29.03.2023 - 14:23 / variety.com
Heidi Chung Note: This article is based on Variety Intelligence Platform’s special report “2023 Media & Tech Trend Tracker,” available exclusively to subscribers. With the rate of growth in digital advertising declining, some market entrants big and small in the social media space are feeling the competitive threat of Meta now more than ever. After registering as the most popular app download worldwide in 2022, TikTok maintained that title in the first quarter of 2023, racking up more than 186 million downloads, according to data.ai.
Despite its popularity, TikTok’s future remains shrouded in uncertainty as lawmakers look to ban the app in the U.S. A potential ban in the U.S. would be a major win for Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg who has a competing feature on Instagram called Reels.
To bolster its short-form video monetization, Meta added new functionality to its Reels ads earlier this week and shuttered what it calls its “in-stream reserve” ads, which were targeted to advertisers as an alternative to TV commercials. Then there was last year’s social media sensation, BeReal. The app shot up in popularity with younger consumers who appreciated its authenticity. But in September, VIP+ argued that while BeReal was looking promising, it was likely to suffer a similar fate to the once-hot audio app Clubhouse. And those doubts look to have been correct so far in 2023. After peaking in Q3 of 2022, BeReal’s popularity has taken a nosedive. Even more unfortunately for BeReal, it was reported last month that Meta was testing a copycat feature called “Roll Call” through its Messenger app. Another social media company that looks to be in turmoil is Twitter. After being taken private by Tesla CEO Elon Musk in October
Matt Maltese has shared ‘Florence’, the latest single from his upcoming album ‘Driving Just To Drive’. Check it out below.‘Florence’ is the final single to be released ahead of the singer-songwriter’s fourth album.
Still running on Dunkin’! Ben Affleck proved his lasting love for the coffee chain in a new commercial — despite being mistaken for BFF Matt Damon.
star Josh Lucas says «bring it on» to news of Matthew McConaughey's now-confirmed franchise spinoff. The once-rumored series was confirmed to by Paramount executive Chris McCarthy last week. «I'm always so fascinated to see what Taylor [Sheridan] is doing as he tells the story,» Lucas told ET's Will Marfuggi of the franchise's writer.
. The once rumored spinoff series starring Matthew McConaughey is now actually moving forward, and it's happening regardless of whether Kevin Costner returns or exits the flagship series.In an in-depth conversation with, Paramount boss Chris McCarthy shared the nugget surrounding cable television's most-watched TV show, saying McConaughey is lined up to star in a extension.
Matt Donnelly Senior Film Writer Gwyneth Paltrow’s ski trial was watched by nearly 30 million people across YouTube and social media platforms, Variety can report. The eight-day saga was covered exhaustively by major media outlets and disseminated in viral clips and memes all over the internet. It was also a significant boon for the Law and Crime Network, which streamed the trial live on its YouTube page (the channel also has carriage deals with the likes of Roku, Samsung TV and Sling TV, though those numbers only report quarterly). 16.5 million people tuned in to the livestream, the network said. Another 7.4 million viewed the event on Facebook, and another 4.2 million consumed proceedings involving the Oscar winner on TikTok. Keep in mind, these numbers do not account for similar airings on Court TV and the Associated Press live feed.
Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor About half of Americans are in favor of the U.S. government banning TikTok, the hugely popular video app owned by China-based internet giant ByteDance. Amid intensifying scrutiny of and antagonism toward TikTok, a newly released survey by Pew Research Center found that 50% of Americans support a U.S. government ban on the app, with 22% opposed and a sizable share (28%) unsure, according to a newly released survey conducted by Pew Research Center. Among those who actually use TikTok, just 19% support a ban. Given TikTok’s popularity among teens, it’s worth noting that Pew’s survey was fielded among U.S. adults (those 18 and older). Americans who are aware that TikTok is owned by the ByteDance are particularly likely to support banning it: About 60% of those surveyed who know TikTok’s parent company is based in China support the U.S. government banning the app, compared with 27% of those who are unaware of TikTok’s Chinese ties, according to the Pew survey.
