Media Play News tells you what to watch, where and when. It is one of the five Hollywood trades, and the only one to focus on the home.| Media Play News
TiVo, the digital video recording pioneer, has moved on from its legacy DVR technology, focusing instead on its branded operating system software promoting third-party content searches, recommendation, including free ad-supported streaming options and more for smart televisions. “As of Oct. 1, 2025, TiVo has stopped selling Edge DVR hardware products,” the company said in an … Continue reading "TiVo Exiting Legacy DVR Business"| Media Play News
AMC and AMC+ Oct. 1 released the official 2025 “FearFest” trailer, featuring award-winning artist, musician and horror enthusiast Janelle Monáe, the event’s official host. “FearFest” is a long-running, annual horror and genre programming event that features more than 650 hours of iconic horror films franchises, new series, specials and more, across linear and streaming. Monáe … Continue reading "AMC Networks Unveils Official Trailer for 2025 ‘FearFest’" The post AMC Networ...| Media Play News
Prime Video’s 11-year, $11 billion investment in “NFL Thursday Night Football” appears to be paying off. The Arizona Cardinals vs. Seattle Seahawks game on Sept. 25 was the seventh-highest rated TV program across U.S. households for the week ended Sept. 28, according to new data from Nielsen. The game, which Seattle won 23-20, generated 13.24 … Continue reading "Nielsen: Prime Video’s ‘NFL Thursday Night Football’ No. 7 Most-Watched Household TV Show For Week Ended Sept. 28" The...| Media Play News
The documentary Bullets and Blueberries: The Hidden Holocaust is available for digital purchase and rental from Virgil Films. Directed by Erik Nelson, the documentary explores the evolution of the Holocaust beginning with the mass shootings by the Einsatzgruppen in Eastern Europe and Ukraine in 1941, crimes that culminated at Babi Yar where more than 30,000 … Continue reading "Holocaust Doc ‘Bullets and Blueberries’ Available on Digital From Virgil Films" The post Holocaust Doc ‘Bulle...| Media Play News
Streaming service Plex has secured the exclusive AVOD rights to distribute the original 2004 Warner Bros. Television series “Veronica Mars,” marking its AVOD (ad-supported VOD) free streaming premiere. Plex is streaming the cult classic mystery series, featuring Kristen Bell in her breakout TV performance, starting Oct. 1. “’Veronica Mars’ is one of the most beloved … Continue reading "‘Veronica Mars’ Making AVOD Streaming Debut on Plex" The post ‘Veronica Mars’ Making A...| Media Play News
Kino Lorber has announced October 2025 additions to its Kino Film Collection streaming library, available at kinofilmcollection.com. The subscription streaming service is available in the United States and Canada with a seven-day free trial, then $5.99 per month. October titles include: October 1 Killer of Sheep (Dir. Charles Burnett, 1977) New 4K Restoration Charles Burnett’s … Continue reading "Kino Lorber Announces New Digital Releases for October 2025" The post Kino Lorber Announces N...| Media Play News
Target stores have partnered with Netflix to present an exclusive line of merchandise tie-ins for the upcoming fifth season of “Stranger Things.” Beginning Oct. 5, the new product collection featuring more than 150 “Stranger Things”-inspired items will be available online and in select Target retail locations as part of an immersive in-store experience. Available collectibles … Continue reading "Merchandising: Netflix Bringing ‘Stranger Things’ Collectibles to Target" The post M...| Media Play News
“Peacemaker” regained the top spot on the Whip Media chart of streaming originals among U.S. consumers for the week ended Sept. 28. The superhero series rose from No. 2 on the chart the previous week. Season two of “Peacemaker,” based on the DC Comics characters and starring John Cena, debuted on HBO Max Aug. 21. Falling from … Continue reading "‘Peacemaker’ Regains Top Spot on Weekly Whip U.S. Streaming Originals Chart Through Sept. 28" The post ‘Peacemaker’ Regains Top S...| Media Play News
The Disney comedy Freakier Friday arrives Oct. 7 on digital platforms, followed by a DVD, Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD disc release Nov. 11. The film has earned $152.3 million at the global box office. In the sequel to Freaky Friday (2003), in which a mother and daughter change bodies, Jamie Lee Curtis and … Continue reading "Disney Comedy ‘Freakier Friday’ Due Digitally Oct. 7, on Disc Nov. 11" The post Disney Comedy ‘Freakier Friday’ Due Digitally Oct. 7, on Disc Nov. 11 appeared fi...| Media Play News
Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four: First Steps topped all movies on the Official Film Chart, the weekly U.K. sales chart through Oct. 1. The title, which generated $521.4 million at the global box office, including $274 million across North American screens, kept Sony Pictures’ 28 Years Later in the runner-up position for a second week. … Continue reading "Marvel’s ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Tops U.K. Home Entertainment Sales Chart Through Oct. 1" The post Marvel’s ‘Th...| Media Play News
