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Wrestling Cafe Culture

WWE Living Legend John Cena Delivers Epic Pipebomb On SmackDown; References History And Coffee Club Connection With Wrestlers From Other Wrestling Promotions

Cena Breaks Down Fourth Wall; Extends Olive Branch To AEW And Beyond!

Wrestling And Coffee Lovers Worldwide Community Offers Return Cheers

"Oh! That’s a great question. You know, John(Cena), and I are on a little coffee group chat because we love coffee. John’s a coffee connoisseur. I actually take a lot of pride in this, I’m not going to take full credit but he’s in there with myself and one of our other friends, Claudio Castagnoli (generic Italian hand gesture), who’s been a long friend of ours. We talk about coffee. So, we travel all the time, so we’re always going to different coffee shops. For years, John was like a hermit when he traveled." Seth Rollins via Up & Adams Show. (Transcript: ITR Wrestling)

Videos Of Reference:

Up & Adams Show with Kay Adams | WWE Superstar Seth Rollins | June 5, 2025
https://youtube.com/watch?v=CaQBsAD4wXE

WWE YouTube
FULL SEGMENT: John Cena recreates CM Punk's famous “pipebomb”: SmackDown, June 20, 2025
https://youtube.com/watch?v=47otpATArSM

Claudio's Cafe

Claudio's Cafe (Coffee Brand): Associated with Claudio Castagnoli, this is a coffee brand featuring blends like Morning Swing, Neutralizer, and SPRSSO (a Guatemalan dark roast). It’s promoted via social media and available online, targeting coffee enthusiasts with varied flavor profiles. (Grok)

Websites

Claudio's Cafe Instagram
https://instagram.com/claudioscafe/

Blended Joe: Claudio's Cafe
https://blendedjoe.com/claudioscafe

Cafe 392 Instagram
https://instagram.com/392dport/

Cafe 392 Website
https://392caffe.com

Media Man: Cheers to all.

Markets, Crypto and Culture

Running Of The Bulls To Normal; Cryptos Hurting; All That Glitters ...

October 15/16, 2025

Sin City Sydney, Australia

ASX futures up 5 points/0.1%, at 9024

Wall Street:
S&P 500 +0.4%
Dow Jones: flat
Nasdaq +0.7%

Europe: Stoxx 50 +1%
FTSE -0.3%
DAX -0.2%
CAC +2%

Australian dollar: US65.06 cents

Bitcoin -1.6% to $US111,106

Gold +1.5% to $US4227.10 per ounce

Oil +0.1% to $US58.78 a barrel

Brent crude oil +0.1% to $US62.45 a barrel

Iron ore -0.3% to $US104.90 per ton

10-year yield:
US 4.03%
Australia 4.21%
Germany 2.57%

News Update: (Near Live)

Bitcoin:

New York/Wall St

Cryptos Today: (Near Live) Mood: Corrective! Salt Into The Wound In Checkers?! Or Salt Of The Earth In Metals Right Chess Move?! All That Glitters Not Digital Gold?!

Bitcoin $111,291.65 -1.77%
Ethereum $3,980.33 -3.44%
Tether $1.0005 -0.03%
Binance Coin $1,161.17 -3.98%
XRP $2.4129 -3.48%
Solana $194.13 -3.71%
TRON $0.3194 +0.85%
Dogecoin -$0.1961 -4.15%
Cardano $0.6677 -4.14%

Market corrective. Mood: Somber-like for many! Suspicious! Regaining smiles! Hardcores keep the dream!

Media Man Favs:

October 15, 2025 (Near Live)
Wall St, New York

TKO Group Holdings Inc $191.21 +1.18 +0.62%
NVIDIA Corp $179.83 -0.18 -0.099%
Formula One Group Series C $103.57 -0.15 -0.14%
Alphabet Inc Class A $251.03 +5.58 +2.27%
News Corp Class A $26.57 -0.070 -0.26%
Netflix Inc $1,203.29 -12.06 -0.99%
Caterpillar Inc $534.05 +6.58 +1.25%
Trump Media & Technology Group Corp $16.27
-0.010 -0.061%
Tesla Inc $435.15 +5.91 +1.38%
Walt Disney Co $111.71 +0.54 +0.49%
Wynn Resorts Ltd $118.07 +1.96 +1.69%
Meta Platforms Inc $717.55 +8.90 +1.26%
BHP Group Ltd $43.54
Mercedes Benz Group ADR $15.15 +0.040 +0.26%
Elders Ltd $7.50
Rio Tinto Ltd $129.69

