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By Steve Gorman LOS ANGELES, Dec 14 (Reuters) – Actor-director and political activist Rob Reiner and his wife were found dead in their Los Angeles home on Sunday, and police detectives are investigating the circumstances as an apparent homicide, city officials said. While police declined to publicly identify the two people found deceased, Mayor Karen Bass and California Governor Gavin Newsom each released statements confirming that Reiner, 78, and his wife, Michele, 68, had died. "This is a devastating loss for our city and our country. Rob Reiner’s contributions reverberate throughout American culture and society, and he has improved countless lives through his creative work and advocacy fighting for social and economic justice," the mayor wrote. Los Angeles Police Department Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton on Sunday evening told reporters that LAPD patrol officers called to the home late Sunday afternoon discovered two bodies inside the residence. Detectives of the LAPD's robbery-homicide unit were waiting for a search warrant before entering the home to conduct a thorough search and investigation of the premises, Hamilton said. The LAPD issued a statement on social media earlier in the evening calling the case an investigation of an "apparent homicide," although Hamilton said police had not identified a suspect as of Sunday night. A cause of death will be made public by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office, Hamilton said. As an actor, Reiner was best remembered for his role on the TV comedy "All in the Family" as Mike "Meathead" Stivic, the son-in-law and liberal foil of the lead character, working-class bigot Archie Bunker, played by Carroll O'Connor. Reiner went on to have a prolific Hollywood career as a director, helming popular movies such as "The Princess Bride," "This is Spinal Tap," "When Harry Met Sally…", "Stand by Me," "A Few Good Men," "Misery" and "The American President." A sequel to the mockumentary "This is Spinal Tap" was released this year. His wife, Michele, was at one time a photographer who captured the image of Donald Trump that appears on the cover of his book "Trump: The Art of the Deal." Rob Reiner, a native of New York City and son of the late comedy writer and actor Carl Reiner, also was well known for his political activism. In the 2004 presidential election, he backed Democratic candidate John Kerry and featured in advertisements taking aim at incumbent President George W. Bush. Reiner also supported Democratic presidential hopefuls Al Gore and Hillary Clinton. Reiner was first married to Penny Marshall, who played Laverne in "Laverne & Shirley" and was also a producer and director. He later married actor Michele Singer, with whom he had three children. (Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles and Dietrich Knauth in New York; Editing by Sergio Non and Edwina Gibbs)

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By Steve Gorman LOS ANGELES, Dec 14 (Reuters) – Two people were found dead at the Los Angeles home of actor-director Rob Reiner, with law enforcement officials investigating the circumstances in an apparent homicide, the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement on Sunday. The LAPD gave no details about the identities of the two deceased individuals. But a Los Angeles Fire Department official told Reuters earlier that a 78-year-old man and a 68-year-old woman were found dead at a home in west Los Angeles at an address that public records linked to Reiner. Media outlets identified the deceased as Reiner and his wife. Reiner, 78, co-starred in the 1970s hit CBS television comedy "All in the Family" and directed several well-known movies, including "The Princess Bride," "This is Spinal Tap," "When Harry Met Sally," "Stand by Me" and "The American President." His wife, Michele, 68, was at one time a photographer who took the photo of Donald Trump that appears on the cover of his book "Trump: The Art of the Deal." Aside from his Hollywood career, Rob Reiner, a native of New York City and son of the late comedy writer and actor Carl Reiner, was well known for his political activism. He featured in advertisements taking aim at George W. Bush in the 2004 presidential election and supported then-Democratic candidate John Kerry. He also showed support for Democratic presidential hopefuls Al Gore and Hillary Clinton. Reiner was first married to Penny Marshall, who played Laverne in "Laverne & Shirley" and was also a producer and director. He later married actor Michele Singer, with whom he has three children. (Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles and Dietrich Knauth in New York; Editing by Sergio Non and Edwina Gibbs)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

