A$AP Rocky to Award Full-Tuition Scholarship at Roc Nation School

A$AP Rocky is giving back to the next generation of creatives with a full-tuition scholarship at LIU Brooklyn’s Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment. The four-year award will go to one incoming freshman beginning in Fall 2027, with applications open through Dec. 15. Rocky joins DJ Khaled, Megan Thee Stallion, Young Guru, and LaMelo Ball, who have previously funded scholarships at the school, which offers six bachelor’s degree programs.

Amazon has secured a six-year global deal to stream the Emmys on Prime Video, replacing the rotating broadcast network model that has been in place since 1995. The pact is worth more than $120 million, or roughly $20-25 million annually. The ceremony will remain free to watch, a condition the Television Academy deemed non-negotiable. Amazon and the Academy aim to use the global platform to attract younger viewers and modernize the awards show.

Cristiano Ronaldo remains soccer’s highest-paid player, with an estimated $300 million in combined on- and off-field earnings for the 2026-27 season, per Sportico. Lionel Messi ranks second at $150 million, followed by Kylian Mbappé at $105 million. Erling Haaland ranks fourth at $85 million, while Vinicius Jr. rounds out the top five at $67 million. The 10 highest-paid players are projected to earn a combined $935 million, up 1% from last season.

Future tapped Lyrical Lemonade founder Cole Bennett to direct the video for “Build a Bitch,” off his latest album, The Real Me. Shot in Miami, the black-and-white visual follows Future as he welds together an animatronic figure that eventually joins him on the chorus. The clip closes with a “TO BE CONTINUED” message, hinting at more to come. Bennett has previously directed videos for Juice WRLD, Eminem, J. Cole, Drake, and Jack Harlow, among others.

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Paramount’s $110 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery closed Tuesday, with RedBird Capital Partners investing another $4 billion in the combined company, bringing its total commitment to $6 billion. The additional financing strengthens RedBird’s position as one of two investors, alongside the Ellison family, controlling Paramount’s voting stock. The merger combines the companies’ film studios, television networks, and streaming platforms under a new media giant called Skydance.

U.S. stocks climbed Tuesday, with the S&P 500 gaining 0.6% to close at a record 7,819, its 28th record close of the year. The Nasdaq also set a new high, rising 0.4%, while the Dow added 253 points. Treasury yields eased after a sharp recent climb, with the 10-year yield falling to 5.27%. Meanwhile, Brent crude rose 0.3% to $100.58 a barrel as traders monitored tensions around the Strait of Hormuz.

Steven Spielberg is returning to the Transformers franchise, overseeing creative development and executive producing the eighth live-action installment for Paramount. Michael Bay, who directed the franchise’s first five films, is in talks to return as director. The film will be based on a modern-day script by Jason Fuchs, with Lorenzo di Bonaventura helping develop the project. The franchise has generated more than $5.4 billion globally, though original star Shia LaBeouf is not expected to return.

The WNBA set a new attendance record in 2026, drawing 3.79 million fans, a 20% increase from last season, according to Sports Business Journal. A major driver was the league’s decision to move 25 games into larger venues to meet demand. Those relocated games attracted nearly 389,000 fans and averaged 15,743 per game, 40% higher than the average attendance at teams’ usual home arenas.

Uber is buying corporate catering platform ezCater for $2.3 billion in cash, expanding Uber Eats further into workplace and business food delivery. The deal gives Uber access to ezCater’s network of more than 140,000 restaurants and a platform that generated over $2.5 billion in gross bookings over the past year. The acquisition comes as Uber ramps up its delivery business, which now accounts for nearly half of the company’s total gross bookings.

Michael Jordan is giving $10 million to the UNC School of Social Work in honor of his mother, Deloris P. Jordan. The gift is the largest in the school’s history and will expand its Global Social Development Innovations Center, which will be renamed in her honor. It will also establish the Jordan Family Scholars program, providing financial support to Master of Social Work students facing barriers to graduate education. Ten inaugural scholars will each receive $12,500.

Netflix has tapped IMG to produce its coverage of the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, expanding its push into live sports. The tournament, taking place in Brazil from June 24 to July 25, will stream exclusively on Netflix in the U.S. and Canada. IMG will produce all 64 matches plus more than 100 hours of studio programming, with coverage offered in English and Spanish in the U.S. and English and French in Canada.

Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff’s rise from Philadelphia’s hip-hop scene to early crossover success will be the basis for 215, a new scripted series from Smith’s Westbrook Studios and The Malar Group. The series will follow the duo’s teenage years as they pursue a record deal, navigate sudden fame and build a friendship that would shape their careers. 215 is the first project from Westbrook and Malar’s new film and television partnership.

Get Engaged is joining global social-first agency SAMY in a cash-and-equity deal reportedly valued in the low nine figures, creating one of the largest independent social media & influencer marketing platforms. Get Engaged will anchor SAMY’s U.S. operations, bringing clients including DoorDash, Sephora, and Raising Cane’s, while its founders retain meaningful ownership and continue in their existing roles. The combination gives SAMY greater U.S. reach and pairs Get Engaged’s cultural expertise with SAMY’s data, tech, and global scale across 55 markets.

Amazon is bringing the story of Sam Bankman-Fried to Prime Video with The Boy Who Stole Billions?, a three-part docuseries premiering in November. Produced by Propagate and Amazon MGM Studios, the series features unprecedented access to Bankman-Fried from prison, where he offers his account of the collapse of FTX and the $8 billion in customer funds he was convicted of stealing. The series also features interviews with FTX insiders, including former CEO Caroline Ellison.

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