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By Crispian Balmer VATICAN CITY (Reuters) -Pope Leo told a group of leading Hollywood actors and filmmakers at an audience in the Vatican on Saturday that cinemas were struggling to survive and that more should be done to protect them and preserve the shared experience of watching movies. Screen stars Cate Blanchett, Monica Bellucci, Chris Pine and Oscar-winning director Spike Lee were among those at the gathering. Leo, the first U.S. pope, said cinema was a vital "workshop of hope" at a time of global uncertainty and digital overload. "Cinemas are experiencing a troubling decline, with many being removed from cities and neighbourhoods," he said. "More than a few people are saying that the art of cinema and the cinematic experience are in danger. I urge institutions not to give up, but to cooperate in affirming the social and cultural value of this activity." Box office revenues in many countries remain well below the levels recorded before the COVID-19 pandemic, with multiplexes in the United States and Canada just suffering their worst summer since 1981, excluding the COVID shutdown. POPE SAYS LOGIC OF ALGORITHMS MUST BE RESISTED Leo said cinema, which marks its 130th anniversary this year, had grown from a play of light and shadow into a form capable of revealing humanity's deepest questions. "Cinema is not just moving pictures; it sets hope in motion," he said, adding that entering a theatre was "like crossing a threshold" where the imagination widens and even pain can find new meaning. A culture shaped by constant digital stimuli risks reducing stories to what algorithms predict will succeed, he said. "The logic of algorithms tends to repeat what works, but art opens up what is possible," he said, urging filmmakers to defend "slowness, silence and difference" when they serve the story. The pope also encouraged artists to confront violence, war, poverty and loneliness with honesty, saying good cinema "does not exploit pain; it recognizes and explores it". He praised not only directors and actors but the vast array of behind-the-scenes workers whose craft makes movies possible, calling filmmaking "a collective endeavour in which no one is self-sufficient". At the end of his speech, the long list of invitees met the pope one-by-one, many offering him gifts, including Spike Lee, who gave him a New York Knicks basketball shirt emblazoned with "Pope Leo 14". Ahead of Saturday's meeting, the Vatican shared four of the pope's favourite films: Robert Wise’s family musical "The Sound of Music", Frank Capra's feel-good "It’s a Wonderful Life", Robert Redford's heart-wrenching "Ordinary People" and Roberto Benigni's sentimental World War Two drama "Life Is Beautiful". (Additional reporting by Angelo AmanteEditing by Gareth Jones)

(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 Crispian Balmer VATICAN CITY (Reuters) -Pope Leo told a group of leading Hollywood actors and filmmakers at an audience in the Vatican on Saturday that cinemas were struggling to survive and that more should be done to protect them and preserve the shared experience of watching movies. Screen stars Cate Blanchett, Monica Bellucci, Chris Pine and Oscar-winning director Spike Lee were among those at the gathering. Leo, the first U.S. pope, said cinema was a vital "workshop of hope" at a time of global uncertainty and digital overload. "Cinemas are experiencing a troubling decline, with many being removed from cities and neighbourhoods," he said. "More than a few people are saying that the art of cinema and the cinematic experience are in danger. I urge institutions not to give up, but to cooperate in affirming the social and cultural value of this activity." Box office revenues in many countries remain well below the levels recorded before the COVID-19 pandemic, with multiplexes in the United States and Canada just suffering their worst summer since 1981, excluding the COVID shutdown. POPE SAYS LOGIC OF ALGORITHMS MUST BE RESISTED Leo said cinema, which marks its 130th anniversary this year, had grown from a play of light and shadow into a form capable of revealing humanity's deepest questions. "Cinema is not just moving pictures; it sets hope in motion," he said, adding that entering a theatre was "like crossing a threshold" where the imagination widens and even pain can find new meaning. A culture shaped by constant digital stimuli risks reducing stories to what algorithms predict will succeed, he said. "The logic of algorithms tends to repeat what works, but art opens up what is possible," he said, urging filmmakers to defend "slowness, silence and difference" when they serve the story. The pope also encouraged artists to confront violence, war, poverty and loneliness with honesty, saying good cinema "does not exploit pain; it recognizes and explores it". He praised not only directors and actors but the vast array of behind-the-scenes workers whose craft makes movies possible, calling filmmaking "a collective endeavour in which no one is self-sufficient". At the end of his speech, the long list of invitees met the pope one-by-one, many offering him gifts, including Spike Lee, who gave him a New York Knicks basketball shirt emblazoned with "Pope Leo 14". Ahead of Saturday's meeting, the Vatican shared four of the pope's favourite films: Robert Wise’s family musical "The Sound of Music", Frank Capra's feel-good "It’s a Wonderful Life", Robert Redford's heart-wrenching "Ordinary People" and Roberto Benigni's sentimental World War Two drama "Life Is Beautiful". (Additional reporting by Angelo AmanteEditing by Gareth Jones)

