SCROLL NEWS / DISCOVERY
Search headlines
Find the stories shaping the conversation.
Results for " Weeks " 100 found 🔀 AI-powered Shuffle
Sign in to save shuffle history.
An HR professional helped plan layoffs. Then he was laid off.
An HR professional helped plan layoffs at a media startup. Six weeks later, he was laid off himself.
Rob Lowe’s Unique Christmas Time-Loop Movie Is Just a Few Weeks Away
Rob Lowe is preparing for a new Christmas release with In a Holidaze, a romantic comedy built around an unusual time-loop premise. The film follows a young woman who finds herself reliving the same holiday week while trying to make sense of her relationships and personal choices. Starring alongside Maddie Ziegler, Lowe will appear in […] The post Rob Lowe’s Unique Christmas Time-Loop Movie Is Just a Few Weeks Away appeared first on Mandatory.
Marcus Stokes moves up to No. 41 in CBS Sports’ QB Power Rankings
Marcus Stokes continues to move up the CBS Sports’ quarterback rankings again after falling out of the rankings a few weeks ago. Stokes moved up nine spots to No. 41 after returning to the rankings last week at No. 50.
This gen’s top 10 PlayStation Studios games
As we near the six-year anniversary of the PS5, we thought we’d dive into our estimates for the top-grossing PlayStation Studios games since the start of the gen. Together, the 10 games we’re covering today have generated over $6.5 billion across PlayStation (84.7%), Steam (14.1%), and Xbox (1.2% via just Helldivers 2). Let’s have a look at the top 10. Spidey and Kratos sequels take the top two spots God of War Ragnarok takes the top spot with $1.4B in revenue via 21.6M copies – 20.1M on PlayStation (75.2% via PS5) and the rest on Steam. Around 27.5% of the copies sold on PlayStation were physical. It’s another PlayStation evergreen seller, too. This year, Ragnarok has already sold 1.1M copies, generating $60M (68% on PlayStation), outperforming new 2026 titles like Gears of War E-Day and Saros. Overall, our estimates show that Ragnarok has been accessed by 6.7M PlayStation Plus players (it was added to the Extra tier about two years ago). So it’s performed that well this year despite subscription cannibalisation. That’s the pull of God of War IP. And that Bautista series on Amazon is going to be massive - bigger than Fallout, I reckon. Next up is Spider-Man 2 with $1.3B across PS5 (over $1.2B) and Steam (nearly $70M). Spider-Man 2 has sold over 19.1M copies overall, so it should pass 20M early next year. Spider-Man 2 is an evergreen title that always spikes around the holidays (mostly concentrated around Christmas week): In December 2023, it sold 2.1M copies, up 20% from November 2023 (the month after release) In December 2024, Spider-Man 2 sold 460K copies (natural decay), up 60% from November 2024. Despite the Steam version launching in January 2025, it still sold more copies – and made more revenue – the month before. In December 2025, it sold 328K copies, up 30% from November 2025. This year’s December and Christmas will be somewhat limited by Spidey’s February 2026 addition to PS+ Extra, where 6.3M people accessed it for the first time. While subscription inclusions always cannibalise premium revenues to some extent, Spider-Man 2 did manage to sell 578K copies in August 2026 – the most its sold since Q1 2024, following hype from the Spider-Man Brand New Day movie. Want more free estimates and insights in your inbox twice a week? Subscribe below! Subscribe God of War Ragnarok and Spider-Man 2 continue to be huge evergreen tentpoles for Sony. Together, both titles have sold 3.4M this year (2.3M for Spidey and 1.1M for Ragnarok), generating a combined $172.9M ($115.8M for Spidey and $57.1M for Ragnarok). Again, some premium games would take a leaf out of Kratos’ book (not Spidey’s!) and would kill for these numbers in year 1. And we can see why Sony wants to take a leaf from Steam’s book, killing physical to get higher margins from catalogue sales, ensuring they get their cut, and having more control over supply and demand (and pricing for their first-party titles). Hot rods, hellpods, and horizons Gran Turismo 7 takes #3 this generation with $841.9M in revenue via 12.7M copies sold. For more info on GT7, you can check out our write-up from earlier this week. Around 1.1M people have already played GT7 this month, less than six days in. Next up – at #4 – is the first second-party game on this list. Helldivers 2 has generated $786.3M via 23M copies sold across Steam (66.1% of the copies), PS5 (25.7%), and the 1.5-year-later Xbox port (8.3%). And there are plenty of players very dedicated to the Super Earth cause, as over 4M folks have played Helldivers 2 for over 100 hours, while 462K played for over 500 hours. That dedication to democracy is pretty topical… Anyway, Helldivers 2 still attracts about 700K players per day (more if there’s a significant update), and its August addition to PlayStation Plus Extra has led to 1.6M new players overall. This year, Helldivers 2 has sold over 2.5M copies, generating $81.1M in revenue. It’s another evergreen hit for Sony, and draws in engagement numbers similar to Arc Raiders. The Helldivers 2 model, in my opinion, should be the way PlayStation approaches its live-service and second-party releases. Want more free estimates and insights in your inbox twice a week? Subscribe below! Subscribe Horizon Forbidden West rounds off the first half of the top 10, generating $485.8M. That said, PlayStation completely stifled Horizon Forbidden West’s revenue by adding it to PlayStation Plus way too early (one year after launch). You can see the revenue drop-off clearly in our platform: As you can see: Forbidden West was still a healthy catalogue earner right before it was added to PS+ Extra, making about $1.23M a week on PlayStation across late 2022 and into January 2023. After it was added to Extra_, Forbidden West_’s weekly revenue halved to around $610K, basically overnight. Excluding launch month, Horizon Forbidden West generated about $67.2M on PlayStation in the period before the PS Plus addition. In the same period after it joined the service, that fell to $28.1M, a 58% drop. So, PlayStation didn’t trade a little bit of premium revenue for subscriber value here. It gave up well over half of it, and it cut momentum instantly for one of its premier franchises. Could you imagine the kind of cannibalisation if it launched day in date on Extra? Want more free estimates and insights in your inbox twice a week? Subscribe below! Subscribe And the cannibalisation wasn’t a temporary blip that bounced back once the game left the service in September 2024. By then, 19 months on PS Plus had already hoovered up most of the install base that would have bought it, so there was barely a premium audience left to monetise. PlayStation even added it back to PS Plus on October 21 this year, and sure enough, weekly revenue dropped again (by around a third); though, the numbers are small now that Forbidden West is nearly four years old. Worth the trade-off. The usual suspects, platformers, and an Asia-driven second-party hit As for the rest of the list: Ghost of Yotei has now generated $410.1M via 5.5M copies on PS5. Yotei popped off a bit a few weeks ago due to a content update, which we covered here. The Last of Part Us I, a remake that we covered here, has generated $341.3M in revenue (67.2% via PlayStation) via 6.4M copies. It was also added to PS+ Extra about two years after launch, where 7.8M people accessed it for the first time. Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart has made $334.9M (93.6% via PlayStation 5). It’s now passed 5M copies sold overall. It’s sold 250K copies this year, generating $13.5M in revenue. Time for another Ratchet? Stellar Blade has generated $316.9M via PS5 (59.7%) and Steam (40.3%). However, the share of Stellar Blade’s 5.4M copies sold is far closer (50.4% on PlayStation, 49.6% on Steam) – despite the Steam version releasing a year later. China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong account for 48% of Steam copies and 35% of PlayStation copies (about 41% overall). These markets are regionally priced lower than others, hence the difference. Astro Bot rounds out the top 10 with $292.6M in revenue via over 4.7M copies sold. We covered Astro’s recent performance here, covering how Astro Bot is another evergreen seller and has been a hit with families. Want more free estimates and insights in your inbox twice a week? Subscribe below! Subscribe Even these bottom five games have generated a combined $281.7M this year in catalogue sales. PlayStation wants those numbers to be bigger in the coming years, which is one of the reasons it’s killing the disc (alongside the better margins it and publishers get through digital). No more used discs means more D2C revenue for PlayStation. On that note, we recently chatted to the New York Times again about PlayStation’s digital future, so keep your eyes peeled for that! The last word Reply to this email – or reach out here – if you have any feedback for the newsletter – or want to request a game for us to cover. Want to see why these companies (and many others) are subscribed to Alinea? Get a free platform trial! [Alinea Analytics boasts the most accurate PC and console estimates in the business. Game makers use our platform to understand their audience, keep an eye on the competition, monitor sales trends, and spot new opportunities. We equip game studios and financial institutions with accurate data and the confidence to make smarter, data-driven decisions. Want to talk about all things games market data? We’d love to chat!]
