Steve Pond's Blog, page 60
August 8, 2025
AMC Networks Sees 4% Drop in Revenue From Linear Decline Despite 12% Jump in Streaming
AMC Networks reported a 4% year-over-year drop in revenue during its second quarter earnings for 2025 on Friday. This decline was largely due to continuing declines in the cable ecosystem, but there was a ray of hope. During the quarter, streaming revenue increased by 12%, owing to a price increase from the company’s streaming offering, AMC+.
Both domestic operations revenues and segment adjusted operating income saw a decline of 2% and 19%, respectively. Those declines were in large part due to downward trends in the overall cable ecosystem. Cable subscription revenue decreased 1% year or year, coming in at $320 million. The declining cable landscape also impacted affiliate and advertising revenues. Affiliate revenues dropped 12% to $151 million, which was also partially due to contractual rate decreases. As for advertising revenues, those dropped 18% to $123 million because of both the cable landscape and lower marketplace pricing.
That’s the bad news. The good news is that an AMC+ price hike led to streaming revenues increasing 12% to $169 million. Content licensing was also up 26% to $84 million, which reflected the sale of the company’s music catalog as well as executive producer fees connected to Apple TV+’s “Silo.” AMC also saw a 25% increase in digital commitments after the 2025 advertising upfronts
The company also saw what CEO Kristin Dolan dubbed “continued healthy free cash flow generation.” Free cash flow came in at $96 million, a 0.6% year over year increase. Because of the company’s free cash flow as well as its figures when it comes to streaming revenues and content licensing, AMC Networks increased its free cash flow outlook for 2025. Now the company expects $250 million of free cash flow for the full year.
Here are the quarter’s key results. It should be noted that net income grew so much because the second quarter of 2024 included an asset impairment charge related to when AMC purchased BBC Studios’ remaining stake in BBC America:
Revenue: $600 million, down 4% year over year and compared to $555 million predicted by analysts at Yahoo Finance.
Net Income Attributable to Stockholders: $50 million, up 272% year over year for the second quarter.
Earnings per Share: $0.69, down 44% year over year for the second quarter and compared to $0.61 predicted by analysts at Yahoo Finance.
Subscribers: 10.4 million, the same amount of subscribers the company reported at the end of 2024 and a 2% year over year increase.
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The second quarter of 2025 also saw AMC expand further into the FAST (free ad-supported streaming) space with the launch of 11 channels on TCLtv+. The company also saw growth in Amazon Prime Video Channels’ streaming bundles, which combines AMC+ with AcornTV, Discovery+, Starz and MGM+. On the programming side, Acorn TV’s first-ever “Murder Mystery May” drove the biggest month ever for the streamer, leading to what the company described as a record engagement, viewership and a multi-year high in subscriber acquisition. As for the Eli Craig-directed “Clown in a Cornfield,” what delivered the largest opening weekend and widest screen count in the company’s history. The title is now available on Shudder.
More to come …
The post AMC Networks Sees 4% Drop in Revenue From Linear Decline Despite 12% Jump in Streaming appeared first on TheWrap.
August 7, 2025
Stephen Colbert Dons a Mask to Mock JD Vance as an ‘Insane Spoiled Baby Emperor’ Over Water Scandal | Video
Stephen Colbert roasted Vice President JD Vance for the wasteful way he celebrated his birthday, declaring him an “insane spoiled baby emperor” and sealing the joke by donning a JD Vance mask to portray a new character, “Widdle Pwince Vance” during his monologue.
Colbert was set off by the news Thursday that recently, Vance went kayaking in Ohio for his birthday and ordered the secret service to have the river’s water level raised.
Now, before Colbert got to that topic, he discussed the already bad effects Donald Trump’s tariffs are having on the U.S. economy and also mocked Apple CEO Tim for the way he buttered Trump up to avoid tariffs on Apple products. That brought him to the Vice President.
“Tim Cook traveling from distant lands to present our chieftain with a precious ingot is just the latest event that makes you feel like our country is plunging head first into techno feudalism, where the rich and powerful operate the levers of government solely for their own personal gain,” Colbert said. “But once in a while, a story comes along and gives me a glimmer of hope.”
