मनोरंजन

(Reuters) -Warner Bros. Discovery said on Tuesday it is raising prices across all Max subscription tiers in the United States, the second increase in less than 18 months, as streaming services seek to offset higher content costs and slower subscriber growth. HBO Max's ad-supported Basic plan will increase by $1 to $10.99 per month, while the Standard plan rises $1.50 to $18.49. The Premium tier, which includes higher video quality and more simultaneous streams, will jump $2 to $22.99. The new rates take effect immediately for new subscribers, with existing customers seeing the changes from November 20. HBO Max last raised prices in June 2024, when major streamers such as Disney+, Apple TV+, and Netflix all announced price increases in recent months. The streamer, long associated with prestige programming, streams hit shows such as "Succession," "Game of Thrones" and its spin‑offs, the Emmy‑winning "The Pitt" and DC comics-based "Peacemaker." Last month, at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia + Technology Conference, WBD CEO David Zaslav said he thinks that HBO Max is "under priced." "We're not trying to be everything to everybody. And the fact that this is quality, and that's true across our company, Motion Picture, TV production and streaming quality. We think that gives us a chance to raise price." The price hike comes as WBD considers an outright sale following unsolicited interest from other media companies, the company said, in what would be the latest shakeup across legacy media. (Reporting by Kritika Lamba in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid)

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(Reuters) -Netflix is teaming up with Mattel and Hasbro to turn its blockbuster animated film  "KPop Demon Hunters" into toys, deepening a consumer-goods push that could help diversify its revenue. Shares of the Mattel rose 3% following the announcement. The partnership, announced on Tuesday, will produce toys, collectibles, games and role-play products based on the film that follows a successful female K-pop trio who play massive concerts while trying to save the world from sinister forces. Since its June debut, the film has topped more than 325 million views, making it Netflix's most-watched original movie. Its soundtrack has received platinum certification and the breakout single "Golden" hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The movie has also sparked a steady stream of cosplay and dance challenges across social media platforms. By turning it into toys, Netflix is betting smaller, non-franchise films can scale into lucrative intellectual property. The company is already offering "KPop Demon Hunters" apparel, accessories and collectibles through its online shop. It also offers toys based on other hit franchises, such as "Stranger Things," and has heavily invested in mobile games and immersive experiences stemming from its original content, to boost fan loyalty and diversify its revenue away from subscriptions. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed. Mattel and Hasbro did not immediately respond to requests from Reuters seeking further details. Other media companies including Walt Disney have leaned on toys to turn breakout hits such as "Frozen" into massive franchises that bring a reliable stream of revenue. The companies said on Tuesday that Mattel — the maker of Barbie and Hot Wheels — will develop and market a global line of "KPop Demon Hunters" products starting in 2026, spanning dolls, action figures, accessories, collectibles and playsets. Hasbro's range will include special-feature plush, youth electronics and role-play items, with the first release being a "MONOPOLY Deal: KPop Demon Hunters" edition. The products would be available at retailers from spring 2026 through the holiday season and beyond, the companies said. Netflix and Mattel are scheduled to report results today after the bell. (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.)