By Steve Gorman LOS ANGELES, Dec 14 (Reuters) – Two people were found dead at the Los Angeles home of actor-director Rob Reiner, with law enforcement officials investigating the circumstances in an apparent homicide, the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement on Sunday. The LAPD gave no details about the identities of the two deceased individuals. But a Los Angeles Fire Department official told Reuters earlier that a 78-year-old man and a 68-year-old woman were found dead at a home in west Los Angeles at an address that public records linked to Reiner. Media outlets identified the deceased as Reiner and his wife. Reiner, 78, co-starred in the 1970s hit CBS television comedy "All in the Family" and directed several well-known movies, including "The Princess Bride," "This is Spinal Tap," "When Harry Met Sally," "Stand by Me" and "The American President." His wife, Michele, 68, was at one time a photographer who took the photo of Donald Trump that appears on the cover of his book "Trump: The Art of the Deal." Aside from his Hollywood career, Rob Reiner, a native of New York City and son of the late comedy writer and actor Carl Reiner, was well known for his political activism. He featured in advertisements taking aim at George W. Bush in the 2004 presidential election and supported then-Democratic candidate John Kerry. He also showed support for Democratic presidential hopefuls Al Gore and Hillary Clinton. Reiner was first married to Penny Marshall, who played Laverne in "Laverne & Shirley" and was also a producer and director. He later married actor Michele Singer, with whom he has three children. (Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles and Dietrich Knauth in New York; Editing by Sergio Non and Edwina Gibbs)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

By Mike Scarcella WASHINGTON, Dec 12 (Reuters) – A federal judge in California ruled on Friday that Live Nation and its subsidiary Ticketmaster must face a class action on behalf of millions of Americans for allegedly overcharging them for events at major concert venues across the country. U.S. District Judge George Wu in Los Angeles ruled that the plaintiffs met the criteria to expand their lawsuit into a class action seeking 15 years of alleged damages tied to the purchase of more than 400 million tickets. Live Nation had urged Wu to deny certifying the lawsuit as a class action. The company and attorneys for the plaintiffs did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The class covers consumers who bought tickets directly from Ticketmaster or a Live Nation affiliate for events at major venues since 2010. Beverly Hills, California-based Live Nation was accused in the 2022 lawsuit of monopolizing ticketing services, allowing the company to charge artificially high prices in violation of antitrust law. Live Nation and Ticketmaster have denied any wrongdoing. In their opposition to class certification, Live Nation and Ticketmaster told Wu that individualized issues involving tickets sold for 1,000 venues made it impossible to hold a single trial on the plaintiffs’ allegations. Live Nation said the venues, not Ticketmaster, set fees paid by fans, often on a show-by-show basis. The U.S. Supreme Court in October declined to hear a bid by Live Nation and Ticketmaster to move the lawsuit out of federal court and into private arbitration. Live Nation faces other antitrust lawsuits over its ticketing practices, including an antitrust action filed in federal court in Manhattan by the U.S. Justice Department and a group of states. The company has denied any wrongdoing in that case. (Reporting by Mike Scarcella; Editing by David Bario and Matthew Lewis)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

Dec 12 (Reuters) – Walt Disney Animation Studios' "Zootopia 2" is on track to surpass $1 billion at the global box office, the company said on Friday, as the sequel continues its strong run in international markets. The film, which revisits the bustling animal metropolis of "Zootopia," features returning characters Judy Hopps, a rabbit police officer voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin, and her fox partner Nick Wilde, voiced by Jason Bateman. The duo embarks on a new adventure that blends humor and social themes, echoing the formula that made the original a hit. "Zootopia 2" opened strongly over the U.S. Thanksgiving weekend, giving Hollywood a boost at the start of the critical holiday season. The film's runaway success has been fueled by an extraordinary reception in China, where "Zootopia 2" dominated the box office during its opening weekend, accounting for roughly 95% of all ticket sales nationwide. The original "Zootopia" also became China's most popular foreign animated film when it was released in 2016. The performance offers welcome relief for theater operators hoping for packed cinemas through Christmas, traditionally the second-busiest moviegoing period of the year. Global box office receipts have yet to return to the pre-pandemic levels seen in 2019. (Reporting by Kritika Lamba in Bengaluru; Editing by Alan Barona)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