(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 Crispian Balmer VATICAN CITY (Reuters) -Pope Leo told a group of leading Hollywood actors and filmmakers at an audience in the Vatican on Saturday that cinemas were struggling to survive and that more should be done to protect them and preserve the shared experience of watching movies. Screen stars Cate Blanchett, Monica Bellucci, Chris Pine and Oscar-winning director Spike Lee were among those at the gathering. Leo, the first U.S. pope, said cinema was a vital "workshop of hope" at a time of global uncertainty and digital overload. "Cinemas are experiencing a troubling decline, with many being removed from cities and neighbourhoods," he said. "More than a few people are saying that the art of cinema and the cinematic experience are in danger. I urge institutions not to give up, but to cooperate in affirming the social and cultural value of this activity." Box office revenues in many countries remain well below the levels recorded before the COVID-19 pandemic, with multiplexes in the United States and Canada just suffering their worst summer since 1981, excluding the COVID shutdown. POPE SAYS LOGIC OF ALGORITHMS MUST BE RESISTED Leo said cinema, which marks its 130th anniversary this year, had grown from a play of light and shadow into a form capable of revealing humanity's deepest questions. "Cinema is not just moving pictures; it sets hope in motion," he said, adding that entering a theatre was "like crossing a threshold" where the imagination widens and even pain can find new meaning. A culture shaped by constant digital stimuli risks reducing stories to what algorithms predict will succeed, he said. "The logic of algorithms tends to repeat what works, but art opens up what is possible," he said, urging filmmakers to defend "slowness, silence and difference" when they serve the story. The pope also encouraged artists to confront violence, war, poverty and loneliness with honesty, saying good cinema "does not exploit pain; it recognizes and explores it". He praised not only directors and actors but the vast array of behind-the-scenes workers whose craft makes movies possible, calling filmmaking "a collective endeavour in which no one is self-sufficient". At the end of his speech, the long list of invitees met the pope one-by-one, many offering him gifts, including Spike Lee, who gave him a New York Knicks basketball shirt emblazoned with "Pope Leo 14". Ahead of Saturday's meeting, the Vatican shared four of the pope's favourite films: Robert Wise’s family musical "The Sound of Music", Frank Capra's feel-good "It’s a Wonderful Life", Robert Redford's heart-wrenching "Ordinary People" and Roberto Benigni's sentimental World War Two drama "Life Is Beautiful". (Additional reporting by Angelo AmanteEditing by Gareth Jones)

