Warner Bros. Discovery reported revenue growth in Q2 with a $9.8 billion total compared to $9.7 billion for the same period in 2024. Propelled by the success of films like the action/comedy “A Minecraft Movie” and the horror hit “Sinners” starring Michael B. Jordan — in addition to the international rollout of HBO Max — the company turned a profit of $1.58 billion for the quarter, a significant increase over the same frame last year. Television series including “The Last of Us” and “Abbott Elementary” were hailed as examples of “creative excellence.” In the shareholder letter, WBD says it “optimized” linear networks, while making “substantive progress” in the movie studios and streaming arms. Continue reading WBD Earnings Buoyed by ‘Minecraft’ Film, HBO Max Growth

Roku has launched Howdy, an ad-free U.S. SVOD service that will cost $2.99 per month for access to a catalog of nearly 10,000 hours of entertainment from inaugural partners Lionsgate, Warner Bros. Discovery and FilmRise, as well as select Roku Original titles. “Priced at less than a cup of coffee,” Howdy is “meeting a real need for consumers who want to unwind with their favorite movies and shows uninterrupted, and on their terms,” said Roku founder and CEO Anthony Wood who feels people are willing to pay to avoid ads even though many ad-supported streaming services are available free. Continue reading Roku Launches Ad-Free Streaming Service for $3 per Month

ABC News will debut an original weekday news show on Disney+. Anchored by James Longman and Rachel Scott, “What You Need to Know” debuts July 21, streaming Monday through Friday beginning at 6:00 a.m. ET and available for 24 hours thereafter on demand. ABC News describes the show as a “short-form series” and “a fast, fresh way to stay ahead of the conversation as viewers start their day.” Formatted for young attention spans, the anchors will deliver headline highlights in an 8-to-10-minute recap. Disney+ President Alisa Bowen says the show offers “smart, bite-sized commentary on the stories that matter most.” Continue reading ABC to Produce Weekday Anchored News Show for Disney+

Amazon Web Services has created the AI Agents and Tools virtual store within the AWS Marketplace, which has added Anthropic’s Claude for Enterprise as a full-featured software-as-a-service solution. In addition to deepening ties between Anthropic and investor Amazon, the move marks a significant expansion of accessibility to a powerful LLM previously available only through Anthropic or via API through Amazon’s Bedrock developer platform. As part of its agentic push, AWS unveiled AgentCore, a developer tool that helps enterprise developers create, deploy and implement AI agents using any framework or model, and announced a $100 million investment in agent development. Continue reading AWS on Agent Push, Adds Claude Enterprise in Marketplace

Amazon Ads has entered into an exclusive deal with Roku that will provide “advertisers access to the largest authenticated CTV footprint in the U.S.” The offering will be powered by Amazon DSP — the company’s omnichannel marketing solution. The integration combines Amazon Fire TV users with Roku’s customers for logged-in reach to what Amazon estimates is 80 million Connected TV households, which equals just over 80 percent of CTV households, according to Comscore data. Addressability will also be enhanced across top streaming services integrated with the two operating systems. The deal was announced during the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Continue reading Amazon Teams with Roku for Exclusive CTV Advertising Deal

Warner Bros. Discovery is planning to split into two publicly-traded companies by next year, one company focused on film, streaming and content production and the other concentrating on traditional television, including cable TV properties CNN, Discovery and TNT Sports. The Streaming & Studios company will contain Warner Bros. Television, Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, DC Studios, HBO, and HBO Max, as well as the film and television libraries. Global Networks will include CNN, TNT Sports in the U.S. as well as top free-to-air European channels, Bleacher Report and the Discovery+ streaming network. Continue reading WBD Will Split into Two Publicly Traded Companies Next Year

Warner Bros. Discovery had something old and something new to introduce at the TV Upfronts, reverting back to the name HBO Max a little after two years of being known as Max. The company also rolled out a new advertiser tool, WBD Storyverse, unlocking its 100 year-old asset vault “to help brands emotionally connect with audiences using beloved characters and IP with new twists.” WBD says it “will work strategically with partners” to identify good fits with “fan-favorite” content that can be used in new ways to “capture the magic of the original IP through a branded lens.” Continue reading WBD Rolls Out Advertiser Storyverse, Reintroduces HBO Max

