AT&T Showbiz and Celebrity Breaking News

On Friday, people left work, came home and sat down with their friends and/or family, and watched something on TV. But John Stankey, the CEO of AT&T, and David Zaslav, the Discovery CEO, were holed up in the latter’s house hammering out a multi-billion dollar deal that would forever change the face of Hollywood.

With the early-2021 film schedule in shambles after more studios delay their features into the second half of the year, the controversial deal by WarnerMedia to release its 2021 WB features in theaters and HBO Max simultaneously is starting to look less crazy than it once did. That said, it’s still a scary proposition and a sign that theatrical releases may not ever be the same.

One of the biggest stories of last year, perhaps even the biggest story when it comes to the long-term effect on the film industry, is the move by WarnerMedia to shift its 2021 WB film slate to HBO Max. It’s a move that raised a lot of eyebrows and caused a lot of frustration with those in the industry.

DirecTV, U-verse and AT&T TV customers will finally get to watch Los Angeles Dodgers games again, after six years of blackout. AT&T and Spectrum Networks have announced a carriage deal that will bring the Dodgers’ regional sports network, Spectrum SportsNet LA, to those subscribers for the first time.

AT&T called off plans to repurchase $4 billion in stock during the second quarter — and has halted all other buybacks — saying it has decided to keep the cash to invest in its networks and taking care of employees during the coronavirus pandemic.

At least 69 U.S. cable and telecommunications companies have pledged to not cut off broadband or telephone service for the next 60 days to any customers — even if they’re unable to pay their bills — as the country reels from the coronavirus pandemic.

With the U.S. reeling from the novel coronavirus pandemic — and as many people are being forced to work from home temporarily — Comcast is expanding its broadband service for low-income families to provide free access for 60 days and increasing speeds.

Brian Lesser had every reason to be proud of Xandr, the ad-tech company he led. On Wednesday, it unveiled a new deal to do work with Walt Disney, WarnerMedia and AMC Networks. He celebrated in an odd way: He quit.

John Stankey, head of WarnerMedia and AT&T’s chief operating officer, saw his 2019 compensation rise 36%, to a total of $22.47 million, according to a regulatory filing.

John Stankey, head of WarnerMedia and AT&T’s chief operating officer, saw his compensation rise 36%, to a total of $22.47 million, according to a regulatory filing.

Battle lines are being drawn in the ongoing quest to lure advertisers to new kinds of TV commercials.

AT&T has officially kicked DirecTV, which has been hemorrhaging subscribers, to the back burner of its pay-TV strategy. But its new internet-fueled competitor likely won’t stanch the cord-cutting bleeding.

“New Day” has brought new possibilities to CNN.

The march to the launch of HBO Max in May is driving changes across WarnerMedia.

AT&T’s top line was stung by its investment in HBO Max in the fourth quarter of 2019 to the tune of $1.2 billion in “foregone licensing revenues.” The telco also continued to see rapid deterioration in its pay-TV business, losing a total of nearly 1.2 million subscribers in Q4.

Audience Network as it currently exists is coming to an end.