A popular boxing and fitness concept from down under will has chosen Salford as the location for it's first club in the UK. UBX Boxing + Strength was co-founded by four time world champion boxer boxer Danny Green and fitness entrepreneur Tim West.
EXCLUSIVE: In competition, Amazon Studios is in final talks for the package The Pick Up, with Eddie Murphy eyeing to star and Tim Story attached to direct. John Davis and John Fox will produce through his Davis Entertainment banner. Murphy and Charisse Hewitt-Webster are also in talks to produce through Eddie Murphy Productions, and Story will also be producer.
Matt Donnelly Senior Film Writer The big bads of the Marvel Cinematic Universe should be a breeze for the man that’s survived the Roy family for almost four seasons, as “Succession” star Matthew Macfadyen has been cast in “Deadpool 3,” Variety has confirmed. The Ryan Reynolds franchise will welcome Macfadyen, who plays the fan-favorite Tom Wambsgans on the HBO water-cooler smash, joining a new sequel that will also revive Hugh Jackman’s beloved X-Men character Wolverine. Shawn Levy returns as director, and Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick will pen the script. This will be the first “Deadpool” project made since the intellectual property went to Disney in its acquisition of 20th Century Fox. All creatives involved insist the film will retain its extreme violence and raunchy tone, as well a a hard R-rating.
Matt Damon told Variety‘s Marc Malkin Monday night that Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” runs a hefty three hours long. On the red carpet for “Air,” in which he co-stars, Damon also talked about Nolan’s upcoming historic drama in which he appears alongside Cillian Murphy. “It’s three hours. It’s fantastic,” Damon said, revealing that he’s seen “Oppenheimer.” “Cillian is phenomenal. He’s everything you would want him to be,” Damon told Malkin. “I think it’s almost three hours. It goes so fast, it’s great.” Directed by Ben Affleck, “Air” stars Damon as Sonny Velasco, who led Nike to pursue the endorsement of Michael Jordan and the creation of the Air Jordan basketball sneakers. “Air” opens April 5 and co-stars Affleck, Viola Davis, Jason Bateman and Chris Messina.
No shocker here as we first indicated to you, but Disney/Lucasfilm’s Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny is heading to the Cannes Film Festival for its world premiere. The pic hits the states on June 30 and France on June 28.
Girl gang! Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, are proud girl parents to their three daughters.
EXCLUSIVE: Good Deed Entertainment has acquired North American and UK rights to the indie drama Midday Black Midnight Blue, starring 2x Emmy winner Merritt Wever (Godless), slating it for a day-and-date release in June.
Ben Affleck and Matt Damon used to share a bank account in order to fund acting auditions.The Oscar-winning duo have famously been friends for the entirety of their careers and beyond, and that friendship even extended beyond the usual boundaries. Appearing on a recent episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast (as per Variety), the two actors revealed they had one bank account between them starting in the late 1980s.The pair set up the bank account to help make their dreams of making it in Hollywood a reality. “It was unusual, but we needed the money for auditions,” Damon said, before adding the arrangement was “a weird thing in retrospect.”Weighing in, Affleck said: “We were going to help each other and be there for each other.
Camila Alves and Matthew McConaughey's three children showed off their culinary skills.
Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s friendship and working partnership really does go all the way back to high school. At a Q&A after a New York screening of their latest project, "Air," the duo joked about working together for almost 40 years. Affleck, who directs and stars in the film with Damon, joked, "It's not the first time I've carried him," according to IndieWire.
Matt Damon couldn’t just pick one favourite thing about working with his longtime friend Ben Affleck as a director on their new film “Air”.
Amazon is laying off another 9,000 workers as job cuts in the tech sector expand at a time of growing economic uncertainty. It follows cuts last fall and early this year.
Hollywood pals Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson (“Triangle of Sadness“) led the acclaimed HBO serial killer series “True Detective,” and before the grim thriller, the pair had previously worked together on feature film comedies such as “Surfer, Dude” and Ron Howard‘s “EdTV.” The duo is now looking to reunite for a new untitled comedy series at Apple TV+.