The fierce battle for James Bond is playing out in public
(CNN) — It’s been five years since Daniel Craig bid farewell to the role of 007 in “No Time to Die,” which ended with a closing credit promise that “James Bond will return.” And while corporate machinations have slowed the character’s reappearance, the battle to play cinema’s most famous secret agent is playing out more publicly than usual.In recent weeks, there have been numerous leaks to the press about the slew of big-name actors said to be auditioning for Bond in what will be the 26th film in the franchise, stoking debates among fans.Last month, it was reported that “final screen tests” were being held, with “One Night Only” heartthrob Callum Turner, “Slow Horses” actor Jack Lowden and Josh O’Connor of “Challengers” said to be among those who made the cut. Then two surprise names entered the mix over the weekend, with Deadline and Variety reporting “Primetime” star Robert Pattinson and “X-Men” actor Nicholas Hoult had also undergone screen tests for the role. (Pattinson’s casting would be particularly remarkable given he’s also currently leading another major franchise as Batman, while Hoult is appearing as Lex Luther in the new “Superman” movies.)Other wild cards, per Variety? Pop singer Harry Styles or “The White Lotus” star Theo James. At 32, Styles would be the youngest choice, while 41-year-old James is the oldest.Representatives for the actors and Amazon MGM Studios, didn’t respond to requests for comment. None of the actors have revealed what the audition process has involved, although O’Connor told the BBC that being considered was an “incredibly bizarre pinch-me moment.”A ‘methodical’ huntProducer Amy Pascal, who steered “Spider-Man” to several reboots over her career, has said fans can expect a decision by the end of the year. “We are being really, really methodical,” she told Deadline this summer. “Daniel Craig is a hard act to follow. And it’s got to be something really different that is a stirring and exciting and different.”There is immense pressure to get the decision right. For one, the Bond franchise is big business, with Craig’s “No Time to Die” earning more than $900 million. (In 2022, Amazon paid $8.5 billion to acquire Bond’s parent company, MGM.) But the role also occupies huge cultural real estate as one of the most identifiably “British” characters in film.Just six actors have portrayed Bond. Sean Connery first appeared as the suave, shaken-not-stirred secret agent in 1962’s “Dr. No.” Tradition has it that the role should be played a Brit, although George Lazenby, an Australian, played Bond in 1969’s “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.”Pierce Brosnan, who played 007 in four movies, appeared to back Turner in an interview with Vanity Fair last week, saying the husband of Dua Lipa was a strong actor. “They all have a voice and a physique, and a presence on film,” Brosnan said of the final candidates. “They all have longevity as actors, all of these young men.”“Whoever plays the role, I wish him the very best of life and strength and courage,” he said.The next Bond movie will be directed by Denis Villeneuve, who knows a thing or two about working in a franchise, given he has overseen the “Dune” trilogy. At a Los Angeles gala on Saturday, Villeneuve appeared to be reveling in the media’s focus on the battle for Bond.“I should not comment right now because every word I’m going to say is going to be scrutinized,” Villeneuve told Variety. “I would just say that I’m having a great time.”The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.THE-CNN-WIRE (TM) & © 2026 CABLE NEWS NETWORK, INC., A TIME WARNER COMPANY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
New Zealand poised for weeks of political wrangling after knife-edge poll
New Zealand faced the prospect Sunday of weeks or even months of political wrangling after a knife-edge election that produced no clear winner."I think everyone's over politics, so let's all just have...
String of first responder suicides highlights growing need for mental health support
In the last two weeks, the Invisible Wounds Project says there have been at least three former or current first responders who have died by suicide in the region. The nonprofit, which supports first responder mental health, says in the last year it’s more than doubled the amount of suicide crisis response interventions.
Cook County Public Health: Vaccinate Now Before the Holidays - Cook County Department of Public Health
As families make plans for holiday gatherings, health officials say now is a good time to get vaccinated against flu, COVID-19 and RSV. "It takes two to three weeks for respiratory vaccinations to provide maximum protection in vaccinated individuals. So, this is a perfect time to get vaccinated before gathering with family and friends for Thanksgiving," said Dr. Kiran Joshi, chief operating officer of Cook County Department of Public Health.
Amanda Seyfried shares photo with ex Thomas Sadoski as she addresses ‘boring’ divorce
Amanda Seyfried shares photo with ex Thomas Sadoski and addresses ‘boring’ divorce weeks after the former couple announced their separation.
Vikings May Be Cooling on Star Running Back Trade
The Minnesota Vikings have been linked to one of the biggest names on the trade market for weeks, but it appears the Jonathan Taylors of the world my cost too much.
Stephen A. Smith happy Michael Wilbon is prioritizing his health: ‘This is good news’
While Michael Wilbon’s indefinite leave of absence from ESPN is sad news for many, Stephen A. Smith insists it is a good thing. Less than two weeks after celebrating the 25th anniversary of Pardon The Interruption, Michael Wilbon announced he was stepping away from his ESPN responsibilities to address medical issues. Wilbon insisted this wasn’t…
Today on Pinstripe Alley
As we awake today, we now three weeks remaining with a Major League Collective Bargaining Agreement in place, 21 days before we are faced with the inevitable owner-imposed lockout. As we inch toward the winter, we do have a few things to keep us occupied this week, as Cy Young winners will be announced tomorrow […]
Pope Leo XIV champions universal healthcare during speech in Uruguay weeks after lung cancer surgery
Best Buy's Black Friday Event Begins With Sitewide Savings on Apple, TVs, More
Early Black Friday sales are kicking off this week, with Best Buy joining in with deals that will last the next few weeks. Similar to other retailers, Best Buy's early Black Friday event includes sitewide savings on Apple products, headphones, TVs, monitors, video games, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best Buy. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
In an Alaska fishing community, the Dan Sullivan episode takes an ominous turn
In Petersburg, Alaska, nobody has seen Dan J. Sullivan for weeks. Sullivan's rustic home stood dark a day after FBI agents paid a visit to friends who donated to his campaign to unseat the Republican senator with the same first and last name.
Apple Taking New Approach to Developing iOS 28 and macOS 28
Apple has made a change to its development process for iOS 28, macOS 28, and corresponding software updates, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his Power On newsletter today, he said Apple separates development of each year's new operating systems into three major stages. Typically, he said each stage consists of four weeks of coding followed by a four-week "convergence" period where new features are integrated into the operating systems.
Merck Animal Health launches nonadjuvanted rabies vaccines for dogs and cats as human exposures rise
NOBIVAC NXT Rabies, available in 1-year and 3-year formulations, arrives weeks after the CDC warned of a nationwide increase in reported human rabies exposures.