(Reuters) -Netflix is teaming up with Mattel and Hasbro to turn its blockbuster animated film  "KPop Demon Hunters" into toys, deepening a consumer-goods push that could help diversify its revenue. The partnership, announced on Tuesday, will produce toys, collectibles, games and role-play products based on the film that follows a successful female K-pop trio who play massive concerts while trying to save the world from sinister forces. Since its June debut, the film has topped more than 325 million views, making it Netflix's most-watched original movie. Its soundtrack has received platinum certification and the breakout single "Golden" hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The movie has also sparked a steady stream of cosplay and dance challenges across social media platforms. By turning it into toys, Netflix is betting smaller, non-franchise films can scale into lucrative intellectual property. The company is already offering "KPop Demon Hunters" apparel, accessories and collectibles through its online shop. It also offers toys based on other hit franchises, such as "Stranger Things," and has heavily invested in mobile games and immersive experiences stemming from its original content, to boost fan loyalty and diversify its revenue away from subscriptions. Other media companies including Walt Disney have leaned on toys to turn breakout hits such as "Frozen" into massive franchises that bring a reliable stream of revenue. Financial details of Tuesday's deal were not disclosed. Mattel declined to share further details, while Hasbro did not immediately respond to a Reuters request. Shares of Mattel jumped 3% on the news. The company — the maker of Barbie and Hot Wheels — will develop and market a global line of "KPop Demon Hunters" products starting in 2026, spanning dolls, action figures, accessories, collectibles and playsets. Hasbro's range will include special-feature plush, youth electronics and role-play items, with the first release being a "MONOPOLY Deal: KPop Demon Hunters" edition. The products would be available at retailers from spring 2026 through the holiday season and beyond, the companies said. Netflix and Mattel are scheduled to report results today after the bell. (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 Harshita Mary Varghese and Jaspreet Singh (Reuters) -Warner Bros Discovery is considering an outright sale following unsolicited interest, the company said Tuesday, in what would be the latest shakeup across legacy media. Shares of the company rose 10% in morning trading. Comcast is likely to examine the media firm's assets, a source told Reuters on Tuesday. Netflix is also among the interested parties, CNBC reported, following earlier reports that Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison was also in talks to acquire the whole company. Warner Bros Discovery – home to CNN, HBO Max and the "Harry Potter" franchise – announced plans in June to split into studio-centric and cable-focused units by next year to separate its growing streaming business from its lagging cable network unit. The board will consider a range of options including its planned separation, a deal for the entire company, or separate transactions for its Warner Bros or Discovery Global businesses, the company said on Tuesday. It is also considering an alternative separation structure that would enable a merger of Warner Bros and a spin-off of Discovery Global. SALE COULD RESHAPE MEDIA LANDSCAPE A sale or a split would be one of the most consequential reshaping moments in the media industry, potentially prompting other legacy media houses to revisit their own structures. Streaming has fundamentally reshaped the media industry, leaving traditional broadcasters with mounting debt, higher content budgets and fragmented viewership. Any deal for Warner Bros Discovery would give the buyer control of a major studio and a leading streaming service, but also saddle it with the company's roughly $35 billion debt. Shares of WBD, which has a market valuation of $45.36 billion, have surged more than 46% since early September, when reports of Paramount's interest in the company surfaced. "Paramount is the most likely to purchase the company. For Netflix, a purchase would make more sense following the planned split because the studio would be very valuable to Netflix but the TV networks not as much," said Emarketer senior analyst Ross Benes. The company already rejected an initial bid from Paramount because the offer of around $20 per share was too low, Bloomberg News reported earlier this month.  Paramount declined to comment, while Netflix did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment. Reuters could not immediately verify the CNBC report. Comcast is in the process of spinning off its NBCUniversal cable channels, including USA Network and CNBC, into a new company called Versant later this year. "Potential WBD suitors, including Paramount, Comcast, Netflix, Amazon and Apple, could see value in moving sooner rather than later to acquire the entirety of WBD versus waiting to purchase just the streaming and studios assets," said Seth Shafer, principal analyst at S&P Global Market Intelligence Kagan. ELLISON FAMILY'S AMBITIONS Skydance's advances soon after snapping up Paramount speak to the Ellison family's voracious appetite to dominate the global media landscape amid a favorable regulatory regime in the United States.  Analysts believe David Ellison's deep pockets – backed by his father, Oracle co-founder and the world's second-richest person Larry Ellison – give him the firepower to take the risk. The elder Ellison's close ties with U.S. President Donald Trump may also smooth regulatory hurdles and avoid the scrutiny that would usually come with such a merger, analysts say. (Reporting by Harshita Mary Varghese and Jaspreet Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Leroy Leo)

