Giannis Antetokounmpo Launches New Media & Branding Venture
The Greek Freak has a new line on his resume. The NBA champion announced the launch of Improbable Media, his new media and branding consulting company. To kick off its productions, the company announced that Giannis: The Marvelous Journey will premiere on Prime Video on Feb 19. The new company is backed by investments from Verance Capital, GPS Investment Partners, and Jay Williams.
'Succession,' 'The Bear' Continue Awards Season Domination, Elton John Rounds out EGOT with Big Emmy Wins
Awards season continues to roll on in Hollywood. As the red carpets roll out, one thing is for certain this year, The Bear and Succession cleaned up all the most coveted awards. The Hulu dramedy about restaurant life took the top awards at the 75th Emmy Awards for Best Actress (Ayo Edebiri), Best Actor (Jeremy Allen White), and Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy (Ebon Moss-Bachrach). Meanwhile, Succession ended its four-season HBO run taking home top Actor and Actress and Best Supporting Actor in Drama awards for Keiran Culkin Sarah Snook, and Matthew Macfadyen, respectively. Overall, Succession took home six trophies. Additionally, Elton John secured his EGOT status with a win for Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger Stadium.
Peacock Brings in 23M Viewers in $100M NFL Playoff Gamble
The Kansas City Chiefs are heading into the next round of the playoffs, and they contributed to a little bit of history along the way. The Chiefs-Dolphins matchup was the first NFL playoff game to stream exclusively on Peacock. The streaming service paid $100 million for the rights to the broadcast, and the gamble paid off. The game set a new record for a live-streamed sporting event, bringing in an average of 23 million viewers and accounted for 30% of internet traffic during the timeslot. The chairman of Peacock’s parent company Comcast, Brian Roberts called it “a proud moment” for the company. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell lauded the broadcast as an important step in the league meeting the diverse needs of consumers.
Apple Avoids Ban, Removes Pulse Oximetry Feature
Apple has found a sustainable solution to its intellectual property battle over a pulse oximetry feature. The tech giant was subject to a ban of sales of its super popular Apple Watch product due to a challenge that it used a California-based company, Masimo’s, technology without permission. For now, Apple will remove the feature from its watches and US Customs confirmed that it will no longer be at risk for the ban. Despite the solution, the Series 9 is still subject to the original ruling, pending a redesign.
Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa Tapped as Grammy Performers
The 66th Grammy Awards are coming to CBS on Feb 4. Ahead of the show, The Recording Academy announced its first set of performers. Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa, and Olivia Rodrigo will each take the stage on music’s biggest night. Both Eilish and Rodrigo received six nominations apiece, while Dua Lipa — a three-time past winner — is nominated for Song of the Year for her Barbie contribution, “Dance the Night Away.” Trevor Noah will host the show.