News

The dollar prefers to stay within the range for now

The US dollar turned downward at the end of the day on Tuesday and continues to move downward in the first half of Wednesday. The dollar is being weighed down by the recovery of positive momentum in the stock markets. Pressure on the dollar can also be linked to Powell's latest comments yesterday evening. The Fed chairman confirmed the path to further rate cuts and said asset sales from the balance sheet could be halted soon, ending the quantitative tightening phase. To be cont ..

(FxPro)

News

The US stock market rebound may falter

US stock index futures are rising after a disastrous Friday, when Trump's aggressive response to China's tariffs shook the markets. The US president's announcements were carefully timed, with the most aggressive measures (additional 100% tariffs on Chinese goods) announced after the market closed.

Over the weekend, US and Chinese leaders appeared to reach out to each other, offering opportunities for further discussion and a deal. Market sentiment was close to extreme fear, with the Fear and Greed Index falling to 29 on Friday and recovering to 30 on Monday. These are the lowest values since the end of April, when the market was recovering from the “liberation day” effect on Trump's tariffs. In the last couple of years, this index has entered the extreme fear zone before we saw a reversal in the indices. This means that bears may exert another round of pressure on the markets. It is easy to link this to further toughening of mutual rhetoric between China and the US, albeit with the possibility of dialogue remaining open. In other words, in this case, it is worth talking about a decrease in the intensity of mutual recriminations, but not about a reversal in relations. From this, we can conclude that the risks that caused the markets to collapse on Friday remain. We also note that the S&P 500 is trading at a significant distance from its 200-week moving average, near which the market has ended its declines over the past 14 years since 2011, touching it or turning around within 2-5% of it. This contrasts sharply with the current situation, where the S&P 500 is almost 25% above this line. If we talk about a correction within a bull market, then the target for bears seems to be the 6100–6150 range, where the 50-week moving average and last winter's highs are concentrated. Movement in this direction looks like a viable strategy for the final quarter of the year, unless there is a real reversal in the rapprochement between China and the US, which we highly doubt. In addition, seasonal factors are also temporarily on the side of the bears, given the more than 40% growth from the lows of the year in early April, the suppressed volatility of the last month and a half, and the tendency to look for new patterns in the markets in the final months of the year. If that's not enough, add to this the fact that the economy is beginning to feel the effects of tariff wars and a deteriorating labour market, and AI is no longer a novelty. In these conditions, it will be increasingly difficult for traders to find reasons for local purchases. (FxPro)

News

Crypto market recovers from tariff shock

Market Overview

The crypto market capitalisation stood at $3.9 trillion on Monday, up 4.4% from the previous day but down 6% from pre-Friday crash levels. On Friday, the US stock market saw its biggest drop since April but recovered some of its losses on Monday. Since Sunday, the crypto market has been attempting to rebound after a sell-off that began as an emotional reaction to tariff initiatives by China and the US but escalated into massive margin calls and stop orders being triggered.

The sentiment index stood at 38 (fear) on Monday morning, down from 24 (extreme fear) the day before. The level of sentiment we saw over the weekend was last seen in April under similar circumstances — when tough trade tariffs were announced.

Bitcoin approached $115K on Monday, while Ethereum exceeded $4,200. Cryptocurrencies are recovering after Friday's sharp decline. The movement on Friday and in the early hours of Saturday swept the ‘weak hands’ out of the market, taking the price of BTC below the 50—and 200-day moving averages and below the August and September lows.

Such sweeping liquidations often set the bottom of the market, but it may take time for the wounds to heal. In 2020, 2021 and 2024, it took a couple of weeks for the rally to start, although the market did not rewrite the lows. But in 2022, the turnaround to growth after the crash began after about six months. Relying on these statistics is encouraging for bargain hunters in crypto. Still, it would be too hasty to say that the recovery will be just as quick and will begin immediately.

