MrBeast, Amazon sued for alleged ‘Beast Games’ reality show abuses
A class-action lawsuit has been filed against Amazon and YouTube star MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, by participants of the reality competition show “Beast Games,” citing severe mistreatment and unsafe working conditions. The lawsuit, lodged in Los Angeles Superior Court, involves allegations ranging from insufficient wages and unpaid overtime, to physical injuries and sexual harassment during the show’s production in Las Vegas.
“Beast Games,” designed for Amazon Prime, features contestants engaged in a series of challenges with a chance to win a $5 million prize, marketed as the largest in the history of television and streaming. The show draws on the format that has catapulted MrBeast to internet fame, involving high-stakes stunts and substantial rewards.
According to the lawsuit, the production allegedly failed to meet basic care standards for participants, some of whom were hospitalized due to the show’s extreme physical demands.
The complaint further alleges that the show’s environment perpetuated sexism and allowed sexual harassment to occur unchecked, particularly affecting female contestants. Specific details of these incidents remain under wraps due to confidentiality agreements.
The plaintiffs also claim they were deceived about their odds of winning the grand prize and were compelled to cover their own travel expenses without reimbursement. Moreover, the lawsuit accuses the defendants of providing false information to the State of Nevada to secure unearned tax benefits.
The lawsuit is seeking class-action status to represent all Beast Games contestants, demanding that Amazon and MrBeast’s company cover unpaid wages and other expenses. It also seeks unspecified punitive damages. As of the latest updates, representatives for MrBeast and Amazon have not responded to media inquiries for comments.
In sign of willingness to collaborate, Amazon makes AI changes to Alexa
Amazon’s Alexa is getting an upgrade as reported on Friday, Aug. 30, by Reuters. With the artificial intelligence race still in full swing, the latest move may be a signal that the online retailer is willing to collaborate more to win the competition.
The new Alexa will be released in October and will largely be powered by Anthropic’s Claude AI chatbot. The decision to go with a startup company’s AI technology instead of Amazon’s internal technology comes after in-house AI at Amazon reportedly experienced delayed responses.
The CEO of Anthropic, Dario Amodei, has spoken in the past about why a partnership with Amazon works for both companies.
“Anthropic is a company that focuses on producing AI,” Amodei said. “These other companies that are partnering with the cloud providers, provides something that’s complimentary to us in an economic sense.”
However, the new Alexa isn’t free like the current version, it will cost users $5 to $10 a month. The current Alexa can set alarms, play music and answer simple questions, but Amazon also wanted its users to shop through the device, which hasn’t worked so well in the past as the company failed to make a profit on the idea.
The new version dubbed “Remarkable Alexa” is hoping to change those fortunes, designed in part to inquire about purchases, like which clothes to buy for a vacation. Amazon envisions it as a home “automation hub,” remembering a person’s preferences and acting on them.
Examples include recording a user’s favorite shows or setting their alarms, even if they forget. The company said answers to questions will also evolve as the technology builds on prior conversations with the user.
Amazon invested $4 billion in Anthropic after the release of OpenAI’s ChatGPT left Big Tech companies scrambling for better AI software. Analysts predict 10% of around 100 million active Alexa users will opt for the paid version, which would bring in at least $600 million in annual sales.
The new Alexa is expected to be unveiled at Amazon’s annual devices and services event, which is typically held in September.
NBA wants to play on Team Amazon. Will TNT take fight to the court?
The battle over the National Basketball Association’s broadcast rights looks like it is headed to court. On Wednesday, July 24, the league rejected TNT’s bid to match Amazon Prime Video’s $1.8 billion offer.
It’s been quite a bit of back and forth over the last 10 days. On Tuesday, July 16, the NBA’s Board of Governors approved a massive 11-year, $76 billion deal for its media rights with Disney, Amazon and NBC.
Thefollowingday, the league provided the details of the deal to its longtime partner TNT Sports and its parent company Warner Bros. Discovery. According to the previous broadcast deal, Warner had five days to match one of the offers.
On Monday, the network did just that and challenged Amazon’s bid, which offered hope for fans who love TNT’s NBA coverage and its studio show “Inside the NBA.” But the league rejected the offer on Wednesday.
