Tom Cruise Set to Close out Olympics with Wild Stunt
Tom Cruise is one of Team USA’s most fervent supporters in Paris, where he’s been seen at multiple events cheering on the athletes. However, Deadline reports that the Mission Impossible star has another reason to be in the City of Lights. Cruise is allegedly preparing to perform a skydiving stunt during the closing ceremony of the Paris Summer Olympics on Aug. 11. Considering the next summer games are in Los Angeles in 2028, the Hollywood-esque move can be seen as an official handoff of responsibilities to the next host city. Details are still under wraps, but a source did tell Deadline that L.A. Mayor Karen Bass will receive the Olympic flag from Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, signaling a changing of the guard.
Cameron Brink, Bob Myers Headline Next Round of Game Plan Announcements
LA Sparks rookie standout Cameron Brink and Bob Myers, ESPN NBA broadcaster and former President and GM of the Golden State Warriors, are the newest names scheduled to speak at CNBC x Boardroom’s 2024 Game Plan Summit in Los Angeles on Sept. 10.
As it becomes a bigger conversation across sports, CEO of Fanatics Betting and Games Matt King, President of FanDuel Group Christian Genetski, and DraftKings’ Chief Business & Growth Officer Marie Donaghue will lead a conversation about the future of sports betting. Previous confirmed speakers include Klutch Athletics’ Rich Paul, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, and 2x NBA Champion and entrepreneur Kevin Durant. Register to attend here.
Elliot Grange Tapped to Become Atlantic Music Group’s CEO Amidst Executive Shake-Up
Changes are coming to Warner Music Group (WMG). This week, the record label confirmed the departure of its global CEO of Recorded Music, Max Lousada, after 20 years with the company. Effective Oct. 1, Elliot Grainge, founder of 10K Projects, will become Atlantic Music Group’s CEO and will report to Robert Kyncl, CEO of WMG. Julie Greenwald is taking on a new position as Chairman, Atlantic Music Group. These changes mean Warner’s US recorded music operation will be structured into two distinct label groups. Atlantic Music Group, run by Grainge as CEO, will house Atlantic Records, 300 Elektra Entertainment, and 10K Projects. Warner Records will now handle Warner Music Nashville, along with Nonesuch and Reprise.
Threads Meets New Milestone, Surpasses 200M Active Users
Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri shared Thursday that Threads has reached 200 million active users in a post on the platform. Seen as a rival to X, it took Threads just 13 months to reach this milestone. Upon sharing the news, Mosseri reflected: “My hope is that Threads can inspire ideas that bring people together and this amazing community continues to grow.”
Kobe and Gigi Bryant Statue Debuted in LA
There’s a second Kobe Bryant statue coming to Los Angeles. The newest statue also includes a memorial of his daughter, Gianna “Gigi” Bryant. The statue is located outside Crypto.com Arena and just like the first 19-foot bronze figurine unveiled on Feb. 8, Friday’s date (8/2/24) also holds some significance, symbolizing both of Bryant’s jersey numbers (8 and 24) and the No. 2 that Gigi wore on the basketball court. The statue will be available for public viewing beginning Saturday morning.
50 Cent Teams Up With Lionsgate to Launch Ad-Supported Channel
50 Cent has added yet another item to his media takeover. The Queens rapper is teaming up with Lionsgate to introduce a free ad-supported channel called 50 Cent Action. The forthcoming FAST platform will house premium content from Lionsgate’s archive, including the original Power series. 50 Cent’s G-Unit Film and Television and G-Unit Studios firms will also partner with the studio to deliver diverse content that coincides with the rapper’s “passion for storytelling” and featuring dynamic voices, he confirmed in a statement.
Sue Bird, Alex Morgan, and Uzo Aduba Back Golden Throwback to Atlanta Olympics with Limited TV Series
A popular six-part podcast about the women of Team USA who dominated the 1996 Atlanta Olympics has been ordered for a limited-run television series. CBS Studios will produce Summer of Gold alongside Uzo Aduba’s Meynon Media. Olympic gold medalists Sue Bird and Alex Morgan also signed on as executive producers. Per exclusive reporting from Variety, the show plans to “delve deeper into the stories of the athletes, their experiences, and the legacy of the 1996 Games. It will also address the ongoing issues of unfair media coverage, financial investment, and gender equity in sports.”
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