Paramount+ has officially renewed “Lioness” for a third season. The series, starring Nicole Kidman and Zoe Saldaña, was created by Taylor Sheridan. The second season of the show was released a year ago. The show was one of the most-watched global series premieres on Paramount+ in 2023, according to the service. Season two generated 3 … Continue reading "Paramount+ Renews Nicole Kidman’s ‘Lioness’ for Third Season"| Media Play News
HBO has more than 5 million online streaming subscribers, up from 2 million a year ago, Reuters reported citing a source familiar with the situation. Subscribers come from all the outlets it works with, including its own HBO Now, as well as Amazon Channels, AT&T’s DirectTV Now and Sony Vue, Reuters reported. An HBO Now … Continue reading "Report: HBO Has More Than 5M Online Streaming Subs"| Media Play News
A new spot released April 22 kicked off the brand marketing campaign for WarnerMedia’s SVOD service HBO Max. The campaign centers on the tagline “Where HBO Meets So Much More.” HBO Max launches May 27 with 10,000 hours of programming, including the entire HBO service, titles from Warner Bros. and a monthly offering of new Max … Continue reading "HBO Max Releases New Spot for Service"| Media Play News
Heading into WarnerMedia Day on Oct. 29 for the official unveiling of pending subscription streaming video product HBO Max, AT&T CEO Randell Stephenson said the service over time would deliver live-stream television. Reiterating that HBO Max, which launches in early 2020, would not replicate Netflix, Stephenson said the platform would instead offer live TV similar … Continue reading "HBO Max to Include Live Streaming — in the Future"| Media Play News
Netflix’s “Wednesday” remained No. 1 on Samba TV’s list of top streaming programs for the week of Sept. 8-14. Part two of the second season of the “Addams Family”-based series debuted Sept. 3. It follows Wednesday Addams in her second year at Nevermore Academy. As she continues to develop her psychic abilities, she must face … Continue reading "Samba TV: ‘Wednesday’ Tops Weekly Streaming Viewership Through Sept. 14"| Media Play News
Alliance Entertainment Holding Corp., the Plantation, Fla.-based entertainment and collectibles distributor, posted robust fourth-quarter (ended June 30) and full fiscal-year financials Sept. 10. Alliance supplies more than 340,000 unique SKUs across music, video, video games, licensed merchandise, and exclusive collectibles to over 35,000 retail and e-commerce storefronts. The company recently combined its Mill Creek Entertainment … Continue reading "Alliance Entertainment Posts Robust Q4,...| Media Play News
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FilmRise has announced the acquisition of Dark Blood, starring Tony and Emmy award-winning, John Leguizamo (John Wick, Carlito’s Way, Moulin Rouge, Romeo + Juliet, Ice Age). The deal gives FilmRise theatrical, digital and broadcast rights in North and South America. The movie is directed by Colombian filmmaker Harold Trompetero (Diastole y systole: Los movimientos del … Continue reading "FilmRise Acquires Streaming Rights to ‘Dark Blood’"| Media Play News
Ad-supported streaming VOD service FilmRise June 22 announced the acquisition of domestic distribution rights to Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s longest-running hour-long drama series, “Heartland.” Adapted from Lauren Brooke’s best-selling novels, “Heartland” is a multi-generational family drama series set in Alberta, Canada that began airing in 2007 on the CBC and just wrapped its 14th season March … Continue reading "FilmRise Acquires AVOD Rights to Canada’s ‘Heartland...| Media Play News
FilmRise has acquired the worldwide distribution rights to John Keating’s Gamechangers: Dreams of Blizzcon, a feature-length documentary film about professional eSports. The company will release the feature starting June 12 on the film festival circuit, at gamer events/tournaments, and various linear, TVOD, OTT, and SVOD platforms around the world. The documentary explores the high pressure, high-stakes lifestyle of … Continue reading "FilmRise Acquires eSports Documentary"| Media Play News
In the crude parody of William Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Prospero lures a boatload of pharmaceutical executives to Tromaville, N.J. In the film directed by Lloyd Kaufman, mad scientist Prospero runs away with his blind daughter Miranda to Tromaville, hiding from evil pharmaceutical execs, including his own sister Antoinette, who ruined his career after he found the cure against opioid addiction. With the help of a handicapped crack-whore, he releases a massive amount of laxative to whales,...| Media Play News
Amazon Studios has acquired the global television rights to the first novel from the space opera “Culture” series by Scottish writer Iain M. Banks. Consider Phlebas features Banks’ fictional interstellar utopian society the Culture, in which a highly advanced and progressive society ends up at war with the Idirans, a deeply religious, warlike race intent … Continue reading "Amazon Acquires Rights to Produce Space Opera TV Series From Writer Iain Banks"| Media Play News