Oura to acquire AI-native primary care startup Counsel Health for $625M
The deal comes a few weeks after Oura postponed its up to $2.2 billion IPO indefinitely, citing “uncertainty in the IPO market.”
Small business in St. Charles Parish tries to recover after tragic hit-and-run
See the moment a car crashed through the doors of a small business weeks away from grand opening
Colts’ Anthony Richardson Stuck in Limbo Before Trade Deadline
The Indianapolis Colts have a lot of business to take care of before Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline. There’s still an expectation that the likes of Josh Downs, Grover Stewart, Keenan Allen and maybe Jonathan Taylor will get traded. The Colts already traded Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner a couple of weeks ago. But none of […] The post Colts’ Anthony Richardson Stuck in Limbo Before Trade Deadline appeared first on HEAVY.
Apple says there are already over 100,000 apps built for iPhone Duo
Apple released the iPhone Duo two weeks ago, and the app story is quickly taking shape. In a new statement...
Juventus scrap for draw against Fiorentina before the break
Juventus’ quest to win back-to-back games for the first week since the opening two weeks of the 2026-27 season rolled on.
Beloved country music duo’s fans praying after heartbreaking news: ‘Things are not well’
It has been a rough couple of weeks for the duo.
Poised for breakout moment in Latin America, Pope Leo also faces test of health
Just weeks after his cancer surgery, Leo will navigate the tide of secularism, deep polarization — and high altitudes.
Feds find ‘insignificant’ impact from planned Amtrak facility near Rate Field
A 59-page report comes less than two weeks after the Federal Railroad Administration said it would examine previous studies about the project’s impact.
No clear winner in New Zealand election, as leaders prepare for weeks of talks
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, who will lead a caretaker government while negotiations take place, said: "I think everyone's over politics so let's all have a bit of a break for the next three weeks".
AI Teammates Launches Ongoing AI Implementation Program for Mid-Market Business Owners
Program builds a working AI system in the first 6 weeks, then continues as an ongoing operating partnership for owners of $1M to $20M businessesSilicon Valley, California--(Newsfile Corp. - November 4, 2026) - AI Teammates, founded by Alice Y. Chen, has launched the AI Architecture Method, a structured implementation program that builds and operates AI systems on behalf of business owners rather than training them to build their own.Image Credit: AI TeammatesTo view an enhanced version of this..
Explore the Grand Theft Auto VI Launch Gallery
Grand Theft Auto VI is now officially only two weeks away. Today, enjoy a stunning look at Vice City and beyond with a collection of new screenshots on the official site.
College football ratings are down; should networks be concerned?
A thoughtful college football viewership analysis by The Athletic’s Stewart Mandel, published Tuesday, has been circulating in sports media circles. The top-line figures don’t look great for the sport through the first eight weeks. Average viewership is down by 6% for games airing on ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, and ESPN. Last season, games on those…
Jury begins deliberating at Russell Brand's rape and sexual assault trial
Jurors have started deliberating in Russell Brand's trial on charges of rape and sexual assault. After three weeks of evidence, the judge at London’s Southwark Crown Court instructed the jury
Orchard’s First Fruit
Well, well, well - ask and ye shall receive. From a few weeks ago: I don’t see anything distinct for Orchard customers yet, so either they’re not live or not distinguished as easily as Garden Plot Eight days later, my wish was granted! Epic’s public FHIR endpoint directory added an organization called Enterprise Orchard Shared Services (Epic org ID 38769) managing an endpoint named “PA Health Center Technology Alliance,” along with 36 facilities under the same brand: The Alliance’s main office 18 Union Community Care sites 11 Delaware Valley Community Health sites Six Community Health and Dental Care sites Off to the races we go! As far as I can tell, no trade publication or Epic has covered this yet - the only public traces I see are a PACHC annual report plus a few patient FAQ pages. I’m not sure why - I think it deserves way more attention! We learn who’s actually buying (and it isn’t who Epic pitched at UGM) We get yet another entry in Epic’s playbook for reaching the low end of the market We get a census of who Epic is coming for next Grab a basket and let’s start picking. An Unexpected Harvest When Epic announced Orchard at UGM 2025, the pitch was a dedicated instance for practices of 80 to 180 providers while keeping the prewired third party applications that make Garden Plot appealing. But the first customer to surface is not that profile at all! Instead, we see something entirely different and arguably more valuable to Epic. The Alliance is a subsidiary of the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers (PACHC). As I wasn’t totally familiar myself, let’s add some quick background for readers who operate outside the safety net: Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) are community clinics funded under Section 330 of the Public Health Service Act t They serve patients regardless of ability to pay, which results in a payer mix heavy on Medicaid / the uninsured As you might expect, this often results in margins too thin to fund an enterprise EHR on their own (especially in the current very tough funding environment) Every state has a primary care association (PCA), funded in part by HRSA, that supports its FQHCs with advocacy and shared services PCAs have historically been trade associations, so this move is notable in that PACHC is morphing itself into something closer to a holding company. In October 2024, its board voted to form the Alliance to contract directly with Epic and run a statewide technology hub for health centers of any size. A second subsidiary, the Pennsylvania Community Care Collaborative (PC3), is a clinically integrated network of 28 health centers built for value-based contracting. CEO Shelley Riser runs both PACHC and the Alliance and calls the arrangement a “family of companies.” From the latest annual report: PACHC is the only Primary Care Association in the nation with a wholly owned subsidiary directly contracting with Epic. Why does this matter way more to Epic than a single 120-provider group ever could? One contract may only bring in three health centers and 35 sites on day one, but every other PACHC member sits in the pipeline. Moreover, the distributor is an organization those health centers already trust, funded to serve them and literally governed by a board of their own CEOs. And if that wasn’t enough, every state has one! Grafting onto the Safety Net
New Zealand in political limbo after knife-edge election
New Zealand voters face weeks of political limbo after a knife-edge election that has left country’s conservative coalition government at risk of losing its majority after just a single term in office.
Houston business owner gets water restored after seven weeks without service and nearly $2,000 bill
FMOL Health first in Louisiana to administer new immunotherapy for HPV-related respiratory disease
Treatment for recurrent respiratory papillomatosis is a series of four shots over 12 weeks
Confirmed: Devyne Rensch sidelined for 20 days
Bad news for Gian Piero Gasperini’s Roma, who will be without Devyne Rensch for the next three weeks. The Dutch full-back, forced off after just a few minutes of the Champions League match against M...
Beloved country music duo’s fans praying after heartbreaking news: ‘Things are not well’
It has been a rough couple of weeks for the duo.
Contract dispute between Arkansas Blue Cross, CHI St. Vincent hurts healthcare for patients
Heather Webb felt relieved. After months of experiencing debilitating pain and swelling in the weeks leading up to her periods, she'd finally figured out the cause. Her physician, Dr. Clint Henson, said there was a simple surgical fix: a partial hysterectomy.
New Zealand set for weeks of political wrangling after knife-edge poll
New Zealand faced the prospect Sunday of weeks of political wrangling after a knife-edge election that produced no clear winner but saw...
Eight Baltimore eighth graders are heading to Antarctica for a once-in-a-lifetime science expedition
The students will spend two weeks studying climate change, observing penguins and conducting scientific research during the all-expenses-paid trip. Most
Spain's first general strike in 14 years brings clashing social and political desires to the fore
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Millions of Spain’s workers are striking Wednesday to demand that the government remedy the nation’s housing crisis less than three weeks before a national election that could ...
