Hulu’s TMZ Reality & The NFL’s $4.6B Headache

Vance’s Pope Politics, The Onion vs. Infowars, Hollywood M&A Jitters

Welcome back to The Daily Courant, your afternoon guide to Puck’s best new reporting. Here’s what you need to know…

What I’m Hearing: Summer House is breaking ratings records, Bravo just had its biggest quarter ever on Peacock, and Hulu is watching from the sidelines with two unscripted hits it doesn’t know what to do with. Julia Alexander digs into the divergent fortunes of the rival reality TV operations. [Read More]
The Varsity: Should NFL executives be worried about Trump’s F.C.C. and D.O.J. breathing down their neck? John Ourand and Eriq Gardner team up to explain why the league’s real problem is the $4.6 billion Sunday Ticket verdict quietly working its way toward the Supreme Court. [Read More]
Line Sheet: Fashion insiders are on edge after Kering’s newish C.E.O., Luca de Meo, vowed to eject underperforming brands and slash budgets by 20 percent. Lauren Sherman has exclusive reporting on the industry skepticism (and quiet hope!) surrounding de Meo’s turnaround strategy. [Read More]
The Best & The Brightest: Thoughts and prayers for the G.O.P.’s Catholic coalition after Trump picked a fight with Pope Leo, posted an A.I.-generated image of himself as Jesus, and slashed funding for Catholic charities… just months before the all-important midterms. Abby Livingston talks to political operatives scrambling to assess the fallout in key swing districts. [Read More]

Meanwhile, on the pods…

The Town: Matt Belloni and Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw chew over the rampant Hollywood skepticism surrounding the Tegna–Nexstar and Live Nation–Ticketmaster mergers—and what it all portends for Warner Bros.–Paramount. [Listen Here]
The Grill Room: Dylan Byers sits down with The Onion C.E.O. Ben Collins to make sense of its Infowars acquisition and the $500,000 six-month licensing deal at the center of it. [Listen Here]
The Powers That Be: Peter Hamby rings up Julia Ioffe for a pressing conversation on where the Iran war is headed as the Wednesday peace-deal deadline looms. [Listen Here]

HOLLYWOOD

Julia Alexander

Summer House, Mormon Wives & The Limits of the Reality Binge

Even as unscripted TV’s share of streaming watch time has fallen, Bravo has created a content flywheel that consistently helps its shows enter the broader cultural conversation. One of its biggest strengths may be its adherence to the weekly episode drop.

SPORTS

John Ourand

How Much Trouble Is the NFL In, Really?

The league’s recent push to sign new rights deals with its media partners and ongoing relationship with the streamers has opened it up to a wave of regulatory inquiry. But is any of the scrutiny more than just a headache?

FASHION

Lauren Sherman

Hold de Meo

There’s some natural skepticism around Luca de Meo’s recently unveiled turnaround strategy at Kering—and while not everyone is sure that his plan to double operating margins can work anytime soon, everyone in the industry wants to believe it will.

WASHINGTON

Abby Livingston

Trump’s Midterm Divine Comedy

The president’s unholy spat with Pope Leo risks undoing Republican gains with working-class Catholics, just as the midterms approach. And Democrats are happy to help twist the knife.

HOLLYWOOD

Matthew Belloni

Could Hollywood Actually De-Monopolize?

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss the state of the various high-profile antitrust cases in Hollywood, particularly how skeptical the states are of the Tegna–Nexstar and Live Nation–Ticketmaster mergers. Is this a new twist in how big media mergers are going to be treated? If so, what does this mean for Warner Bros.–Paramount?

MEDIA

Dylan Byers

Julia Alexander

The Onion’s Full Bloom

Ben Collins, C.E.O. of The Onion, joins Dylan to make sense of The Onion’s acquisition of Infowars and the purpose behind it. Collins walks through the legal and financial complexities of redirecting money to Sandy Hook families who are owed damages by a bankrupt Alex Jones, including the unique, $500,000, six-month licensing deal at the center of it. They also discuss The Onion’s successful pivot to user-supported media—and why, in an era of rampant misinformation, satire has never felt more necessary.

WASHINGTON

Peter Hamby

Julia Ioffe

The Powers that Be Daily, Starring Peter Hamby

J.D. Vance’s Deadline Diplomacy

Julia Ioffe joins Peter as the clock runs down on Wednesday’s deadline to reach a deal with Iran and end the conflict. Julia explains why a resolution seems increasingly unlikely—and parses Trump’s narrowing options as public opposition to the conflict continues to grow.

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