(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) -Netflix is teaming up with Mattel and Hasbro to turn its blockbuster animated film  "KPop Demon Hunters" into toys, deepening a consumer-goods push that could help diversify its revenue. The partnership, announced on Tuesday, will produce toys, collectibles, games and role-play products based on the film that follows a successful female K-pop trio who play massive concerts while trying to save the world from sinister forces. Since its June debut, the film has topped more than 325 million views, making it Netflix's most-watched original movie. Its soundtrack has received platinum certification and the breakout single "Golden" hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The movie has also sparked a steady stream of cosplay and dance challenges across social media platforms. By turning it into toys, Netflix is betting smaller, non-franchise films can scale into lucrative intellectual property. The company is already offering "KPop Demon Hunters" apparel, accessories and collectibles through its online shop. It also offers toys based on other hit franchises, such as "Stranger Things," and has heavily invested in mobile games and immersive experiences stemming from its original content, to boost fan loyalty and diversify its revenue away from subscriptions. Other media companies including Walt Disney have leaned on toys to turn breakout hits such as "Frozen" into massive franchises that bring a reliable stream of revenue. The companies said on Tuesday that Mattel — the maker of Barbie and Hot Wheels — will develop and market a global line of "KPop Demon Hunters" products starting in 2026, spanning dolls, action figures, accessories, collectibles and playsets. Hasbro's range will include special-feature plush, youth electronics and role-play items, with the first release being a "MONOPOLY Deal: KPop Demon Hunters" edition. The products would be available at retailers from spring 2026 through the holiday season and beyond, the companies said. Netflix and Mattel are scheduled to report results today after the bell. (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 Harshita Mary Varghese and Jaspreet Singh (Reuters) -Warner Bros Discovery is considering an outright sale following unsolicited interest, the company said Tuesday, in what would be the latest shakeup across legacy media. Shares of the company rose 10% in morning trading. Comcast is likely to examine the media firm's assets, a source told Reuters on Tuesday. Netflix is also among the interested parties, CNBC reported, following earlier reports that Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison was also in talks to acquire the whole company. Warner Bros Discovery – home to CNN, HBO Max and the "Harry Potter" franchise – announced plans in June to split into studio-centric and cable-focused units by next year to separate its growing streaming business from its lagging cable network unit. The board will consider a range of options including its planned separation, a deal for the entire company, or separate transactions for its Warner Bros or Discovery Global businesses, the company said on Tuesday. It is also considering an alternative separation structure that would enable a merger of Warner Bros and a spin-off of Discovery Global. SALE COULD RESHAPE MEDIA LANDSCAPE A sale or a split would be one of the most consequential reshaping moments in the media industry, potentially prompting other legacy media houses to revisit their own structures. Streaming has fundamentally reshaped the media industry, leaving traditional broadcasters with mounting debt, higher content budgets and fragmented viewership. Any deal for Warner Bros Discovery would give the buyer control of a major studio and a leading streaming service, but also saddle it with the company's roughly $35 billion debt. Shares of WBD, which has a market valuation of $45.36 billion, have surged more than 46% since early September, when reports of Paramount's interest in the company surfaced. "Paramount is the most likely to purchase the company. For Netflix, a purchase would make more sense following the planned split because the studio would be very valuable to Netflix but the TV networks not as much," said Emarketer senior analyst Ross Benes. The company already rejected an initial bid from Paramount because the offer of around $20 per share was too low, Bloomberg News reported earlier this month.  Paramount declined to comment, while Netflix did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment. Reuters could not immediately verify the CNBC report. Comcast is in the process of spinning off its NBCUniversal cable channels, including USA Network and CNBC, into a new company called Versant later this year. "Potential WBD suitors, including Paramount, Comcast, Netflix, Amazon and Apple, could see value in moving sooner rather than later to acquire the entirety of WBD versus waiting to purchase just the streaming and studios assets," said Seth Shafer, principal analyst at S&P Global Market Intelligence Kagan. ELLISON FAMILY'S AMBITIONS Skydance's advances soon after snapping up Paramount speak to the Ellison family's voracious appetite to dominate the global media landscape amid a favorable regulatory regime in the United States.  Analysts believe David Ellison's deep pockets – backed by his father, Oracle co-founder and the world's second-richest person Larry Ellison – give him the firepower to take the risk. The elder Ellison's close ties with U.S. President Donald Trump may also smooth regulatory hurdles and avoid the scrutiny that would usually come with such a merger, analysts say. (Reporting by Harshita Mary Varghese and Jaspreet Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Leroy Leo)