ESPN’s Michael Wilbon Takes Indefinite Leave After Years of Health Warnings: ‘I Should Have Listened’
Tony Kornheiser spent weeks urging Michael Wilbon to take a break from Pardon the Interruption. On November 2, Wilbon took his longtime cohost’s advice. He ... Read More
The Last Disney+ Original?
(Welcome to my weekly streaming ratings report, the single best guide to what’s popular in streaming TV and what isn’t. I’m the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a former streaming executive who now analyzes business strategy in the entertainment industry. If you were forwarded this email, please subscribe to get these insights each week.) Before we get going, I wanted to remind readers about how I plan to keep your trust while I add advertising to this newsletter. As you’ve no doubt noticed, I’m running ads now, but the danger is that it could impact my analysis and writing. I have a list of sponsors on my About Page, so if you think I’m biased, you can check out who’s sponsored this newsletter! This is something that I’m not sure anyone else in digital media does (if you’re a writer or media outlet and you do this, let me know and I’ll shout you out!) but it’s something I’d love to see embraced by the entire industry. Sunlight, i.e. transparency, is often the best disinfectant. Okay, on to this week’s issue. We (finally) have another major Disney+ TV show to talk about, so that’s my main focus for today. Plus, we had a lot of new shows come out, including the fourth seasons of The Diplomat and Tulsa King! And Love is Blind! The Lowdown! Also, four (four!) straight-to-streaming films came out this week, featuring a lot of big names and celebrities, so I’m going to look at those. All that, mixed news for the WNBA, Reacher ends its run on the charts, Skydance does well in September viewership, NYU’s Sundance dominance, all the flops, bombs and misses, and a whole lot more. Let’s dive right in! (Reminder: The streaming ratings report focuses on the U.S. market and compiles data from Nielsen’s weekly top ten viewership ranks, Luminate’s Top Ten Data, JustWatch and Reelgood interest data, Samba TV household viewership, company datecdotes, Netflix hours viewed data, Google Trends, and IMDb to determine the most popular content. While most data points are current, Nielsen’s data covers the weeks of October 12th to October 18th, 2026. You can find a link to my terminology here.) Subscribe Television - Disney+’s Porridge Problem Listen, per my headline, VisionQuest isn’t the last Disney+ Original. At least, I’m pretty sure it’s not. They have other MCU shows in development. Well, maybe one: But it sure feels like the end of an era. I’d call it their “porridge too hot” era, to quote myself from The Ringer. I told Ben Lindbergh that Disney+ seemingly couldn’t figure out the right amount of content. In the heights of the Streaming Bubble Era (circa 2019 to 2022), they started releasing an insane amount of TV shows. After their growth slowed, they’re down to two or three shows a year, and that might be down to 1 by 2027. Here’s my TV shows by year chart: Even at the time, I thought Disney was making too many shows (that cost too much). Today? They’re definitely making too few shows (though the budgets are more in check, at least according to the reporting). Porridge too hot, porridge too cold; too many shows, now not enough. Which makes evaluating VisionQuest so interesting. This show didn’t have a great lead-in, whether it be a Marvel Cinematic Universe film (the last non-Sony-produced-Spider-Man flick came out The Fantastic Four from July of 2025) or Marvel Cinematic Universe TV show (the two this year were Wonder Man back in January and _Daredevil: Born Again_in May, both of which underwhelmed). And so far, VisionQuest hasn’t quite recaptured the MCU Originals glory, but it has some signs of sparks. First, it made Samba TV, though at a lowly ninth place. At least it made it, a feat some other Marvel shows didn’t accomplish. (Ironheart landed on the Samba TV charts one week at tenth place, but Wonder Man and Daredevil: Born Again both missed.) VisionQuest also made Luminate, though with only 3.0 and 7.6 million hours. But it missed Nielsen in its first week. The best news might be its 7.8 on IMDb, on 12K reviews so far, great numbers, even for a superhero show. Looking at those numbers, this show will really need to pick up in future weeks—and it may since it’s coming out weekly—or Disney will have another disappointment on its hands. Disney+ binge-released their last few shows to try to boost numbers, but that meant shows like Iron Heart and Wonder Man didn’t last long on the charts. _Daredevil: Born Again’s_last season missed entirely (though it came out weekly). Here’s the Disney+ Originals by totals: And for a fun new look, here are those same shows, rearranged by the years they came out: That really shows that, in addition to Disney+ releasing fewer shows, those shows just don’t hit like they once did. If I had to offer one main explanation, it’s that Marvel Studios moved away from characters who starred in the Avengersmovies (The Scarlett Witch, Vision, Hawkeye, Loki, Falcon, Winter Soldier) to characters who didn’t (Moon Knight, She-Hulk, Iron Heart, Wonder Man, Daredevil). It sounds trite, but more popular IP tends to do better than less popular IP. In Marvel’s case, beloved, decades-old characters trump newer ones. And yes, I think this is a problem for Disney. The failure of Marvel TV shows to linger for weeks on the charts, unlike in 2021 and 2022, explains why Disney’s share of the charts has plummeted: That’s a strategic issue. Yes, these shows are really expensive, but without them, Disney+ will struggle, especially if Disney+ keeps raising prices AND licenses out its shows non-exclusively. My recommendation? Return to the core value proposition, which is Disney+ as “genre HBO”. The goal is six shows a year, coming out weekly, spaced out throughout the year. When a show hits, keep it coming back. Make three to four of those shows Marvel or Star Wars, and fill out the rest with IP swings like Percy Jackson, Goosebumps or something like National Treasure. And make YA-skewing shows like Coven Academy to fill out the schedule. Disney, you can get this porridge just right, er, make the right number of shows. Quick Notes on TV Netflix’s sophomore, er, junior, er, senior season slump abated very, very slightly this week. I speak of The Diplomat, which returned for its fourth season on 15-Oct. Credit where credit is due, this show debuted in April of 2023, and has put out new seasons every year since. Has that helped the viewership? Not really. This season opened to 16.4 million hours, which is down significantly from the first season (21.7 million hours) and down somewhat from the second season (18.0 million hours), but it is up from last year’s 14.2 million hours opening. On Samba TV, it opened to third place; that’s also very good. On Luminate, it opened to 25.0 million hours, which is good, but over thirty million hours is a hit on that platform. Netflix wisely renewed it, since it’s steady and, frankly, Netflix needs hits.1 Paramount+ put out Tulsa King’s fourth season on a Friday. After putting out most of their big, usually-Taylor Sheridan-scripted shows out on Sundays last year, they’ve clearly moved to Fridays going forward. Was this a thought-out strategic change, Netflix mimicry, or a data-inspired move? Tough to say. Fridays are crowded with new movies, but so are Sundays with new shows. Anyways, this one is coming out weekly, and we haven’t seen it hit the Nielsen or Luminate charts yet. But it did make Samba TV at fifth place, which is a good opening. Still, if this doesn’t make Luminate or Nielsen next week, I’d call it a disappointment. Netflix had two unscripted shows hit the charts this week, one a docu-series and one a reality competition show. Tyson is a four-episode docu-series about one of boxing’s most popular fighters, and it made both the Samba TV and Luminate charts, but not Nielsen. That’s a solid run for only four episodes (assuming it didn’t cost an arm and a leg to produce). Netflix’s latest season of Love Is Blind also returned for its eleventh season, which opened to 10.0 million hours, down from previous seasons. It also had 11.0 million hours according to Luminate, roughly in line with the Nielsen numbers. Last issue, I analyzed the triple successes of Below, Carrie and Crystal Lake, noting that all three have done well. I mostly used Nielsen, but all three shows also made Samba TV (see above). Crystal Lake in particular did very well on Luminate, getting 35.0 million hours, top for Peacock among first seasons: The top “show” of the week would have been Thursday Night Football again, at 41.7 million hours. This is still above last year’s game, but it continues the season’s overall downward trend, which happens every year. (Though a big week is coming, based on the news stories I’ve seen.) As I said before, I’ll do a deeper dive on all the October games later this month, with comparisons to previous years. One company is quietly on a roll, when you consider the shows it makes and streams. I speak of Skydance—a point Variety made—noting that it produces Neagley and Reacher for Amazon, along with Paramount+’s Lioness, which means it produced three of the top four shows of September according to Nielsen. By the way, Neagley fell off the Nielsen charts after four weeks, which is a pinch short for how well it started, but it’s still a huge success. (Interestingly, it finished just 7.3 million hours ahead of the cancelled Ride or Die.) The point, though, which I’ve made before, is that Prime Video still has a problem with how many co-productions it buys, most notably _The Boys_from Sony and Reacher/Jack Ryan from Skydance. It’s not a critical flaw—everyone licenses shows—but Amazon still struggles to make its own hits. Reacher finally fell off the Nielsen charts, so here’s its final rank for season four: We’re just getting started with this issue, but the rest is for paid subscribers of the Entertainment Strategy Guy, so if you’d like to find out… ...An example of the algorithm NOT picking a film… …whether or not Netflix buys shows simply for the movie poster… ...if East of Eden is above the Obliterated Line... ...what four star-studded straight-to-streaming films didn’t chart... ...and a whole lot more... ...please subscribe! We can only keep doing this great work with your support. If you want an idea of just how much content you’d get in a full issue, check out this older issue.