(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 Crispian Balmer VATICAN CITY (Reuters) -Pope Leo told a group of leading Hollywood actors and filmmakers at an audience in the Vatican on Saturday that cinemas were struggling to survive and that more should be done to protect them and preserve the shared experience of watching movies. Screen stars Cate Blanchett, Monica Bellucci, Chris Pine and Oscar-winning director Spike Lee were among those at the gathering. Leo, the first U.S. pope, said cinema was a vital "workshop of hope" at a time of global uncertainty and digital overload. "Cinemas are experiencing a troubling decline, with many being removed from cities and neighbourhoods," he said. "More than a few people are saying that the art of cinema and the cinematic experience are in danger. I urge institutions not to give up, but to cooperate in affirming the social and cultural value of this activity." Box office revenues in many countries remain well below the levels recorded before the COVID-19 pandemic, with multiplexes in the United States and Canada just suffering their worst summer since 1981, excluding the COVID shutdown. POPE SAYS LOGIC OF ALGORITHMS MUST BE RESISTED Leo said cinema, which marks its 130th anniversary this year, had grown from a play of light and shadow into a form capable of revealing humanity's deepest questions. "Cinema is not just moving pictures; it sets hope in motion," he said, adding that entering a theatre was "like crossing a threshold" where the imagination widens and even pain can find new meaning. A culture shaped by constant digital stimuli risks reducing stories to what algorithms predict will succeed, he said. "The logic of algorithms tends to repeat what works, but art opens up what is possible," he said, urging filmmakers to defend "slowness, silence and difference" when they serve the story. The pope also encouraged artists to confront violence, war, poverty and loneliness with honesty, saying good cinema "does not exploit pain; it recognizes and explores it". He praised not only directors and actors but the vast array of behind-the-scenes workers whose craft makes movies possible, calling filmmaking "a collective endeavour in which no one is self-sufficient". At the end of his speech, the long list of invitees met the pope one-by-one, many offering him gifts, including Spike Lee, who gave him a New York Knicks basketball shirt emblazoned with "Pope Leo 14". Ahead of Saturday's meeting, the Vatican shared four of the pope's favourite films: Robert Wise’s family musical "The Sound of Music", Frank Capra's feel-good "It’s a Wonderful Life", Robert Redford's heart-wrenching "Ordinary People" and Roberto Benigni's sentimental World War Two drama "Life Is Beautiful". (Additional reporting by Angelo AmanteEditing by Gareth Jones)

(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 Harshita Mary Varghese and Dheeraj Kumar (Reuters) -Google's YouTube and Walt Disney said on Friday they had reached an agreement to restore Disney-owned networks to YouTube TV, after a fee dispute left millions of subscribers without access to U.S. Election Day programming and major live sports events. The full line-up of Disney channels including ABC, ESPN, FX and National Geographic will return to YouTube TV from Friday, the companies said in separate statements. Additionally, ESPN's full line-up of sports, including content from ESPN Unlimited, will be available to base-plan subscribers at no additional cost by the end of 2026, according to YouTube. The dispute, centered around carriage fees, or the per-subscriber rates distributors pay to carry broadcast and cable networks, had caused Disney's channels to go dark on October 30 on one of the largest pay-TV services in the U.S. Walt Disney did not immediately respond to a query about the financial terms of the deal. YouTube said it was not disclosing the deal's terms. CNBC reported last week that Disney sought rates comparable to those paid by major distributors, including around $10 a subscriber per month for ESPN. YouTube TV's rapid growth as a pay-TV platform, combined with Google's vast financial resources, gives it greater negotiating leverage with media companies and allows it to operate with less short-term financial pressure than traditional providers. The service has been locked in negotiations and carriage disputes with major media firms that were threatening to pull their networks from the platform.  Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger said on Thursday his company had proposed a deal "equal to or better than what other large distributors have already agreed to," referring to talks with YouTube TV over the dispute. Prospects of a prolonged fight over the distribution of Walt Disney's television networks had worried investors about the outlook for its already declining TV business. Walt Disney missed quarterly revenue expectations as its cable TV weakness overshadowed strong growth in the company's streaming and parks businesses. MISSING KEY EVENTS Sports programming was among the casualties of the dispute, with YouTube TV users unable to watch the November 3 "Monday Night Football" game between the Arizona Cardinals and Dallas Cowboys.     Disney asked YouTube TV to restore ABC for U.S. Election Day coverage on November 4, citing public interest, but the streaming service rejected the proposal, saying a one-day return would confuse customers.     YouTube said last month Disney used the "threat of a blackout" as a negotiating tactic to force deal terms that would raise prices for its customers.  Walt Disney said YouTube TV was "demanding preferential treatment with lower rates and rejecting terms accepted by other partners, including Disney's own services like Hulu + Live TV and Fubo." The affected Disney networks included FX, National Geographic, Nat Geo Wild, Disney Channel, and ABC News Live. YouTube TV had said it would offer its pay-TV subscribers a $20 credit if the Disney networks remained unavailable on the platform for an extended period of time. After a challenging negotiation period, YouTube TV struck a deal with Comcast-owned NBCUniversal to keep NBC shows such as "Sunday Night Football" and "America's Got Talent" on the platform. Earlier in the year, YouTube TV successfully concluded similarly difficult negotiations with Fox and Paramount, securing continued access to those networks despite initial disputes. (Reporting by Harshita Mary Varghese, Dheeraj Kumar and Harshita Meenaktshi in Bengaluru; Editing by Leslie Adler, Sriraj Kalluvila and Tom Hogue)