News Background

Wall Street crashed on Friday after US President Donald Trump escalated the trade conflict with China following Beijing's tightening of restrictions on trade in rare earth metals, Reuters reports. Cryptocurrencies and stock indices fell sharply on Friday. Some softening of tone from Trump and Xi has led to the probability of 100% tariffs against China by 1 November being estimated at 8% on Polymarket, down from 26% at the end of Friday. Santiment notes that bitcoin remains extremely sensitive to risk appetite and behaves more like a risky asset than a safe haven.

The Kobeissi Letter notes that the collapse of cryptocurrencies on 11 October will not have long-term fundamental consequences and was caused by a combination of technical factors. The market crash triggered a record cascade of liquidations worth $19.3 billion. Analyst Frank Fetter, citing technical indicators, said the cryptocurrency market is still far from overbought, which means there is still potential for the rally to continue.

News Flashback

Oil Holds Strong Despite Bearish Fundamentals

Weekly data from the EIA noted that the US returned to record oil production rates last week, supplying an average of 13.6 million barrels per day to the market, according to the latest EIA data. The trend towards increased supply began in August, but producers have only now returned to the peak levels recorded at the end of last year. Despite a 5.5-million-barrel increase in US commercial inventories over the past two weeks, inventories stay at the lower end of the range seen over the past decade, leaving considerable room for growth. The same can be said for the strategic reserve, which holds nearly 40% less oil than it did five years ago, before the start of the active sell-off. It is an interesting game in which, on the one hand, the US (the largest oil producer) is increasing supplies, while OPEC+ is increasing quotas on a monthly basis. This extremely bearish combination of factors did not cause oil prices to collapse; it was only because of global trade in currency depreciation that caused precious metals, stock indices, and cryptocurrencies to rise. Oil prices have not peaked in recent weeks .. To be cont .. (FxPro)

News

Gold hits new highs due to political turmoil

Gold is outside the realm of politics.

While currencies and securities depend on the actions of presidents and governments, precious metals do not. Therefore, political turmoil forces investors to use them as safe-haven assets.

The impressive 52% rally in gold started in April with the introduction of tariffs on America's Liberation Day. It continued due to the US government shutdown, the political crisis in France, and the change of leadership in Japan. he rise of gold above 4,000 dollars per ounce is not only the result of the weakness of fiat currencies. There are tectonic shifts in the structure of investment portfolios and fears of financial crises due to government recklessness.

The share of precious metals is growing both in speculators' assets and in the gold and foreign exchange reserves of central banks. The indicator has already exceeded the share of the euro. According to Eurizon Capital, if it equals the share of the US dollar, the price per ounce will soar to 8,500 dollars. The Supreme Court's abolition of tariffs will inflate the US budget deficit. France does not intend to reduce it, and Japan plans to increase bond issuance. All this creates a tailwind for commodity assets. (FxPro)

News

Politics remains the main driver of FX

The US government shutdown did not have a noticeable impact on the dollar's performance last week. However, it did help the stock market to grow slightly by strengthening expectations of monetary policy easing. However, these events pale in comparison to the change in Japan's ruling elite and the resignation of the French prime minister less than a day after the formation of the government in terms of their impact on the currency market. In Japan, Sanae Takaichi was chosen head of the Liberal Democratic Party over the weekend and is on track to become the country's first female prime minister. This event caused the yen to fall 2% to 150.49 from Friday's level before correcting to 149.80 at the time of writing. Takaichi is considered a supporter of aggressive government spending, structural reforms, and soft monetary policy, echoing the basic principles of Shinzo Abe. Overall, she has a more right-wing approach to national policy and is also a supporter of revising Japan's pacifist constitution. The market reaction clearly shows that they are considering Takaichi to be the new prime minister. If she does not change her political views (and she has softened them recently to win the party elections), we should be prepared for a further weakening of the yen, which reached its highest level since 1991 in the EURJPY pair, exceeding 176. However, the single currency is also facing uncertainty today due to a new political crisis in France. Prime Minister Lecornu, who had been trying to form a government for a month, resigned the day after he finally presented his new cabinet. His appointments drew criticism from both left-wing and right-wing allies. The EURUSD fell to 1.1650 at its lowest point on Monday, losing a full cent against Friday's levels. Unlike Japan, where a 2% drop in the JPY was accompanied by a 5% jump in the Nikkei225 index, France's CAC40 lost more than 2% intraday, paring its losses to 1.2% towards the end of the trading day in Europe. The EURUSD stopped its climb in July and has been hovering around 1.1700 all this time, not least because of the political crisis in France. Without it, the single currency would have had a much better chance of exploiting political divisions in the US to its advantage. It would be an exaggeration to call the situation in Japan and France a drama. Still, these events once again emphasise that as soon as the dollar's throne begin.

