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Entertainment
Red faces in Australian TV as Bluey riches go overseas
It is a global phenomenon with a level of success that is becoming increasingly embarrassing to Australia’s national broadcaster. At least that is the perspective of critics of the licensing of the rights to Bluey, the children’s television series created in a studio in Brisbane and which is now shown around the world. The animated series about a cattle dog and her family is broadcast in more than 140 countries with a commercial footprint spanning but not limited to toys, books, clothing, live shows and mobile games. Although they vary widely, estimates indicate the show generates annual revenue which could be as high as A$2.5 billion (US$1.7 billion), but little of this is seen by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), which jointly produces the hit show. For perspective, that figure is twice the government-owned broadcaster's annual budget of about $1.3 billion. It also represents a sizeable part of the global pre-school animated entertainment market valued at between $15 billion and $25 billion. This includes franchises such as Hasbro Inc’s (NASDAQ: HAS) Peppa Pig, Spinmaster’s (TSE: TOY) Paw Patrol, privately-owned Moonbug Entertainment’s CoComelon, and non-profit Sesame Workshop’s Sesame Street.BBC c
Entertainment
US states sue to stop Paramount-Warner merger
California and 11 other American states have gone to court to block Paramount Skydance Corp’s proposed US$110 billion (A$145 billion) acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. In a filing with the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, the states claim the merger would concentrate too much power in the United States entertainment industry to the detriment of consumers, businesses and creative workers. California Attorney General Rob Bonta said he was leading a coalition of states in asking the court to block the deal. “The unlawful merger of these two entertainment behemoths would lead to higher prices, lower quality, and less content for film and television, harming movie theatres, basic cable distributors, and ultimately, audiences on every sofa and movie theatre seat in the U.S.,” Bonta said in a press release. “With this lawsuit, California and our sister states are fighting for free and fair markets, not rigged markets. America has no kings in government or our economy.” The other states joining the lawsuit are Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon and Washington. The merged company would control nearly one-third
Entertainment
Toy Story 5 sets record opening weekend record for Pixar
Woody, Buzz Lightyear and their children’s bedroom pals still have friends at the box office with Toy Story 5 generating US$312 million (A$445 million) in ticket sales as the latest movie in the blockbuster animated series made its debut around the world. The film generated more revenue in an opening weekend than any other in the franchise's 31-year history by grossing $160 million at the North American box office and $152 million internationally, according to media reports. This exceeded the franchise record set in 2019 by Toy Story 4, which opened to $120.9 million in North America, and ranked as the second-largest opening weekend for an animated feature behind only The Incredibles 2 in 2018 with $182.7 million in sales. Paul Dergarabedian, Head of Marketplace Trends at media measurement and analytics company Rentrak, said the film from Walt Disney Company subsidiary Pixar had appeal across every audience demographic. "Disney and Pixar orchestrated a perfectly timed, flawlessly marketed film that charmed audiences and critics alike that is now set up for weeks of solid playability in movie theatres as it powers toward $1 billion and beyond at the worldwide box office," Dergarabedian was quoted saying in this CNBC art
Entertainment
Josh D'Amaro tapped as next CEO of Disney
Disney has named Josh D'Amaro as it's new CEO, as Robert ‘Bob’ Iger steps down to retire after nearly 20 years in the role. D'Amaro currently serves as Disney Experiences Chairman, overseeing theme parks, resort hotels and cruise ships, and has worked for the company for 28 years. He will step into his new role at the helm of the mega successful, multibillion dollar company, with 185,000 employees worldwide, from March 18. Disney also announced that Dana Walden would be stepping into the role of company president and Chief Creative Officer.Credit: Disney“He has an instinctive appreciation of the Disney brand, and a deep understanding of what resonates with our audiences, paired with the rigor and attention to detail required to deliver some of our most ambitious projects," said Iger of his successor "His ability to combine creativity with operational excellence is exemplary and I am thrilled for Josh and the company.” Iger will still stay on with the company until the end of the year, serving as a member of the board and a senior advisor in the transition process.