(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 (Reuters) -Warner Bros Discovery is considering an outright sale following unsolicited interest, the company said Tuesday, in what would be the latest shakeup across legacy media. Shares of the company rose 9.4% in morning trading. Netflix and Comcast are among the interested parties, CNBC reported Tuesday, citing sources, following earlier reports that Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison was also in talks to acquire the combined company. Warner Bros Discovery – home to CNN, HBO Max and the "Harry Potter" franchise – announced plans in June to split its Warner Bros and Discovery Global units by next year to separate its growing streaming business from its slower-growing legacy cable network unit.  A sale or a split would be one of the most consequential reshaping moments in the media industry, potentially prompting other legacy media houses to revisit their own structures. Streaming has fundamentally reshaped the media industry, leaving traditional broadcasters with mounting debt, higher content budgets and fragmented viewership. "This latest development potentially opens up further discussions with interested parties. For Hollywood and other traditional media giants, all roads lead to consolidation," PP Foresight analyst Paolo Pescatore said. The company already rejected an initial bid from Paramount, Bloomberg News reported earlier this month, because the offer of around $20 per share was too low.  Reuters could not immediately verify the CNBC report. The company is also considering an alternative separation structure that would enable a merger of Warner Bros and a spin-off of Discovery Global. Skydance's advances soon after snapping up Paramount speak to the Ellison family's voracious appetite to dominate the global media landscape amid a favorable regulatory regime in the United States.  Analysts believe David Ellison's deep pockets – backed by his father, Oracle co-founder and the world's second-richest person Larry Ellison – give him the firepower to take the risk. The elder Ellison's close ties with U.S. President Donald Trump may also smooth regulatory hurdles and avoid the scrutiny that would usually come with such a merger, analysts say. The decline of legacy media, driven by linear TV cord-cutting, as well as the shift of audiences and advertisers to streaming platforms, has forced traditional media companies to rethink their business structures. (Reporting by Harshita Mary Varghese in Bengaluru; Editing by Leroy Leo)

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

LONDON (Reuters) -From John Lennon’s round-framed glasses to Noel Gallagher’s guitars, music history goes under the hammer this week in London. Propstore, an auction house specialising in entertainment memorabilia, is offering more than 550 lots in a two-day music auction taking place in London on Thursday and Friday. The sale is expected to raise more than 3 million pounds ($4.03 million). Among those are more than 150 Oasis items, led by Noel Gallagher's 1960 red Gibson ES-355 guitar, which he said his brother Liam smashed during an argument on the night the band broke up in 2009. The instrument, which has since been repaired and has an estimate of 250,000 – 500,000 pounds, was damaged at a Paris festival just before Oasis were due to perform in one of the brothers' well-publicised feuds. Hours later Noel quit the band. More than 16 years on, the brothers put the acrimony behind them in July when they kicked off a reunion tour. Other memorabilia includes Noel Gallagher's Takamine FP460SC acoustic guitar used to record "Wonderwall" and his handwritten lyrics for every song on Oasis' seven studio albums. "It’s the biggest Oasis collection of music memorabilia to ever come to market anywhere in the world. And that's over 1 million pounds," Propstore's music specialist Mark Hochman told Reuters, adding he expected "huge" demand for Oasis items at the sale. “Oasis has literally taken over; the fan base is huge…I think Oasis (memorabilia) is going to do very well."Other sale highlights include Lennon's tinted prescription glasses, worn in 1973-74 during his 18-month "lost weekend" period when he had a relationship with employee May Pang. The glasses have an estimate of 150,000 – 300,000 pounds. Also on offer are a white fedora Michael Jackson wore for his "Smooth Criminal" music video and Jimi Hendrix's handwritten lyrics for "Straight Ahead" among other memorabilia. “There's Oasis items which start at 200 pounds…we've got photographs from some of the leading rock photographers starting at 300 pounds," Hochman said. "I like to think there is something for everyone." ($1 = 0.7451 pounds) (Reporting by Marie-Louise Gumuchian, Editing by William Maclean)

