Paramount merger pause extended, other stories you missed
Paramount merger pause extended, other stories you missed
‘The Daily Show’ is entering the microdrama space, Prime Video adds a new sports streamer, and other stories from the week’s news you may have missed.
It’s been a big week of TV and movie premieres on top streaming services. He-Man fans have no doubt been watching the new “Masters of the Universe” on Prime Video on repeat, and new seasons of “King of the Hill” and “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” have also kept fans plenty busy.
If you’ve been too absorbed with new TV episodes and movies all week to follow streaming news closely, we’ve got you covered. Read more about the streaming stories you might have missed throughout the course of the week below, including casting announcements for upcoming shows and more.
Which streaming stories did you miss this week?
Paramount and WBD merger pause extended
Earlier this week, California District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín put a temporary pause on the merger of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery while a lawsuit filed by a group of states moves forward. On Thursday, the judge extended the pause by another 14 days, meaning the earliest date the merger can now close is Aug. 18.
The two sides have had difficulty agreeing on procedural schedules, with Paramount pushing for an evidentiary hearing to cross-examine the state’s witnesses, which has led to the additional 14-day delay. On Aug. 3, Judge Martínez-Olguín will hear arguments for and against a preliminary injunction that would pause the deal indefinitely.
Paramount Plus
Paramount+ is a subscription video streaming service that includes on-demand access to 40,000+ TV show episodes from BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., and more. Get free access with a Walmart+ subscription.
Paramount+ includes “1883,” “Tulsa King,” “Star Trek: Discovery,” “SpongeBob SquarePants,” and “PAW Patrol.” Subscribers can watch the NFL, college football, The Masters, college basketball, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, Serie A, and NWSL. The service also offers the option to watch your live CBS affiliate. The upgraded ad-free package includes premium movies and shows from Showtime.
Apple Music raises subscription prices
Apple Music subscribers may get an unpleasant surprise on their next bill. The streamer has raised prices across subscription tiers; the Individual plan now costs $12 per month, and the Family plan has been raised from $17 to $20 per month. The Student plan is also rising in price from $6 to $7 per month.
The price increase means the Apple Music Individual plan now costs the same amount as YouTube Music, but still checks in at $1 per month less than Spotify Premium.
‘The Daily Show’ microdrama series coming to Paramount+
This week, reports emerged that Paramount+ was working to create microdramas, among other changes to the platform. On Tuesday, the streamer made it official by announcing its first-ever microdrama series: “The Daily Show Presents: Two Billionaires Fight to Dominate the Country…And My Heart.”
The show centers on Alonka, the president’s beautiful daughter, whose father wants to spend more time snoozing in the Oval Office. That’s when two rich tech “gods” — Egon Husk and Jiff Davos — must compete to build a new AI president to help him run the country. But their lust for power and Alonka led to dangerously hot complications.
Paramount Plus
Paramount+ is a subscription video streaming service that includes on-demand access to 40,000+ TV show episodes from BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., and more. Get free access with a Walmart+ subscription.
Paramount+ includes “1883,” “Tulsa King,” “Star Trek: Discovery,” “SpongeBob SquarePants,” and “PAW Patrol.” Subscribers can watch the NFL, college football, The Masters, college basketball, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, Serie A, and NWSL. The service also offers the option to watch your live CBS affiliate. The upgraded ad-free package includes premium movies and shows from Showtime.
FloSports Channel added to Prime Video
Prime Video customers can now watch even more sports content on the platform. On Tuesday, Prime Video and FloSports announced that the FloSports Channel was launching on the Amazon streaming service. The FloSports Channel is a free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) Channel, which will include live events, original content, and shoulder programming.
“The traditional linear market is not built to fully serve the depth, quality, and growth potential of many non-Tier 1 sports rights,” said Phil Wendler, EVP, Global Rights Acquisition, FloSports. “FloSports has spent years building a better model for rights holders who want more than a distribution outlet. The FloSports Channel on Prime Video expands that promise by giving our partners another scaled, free-to-consumer distribution path, helping new fans discover the sports and communities that make FloSports unique.”
Prime Video
Prime Video is a subscription video streaming service that includes on-demand access to 10,000+ movies, TV shows, and Prime Originals like “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” “Jack Ryan,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “The Boys,” and more. Subscribers can also add third-party services like Max, Showtime, STARZ, and dozens more with Prime Video Channels. Prime Video also offers exclusive live access to NFL Thursday Night Football.
Announcements, casting, and trailers
Julie Andrews documentary headed to Disney+ in 2027
On Wednesday, Disney+ announced that it will host a definitive documentary on the life and career of Julie Andrews. An official title will be announced at a later date, but the movie is expected to arrive on the streamer in 2027.
Disney+
Disney+ is a video streaming service with over 13,000 series and films from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, The Muppets, and more. It is available in 61 countries and 21 languages. It is notable for its popular original series like “The Mandalorian,” “Ms. Marvel,” “Loki,” “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” and “Andor.”