Entertainment
Sony and TCL move forward with 'strategic partnership'
Sony and TCL Electronics have confirmed they are moving forward with discussions for a partnership between the two companies. In a statement released today, it was confirmed that they would be taking the next steps for a “strategic partnership in the home entertainment field", in the form of signing a memorandum of understanding. As outlined in the document, a global joint venture will be established, assuming Sony's home entertainment business, and with TCL holding 51% and Sony holding 49% of its shares, respectively. It will cover everything from product development to manufacturing and customer service, with definitive binding agreements expected by the end of March, and operations underway by April 2027. The deal will look to utilise TCL's technology and cost efficiency with Sony's brand name and operational knowledge. “We are pleased to have reached this agreement with TCL for a strategic partnership," said Kimio Maki, Sony President and CEO. "By combining both companies' expertise, we aim to create new customer value in the home entertainment field, delivering even more captivating audio and visual experiences to customers worldwide,”

Entertainment
Disney shares fall as YouTube dispute rolls on
Walt Disney Company shares dived after it posted a 12% increase in operating income for the 2025 financial year (FY25) despite a drop in fourth quarter earnings and revealed it could not estimate the length and cost of its dispute with YouTube. The global entertainment giant said segment operating income increased to US$17.56 billion (A$26.69 billion) in the 12 months to 27 September 2025 from $15.601 billion in the previous corresponding period on revenue which rose 3% to $94.43 billion. Diluted earnings per share (EPS) more than doubled to $6.85. But in the fourth quarter, operating income fell 5% to $3.48 billion, and diluted EPS excluding certain items dropped 3% to $1.11 on flat revenue of $22.46 billion. Disney said full-year segment operating income increased 19% to $4.7 billion for entertainment, fell 2% to $911 million for sports and rose 8% to a record $10.0 billion for experiences.Source: Walt Disney“This was another year of great progress as we strengthened the company by leveraging the value of our creative and brand assets and continued to make meaningful progress in our direct-to-consumer businesses,” Chief Executive Officer Robert Iger said in a news release. Disney forecast double-digit adjusted EPS
Entertainment
Paramount delivers on planned post-merger job cuts
Paramount Skydance Corp reportedly plans to lay-off about 2,000 United States-based employees as part of a US$2 billion (A$3.07 billion) cost-reduction initiative under new CEO David Ellison. Variety magazine reported the job cuts, which have been expected for some time, would start in the week of 27 October. “The expected U.S. job cuts represent more than 10% of Paramount's current headcount,” Variety wrote in this article. They follow the $8.4 billion merger of Paramount Global with production studio Skydance, which was finalised in August. Variety reported that at a news conference soon after the closure of the deal Paramount Skydance President Jeff Shell signalled a restructuring including workforce reductions with layoffs intended to be completed early November. The company had about 18,600 full- and part-time staff in December 2024, down from 24,500 two years earlier. Paramount Skydance nonetheless is pressing forward with expansion, outlaying large sums for content. Reuters reported it could not confirm the report, and Paramount Skydance did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Shares in Paramount Skydance (NASDAQ: PSKY), formerly known as Paramount Global, closed 13 cents (0.77%) lower
Entertainment
Warner Bros rebuffs Paramount's merger offer
Warner Bros has rebuffed Paramount’s takeover approach due to initial offers being too low, according to a Bloomberg report. People close to the matter told Bloomberg that Warner Bros rejected Paramount’s offer of around US$20 per share in recent weeks. Paramount is exploring multiple avenues in its pursuit of Warner Bros, including increasing its offer, appealing directly to shareholders, or securing extra support from a financial partner. David Ellison now leads Paramount after taking over in August after following a $8 billion merger with his film production company Skydance Media. Paramount has also been in alternative talks with asset manager Apollo Global Management. While not directly speaking on the potential Warner Bros merger, Ellison made a case for more industry mergers at the Bloomberg Screentime conference. He said his interest was in making more films and TV shows to boost subscriptions for the Paramount+ streaming service. At the time of writing, Warner Bros (NASDAQ: WBD) shares were down 3.32% to $17.10, and Paramount (NASDAQ: PSKY) shares were down 5.40% to $17.
Entertainment
Finding the right target not as easy as ABC
In a case of mistaken identity, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is taking some of the heat for a decision made on the other side of the world, and in doing so, has been pulled into the maelstrom that is United States politics. The ABC has been inundated with criticism of its namesake American network’s decision to pull outspoken television host Jimmy Kimmel off air because of his remarks about the murder of right-wing commentator Charlie Kirk. “We have received hundreds of complaints about the axing of Jimmy Kimmel, but it’s not us,” ABC Radio Melbourne breakfast show host Charnelle Vella told listeners. She said ABC put out a post on Instagram saying: “Stop emailing us. We’re not the ABC that fired Jimmy Kimmel”. Some of the comments sent to the Australian Government-owned broadcaster: "What You Did To Jimmy Kimmel Is Against The Constitution and I Will Be Boycotting ABC. When you bend your knees to the president, you've gone too far. America is not happy with ABC." "I will contact and boycott ALL business that sponsor ABC's shows!" "I will NEVER watch ABC again — Free speech is gone. Go Jimmy Kimmel!" As the ABC reported in this story, the message was intended for the American Broadcasting C