Apple Releases New AirPods Firmware
Apple today released new firmware for the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, AirPods 4, AirPods 5, and AirPods Max 2. The firmware has a build number of 9B47, up from 9A348/9A350. Apple has been beta testing the new firmware for the last several weeks, but hasn't yet offered details on what's included in the software. Apple has an AirPods support document that it will update with information soon.
Packers’ Recently Released RB Gets Cowboys Workout 2 Weeks Later
The Green Bay Packers‘ recently released running backs has attracted interest from a classic NFC franchise.Rookie running back Damon Bankston, who was on Green Bay’s practice squad for portions of the 2026 season, worked out for the Dallas Cowboys on Tuesday, Nov. 3, just a couple weeks after leaving the Packers.NFL reporter Aaron Wilson reported […] The post Packers’ Recently Released RB Gets Cowboys Workout 2 Weeks Later appeared first on HEAVY.
Pope Leo in 'pretty good health' as he starts Latin America tour
Pope Leo travels to Uruguay just three weeks after having surgery for lung cancer.
The must-watch matches of the international break 📝
Time for international football!The second international break of the season is here, lasting two weeks this time.Check out the must-watch fixtures in this final international window of 2026!Thursday ...
Josh Jacobs to have surgery on finger
Packers RB Josh Jacobs could miss four weeks after suffering fractured finger in Week 9
Houston Texans vs. Los Angeles Chargers: Injury Report
The Houston Texans suffered a heartbreaking loss to the New York Giants two weeks ago. After having their bye week to regroup, they are now looking to turn their season around against the winless Los Angeles Chargers. Justin Herbert and the Chargers have struggled mightily throughout the season, making this a prime opportunity for Houston […]
Anderson’s music surging
Country music legend and Smithville, Tennessee resident, John David Anderson, has left an untold amount of music that will live on posthumously, despite his early, untimely death almost two weeks
Apple says over 100,000 apps are now optimized for the iPhone Duo
Thousands of titles are landing every day. The iPhone Duo started shipping about two weeks ago, and app support has been one of the early talking points....
LSU LB Whit Weeks doubtful for marquee Alabama clash
LSU could be without senior linebacker Whit Weeks when it hosts Alabama on Saturday, as he was listed as doubtful on the Southeastern Conference’s Wednesday availability report. The 21-year-old has missed the Tigers’ last four games after suffering a fractured right fibula during the team’s Sept. 26 win over Texas A&M. Weeks underwent surgery […] The post LSU LB Whit Weeks doubtful for marquee Alabama clash appeared first on ClutchPoints.
Sean 'Diddy' Combs' prison release date moved up following transfer
Weeks after Sean "Diddy" Combs was hospitalized for a head injury suffered while serving time in federal prison, his release date has moved up. The disgraced music and alcohol mogul
Pacers News: Indiana Finds Bright Spot Amidst Injury Woes
The Indiana Pacers' news cycle lately has consisted of injuries; however, following the contest against the Hawks, Indiana may have found a diamond in the rough. The Pacers' main story for the start of the season has been their injury-plagued roster, including Tyrese Haliburton, missing at least two weeks due to a hamstring strain. In …
Giants Out On Jonathan Taylor: New York Has Pulled Multi-Pick Offer To Colts
FOX NFL insider Jay Glazer appeared on FOX NFL Kickoff’s pre-game show and gave the latest update on trade deadline rumors. He revealed that the Giants have officially withdrawn the offer they made weeks ago for Taylor.
USA TODAY Sports National High School Esports Championship standings: Week 3
Gadsden and Bob Jones are tied atop the USA TODAY Sports High School Esports National Championship standings after three weeks of competition.
Peltola campaign sues Alaska election officials, seeking data about absentee ballots
The lawsuit comes in a closely watched contest for U.S. Senate that has grown increasingly contentious in recent weeks.