“Warner Bros. Discovery’s most recent proposal did not match the terms of Amazon Prime Video’s offer and, therefore, we have entered into a long-term arrangement with Amazon,” the NBA said in a statement.
It appears the sticking point is the league’s move into streaming.
“Throughout these negotiations, our primary objective has been to maximize the reach and accessibility of our games for our fans,” NBA’s statement said. “Our new arrangement with Amazon supports this goal by complementing the broadcast, cable and streaming packages that are already part of our new Disney and NBCUniversal arrangements. All three partners have also committed substantial resources to promote the league and enhance the fan experience.”
Back in June, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver was adamant that streaming would be an important part of the next deal. While details of the Warner match weren’t made public, it’s been speculated that it included games streamed on Max. TNT Sports and Warner believe they have met the requirements.
“We have matched the Amazon offer, as we have a contractual right to do, and do not believe the NBA can reject it,” TNT Sports said in a press release Wednesday. “We think they have grossly misinterpreted our contractual rights with respect to the 2025-2026 season and beyond, and we will take appropriate action.”
“The NBA was obviously advised by their high-powered lawyers that TNT did not match, perhaps due to a cable company having no ability to match a streaming service,” Andrew Brandt, a former professional sports executive and executive director of the Jeffery S. Moorad Center for the Study of Sports Law, told Straight Arrow News in an email. “As with everything, it comes down to the contract: did it address that TNT would have no ability to match a streaming service? Or did it not? In this case, it is not about the lawyers in the dispute; it is about the lawyers who drafted the ‘match.’”
Netanyahu to meet with Biden following his speech to Congress
A day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a speech to Congress and President Joe Biden gave a primetime address on exiting the 2024 race, the two are set to meet in Washington, D.C. on July 25. And more details on what you need to know about breaking, the newest sport at the Olympic games. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Thursday, July 25, 2024.
Netanyahu to meet with Biden following his speech to Congress
Biden is expected to press Netanyahu in getting a hostage and ceasefire deal solidified. U.S. officials said it’s a critical moment in negotiations over the deal — something Biden said will be a priority with the time he has left in office.
Israeli negotiators were expected to travel to Qatar Thursday, but Netanyahu ordered them not to, saying he wanted to wait until after he meets with Biden before Israel goes back to the negotiating table.
After meeting with Biden, Netanyahu is expected to meet with Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris. He’s set to meet with Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump on Friday, July 26.
In his address to Congress, Netanyahu thanked the U.S. for backing Israel’s war against Hamas with weapons support.
“The vast majority of Americans have not fallen for this Hamas propaganda,” Netanyahu said. “They continue to support Israel. And I want to say thank you America and thank you senators and House members who continue to support us, continue to support Israel, continue to support the truth and see through the lies.”
His speech was met with protests in and outside the Capitol building. Thousands of protesters gathered nearby, some burning an American flag and an effigy of Netanyahu.
Dozens of congressional Democrats also boycotted the address. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., held a sign reading “war criminal” while Netanyahu spoke on Wednesday, July 24.
President Biden addresses nation on decision to drop out of 2024 race
“The idea of America lies in voters’ hands,” Biden said about the 2024 election. “Nothing, nothing can come in the way of saving our democracy. That includes personal ambition. So, I’ve decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation. It’s the best way to unite our nation.”
For the remaining six months of his term, Biden said he plans to focus on the job of the presidency, including plans to continue lowering costs for families.
In his address, President Biden also reiterated his support for Vice President Kamala Harris to take his place at the top of the ticket.
“I made my choice,” Biden said. “I’ve made my views known. I’d like to thank our great vice president, Kamala Harris. She’s experienced. She’s tough. She’s capable. She’s been an incredible partner to me and a leader for our country.”
Harris is reportedly vetting around a dozen possible running mates, including governors, members of Congress, current cabinet secretaries and some people who don’t currently hold public office. Her pick is expected to be made public sometime before Aug. 7.