By Jody Godoy NEW YORK, Dec 12 (Reuters) – Netflix says it must acquire Warner Bros Discovery to compete with YouTube, but antitrust experts doubt regulators will buy that argument.    The streaming giant’s $72 billion takeover of Warner Bros Discovery’s studios and HBO Max will face scrutiny from U.S. and global regulators, given its scale and the combined 428 million subscribers.    Netflix insists the deal is needed to challenge Alphabet’s YouTube, which media analysis firm Nielsen ranks as America’s most-watched TV distributor. But attorneys say the Justice Department is unlikely to see Netflix and YouTube as interchangeable rivals, given their different content, audiences and business models. “Netflix is trying to say it competes with YouTube because people only watch a certain amount of content a day,” said Abiel Garcia, antitrust partner at Kesselman Brantly Stockinger. “That argument ultimately fails.” Netflix spends billions of dollars on scripted original movies and series like "Stranger Things" and "KPop Demon Hunters". It frequently dominates Nielsen's ranking of most-streamed original series, accounting for eight of the top 10 originals in a recent ranking. Subscribers pay $7.99–$24.99 monthly, while ads remain a small but growing revenue stream.    YouTube, by contrast, thrives on user-generated content and advertising built on music videos, how-to tutorials and influencers. It commands more viewing time than Netflix or traditional TV, powered by creators like MrBeast, with more than 450 million subscribers, top recording artists and children’s hits like Cocomelon.  In October, YouTube held 12.9% of streaming viewership, compared with Netflix’s projected 9% share once combined with HBO Max post-merger. REGULATORS WILL KNOW THE DIFFERENCE The DOJ is not likely to view those videos as a substitute for Netflix shows and movies, experts said.  "Netflix is going to have a difficult time making arguments that YouTube is substitutable for the kind of content that's on HBO Max and Netflix," said Robin Crauthers, a partner at McCarter & English and former DOJ antitrust attorney. While companies often seek to defend their mergers by pointing to competition from a broad universe of established and emerging players, antitrust enforcers are experienced in finding the ways that mergers quash competition in distinct sub-markets. For example, the Federal Trade Commission convinced a court that Whole Foods Market's acquisition of rival Wild Oats Markets reduced competition among "premium natural and organic supermarkets," despite Whole Foods' argument that it competes with conventional grocery chains. The FTC also successfully challenged the merger between U.S. handbag and accessories maker Tapestry and rival Capri as decreasing competition in the "accessible luxury" market.  The judge who blocked the Tapestry deal relied on documents showing the companies themselves thought of accessible or affordable luxury as a valid category, contradicting their argument at trial that affordable luxury was not a well-defined part of the industry. NETFLIX FACES DOCUMENT SCRUTINY Because of recent reforms to the merger clearance process, Netflix will have to hand over more of its internal competition analyses sooner, said former FTC antitrust attorney Shaoul Sussman. "That will definitely give the government a leg up in the investigation," said Sussman, of the law firm Simonsen Sussman. If Netflix's documents do not cite YouTube as a major competitor, or if they focus on categories that exclude YouTube, such as paid subscriptions, that will undermine the company's argument, attorneys said. Netflix has also pitched the deal as bringing down prices for the vast majority of HBO Max subscribers, who are already Netflix customers, by allowing the company to bundle the two products, Reuters reported last week. But the DOJ is very skeptical of claims that mergers bring cost savings that will find their way back to consumers, Crauthers said, and will also consider whether the deal would allow Netflix to raise prices on subscribers who do not take both services. (Reporting by Jody Godoy in New York and Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles; Editing by Chris Sanders and Nia Williams)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