‘Stop playing games’: SEC reportedly considering luxury tax for schools that overspend on players
The SEC might be borrowing an idea from professional sports. The conference is reportedly considering a luxury tax on schools that spend more on their players than the revenue-sharing cap allows. A working group of SEC athletic directors, university presidents, and general counsels has been discussing the idea for the past few weeks. The league…
Whoa, I Missed It! Disney Starts Licensing the Household Silver, When IP Backfires, and More Big Content Moves
(Welcome to the “Most Important Story of the Week”, my bi-weekly strategy column analyzing the most important (but often not buzziest) news story of the last two weeks. I’m the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a former streaming executive who now analyzes business strategy in the entertainment industry. Please subscribe.) Over these last few months, the entertainment business story landscape revolved around Skydance (and their merger) and Netflix (and their leadership shakeup). I don’t even want to scan my archives to see how many times I wrote about just those two companies over the last six months or so, let alone how many times they demanded their own article. Oh, how I long for June, when I could avoid them and write about other mergers and acquisitions (Comcast and NBCUniversal; Fox buying Roku). Well, not really, but you know what I mean. That focus on just two companies meant I ignored a lot of fun and, more importantly, important stories. So, it’s also time for another “Whoa, I Missed It” article. These are stories I wish I had written about, but aren’t exactly current events anymore. And there are a lot of them! Fifteen stories in all, including a very important merger that I didn’t write about, my word of warning about the IP deluge, how “genre” TV is making a big comeback, Netflix’s latest smart acquisition (and a licensing divorce), Disney and HBO’s recent TV show buys (and what they say about reboots on TV), a big cable merger, Amazon’s new bundle, social media censorship, and a lot more. Subscribe Most Important Story of the Week - Buy, Sell or Hold the Latest Content Development and Licensing in 2026!!! Content is king. I’ve written that before, and I believe in it now more than ever. If I had to quantify it, and I have, I put it at about 50% of the fate of any given media company, be they streamer, network, bundler, studio or social platform. This is a hits-driven business, and, as I like to do about every so often, it’s time to check in on the latest content moves. These content shifts on their own aren’t usually enough to be the “most important story” of a week, but if you add them up, you can see the content landscape shifting. The stories also fell into two natural buckets: licensing deals and IP moves. Plus, I’ll offer my “buy, sell or hold” rating for whether I think the deal is smart for a given side. Let’s dive right in. Disney Starts Licensing the Household Silver Disney is starting to license their core brands to Netflix. Quietly, over the last couple of years, Disney had rented some 20th Century [Fox] shows and films to Netflix, but until now, the core brands had escaped that fate. Now? At least some Pixar films will make it to Disney (including Elio) and some Disney+ Originals (like Percy Jackson and the Olympians). Here’s my rating for each company: Disney: Sell. One is tempted to say Disney has started licensing the “crown jewels”, but I don’t think we see that yet. I’d call this the “family silver” instead, which isn’t quite as valuable. That said, Disney’s new CEO clearly is focused on shoring up the company’s profitability, and that means licensing deals, even at the expense of Disney+ exclusivity. This could also help bring eyeballs to Percy Jackson for the upcoming season, a similar benefit to “dual casting” this show, which I also think Disney should do. Still, in the long run, I’d protect the core brands more. Netflix: Buy. This is a smart move, assuming the price is right, and I’d bet it is. (Netflix’s content licensing teams are some of the best in the industry.) Of course, this is another data point that Netflix is moving away from making their own films and relying on licensing instead. That has downsides—they’ll always end up renting—but if you’re buying Disney content, that’s a good move. Prime Video Buys More Live Events Amazon’s Prime Video/MGM Studios keeps purchasing live events, including the Emmys (which I wrote about here) and some regional sporting rights. These bolster their NFL, NBA and Academy of Country Music Awards licensing deals. My theory here is that Prime Video knows that they can sell the advertising for more on live events than on their massive acquired/original inventory of shows and films. (As I’ve been showing with Reelgood’s data, they have a LOT more shows and films than other streamers.) Advertisers want live, engaged viewers, since they’re a lot more likely to be real. Prime Video: Hold. I like Amazon’s focus on live events, but it remains tough to evaluate this company, er, business unit, since we don’t know anything about their financials. Yes, Amazon’s CEO recently released a very carefully worded statement about Prime Video, claiming profitability, but we don’t know by how much by when. (It’s also not audited by third parties, so we have to take it with another grain of salt.) Plus, given that Amazon increased the price of the Emmys by about a third, they also likely overpaid. (Maybe that’s why they’re barely profitable, allegedly.) But also, I think they know they need to dominate live TV, and that’s a smart strategy! So I’m torn, but lean towards calling this a smart move. The Emmys: Definitely sell! I mentioned this in my “Streaming Bonus Content” article, but I really, really, really, really do NOT like this move for the Emmys. Chasing short term dollars over long term awareness is not a smart move. To reach the widest audience, the “dual-cast” format—meaning broadcast and streaming—just reaches more people. Skydance Takes Its Animation Back This is the story that made me want to write a “let’s catch up on content” column in the first place. Specifically, Skydance and Netflix have ended their animated film output deal. It’s not huge, since really, what film has Skydance Animation made that’s broken out? But strategically, it shows you how Skydance is positioning their company. Skydance Animation: Hold. Again, I still need to see Skydance Animation put out a hit or two before I can judge this as a smart move. The other worry for Skydance is they have a lot of overlapping animation houses now, and that’s going to end at some point. Still, if John Lasseter can regain his animation mojo—and his track record has been mixed at Skydance, ignoring his other issues—this could be a powerful point for Paramount. Netflix: Hold (put your films in theaters). Right now, with the Dan Lin upheaval and Peter Rice coming in, we don’t really know what Netflix’s plans for theaters versus straight-to-streaming films are. So I need to see what new films (if any) they buy/rent/produce to replace the Skydance flicks, but it will probably be a smarter investment of capital, since the straight-to-streaming films have just failed to break out, outside of one major example. Theaters: Buy! They do look like they’re gonna end up with more inventory based on the Skydance move, and now Netflix putting four to five films in theaters per year. For example, Netflix confirmed that KPop Demon Hunters 2 will come to theaters, and that’s going to be a smash. Disney+’s Reboot Future So those were the major licensing news stories, and now we get to the IP-related updates. Obviously, I’m generally pro-IP in content development. But that’s not some iron law; not all IP hits equally. Get ready for Entertainment Nuance Guy. And let’s start with a big worry. Scanning the news stories, Disney has three reboots on their lineup between ABC, Hulu and Disney+: Coach (on ABC), The X-Files and Glee. So are reboots as immune to failure as IP? We’re just getting started with this issue, but the rest is for paid subscribers of the Entertainment Strategy Guy, so if you’d like to find out about… Why I’m skeptical about some upcoming genre and IP plays… How Skydance’s merger closing unlocked Paramount and HBO… The focus on “genre” across the streamers and studios… Some big creators leave Netflix… Netflix’s horror TV show licensing play (and what they should have done instead)… A huge merger that I didn’t write about... Whether or not we’ll see a major film tax credit… Amazon’s new megabundle of streamers… And (somehow) more… ...please subscribe! We can only keep doing this great work with your support.
WHO at COP31: Health Day opens two weeks of activities to deliver on climate change and health
On Monday, 9 November, health takes centre stage as the thirty-first session of the Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) opens with a dedicated Health Day.
Early Apple Black Friday Deals on Apple Watch, MacBook Air, and More
Black Friday is now just a few weeks away, taking place on Friday, November 27 in 2026. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Data center developer abandons plans near Lansing amid public pushback
A data center developer backed by Lansing’s economic development agency is abandoning its plans to construct a $10 billion data center in Delhi Township after swift public pushback to the public announcement of the project two weeks ago.
UCF begins preparations for Kansas with uncertainty at quarterback
Once again, UCF faces a quarterback quandary. The Knights found themselves forced to make a quarterback change in their 41-9 loss to Baylor on Friday night after starter Keyone Jenkins went down with an ankle injury early in the third quarter. The senior had been dealing with the injury for several weeks, coach Scott Frost said after the game. Alonza Barnett III stepped off the bench to finish ...
‘Most Bizarre Health Situation,’ ‘Really Sad to See’ – NBA Fans React to Kristaps Porziņģis ‘Contemplating’ Retirement Amid Mysterious Health Struggles
Kristaps Porziņģis has not been at the Golden State Warriors’ facility since early October, and the question of whether he will suit up for them again has followed the team through the opening weeks of the season. On Wednesday, it also became a question about his paychecks.
A downtown Royal Oak parking garage has been razed. Now the city is asking developers what’s next.
Demolition on the garage started several weeks ago.
Bald eagle Shadow defends Kaydee and his nest from intruder
The potential mates were spotted in Big Bear Valley for the first time in two weeks.
Offseason open chat and discussion: November 4
Even though the season is over, there is a lot going on over the next few weeks to discuss.
Flu season began weeks earlier than usual, health officials say
Flu season began weeks earlier than usual across the U.S. health officials are urging people to get the vaccine as they monitor a new strain.
Apple Releases iOS 27.2.1 With Bug Fixes
Apple today released iOS 27.2.1, a minor update to the iOS 27 operating system. iOS 27.2.1 comes two weeks after the launch of iOS 27.2. iOS 27.2.1 includes addresses bugs and patches security vulnerabilities according to Apple's release notes for the update. You can download iOS 27.2.1 over the air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Apple has also released iOS 26.7.3 and iOS 18.7.12 updates for devices not running iOS 27.