“This isn’t one of them,” Colbert quipped.
“Because we just found out that JD Vance ordered a river’s water level raised for his family boat trip on his birthday. This is such an insane spoiled baby Emperor move that I have no choice but to break out my new character,” Colbert said as he put a mask of JD Vance’s forehead, eyes and note on, “Widdle Pwince Vance.
“Hear ye, hear ye, hear ye. I want my water waised for my birthday,” Colbert said in an exaggerated baby voice. “Also. I don’t like how blue the sky is. Paint it wed. Now give me juice box. Juice box!”
After someone off camera handed Colbert a juice box, he sipped it and shouted, “Juice apple? Kill him now!”
“Netflix, call me. I’m available in June,” Colbert joked as he looked directly into the camera.
“Apparently, JD Vance wanted to go boating for his birthday, so his team requested the Army Corps of Engineers temporarily increase the outflow from a nearby lake to the river in what’s called a special release. Well, of course, on your birthday, who doesn’t want a special release?” Colbert continued.
“Officially, this river manipulation was out of the ordinary. Normally, the Army Corps of Engineers only does this when they’re training emergency responders,” he added.
At that, Colbert quickly put the mask back on and said in the same exaggerated baby voice, “there was an emergency! I wanted more wawa for my birthday, boats. Now there’s another emergency. Hello, police. I’m hungry. Get me Papa John’s. He’s closed? Kill him!”
Watch the whole amusing monologue below:
The post Stephen Colbert Dons a Mask to Mock JD Vance as an ‘Insane Spoiled Baby Emperor’ Over Water Scandal | Video appeared first on TheWrap.
Kristi Noem Calls ‘South Park’ Portrayal of Her Sexist and ‘So Lazy’
Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem isn’t a fan of how she was depicted on Wednesday’s episode of “South Park.” Speaking to CNN, Noem didn’t note any objection to the main part of the portrayal — her fictional counterpart on a crazed, puppy-murdering spree. Instead she objected to the show’s commentary on her personal aesthetics.
“It’s so lazy, it constantly makes fun of women for how they look. Only the liberals and the extremists do that,” Noem said while calling into CNN. “If they wanted to criticize my job, go ahead and do that, but clearly they can’t. They just pick something petty like that.”
Noem on South Park: It’s so lazy to just constantly make fun of women for how they look. It’s only the liberals and the extremists who do that.
— Acyn (@Acyn) August 7, 2025
If they wanted to criticize my job, go ahead and do that, but clearly they can’t. pic.twitter.com/pl6dMqr0dA
If you haven’t yet seen the episode, the b-plot sees Noem repeatedly murdering puppies while her makeup team struggles to maintain her botoxed face, which keeps collapsing. It’s a reference to her autobiography, where she reveals she once killed a dog in a fit of anger, a story she seemed to think reflected well on her, as well as a reference to her very well-documented “MAGA makeover.”
Meanwhile, the “South Park” portrayal continues the puppy-murdering subplot to the point where Noem kills Krypto, the dog from “Superman,” and then into the ending credits, where Noem is last seen entering a pet store with her rifle.
The post Kristi Noem Calls ‘South Park’ Portrayal of Her Sexist and ‘So Lazy’ appeared first on TheWrap.
James Marsden Says It’s ‘Been a Blast’ Playing Cyclops Again in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’: ‘A Nice Little Homecoming’
With “Paradise,” James Marsden received an Emmy nomination for playing the leader of the United States — but it’s not the first time we’ve seen him sitting in the driver’s seat. Soon, Marvel fans will see the actor once again portraying the leader of the X-Men as well.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Marsden opened up a bit about “Avengers: Doomsday” and his anticipated return to his earliest iconic role: Scott Summers (a.k.a. Cyclops) in 20th Century Fox’s “X-Men” film series.
“I’m getting a little long in the tooth to put on the superhero costume,” Marsden laughed. “I was excited because you’re a part of something gigantic, and I’ve spent 20 years listening to people say, ‘When are you coming back? When are you coming back? Are you coming back?’ I’m dead. Well, maybe not.”
