 10-episode, straight-to-series order from HBO. The half-hour, single-camera project comes from veteran comedy writer-producers Bill Lawrence (Ted Lasso) and Matt Tarses (The Goldbergs) and Warners Bros. Television where Lawrence’s Doozer banner and Tarses are under overall deals.
Ireland’s screen industry is having a moment. With the Cannes Film Festival well underway, there’s a notable strong Irish presence in this year’s line-up including Element Pictures’ three entrants – Competition title Kinds of Kindness from Yorgos Lanthimos, Rungano Nyoni’s sophomore feature On Becoming A Guinea Fowl and Ariane Labed’s directorial debut September Says (both in Un Certain Regard). There’s also Competition title The Apprentice, which is co-produced with Irish outfit Tailored Films and Lorcan Finnegan’s Nicolas Cage starrer The Surfer premiering in the Midnight Screenings strand. Even Andrea Arnold’s Competition title Bird is rich with Irish talent with star Barry Keoghan and Oscar-nominated cinematographer Robbie Ryan both having worked on the film.
Graham Nash surprised fans this week by making a surprise appearance at a tribute concert for Crosby, Stills, and Nash. Find footage of the moment below.The moment took place on Monday night (May 13) as the music of the iconic trio was celebrated with a tribute concert at New York’s Carnegie Hall.Various artists including Todd Rundgren, Steve Earle, Yola, Iron & Wine, Real Estate, and more were enlisted to perform at the event, and each broke out renditions of the group’s most iconic tracks in the name of charity.It was held as the 19th edition of Michael Dorf’s annual Music Of charity show, which has raised over $2million (£1.6m) for music education and previously honoured iconic names in rock such as Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Van Morrison, Prince, and Paul McCartney.David Crosby died in January 2023, and neither of the surviving members of the trio, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash, were set to perform on the night.
Bruce Springsteen concert documentary is on the way, and will be available on streaming services later this year.Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band has been confirmed to release on Disney+ and Hulu in October, although a firm release date has yet to be announced. The concert film will focus on Springsteen’s ongoing tour.The documentary – directed by Springsteen’s longtime collaborator Thom Zimny – is set to feature footage of several concerts, as well as a behind-the-scenes look at the band’s intimate rehearsals.
Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band, a new documentary chronicling Springsteen and company’s prep for their 2023-2024 World Tour, will premiere on Hulu and Disney+ in October of this year. An exact launch date is forthcoming.
Selome Hailu Disney+ and Hulu have set a new Bruce Springsteen documentary for an October premiere. “Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band” will follow the band’s 2023-2024 world tour, featuring footage from band rehearsals and backstage moments, conversations with Springsteen as he develops the setlist and archival clips of the E Street Band.
David Sanborn, the six time Grammy-winning alto saxophonist who played at Woodstock, composed music for the Lethal Weapon movies, played in the SNL and Late Night with David Letterman bands and worked with everyone from Stevie Wonder to David Bowie, died Sunday afternoon, May 12th, after an extended battle with prostate cancer with complications. He Was 78.
Bruce Springsteen has paid tribute to the late Shane MacGowan with a rousing cover of a Pogues classic while performing in Ireland – watch fan-shot footage of the performance below.On Sunday night (May 12), Springsteen performed at the Nowlan Park in Kilkenny, Ireland. To kick off the show in a special way, Springsteen and The E Street Band began their setlist with a cover of The Pogues’ ‘A Rainy Night In Soho’.Watch fan-shot footage of ‘A Rainy Night In Soho’ below.@springsteen OPENING UP KILKENNY WITH @poguesofficial RAINY NIGHT IN SOHO!! @springsteen #SpringsteenTour2024 #Springsteen #estreetband pic.twitter.com/3vfabQ4WGa— Spring-Nuts (@SpringNuts_) May 12, 2024While ‘A Rainy Night In Soho’ was the first song to be performed during the concert, it wasn’t the first song that Springsteen played on Sunday.
Bruce Springsteen’s classic 1984 album ‘Born In The U.S.A.’ will receive a special edition 40th anniversary re-release next month.The Boss’ seventh studio album saw him embracing synthesisers and a more pop-influenced direction and went on to sell over 30 million copies. It includes the huge hit singles ‘Dancing In The Dark’, ‘Glory Days’, ‘I’m On Fire’ and the title track.The re-release will be out on June 4, the exact anniversary of its original release, with translucent red vinyl and expanded packaging with an exclusive booklet containing archival material from the era, newly-penned liner notes from Springsteen archivist Erik Flannigan and a four-colour lithograph.
Naman Ramachandran Warner Bros. Discovery has appointed entertainment creative advertising and marketing specialist, Once Upon a Time, and brand consultancy and creative agency, BigSmall, for the European launch of streamer Max.
Succession star Jeremy Strong is reportedly in talks to star in the upcoming Bruce Springsteen biopic Deliver Me From Nowhere.Per a report via Variety, Strong is apparently in the running for the role of Jon Landau, Springsteen’s longtime manager. Landau first took notice of Springsteen in 1974 when he was a music critic, and was hired as The Boss’ manager in 1975.Between 1975 and 1992, Landau co-produced nine albums with Springsteen including classics like ‘Nebraska’, ‘Born In the U.S.A.’ and ‘Born To Run’.Should Strong be cast as Landau, he will star alongside The Bear‘s Jeremy Allen White, who will portray Springsteen.
Max streaming services in the US starting this summer, the companies said in a statement on Wednesday.Customers will be able to sign up on any of the three individual websites and chose from an ad-free or ad-supported plan. No prices were disclosed.Both Disney and Warner Bros are trying to build their streaming businesses as customers ditch traditional cable packages, in part because many of them rejected having to pay for a large bundle with dozens of channels.Butas the number of streaming apps exploded, consumers have complained about having to sign up for multiple subscriptions.The Disney/Warner bundle will simplify payment with one bill, and possibly offer a discount from the cost of subscribing to each app separately.Further details will be announced in the coming weeks, the companies said.Disney+ offers the company’s animated and live-action movies plus film and TV shows from Marvel, Star Wars and Pixar.
Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery — ordinarily rivals for consumers’ time and money — are teaming up for a triple-play bundle of Disney+, Hulu and Max. The companies announced a new streaming bundle comprising Disney+, Hulu and Max will be available this summer in the U.S.