By Jody Godoy NEW YORK, Dec 12 (Reuters) – Netflix says it must acquire Warner Bros Discovery to compete with YouTube, but antitrust experts doubt regulators will buy that argument. The streaming giant’s $72 billion takeover of Warner Bros Discovery’s studios and HBO Max will face scrutiny from U.S. and global regulators, given its scale and the combined 428 million subscribers. Netflix insists the deal is needed to challenge Alphabet’s YouTube, which media analysis firm Nielsen ranks as America’s most-watched TV distributor. But attorneys say the Justice Department is unlikely to see Netflix and YouTube as interchangeable rivals, given their different content, audiences and business models. “Netflix is trying to say it competes with YouTube because people only watch a certain amount of content a day,” said Abiel Garcia, antitrust partner at Kesselman Brantly Stockinger. “That argument ultimately fails.” Netflix spends billions of dollars on scripted original movies and series like "Stranger Things" and "KPop Demon Hunters". It frequently dominates Nielsen's ranking of most-streamed original series, accounting for eight of the top 10 originals in a recent ranking. Subscribers pay $7.99–$24.99 monthly, while ads remain a small but growing revenue stream. YouTube, by contrast, thrives on user-generated content and advertising built on music videos, how-to tutorials and influencers. It commands more viewing time than Netflix or traditional TV, powered by creators like MrBeast, with more than 450 million subscribers, top recording artists and children’s hits like Cocomelon.  In October, YouTube held 12.9% of streaming viewership, compared with Netflix’s projected 9% share once combined with HBO Max post-merger. REGULATORS WILL KNOW THE DIFFERENCE The DOJ is not likely to view those videos as a substitute for Netflix shows and movies, experts said.  "Netflix is going to have a difficult time making arguments that YouTube is substitutable for the kind of content that's on HBO Max and Netflix," said Robin Crauthers, a partner at McCarter & English and former DOJ antitrust attorney. While companies often seek to defend their mergers by pointing to competition from a broad universe of established and emerging players, antitrust enforcers are experienced in finding the ways that mergers quash competition in distinct sub-markets. For example, the Federal Trade Commission convinced a court that Whole Foods Market's acquisition of rival Wild Oats Markets reduced competition among "premium natural and organic supermarkets," despite Whole Foods' argument that it competes with conventional grocery chains. The FTC also successfully challenged the merger between U.S. handbag and accessories maker Tapestry and rival Capri as decreasing competition in the "accessible luxury" market.  The judge who blocked the Tapestry deal relied on documents showing the companies themselves thought of accessible or affordable luxury as a valid category, contradicting their argument at trial that affordable luxury was not a well-defined part of the industry. NETFLIX FACES DOCUMENT SCRUTINY Because of recent reforms to the merger clearance process, Netflix will have to hand over more of its internal competition analyses sooner, said former FTC antitrust attorney Shaoul Sussman. "That will definitely give the government a leg up in the investigation," said Sussman, of the law firm Simonsen Sussman. If Netflix's documents do not cite YouTube as a major competitor, or if they focus on categories that exclude YouTube, such as paid subscriptions, that will undermine the company's argument, attorneys said. Netflix has also pitched the deal as bringing down prices for the vast majority of HBO Max subscribers, who are already Netflix customers, by allowing the company to bundle the two products, Reuters reported last week. But the DOJ is very skeptical of claims that mergers bring cost savings that will find their way back to consumers, Crauthers said, and will also consider whether the deal would allow Netflix to raise prices on subscribers who do not take both services. (Reporting by Jody Godoy in New York and Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles; Editing by Chris Sanders and Nia Williams)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

