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By Luc Cohen NEW YORK (Reuters) -A U.S. judge rejected on Tuesday a bid by Sean "Diddy" Combs to overturn his criminal conviction on felony prostitution-related charges, with the hip-hop mogul facing up to 20 years in prison at his sentencing.  The decision was issued by U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian in Manhattan. Jurors found Combs, 55, guilty in July on prostitution charges following a two-month trial but acquitted him of more serious counts of sex trafficking and racketeering. Combs was accused of paying male escorts to travel across state lines to have sex with his girlfriends, while he recorded video of their activity and masturbated. He had pleaded not guilty to all charges, which could have landed him in prison for life. Combs is due to be sentenced on October 3. Defense lawyers had urged Subramanian in a July 30 court filing to set aside the verdict because Combs did not himself have sex with the prostitutes or his girlfriends during the days-long, drug-fueled sex marathons sometimes known as "Freak Offs." They also argued that Combs was recording video of the encounters as "amateur pornography," which they called protected speech under the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment. Prosecutors with the Manhattan U.S. Attorney's office said in an August 20 filing that Combs did not need to have personally taken part in the sex acts to be convicted because he helped arrange for the male escorts to travel. The prosecutors said he used the video as blackmail by threatening to release them if his girlfriends stopped taking part in the encounters.  TRIAL CENTERED ON FREAK OFFS  Combs, the founder of Bad Boy Records, is credited with elevating hip-hop in American culture. He was arrested on sex trafficking charges on September 16, 2024, and has since been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.     During his trial, prosecutors said he coerced two former girlfriends – rhythm and blues singer Casandra Ventura, known as Cassie, and a woman known by the pseudonym Jane – into the sexual performances. Both women testified that Combs physically attacked them and threatened to cut off financial support if they refused to participate in the sex performances. Lawyers for Combs acknowledged that the physical attacks occurred, but argued there was no direct link between what they called domestic violence and the women's participation in the sex performances. They also said the two women consented to the encounters because they loved Combs and wanted to make him happy. (Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by Will Dunham)

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By Dawn Chmielewski (Reuters) -Broadway actors are preparing to walk off the stage in a strike that would shut down 32 stage productions as theater attendance approaches its peak season, according to their union. Actors' Equity, a union that represents 900 current Broadway performers and stage managers, said it has yet to reach agreement on a new labor contract with the Broadway League, the trade association that represents theater owners, producers and operators. Negotiations continue, though the three-year contract ended on September 28. A central issue in bargaining is healthcare and the contribution the Broadway League makes to the union's health care fund. Al Vincent Jr, executive director and lead negotiator for Actors' Equity, said the union is asking Broadway's employers to increase their contribution to the health care fund, which is projected to fall into a deficit by next May.  The rate of contributions has been unchanged for more than a decade, even as smaller regional theaters in Kansas and Idaho oftentimes pay more, Vincent said.  "Asking our employers to care for our bodies, and to pay their fair share toward our health insurance is not only reasonable and necessary, it’s an investment they should want to make toward the long-term success of their businesses," Actors' Equity President Brooke Shields said in a statement to Reuters, adding that she tore her meniscus on a Broadway show and continued dancing on it, "painfully," for three months. "That’s just math. There are no Broadway shows without healthy Broadway actors and stage managers. And there are no healthy actors and stage managers without safe workplaces and stable health insurance.” The Broadway League issued a statement saying it continues to work toward an agreement.  “We all want to sustain the magic of Broadway for our audience," the Broadway League said in its statement to Reuters. "We are continuing good-faith negotiations with Actors Equity to reach a fair agreement that works for Broadway shows, casts, crews and the millions of people from around the world who come to experience Broadway.” Other sectors of the entertainment industry have been roiled by labor unrest, with Hollywood actors and writers striking in 2023, as they fought for better compensation in the streaming TV era and curbs on the use of artificial intelligence. Video game actors staged a nearly year-long walkout as they sought protections against the use of artificial intelligence.     Stage actors have already authorized the bargaining committee to call a strike. On Friday, the union began delivering "strike pledge cards" to the stage door, asking performers and stage managers to commit to a walkout.   Kaylin Seckel, an ensemble cast member of Disney's "The Lion King" and understudy to Nala and Sarabi, said she ruptured her Achilles tendon during a 2022 performance and had to be carried off-stage by her scene partner. She underwent surgery to repair the injury, and lengthy physical therapy to help her return to the stage.  Although workers' compensation covered many of her medical expenses, she relied on her union's health care to pay for acupuncture and other treatments.  "That was three years ago, and I require, to this day, other procedures and more physical therapy that I was denied under workers' comp," said Seckel. "So for performers and stage managers in this industry, where your jobs are dangerous, … without really good health insurance, it's difficult for us to do our jobs." The last major Actors Equity strike was in 1968, when a three-day dispute closed 19 Broadway shows. The New York City mayor intervened, and helped both sides come to an agreement.  (Reporting by Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles; Editing by Mary Milliken and Stephen Coates)

