Gains in streaming by Warner Bros. Discovery during the first quarter were offset by weakness at the film studio and in linear TV advertising.
Linear ad sales dipped 11% year-over-year due to ongoing domestic audience declines, countered in part by better trends in sports and international. Streaming ad revenue jumped 35% driven by an increase in subscribers to the advertising tier.
The company ended March with 122.3 million global streaming subscribers, an increase of 5.3 million, but much of the growth was due to lighting up new markets. Australia and Turkey just launched and more than a dozen new territories are planned by year-end for a presence in more than 85 global markets globally. Key markets the UK and Ireland, Italy and Germany will joint the list in early 2026.
While the January-to-March performance by the movie studio was poor, things have turned around sharply during the current quarter, with Minecraft nearing $1 billion at the global box office. >>>"Cultural Zeitgeist"
Related:
David Zaslav Declares, “This Is The Strongest HBO Has Ever Been”, Likens It To NBC’s “Must-See TV” Era |
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| Deadline Exclusives & Originals |
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'The Beatles' Fab Three - Sam Mendes and Sony Pictures have landed the writers that will help spearhead The Beatles – A Four Film Cinematic Event. Tony Award winner Jez Butterworth, Oscar winner Peter Straughan and BAFTA and Tony winner Jack Thorne are set to write the screenplays for the biopics of The Beatles, whose stories will be told in four distinct theatrical feature films. >>> Exact Assignments Unclear
Rich 'Stitch' Sitch - Further supporting Disney CEO Bob Iger’s claim that “tracking is enormous” for Lilo & Stitch, Fandango reports that the live-action take of the classic animated title posted the best first-day ticket presales for a PG title year to date. >>>$120M Debut Expected
Apple Finds 'Wanted Man' - Apple TV+ has greenlighted The Wanted Man, an eight-episode thriller drama starring Hugh Laurie from Hijack co-creator George Kay, New Pictures and Kay’s Observatory Pictures. Thandiwe Newton, Fionn Whitehead (Dunkirk), Gina McKee (My Policeman), Hazel Doupe (Say Nothing), Blitz star Elliott Heffernan and Stephen Dillane (Game of Thrones) also star in the series. >>> About UK Crime Syndicate
A 'Ferris Bueller' Reunion - Ferris Bueller’s Day Off co-stars Matthew Broderick and Alan Ruck are negotiating to reunite in The Best Is Yet to Come, a comedy that Allan Loeb scripted and Jon Turteltaub will direct. The film is backed by MRC, and Lionsgate is in talks to distribute. >>>Based On French Film
Cynthia Erivo Lawyers Up - The feature adaptation of acclaimed play Prima Facie, which will star three-time Oscar nominee Cynthia Erivo, is heading to the Cannes market. Wicked star Erivo will lead cast and executive produce under her Edith’s Daughter banner. Erivo — in the role popularized in the West End and on Broadway by Jodie Comer — will play a brilliant British defense barrister. >>> Olivier-Winning Play
The Greatest Story Ever Told - Prime Video‘s limited series The Greatest has begun production in Toronto. Ben Watkins (Cross), showrunner and executive producer via his Blue Monday Productions banner, will direct the first two episodes of the first authorized scripted series about the life of Muhammad Ali. >>>Michael B. Jordan EPing
In Brief - Docuseries Rabil’s Places to feature eponymous Premier Lacrosse League chief... Jennifer Garner joins producing team for 13 Going On 30 stage musical... Playbill names Jolie Schaffzin publisher... Ben and Dan Newmark & their Grandma’s House Entertainment sign with UTA |
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Amy Sherman-Palladino and Dan Palladino have embarked on their second foray into the world of ballet with their latest series, Prime Video's Étoile.
After previously working for one season on the 2012 drama Bunheads, Sherman-Palladino says her desire to tell another ballet-centric story was fueled by one thing: “vengeance.”
She’s joking, sort of.
“I wasn’t done, and I figured, let’s go back,” she said at the Deadline Studio at Prime Experience. “The first time, it was more about coming of age, and then 10 years later, I assume they’ve all come of age. We thought, how fun it would be to go backstage into if they become professional ballerinas?” >>>Watch The Conversation |
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Exclusive
Brendan Fraser, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Annie Murphy, Elizabeth Hurley and Josh Gad will lead the voice cast for Tubi‘s new adult animated series Breaking Bear.
Exclusive
Tony Award winner Brian Swibel has set a stacked cast for his feature directorial debut, comedic thriller The Very Best People. The ensemble piece will feature Paul Walter Hauser, Lili Reinhart, Tim Roth, Jake Lacy, Jai Courtney and Kerry Bishé (Halt and Catch Fire).
PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie, the third film in hit kids’ franchise PAW Patrol from Spin Master Corp., has rounded out its cast with the addition of Jameela Jamil, Terry Crews, Paris Hilton, Snoop Dogg, Bill Nye, Meredith MacNeill and franchise veteran Ron Pardo.
In Brief - Betsy Brandt, Aya Cash, Ella Rubin, Thomas Sadoski & Mimi Rogers to star in Adult Children... Xolo Maridueña & Leah Lewis to topline Dog Years... Caleb McLaughlin to star in scripted podcast Sacrilege: Curse of the Mbirwi |
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QUOTABLE
"We'll shoot here" - Ravi Ahuja, President and CEO, Sony Pictures Entertainment, on how SPE would respond if tax incentives were better in the U.S. than abroad |
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More News
📺 Telemundo revealed its 2025-2026 lineup, sticking with proven franchises such as an El Señor de los Cielos spinoff, Dinastía Casillas, a new season of La Casa de los Famosos and the FIFA World Cup 2026.
👀 Adviser to President Donald Trump Kari Lake said that One America News Network will provide its newsfeed to Voice of America and other U.S.-funded international broadcast outlets. The news was greeted with some alarm from staffers.
🤝 Versant, Comcast's planned cable spin-off entity, has struck a two-year ad sales agreement with corporate cousin NBCUniversal. Under the pact, which will cover the next two upfront cycles, NBCU will handle sales under its One Platform banner.
🎟️ The Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission have launched a public comment period in their inquiry into unfair and uncompetitive practices in ticketing in the live concert and event business. |
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BY THE NUMBERS
$11.20 - Starz share price after its first day of trading as an independent company, marking a 40% rise |
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On the Radar
Thu - Paramount, TKO Earnings; ACMAs; Joe Biden on The View
Sun - Mother's Day
Mon - Upfronts begin; Tom Cruise receives BFI Fellowship; Diddy trial opening statements
Tue - Cannes kicks off; Andor finale |
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Red Carpet Debut - Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet walked the red carpet together for the first time at the 70th David Di Donatello Awards, where he received a Special David Award for Cinematic Excellence. |
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