Reuters Entertainment News Summary

Film producers have urged the British culture minister to intervene in the proposed Paramount-Warner merger, citing concerns over restricted access to historical news archives used by documentary makers.

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Film producers warn Paramount-Warner merger could restrict access to news archives

A group of film producers has urged the British culture minister to intervene in the proposed merger ​of Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros Discovery and protect access to historical news footage used by documentary makers. The appeal follows concerns raised by Culture Minister ​Lisa Nandy that the deal could reduce media plurality. The merger would place the vast CNN and ‌CBS ​News archives under common ownership for the first time, according to the producers.

Universal Music Group revenue rises 13.3% on streaming prices

Universal Music Group reported second-quarter revenue of 3.29 billion euros ($3.79 billion) on Thursday, up 13.3% year-on-year at constant exchange rates, helped by the consolidation of Downtown Music and higher streaming prices. The results underscore the importance of pricing and acquisitions to UMG's growth strategy as the world's largest music company looks to diversify its revenue base beyond traditional subscription streaming.

George and Amal ‌Clooney flee their luxury French home due to wildfires

Hollywood actor George Clooney and his British wife Amal, an international human rights lawyer, have evacuated their luxury home in Brignoles as a result of the wildfires blazing in the southern French region, Clooney's publicist said on Thursday. The publicist shared with Reuters a letter that the actor sent to Didier Bremond, Mayor of Brignoles, expressing his concerns as many regions of France battle wildfires.

ABC says FCC seeks to intimidate network over news coverage

Walt Disney-owned ABC said on Thursday that the Federal Communications Commission's threat to revoke the network's broadcast licenses is part of an unprecedented campaign of intimidation over broadcast content the Trump ‌administration dislikes. ABC said that the Trump administration agency's nearly unprecedented decision to order an early license review of the eight Disney-owned ABC stations is a warning from the government to other media companies.

Producer sues Netflix for $105 million over missing Nicolas Cage movie

A movie producer is seeking $105 million in damages from Netflix after he ‌says a copy of his unreleased Nicolas Cage movie was stolen from the streaming service's studios in Hollywood. Attorneys for producer Simon Afram said in a lawsuit filed on Wednesday in California that the filmmakers had delivered an unencrypted master copy of the World War II drama "Fortitude" to Netflix in June at the company's request. Afram invested more than $45 million in the production, which took seven years to complete, and he was in the process of trying to sell the movie to Netflix or another distributor.

Universal Music shares shed quarter of value on streaming concerns

Universal Music Group shares shed a quarter of their value on Friday after the world's largest music company reported slower growth in subscription revenue, raising concerns about its streaming momentum. The music label, home to artists including Taylor Swift and BTS, ⁠has been a major ​beneficiary of the shift to paid streaming. Its premium valuation rests on its ability to ⁠convert that position into steady subscription growth through price increases, subscriber additions and market-share gains, making the quarterly slowdown particularly unsettling for investors.

NBCUniversal names Christopher Halpin as CFO ahead of spinoff from Comcast

NBCUniversal on Thursday named outsider Christopher Halpin as its next finance chief as it prepares to separate from Comcast's cable and broadband business into a standalone public company. Comcast announced last month it would split ⁠off NBCUniversal and Sky, unwinding 15 years of consolidation as legacy media struggles against streaming rivals and industry dealmaking accelerates.

ITV says World Cup lifts advertising, but forecasts weaker third quarter

ITV, the British broadcaster that has agreed to sell its channels and streaming platform to Comcast's Sky, said the World Cup lifted first-half ad revenue but forecast declining sales in the third quarter as ​the boost from the tournament faded. Chief Executive Carolyn McCall said more than 200 brands had advertised around the competition, including some new to TV.

BTS boycott Grammys over new Asian pop award category

K-pop group BTS said on Wednesday they will not submit any music for consideration at ⁠the 69th Annual Grammy Awards in February 2027, citing dissatisfaction with the academy's new category for best Asian pop music performance. The decision marks the first time the South Korean group, one of the biggest names in K-pop, have opted out of the awards ceremony. Each member of the group shared the news in a post on Instagram.

Venice chief blames Hollywood woes, not festival, for studio absence

Venice Film Festival ⁠director ​Alberto Barbera defended on Thursday this year's lineup, saying the absence of major Hollywood studios and the scarcity of women directors reflect wider industry problems, not his own choices. The comments come a week after Venice unveiled a programme with virtually no studio-backed U.S. films and just one woman director among the 20 titles competing for the main Golden Lion award, sparking concern about the quality of the programme.

India's SEBI imposes 14.8 million rupees penalty on Zee Entertainment

India's markets regulator on Friday imposed penalties totalling 14.8 million Indian rupees ($155,168.80) on Zee Entertainment Enterprises (ZEEL), Chief Executive Punit Goenka and Founder-Chairman Emeritus Subhash Chandra for securities law violations. The Securities and Exchange Board of ⁠India (SEBI) also barred Goenka and Chandra from the securities market for one year.

Live Nation beats quarterly revenue estimates on resilient concert demand

Ticketmaster-parent Live Nation Entertainment beat analysts' estimates for quarterly revenue on Thursday, driven by global demand for live events and concerts across different venue types. The results underscore that consumer appetite for live ⁠music remains resilient even as broader discretionary spending comes under pressure.

German court rules AI ⁠music firm Suno broke copyright rules

A German court ruled on Friday that AI music firm Suno violated copyrights and has to disclose illicit revenue, part of a wider legal battle by artists and publishers against technology firms. The Munich-based regional court said Suno did not have the right to process songs by artists represented by Germany's state-mandated licensing agency Gema.

Sam Fender and Olivia Dean duet becomes longest-running top single in UK

Sam Fender and Olivia Dean's duet "Rein Me In" made pop history ‌in Britain on Friday when it became the ‌longest-running No. 1 single by spending 19 weeks at the top of the charts. The song broke the 73-year-old record held by U.S. singer Frankie Laine, who spent ​18 weeks at the top with "I Believe" in 1953, the Official Charts said.