FBI: Gunman Googled JFK shooting a week before Trump assassination attempt
Alarming new information has surfaced about the assassination attempt on former President Trump. FBI Director Christopher Wray testified before Congress on Wednesday, July 24, and revealed that a week before opening fire, Thomas Crooks, the gunman, looked up the shooting distance in the killing of President John F. Kennedy on the internet.
Specifically, Wray said Thomas Crooks Googled, “How far away was Oswald from Kennedy?”
The FBI director said these words are significant in terms of the shooter’s state of mind. An FBI analysis of Crooks’ laptop found he did the search on the same day he registered for Trump’s rally.
Wray also told lawmakers about a shocking security lapse in the sky. He said the gunman scoped out the ally site with a drone — possibly even live-streaming — just two hours before the former president took the stage.
A CBS News analysis found Crooks fired eight bullets in less than six seconds before being shot and killed by a Secret Service sniper.
House lawmakers have voted to create a new congressional task force in hopes of answering more questions about the events leading up to Trump’s near assassination. The legislation to approve the investigation passed by a vote of 416-0.
NORAD intercepts Russian and Chinese bombers off Alaska coast
NORAD detected, tracked, and intercepted two Russian TU-95 and two PRC H-6 military aircraft operating in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) on July 24, 2024. NORAD fighter jets from the United States and Canada conducted the intercept.https://t.co/EKg3G30lmW
— North American Aerospace Defense Command (@NORADCommand) July 24, 2024
Officials said the bombers did not enter U.S. airspace but did get close enough that the U.S. and Canada sent fighter jets to intercept them. According to NORAD, the incident was “not seen as a threat.”
A U.S. defense official said this was the first time the two countries have been intercepted while operating together.
NBA signs 11-year deal with Disney, NBC and Amazon
The NBA has confirmed where viewers will be seeing its games next season. After rejecting a $1.8 billion offer to keep airing games with Warner Bros. Discovery, the NBA signed an 11-year agreement with Disney, NBC and Amazon.
The deal is reportedly worth an estimated $76 billion. However, the agreement is likely to bring a legal showdown between the NBA and Warner Bros. Discovery. The media company said it believes the NBA can’t reject its offer and said it will take “appropriate action.”
For anyone doubting breaking being a sport, USA Breakin’s Ricardo Fernandez Jr. told Straight Arrow News there’s no reason to question. Fernandez is credited with creating the blueprint for competitive breaking competitions and can talk about its rich history dating back to its origins in the Bronx in the 1970s.
“We were breaking to the break of the record, so now you see where the name comes from, the record has a break and that break is the percussion drum part that was longated by the DJ,” Fernandez said.
Fernandez said breaking comes down to discipline and athleticism.
Some of the most athletic people in the world are Breakers. And in 2024 breakin’ culture will make its official debut as a sport at the Summer Olympic games in Paris, France. pic.twitter.com/wzWZ2K7xlj
“You take the athleticism and you put two individuals or a group to compete against each other constantly, you are already creating the atmosphere for it to become marketable,” he said. “Breaking, you have to be athletic to achieve what you see now.”
Team USA will be represented by four athletes called breakers: Jeffrey “B-Boy Jeffro” Louis, who wrote a letter to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to get breaking to be part of the games just a few years ago; Logan Edra, who started breaking at age 7, was given the nickname “Logistix” by her father; Sunny Choi who picked up the sport while a freshman at the University of Pennsylvania; and Victor Montalvo, the first American to qualify, whose father and uncle were breaking pioneers.
Fernandez, known in the breaking world as B-boy Speedy Legs, has seen the sport evolve from his days of teaching it to kids in 1980s Miami to showing off his power moves in New York in the 1990s.
“I dedicated my life to breaking, in every aspect, in the art form, in the athleticism, in the competitiveness and also helped create the platform that would take it to the Olympics,” Fernandez said.
Fernandez started the B-Boy Masters Pro-Am, one of the first breaking competitions, as he tried to grow the sport and everything that comes with it. That includes the moves like top rock, the music from the DJ and the overall hip-hop culture that inspires the art form.
“I put together the first elements of how to judge it cause it was really hard to judge breaking because if I talked to some of the guys with whom I was down with in the beginning I know that they thought I was probably corny about implementing something like that,” Fernandez said.
