Hearst vs The Hollywood Reporter

Hearst Newspapers, San Francisco Chronicle & USLege Launch Capitol Confidential Pro

Hearst Newspapers, San Francisco Chronicle & USLege launch Capitol Confidential Pro, a new product with searchable government video transcripts and Sacramento political reporting and analysis.

Hearst Newspapers, San Francisco Chronicle & USLege Launch Capitol Confidential Pro With Searchable Government Video Transcripts & Sacramento Political Reporting & Analysis

Hearst Newspapers, San Francisco Chronicle and USLege have launched Capitol Confidential Pro, a new product offering searchable government video transcripts and Sacramento political reporting and analysis.

Hearst Newsroom: Capitol Confidential Pro Launch, A+E Global Media Acquisition, and More

The Hearst news page now features a new press release about the launch of Capitol Confidential Pro, a collaboration between Hearst Newspapers, San Francisco Chronicle, and USLege. Additionally, the page highlights the recent announcement that A+E Global Media will become a wholly owned Hearst business, along with other corporate updates.

Universal Presells Nolan's Odyssey Year-Early

Josh Stein argues that Universal’s decision to sell IMAX 70mm tickets for Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey at midnight on July 17, 2025 — for screenings starting July 17, 2026 — represented a first for a major studio: collecting paying demand 12 months before a film existed. Roughly 25 IMAX 70mm locations were offered, 95% of seats sold within an hour, and about $1.5 million was collected from that small pool. Stein ties the event to a broader shift: counted, presold demand (from creators and auteur brands) can become a financeable asset, changing greenlight underwriting and capital-stack pricing. He cites parallel creator-market examples (A24’s Backrooms, Focus’s Obsession, Markiplier’s Iron Lung) and notes industry reactions including box-office results and major corporate deals and disclosure choices that reflect the value of measured demand.

• On July 17, 2025 (midnight Eastern), Universal put IMAX 70mm tickets on sale for Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, for show dates beginning July 17, 2026.
• 95% of the available IMAX 70mm seats sold within an hour, producing roughly $1.5 million in gross from the deliberately small pool of about 25 locations.
• The Odyssey had a reported $250 million net production budget; its opening weekend later ran to $264.1 million worldwide, per Variety and Reuters.

Netflix Dominates U.S. Streaming Viewership

Cord Cutters News reports that Hollywood Reporter charts show Netflix leading U.S. streaming viewership during the tracked period: seven of the ten most-watched movies and four of the ten most-streamed original series were Netflix titles. The Hollywood Reporter data measures minutes viewed on television sets across major streaming services and highlights Netflix outperforming competitors including Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Max, Hulu, and Paramount+. The article frames this performance as the result of Netflix's heavy investment in originals, broad accessibility, and marketing that drives repeat viewing and retention.

• Seven of the ten most-watched movies in the tracked period were Netflix titles, per Hollywood Reporter charts.
• Four of the ten most-streamed original series nationwide were Netflix originals, and no other service matched that count.
• Hollywood Reporter data cited measures minutes viewed on television sets across major U.S. streaming services.

ABC Defends The View's News Status to FCC

ABC filed a formal legal response with the Federal Communications Commission arguing that daytime program The View qualifies as a bona fide news program and should remain exempt from equal‑time political rules. The filing replies to an FCC inquiry tied to an episode that featured Texas Senate candidate James Talarico and to proposed revisions that would narrow the news exemption. ABC cites a 2002 FCC determination recognizing The View’s news status, warns that regulatory intervention would amount to government editorial control, and says the inquiry has already chilled political bookings. More than 76,000 public comments have been submitted; regulators have not reached a final decision. The dispute is part of broader FCC scrutiny involving ABC/Disney, including a separate license review.

• ABC filed an extensive legal response with the Federal Communications Commission defending The View's status as a bona fide news program.
• The FCC opened an inquiry after an episode featuring Texas Senate candidate James Talarico, asserting the appearance may trigger equal‑time obligations.
• ABC referenced a prior FCC determination from 2002 that recognized The View’s news status and shielded it from equal‑opportunities obligations.