Platform Showbiz and Celebrity Breaking News

Kenan Thompson is speaking out about Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV!

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Universal Music Group and Spotify — the world’s largest music company and the world’s largest paid music-subscription service — have unveiled an expansion of their “strategic relationship” in an announcement that has very few details but is likely the opening of a new maneuver in UMG’s ongoing battle with TikTok. UMG and the China-based platform, which has been the leading source of music discovery for the past five years, have been in a standoff over multiple issues, primarily the platform’s low royalty payments and AI policies, since their licensing agreement expired earlier this year.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Joe Rogan‘s massively popular podcast not only drives millions of listens of his show on Spotify — it also can boost music streams of guests featured on “The Joe Rogan Experience,” too. One of Spotify’s theses behind its investment in podcasts is that they spur higher engagement for the music side of the house: Users who listen to podcasts on average listen to more music, according to the company. Now Spotify has new stats it says demonstrate that flywheel effect as it relates to Rogan’s show, which has more than 14 million followers on the platform.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Stassi Schroeder Clark’s weekly lifestyle podcast, “Straight Up With Stassi,” has joined Dear Media’s roster of 80-plus shows — and it’s getting a new name. Beginning today, the podcast will be renamed “Stassi.” With distribution deal for Schroeder Clark’s podcast, Dear Media has announced a “refreshed content format” along with new visual branding across all podcast distribution platforms.

Piers Morgan has fiercely defended his close friend Kate Garraway against online trolls who targeted the Good Morning Britain host following the tragic passing of her husband, Derek Draper.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief “Sweet Planet,” a one of the highest-profile China-Europe co-productions of recent years, will air on China Global Television Network from Friday. The six-part culinary documentary is a co-production between millennial-focused global channel operator Insight TV, Netherlands-based production company JOIIN, and CGTN. It explore the culinary and cultural impact of sugar in cooking and food rituals around the world.

Robert Pattinson and Suki Waterhouse have welcomed their first child together.The pair were captured this week out in Los Angeles with a pram in pictures obtained by The Daily Mail.The couple were first linked in 2018 before getting engaged last year. Waterhouse announced her pregnancy at the Corona Capital Festival in Mexico City in November, by revealing her baby bump on stage.In footage shared on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, Waterhouse told the crowd: “I’m extra sparkly today because I thought it might distract you from something else that’s going on.” She then opened her coat to reveal a baby bump, to cheers from the audience.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Hybe, the Korean firm behind K-pop’s BTS, has struck an expanded 10-year deal with Universal Music Group (UMG), providing Hybe’s roster of artists and labels access to UMG’s leading global network. UMG will further collaborate with Hybe’s global superfan platform Weverse, bringing more of a direct connection between UMG artists and their fandom. Hybe and UMG will additionally collaborate on artist promotions and marketing activities in North America under the oversight of Scooter Braun – who, in his time as CEO of Hybe America, acquired QC Media Holdings and incorporated SB Projects as well as Big Machine Label Group into the existing roster. Hybe and UMG first teamed up in 2017 on BTS, through a distribution agreement in Japan. In 2021, the companies expanded their relationship with a global strategic agreement which saw collaborations across multiple projects and use of Weverse for fan communication.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor Former Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel has only appeared once on NBC News programming in her new capacity as a political news contributor, and already, senior executives are gathering to conduct a review. Top executives from NBC News were expected to meet Tuesday to hash out the growing controversy around her recent hire, according to two people familiar with the matter, in a bid to stop a growing insurrection by the NBCUniversal unit’s editorial staff.

Halle Berry is sharing a story that can help women everywhere.

When it comes to spring style, there’s one piece that reigns supreme in my wardrobe – a midi dress. Not only is it the perfect transitional piece for the ever-changing weather, but it's also universally flattering, comfortable, and – most importantly – easy to style.

Lily James is reportedly taking on a new role!

. The , and the first of spring, is coupled with a lunar eclipse, an event that happens when the earth is positioned in front of the sun, which illuminates the moon.“Eclipses amplify the energy of the full moon,” says astrotherapist . But what does that mean for you? We asked the experts to break it down.Luciana Calvetti, founder of , a therapeutic astrology learning platform, explains it thusly: “Each full moon brings to a close a cycle that began six months earlier, with the new moon in the same sign.

A federal judge tossed out a lawsuit brought by X/Twitter against a watching group that produced a study that examined the proliferation of hate speech on the platform.

Kanye West has claimed that his name is a “slave name” and demanded to be called ‘Ye’ from now on.Back in 2021, West’s petition to legally change his name to his mononym Ye was approved in a Los Angeles court.Since then, the US rapper’s names in the press and public have often been used interchangeably.But West’s chief of staff, Milo Yiannopoulos, has since demanded that the rapper be referred to as Ye in an open letter obtained by Page Six. “Ye is one of the most recognizable people in the world, on par with presidents and popes,” the letter read.“He didn’t take the decision to change his name, potentially sacrificing some of the immense value captured by the brand of ‘Kanye West,’ lightly.

Selome Hailu The Golden Globes will air on CBS and livestream on Paramount+ for another five years, per a new deal with Dick Clark Productions that also puts the American Music Awards on the Eye Network. The agreement kicks off with the January 2025 telecast of the Golden Globes.

