Showbiz Sandbox 413: Let the Media Merger Mania Commence

In one of the most significant antitrust cases in decades, last week a federal judge cleared the way for AT&T to complete its acquisition of Time Warner, ruling that the Department of Justice failed to make a convincing argument the deal would be bad for consumers. The decision opens the door for what many believe will be a wave of corporate mergers as existing media outfits look to thwart off threats from tech giants entering the space such as Amazon, Apple and Netflix.

Evidence of this was apparent within days as Comcast made an official all-cash offer to acquire a majority of Twentieth Century Fox’s assets. The Fox board will meet this week to decide who will wind up acquiring them; Disney or Comcast.

We follow up the Tony Awards to applaud its big winner “The Band’s Visit,” celebrating the success of indie producers on a Great White Way dominated more and more by corporations. We also shoot down the idea that winning the Tony for Best Musical isn’t a boost at the box office.

Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment news including how Bryan Singer will wind up with director’s credit on the Queen biopic from which he was fired, Oprah Winfrey signs a deal with Apple and why a tax scandal in China over a major star’s salary has the industry on edge.

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comScore Announces Official Worldwide Box Office Results for Weekend of June 17, 2018
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comscore-announces-official-worldwide-box-office-results-for-weekend-of-june-17-2018-300667509.html

Cannes Winner ‘Shoplifters’ Sets 2018 Japan Box-Office Record
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/cannes-winner-shoplifters-sets-2018-japan-box-office-record-1120070

Fan Bingbing Tax Evasion Probe Sparks Film Industry Crisis in China
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/fan-bingbing-tax-evasion-probe-sparks-film-industry-crisis-china-1116723

China Movie Stars and The Two-Contract Problem
http://chinafilminsider.com/china-movie-stars-and-the-two-contract-problem/

Internal Memo Reveals Tighter Regulations On Chinese Films And Television Dramas
https://supchina.com/2018/06/12/internal-memo-reveals-tighter-regulations-on-chinese-films-and-television-dramas/

Bookstore Sales Up Again in April
https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling/article/77247-bookstore-sales-up-again-in-april.html

Can a Tony Award Affect a Show’s Path to Economic Success?
https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Can-a-Tony-Award-Affect-a-Shows-Path-to-Economic-Success-20180612

John Lasseter to Exit Disney at End of the Year
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/john-lasseter-exit-disney-at-end-year-1069547

‘NCIS: New Orleans’ Producer Investigated Again, Even as CBS Renews Overall Deal
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/brad-kern-being-investigated-as-cbs-renews-ncis-new-orleans-producers-deal-1120350

Nerdist Removes Chris Hardwick References From Site Amid Chloe Dykstra’s Abuse Claim
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/nerdist-removes-chris-hardwick-references-site-alleged-abuse-claim-1120557

Chris Hardwick Denies Claims That He Sexually Assaulted Chloe Dykstra
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/chris-hardwick-denies-claims-he-sexually-assaulted-chloe-dykstra-1120718

Chris Hardwick Pulled From AMC Show, San Diego Comic-Con
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/amc-pulls-chris-hardwick-talk-show-sexual-assault-allegation-1120735

Exclusive: George Takei’s Accuser Has Changed His Story of Drugging and Assault
http://observer.com/2018/05/george-takei-accuser-scott-brunton-changed-his-story-of-drugs-assault/

Gail Berman, Lucy Fisher Elected Presidents of Producers Guild
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/gail-berman-lucy-fisher-elected-presidents-producers-guild-1118650

French TV Companies Launch New Streaming Service to Take on Netflix, Amazon
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/frances-biggest-tv-companies-combine-take-netflix-amazon-1120451

Dave Matthews Band Scores Seventh No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart With ‘Come Tomorrow’
https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/8461343/dave-matthews-band-come-tomorrow-billboard-200-no-1-album

Wu hits Billboard Hot 100, wants to become ‘Jackie Chan of music’
http://www.ecns.cn/news/culture/2018-06-04/detail-ifyuurnp0998925.shtml

Warner Bros. Crackdown Puts Dark Mark Over Harry Potter Festivals
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/warner-bros-crackdown-puts-dark-mark-harry-potter-festivals-1120734

Bryan Singer to Get Directing Credit on Queen Biopic ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/bryan-singer-gets-directing-credit-bohemian-rhapsody-1119361

Stan Lee’s Business Manager Arrested on Suspicion of Filing False Police Report
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/stan-lee-business-manager-arrested-suspicion-filing-false-police-report-1119308

Stan Lee Granted Restraining Order Against Business Manager, LAPD Investigating Claims of Elder Abuse
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/stan-lee-files-restraining-order-business-manager-1119844

Spotify Offers Managers, Artists Advances to License Music Directly to Its Streaming Service
https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/8459616/spotify-offers-managers-artists-advances-license-music-directly-exclusive

Sony Music Entertainment to Start Paying Indie Artists & Labels Spotify Sale Proceeds as Early as August
https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/8461117/sony-music-canada-spotify-pay-indie-artists-labels

Miss America is scrapping its swimsuit competition, will no longer judge based on physical appearance
https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Culture/miss-america-scrapping-swimsuit-competition-longer-judge-based/story?id=55638426

Oprah Winfrey Inks Content Deal With Apple
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/oprah-winfrey-inks-content-deal-apple-1120552

AT&T Beats U.S. in Antitrust Fight Over Time Warner
https://www.wsj.com/articles/judge-is-set-to-decide-whether-at-t-and-time-warner-can-merge-1528832942

Why the AT&T-Time Warner Case Was So Closely Watched
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/12/business/dealbook/att-time-warner-trial-antitrust-ruling.html

AT&T to Rename Time Warner WarnerMedia; Turner Chief John Martin to Depart
https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/att-time-warner-warnermedia-turner-chief-john-martin-1202848405/

Netflix and Alphabet Will Need to Become ISPs, Fast
https://techcrunch.com/2018/06/12/netflix-and-alphabet-will-need-to-become-isps-fast/

Comcast Makes $65 Billion All-Cash Bid for Fox
https://variety.com/2018/biz/news/comcast-bid-fox-disney-media-1202844736/

Fox Board Meeting to Consider Comcast Bid
https://variety.com/2018/film/news/fox-comcast-disney-1202848400/

Fox Shares Hit All-Time High as Wall Street Celebrates the Prospect of a Bidding War
http://www.latimes.com/business/hollywood/la-fi-ct-fox-shares-comcast-20180613-story.html

U.K. Approves Fox’s Sky Bid, Subject to Sale of Sky News, and Clears Comcast Offer
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/uk-approves-foxs-sky-bid-subject-sale-sky-news-clears-comcast-offer-1115661

Anthony Bourdain Dies at 61
https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/anthony-bourdain-dead-1202837248/

Eunice Gayson, ‘Dr. No’ Star and First Bond Girl, Dies at 90
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/eunice-gayson-dr-no-star-first-bond-girl-dies-at-90-1118697