Marsden is one of several 2000s “X-Men” cast members who will appear in the gargantuan lineup for 2026’s “Avengers: Doomsday.” As the actor alluded to, his character has walked a long and twisty road in the Fox series, one that involved him dying in “X-Men: The Last Stand” before being resurrected by a time-traveling Wolverine in “X-Men: Days of Future Past.”
Now, Marsden’s Cyclops will have to add the multiverse to his list of worries. The actor will appear alongside fellow “X-Men” stars Kelsey Grammer (Beast), Patrick Stewart (Professor X), Ian McKellen (Magneto), Alan Cumming (Nightcrawler) and Rebecca Romijn (Mystique) in “Avengers: Doomsday” — all of whom were announced via on-set chairs in a Marvel livestream. The film will see members of the original “X-Men” films (a franchise distinct from the MCU) somehow contribute in the Avengers’ conflict with Doctor Doom, played by Robert Downey Jr.
This won’t be the first time the “X-Men” characters have interacted with the MCU since the Disney/Fox merger. Stewart previously appeared as Professor X in “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” while Grammer’s Beast cameoed in the post-credits scene of “The Marvels.” 2024’s “Deadpool & Wolverine” saw Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool and Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine interact with each other for the first time, folding a few other Fox Marvel characters into the MCU adventure. Channing Tatum’s Gambit — who never actually appeared in a Fox film — made his debut in “Deadpool & Wolverine” and is also set to return for “Avengers: Doomsday.” Reynolds, Jackman and other “X-Men” stars like Halle Berry (Storm) and Famke Janssen (Jean Grey) are not confirmed to appear.
Marsden’s last appearance as Cyclops dates more than a decade before “Doomsday,” with the character making a brief cameo in 2014’s “X-Men: Days of Future Past.” The “Paradise” actor said his return to the visor is better late than never.
“I’m going to have a tough time struggling to get into costume if they waited a couple more years,” Marsden said. “So it’s been a blast. It really has. It’s been a nice little homecoming to a role that really put me on the map. It was the first real event project that I was ever a part of, and a very beloved character, this icon from the comics. And so to step back into that role was pretty special.”
The post James Marsden Says It’s ‘Been a Blast’ Playing Cyclops Again in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’: ‘A Nice Little Homecoming’ appeared first on TheWrap.
NY Times Rebuffs Netanyahu’s Threat to Sue Over Gaza Photo
The New York Times rebuffed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s threat to sue for defamation over its publication of a malnourished Gazan boy on Thursday, standing by its journalists who “bravely, sensitively and at personal risk” report from the frontlines for the paper of record.
The threat to sue came in response to an image the Times published last month that featured a mother and her son; the son was very thin and emaciated, his spine protruding down the length of his back. It was learned after publication that the boy had a pre-existing medical condition that informed his gaunt appearance. The paper ran a correction July 29. But on Thursday, Netanyahu said the image was “such clear defamation” and he intended to sue.
“The New York Times should be sued. I’m actually looking at whether a country can sue the New York Times, and I’m looking into it right now. Because I think it’s such clear defamation,” Netanyahu said, interviewing exclusively with Fox News’ Bill Hemmer. “I mean, you put a picture of a child that’s supposed to then represent all these supposedly starving children, yet they put in this picture of a child who has cerebral palsy, and they took another picture somewhere else, other media, a child who had cystic fibrosis, got nothing to do with starvation.”
The Times’ communications desk responded in a statement later that day, explaining the context around the image in question and disparaging the prime minister’s threats to independent media as “unfortunately an increasingly common playbook.”
https://t.co/Mh03DRlnjC pic.twitter.com/8APvCQqoNS
— NYTimes Communications (@NYTimesPR) August 7, 2025
“Children in Gaza are malnourished and starving, as New York Times reporters and others have documented,” the statement read. “Mr. Netanyahu is referring to an update we made to a story about how the food crisis is affecting the civilian population. After publication, we learned that a child shown in that story — in addition to being severely malnourished — also had pre-existing health problems. That additional information gave readers a greater understanding of his situation.”