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

LONDON (Reuters) -From John Lennon’s round-framed glasses to Noel Gallagher’s guitars, music history goes under the hammer this week in London. Propstore, an auction house specialising in entertainment memorabilia, is offering more than 550 lots in a two-day music auction taking place in London on Thursday and Friday. The sale is expected to raise more than 3 million pounds ($4.03 million). Among those are more than 150 Oasis items, led by Noel Gallagher's 1960 red Gibson ES-355 guitar, which he said his brother Liam smashed during an argument on the night the band broke up in 2009. The instrument, which has since been repaired and has an estimate of 250,000 – 500,000 pounds, was damaged at a Paris festival just before Oasis were due to perform in one of the brothers' well-publicised feuds. Hours later Noel quit the band. More than 16 years on, the brothers put the acrimony behind them in July when they kicked off a reunion tour. Other memorabilia includes Noel Gallagher's Takamine FP460SC acoustic guitar used to record "Wonderwall" and his handwritten lyrics for every song on Oasis' seven studio albums. "It’s the biggest Oasis collection of music memorabilia to ever come to market anywhere in the world. And that's over 1 million pounds," Propstore's music specialist Mark Hochman told Reuters, adding he expected "huge" demand for Oasis items at the sale. “Oasis has literally taken over; the fan base is huge…I think Oasis (memorabilia) is going to do very well."Other sale highlights include Lennon's tinted prescription glasses, worn in 1973-74 during his 18-month "lost weekend" period when he had a relationship with employee May Pang. The glasses have an estimate of 150,000 – 300,000 pounds. Also on offer are a white fedora Michael Jackson wore for his "Smooth Criminal" music video and Jimi Hendrix's handwritten lyrics for "Straight Ahead" among other memorabilia. “There's Oasis items which start at 200 pounds…we've got photographs from some of the leading rock photographers starting at 300 pounds," Hochman said. "I like to think there is something for everyone." ($1 = 0.7451 pounds) (Reporting by Marie-Louise Gumuchian, Editing by William Maclean)

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WARSAW (Reuters) -American pianist Eric Lu won the top prize at the prestigious International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw on Tuesday. The decision came after hours of deliberations by a 17-person international jury, chaired by American pianist Garrick Ohlsson. The winner of the 19th edition of the competition receives a 60,000 euro ($69,972) prize and a gold medal funded by the President of Poland. "I'm so grateful for this honour. I'm grateful for all the Chopin lovers around the world who watched online and all the audience here in Warsaw. I'm grateful for the jury to bestow me this honour. This is a dream come true," a visibly overwhelmed Lu told reporters in the early hours of Tuesday. In the final, he performed Chopin's Polonaise-Fantasy in A-flat major, Op. 61, and Piano Concerto in F minor, Op. 21. "We worked very hard, and we had a number of very difficult discussions involving our opinions about artistic matters," jury chair Ohlsson said ahead of announcing the winner. "I think we have a fine decision for this year's competition." Lu, 27, is a graduate of the Curtis Institute. He won the Leeds International Piano Competition in 2018 and has performed with the Boston, London and Chicago symphony orchestras, among others. He has released two albums on the Warner Classics label, recording works by Schubert, Chopin, Schumann and Brahms, according to the Chopin Competition's website. The second prize went to Canada's Kevin Chen, while China's Zitong Wang came in third. This year's competition included 84 participants, all born between 1995 and 2009. The majority hailed from China, Poland, and Japan. Eleven contestants reached the finals. The nearly 100-year-old event was inspired by the Olympic Games. Named after the famed Polish composer Frederic Chopin, it is held every five years in Warsaw around October 17, the anniversary of Chopin's death. ($1 = 0.8575 euros) (Reporting by Barbara Erling, Chris Thomas; Editing by Patricia Reaney and Sonali Paul)

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