Scott McTominay believes the faith Manchester United show in young players has given Kobbie Mainoo the platform to make his eye-catching impact for the club this season.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor A federal judge Monday dismissed a lawsuit brought by Elon Musk‘s X against the Center for Countering Digital Hate, ruling it was “evident” the litigation was intended “to punish CCDH for CCDH publications that criticized X Corp.” X, the Musk-owned social network formerly known as Twitter, in July 2023 sued the Center for Countering Digital Hate, an independent nonprofit research group, over the organization’s findings that since the multibillionaire acquired the company hate, racism and disinformation on the social platform has substantially increased. Musk has not commented on X about the decision.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Hit faith-based drama “The Chosen,” which just launched its fourth season in theaters via a partnership with Fathom Events, is already prepping the start of production for Season 5 next month. Variety has confirmed that cameras will begin rolling on “The Chosen” Season 5 in Utah starting April 11; the series will shoot there for six weeks before shifting to the show’s home base in Texas for the remainder of the production. “The Chosen” has been mapped out as a seven-season series; for Season 5, the show will pick up where Season 4 left off, during Holy Week before the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

As the viewing landscape continues to get more complex, ESPN is aiming to streamline things for sports fans by integrating links to video feeds from regional sports networks into its main app and website.

Doc Martens is running a spring sale with up to 40 percent off, but savvy shoppers can get a bargain for less on Amazon.

Joni Mitchell is back on Spotify, returning her music to the platform more than two years after it was pulled.

American Idol has provided a platform for so much talent, from Kelly Clarkson to Carrie Underwood to Jennifer Hudson – but that doesn’t mean they always get it right.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor The day after the Super Bowl typically brings with it another kind of celebration: Nielsen’s annual announcement of the size of the audience for the NFL extravaganza. This year, someone stole some of the spotlight from the measurement giant with an end run. In the early afternoon hours of Feb.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Dick Wolf is in for another busy season at NBC. No surprise here, the Peacock network has renewed “Chicago Med,” “Chicago Fire,” “Chicago P.D.,” “Law & Order” and “Law & Order: SVU” for the 2024-25 broadcast TV season.

The wait for Max‘s European launch is nearly over.

Ben Croll Facing greater international competition alongside smart TV interfaces that grow all the more convoluted, France Televisions president Delphine Ernotte issued a clarion call to Gallic broadcasters: It’s time to launch a new shared streaming platform that could offer a single point of access for local programing. ‘We’re stronger together,” said the public broadcasting exec.

Police were called to a protest outside a restaurant in Prestwich last night as Katie Hopkins made an appearance.

Delphine Ernotte-Cunci, the CEO of France Télévisions, has called the collapse of the French broadcaster-backed streamer Salto “a strategic mistake.”

Selome Hailu The animated series based on Studio WildCard’s “Ark: Survival Evolved” video game finally has a platform attached. The first six episodes of Season 1 surprise dropped on Paramount+ on Thursday, with the remaining seven episodes set for a later date. Spanning eons of human history, “Ark: The Animated Series” follows 21st century paleontologist Helena Walker (voiced by Madeleine Madden), who finds herself resurrected on a mysterious primeval island populated by prehistoric beasts.

Being a passenger on a plane can be a hit and miss experience. Sometimes you can have the smoothest flight possible and at other times the journey can leave you stressed out and miserable.

A.D. Amorosi After a handful of social media rants on the fairness of royalty payment structuring in the music industry, James Blake has announced his participation in the launch of Vault, a direct artist-to-fan streaming platform focused on unreleased music.“About a week ago I went viral with a post about the effects of streaming and TikTok on artists’ ability to support themselves,” said Blake in a post on X (formerly Twitter), announcing his new participation with Vault to provide artists with better streaming rates.

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor A federal judge has dismissed the antitrust lawsuit that DirecTV filed against Nexstar last year accusing the TV station giant of price-fixing in connection with its retransmission consent negotiations with the satellite TV platform. DirecTV’s suit, filed in New York’s Southern District in March 2023, accused Nexstar of engaging in price-fixing activity around the retransmission consent fees from MVPDs that have become a key source of revenue for local station owners.

Halo wrapping up this week, what do we know about the possibility of Season Three? Read on for all the info. The television adaptation of the gaming franchise has been created by Kyle Killen (Lone Star) and Steven Kane (Alias, Jack Ryan), and is streaming on Paramount+, with the eighth and final episode premiering on March 21.

Epic Records was hit by a round of layoffs on Wednesday that sources say has affected approximately 15 people. Details were incomplete at the time of this article’s publication but sources tell Variety that the A&R, promotion, marketing and publicity departments were affected, among others. While a rep for Sony Music declined comment, the company’s fiscal year ends on March 31, so a connection between the two events seems likely.

Gray has landed the Number Two spot on Netflix UK’s most-watched rankings.Gray stars Patricia Clarkson as Cornelia Gray, a CIA operative who has been hiding for two decades as her superiors believe she is a traitor. She is brought back after a mole begins to leak secrets from her old unit.The series also stars Rupert Everett, Wendy Crewson, Lydia West and Shawn Doyle.