Disney Merges Hulu + Live TV with Fubo, Challenges YouTube TV
Disney has reached an agreement to combine Hulu + Live TV service with Fubo, forming the second-largest digital pay-TV provider behind YouTube TV. Per the Monday announcement, Disney will maintain a 70% majority stake in the combined Fubo and Hulu + Live TV business, which will be led by Fubo CEO and co-founder David Gandler. The combined streaming cable service will have 6.2 million subscribers at its official launch compared to YouTube TV’s 8 million users. As a result, Fubo has settled all litigation with Disney and ESPN pertaining to Venu Sports, clearing the way for the streaming platform planned by Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery to move forward with a potential launch. Following the news of the merger, Fubo’s stock surged over 250% by market close on Monday.
Bad Bunny Opts for Sunday Drop of New Album
In one of the first major music drops of 2025, Bad Bunny released his sixth studio album, Debí Tirar Más Fotos (“I Should Have Taken More Photos”), on Sunday, taking a page out of Tyler, the Creator’s book by dropping at the beginning of the week versus the industry standard of Friday. The global superstar accompanied the news with a video shared to his nearly 46 million followers on Instagram. A love letter to Puerto Rico, the 17-track project boasts features from Dei V, Omar Courtz, Rainao, Chuwi, and Pleneros de la Cresta. Bad Bunny also shared a new 13-minute short film Debí Tirar Más Fotos, which he co-wrote and co-directed alongside Arí Maniel Cruz Suárez.
Hulk Hogan, WWE Ink Multi-Year Partnership
Ahead of its first-ever live episode debut on Netflix on Monday evening, the WWE announced it’s entered a multi-year partnership with Hulk Hogan and his Real American Beer brand. As part of the deal, the federation will display Real American Beer branding within WWE’s weekly flagship program, Monday Night Raw, in addition to other key WWE assets. Real American Beer will also benefit from social and digital support by WWE, including original, short-form content that will be distributed across WWE’s social and digital channels.
SZA’s ‘SOS’ Sets Sights on Whitney Houston Record After 12 Weeks Atop Billboard 200
SZA has something to celebrate already in the new year: Her second studio album SOS has recorded its 12th non-consecutive week atop the Billboard 200 for the weekend ending on Jan. 2. By hitting the dozen mark, SZA boasts the most weeks atop the chart for an R&B/hip-hop album by a woman since Whitney Houston spent 14 weeks there in 1986. Despite having dropped in December 2022, the album’s surge back to the top is due to the four-time Grammy Award winner reissuing a deluxe version — SOS Deluxe: LANA — last month.
Wasserman Music Expands Leadership Team with WME Hires
In one of the company’s biggest expansion moves since originating in 2021, Wasserman Music is making changes to its leadership team by hiring three key executives — Kevin Shivers, James Rubin, and Cristina Baxter — from WME. Shivers and Rubin are joining as EVP & Managing Executives, while Baxter will come on as SVP. Between them, the trio has worked with some of music’s biggest stars, such as Tyler, The Creator, Snoop Dogg, Lil Baby, Kid Cudi, André 3000, Bryson Tiller, Wiz Khalifa, and more. Per Deadline, some of the group’s clients are expected to follow them to Wasserman.
Spotify Dominates as Best-Performing Music Stock of 2024
Despite a rough December to close out the year, Spotify was the best-performing music stock of 2024, with its share price jumping over 138% throughout the 12-month period. To illustrate its industry dominance last year, the streaming service’s share price gain nearly tripled that of any other company in the space. Spotify’s success was a key contributor to the Billboard Global Music Index, consisting of 20 companies, gaining 38.5% in 2024.
Bumble Kicks Off 2025 Celebrity Campaign with Amelia Dimoldenberg
In an effort to produce more lifestyle content, dating app Bumble is launching a new campaign in 2025 in which it will interview celebrities throughout the year to showcase the intersection between dating and culture. The company kicked things off in January by teaming up with Amelia Dimoldenberg, creator of the popular YouTube series, Chicken Shop Date. This comes at a busy time for dating apps, with rivals Hinge and Tinder also currently running global campaigns.
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Records Most-Watched Induction Ceremony Ever
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame attracted an average of 4.6 million viewers for its most recent induction ceremony, becoming the most-watched ceremony it’s ever had. Initially taking place in October of last year to honor the Class of 2024 — which includes Mary J. Blige, Cher, Dave Matthews Band, Foreigner, Peter Frampton, Kool & the Gang, Ozzy Osbourne, and A Tribe Called Quest — the event aired on ABC on New Year’s Day and was made available on Hulu the day after. It was nearly a 50% increase in viewership from last year’s show while improving in key demographic areas, including a 39% uptick in the adults age 18-49 range. Additionally, it became the most-watched primetime entertainment program on broadcast television in six years.
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