Sunday, February 9

Business

Sony Pictures Acquires Alamo Drafthouse in Lifeline to Cinema Chain
Business

Sony Pictures Acquires Alamo Drafthouse in Lifeline to Cinema Chain

Related media - Latest news Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Sony bought Alamo from Altamont Capital Partners and Fortress Investment Group, as well as the chain's founder, Tim League. Mr League said the cinema chain was “more than thrilled” with the deal. This comes at a time of financial difficulty for the Alamo and the film industry as a whole. Many of Alamo's franchised locations filed for bankruptcy and closed this month, making Sony's move a potential lifeline for the struggling chain. Alamo filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2021 before a private equity firm intervened. The theaters will continue to operate under the Alamo Drafthouse brand, Sony said, although they will be operated by a newly formed division at Sony led by Michael Kustermann, Alamo's chief executive. ...
TikTok’s Future in U.S. Depends on Bet on First Amendment
Business

TikTok’s Future in U.S. Depends on Bet on First Amendment

Associated media - Related media TikTok takes its fight to court TikTok fired the latest broadside in its battle with Washington, suing to block a law that could force the company to split from ByteDance, its Chinese owner, or face a ban in the U.S. The company argues that the law violates the First Amendment by effectively killing an app in the U.S. that millions of Americans use to share their views. Another problem: a divestiture within 270 days is practically impossible, Sapna Maheshwari and David McCabe report for The Times. DealBook spoke with Maheshwari about the lawsuit filed yesterday and what happens next. Do legal experts think TikTok has a chance at winning? It could go either way. Alan Rozenshtein, an associate professor at the University of Minnesota Law School, says t...
In a Surprise, Disney+ Becomes Profitable
Business

In a Surprise, Disney+ Becomes Profitable

Linked media - Associated media When Disney reported robust earnings in February, the activist investors then circling the company essentially called it a stunt — a temporary, heat-of-battle effort to fend them off and not, as Robert A. Iger maintained, proof that a struggling Disney had finally “turned the corner.” The Disney chief’s argument just got a lot stronger. Disney blew past Wall Street’s expectations for a second consecutive quarter on Tuesday, in part because its flagship streaming service made money — a first. Disney+ had been expected to lose more than $100 million in the most recent quarter, widening losses since its 2019 arrival to roughly $12 billion. Instead, it swung to a $47 million profit. “Two quarters earlier than expected,” Hugh Johnston, Disney’s chief finan...
Antony Blinken Visits China – The New York Times
Business

Antony Blinken Visits China – The New York Times

Related media - Related media Mr. Biden emphasized that the United States would continue to take necessary actions to prevent advanced American technologies from being used to undermine its own national security, without unduly limiting trade and investment, according to the White House. Mr. Xi said that putting new sanctions on China was not “de-risking,” but creating risks. If the United States was bent on “containing China’s hi-tech development and depriving China of its legitimate right to development, China is not going to sit back and watch,” he said, according to the official Xinhua News Agency. U.S. officials say their restrictions are necessary given China’s authoritarian government and statist economic model. But the moves have rankled Chinese leaders and pushed tensions ov...
How a Pirate-Clad Pastor Helped Ignite Trump Media’s Market Frenzy
Business

How a Pirate-Clad Pastor Helped Ignite Trump Media’s Market Frenzy

Related media - Connected media Mr. Nedohin raised his arms in celebration. A few minutes later, he cut to a video of a rocket blasting into the sky, with Mr. Trump photoshopped onto it. “We are holding Trump stocks,” he declared. “We are now financial investors in him.” Mr. Nedohin is one of hundreds of thousands of amateur investors who own shares of Trump Media, convinced that its sole platform, Truth Social, will become one of the world’s most popular and profitable social media sites. In recent months, tens of thousands of Trump fans have tuned into Mr. Nedohin’s webcasts, where he exhorts viewers to invest in the company, arguing that “Trump always wins in the long run.” The enthusiasm from Mr. Nedohin and other Trump supporters has turned Trump Media into the latest “meme stoc...