The statement continued: “Attempts to threaten independent media providing vital information and accountability to the public are unfortunately an increasingly common playbook, but journalists continue to report from Gaza for The Times, bravely, sensitively, and at personal risk, so that readers can see firsthand the consequences of the war.”
In his Fox News interview Thursday, Prime Minister Netanyahu acknowledged that “there is suffering” in Gaza, but pushed back against the narrative that the suffering is coming at the hands of Israel.
“There is suffering, yes, because Hamas is interdicting aid, and what we’re doing is overcoming it,” he said. “I don’t deny that there’s suffering. I want to end the suffering. And I want to end it by ending Hamas rule.”
The young boy in the featured image is named Mohammed Zakaria al-Mutawaq. The photograph first ran July 24 in a story headlined “Gazans Are Dying of Starvation” before running as the front page of the paper on July 25.
The Times’ correction dded al-Mutawaq suffered from “pre-existing health problems affecting his brain and his muscle development.” His health has “deteriorated rapidly in recent months,” the story added right after, “as it became increasingly difficult to find food and medical care” in Gaza. The paper also shared an update on its communications social accounts:
“We recently ran a story about Gaza’s most vulnerable civilians, including Mohammed Zakaria al-Mutawaq, who is about 18 months old and suffers from severe malnutrition,” the statement read. “We have since learned new information, including from the hospital that treated him and his medical records, and have updated our story to add context about his pre-existing health problems.”
The post NY Times Rebuffs Netanyahu’s Threat to Sue Over Gaza Photo appeared first on TheWrap.
Gina Carano Thanks Elon Musk for Funding Her Lawsuit After Disney Settlement: ‘Good Samaritan Deed’
Gina Carano thanked her financial backer Elon Musk after reaching an agreement with Disney and Lucasfilm for her sex discrimination and wrongful termination suit.
“I want to extend my deepest most heartfelt gratitude to Elon Musk,
a man I’ve never met, who did this Good Samaritan deed for me in funding my lawsuit,” she wrote in an X post on Thursday. “Thank you Mr. Musk and @X for backing my case and asking for nothing in return.”
Carano filed the suit against Lucasfilm and Disney in February 2024, three years after she was fired from “The Mandalorian” after a slew of controversial social media posts.
She was fired from the Star Wars series in February 2021, after she amplified a social media post that compared being Republican in the U.S. to being Jewish during Nazi Germany. This came after months of increasingly combative social media posts from Carano advancing far right political views that included vaccine and election denials.
Musk helped fund the UFC fighter-turned-actress with her legal fees as part of his initiative to cover costs for X users, who faced discrimination for activity on his site.
I have come to an agreement with Disney/Lucasfilm @disney @Lucasfilm which I believe is the best outcome for all parties involved. I hope this brings some healing to the force.
— Gina Carano
I want to extend my deepest most heartfelt gratitude to Elon Musk, @elonmusk a man I’ve never met,… https://t.co/qiAX7W1vgf(@ginacarano) August 7, 2025
The details of the settlement were not disclosed, but Carano said in her X post that the agreement was “the best outcome for all parties involved.”
“I am excited to flip the page and move onto the next chapter,” she added. “My desires remain in the arts, which is where I hope you will join me.”
Lucasfilm said in a statement that they “look forward to identifying opportunities to work together with Ms. Carano in the near future” with the lawsuit behind them.
Carano appeared in the first two seasons of “The Mandalorian,” in which she played Rebel ranger Cara Dune.
The post Gina Carano Thanks Elon Musk for Funding Her Lawsuit After Disney Settlement: ‘Good Samaritan Deed’ appeared first on TheWrap.
‘Chimp Crazy’ Subject Tonia Haddix Sentenced to 46 Months in Prison After Faking Prized Ape’s Death
Tonia Haddix, the woman at the center of the Emmy-nominated HBO documentary series “Chimp Crazy,” has been sentenced to 46 months in prison after faking the death of a chimpanzee to avoid turning him over to authorities as ordered.
She pled guilty to two felony counts of perjury and one felony count of obstruction of justice.