(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 Hanna Rantala PARIS (Reuters) -Stella McCartney showed a summer collection packed with cocktail dresses in new, feathery materials, further expanding the range of textures used by her label, known for an ecological bent. "This collection was about coming together, bringing together handwork, craft, bringing together different innovations," McCartney told Reuters after the show. The show kicked off with actor Helen Mirren stepping out of the front row to read the lyrics of the Beatles song "Come Together."       "I thought, 'oh, what fun, that would be great'," Mirren said backstage, after the show, recalling the request from McCartney to take part. "But when I was sitting there, I started getting really nervous." Models moved quickly down the runway, parading short dresses made from piles of raffia and pastel gowns in an airy plant-based feather alternative. There were also double-breasted suits with sharp shoulders, short skirts with extra flounce and slouchy jeans. Known for her use of alternatives to leather and fur, McCartney in January announced she would repurchase LVMH's minority stake in her label, but would continue to advise the French luxury conglomerate on sustainability matters. Paris Fashion Week, which started on Monday and has featured shows from Saint Laurent and Louis Vuitton, runs through October 7. Upcoming designer debuts will include fashion houses Chanel, Balenciaga and Loewe. (Reporting by Mimosa Spencer in Paris and Hanna Rantala in London; Editing by 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.)

By Aditya Soni (Reuters) -Popular NBC shows including "Sunday Night Football" and "America's Got Talent" may disappear from YouTube TV as soon as Tuesday if the two sides fail to agree on a new distribution deal, a standoff that could influence the future of television. Carriage talks have stalled over the rates Alphabet's YouTube TV will pay to distribute to its 10 million subscribers the shows of Comcast-owned NBCUniversal, the two companies have said. But a bigger negotiation looms behind the scenes, and it reflects the newfound clout of YouTube as the dominant provider of video services in the United States. YouTube TV wants to show content offered exclusively on NBCUniversal's Peacock streaming service – such as hit reality series "Love Island" – directly on its platform, a person familiar with the talks told Reuters. Currently, users have to open the Peacock app to see the shows, even on YouTube TV.  Known as "direct ingestion," it is an approach that NBCUniversal opposes, as it wants to preserve Peacock – which it launched in 2020 – as a standalone service that can collect subscriber data and sell targeted ads. For YouTube, securing NBC content would aid its push to become the country's biggest pay-TV distributor and strengthen the core ad business of Google – which is also owned by Alphabet – on smart TVs, where ad slots command premium rates.  These battles "will have important strategic implications for the future of media," LightShed analyst Richard Greenfield said in a note to clients. Disney's carriage deal with YouTube TV is also up for renewal at the end of October and similar talks will likely occur then, he said. "We suspect YouTube TV cares far less about the rate it ultimately pays and far more about being able to ingest content from legacy media streaming apps," he said. YOUTUBE'S GROWING CLOUT YouTube now accounts for the largest share of TV viewing in the U.S., ahead of streaming rival Netflix and traditional media companies such as Disney, according to Nielsen. Its cable-like subscription service, YouTube TV, ranks among the four largest U.S. pay-TV distributors, and Alphabet's deep pockets recently gave it leverage over Paramount and Fox Corp in carriage talks, according to media firms and analysts.  NBCUniversal offered YouTube the same terms it extended to other large TV distributors – including Amazon's Prime Video Channels – and is looking to include its streaming service as part of the bundle of programming YouTube TV distributes, said the person familiar with the negotiations, who requested anonymity because the talks were private. An NBCUniversal spokesperson said in a statement last week: "YouTube TV has refused the best rates and terms in the market, demanding preferential treatment and seeking an unfair advantage over competitors to dominate the video marketplace — all under the false pretense of fighting for the consumer."  The online video service counters, however, that NBCUniversal is asking for YouTube TV to pay more for its shows than the media company charges consumers for the same content on Peacock. The company said in a blog post on Thursday that it would offer YouTube TV subscribers a $10 credit if NBC content is "unavailable for an extended period of time."  Analysts believe that losing carriage on YouTube TV could cut affiliate revenue and shrink subscriber bases for traditional media companies, with little assurance that viewers will migrate to their standalone streaming apps.  For Google, losing NBC content could weaken YouTube TV's appeal on connected TVs. The talks will also have major implications for Spanish-language media. Univision, owned by TelevisaUnivision, has said YouTube TV plans to move its channels into a pricier tier that would impose what it calls a "Hispanic tax" of 18%.    Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Tuesday urged YouTube to reverse its Univision decision, alleging the company was "targeting" the network for hosting a 2024 town hall with then-presidential candidate Donald Trump. Paxton said his office would act to keep Univision accessible if YouTube's actions violated state law. YouTube said TelevisaUnivision accounts for only a small share of viewing on its pay TV service and that it remains committed to a deal reflecting the network’s performance and pricing. If NBCUniversal's content including Telemundo is also dropped, it would deprive YouTube TV of a giant slice of Spanish-language broadcast programming.  (Reporting by Aditya Soni in San Francisco; Editing by Sayantani Ghosh 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.)