CNN announced the planned fall launch of a new streaming direct-to-consumer service. Pricing and start date details have yet to be revealed, but network CEO Mark Thompson announced the new product Wednesday at the Warner Bros. Discovery Upfront in New York City. Thompson said the streaming service will be tied to a CNN.com subscription product. As with recent streaming launches from FOX and ESPN, CNN is taking care not to compete with its most lucrative customers, traditional cable providers, who will be able to pass through the new offering at no additional charge. Continue reading CNN Shares Plan to Introduce New Streaming Product in 2025

FOX One is the brand name of the aggregated portfolio of FOX’s direct-to-consumer streaming products, due to launch this fall as a subscription service ahead of the NFL and college football seasons. The package bundles FOX sports, news and entertainment content including cable and local stations and the FOX broadcast network. Fox Corporation CEO Lachlan Murdoch floated the news during Monday’s earnings call, also reporting that revenue was up 27 percent year-over-year to $4.37 billion. A launch date and pricing for FOX One will be shared at a later date. Continue reading All-In FOX One Streaming Platform to Launch Later This Year

Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max streaming service has followed Netflix’s lead in battling password sharing by selling Extra Member subscriptions in the U.S. for $8 per month. The move aims to give existing subscribers “greater flexibility and control over how they manage sharing their Max accounts,” the company says, promising a seamless transition from subscription squatting to authorized account user with “profile transfer available for extra member add-ons.” Those in the midst of binging, say, “White Lotus” will not see their viewing disrupted, according to WBD. Continue reading WBD Adds ‘Extra Member’ Option for Max Password Sharers

Warner Bros. Discovery is updating its Discovery+ technology to offer expanded streaming features, initially for subscribers in the U.S. and Canada. As the service migrates to the same technical platform and infrastructure that powers WBD’s Max service globally, customers will gain features including more personalized recommendations, improved homepage and navigation, better in-app discovery and a mobile “share” to social media, among other things. “A singular unified platform has been central to our technology strategy, and this marks a major milestone in that journey,” WBD CTO Avi Saxena said of the change. Continue reading WBD Updates Discovery+ Tech Stack and Adds New Features

NASCAR has added a new experience that gives spectators a view from race car cockpits with its new “Driver Cam.” Courtesy of TNT Sports and streaming service Max, NASCAR fans were able to see and hear what went on from the driver POV behind the wheel, choosing from among up to 40 vehicles at the 2025 Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina this past weekend. Viewers can select and monitor up to four simultaneous feeds with an array of specialized video, audio and graphics features for the duration of the NASCAR Cup Series calendar for 2025, exclusively on Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max. Continue reading NASCAR Rolls Out a Cockpit ‘Driver Cam’ Exclusively on Max

At CES on Monday, Comcast unveiled Universal Ads, an advertising platform aimed at being an “easy button” for small- and medium-sized businesses to buy ad time on traditional TV’s streaming businesses, with the goal of luring them away from social media and digital outlets. In addition to Comcast’s own NBCUniversal, additional partners include DirecTV, Fox Corporation, Paramount, Roku, TelevisaUnivision and Warner Bros. Discovery. CNBC Senior Media & Tech Correspondent Julia Boorstin moderated a panel with Comcast and some major partners who explained why they signed on to the new platform. Continue reading CES: Comcast Debuts Universal Ads, Inks Media Partnerships

Warner Bros. Discovery is putting artificial intelligence to work creating ads that showcase products people see on their favorite TV shows. One of two new ad-based services, Shop with Max, uses machine learning to fuel shoppable content, identifying items within films and TV shows and pairing them with advertiser catalogs. A QR code takes viewers to a second screen where they can learn more about products and even purchase them. Another solution, called Moments, aligns brands with thematic content in 40 identified areas, including cooking, real estate, gaming and science. Continue reading WBD Taps KERV AI to Integrate In-Stream Advertising on Max

Capitulating to outside pressure, after a barrage of media reports citing unsafe conditions for minors, Roblox is implementing new safeguards. Parents can now access parental controls from their own devices in addition to their child’s device and monitor their child’s screen time. New content labels and improvements to how users under age 13 can communicate on Roblox are additional protections that are now baked into the platform. “We’ve spent nearly two decades building strong safety systems, but we are always evolving our systems as new technology becomes available,” explained the Roblox. Continue reading Roblox Tightens Child Safety Guidelines Amidst Media Outcry