(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 Harshita Mary Varghese and Dheeraj Kumar (Reuters) -Google's YouTube and Walt Disney said on Friday they had reached an agreement to restore Disney-owned networks to YouTube TV, after a fee dispute left millions of subscribers without access to U.S. Election Day programming and major live sports events. The full line-up of Disney channels including ABC, ESPN, FX and National Geographic will return to YouTube TV from Friday, the companies said in separate statements. Additionally, ESPN's full line-up of sports, including content from ESPN Unlimited, will be available to base-plan subscribers at no additional cost by the end of 2026, according to YouTube. The dispute, centered around carriage fees, or the per-subscriber rates distributors pay to carry broadcast and cable networks, had caused Disney's channels to go dark on October 30 on one of the largest pay-TV services in the U.S. Walt Disney did not immediately respond to a query about the financial terms of the deal. YouTube said it was not disclosing the deal's terms. CNBC reported last week that Disney sought rates comparable to those paid by major distributors, including around $10 a subscriber per month for ESPN. YouTube TV's rapid growth as a pay-TV platform, combined with Google's vast financial resources, gives it greater negotiating leverage with media companies and allows it to operate with less short-term financial pressure than traditional providers. The service has been locked in negotiations and carriage disputes with major media firms that were threatening to pull their networks from the platform.  Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger said on Thursday his company had proposed a deal "equal to or better than what other large distributors have already agreed to," referring to talks with YouTube TV over the dispute. Prospects of a prolonged fight over the distribution of Walt Disney's television networks had worried investors about the outlook for its already declining TV business. Walt Disney missed quarterly revenue expectations as its cable TV weakness overshadowed strong growth in the company's streaming and parks businesses. MISSING KEY EVENTS Sports programming was among the casualties of the dispute, with YouTube TV users unable to watch the November 3 "Monday Night Football" game between the Arizona Cardinals and Dallas Cowboys.     Disney asked YouTube TV to restore ABC for U.S. Election Day coverage on November 4, citing public interest, but the streaming service rejected the proposal, saying a one-day return would confuse customers.     YouTube said last month Disney used the "threat of a blackout" as a negotiating tactic to force deal terms that would raise prices for its customers.  Walt Disney said YouTube TV was "demanding preferential treatment with lower rates and rejecting terms accepted by other partners, including Disney's own services like Hulu + Live TV and Fubo." The affected Disney networks included FX, National Geographic, Nat Geo Wild, Disney Channel, and ABC News Live. YouTube TV had said it would offer its pay-TV subscribers a $20 credit if the Disney networks remained unavailable on the platform for an extended period of time. After a challenging negotiation period, YouTube TV struck a deal with Comcast-owned NBCUniversal to keep NBC shows such as "Sunday Night Football" and "America's Got Talent" on the platform. Earlier in the year, YouTube TV successfully concluded similarly difficult negotiations with Fox and Paramount, securing continued access to those networks despite initial disputes. (Reporting by Harshita Mary Varghese, Dheeraj Kumar and Harshita Meenaktshi in Bengaluru; Editing by Leslie Adler, Sriraj Kalluvila and Tom Hogue)