By Aditya Soni (Reuters) -Popular NBC shows including "Sunday Night Football" and "America's Got Talent" may disappear from YouTube TV as soon as Tuesday if the two sides fail to agree on a new distribution deal, a standoff that could influence the future of television. Carriage talks have stalled over the rates Alphabet's YouTube TV will pay to distribute to its 10 million subscribers the shows of Comcast-owned NBCUniversal, the two companies have said. But a bigger negotiation looms behind the scenes, and it reflects the newfound clout of YouTube as the dominant provider of video services in the United States. YouTube TV wants to show content offered exclusively on NBCUniversal's Peacock streaming service – such as hit reality series "Love Island" – directly on its platform, a person familiar with the talks told Reuters. Currently, users have to open the Peacock app to see the shows, even on YouTube TV.  Known as "direct ingestion," it is an approach that NBCUniversal opposes, as it wants to preserve Peacock – which it launched in 2020 – as a standalone service that can collect subscriber data and sell targeted ads. For YouTube, securing NBC content would aid its push to become the country's biggest pay-TV distributor and strengthen the core ad business of Google – which is also owned by Alphabet – on smart TVs, where ad slots command premium rates.  These battles "will have important strategic implications for the future of media," LightShed analyst Richard Greenfield said in a note to clients. Disney's carriage deal with YouTube TV is also up for renewal at the end of October and similar talks will likely occur then, he said. "We suspect YouTube TV cares far less about the rate it ultimately pays and far more about being able to ingest content from legacy media streaming apps," he said. YOUTUBE'S GROWING CLOUT YouTube now accounts for the largest share of TV viewing in the U.S., ahead of streaming rival Netflix and traditional media companies such as Disney, according to Nielsen. Its cable-like subscription service, YouTube TV, ranks among the four largest U.S. pay-TV distributors, and Alphabet's deep pockets recently gave it leverage over Paramount and Fox Corp in carriage talks, according to media firms and analysts.  NBCUniversal offered YouTube the same terms it extended to other large TV distributors – including Amazon's Prime Video Channels – and is looking to include its streaming service as part of the bundle of programming YouTube TV distributes, said the person familiar with the negotiations, who requested anonymity because the talks were private. An NBCUniversal spokesperson said in a statement last week: "YouTube TV has refused the best rates and terms in the market, demanding preferential treatment and seeking an unfair advantage over competitors to dominate the video marketplace — all under the false pretense of fighting for the consumer."  The online video service counters, however, that NBCUniversal is asking for YouTube TV to pay more for its shows than the media company charges consumers for the same content on Peacock. The company said in a blog post on Thursday that it would offer YouTube TV subscribers a $10 credit if NBC content is "unavailable for an extended period of time."  Analysts believe that losing carriage on YouTube TV could cut affiliate revenue and shrink subscriber bases for traditional media companies, with little assurance that viewers will migrate to their standalone streaming apps.  For Google, losing NBC content could weaken YouTube TV's appeal on connected TVs. The talks will also have major implications for Spanish-language media. Univision, owned by TelevisaUnivision, has said YouTube TV plans to move its channels into a pricier tier that would impose what it calls a "Hispanic tax" of 18%.    Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Tuesday urged YouTube to reverse its Univision decision, alleging the company was "targeting" the network for hosting a 2024 town hall with then-presidential candidate Donald Trump. Paxton said his office would act to keep Univision accessible if YouTube's actions violated state law. YouTube said TelevisaUnivision accounts for only a small share of viewing on its pay TV service and that it remains committed to a deal reflecting the network’s performance and pricing. If NBCUniversal's content including Telemundo is also dropped, it would deprive YouTube TV of a giant slice of Spanish-language broadcast programming.  (Reporting by Aditya Soni in San Francisco; Editing by Sayantani Ghosh 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.)