News

Pop Culture News

Dream Matches: Fantasy Booking/Sports; Media Man Group Dream Match Series; Crack The Code!

Million Dollar Man vs IRS
Michael Wall Street vs Billionaire Ted
Mr X vs Mr BTC
Mr Green vs Mr Cash
VKM vs Easy E
Vinnie Vegas vs Mr Corbin
Mr Corp Merch vs Mr Freelance
Masked Superstar vs John McAfee
Sid Justice vs Mr Blood Diamond
Mr Bluey Chipper vs Street Fighter - King Of The Streets Mr Dotcom vs Mr Wiki
Mr Gold vs Mr Green - Money In The Bank Ladder Match Khan vs Khan - Winner Take All Match
Mr Wolff vs The Cleaner
Mr News vs Mr Vice - U.S Market Footprint Stipulation Mr Paramount vs Mr Netflix
Mr ESPN vs Mr Fox
Mr Kross vs Mr H
Cesaro vs Rollins
Dirty Dom vs Mr AAA
Punks vs Egos
Kross vs H
Murdoch Title vs Title
Mr Black Coffee vs Mr Claudio's Cafe Blend
Mr Warner vs Mr Netflix: Broadway draw thus far! Re-match! Winner take all?!
TMZ vs Riddle UFC vs PFL
The Oracle vs Cincinnati, Ohio
Mr X vs Hollyweird
Succession vs Billions
Mouse House vs Art House
NFL vs UFL
ABC vs Mainstream Aussies
Reigns vs Blanka
Cody Rhodes vs Joe
E. Honda vs NJPW
Capcom vs Warner
Cena vs ACME
Combat Sports Players vs Father Time
NXT vs TNA Wrestling (Showdown, not Invasion)!
Alpha vs Meta
TED X vs The Others
WWE's Solo vs Western Australia
UFC Predator vs MMA Predator
Bulls vs Bears

News

Cryptocurrency Movies
Documentaries

The Rise and Rise of Bitcoin (2014)
Follows early Bitcoin adopter Daniel Mross, exploring Bitcoin’s origins, its volatile rise, and the community behind it. Great for understanding Bitcoin’s early days and its potential to disrupt finance.

Banking on Bitcoin (2016)
Examines Bitcoin’s history, ideological roots, and impact on global financial systems through interviews with pioneers and experts. A solid primer for newcomers.

Cryptopia: Bitcoin, Blockchains, and the Future of the Internet (2020)
Directed by Torsten Hoffmann, this documentary dives into blockchain’s broader applications beyond cryptocurrency, addressing scalability and regulatory challenges. Ideal for those interested in blockchain’s transformative potential.

Trust Machine: The Story of Blockchain (2018) Narrated by Rosario Dawson, it explores blockchain’s societal impact, from financial inclusion to voting systems. A comprehensive look at real-world applications.

Bitcoin: The End of Money as We Know It (2015)
Traces the history of money and introduces Bitcoin as a decentralized alternative, critiquing centralized financial systems. Features interviews with crypto experts.

Deep Web (2015) Narrated by Keanu Reeves, this documentary focuses on the Silk Road marketplace and its creator, Ross Ulbricht, highlighting Bitcoin’s role in dark web transactions.

Bitconned (2024) Explores the Centra Tech crypto scam, detailing how three individuals defrauded investors during the 2010s crypto boom. A cautionary tale about unregulated markets.

Feature Films

Crypto (2019)
A crime thriller starring Beau Knapp, Luke Hemsworth, and Kurt Russell. It follows a young anti-money laundering agent investigating corruption and cryptocurrency in his hometown. Critics note its exaggerated portrayal but praise its entertainment value.