Netflix fills out cast for ‘13 Going on 30’
Last week, news broke that Jessica Alba was joining a “13 Going on 30” reboot for Netflix. On Wednesday, Deadline reported that the streamer had added Taylor Zakhar Perez, Owen Thiele, Nasim Pedrad, Supriya Ganesh, and Myra Molloy to the cast.
Charley McCain, Henry Samiri, Audrina Miranda, and Kai Zen will also star, as will Emily Bader, Logan Lerman, Deline Rudolph, Alba, Taylor Ortega, Tim Meadows, and Dan Bucatinsky.
Netflix
Netflix is a leading subscription-based video streaming service that offers on-demand access to an extensive library of over 3,000 movies, 2,000+ TV shows, and a growing collection of acclaimed Netflix originals. Renowned for producing groundbreaking content, Netflix has become a cultural powerhouse with hit originals like “Stranger Things,” “Wednesday,” “Squid Game,” “The Crown,” “Tiger King,” “Bridgerton,” “The Witcher,” and “Black Mirror.”
Kenneth Branagh to star in and produce ‘Laird’ for Paramount+
Kenneth Branagh is partnering with Paramount+ on the new drama series “Laird,” a family drama set in the modern Scottish Highlands. The show will follow a proud Scot who brazenly defies an American billionaire who wants to buy up the glens. Amidst family feuds, buried secrets, and star-crossed romances, the Laird of Castle Drummoch (Branagh) remains determined to protect his ancestral lands from oligarchical land grabbing.
Paramount Plus
Paramount+ is a subscription video streaming service that includes on-demand access to 40,000+ TV show episodes from BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., and more. Get free access with a Walmart+ subscription.
Paramount+ includes “1883,” “Tulsa King,” “Star Trek: Discovery,” “SpongeBob SquarePants,” and “PAW Patrol.” Subscribers can watch the NFL, college football, The Masters, college basketball, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, Serie A, and NWSL. The service also offers the option to watch your live CBS affiliate. The upgraded ad-free package includes premium movies and shows from Showtime.
Ed Harris returning to ‘Dutton Ranch’ for Season 2
Ed Harris had such a bad time filming “Dutton Ranch” Season 1 that he reportedly wanted to leave the show. But as Deadline reported on Tuesday, Harris will return for the show’s second season, after receiving assurances that his character will be used more in accordance with how Harris says the role was pitched to him initially. “Dutton Ranch” Season 1 is available on Paramount+ now.
Paramount Plus
Paramount+ is a subscription video streaming service that includes on-demand access to 40,000+ TV show episodes from BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., and more. Get free access with a Walmart+ subscription.
Paramount+ includes “1883,” “Tulsa King,” “Star Trek: Discovery,” “SpongeBob SquarePants,” and “PAW Patrol.” Subscribers can watch the NFL, college football, The Masters, college basketball, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, Serie A, and NWSL. The service also offers the option to watch your live CBS affiliate. The upgraded ad-free package includes premium movies and shows from Showtime.
Disney+ greenlights ‘Afterlife with Archie’ TV series
The bestselling comic book series “Afterlife with Archie” is being adapted into a new series by Warner Bros. Television, and it now has a streaming home. As announced on Monday, Disney+ will host the show, which returns to the all-American town of Riverdale, where Archie and his pals will have to fight the zombie apocalypse. The show is targeting a Halloween 2027 release.
Disney+
Disney+ is a video streaming service with over 13,000 series and films from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, The Muppets, and more. It is available in 61 countries and 21 languages. It is notable for its popular original series like “The Mandalorian,” “Ms. Marvel,” “Loki,” “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” and “Andor.”
AMC+ acquires rights to Catherine Zeta-Jones thriller ‘Kill Jackie’
On Tuesday, AMC+ announced it had acquired the exclusive U.S. streaming rights to “Kill Jackie,” a thriller starring Catherine Zeta-Jones. The movie follows Jackie Price, a woman who has spent the last twenty years living a quiet, luxurious existence selling fine art while remaining anonymous after escaping a criminal past. Her carefully constructed world is shattered when she discovers that The Seven Demons, a squad of ruthless assassins, have been hired to kill her. Jackie will need to unleash her old instincts and execute a dangerous plan to take down the Demons.
AMC+
AMC+ is a premium subscription streaming bundle owned by AMC Networks. It offers curated access to award-winning originals, indie films, and prestige television. Launched in June 2020, the service combines content from AMC with flagship brands such as BBC America, IFC, Sundance TV, Shudder, Sundance Now, and IFC Films Unlimited, delivering a rich library of exclusive programming and early episode access.
Prime Video greenlights new ‘RoboCop’ series
The 1980s are alive on Prime Video, where “RoboCop” is coming to life again. On Tuesday, The Hollywood Reporter shared that Prime Video will host a new eight-episode “RoboCop” series from showrunner Peter Ocko and executive producers James Wan, Michael Clear, and Rob Hackett.
Prime Video
Prime Video is a subscription video streaming service that includes on-demand access to 10,000+ movies, TV shows, and Prime Originals like “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” “Jack Ryan,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “The Boys,” and more. Subscribers can also add third-party services like Max, Showtime, STARZ, and dozens more with Prime Video Channels. Prime Video also offers exclusive live access to NFL Thursday Night Football.