“Chimp Crazy,” which aired for four episodes on HBO starting in Aug. 2024, was directed by Eric Goode, one of the directors of Netflix’s COVID-era sensation “Tiger King.” The series follows Haddix, who lied to the animal rights organization PETA and legal authorities about the whereabouts of a chimpanzee, Tonka.
“Chimp Crazy” lays out Haddix’s ownership of the Missouri Primate Foundation, a facility in Festus, Missouri, less than an hour outside St. Louis. The MPF, amid a lawsuit with PETA over the alleged abuse of the chimpanzees, was ordered to turn the animals over to an animal sanctuary.
Haddix, who had previously formed a strong bond with Tonka, told authorities and PETA officials that the chimp had died and been cremated. This was later discovered to not be the case, with Haddix harboring her beloved chimpanzee in her basement.
“Chimp Crazy” went on to become both a critical and commercial success, gaining HBO’s highest docuseries viewership since 2020’s “McMillions.” The show was twice-nominated at the 2025 Emmys: once for Outstanding Picture Editing for a Nonfiction Program and once for Outstanding Writing for a Nonfiction Program.
Haddix was sentenced to her 46 months by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri in St. Louis after her guilty pleas. The sentence comes with three years supervised release.
“Now that Tonia Haddix is locked up, she’s getting a taste of the suffering she inflicted on animals by imprisoning them in cages and denying them any semblance of a natural life,” PETA Foundation General Counsel for Captive Animal Law Enforcement Brittany Peet said in a statement. Peet was present for Haddix’s sentencing. “PETA is relieved to see justice done and urges everyone to support the Captive Primate Safety Act, which will keep vulnerable monkeys and apes out of the pet trade and the hands of ruthless dealers like Haddix.”
Haddix was reportedly arrested again in late July for violating an agreement with PETA by keeping another chimpanzee in her basement.
The post ‘Chimp Crazy’ Subject Tonia Haddix Sentenced to 46 Months in Prison After Faking Prized Ape’s Death appeared first on TheWrap.
New Paramount President Jeff Shell Says Real Estate Assets Are ‘On the Table’ for Possible Sale, but Not Hollywood Lot
The New Paramount leadership team officially took control of the company on Thursday, and as they assess their entire portfolio one particular area expected to face scrutiny is the media giant’s real estate assets.
The company’s president Jeff Shell told TheWrap during a media briefing on Thursday that the Paramount Lot in Los Angeles is among the properties that will likely be safe from any potential sale — a reversal after rumors of selling the lot surfaced last year — as will the CBS Broadcast Center on 57th Street in New York City due to its infrastructure. However, many other assets are “on the table” for review, such as National Amusements’ portfolio of movie theaters and Paramount’s Times Square headquarters in New York City.
The fate of the Ed Sullivan Theater also remains an open question as New Paramount’s TV/Media chair George Cheeks told reporters discussions remain ongoing about a programming replacement for “The Late Show” when Stephen Colbert’s show ends in 2026.
When asked about a spinoff of Paramount’s cable networks, Shell said, “I don’t think it really makes sense for us.” New Paramount chief operating and strategy officer Andy Gordon told reporters there’s “probably a place” for brands like MTV and Comedy Central to exist outside of the linear world where they can be “invested in and flourish.”
While acknowledging that the cable business is “clearly going through secular decline,” Gordon said the team would be “very careful” about how to manage the assets as efficiently as possible to maximize cash flow. Paramount recently launched a review of its international pay TV strategy, which Shell told TheWrap may result in a reduction of its cable footprint in international markets like Australia.
New Paramount leadership has previously set a goal of at least $2 billion in cost savings. In addition to real estate, New Paramount CEO David Ellison said in an open letter on Thursday that they would look to drive efficiencies in areas including technology, labor, procurement and workflow.
The post New Paramount President Jeff Shell Says Real Estate Assets Are ‘On the Table’ for Possible Sale, but Not Hollywood Lot appeared first on TheWrap.
Versant Rounds Out Communications Leadership Team With Erin Calhoun and Steve Arocho
Versant has rounded out its communication team with two new hires: Erin Calhoun and Steve Arocho.
