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Roku posted solid first-quarter financials, with positive results in several key metrics illustrating the benefits of ongoing price inflation in the streaming sector.

Listen up! Simone Biles has something to say to everyone!

A court in Romania's capital has ruled that Andrew Tate can be tried over charges of human trafficking, rape and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women. The Bucharest Tribunal ruled that prosecutors' case file against Tate met the legal criteria but did not set a date for the trial to begin.

Kim Kardashian is back in the White House!

TikTok’s Chinese parent company ByteDance has said that it has no intention of selling the business, and would rather see the platform shut down.The news comes after the US passed a law forcing the company to sell the hugely popular social media platform, or see the app banned in America.The sell-or-ban measure was issued into law by US President Joe Biden earlier this week (April 24), following a long-running dispute over claims that the company’s ownership structure could allow the Chinese government to gain access to the data of its millions of American users.To date, over 30 American states, Canada, and the European Union have separately banned the app from use on government-owned devices over concerns it could be a security risk. India banned the app nationwide in January 2021, while Taiwan and Afghanistan did the same in 2022.The bill was first brought up last month, when the US House Foreign Affairs Committee voted 24 to 16 to give President Joe Biden the power to enforce a ban on the social media app over concerns that the app is a national security threat and a Chinese espionage tool.This week’s ruling was voted for with an overwhelming majority of 79 to 18, and was signed by President Joe Biden.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Asian TV channels operator Celestial Tiger Entertainment and myTV SUPER, the OTT platform of Hong Kong’s Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) are to launch PopC, a movie channel dedicated to Chinese online films, with content supplied by mainland China streamer iQiyi. It launches in Hong Kong from May 1. “The idea of PopC first came about when we saw the amount of great, high quality movies that were being produced for the online space in China.

Naman Ramachandran The next project from Garima Pura Patiyaalvi, who co-wrote the Oscar-winning “The Elephant Whisperers,” is a teen drama Amazon series. “Amber Girls School” is set in an all-girls institution that focuses on conditioning young women in traditional Indian culture.

Dennis Harvey Film Critic In an odd quirk of distribution timing, this month has seen the arrival of no less than two imported, semi-comedic thrillers featuring decrepit apartment building invaded by giant spiders. Already playing U.S. theaters is the Australian “Sting,” which is fun, if formulaic.

Jack Dunn “Game of Thrones” star Gwendoline Christie, La La Anthony and Ashley Graham will host Vogue’s Met Gala red carpet live stream. Emma Chamberlain will return as Vogue’s special correspondent to conduct red carpet interviews. The festivities kick off Monday, May 6, at 6 p.m.

Lexi Carson At Variety’s 2024 Entertainment Marketing Summit, Andrew Wallenstein, president and chief media analyst of Variety Intelligence Platform, sat down with Jana Arbanas, vice chair and Deloitte‘s US Telecom, Media, and Entertainment sector leader, to discuss the background and themes of Deloitte’s annual digital media trends. This year was Deloitte’s 18th year of the Gen Z and Millennial survey. The survey analyzes over 3,500 consumers from ages 14 and up and is then sent back to the United States Census Bureau to obtain a real representative look at consumer behavior.

Shares of Snapchat parent Snap popped 26% in late trading after the social media network said revenue jumped more than expected last quarter to $1.95 billion, up 21% from 2023. The number, and the outlook for the current quarter were nicely above Wall Street forecasts, as were daily active users, which hit 422 million.

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor From “Glee” to “The Golden Bachelor,” “Empire” to “The Dropout,” “Arrested Development” to “Abbott Elementary” and “24” to “9-1-1,” Shannon Ryan has played a critical role in the launch of countless TVseries over the past three decades. Now president of marketing for Disney Entertainment Television, Ryan oversees marketing, publicity and communications for an unprecedented portfolio of more than 200 active series at any given time across Disney+, Hulu, ABC, Disney Channel, Onyx Collective, Freeform and other platforms. In recognition of Ryan’s track record at Fox and Mouse House, as well as her commitment to mentorship programs for girls and young women, the executive received Variety’s inaugural Entertainment Marketing Icon Award, which was presented April 24 as part of Variety’s annual Entertainment Marketing Summit presented by Deloitte at the Beverly Hilton.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Roku reported its first-quarter 2024 earnings Thursday, revealing the company reached 81.6 million active accounts, an increase of 1.6 million from the previous quarter, and streaming hours rose to 30.8 billion, up from 29.1 million in Q4 2023. Wall Street forecast a loss per share of 61 cents on $848.62 million in revenue, according to analyst consensus data provided by LSEG, formerly Refinitiv. Roku reported adjusted loss per share of 35 cents on $882 million in revenue (+19% year over year).

Jamie Lang Organizers of the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, the world’s oldest and most important animation festival, revealed Thursday that all the big U.S. studio animation players will be in attendance this year to preview some of their most exciting upcoming titles. Annecy has long been a launch point for global and indie animation, but over the past several years, it has become an increasingly important platform for big studios as well.

Netflix is removing a large number of films and TV shows from its service this April – you can find the full list of titles below.As well as adding a wide selection of new titles, the UK and US versions of the streaming platform will be removing some of their most popular movies and series.

Variety’s Entertainment Marketing Summit in Los Angeles, presented by Deloitte, brought together more than 600 marketing professionals, executives, creators and influencers for a daylong event that examined all aspects of marketing as a discipline at a time of massive transition in the entertainment business. Here are the highlights from the event, held April 24 at the Beverly Hilton.