(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 Harshita Mary Varghese and Dheeraj Kumar (Reuters) -Google's YouTube and Walt Disney said on Friday they had reached an agreement to restore Disney-owned networks to YouTube TV, after a fee dispute left millions of subscribers without access to U.S. Election Day programming and major live sports events. The full line-up of Disney channels including ABC, ESPN, FX and National Geographic will return to YouTube TV from Friday, the companies said in separate statements. Additionally, ESPN's full line-up of sports, including content from ESPN Unlimited, will be available to base-plan subscribers at no additional cost by the end of 2026, according to YouTube. The dispute, centered around carriage fees, or the per-subscriber rates distributors pay to carry broadcast and cable networks, had caused Disney's channels to go dark on October 30 on one of the largest pay-TV services in the U.S. Walt Disney did not immediately respond to a query about the financial terms of the deal. YouTube said it was not disclosing the deal's terms. CNBC reported last week that Disney sought rates comparable to those paid by major distributors, including around $10 a subscriber per month for ESPN. YouTube TV's rapid growth as a pay-TV platform, combined with Google's vast financial resources, gives it greater negotiating leverage with media companies and allows it to operate with less short-term financial pressure than traditional providers. The service has been locked in negotiations and carriage disputes with major media firms that were threatening to pull their networks from the platform.  Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger said on Thursday his company had proposed a deal "equal to or better than what other large distributors have already agreed to," referring to talks with YouTube TV over the dispute. Prospects of a prolonged fight over the distribution of Walt Disney's television networks had worried investors about the outlook for its already declining TV business. Walt Disney missed quarterly revenue expectations as its cable TV weakness overshadowed strong growth in the company's streaming and parks businesses. MISSING KEY EVENTS Sports programming was among the casualties of the dispute, with YouTube TV users unable to watch the November 3 "Monday Night Football" game between the Arizona Cardinals and Dallas Cowboys.     Disney asked YouTube TV to restore ABC for U.S. Election Day coverage on November 4, citing public interest, but the streaming service rejected the proposal, saying a one-day return would confuse customers.     YouTube said last month Disney used the "threat of a blackout" as a negotiating tactic to force deal terms that would raise prices for its customers.  Walt Disney said YouTube TV was "demanding preferential treatment with lower rates and rejecting terms accepted by other partners, including Disney's own services like Hulu + Live TV and Fubo." The affected Disney networks included FX, National Geographic, Nat Geo Wild, Disney Channel, and ABC News Live. YouTube TV had said it would offer its pay-TV subscribers a $20 credit if the Disney networks remained unavailable on the platform for an extended period of time. After a challenging negotiation period, YouTube TV struck a deal with Comcast-owned NBCUniversal to keep NBC shows such as "Sunday Night Football" and "America's Got Talent" on the platform. Earlier in the year, YouTube TV successfully concluded similarly difficult negotiations with Fox and Paramount, securing continued access to those networks despite initial disputes. (Reporting by Harshita Mary Varghese, Dheeraj Kumar and Harshita Meenaktshi in Bengaluru; Editing by Leslie Adler, Sriraj Kalluvila and Tom Hogue)

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

(Reuters) -Google's YouTube and Walt Disney said on Friday they had reached an agreement to restore Disney-owned networks, including ESPN and ABC, to YouTube TV, ending a standoff that had cut off millions of subscribers from key programming and major live sports events. Both companies said they have begun restoring channels for YouTube TV subscribers. The dispute, centered around carriage fees, or the per‑subscriber rates distributors pay to carry broadcast and cable networks, had caused Disney's channels to go dark on October 30 on one of the largest pay-TV services in the U.S. Financial terms of the new deal were not disclosed. (Reporting by Dheeraj Kumar in Bengaluru; Editing by Leslie Adler)

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

(Reuters) -Google's YouTube and Walt Disney said on Friday they had reached an agreement to restore Disney-owned networks, including ESPN and ABC, to YouTube TV, ending a standoff that had cut off millions of subscribers from key programming and major live sports events. Both companies said they have begun restoring channels for YouTube TV subscribers. The dispute, centered around carriage fees, or the per‑subscriber rates distributors pay to carry broadcast and cable networks, had caused Disney's channels to go dark on October 30 on one of the largest pay-TV services in the U.S. Financial terms of the new deal were not disclosed. (Reporting by Dheeraj Kumar in Bengaluru; Editing by Leslie Adler)

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

(Reuters) -YouTube said on Friday it had struck a deal with Walt Disney Co to restore its networks, including ESPN and ABC, on Google's YouTube TV after an impasse left millions of subscribers without access to programs and major live sports events. (Reporting by Dheeraj Kumar in Bengaluru; Editing by Leslie Adler)

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