Rockstar Games Cofounder Dan Houser Launches Media Company Absurd Ventures

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor The nation’s biggest media chiefs have for months asked investors to be patient. Wait until the back half of 2023, they’ve said, when ad money will start to flow once again. Now companies like Paramount Global, Comcast, Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery need to play a waiting game of their own. Ad budgets are expected to be down in the industry’s “upfront” market, when U.S. media companies try to sew up deals for the bulk of their advertising inventory ahead of the fall launch of their next programming cycle. Big marketers are not only uncertain about what new content will be available come autumn – a writers’ strike has squelched production of everything from late-night programs to scripted comedies and dramas – but what they should expect from the economy over the next few months.

Sydney Sweeney is opening up about how damaging social media can actually be – to celebrities and those who aren’t celebrities at all.

Larsa Pippen would be open to getting married again following her divorce from husband of 24 years Scottie Pippen.

Larsa Pippen and Marcus Jordan are getting candid about their relationship.

Larsa Pippen and Marcus Jordan are opening up about the possibility of having kids sometime in the future.On the latest episode of their podcast, , the couple gets candid about their feelings towards having a baby together, and how much thought they've given it.«I think there's [mostly] been conversations around it,» Jordan said, explaining that they haven't gotten into specifics when it comes to that particular discussion. «When we go and we meet people, or I'm introducing you to some of my friends, or you introduce me to some of your friends I feel like it gets brought up.»«But I feel like we've never had a one-on-one, private conversation about having children,» he added.«It's one of those things where I think time will tell,» Pippen, 48, shared.«I feel like I'm happy, because I have four kids, and I feel like you don't have kids, so basically it'd be a question for you.

Coronation Street star Charlotte Jordan has revealed she steers clear from social media due to fans ‘hating’ her character.The actress, 28, plays Daisy Midgeley in the soap and has been involved in a dramatic storyline recently as she tries to reassure acid attack victim Ryan Connor (played by Ryan Prescott) that his ex-girlfriend Crystal still loved him, despite the fact she had said she wasn’t interested in him. Concerned that it might slow down his recovery, Daisy found herself pretending to be Crystal in communications with Ryan and falling deeper into a fake connection with him.

The Charlotte Hornets has officially approved the sale of a majority stake in the team from basketball legend Michael Jordan to “The Buyer Group,” an organization that includes J. Cole.

NBA GOAT Michael Jordan has agreed to sell his majority stake in the Charlotte Hornets for an undisclosed sum. He will still retain a minority stake after the sale. The deal values the team at $3 billion, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, which means that Jordan could receive $1.5 billion, or more, depending on how much of the team he hangs onto. It ends his 13-year run as majority owner.

Larsa Pippen and Marcus Jordan want people to know that they are “absolutely” in a serious relationship.

Coronation Street spoilers follow. Coronation Street star Charlotte Jordan has suggested a second wedding episode for Daisy Midgeley and Daniel Osbourne.

Larsa Pippen and Marcus Jordan are opening up about the public’s perception of them as a couple.

Coronation Street's Daniel Osborne could take a dark turn after discovering that fiancée Daisy Midgeley has been getting close to ex-boyfriend Ryan Connor. And actor Rob Mallard, who plays Daniel, has hinted that he could be the cobbles' next serial killer. Daisy and Ryan have been growing close in the aftermath of Justin Rutherford's horrific acid attack, which has left Ryan with facial scars.

William Earl Rockstar Games co-founder Dan Houser has launched Absurd Ventures, which aims to produce video games, TV, film and a wide range of multiplatform content. Absurd Ventures will focus on creating characters and worlds that can be expressed in many different forms. In addition to video games, live-action and animation, Absurd Ventures also has its eye on books, graphic novels and podcasts. “We are building Absurd Ventures to create new universes and to tell great stories, wherever and however we can,” Houser said. The company, which has a handful of employees, is based in Santa Monica. Financing and investment partners will be unveiled at a later time, said a spokesman for Houser. Absurd Ventures’ website and social media accounts went live today.

A new face in the 305! Larsa Pippen‘s boyfriend, Marcus Jordan, revealed that his famous family is coming around to the idea of him appearing on The Real Housewives of Miami.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Alex Cooper and Matt Kaplan just got engaged — and now they’re going into business together. Cooper, creator, host and executive producer of Spotify’s hit sex and relationship podcast “Call Her Daddy,” and Kaplan, founder/CEO of ACE Entertainment and producer of Netflix’s “XO, Kitty” and the streamer’s “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” film franchise, announced the formation of Trending: a Gen Z media venture “committed to elevating today’s voices and crafting tomorrow’s stories for an independent, resourceful and inclusive generation.” Cooper and Kaplan, who met in 2020, got engaged in March 2023. L.A.-based Trending will be the parent company of “Call Her Daddy,” ACE Entertainment, and the couple’s future investments in Gen Z cultural events, commerce and community. Cooper and Kaplan’s new venture will develop scripted and unscripted content, including podcasts and digital media; produce touring events; and launch other projects.

Larsa Pippen and Marcus Jordan knew their relationship would raise some eyebrows. On the premiere episode of their podcast,, the couple opens up about their families' initial thoughts about their unlikely pairing.«I don’t think there was ever any hurdles, I just think there was some shock value to the fact that we were dating.

Larsa Pippen and Marcus Jordan are tackling the common misconceptions about their relationship, and reveal how their families reacted to their romance.

Anna Tingley If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. Step aside, Madden: NBA 2K is officially the most popular video game in the U.S., according to new research conducted by OHgamblers. The sports gaming experts analyzed Google searches and search terms related to the games, and found that NBA 2K has become the most-searched game in 31 states over the last 12 months.

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon would like to exit stage left from former President Trump's presidential campaign. In a statement given to Fox News Digital, a representative for Artists Equity, the production company founded by the two Massachusetts natives, condemned Trump's recent use of audio from their film "Air," which tells the story of the partnership between basketball great Michael Jordan and Nike.

Coronation Street star Charlotte Jordan said how she really felt as she responded to her on-screen fiance's seemingly loved-up real-life post. The Daisy Midgeley actress was gushing over Rob Mallard, who plays Daniel Osbourne in the ITV soap, after he made a rare social media post.