Fernandez created a 5-element judging system, one he said is very similar to how the breakers will be judged at the Olympics. In Paris, breakers will be judged on musicality, vocabulary, originality, technique and execution.
Though Fernandez said some heated politics between organizations emerged during breaking’s path to the Olympics, he knows his sport’s place on the world’s biggest stage will help it grow even more.
“I believe when it gets exposure in the next two to three weeks, it’s going to be phenomenal,” Fernandez said. “I believe it’s going to create more opportunities not only for the first four athletes from the United States to make history, but also to create new outlets for the youth.”
Still in the game: TNT matches Amazon’s $1.8 billion NBA offer
Warner Bros. Discovery is trying to make a fourth-quarter comeback. The company announced it matched Amazon’s $1.8 billion-per-year bid to continue carrying NBA games on TNT after the 2024-2025 season.
On July 16, the NBA’s board of governors approved an 11-year, $76 billion TV deal that included Disney, NBC and Amazon. The deal begins with the 2025-2026 season and would mark the league’s push toward streaming options.
“[Streaming] allows for tremendous additional functionality while watching games,” Commissioner Adam Silver said in June ahead of game one of the NBA Finals between the Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics. “Personalization, customization of games, multiple feeds, multiple dialects, multiple languages, different camera angles; it really gives the fan enormous additional choice that you don’t have through traditional television.”
During negotiations, the price tag seemed to keep getting bigger with the expanded media landscape due to streaming and a limited number of available partners.
“It just shows how valuable prime real estate is in the sports world, and especially when you had two companies, Amazon Prime and NBC on the outside, wanting to get in,” former Fox Sports President Bob Thompson told Straight Arrow News in June when the $76 billion number was just a rumor. “And then you combine that with the fact that ESPN obviously wanted to maintain their position, maintain the finals for ABC [and] have enough content for their purported direct-to-consumer offering of ESPN.”
Stipulations from the previous media rights deal allows Warner Bros. and TNT Sports five days to submit a matching offer after being provided the details of the new contract. TNT Sports announced they did so on Monday, July 22.
“We have reviewed the offers and matched one of them,” TNT Sports said in a statement. “This will allow fans to keep enjoying our unparalleled coverage, including the best live game productions in the industry and our iconic studio shows and talent, while building on our proven 40-year commitment for many more years.”
The “iconic” studio show has been a major part of discussions around the future of NBA broadcasts. “Inside the NBA” has been a staple for basketball fans for years. Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neil, Kenny “the Jet” Smith and anchor Ernie Johnson became must-see TV.
Silver spoke about the importance of “Inside the NBA” and the possibility of TNT losing the NBA during that June press conference.
“It has been difficult,” Silver said. “That show, in particular, is special. And I have a close relationship with everyone who’s on that show from the time they played in the league, and Ernie [Johnson] and I have been friends forever.”
Questions about the show’s future prompted sports media to wonder whether another network would pick up the “Inside the NBA” crew. But Barkley made a surprise announcement following game four of the NBA Finals.
🚨 Charles Barkley: "I ain't going nowhere other than TNT. But, I have made the decision the myself- no matter what happens, next year is going to be my last year on television… I'm not going to another network… Next year, I'm going to just retire after 25 years." 🚨 pic.twitter.com/E966rKo7X4
“I’ve talked to all the other networks but I ain’t going nowhere other than TNT,” the Hall of Famer said during a post-game broadcast. “But I have made the decision myself, no matter what happens, next year is going to be my last year on television.”
Warner Bros.’ decision to challenge Amazon’s bid leaves NBC on solid ground, solidifying the return of NBA on NBC for the first time in more than 20 years. And the famous theme song could make a comeback as well.
President Biden to hold press conference as George Clooney, Sen. Welch call for a change
President Joe Biden is set to hold a press conference as George Clooney joins the calls for him to step aside. And the NBA scores big with its latest TV rights deal. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Thursday, July 11, 2024.
Biden to hold press conference as Clooney, Welch call for a change
President Joe Biden will hold his first solo press conference of the year Thursday, July 11. It’s also the first since his rocky performance in the June 27 presidential debate, as calls for him to step aside as the Democratic nominee continue to grow.