Moana, The Invite and “What Customers Want”
(Welcome to my weekly streaming ratings report, the single best guide to what’s popular in streaming TV and what isn’t. I’m the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a former streaming executive who now analyzes business strategy in the entertainment industry. If you were forwarded this email, please subscribe to get these insights each week.) Before we get going, I wanted to acknowledge that two of the most important figures in sports media (at least to me and my team) are stepping back from two of the best sports shows of all time. First off, Ernie Johnson will no longer host possibly the greatest studio show in the history of all sports, Inside the NBA. (Charles Barkley has said in the past that he’s retiring when Ernie does, which would be even worse!) EJ is one of the greatest to ever do it, and the NBA won’t be the same without him. Next, Michael Wilbon is taking a leave of absence from PTI, my favorite sports news show. I’ve been listening to the podcast for this show since the 2010s, if not earlier, treating it as my daily sports page. Wilbon, along with his co-host Tony Kornheiser, is also one of the greatest to ever do it. The sports media landscape will be worse without these two in it! Wishing all the best to Wilbon and EJ. Okay, on to this week’s issue. We’ve got two big shows—the second season of Prime Video’s The Terminal List and the third season of Netflix’s _Nobody Wants This—_but both were bested by an acquired title landing on Netflix. All that, plus an Original film from Mexico makes the charts but a formerly huge foreign TV show does not, a notable creator’s latest standup special flops, Ted Lasso finishes as a top season four series of all time, big numbers for the NBA’s new season (finally), the top animated shows on linear and streaming, movie budgets, and all the flops, bombs and misses, and a whole lot more. But first, on the film side, I’m taking a look at Moana and A24’s buzzy film from last summer. Let’s dive right in! (Reminder: The streaming ratings report focuses on the U.S. market and compiles data from Nielsen’s weekly top ten viewership ranks, Luminate’s Top Ten Data, JustWatch and Reelgood interest data, Samba TV household viewership, company datecdotes, Netflix hours viewed data, Google Trends, and IMDb to determine the most popular content. While most data points are current, Nielsen’s data covers the weeks of October 19th to October 25th, 2026. You can find a link to my terminology here.) Subscribe Film - What Do Customers Want? If I could remove one phrase from entertainment journalism, it would be “what customers want”. It’s not that it’s not wrong per se, but I read a lot of articles that use that phrase, but then don’t provide evidence of what customers actually want.1 For example, look at the bar chart below. It shows customer interest as measured by how much customers actually spent at the American box office, comparing four films to four others. Which films would you say represent “interest” the most? The one on the left certainly seems bigger, right? So it seems like “customers” wanted to see those films more. So here’s that chart with names attached: That’s right, four very buzzy films—The Invite, You Can See Everything, Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma and Primetime—went up against four notable “flops” or underperformers—Moana, Disclosure Day, Minions and Monsters, and Supergirl—and the latter clearly had more interest. That doesn’t mean they’re more profitable2 or well-liked by critics, but if you’re asking what customers want to spend their money on, it’s those movies. I’d especially argue that You Can See Everything had about as much media coverage as a film can get—I saw/read about it constantly; whenever random NBA podcasts are talking about it, you know it’s everywhere—and yet Moana will likely best it. I bring this up, because this week features a showdown between a notable box office flop, Moana on Disney+, and a buzzy dramedy, The Invite on HBO Max. Moana was widely considered to be a flop, and it was a disappointment at the box office, only earning $126 million domestically (and $323 million globally). For the budget, that’s a big miss, down from Moana 2’s heights of $1 billion globally. But as I’ve written a few times this summer, we often confuse “this film is profitable” with “more customers want to watch this film”, which is not the same thing. But that’s the box office. Let’s look at the streaming numbers, starting with the Moana live-action reboot. Where, yes, Moana (2026) also disappointed. It made Nielsen, but under 10 million hours, which is low for kid-skewing Disney+ films: It did make Samba TV, but at tenth place for only one week: Those numbers stand in stark contrast to some of Moana’s previous superlatives on streaming. Moana (the original animated film) has made the Nielsen charts 130 times since 2021. Moana 2 opened to 33.3 million hours on Nielsen. Moana was the biggest film on streaming in 2023 and 2024, second in 2020 and 2021, and top six in 2022 and 2025. Moana 2 was second overall in 2025. To be clear, the Moana live-action reboot didn’t work, given how much it cost to make. It’s absolutely a disappointment. But more families paid to see it than people paid to see most of A24’s buzzy films this year, with one notable (horror film) exception. Okay, on to The Invite, A24’s buzzy summer release, which just came to HBO Max. Mainly, I’m curious: Who made money from this film? Or who lost money: the stars of The Invite or A24? No, seriously, read this Deadline article for the details. The Invite’s budget was allegedly “under $15 million” (so...$14 million?) then A24 bought it for “a sum north of $10 million”, which I saw elsewhere as over $12 million (so...$13 million?), but then it just made $26 million in the US. So basically, The Invite’s investors only made money after they sold foreign territories—it made $33 million overseas—but A24 might just make its money back in the US in the theatrical window, assuming it had $0 in marketing. I read one article analyzing this film’s marketing campaign which assumed no marketing spend, even though that article went on to detail how much marketing and PR and ads this film had. For what it’s worth, I saw a lot of marketing for it. A24 will likely just break even after factoring in other windows, but no matter what, this isn’t a hugely profitable juggernaut from Hollywood’s most-heralded film studio. (And, I’d note, most coverage of IP or superhero failures doesn’t account for profitability in future windows.) Really, I’m guessing that the stars—Olivia Wilde, Seth Rogen, Ed Norton and Penelope Cruz—had or kept their backend, hence why they did so much press for this film, which brings me to my actual takeaway, which I just mentioned two weeks ago about Backrooms: I don’t trust A24’s reported film budgets anymore. Either A24 is strategically releasing low numbers to get good press or they’ve really cracked the code on how to make movies at prices no one else can approach. But I’m skeptical about that last point. You don’t keep elite talent happy by keeping budgets in check—see: Dan Lin getting fired—and by all accounts, A24 keeps talent very happy. There’s another option: not paying big name actors their actual quotes upfront by giving away back end/profit participation. Offering backend is one great way to keep the reported budget lower than it actually is, but it makes the film less profitable for A24. (By the way, I’m still running down the numbers on Backrooms’ budget. If you know its actual budget—not the reported $10 million number—reach out to me on my contact page. I’ve heard rumblings I’m on to something, but would love something more concrete.) Okay, enough asking questions about A24’s business model. To the streaming ratings! The Invite came to HBO Max on 23-Oct, so we could look at the streaming numbers now… …and I don’t have any for you since it didn’t make any of the charts I track. And that’s pretty much the moral of the streaming story. Even though it disappointed on streaming, Moana wins this round, too. Quick Notes on Film The only other notable new straight-to-streaming film was S_urviving Hurricane Otis_, a Mexican Original on Netflix. It made Nielsen with 3.4 million hours and Luminate with 4.8 million hours. Overall, I’d call that very solid for a foreign-language title, but still far from a hit. Overall, the Luminate and Nielsen charts felt very light this week. Gladiator II also came to Netflix non-exclusively (it’s still streaming on Paramount+) and had 5.0 million hours according to Nielsen. That’s up from the 3.7 million hours it had when it premiered on Paramount+ a year and a half ago. Netflix’s Animals fell to 4.9 million hours according to Nielsen and fell off the Samba TV charts. Peacock/Universal’s Disclosure Day actually made it for a third week, but only at 2.8 million hours. Apple TV’s Sacrifice was down to 2.7 million from 3.2 million. Still, for an Apple TV film to make two weeks is solid (for them). Toy Story 5 made a fifth week on the charts. We’re just getting started with this issue, but the rest is for paid subscribers of the Entertainment Strategy Guy, so if you’d like to find out… ...how The Terminal List did after a four-year break... ...what acquired surprising title topped the charts… …where Ted Lasso finished in the all-time charts… ...big NBA opening week ratings... …a controversial new reality show that missed the charts... ...what very notable foreign TV show flopped... ...all the flops, bombs and misses... ...and a whole lot more... ...please subscribe! We can only keep doing this great work with your support. If you want an idea of just how much content you’d get in a full issue, check out this older issue.
