Paramount Pictures has signed a three-year global distribution deal with Legendary Entertainment, excluding China, starting with the release of the 'Street Fighter' film in October 2026. The deal includes Paramount marketing and distributing Legendary's films worldwide, with Warner Bros. continuing to handle some franchises. Legendary aims to expand its film output and build new franchises through this partnership.
Celsius Holdings' stock surged after a $585 million deal with PepsiCo, expanding their partnership and increasing PepsiCo's stake to 11%, which includes distribution rights for Celsius and acquisition of the Rockstar Energy brand in North America. The deal strengthens Celsius's market position and is seen as a positive move for its growth prospects, with the stock reaching its highest level in 14 months amid a strong rebound in sales and earnings.
YouTube TV and Fox reached a short-term agreement to prevent a channel blackout just before the NFL and college football seasons, as they continue negotiations over distribution fees amid broader industry shifts away from traditional pay-TV models.
Comcast's Sky has withdrawn its lawsuit against Warner Bros. Discovery after the two companies reached a new global distribution agreement. The lawsuit, filed in September, accused Warner Bros. Discovery of breaching a five-year output deal by not providing enough programming, particularly concerning a planned HBO Harry Potter series. The new deal allows Comcast to include Warner Bros. Discovery's content in its Xfinity and Sky UK and Ireland offerings, strengthening their distribution relationship.
Paramount has secured a multi-year distribution deal with Charter Communications, ensuring that Charter will continue to carry all of Paramount's networks and offer ad-supported versions of Paramount+ and BET+ to its largest tier subscribers at no additional cost. This deal helps Paramount avoid significant risks and may pave the way for potential buyouts from Skydance Media, Apollo Global, or Sony.
Tech stocks led the S&P 500 and Nasdaq higher, ending a volatile week. Paramount secured a multi-year distribution deal with Charter Communications, ensuring continued carriage of its networks and ad-supported versions of Paramount+ and BET+ for Charter's largest tier subscribers. This deal mitigates a significant risk for Paramount and may pave the way for potential buyouts from Skydance Media, Apollo Global, or Sony.
Paramount has secured a multi-year distribution deal with Charter Communications, ensuring the continued carriage of its networks and the inclusion of ad-supported versions of Paramount+ and BET+ for Charter's largest tier subscribers. This deal mitigates a significant risk for Paramount and may pave the way for potential buyouts from Skydance Media, Apollo Global, or Sony.
Francis Ford Coppola's long-awaited film "Megalopolis" faces challenges in securing a distribution deal after a screening that elicited mixed reactions. The movie, set in a dystopian future, features a star-studded cast and explores themes of moral ambiguity, sex, drugs, and violence. Despite its audacious and unconventional nature, the film is aiming to reset the narrative by competing at the Cannes Film Festival. However, its distribution prospects remain uncertain due to Coppola's marketing expectations and the film's controversial content, including scenes involving sexual themes and the involvement of actors with problematic histories.
Apple Original Films' $200 million movie Argylle, directed by Matthew Vaughn and featuring an all-star cast, is set to hit theaters this weekend with a mid-teens box office start. The film is expected to have a 50/50 male-female turnout and will open in 79 offshore territories. Despite a challenging box office atmosphere, the movie's pre-release diagnostics show promise for attracting audiences.
Taylor Swift's concert film, "The Eras Tour," will be released in cinemas through a deal with AMC Theatres, bypassing traditional studios. Talks with Hollywood studios, including Universal Pictures, fell through, leading to negotiations between AMC CEO Adam Aron and Swift's parents. The deal stipulates that theaters will receive 43% of the gross, while the remaining 57% will be shared between the Swifts and AMC. The film will be priced at $19.89 for adults and $13.13 for children and seniors. Theaters will also keep all concession revenue and distribute free posters to fans. The film must be carried for a minimum of four weeks and can be played for up to 26 weeks. The Swifts are free to put the film on streaming services after 13 weeks. This unconventional deal could pave the way for similar partnerships between AMC and other artists.
Lionsgate and STX have closed a deal in which Lionsgate will handle marketing and distribution for future STX theatrical releases in North America, as well as distribute STX's library of 75 titles across all platforms. The first film to be released under this partnership will be Neil Burger's thriller, The Marsh King's Daughter, on October 6. The two studios are also planning co-productions for 2024 and developing scripted television series based on popular STX titles like Bad Moms and Hustlers. The STX library includes films such as Hustlers, The Gentlemen, Greenland, Molly's Game, and I Feel Pretty.
