Rivals Discovery and A+E Networks Forge Streaming Alliance

Discovery+ will launch Jan.

Cinemark CEO Mark Zoradi insists he has no interest in acquiring movie theaters directly from AMC Theatres as his rival looks to survive the pandemic. But that won't stop Cinemark from negotiating with landlords for new locations when they take back ownership of venues from struggling theater circuits.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorIn an era of streaming giants, the media outlet behind “Billions,” “Homeland” and “Good Lord Bird” is trying to stand apart from the pack by celebrating its smaller size.A campaign that started during the Emmys makes the point that Showtime  — available via pay cable and streaming video — has little intention of churning out dozens of projects every year.

It is believed that two soap stars are currently dating after Toby Alexander-Smith was seen looking quite cosy while out with Amy Walsh.

Justin Bieber will release a remix of his single Holy this week featuring his former Christmas Number 1 rivals The Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Choir.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorRon Darling, Bill Ripken and Carlos Pena are among eight analysts who will offer tips and instruction to young baseball aspirants as part of a unique twist on a regular MLB Network standby.On Tuesday, December 15 at 7 p.m., fans will be able to take part in an interactive lesson from eight of the network’s analysts that will stream across MLB Network’s social platforms and MLB.com.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorAMC Networks plans to launch two ad-supported streaming outlets on Samsung TV Plus, the appliance-maker’s video service for smart TV sets.One channel, AMC Presents, will let viewers look at episodes of popular AMC Networks series, including “The Walking Dead,” “Turn,” “Halt and Catch Fire,” “Rectify,” “Making of the Mob,” “Into the Badlands” and others.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorIf the winds are shifting around cable-news in the aftermath of the 2020 election, Fox News Media intends to cover them: The company plans to launch an advertising-supported streaming weather service in the third quarter of 2021.Fox Weather will debut initially as a mobile app next year, accompanied by a website and streaming service that features local, regional and national weather updates, as well as live programming.

Fox Corp. chief financial officer Steve Tomsic has a warning to outgoing President Donald Trump or anyone else looking to launch a new conservative cable news network to cut into Fox News' audience share.

UMC, the AMC Networks-owned streaming service focused on Black TV and film, will rebrand as ALLBLK in January.

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorUMC, the AMC Networks-owned streaming service focused exclusively on Black television and film that was created by BET founder Robert L. Johnson, will be rebranded Allblk in January 2021 with a new look and feel.Johnson’s RLJ Entertainment launched UMC (Urban Movie Channel) in November 2014.

Discovery CEO David Zaslav, days after unveiling Discovery+, said the company had been “quietly and methodically” stockpiling content for several years and honing its IP for the last five to eventually launch its own service in a crowded market where it thinks it has distinct advantages.