Silk Road (2021)
A dramatization of Ross Ulbricht’s creation of the Silk Road, a dark web marketplace using Bitcoin. It explores his rise and fall, blending crime and drama.

Dope (2015) A coming-of-age comedy-drama featuring Bitcoin as a plot device. High schooler Malcolm uses Bitcoin for a dark web transaction, reflecting its early association with illicit activities.

Bonus Mentions

Life on Bitcoin (2014): Follows a couple attempting to live solely on Bitcoin for 100 days, showcasing early adoption challenges.

Bitcoin Heist (2016): A Vietnamese action-comedy about hackers chasing a crypto criminal, blending humor and thrills.

Notes Documentaries are generally more educational, focusing on Bitcoin’s history, blockchain technology, and real-world implications. They’re great for beginners and enthusiasts alike.

Feature films often dramatize crypto’s association with crime or scams, sometimes oversimplifying or exaggerating for effect. They prioritize entertainment over accuracy. For a deeper dive, check streaming platforms like Prime Video, Fandango at Home, or YouTube, where many of these are available.

News

Wall Street (Movie)
Wall Street (1987), directed by Oliver Stone, is a drama about ambition and greed in the 1980s financial world. It follows Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen), a young stockbroker desperate to succeed, who gets entangled with Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas), a ruthless corporate raider. Gekko’s mantra, “Greed is good,” drives the story as Bud is lured into insider trading and unethical deals, compromising his morals for wealth and power.

The film explores themes of capitalism, loyalty, and betrayal, with Bud navigating pressures from Gekko, his father (Martin Sheen), and his own conscience.

Key Details: Cast: Michael Douglas (Gordon Gekko), Charlie Sheen (Bud Fox), Daryl Hannah (Darien Taylor), Martin Sheen (Carl Fox).
Runtime: 2h 6m.
Genre: Drama/Crime.
Rating: R. Box Office: ~$44 million (US).

Awards: Michael Douglas won the Academy Award for Best Actor.

Notable Aspects:

Gekko’s “Greed is good” speech is iconic, reflecting 1980s excess. Inspired by real-life figures like Ivan Boesky and Michael Milken.

A sequel, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010), continued the story.

Where to Watch (as of 2025):
Streaming: Available on platforms like Peacock or rentable on Amazon, YouTube, or Apple TV (check current availability).
Physical: DVD/Blu-ray via retailers like Amazon.

News Flashback

Gold, copper, & silver:

How metals are moving this year

Metal futures have made some pretty dramatic moves lately from safe haven gold to tariff sensitive copper. So let's take a look at the longer term trends. I'm Jared Blikre, host of Stocks in Translation. And I'm going to start by charting some of the moves in Dr. Copper because this is where we have the most zig and zags over the last 25 years. So this goes back to the beginning of the century and we can see right now, we're at $5.51 per pound. That is a record high. But if we go back to the beginning of the century, guess what? Uh we had a little bit of a slump in the wake of the dot com boom and then bust, but starting in 2003, we saw a big rise there. And that was as China actually joined the World Trade Organization or the WTO. That lasted into the global financial crisis. Then we had a pretty big bust in in Dr. Copper, and then we had another rise. And that rise was due to unprecedented stimulus, not only from the Chinese government, but also from the United States government, QE was in force, and then we saw kind of a strong dollar play. That weighed on this metal all the way into the beginning of 2016. The entire world, most of the world indices went through a bear market in 2015, and then 2016, we found the footing. And that was actually the year that Trump won, began his first presidency. And from there, we saw some zig and zags, and then we saw a shock into the pandemic. A couple of, a couple of years of deflation or a semi-deflation, disinflation, that caught up with it in 2022, but then it was off to the races again. And especially with the Trump tariffs now on copper, threatening to be threatening to be 50% on August 1st, we're seeing a lot of front running in this trade. Now, I also want to show you gold futures and I'm going to show you silver as well. And they follow a very similar pattern. We're not seeing the dramatic zig and zags that we did in copper, but we did see the same pattern of China joining the WTO, contributing to that huge rise in price to 1800, almost $2,000 an ounce by the beginning of the global financial crisis. So a little bit of a meltdown there. But in 2016 into 2018, we saw a bit of a rise into the pandemic, a little bit of a whipsaw there, and consolidation over a few years. Again, that 2022 bare market in US stocks that contributed to some deflation and disinflation globally, supply chain chain shocks came into force again, and then we saw this huge rise beginning in late 2023, and we are now at 3353. We've seen a high of as much as $3,500 per ounce. And gold is kind of unique among the precious metals and also the industrial metals, and this is because central banks have been a huge determining force in their buying of it. This is a bar chart that shows central bank buying in tons going back all the way to 2010. And what you notice here is the last three years, 2022, 2023, 2024, all of those had gold being bought by central banks of in the amount of over 1,000 tons. And so that's a pretty big dramatic increase from the prior years. And this has to do with the ongoing dedollarization in China, as well as Russia, but also a host of other countries, even some in western and eastern Europe. So this is a trend that we want to follow. Uh, I want to close out here with silver, and I'm going to just chart the price action. Again, very similar chart to gold and copper in terms of the big movements here. We saw a big price spike into almost $50 per ounce, and that was just as the global financial crisis was getting underway. And then the QE area in 2011, that's when we saw that high. Then we saw a dramatic, dramatic crash into 2016, kind of found its footing, saw a big squeeze in the early pandemic, 2020 was a great year for silver, but then we saw a little bit of a fallout. And again, silver is on the rise here at $38. It's still off of that $50 record high, but it is increasing very quickly. To round out the conversation, I want to just put on a table here. I have all three medals and just kind of grouping them together. I want to display how they are moving with their specific patterns with a trigger, and then to tell you which one of these is featured in these specific criteria. So here, under the pattern, we have acceleration. So that would be an economic acceleration. The trigger would be liquidity. And when that happens, we see all metals benefiting from that. And then when there's a safe haven scare, and that trigger would be a crisis of some sorts, you're going to see gold and silver outperforming the most, kind of leaving Dr. Copper behind. And then here's a bearish one, industrial drags, that affects copper disproportionately here, and the trigger there is typically a stronger US dollar because the US dollar surges when global global industrials tend to drag, and that's because the US is the least dirty shirt in the laundry basket of the world. And then finally here, we have a policy shock. This will affect all three medals, but especially copper and gold here. Um, arguably, the biggest reason is tariffs and debt, and we've seen both of those contribute to silver rising. So we could put all three in that basket as well. But when you put it all together, we have the perfect explosive mix for all three of these metals, including palladium and also platinum, which we didn't get to have time for, but all of these are experiencing huge thrust in 2025. And we'll have to see how these tariffs play out, especially on Dr. Copper with respect to that August 1st deadline. Remember, 50% there. So tune into Stocks in Translation for more jargon busting deep dives, new episodes on Tuesdays and Thursdays on Yahoo Finances website, or wherever you find your podcast. (Transcript from Yahoo! Finance podcast)

News

Best Quotes

An investment in knowledge pays the best interest." — Benjamin Franklin

"Bottoms in the investment world don't end with four-year lows; they end with 10- or 15-year lows." — Jim Rogers

Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy only when others are fearful." — Warren Buffett

Media Man "Bullish is a mindset"

Media/Marketing/Comms/Brands/News/Culture/
Streaming/Events: Australia and World

October 2025

WWE

Roman Reigns Returns To WWE

Brock Lesnar Returns To WWE

Women's Division On Fire: Ripley, Asuka, Stratton, IYO SKY

Western Australia Preps For Crown Jewel Perth: Oct 11
Rhodes vs Rollins
John Cena vs AJ Styles
Stephanie Vaquer vs Tiffany Stratton
Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky vs The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka and Kairi Sane)

WWE SmackDown - Heritage Bank Center. Cincinnati, Ohio. Cody Rhodes, Orton, The Vision and more.