By Luc Cohen NEW YORK (Reuters) -U.S. federal prosecutors urged a judge on Tuesday to sentence Sean "Diddy" Combs to more than 11 years in prison this week following the hip-hop mogul's conviction on prostitution-related charges. Combs, 55, faces up to 20 years behind bars after a jury on July 2 found him guilty following a two-month trial on two counts of transporting male prostitutes across state lines to engage in drug-fueled sexual performances with his girlfriends while he watched, recorded video and masturbated. The jury acquitted Combs on the most serious counts he faced, racketeering and sex trafficking, charges that could have landed him in prison for life. Combs pleaded not guilty to all charges and is expected to appeal his conviction. U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian is due to sentence Combs during a hearing on Friday in Manhattan. Prosecutors with the Manhattan U.S. Attorney's office said a 135-month sentence was appropriate despite his acquittals on the more serious counts because the evidence at trial showed he had physically beaten his girlfriends and given them illegal drugs.  "The defendant tries to recast decades of abuse as simply the function of mutually toxic relationships," the prosecutors wrote. "But there is nothing mutual about a relationship where one person holds all the power and the other ends up bloodied and bruised."  His defense lawyers last week urged the judge to impose a 14-month sentence, arguing that Subramanian should not consider evidence of abuse by Combs of his former girlfriends because jurors acquitted him of coercing them into sex. Under such a sentence, Combs would be released by the end of the year because he would be credited for the time already spent in jail at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center following his September 16, 2024 arrest. Combs founded Bad Boy Records and is credited with popularizing hip-hop in American culture. During the trial, prosecutors said Combs coerced two of his former girlfriends to take part in the performances, sometimes known as "Freak Offs."  Both women testified that Combs physically attacked them and threatened to cut off financial support if they resisted the encounters. One of them, the rhythm-and-blues singer Casandra Ventura, said in a letter to Subramanian that Combs used violence, threats and drugs to "trap" her into taking part in the Freak Offs starting when she was 19 years old.    "Sex acts became my full-time job, used as the only way to stay in his good graces," Ventura wrote. "His power over me eroded my independence and sense of self until I felt I had no choice but to submit."  Lawyers for Combs argued there was no direct link between what they called domestic violence and the women's participation in the Freak Offs, a strategy that ultimately resulted in their client's acquittal on the sex trafficking and racketeering counts.     (Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Additional reporting by Shivani Tanna in Bengaluru; Editing by Will Dunham and Mark Porter)

(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 Luc Cohen NEW YORK (Reuters) -U.S. federal prosecutors urged a judge on Tuesday to sentence Sean "Diddy" Combs to more than 11 years in prison this week following the hip-hop mogul's conviction on prostitution-related charges. Combs, 55, faces up to 20 years behind bars after a jury on July 2 found him guilty following a two-month trial on two counts of transporting male prostitutes across state lines to engage in drug-fueled sexual performances with his girlfriends while he watched, recorded video and masturbated. The jury acquitted Combs on the most serious counts he faced, racketeering and sex trafficking, charges that could have landed him in prison for life. Combs pleaded not guilty to all charges and is expected to appeal his conviction. U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian is due to sentence Combs during a hearing on Friday in Manhattan. Prosecutors with the Manhattan U.S. Attorney's office said a 135-month sentence was appropriate despite his acquittals on the more serious counts because the evidence at trial showed he had physically beaten his girlfriends and given them illegal drugs.  "The defendant tries to recast decades of abuse as simply the function of mutually toxic relationships," the prosecutors wrote. "But there is nothing mutual about a relationship where one person holds all the power and the other ends up bloodied and bruised."  His defense lawyers last week urged the judge to impose a 14-month sentence, arguing that Subramanian should not consider evidence of abuse by Combs of his former girlfriends because jurors acquitted him of coercing them into sex. Under such a sentence, Combs would be released by the end of the year because he would be credited for the time already spent in jail at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center following his September 16, 2024 arrest. Combs founded Bad Boy Records and is credited with popularizing hip-hop in American culture. During the trial, prosecutors said Combs coerced two of his former girlfriends to take part in the performances, sometimes known as "Freak Offs."  