MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT
Activision Blizzard Lays Off Employees as It Shifts Away From Live Events
Santa Monica-based video game company Activision Blizzard Inc. laid off dozens of employees this week across multiple departments.
SAG-AFTRA Executive Morden Kichaven to Retire
Serena Kung, the L.A. local associate executive director, will take over for Morden Kichaven in an interim capacity.
Disney Plus Reaches 100 Million Subscribers
Walt Disney Co.’s streaming platform, Disney Plus, has reached 100 million subscribers globally, the Burbank-based entertainment giant announced at its annual shareholders meeting on March 9.
LA County Movie Theaters to Reopen This Week
The continued decline of Covid-19 cases in Los Angeles prompted the County Department of Health to give the go-ahead for movie theaters to open at 25% capacity as early as March 15.
Podcast Marketplace Podcorn Acquired by Entercom
Beverly Hills-based Podcorn Media, Inc., a podcast marketplace for brands, has been acquired by Entercom.
Lions Gate, Summit Give Starz Priority Access to Films
Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. and Starz have struck a deal to give the subscription platform priority access to films from Lionsgate and Summit Entertainment.
Streaming, Subscription Revenue Boost UMG in 2020
Santa Monica-based Universal Music Group’s streaming and subscription revenue boomed in 2020, the corporation’s parent company, Vivendi, reported on March 3.
UTA Buys Echo Location Talent Agency
Beverly Hills-based United Talent Agency acquired London-based music agency Echo Location Talent Agency.
Producers Guild Executive to Depart
Vance Van Petten, national executive director of the Producers Guild of America, will step down in mid-2021.
Film Commission Allocates $87 Million to Projects
Nearly two dozen movie projects filming in California received tax credits from the California Film Commission
Are Virtual Concerts the Future of Live Entertainment?
In a year in which massive music festivals like Coachella and Lollapalooza were called off, it’s not surprising that the biggest concert of 2020 took place inside a video game.
Live Nation Revenue Tumbles But Stock Soars
Live Nation Entertainment Inc., the music industry’s largest live events promoter, closed out the year with another major drop in revenue, but Wall Street was unphased.
DirecTV to Spin Off From AT&T
AT&T Inc. is selling a minority stake in struggling DirecTV, which will become a standalone company.
LAX Passenger Traffic Continued Slump in January, but Cargo Boomed
LAX statistics for January show passenger traffic remains stalled while cargo tonnage is accelerating.
Paramount to Slash Window for Film Releases
Paramount Pictures is changing its movie release strategy ahead of the launch of streaming service Paramount Plus.