New Zealand poised for weeks of political wrangling after knife-edge poll
New Zealand faced the prospect Sunday of weeks or even months of political wrangling after a knife-edge election that produced no clear winner.
Omada Health (OMDA) Stock May Be Fully Priced Following Raised Guidance
Omada Health has seen its stock lose ground in recent weeks, and that pullback now puts a spotlight on a simple question for investors who care about fundamentals: Is the current share price properly reflecting what the company is earning today and what those earnings may reasonably support over time? Over the past month the stock has fallen 27.5%, which puts fresh pressure on the case that its earnings can support the latest market price. Management recently highlighted record profitability...
Biden says cancer fight means he will scale back book promotion tour
The former president's memoir comes out Nov. 17, two weeks after the midterm elections.
Feature your local business in upcoming SiouxFalls.Business holiday promotion
Do you have a local business hoping to generate addition holiday-season activity?SiouxFalls.Business is offering a limited number of promotional pieces to highlight businesses in the final weeks of the year.
Panthers looking for ‘potential solutions’ on offensive line vs. Broncos
The Carolina Panthers are considering potential adjustments to their offensive line ahead of Sunday’s Week 9 matchup against the Denver Broncos . After struggling to keep quarterback Bryce Young protected in recent weeks, the coaching staff is assessing different options in an effort to put together a more dependable unit. ESPN senior NFL reporter […] The post Panthers looking for ‘potential solutions’ on offensive line vs. Broncos appeared first on ClutchPoints.
How This Busy Dad Got Leaner and Stronger in 11 Weeks Without Losing Much Weight
Strength coach Gareth Sapstead breaks down how he helped his client transform his physique
This year, everyone is going low: Political groups spend 3 times more on negative ads than positive
If you feel like you saw an inordinate amount of negative political ads on your phone or TV the past few weeks, you’re right: Of the $47 million that outside groups have spent on the general election as of Oct. 19, the vast majority has gone to ads attacking opposing candidates rather than touting preferred […]
Chicago’s gunshot detection pilot plan gets a sudden overhaul as aldermen erupt
Chicago officials are revamping a gunshot detection pilot just weeks after announcing it, frustrating aldermen as pressure mounts to replace ShotSpotter.
Chris Murphy's office issues health update after senator's stroke
The Connecticut Democrat will miss the next few weeks of Senate votes after experiencing a small brain bleed. His doctor expects a "full recovery."
Upcoming ‘Turkey Trot’ event causes concern for local business
Thanksgiving is just a few weeks away, and while many may be picking out their best running shoes while looking forward to the annual Turkey Trot.
Yaya Diaby expected to miss some time
Buccaneers LB Yaya Diaby on track to miss a few weeks because of sprained MCL
Voice changes may detect worsening heart failure weeks before other symptoms appear
A new AI-powered voice analysis system is much more accurate than the current standard of care, according to new data presented at AHA Scientific Sessions 2026. The technology was specifically built to be user-friendly, requiring patients to speak just a handful of sentences into their smartphone each day.
Maura Higgins Looks Back on ‘One of the Toughest’ Weeks on ‘DWTS’
Maura Higgins opened up about her “lowest” week on Dancing with the Stars. On Monday, Nov. 2, the Love Island alum shocked fans when she and her professional dance partner, Mark Mallas, scored last du...
Big match in Graz ahead
Final clash before international breakWe have a real blockbuster to conclude an intense few weeks this autumn! Before the upcoming international break, our Red Bulls will travel to face SK Sturm this ...
Barcelona coach Hansi Flick has unfinished business with Diego Simeone ahead of Atletico Madrid clash
The last few weeks have been terrible for Barcelona, starting with defeats to Real Madrid and PSG to the injury to star midfielder Rodri.But the Catalans will not let that hamper their form as they tr...
Apple Says More Than 100,000 Apps Optimized for iPhone Duo, Here's What's Still Missing
Apple today announced that more than 100,000 apps have been optimized for the iPhone Duo, released two weeks ago. We confirmed that this figure refers to apps built with the iOS 27.1 SDK or later, meaning these apps fill the full width of the iPhone Duo's inner and outer displays and have vertical controls in the status bar.
Trump administration promised farmers $15 billion in weeks before midterms
President Donald Trump’s administration has made $15 billion worth of promises to agriculture producers in the last few weeks before the midterm elections.
College Democrats and Republicans debate the state of politics before midterms
With the midterm elections just two weeks away, the WashU College Democrats and WashU College Republicans (WUCR) took to Tisch Commons to debate federal and local issues before a 50-person audience.
CBS Sports grades the Vikings' top pick Caleb Banks through 8 weeks
The Vikings' Caleb Banks was graded by CBS Sports ahead of Week 9.
Syracuse Football Injury Returns Change Season, Bowl Chase
Only a few weeks ago, Syracuse looked to be in major trouble. Yet another season under Fran Brown had sputtered. It felt like everyone in Central New York who could throw a spiral had played quarterback for the Orange already. But now, SU has stabilized. There’s a lot of things to give credit to, but […] The post Syracuse Football Injury Returns Change Season, Bowl Chase appeared first on HEAVY.
Xbox Made an Alligator-Shaped Series X, and You Can Win It Before GTA 6 Launches
GTA 6 is mere weeks away from launch, and to celebrate, Xbox is bringing the wildlife of Leonida to players’ living rooms with a one-of-a-kind console.
Home health aide gunned down inside East Harlem apartment was weeks away from retirement: relatives
Elsa Espina-Espinal’s body was found inside NYCHA’s Gaylord White Houses on 2nd Ave. near E. 105th St. Thursday night — less than five weeks before she planned to quite her job and move to Santo Domingo with her husband, her d…
It Sure Looks Like BioWare Had A Big N7 Day Blowout Planned Before It Was Shut Down
The Mass Effect studio was shuttered weeks before its annual celebration would have taken place
The 3 main reasons behind the Magic's slow start to 2026-27 season
Orlando has put itself in an early hole over the first two weeks of the regular season. What's gone wrong for Sean Sweeney's unit?
Harry Potter star reveals newborn son's devastating health battle
Bonnie Wright reveals her newborn son Aster has visited hospital six times in five weeks while receiving treatment for an undisclosed condition. See details
Lamar Jackson could return in 2026
Ravens QB Lamar Jackson set to miss multiple weeks due to injury but is optimistic about return
USA TODAY Sports Super 10 Georgia high school flag football rankings, Week 7
With just a few weeks left in the regular season, here are the top teams in the latest Georgia flag football rankings.
A Bizarre Relationship Between a Bull and Male Donkey Is Confusing Scientists
Researchers in Ethiopia documented an unusual sexual bond between a bull and male donkey, including 51 mountings over two weeks.
Packers Could Land 28-Start OL in Trade Deadline Deal
The Green Bay Packers offensive line has been the biggest thing holding the team back through the first eight weeks of the NFL season. With the Philadelphia Eagles often having their offensive line as a strength, trading for Eagles right guard Tyler Steen makes sense, according to Daniel Popper of The Athletic. Popper notes that […] The post Packers Could Land 28-Start OL in Trade Deadline Deal appeared first on HEAVY.