On Wednesday, July 10, it was Hollywood actor and longtime Democratic donor George Clooney calling for Biden to withdraw from the race. This happened just weeks after Clooney hosted a fundraiser for Biden’s campaign that brought in more than $30 million.
In an op-ed piece for The New York Times, Clooney wrote that the Biden he saw at the fundraiser was not the Biden of 2010 or 2020, saying, “He was the same man we all witnessed at the debate.”
“As Democrats, we collectively hold our breath or turn down the volume whenever we see the president, whom we respect, walk off Air Force One or walk back to a mic to answer an unscripted question,” Clooney wrote. “Is it fair to point these things out? It has to be. This is about age. Nothing more. But also, nothing that can be reversed. We are not going to win in November with this president.”
Clooney joined a chorus of Democrats who have recently spoken up for Biden to drop out, including nine House members. And on Wednesday, Peter Welch of Vermont became the first Democratic senator to join the call.
Welch wrote in an op-ed in The Washington Post that Biden should step down for “the good of the country.”
“We need him to put us first, as he has done before. I urge him to do it now,” Welch said.
On Thursday afternoon, Democratic senators will meet with senior advisers from the Biden campaign as they look to express their concerns following the debate. Then the president’s press conference — dubbed by Bloomberg News and cited by the White House as a “big boy press conference” — will take place at 5:30 p.m. ET as the three-day NATO summit winds down in Washington.
NATO calls China “decisive enabler” of Russia’s war in Ukraine
In recent months, the U.S. and European leaders have accused China of bolstering Russia’s defense sector with supplies critical to rebuilding the Russian military. Beijing has denied the accusations.
“China provides dual use equipment, microelectronics, a lot of other tools which are enabling Russia to build the missiles, to build the bombs, to build the aircrafts, to build the weapons they’re using to attack Ukraine,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday, July 11, the second day of the NATO summit in Washington, D.C. “And the fact that this is now clearly stated, agreed by all NATO allies, is an important message to China. And then, of course, we also then state that it cannot continue like this.”
The NATO nations also affirmed the importance of their Indo-Pacific partners, which are not members of the alliance, with leaders from Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and Australia joining the summit.
NATO and the Indo-Pacific partners said they plan to launch four joint projects including supporting Ukraine, bolstering cooperation on cyber defense, countering disinformation and working on artificial intelligence.
China is accusing NATO of overreaching and inciting confrontation in the Indo-Pacific region.
U.S. to resume shipping 500-pound bombs to Israel
The United States is resuming shipping 500-pound bombs to Israel after pausing the shipment of nearly 2,000 of them in mid-May. However, U.S. officials said they’ll continue to hold back on a delivery of much larger 2,000-pound bombs over concerns they could be used in densely populated areas of Gaza.
The U.S. is specifically concerned the large bombs would be used in Israel’s ground invasion of Rafah, where more than a million Palestinians have taken refuge since the war with Hamas began.
U.S. officials said the smaller 500-pound bombs had been put together in a shipment with the larger bombs, which is why they were delayed. They have since been separated and can now be sent to Israel.
AOC files impeachment articles against Supreme Court justices Thomas, Alito
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., has introduced articles of impeachment against conservative Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas. Ocasio-Cortez is accusing them of what she calls “unchecked corruption” for refusing to recuse themselves from certain cases, like the recent decision to grant former President Donald Trump immunity and improperly failing to disclose gifts from wealthy donors.
However, it’s unlikely the justices will be impeached. A majority vote of 218 is required for the House to adopt the articles. Currently in the House, Republicans hold 219 seats and Democrats hold 213.
Reports: NBA finalizes 11-year $76B deal with NBC, Amazon, Disney
TNT Sports, which has been airing the NBA since the 1980s, will have a five-day window to match one of the deals once the league shares the finished contracts.
The agreement, which breaks NBA records for length and value, would take effect for the 2025-2026 season.
‘Inside Out 2’ becomes Pixar’s highest-grossing movie of all time
There’s a whole lot of joy over at Pixar studios; its latest movie has made box office history. “Inside Out 2” is officially Pixar’s highest-grossing movie of all time.
