Deadline reports: “Filmmakers Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert understand better than most how much things can change in a decade. In 2009 they released their Oscar-nominated documentary short The Last Truck, about the closing of a GM plant in Ohio. In 2019, they returned with American Factory, a feature documenting what happened to that old plant, now the site of a bustling Chinese auto glass operation.”
Variety reports: “Hasbro is poised to become a bigger player in entertainment now that the toy giant has completed its acquisition of Entertainment One.”
Billboard reports: “U.S. media and tech giants are likely to face increased pressure in Russia next year as various laws are being tightened.”
VentureBeat reports: “While the much-hyped tech unicorns produced IPOs that amounted to giant face plants, the news was not all bad for the class of 2019 entering the public markets. Overall, the year was only slightly down from 2018, though extremely rocky.”
Forbes reports: “Live Nation has at least temporarily avoided a legal tangle with the U.S. Department of Justice by agreeing to a five-year extension of a consent decree that prohibits Ticketmaster, owned by Live Nation, from threatening to withhold tours from venues that switch to competing ticketing companies, like AEG-owned AXS.”
The Verge reports: “And just like that, we’ve reached the final issue of the year — and also, somehow, the decade. As is tradition around here, let’s close out the year with some predictions from you about where platforms and democracy are headed in 2020 and beyond.”
gamesindustry.biz reports: “Today, a new Global Esports Federation has been announced with backing from Tencent and board members from multiple international esports companies and organizations.”
Billboard reports: “Cox Communications was found liable for the piracy infringement of more than 10,000 musical works by a U.S. District Court jury in Virginia on Thursday (Dec. 19), awarding $1 billion statutory damages to plaintiffs Sony Music, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group and EMI.”
Hollywood Reporter reports: “France’s competition authority on Friday said it has fined Alphabet ’s Google €150 million ($167 million) for suspending advertisers that placed allegedly deceptive ads.”
Variety reports: “ViacomCBS has reached a deal to acquire a 49% stake in Miramax from Qatar-based owner BeIN Media Group for a total of $375 million. The deal calls for ViacomCBS to pay $150 million in cash up front, plus a commitment to invest $45 million a year for five years to fund new film and TV projects and working capital.”