By Jody Godoy NEW YORK, Dec 12 (Reuters) – Netflix says it must acquire Warner Bros Discovery to compete with YouTube, but antitrust experts doubt regulators will buy that argument.    The streaming giant’s $72 billion takeover of Warner Bros Discovery’s studios and HBO Max will face scrutiny from U.S. and global regulators, given its scale and the combined 428 million subscribers.    Netflix insists the deal is needed to challenge Alphabet’s YouTube, which media analysis firm Nielsen ranks as America’s most-watched TV distributor. But attorneys say the Justice Department is unlikely to see Netflix and YouTube as interchangeable rivals, given their different content, audiences and business models. “Netflix is trying to say it competes with YouTube because people only watch a certain amount of content a day,” said Abiel Garcia, antitrust partner at Kesselman Brantly Stockinger. “That argument ultimately fails.” Netflix spends billions of dollars on scripted original movies and series like "Stranger Things" and "KPop Demon Hunters". It frequently dominates Nielsen's ranking of most-streamed original series, accounting for eight of the top 10 originals in a recent ranking. Subscribers pay $7.99–$24.99 monthly, while ads remain a small but growing revenue stream.    YouTube, by contrast, thrives on user-generated content and advertising built on music videos, how-to tutorials and influencers. It commands more viewing time than Netflix or traditional TV, powered by creators like MrBeast, with more than 450 million subscribers, top recording artists and children’s hits like Cocomelon.  In October, YouTube held 12.9% of streaming viewership, compared with Netflix’s projected 9% share once combined with HBO Max post-merger. REGULATORS WILL KNOW THE DIFFERENCE The DOJ is not likely to view those videos as a substitute for Netflix shows and movies, experts said.  "Netflix is going to have a difficult time making arguments that YouTube is substitutable for the kind of content that's on HBO Max and Netflix," said Robin Crauthers, a partner at McCarter & English and former DOJ antitrust attorney. While companies often seek to defend their mergers by pointing to competition from a broad universe of established and emerging players, antitrust enforcers are experienced in finding the ways that mergers quash competition in distinct sub-markets. For example, the Federal Trade Commission convinced a court that Whole Foods Market's acquisition of rival Wild Oats Markets reduced competition among "premium natural and organic supermarkets," despite Whole Foods' argument that it competes with conventional grocery chains. The FTC also successfully challenged the merger between U.S. handbag and accessories maker Tapestry and rival Capri as decreasing competition in the "accessible luxury" market.  The judge who blocked the Tapestry deal relied on documents showing the companies themselves thought of accessible or affordable luxury as a valid category, contradicting their argument at trial that affordable luxury was not a well-defined part of the industry. NETFLIX FACES DOCUMENT SCRUTINY Because of recent reforms to the merger clearance process, Netflix will have to hand over more of its internal competition analyses sooner, said former FTC antitrust attorney Shaoul Sussman. "That will definitely give the government a leg up in the investigation," said Sussman, of the law firm Simonsen Sussman. If Netflix's documents do not cite YouTube as a major competitor, or if they focus on categories that exclude YouTube, such as paid subscriptions, that will undermine the company's argument, attorneys said. Netflix has also pitched the deal as bringing down prices for the vast majority of HBO Max subscribers, who are already Netflix customers, by allowing the company to bundle the two products, Reuters reported last week. But the DOJ is very skeptical of claims that mergers bring cost savings that will find their way back to consumers, Crauthers said, and will also consider whether the deal would allow Netflix to raise prices on subscribers who do not take both services. (Reporting by Jody Godoy in New York and Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles; Editing by Chris Sanders and Nia Williams)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

BRUSSELS, Dec 12 (Reuters) – Universal Music said on Friday it has submitted a remedy to address competition concerns from the European Commission over the group's $775-million takeover of Downtown Music. "Following constructive conversations with the European Commission, we have submitted a robust remedy that comprehensively addresses the Commission's only remaining concern," the company said in a statement. "This deal is about offering independent music entrepreneurs access to world-class tools and support to help them succeed. We are confident that the Commission will recognize the benefits .. and clear the transaction swiftly." (Reporting by Yun Chee Foo, writing by Louise Breusch Rasmussen, editing by Bart Meijer)

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BRUSSELS, Dec 12 (Reuters) – Universal Music said on Friday it has submitted a remedy to address competition concerns from the European Commission over the group's $775-million takeover of Downtown Music. The Commission last month objected to the deal, saying it was concerned UMG could gain access to commercially sensitive data that is stored and processed by Downtown, which could limit competition from other labels. UMG said in a statement on Friday it had submitted the remedy following constructive conversations with the Commission. "We have submitted a robust remedy that comprehensively addresses the Commission's only remaining concern," it said in a statement. "This deal is about offering independent music entrepreneurs access to world-class tools and support to help them succeed. We are confident that the Commission will recognize the benefits .. and clear the transaction swiftly." Independent labels have criticised the acquisition and even called for it to be blocked. (Reporting by Yun Chee Foo, writing by Louise Breusch Rasmussen, editing by Bart Meijer)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)