Warner Bros. took the top spot on the national home video sales charts for the week ended April 2 with 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,' the fantasy spinoff of the “Harry Potter” series that earned more than $234 million in U.S. theaters and in excess of $813 million globally.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer April 5 announced it has acquired full ownership of multiplatform premium TV network Epix after buying out majority partners Lionsgate and Paramount Pictures (Viacom) for $1.2 billion. Viacom and Lionsgate owned 49.76% and 31.15% stakes, respectively.
Sling TV April 5 announced it is adding Showtime as an add-on to its subscription-based online TV service. CBS-owned Showtime is available for an additional $10 monthly fee.
Google-owned YouTube April 5 announced its $35 monthly online TV service, YouTube Live, is now available in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago and Philadelphia.
With Prime Video now available in 240 countries, Amazon head of content Roy Price says competitive pressure to offer content that engages viewers and influences Prime subscriptions underscores investment in programming like 'Grand Tour.'