So far, the film about a teenager’s emotions has earned $1.25 billion worldwide, passing “Incredibles 2,” which made $1.24 billion in its run. “Inside Out 2” now ranks as the fourth-highest grossing animated movie of all time.
The top spot currently belongs to Disney’s 2019 film “Frozen 2” which grossed $1.45 billion globally during its release.
Rumored $76B NBA TV deal is full of streaming options. Will prices go up?
NBA on NBC could be back after more than two decades. Following months of negotiations, the NBA is close to finalizing a $76 billion, 11-year deal for broadcast rights, according to an exclusive report from the Wall Street Journal.
Here’s how it shakes out, according to the Journal:
NBC would pay about $2.5 billion annually to show roughly 100 games per season. Half of those games would be Peacock exclusives.
Amazon would pay $1.8 billion per year to get in on the action with regular season and playoff games. It would also broadcast the NBA in-season tournament and playoff play-in games.
ABC and ESPN’s parent company Disney would pay $2.6 billion a year, nearly doubling the $1.5 billion it currently pays for ESPN’s portion of the rights. The new deal allows ESPN to have games on its new direct-to-consumer streaming service, which launches in 2025. ESPN would still maintain rights to the NBA Finals.
They’re going to have to grow into these rights fees and the prices. And that means the fees for these streaming services are going to continue to go up.
Bob Thompson, former Fox Sports president
But the most surprising element of the deal for former Fox Sports President Bob Thompson is what’s missing from it.
“For me, it would be the fact that it looks like Warner Bros. Discover may be out after roughly 40 years with the NBA,” Thompson said.
Current NBA partner TNT is noticeably absent from the proposed broadcast rights deal. Warner Bros. Discovery can still come to the table and outbid, but the company is facing more than $40 billion in long-term debt.
Below is an edited Q&A between Straight Arrow News’ Business Corespondent Simone Del Rosario and Thompson. Watch the interview in the video above.
Simone Del Rosario: Is there any chance for an 11th-hour deal with Warner Bros. Discovery?
Bob Thompson: My guess is Warner Bros. is probably waiting to see what the other deals look like. And I’m sure that the NBA is going to make sure those are all buttoned up from a legal standpoint before they give them to Warner Bros. Discovery, who has a right to match some form of a package.
The form of that package is the great unknown. It seems as though the Warner Bros. Discovery package from the past is being split up between Amazon and NBC, so do they have the right to match one, both, or none of them? That is the big question.
I’d be very surprised if the commissioner comes out and announces anything during the NBA playoffs. They just tend not to want to overshadow the games with business. So my guess is we’ve still got another week to 10 days before they even start talking about who’s getting what and finalizing the actual deal.
Simone Del Rosario: What about the sticker price for you? Did you expect $76 billion to be in line with what this kind of rights deal could command?
Bob Thompson: I didn’t think it was going to be quite that big. I thought maybe they get above $6 billion a year and it looks like it’s gonna be closer to $7 billion. It just shows how valuable prime real estate is in the sports world.
You had two companies, Amazon Prime and NBC, on the outside wanting to get in. And then you combine that with the fact that ESPN obviously wanted to maintain their position, maintain the finals for ABC, have enough content for their purported direct-to-consumer offering of ESPN, the main channel that’s coming up next year.
So all those things combined to raise that number to a really astounding number for the NBA, and congratulations to Adam Silver and Bill Koenig if they get it.
Simone Del Rosario: Over at NBC, there’s word of a divide over whether this is a good investment. Do you think that this is just the price to pay to boost streaming subscriptions?
Bob Thompson: I think that’s part of the price to pay. It also provides NBC with prime-time content. They don’t have to go out and develop entertainment programming, it just drops right in there. You get a certain cost. It’s not a hit-and-miss like you go through with the pilot season.
And on the streaming side, for Peacock, one thing that NBC has shown is that if you buy specific content – in their case, it was NFL games – it can be very helpful in driving subscriptions to Peacock that at this point seem to have stuck around, even though the NFL season ended several months ago.
Simone Del Rosario: Does this deal indicate that creative content that streamers are developing is not enough to get subscriptions and now we’re going to see this huge push into live sports?
