Entertainment News Roundup: Downtown Music sells a catalog of 145,000 songs for $400 million; Guy Ritchie, Jason Statham reunite for action thriller 'Wrath of Man' and more

It follows a trend for pandemic-era live awards shows, after audiences for the most recent Emmys and Grammys also slumped to new lows. WarnerMedia plans to price HBO Max with ads at $9.99 a month - CNBC WarnerMedia is planning to price an advertising-supported version of its HBO Max video streaming service, set to launch in June, at $9.99 per month, CNBC reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Downtown Music sells a catalog of 145,000 songs to Concord for $400 million, sources say

New York-based Downtown Music Holdings is selling a 145,000-song catalog to music rights company Concord Music for about $400 million, two sources close to the matter said on Tuesday. The talks to acquire the music copyright to songs including some performed by the likes of Adele, Aretha Franklin, Beyonce, David Bowie, Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga and Marvin Gaye, began in January, the sources added.

Guy Ritchie, Jason Statham reunite for action thriller 'Wrath of Man'

All it took was a two-minute phone call to pitch the idea for his new film "Wrath of Man" and British director Guy Ritchie was back working with action star Jason Statham after some 15 years. The dark thriller sees Statham play "H", a mysterious loner who takes up a job at a security firm whose armoured vehicles transporting valuables have recently been the target of deadly armed robberies.

BRIT Awards winners to get two trophies, one for sharing

Winners at next month's BRIT Awards will receive two different trophies, encouraged to share one as a way to embrace the community spirit and kindness seen during COVID-19 lockdowns, organisers of Britain's pop music honours said on Wednesday. Artists Es Devlin and Yinka Ilori designed the statuettes, which will be handed out in pairs at the May 11 ceremony held at London's O2 arena.

Final TV ratings for Oscars inch up to 10.4 million viewers

The Oscars telecast on Walt Disney Co's ABC broadcast network averaged 10.4 million viewers, less than half of the audience for last year's ceremony, according to final Nielsen data released on Tuesday. The figure marks a record low for the film industry's highest honors, falling 56% from the 23.6 million who tuned in last year. It follows a trend for pandemic-era live awards shows, after audiences for the most recent Emmys and Grammys also slumped to new lows.

WarnerMedia plans to price HBO Max with ads at $9.99 a month - CNBC

WarnerMedia is planning to price an advertising-supported version of its HBO Max video streaming service, set to launch in June, at $9.99 per month, CNBC reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. HBO Max, home to titles like "Wonder Woman 1984" and "Love Life", was launched in May last year and costs $14.99 per month.

Spain's Primavera Sound festival to resume in 2022 over two weekends: sources

Barcelona's Primavera Sound music festival, one of Europe's largest, will resume next year in an expanded version after being cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, two sources with close knowledge of the festival told Reuters. In this new format, the festival will take place on June 2-5 and June 9-12 of 2022 in the northeastern Spanish city, doubling its usual length, and will have around 400 shows across two lineups which will include major singers, the sources said.

Britney Spears to speak directly to LA court on her conservatorship

Pop star Britney Spears will personally address the Los Angeles court dealing with her long-running conservatorship in June, a judge agreed on Tuesday. Spears, 39, has been under a conservatorship since 2008, but rarely takes part in court hearings and has not publicly commented on the legal arrangement where a court-appointed adviser controls her personal and financial affairs, including her medical treatment, security and career.

MultiChoice's Showmax invests in African content for growth

MultiChoice's online streaming platform Showmax is investing in producing its own local content for African audiences as it competes for their attention against Netflix on the continent, a senior executive told Reuters. MultiChoice is Africa's largest pay-TV group, available in 50 African countries. Its streaming service Showmax, launched in 2015, is available in 46 African countries and also in several Western countries, including Britain and France, which have sizeable African diaspora populations.

Discovery's streaming investments hit profit, shares fall

Discovery Inc on Wednesday reported a smaller-than-expected quarterly profit, as the media company ramped up investments in its streaming platform, sending its shares tumbling 8% in early trading. While Discovery benefited from a recovery in advertising sales on its networks during the quarter, the race to retain paying customers in the crowded streaming market that includes Netflix Inc and Walt Disney Co's Disney+ called for higher investments in content.

(With inputs from agencies.)