Netflix chief product officer Eunice Kim is exiting the company after five years. Kim was named chief product officer in October 2023. She previously led the company’s global consumer product innovation team. Kim joined Netflix in early 2021 after having spent 10 years in product leadership roles at Google Play and YouTube. Prior to joining … Continue reading "Chief Product Officer Eunice Kim Exiting Netflix"| Media Play News
Hulu, the over-the-top video service co-owned by Disney, Comcast, Time Warner and Fox, Jan. 9 revealed it ended 2017 with more than 17 million subscribers. The tally is surprising considering Hulu reported 15 million subs in 2016, and rival Netflix ended 2017 with 54 million domestic subs. In the intervening months, Hulu has upped marketing … Continue reading "Hulu Tops 17 Million Subscribers"| Media Play News
Disney Entertainment and Warner Bros. Discovery May 8 announced a mega-streaming bundle that includes Disney+, Hulu and Max will be available starting this summer in the United States. The companies say the three services — Disney+ and Hulu from Disney, and Max from Warner Bros. Discovery — being offered together will provide subscribers with the … Continue reading "Disney, Warner Announce Disney+/Hulu/Max Streaming Bundle"| Media Play News
The Walt Disney Co. Feb. 6 revealed it expects more than $250 million in equity losses on Hulu in 2018. The revised projection is up from a previously disclosed loss of $100 million. Disney co-owns (30%) Hulu, which has about 17 million subscribers, with 21st Century Fox (30%), Comcast (30%) and Time Warner (10%). Disney … Continue reading "Disney Ups Hulu 2018 Equity Loss to $250 Million"| Media Play News
Disney-owned Disney+, Hulu and ABC News Live will live-stream a special music concert event from Vatican City in Rome, Italy, on Sept. 13 at 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT. The event will be co-directed by Pharrell Williams and Andrea Bocelli, who will also perform among other artists in St. Peter’s Square for the first time. … Continue reading "Disney+, Hulu Live-Streaming Musical Concert Event From Vatican City on Sept. 13"| Media Play News
Disney+, Hulu, and ABC News Sept. 8 announced additional artists have been added to the historic concert from Vatican City, “Grace for the World,” which will be live streamed globally on Disney+, Hulu and ABC News Live at 3 p.m. ET on Sept. 13, with a replay available after the event on Disney+ only. Jennifer … Continue reading "Jennifer Hudson, BamBam Join Vatican City Concert to Be Live Streamed on Disney+, Hulu"| Media Play News
Apple TV+ has unveiled the trailer for season five of “Slow Horses,” the Emmy and BAFTA Award-winning espionage drama starring Academy Award-winner and Emmy Award-nominee Sir Gary Oldman. The six-episode fifth season of “Slow Horses” premieres Sept. 24 with the first episode, followed by one episode weekly until Oct. 29. Season five is adapted from … Continue reading "Apple TV+ Bows Trailer for S5 of Espionage Drama ‘Slow Horses’"| Media Play News
The premiere of part one of season two of Netflix’s “Addams Family” drama “Wednesday” generated 3.75 billion viewing minutes for the week ended Aug. 10 — the second-largest weekly streaming total of 2025 — to take the top spot on the Nielsen charts for the week ended Aug. 10. About half (51%) of its watch … Continue reading "Nielsen: Netflix’s ‘Wednesday’ S2 Part 1 Scored Second-Largest Weekly Viewing Total of 2025 With 3.75 Billion Minutes Through Aug. 10"| Media Play News
Online movie ticketer Fandango and short-form mobile video service TikTok have announced a partnership that gives entertainment consumers the ability to go from movie discovery to ticket purchase directly within the TikTok app. The collaboration marks TikTok’s first-ever movie ticketing integration powered by TikTok Spotlight, with Fandango as the sole launch partner. Consumers on TikTok … Continue reading "Fandango, TikTok Partner to Offer Consumers Links to Purchase Movie Tickets"| Media Play News
Lionsgate has named Apple TV+ marketing executive Justin Manfredi EVP of worldwide television marketing, replacing industry veteran Suzy Feldman, who is retiring after 10 years with the studio. In addition to overseeing all original series marketing for the studio, Manfredi will build upon the Lionsgate Television Group’s focus on content licensing that encompasses its traditional … Continue reading "Lionsgate Names Apple TV+ Executive Justin Manfredi EVP of Worldwide Television Marketing"| Media Play News
Antipiracy coalition, Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), in collaboration with Egyptian authorities, Sept. 3 announced the shutdown of the piracy network Streameast. Through its 80 associated domains, the Cairo-based network logged more than 1.6 billion visits in the past year, including 135 million per month, making it the largest illicit live sports streaming operation … Continue reading "World’s Largest Pirate Sports Live Streaming Platform Streameast Shut Down"| Media Play News