Both women testified that Combs physically attacked them and threatened to cut off financial support if they resisted the encounters. One of them, the rhythm-and-blues singer Casandra Ventura, said in a letter to Subramanian that Combs used violence, threats and drugs to "trap" her into taking part in the Freak Offs starting when she was 19 years old.    "Sex acts became my full-time job, used as the only way to stay in his good graces," Ventura wrote. "His power over me eroded my independence and sense of self until I felt I had no choice but to submit."  Lawyers for Combs argued there was no direct link between what they called domestic violence and the women's participation in the Freak Offs, a strategy that ultimately resulted in their client's acquittal on the sex trafficking and racketeering counts.     (Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Additional reporting by Shivani Tanna in Bengaluru; Editing by Will Dunham and Mark Porter)

(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 Aditya Soni (Reuters) -Popular NBC shows including "Sunday Night Football" and "America's Got Talent" may disappear from YouTube TV as soon as Tuesday if the two sides fail to agree on a new distribution deal, a standoff that could influence the future of television. Carriage talks have stalled over the rates Alphabet's YouTube TV will pay to distribute to its 10 million subscribers the shows of Comcast-owned NBCUniversal, the two companies have said. But a bigger negotiation looms behind the scenes, and it reflects the newfound clout of YouTube as the dominant provider of video services in the United States. YouTube TV wants to show content offered exclusively on NBCUniversal's Peacock streaming service – such as hit reality series "Love Island" – directly on its platform, a person familiar with the talks told Reuters. Currently, users have to open the Peacock app to see the shows, even on YouTube TV.  Known as "direct ingestion," it is an approach that NBCUniversal opposes, as it wants to preserve Peacock – which it launched in 2020 – as a standalone service that can collect subscriber data and sell targeted ads. For YouTube, securing NBC content would aid its push to become the country's biggest pay-TV distributor and strengthen the core ad business of Google – which is also owned by Alphabet – on smart TVs, where ad slots command premium rates.  These battles "will have important strategic implications for the future of media," LightShed analyst Richard Greenfield said in a note to clients. Disney's carriage deal with YouTube TV is also up for renewal at the end of October and similar talks will likely occur then, he said. "We suspect YouTube TV cares far less about the rate it ultimately pays and far more about being able to ingest content from legacy media streaming apps," he said. YOUTUBE'S GROWING CLOUT YouTube now accounts for the largest share of TV viewing in the U.S., ahead of streaming rival Netflix and traditional media companies such as Disney, according to Nielsen. Its cable-like subscription service, YouTube TV, ranks among the four largest U.S. pay-TV distributors, and Alphabet's deep pockets recently gave it leverage over Paramount and Fox Corp in carriage talks, according to media firms and analysts.  NBCUniversal offered YouTube the same terms it extended to other large TV distributors – including Amazon's Prime Video Channels – and is looking to include its streaming service as part of the bundle of programming YouTube TV distributes, said the person familiar with the negotiations, who requested anonymity because the talks were private. An NBCUniversal spokesperson said in a statement last week: "YouTube TV has refused the best rates and terms in the market, demanding preferential treatment and seeking an unfair advantage over competitors to dominate the video marketplace — all under the false pretense of fighting for the consumer."  The online video service counters, however, that NBCUniversal is asking for YouTube TV to pay more for its shows than the media company charges consumers for the same content on Peacock. The company said in a blog post on Thursday that it would offer YouTube TV subscribers a $10 credit if NBC content is "unavailable for an extended period of time."  Analysts believe that losing carriage on YouTube TV could cut affiliate revenue and shrink subscriber bases for traditional media companies, with little assurance that viewers will migrate to their standalone streaming apps.  For Google, losing NBC content could weaken YouTube TV's appeal on connected TVs. (Reporting by Aditya Soni in San Francisco; Editing by Sayantani Ghosh 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.)