Bob Thompson: Yeah, I can see that. I think that what they’re probably thinking is that so much of the entertainment aspect and scripted dramas, things like that, have already moved off network television over to the streamers. They probably feel they’ve captured that subset pretty well.
So the next great leap is, how do you get the people who are still in the original cable bundle to get over to the streaming side as well? In many cases, the reason they’re still in the cable bundle is because they want the sports.
One thing I can tell you, though, they’re going to have to grow into these rights fees and the prices, and that means the fees for these streaming services are going to continue to go up. It’s like your cable bill used to increase every year. Your streaming service bills are going to increase every year as well.
Simone Del Rosario: If you were in charge at NBC or Amazon and TNT is out for good, would you encourage those networks to make a play for the “Inside the NBA” crew?
Bob Thompson: Absolutely. I think that is really kind of a insignia show for the NBA. The talent is great. They have a great chemistry. I don’t know if you’re going to be able to get them all to come over, but certainly, Charles Barkley is the ringleader, so to speak, and I think he could probably convince some people to come along with him.
I believe it will be a sought-after product, or certainly sought-after individuals. I would probably give NBC the leg up because they’re going to end up having Sunday night NBA once the NFL Sunday night games are over. And I think it’s a very marquee position for the folks on that show.
Simone Del Rosario: What about the ripple effect this deal is going to have on other leagues? We know the NFL can pull the plug four years early on its broadcast contracts in 2029. Do you think the NFL is definitely going to do that and secure much higher prices?
Bob Thompson: It would not surprise me at all if they open the contract up in a few years. I think it gives them the advantage of jumping ahead of all the college rights deals that come up in the early 2030s. The CFP deal will be coming up again as well. So I think that it would behoove the NFL to get their hand in people’s pockets before others do.
The other thing you have to keep in mind is that, for other properties, Warner Bros. Discovery has a couple of billion dollars in their pocket that they may not be spending on the NBA. You kind of wonder what they might go shopping after. Maybe they go shopping after CBS if this whole Paramount deal comes down and the folks at Skydance and Redbird decide they don’t want to own the broadcast network.
MrBeast’s Amazon reality competition series to have largest single prize in TV history
Amazon Prime Video is set to launch a new reality competition series offering contestants the chance to win $5 million, believed to be the largest single prize in the history of television and streaming. The show, titled “Beast Games,” will be hosted and produced by Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, YouTube’s most popular creator.
Big news gamers I’m going to be filming the largest game show in history and releasing it on Prime Video! Over 1,000 contestants, $5,000,000 prize, and many other world records.. I’ll reveal more later this year but let’s just say, it’s gonna be an insane show 😀
“My goal is to make the greatest show possible and prove YouTubers and creators can succeed on other platforms,” MrBeast said in a statement. “Amazon gave me the creative control I need to try and make it happen. I hope to make the YouTube community proud.”
Donaldson boasts over 245 million subscribers to his YouTube channel and, according to Forbes, earns approximately $82 million annually.
“On YouTube, I have to make videos around titles and thumbnails,” Donaldson says in an interview on The Colin and Samir Show. “But on this show, I can do whatever I want. I can just make good content.”
“Beast Games” will feature one thousand contestants vying for the $5 million cash prize. While details of the challenges remain undisclosed, Amazon promises a “fast-paced and high production format” for the upcoming show.
Amazon subscriber sues over ads on Prime Video
More and more video streaming platforms are playing ads, and at least one person thinks that’s illegal. An Amazon subscriber from California is seeking a class action lawsuit for himself and other customers, accusing the tech giant of false advertising and deceptive practices after ads started to play by default on Prime Video.
Plaintiff, Wilbert Napoleon, filed the lawsuit for himself and other consumers who subscribed to Amazon Prime before Dec. 28, 2023. Napoleon is seeking a minimum of $5 million along with an injunction from a judge that would ban Amazon from continuing to play ads on Prime Video.
The lawsuit calls Amazon’s actions “immoral” and “unethical.” It said it’s unfair that Prime users must now pay an additional $2.99 monthly to stream shows without ads since they had been paying for an ad-free version before the recent change. The suit is seeking damages and an end to the practice.
