Hollywood Buzz: June 2025

By Natalie Lifson, Agent Trainee and Executive Assistant at Buchwald and your co-Editor-in-Chief at THA

Everything you may have missed in the trades this month...  

News to Know

• After more than 300 days, the SAG-AFTRA strike against Video Game Companies has finally ended! Read more HERE in THA.

• Warner Bro. Discovery To Split Into Two Companies -Deadline, 6/9

  • “Zaslav’s new Streaming & Studios outfit will consist of Warner Bros Television, Warner Bros Motion Picture Group, DC Studios, HBO and HBO Max, as well as their film and television libraries. Global Networks, meanwhile, will include premier entertainment, sports and news television brands around the world including CNN, TNT Sports in the U.S., and Discovery, top free-to-air channels across Europe, and digital products such as the profitable Discovery+ streaming service and Bleacher Report.”

  • Most of WBD Debt to Go With TV Networks Company -THR, 6/9

  • HBO Family, Other Channels to Be Shut Down by Warner Bros. Discovery -Variety, 6/12

• Disney to Pay Comcast an Additional $439 Million for Hulu Stake -THR, 6/9

  • “The Bob Iger-run entertainment giant agreed to buy the 33 percent stake in Hulu in 2023; after an extended appraisal process, the deal is finally set to close.”

Understanding the News

• Inside Hollywood’s Succession Wars -THR, 6/4

  • “A look behind the battle lines of the industry’s real-life Game of Thrones, from the ever-shifting power struggles at Disney to the secret machinations at the top agencies.”

• Behind Warner Bros. Discovery and NBCUniversal's Spinoff Strategy -THR, 6/11

  • “NBCUniversal and Warner Bros. Discovery are racing to offload their ailing linear TV channels.”

Rankings & Ratings

• Streaming Hits Another High, Cable and Broadcast Rise Too -THR, 5/20

• YouTube Leads TV Distributor Rankings -THR, 5/27

• Most Popular TV Shows of 2024-25 -Variety, 5/29

• Ratings: 2024-25 TV Season’s 100 Biggest Shows -THR, 6/6

New Initiatives

• Ex-Marvel Exec Launches Screenwriting Fellowship -THR, 6/9

• Netflix to Invest $1 Billion-Plus in Spain Over Four Years -THR, 6/10

• New CNN Podcast Division Will Lean on New Talent and Formats -THR, 6/12

  • “The news network is rebranding CNN Audio as CNN Podcasts, as it develops new formats and shifts attention to new talent.”

Production

• L.A. Mayor Vows to Cut Red Tape and Make It Easier to Shoot Movies and Shows In the City. -THR, 5/20

  • “Karen Bass signed an executive order Tuesday aimed at requiring no more than one city staffer on shoots and further opening up icons like the Griffith Observatory and the Central Public Library for filming.”

• Where Did the $750 Million Go? Hollywood Incentive Bill Passes CA Senate Without the Figure, For Now -THR, 6/3

  • “Supporters believe that the Gov. Gavin Newsom remains committed to doubling the incentive and maintain that as long as his budget plan is passed, the state's entertainment industry shouldn't be worried.”

AI

• SAG-AFTRA Files Unfair Labor Practice Charge Over Darth Vader AI Voice in ‘Fortnite’ -THR, 5/19

• Amazon and NY Times Strike AI Licensing Deal for Content -THR, 5/29

• Runway AI and AMC Networks Sign Deal -THR, 6/4

  • “AMC Networks is the latest entertainment entity — and the first cable player — to formally make a deal with emerging Hollywood AI player Runway.”

• Disney, Universal File First Major Studio Lawsuit Against AI Company -Variety, 6/11

Partnerships

• Netflix Inks Creative Partnership with Ekta Kapoor's Balaji Telefilms in India -THR, 6/6

  • “The Bollywood scion's production banner will generate a diverse slate of series and films for Netflix as the streamer continues to build its position in the world's most populous nation.”

• Amazon Ads & Roku Set Landmark Pact Giving Brands Access To 80% Of Connected-TV Households -Deadline, 6/15

Decreased Arts & Entertainment Funding

• PBS Sues Trump, Claims Defunding Order Violates First Amendment -Variety, 5/30

• House Votes To Rescind PBS, NPR And Public Media Funding -Deadline, 6/12

Disputes

• California Senators Seek Inquiry on Paramount-Trump Settlement Talks -Variety, 5/30

  • “Two California state senators have called for a hearing on the settlement talks between Paramount Global and President Trump, alleging that such a deal would amount to a bribe in order to obtain regulatory approval for the studio’s merger with Skydance Media.” 

• Warner Bros CEO David Zaslav Executive Pay Rejected by Shareholders -THR, 6/3

  • “Shareholders voted against the compensation packages for the CEO and other top executives by a sizable margin.”

Sales & Acquisitions

• Byron Allen Selling Local TV Stations -THR, 6/2

  • “Allen Media Group has hired the investment bank Moelis to market the 28 local stations it owns in an effort to reduce its debt.”

• 3 Arts Acquires A&A Management, Travis Kelce Among Sports Clients -Variety, 6/2

• 3 Arts Entertainment Acquires OManagement Firm -THR, 6/6

• Disney to Pay Comcast an Additional $439 Million for Hulu Stake -THR, 6/9

• Warner Bro. Discovery To Split Into Two Companies -Deadline, 6/9

• MLB Acquires Stake in Creator-Led Jomboy Media -THR, 6/10

Awards: Made in NY Award Winners, Cannes Film Festival Winners, Tony Awards Winners

Layoffs: 

• A24 Scales Back Documentary Division, Lays Off Five -Variety, 5/23

• Disney Layoffs: Hundreds Cut In TV & Film Entertainment -Deadline, 6/2

• Warner Bros. Discovery Makes Layoffs Across Cable TV Group -Variety, 6/4

• Paramount Cutting Another 3.5% Of Its Domestic Workforce -Deadline, 6/10

Helpful Articles

• With Cord Cut, Can Old TV Brands Take Off On Streaming? -THR, 5/21

• How Hollywood Finds Its Stars: Behind the Scenes With Casting Directors, the Most Important and Least Understood Job in Movies -Variety, 5/30

• How the UK is Juggling a Hollywood Boom and a Bust in Local Film, TV -Variety, 6/13