By Aditya Soni (Reuters) -Popular NBC shows including "Sunday Night Football" and "America's Got Talent" may disappear from YouTube TV as soon as Tuesday if the two sides fail to agree on a new distribution deal, a standoff that could influence the future of television. Carriage talks have stalled over the rates Alphabet's YouTube TV will pay to distribute to its 10 million subscribers the shows of Comcast-owned NBCUniversal, the two companies have said. But a bigger negotiation looms behind the scenes, and it reflects the newfound clout of YouTube as the dominant provider of video services in the United States. YouTube TV wants to show content offered exclusively on NBCUniversal's Peacock streaming service – such as hit reality series "Love Island" – directly on its platform, a person familiar with the talks told Reuters. Currently, users have to open the Peacock app to see the shows, even on YouTube TV.  Known as "direct ingestion," it is an approach that NBCUniversal opposes, as it wants to preserve Peacock – which it launched in 2020 – as a standalone service that can collect subscriber data and sell targeted ads. For YouTube, securing NBC content would aid its push to become the country's biggest pay-TV distributor and strengthen the core ad business of Google – which is also owned by Alphabet – on smart TVs, where ad slots command premium rates.  These battles "will have important strategic implications for the future of media," LightShed analyst Richard Greenfield said in a note to clients. Disney's carriage deal with YouTube TV is also up for renewal at the end of October and similar talks will likely occur then, he said. "We suspect YouTube TV cares far less about the rate it ultimately pays and far more about being able to ingest content from legacy media streaming apps," he said. YOUTUBE'S GROWING CLOUT YouTube now accounts for the largest share of TV viewing in the U.S., ahead of streaming rival Netflix and traditional media companies such as Disney, according to Nielsen. Its cable-like subscription service, YouTube TV, ranks among the four largest U.S. pay-TV distributors, and Alphabet's deep pockets recently gave it leverage over Paramount and Fox Corp in carriage talks, according to media firms and analysts.  NBCUniversal offered YouTube the same terms it extended to other large TV distributors – including Amazon's Prime Video Channels – and is looking to include its streaming service as part of the bundle of programming YouTube TV distributes, said the person familiar with the negotiations, who requested anonymity because the talks were private. An NBCUniversal spokesperson said in a statement last week: "YouTube TV has refused the best rates and terms in the market, demanding preferential treatment and seeking an unfair advantage over competitors to dominate the video marketplace — all under the false pretense of fighting for the consumer."  The online video service counters, however, that NBCUniversal is asking for YouTube TV to pay more for its shows than the media company charges consumers for the same content on Peacock. The company said in a blog post on Thursday that it would offer YouTube TV subscribers a $10 credit if NBC content is "unavailable for an extended period of time."  Analysts believe that losing carriage on YouTube TV could cut affiliate revenue and shrink subscriber bases for traditional media companies, with little assurance that viewers will migrate to their standalone streaming apps.  For Google, losing NBC content could weaken YouTube TV's appeal on connected TVs. (Reporting by Aditya Soni in San Francisco; Editing by Sayantani Ghosh 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.)

By Luc Cohen NEW YORK (Reuters) -U.S. federal prosecutors urged a judge on Tuesday to sentence Sean "Diddy" Combs to more than 11 years in prison this week following the hip-hop mogul's conviction on prostitution-related charges. The prosecutors sought "at least 135 months' imprisonment" and asked the court to fine Combs $500,000, according the court filing.U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian is due to sentence Combs during a hearing on Friday in Manhattan. Combs, 55, faces up to 20 years behind bars after a jury on July 2 found him guilty following a two-month trial on two counts of transporting male prostitutes across state lines to engage in drug-fueled sexual performances with his girlfriends while he watched, recorded video and masturbated. The jury acquitted Combs on the most serious counts he faced, racketeering and sex trafficking, charges that could have landed him in prison for life. Combs pleaded not guilty to all charges and is expected to appeal his conviction. His defense lawyers last week urged the judge to impose a 14-month sentence, arguing Subramanian should not consider evidence of abuse by Combs of his former girlfriends because jurors acquitted him of coercing them into sex. Under such a sentence, Combs would be released by the end of the year because he would be credited for the time already spent in jail at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center following his September 16, 2024 arrest. Combs founded Bad Boy Records and is credited with popularizing hip-hop in American culture. During the trial, prosecutors said Combs coerced two of his former girlfriends to take part in the performances, sometimes known as "Freak Offs." Both women testified that Combs physically attacked them and threatened to cut off financial support if they resisted the encounters. Lawyers for Combs argued there was no direct link between what they called domestic violence and the women's participation in the "Freak Offs", a strategy that ultimately resulted in their client's acquittal on the sex trafficking and racketeering counts.    (Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Additional reporting by Shivani Tanna in Bengaluru; Editing by Will Dunham)

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