Variety: Strictly Business
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Fox Corp. Points to its Future With a Big Bet on Roku

A week ago today, the Justice Department issued its “bon voyage” ruling to Paramount Skydance for the acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.

On Monday, Fox made a huge bet on its future as a standalone concern by committing to a $22 billion purchase of the Roku streaming platform that blends subscription and FAST channels. And then there were the rumors about Netflix taking a look at Lionsgate (which was roundly denied, but we’ve been here before).

In other words, there’s no summer vacation from dealmaking. Here’s our curation of the stories you need to know after another busy frame in the wild world of media and entertainment. Today’s “Strictly Business” podcast takes a long view of the sector in a wide-ranging conversation with Ken Ziffren, who is a respected elder statesman of entertainment’s legal community.

Variety is heading off next week to the Cannes Lions festival on the Côte d'Azur. We’ll be delivering quite a bit of extra content next week including bonus “Strictly Business” newsletters and podcasts as we take the pulse of the global marketing, advertising and brand sectors. Stay tuned.

— Cynthia Littleton

 

Strictly Business Podcast

Ken Ziffren on the Fight for a New Spin on Fin-Syn, Six Decades of Hollywood Dealmaking and Awaiting a ‘Cacophony of Decisions’ in AI Cases

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Hollywood’s Mass Exodus: Why Film and TV Production Is Fleeing L.A. and What Can Be Done About It

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Fox Is Buying Roku in $22 Billion Deal

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Will Fox’s Roku Buy Help Lachlan Murdoch Leapfrog Rivals in Streaming Wars?

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Fox Scores Upfront Ad Dollars in Tough Market. The Trick? Lots of Sports, Less Traditional Cable

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‘Reeks of Corruption’: Top DOJ Officials Reportedly Cleared Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger Before Staff Lawyers, Who Were ‘Leaning’ Toward Antitrust Lawsuit, Could Object

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CNN Taps Kyla Scanlon, a Financial Content Creator, as Analyst and Contributor

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Inside ESPN’s Big Bet on Women’s Sports for Sunday Nights (When Baseball Once Ruled)

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PMC Acquires Vox Media Brands, Creating Digital Publishing Giant

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