Calhoun, who previously served as EVP of communications for Paramount streaming, will join Versant as SVP of entertainment and sports communications, while Arocho, who joins from the MLB, has joined as VP of corporate communications.
Calhoun and Arocho join Versant’s previously announced communication executives, which include Lauren Skowronski, SVP of global communications for CNBC; Richard Hudock, SVP of communications for MSNBC; Diana Rocco, VP of internal communications for Versant; and Hollie Tracz, VP of media relations for Versant. Chief communications officer Keith Cocozza oversees the team.
As SVP of entertainment and sports communications at Versant, Calhoun will oversee the strategic communications efforts and manage day-to-day press activities for Versant’s portfolio, which includes USA Network, Oxygen, E!, SYFY, Golf Channel, GolfNow, Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes and Sports Engine.
Calhoun most recently served as EVP of communications for Paramount streaming, Paramount+ with Showtime and cross-company publicity and previously was EVP of communications for both Showtime and Paramount Television Studios. Calhoun has a history with NBCUniversal’s cable assets that are being spun off into Versant after serving as VP of corp comms for NBCUniversal cable entertainment.
As Arocho steps into his new role as VP of corp comms for Versant, he will lead corporate social responsibility and digital communications in an effort to amplify Versant’s presence.
Arocho joins from Major League Baseball, where he assisted across several corporate arenas, including social responsibility, community affairs, baseball and softball development, youth engagement and multicultural outreach and oversaw the communications for initiative launches.
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Macaulay Culkin Confirms His ‘Home Alone’ Stunt Double Was a ‘Very Short 30-Year-Old Man’ in Rare Interview | Video
Macaulay Culkin confirmed a long-standing rumor that his “Home Alone” stunt double was a “very short,” 30-year-old man named Larry Nicholas.
Culkin stopped by “Hot Ones” on Thursday for a very rare interview with host Sean Evans. The host said he couldn’t help but ask him to fact check some rumors about the classic family film “Home Alone.”
“Is it true that your stunt double was a very short 30-year-old man?” Evans asked.
“Yeah, his name was Larry, and I saw him in the wardrobe department for the first time,” Culkin responded, explaining how the two first met. “I get changed and I walk out and there’s this guy, Larry, dressed exactly like me ’cause we’re both trying on the same outfit. And [I’m like,] ‘Oh, hey, Larry, how ya doing?’ He goes, ‘Hey, I’m doing good. I’m Larry, the stunt guy.’ And he kind of looks at me and he goes, ‘How old do you think I am?’ And I go, ‘That’s a loaded question.’ I know he’s much older than me ’cause I was 9. So it was loaded; I go, ’13?’ … He thought that was funny.”
The actor went on to share stories about he and Nicholas’ time on set, including one instance where Nicholas fell after a shelf collapsed.
“It was a vicious first take. It was vicious, and they do it again. And there’s another take just boom. They didn’t like the way everything felt, and they do it again and they do it again … And I’m going, ‘Please take it easy on Larry. He’s only 13 years old.'”
He went on to weigh in on some other “Home Alone” myths, including the idea that he improvised the line, “You guys give up? Are you thirsty for me?”
“No, no, not that one … that was in the script,” Culkin explained. But he pointed out that his “‘Cause you’re a stranger” line when a clerk questions where his parents were in a grocery store was all his idea.”
“If you let me off the leash, I like to dork around, but I did what I was told,” Culkin said in jest.
Evans’ last inquiry was whether or not it was true that Joe Pesci kept his distance from Culkin on set in an effort to make the young actor think he was scary.
“That’s what I heard,” Culkin said. “I can see why he was kind of like, ‘Oh, I want to scare the kid.'” He went on to say that he remembers Pesci’s response after he told him he was tired and had not been home in months.
“He goes, ‘I haven’t been home in three years.’ I was like, ‘Oh, I didn’t realize this was a dick measuring contest.’ But I guess you beat the 10-year-old, Joe Pesci.”
See Culkin’s full interview in the video above.
The post Macaulay Culkin Confirms His ‘Home Alone’ Stunt Double Was a ‘Very Short 30-Year-Old Man’ in Rare Interview | Video appeared first on TheWrap.
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