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.

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.

Warner Music Group reshuffles leadership as CFO exits

Warner Music Group, the label behind artists such as Ed Sheeran ⁠and Dua Lipa, said finance head and Chief Operating Officer Armin Zerza has decided to step down for personal reasons, effective immediately. Here are some more details:

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.

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.