PwC Showbiz and Celebrity Breaking News

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorSubscription streaming video is cooling down from torrid growth rates seen in 2020 and ’21 — fueled by pandemic lockdowns — but is still experiencing healthy expansion in the U.S., one of the segment’s most mature markets.In 2022, SVOD services in the United States will generate revenue of $25.32 billion, up 13% from last year, according to PwC’s Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2022–2026 report, released Monday. The segment is projected to reach $33.59 billion by 2026, representing an 8.5% compound annual growth rate from 2021-26.The 13% uptick projected for this year is down from 19.5% annual growth in 2021 and a whopping 27% increase in 2020 for U.S.

Morrisons has announced it will buy McColl's in a move that will save as many as 16,000 jobs. McColl's confirmed last week that it has been forced to go into administration, which would see mass job losses and store closures.

Convenience chain McColl’s has confirmed it will collapse into administration, putting 1,100 shop and 16,000 workers at risk.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentDubai-based cryptocurrency-based content platform MContent has partnered with  PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Middle East to launch its documentary “Ripple vs SEC Saga” in a virtual theater in the metaverse.Produced by MContent and Amsterdam-based Insight TV in tandem with Villain Studios, “Ripple vs SEC Saga” (first look image above) delves into the ongoing case being brought by the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) since 2020 against blockchain company Ripple Labs.In this landmark case the SEC has accused Ripple of raising $1.3 billion in unregistered digital asset securities by using its digital coin, called XRP. The SEC’s key claim, which is being refuted, is that XRP is not a currency, but a security and therefore subject to strict securities laws.

take part in a poll featuring the last 10 Best Picture winners.Just as this year’s Oscar voters are doing with this year’s nominees beginning Thursday, the poll’s participants are asked to rank the 10 past winners in order of preference. Then the ranked choice voting (RCV) system will be used to determine which of the films has the broadest across-the-board support, just as the Academy’s accounting firm of PwC will do with Oscar ballots.The 10 films are, in chronological order, “The Artist,” “Argo,” “12 Years a Slave,” “Spotlight,” “Moonlight,” “Birdman,” “The Shape of Water,” “Green Book,” “Parasite” and “Nomadland.”The poll is now open here.Early next week, we will reveal the results and explain in detail how the process worked to arrive at those results.The ranked-choice system has long been used in the nomination round of Oscar voting, but it was extended to the final Best Picture vote after the category expanded from five to 10 nominees in 2010.

Tickets for this year's MEN Business Awards have gone on sale as the finalists for the glittering event have been revealed.