TikTok.Yesterday (April 23), US Congress voted to pass the bill that will ban TikTok in the United States unless Chinese parent company ByteDance sells the platform’s US stakes. The vote came three days after it cleared the House of Representatives.Today (April 24), Biden signed the bill hours after Congress dealt the video-sharing platform’s Chinese ownership a historic rebuke following years of failed attempts to tackle the app’s alleged national security risks (per The Washington Post).Biden had previously indicated that he would approve of the legislation once it had hit his desk.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor TikTok could be banned in the U.S. as soon as January 2025. Here’s what the new law means for users of the popular short-form video app.

Karen Idelson With the pandemic in media executives’ rearview mirrors, media trends are still emerging at the speed of sound, and this year’s Variety Entertainment Marketing Summit, presented by Deloitte, will spotlight the strategies of top industry marketers. The event will take place April 24 in Los Angeles.

The Spiderwick Chronicles creeped out of the woodwork to become a resounding success for The Roku Channel.

Taylor Swift‘s latest LP The Tortured Poets Department hasn’t even been out for a full week and it’s broken several streaming records!

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Actors Access, the leading online platform for film and TV casting, was hit with a class action lawsuit on Wednesday, alleging that it illegally charges performers for access to auditions. The lawsuit, filed in L.A. Superior Court, accuses the platform of predatory conduct, and of charging working actors hundreds of dollars a year for upgrades that they hope will get them noticed.

EXCLUSIVE: German-based TV event Seriencamp will return to Cologne in June and has a raft of key industry players signed up for its upcoming tenth edition.

TikTok in the United States unless Chinese parent company ByteDance sells the platform’s US stakes.The bill – which was voted for 79 to 18 – is next expected to be signed by President Joe Biden, who has previously indicated that he will approve of the legislation once it hits his desk. Tuesday’s vote comes three days after it cleared the House of Representatives.Should the bill be passed, ByteDance will have an estimated nine months to sell TikTok.

by way of AI “content creators."Solely digital renderings and not real people, AI-generated influencers have become influencers, brand ambassadors, and digital creators, amassing thousands of dollars in revenue through subscription-based content. Apparently, the next natural step was an AI .Yes, really: Creator platform Fanvue, whose userbase includes both real creators and AI ones, announced the Fanvue World AI Creator Awards (WAICAs), the world’s first ever for AI-generated influencers.

Richard Gadd, the creator and star of Netflix's hit show Baby Reindeer, has issued a stern warning to fans who are trying to track down the real-life 'Martha Scott', who made his life unbearable.The chilling drama series, which is currently the most-watched show on the streaming platform in over thirty countries, tells a harrowing story of how a simple act of kindness turned into a dangerous obsession. In the series, Richard plays Donny, a character based on his own traumatic experiences of being relentlessly stalked by a woman named Martha Scott (portrayed by Jessica Gunning).

EXCLUSIVE: Ever wondered what a zombie Cinderella or Snow White in a Dia de la Muertos universe might look like?

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Watcher Entertainment has drawn millions of fans for their unscripted and comedic videos on YouTube — and now the studio’s three creators have drawn the ire of a significant number of them. On Friday, Watcher, formed in 2019 by former BuzzFeed hosts Steven Lim, Ryan Bergara and Shane Madej, announced that going forward, full seasons of new shows will be available only on a new streaming service (watchertv.com) — priced at $5.99/month or $59.99/year.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor A bill that would ban TikTok — unless its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, divests its ownership stake — could soon become a U.S. law. TikTok is gearing up a legal fight against the measure if that happens, with plans to challenge it in court on First Amendment grounds.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Jerry Seinfeld is finally a movie director with the upcoming premiere of his feature debut “Unfrosted.” Backed by Netflix, the star-studded comedy is a fictional account of the creation of Pop-Tarts toaster pastries. In a new interview with GQ magazine, Seinfeld reflected on his experience jumping into moviemaking for the first time so late in his career. “It was totally new to me.

Bette Midler has an idea for Quinta Brunson and wants to guest star on the ABC sitcom Abbott Elementary.

Lucy Mecklenburgh has made a big career announcement this week, sharing that she has been busy working on a new 'summer shred' programme for her fitness app, RWL.The former TOWIE star, who began the workout platform over a decade ago, took to Instagram to share a Reel and inform fans of the new plan, admitting that she's been keeping it a secret for 'months'.The Reel showed clips of Lucy travelling across Europe to capture workout content, going over the exercises herself and working out the programme with her team. Admitting that it has even helped her get into the 'best shape' since welcoming her children Roman and Lilah with fiancé Ryan Thomas, Lucy wrote: "It’s the “not-so-secret” secret that I’ve been keeping for MONTHS now.

Jerry Seinfeld is making some statements about the movie industry as he makes his feature directorial debut in Netflix’s Unfrosted, the comedy about the creation of Pop-Tarts.

Two more TV shows were just canceled this year, and fans will not be happy.

Taylor Swift‘s new album is breaking streaming records!

EXCLUSIVE: The Walt Disney Company and National Geographic have unveiled a slate of Earth Day-themed programming as part of their global cross-platform ourHome campaign. Beginning April 19 through April 22, Earth Day-themed content will be featured across ABC News, Disney+, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Freeform, FX, FXX, Hulu, National Geographic, Nat Geo Wild and Nat Geo Mundo, with ourHome collections on Disney+ and Hulu.