“For years, people purchased and renewed their Amazon Prime subscriptions believing that they would include ad-free streaming,” the lawsuit said. “But last month, Amazon changed the deal. To stream movies and TV shows without ads, Amazon customers must now pay an additional $2.99 per month… This is not fair, because these subscribers already paid for the ad-free version; these subscribers should not have to pay an additional $2.99/month for something that they already paid for.”
Fulton County DA Fani Willis testifies in Trump election interference case: The Morning Rundown, Feb. 16, 2024
The district attorney leading Georgia’s election interference case against former President Donald Trump takes the stand. And Amazon is sued after a subscriber says the addition of ads to Prime Video is ‘immoral.’ These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Friday, Feb. 16, 2024.
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Lawyers for Trump and his 14 co-defendants are seeking to remove Willis from the case, as they argued that her romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade presented a conflict of interest. On the stand, Willis fired back at the lawyers’ claims.
“I object to you getting records,” Willis said. “You’ve been intrusive into people’s personal lives. You’re confused. Do you think I’m on trial? These people are on trial for trying to steal an election in 2020. I’m not on trial no matter how hard you try to put me on trial.”
A former friend and coworker of the district attorney testified Willis and Wade had been romantically linked before Willis hired Wade for the case, an allegation both parties deny. Though the relationship has since ended, attorneys for the defendants allege Willis personally profited from the case while the two were together, arguing that Wade had used his earnings to pay for trips for the two. Wade testified that Willis always paid him back.
Should Willis be disqualified and removed from the prosecution, a new attorney would be appointed who could either continue with the charges or drop the case. There are updates in other cases involving the former president; a judge in the hush money case has set a trial date for March 25. On Friday, Feb. 16, a verdict is expected in Trump’s New York civil fraud trial.
FBI informant charged with lying about Biden family’s ties to Burisma
According to the indictment, Alexander Smirnov lied to the FBI in 2020 when he said Burisma paid both Bidens $5 million. Prosecutors said Smirnov “expressed bias” against Joe Biden, who was running for president then. Smirnov’s claims have been central to House Republicans’ efforts to impeach the president over his family business dealings.
Congressman Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, called for an end to the impeachment inquiry. Meanwhile, Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., the Republican chair of the committee, said the inquiry will continue, claiming it’s based on “a large record of evidence.” Smirnov faces charges of making a false statement and falsification of records. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison.
New details released in Chiefs Super Bowl parade shooting
New details have been released about what led to panic following a shooting at the Super Bowl parade in Kansas City that left a woman dead and 22 others injured. Police report that about half of the injured victims are under the age of 16, with 11 children, the youngest just 6-years-old, taken to the hospital to be treated for injuries. Nine of them suffered gunshot wounds. Seven children have since been released from the hospital.
The identity of the woman who was killed in the shooting has also been confirmed. Lisa Lopez-Galvan, a mother of two and beloved radio host for the local KKFI station, died celebrating the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl victory with nearly a million other fans.
According to Kansas City police, the shooting was not terrorism or extremism; rather, it stemmed from a personal dispute between several people. Police initially detained three juveniles but released one they determined was not involved. Police said they are working with prosecutors to file charges against the other two juveniles who have been detained.
Amazon subscriber sues over ads playing on Prime Video
Details on what games and when they will be made available have not been disclosed. Revenue for Microsoft’s Xbox-related business grew by 61% in the fourth quarter, overtaking Windows in earnings, which is largely attributed to the $75 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard in October. Microsoft is now looking to generate even more revenue as its Xbox system ranks third in sales behind its rivals.
Iowa’s Caitlin Clark becomes all-time NCAA women’s basketball scorer
History was made in college sports last night as Iowa Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark became women’s college basketball’s all-time leading scorer. Clark only needed to score 8 points early in the game against Michigan to break the NCAA record.
Hitting a three-pointer to reach the milestone, Clark scored a career-best 49 points in the game in Iowa city, which put her at the top of the list with 3,569 career points. WNBA star Kelsey Plum, who previously held the college record, said she is “grateful to pass the baton” to Clark.