CEO: Last News

Activist Disney investor Blackwells Capital is suing the media giant over what it sees as an inappropriately cozy relationship with another shareholder, ValueAct Capital.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Vince McMahon, the founder and former CEO of wrestling entertainment company WWE, received about $100 million through a sale of about 3.5 million shares of TKO Group. TKO Group was formed last year through the Endeavor-led merger of UFC and WWE. Endeavor maintains a majority interest in TKO.

Alex Ritman French TV giant Banijay is losing its second C-suite exec in just over a month. The company has confirmed to Variety that COO Peter Langenberg is departing, with his last day set to be March 31. Langenberg will remain with Banijay on a consultancy basis in the ESG (environment, social and governance) space.

EXCLUSIVE: Fox Entertainment CEO Rob Wade is realigning the company’s content and business operations into three groups, the Fox Television Network, Fox Entertainment Studios and sales arm Fox Entertainment Global.

Jaden Thompson The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has appointed Bridgette Wilder to the newly established position of chief people and culture officer. Wilder will report to Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy Museum director and president Jacqueline Stewart.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large When NBC recently resurrected its long-dormant “Deal or No Deal,” it came with a new format: “Deal or No Deal Island.” The game show was originally a “shiny floor” in-studio contest where players had to guess how much money was inside a large briefcase. The updated iteration takes things outdoors, raising the stakes by adding interpersonal dynamics, physical challenges and survival to the mix. At producer Endemol Shine North America, they call adding a fresh spin to existing IP the “ESNA twist.” And it’s become a hallmark for CEO Sharon Levy, who took over the shingle — part of Banijay Americas — a little more than a year ago.

William Earl Disney Entertainment Television marketing president Shannon Ryan has been selected as the inaugural recipient of the Variety Entertainment Marketing Icon Award, to be presented April 24 as part of Variety’s Entertainment Marketing Summit, presented by Deloitte, in Los Angeles. Ryan is being recognized for her long track record of innovative marketing and promotional campaigns during her long tenure at Fox and Disney.

Proxy advisor Egan-Jones on Wednesday became the second independent firm to support activist Nelson Peltz‘s effort to secure seats on the Disney board.

Disney’s streaming bundle combining Hulu and Disney+ in one service officially launched Wednesday morning, ending a three-month beta period described by the company as a success.

Well, that was quick.

K-pop music purveyors HYBE today announced an expanded long-term agreement with Universal Music Group (UMG), providing them exclusive distribution rights across HYBE music for the next 10 years.

The boss of British Gas owner Centrica, Chris O'Shea, who earlier this year said there is "no point" trying to explain his salary, saw his pay nearly double to close to £4 million last year. His total pay in 2023 was £8.2 million, up from £4.5 million the previous year, according to the company's annual report released on Tuesday.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Hybe, the Korean firm behind K-pop’s BTS, has struck an expanded 10-year deal with Universal Music Group (UMG), providing Hybe’s roster of artists and labels access to UMG’s leading global network. UMG will further collaborate with Hybe’s global superfan platform Weverse, bringing more of a direct connection between UMG artists and their fandom. Hybe and UMG will additionally collaborate on artist promotions and marketing activities in North America under the oversight of Scooter Braun – who, in his time as CEO of Hybe America, acquired QC Media Holdings and incorporated SB Projects as well as Big Machine Label Group into the existing roster. Hybe and UMG first teamed up in 2017 on BTS, through a distribution agreement in Japan. In 2021, the companies expanded their relationship with a global strategic agreement which saw collaborations across multiple projects and use of Weverse for fan communication.

Thania Garcia Teddy Swims, the singer-songwriter behind “Lose Control,” has signed a new global publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music. The RIAA platinum-certified single “Lose Control” hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the latest tracking week after spending 32 weeks on the chart.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music The U.S. recorded music industry grew its revenue by 8% in 2023, reaching an all-time high of $17.1 billion and marking eight consecutive years of growth. However, there’s no question that the streaming boom of the past decade, which produced years of double-digit growth, is leveling off and the industry is reacting with layoffs and talk of a “transformational moment” in the months and years to come.

Khadlaj Perfumes, a heritage brand with 40 years of legacy in the United Arab Emirates, has announced the expansion of its operations into the influencer market following the viral success of its fragrance, Hareem Al Sultan. The move aims to cement Khadlaj Perfumes as a major player in the global perfume industry, particularly in the USA.

Karen Gillan isn’t done with the superhero world just yet!

Lily James is reportedly taking on a new role!

EXCLUSIVE: Wild Card Creative Group (WCCG), which has recently worked on such campaigns as Dune, The Bikeriders, Barbie, Killers of the Flower Moon and American Fiction, is joining forces with BlueMoon AI to develop a pioneering AI innovation tailored for advertising materials creation, harnessing cutting-edge technology.

EXCLUSIVE: Michael Kassan‘s team promised late last week they would up the legal ante with UTA unless the agency completely dropped its lawsuit against the resigned/fired (depending on who you ask) MediaLink CEO, and today they did just that.

One of Fremantle‘s leading execs in Europe has become victim of a sophisticated $1M scam.