Culture

Paramount Shuts Down BET+ and Buys Out Tyler Perry's Stake

Paramount is shutting down BET+ by mid-August 2026 and moving 1,000+ hours into a BET hub on Paramount+ after buying out Tyler Perry's stake — ending the last direct Black ownership tie to BET.

Daily Roundup

The Daily Roundup: Apple Rebuilds Siri on Gemini, the Knicks Eye a Finals Sweep, Nike's Cryoshot Collab Drop, and Scary Movie's $55M Record — June 8, 2026

Apple rebuilds Siri on a Google Gemini model and opens it to Claude and ChatGPT at WWDC, the Knicks chase a sweep in Game 3 at MSG with a 2-0 Finals lead, and Scary Movie opens to a $55M franchise record.

Intelligence Brief

The Intelligence Brief: Sony's Catalog Buy, the Knicks' 2-0 Finals Lead, and Anthropic's $965B IPO Filing — June 6, 2026

From Sony's multibillion-dollar catalog buy and Byron Allen's leveraged BuzzFeed takeover to Anthropic's $965B IPO filing and the first Air Jordan 11 collab to reach retail, this week rewarded owning the asset over renting the moment.

Technology

Jay Hoag Replaces Co-Founder Reed Hastings as Netflix Board Chairman

Netflix named longtime director Jay Hoag board chairman on June 4, succeeding co-founder Reed Hastings, who left the board after nearly three decades — completing a transition that began when Hastings stepped down as CEO in 2023.

Technology

YouTube Passes Netflix in Daily Viewing Time for First Time in 2025

Average daily YouTube viewing climbed to 99.1 minutes in 2025 as Netflix slipped to 93.4, the first time YouTube has overtaken Netflix in Digital i's measurement across 20 markets.

Culture

State AGs Prepare Suit to Block $110 Billion Paramount–Warner Bros. Merger

A California-led coalition of up to 10 state attorneys general is drafting an antitrust lawsuit to block the $110 billion Paramount Skydance–Warner Bros. Discovery merger, with a filing possible this month.

Culture

Bill Ackman's Pershing Square Exits Universal Music Group With $600 Million Profit

Bill Ackman's Pershing Square has sold its entire stake in Universal Music Group, booking a roughly $600 million profit after two failed attempts to merge UMG with his SPARC vehicle and list it on the NYSE.

Sneakers

Nike's X2 World Cup Collection Drops June 11 With Seven Designer Capsules

Nike's X2 World Cup collection pairs seven national teams with seven fashion labels — Jacquemus, Palace, NOCTA, PEACEMINUSONE, Patta, the Virgil Abloh Archive, and Slawn — on vintage-football-inspired sneakers priced at $200, rolling out from June 11.

Culture

Byron Allen Closes $120 Million BuzzFeed Acquisition, Becomes Chairman and CEO

Byron Allen closed his $120 million BuzzFeed acquisition on May 27, 2026, taking about 51% control and the chairman and CEO roles. Founder Jonah Peretti moves to lead a new unit, BuzzFeed AI.

Culture

Kith Releases Taxi Driver and Tribeca Festival Capsules for the Film's 50th Anniversary

Kith drops two NYC-rooted capsules — Kith for Taxi Driver and Kith for Tribeca Festival — marking the Scorsese film's 50th anniversary and Tribeca's 25th edition, with tees from $69 and a $155 reversible crewneck.

Culture

Sony Music Publishing Acquires Recognition Music Group's 45,000-Song Catalog

Sony Music Publishing agreed to buy Recognition Music Group — the catalog Blackstone built from Hipgnosis — gaining shares in more than 45,000 songs by Fleetwood Mac, Beyoncé and Mariah Carey, in a deal reported in the $2 billion range.

Daily Roundup

The Daily Roundup: Knicks Lead NBA Finals 1-0 Entering Game 2, A Ma Maniére Pegasus Premium, Governors Ball, and Anthropic's $965B IPO Filing — June 5, 2026

The Knicks carry a 1-0 lead into NBA Finals Game 2, the A Ma Maniére Pegasus Premium hits wide release at $210, Governors Ball takes over Queens, and Anthropic files for an IPO at a $965B valuation.