Television tech company TiVo Jan. 9 revealed that the average global consumer spends almost five hours daily consuming and searching video entertainment – about 20% of daily life. The results are from a survey of 8,500 pay-TV and over-the-top video subscribers across the U.S., Europe and Latin America. “Consumers today are acting as their own … Continue reading "TiVo Says 20% of Daily Life Spent Consuming Video"| Media Play News
Seeking to simplify online payment transactions, Fandango Jan. 8 announced it is using Google Pay as a digital payment option for movie ticket purchases across its online, mobile and social ticketing platforms. Google Pay includes Android Pay and Google Wallet. According to a recent Fandango survey, 81% of respondents said they currently used some sort … Continue reading "Fandango Incorporates Google Pay"| Media Play News
Fox Nation Oct. 3 announced it has acquired exclusive U.S. rights to “Elizabeth Taylor: Rebel Superstar,” the three-part docuseries produced by reality TV star Kim Kardashian with Passion Pictures, and distributed internationally by Fremantle. The series will now make its U.S. streaming debut on Monday, Oct. 6.| Media Play News
Cineverse Sept. 3 announced that The Toxic Avenger Unrated is on pace to be one of the company’s most successful multi-platform releases. The Macon Blair-written-directed horror/comedy movie, based on the Troma Entertainment superhero (played by Peter Dinklage in the latest movie), generated more than $2 million at the North American Labor Day box office through … Continue reading "Cineverse Lauds ‘The Toxic Avenger’ Box Office, Physical, Digital Pre-Orders"| Media Play News
Skydance Media, the new owner of Paramount Global, says it “fully complied” with all anti-bribery laws closing the $8 billion acquisition of Paramount Global, the corporate parent to Paramount Pictures, Paramount+ streaming, Pluto TV, CBS, MTV, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon, among other assets. That was the reported response to three Democratic U.S. Senators looking to … Continue reading "Skydance Says It Followed Anti-Bribery Laws Closing the $8 Billion Paramount Merger"| Media Play News
Netflix July 16 dropped the trailer for the upcoming final season five of the popular original sci-fi series “Stranger Things,” — nine years after the original launch of the series. Season five premieres with volume one (episodes 1-4) on Nov. 26, followed by volume two (episodes 5-7) on Christmas, and the finale (Episode 8) on … Continue reading "Netflix Drops ‘Stranger Things’ Season 5 Trailer Ahead of Nov. 26 Launch"| Media Play News
HBO Max July 14 launched a new brand spot showcasing the subscription streaming video platform’s expanding line-up of original content. “We have the honor of working with some of the industry’s best creative storytellers and we are proud to provide them with a platform to share their authentic voices,” Robert Greenblatt, chairman of WarnerMedia Entertainment and … Continue reading "HBO Max Releases New Branding Video"| Media Play News
Heading into the May launch of the $14.99 HBO Max subscription streaming service, WarnerMedia Entertainment has begun running ads on social media touting the platform’s content and the fact the series are not available on Netflix or Hulu. AT&T’s WarnerMedia (formerly Time Warner) has spent a billion dollars securing license rights away from third parties … Continue reading "HBO Max Launches Video Ad Touting Content"| Media Play News
FilmRise, the New York-based film and television studio and streaming network, has acquired digital distribution rights to the reality series “Cheaters” from Goldstein Pictures Corporation. The deal gives FilmRise digital rights worldwide to the entire series. The package contains more than 1,000 episodes (692 30-minute episodes and 346 60-minute episodes) in 21 seasons of the … Continue reading "FilmRise Acquires Digital Rights to Reality Series ‘Cheaters’"| Media Play News
Popular YouTube and TikTok content creator Dhar Mann and Bell Media president Sean Cohan will be the keynote speakers at next year’s NATPE Global and Realscreen Summit, which returns to Miami Feb. 2-6 at the InterContinental Miami hotel.| Media Play News
TiVo Jan. 18 announced an updated patent license agreement with Google that includes the search behemoth’s online television service, YouTube TV. The deal covers Google’s use of TiVo’s technologies worldwide and offers a license for Google’s products and services across Internet-based platforms and devices. Launched last spring, You Tube TV offers access to more than 40 … Continue reading "TiVo Ups Google Deal to Include YouTube TV"| Media Play News
Amazon has reportedly pulled the YouTube app from Fire TV devices – ahead of the Jan. 1, 2018 deadline Google previously imposed on the ecommerce behemoth for its alleged lack of the support for Prime Video on Chromecast. On its website, Amazon directed YouTube users to Firefox or Silk browsers to access the streaming video … Continue reading "Amazon Yanks YouTube App From Fire TV Devices"| Media Play News