Rhodes and Orton vs The Brons/Vision: Oct 3

NXT Showdown
NXT vs TNA Wrestling
October 7, 2025
Orlando, Florida

News

Oct 2

Southern Cross chair says merger with Seven has 'strong support'

The proposed merger between Seven West Media and Southern Cross Media Group has been criticised by some shareholders of the latter. They are concerned about the proposal to issue nearly 100 per cent of its shares to finance the acquisition of Seven West without putting the deal to its own shareholders. Sandon Capital MD Gabriel Radzyminski will seek a change to Southern Cross's constitution that would prevent the group from issuing more than 25 per cent of new shares without a shareholder vote; Sandon has an 11.3 per cent stake in the media group. However, Southern Cross chairman Heith Mackay-Cruise says there is strong support for the deal amongst its major shareholders. (RMS)

News

MMA
UFC 320
Ankalaev vs Pereira 2
October 4, 2025
T-Mobile Arena
Paradise, Nevada

News

NRL Grand Final
Sunday October 5
Melbourne Storm vs Brisbane Broncos
Accor Arena, Sydney, Australia

News

Oct 2

NRL poised to pip AFL for largest grand final broadcast audience for first time in a decade

The Seven Network's coverage of the 2025 AFL grand final is currently Australia's most-watched TV program in the year-to-date, boasting an average audience of 4.08 million people. However, the NRL's two preliminary finals had a combined average audience of 5.2 million, which is 35 per cent higher year-on-year. Some TV industry insiders believe that the NRL grand final on the Nine Network will attract a larger audience than the AFL's premiership showdown; this would be for the first time since 2015. The last grand final showdown between the Brisbane Broncos and Melbourne Storm in 2006 attracted an average audience of nearly four million. (RMS)

News

Media merger to counter big tech

The proposed merger between Seven West Media and Southern Cross Media Group is forecast to generate annual pre-tax cost synergies of up to $30m. The merger will combine Seven's linear TV and digital broadcast platforms with Southern Cross's radio stations; Seven also owns print and digital newspapers. Seven West's shareholders are expected to vote on the deal later this year or in early 2026; if approved, Southern Cross will emerge with a 50.1 per cent stake in the combined entity. Seven's CEO Jeff Howard will take on the role in the merged group, while Seven chairman Kerry Stokes will step down in favour of Southern Cross counterpart Heith Mackay-Cruise. Southern Cross CEO John Kelly has indicated that he has also held merger talks with Nine Entertainment in recent months. (RMS)

News

Don't team up: NRL chief to Nine, Foxtel

The National Rugby League's current $1.7m broadcasting rights deal with Foxtel and Nine Entertainment ends in 2027, and the league will commence negotiations for the next deal later this year.

The Australian Rugby League Commission's chairman Peter V'landys expects the new deal to be worth much more, noting that there has been strong growth in TV audiences for NRL matches. He adds that live sport is crucial to the future of free-to-air TV, given the audience shift to streaming platforms.

V'Landys has also cautioned Nine and Foxtel against making a joint bid, warning that the NRL will take the rights elsewhere if they attempt to collude. (Roy Morgan Summary)

News

Netflix Top 5: Current

Wayward
House Of Guinness
Black Rabbit
Wednesday
Adolescence

News Flashback

September 2025

September 22 (US) and 23 (Australia)

WWE RAW On Netflix

Jey Uso Going To The Dark Side?! Inner Heel!

Asuka The Heel; May Take Australian Rhea Ripley And Saine Souls?! Saine under the Asuka Kabuki Spell! Ripley attacked post match by Japanese Kabuki Triad-like faction!

John Cena def by Brock Lesnar at Wrestlepalooza!

WWE RAW On Road To Crown Jewel Perth; Wrestlepalooza Fallout!

Dirty Dominik Mysterio, New Double Champ Spying Whole WWE/TKO Group For More Gold!

Logan Paul Has Focus On WWE Gold And International Tours Including Australia and Saudi including WrestleMania and numerous PLE's (Premium Live Events)

WWE Powers That Be Continue To Mention Some Non-WWE Signed Talent Including Chris Jericho

Some Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide Talent May Appear On Upcoming RAW's, SmackDown's And PLE's!

News

Young Australians drive use of captions for films, videos and TV shows

Research from Roy Morgan shows that 43% of Australians now prefer to watch films, videos and TV shows with captions or subtitles on, while 13% prefer their news and entertainment in a language other than English. Analysis by age shows a that majority of Australians under 35 say they prefer to watch films, videos and TV shows with the subtitles or captions on (54% aged under 25 and 58% aged 25-34), as do 48% of those aged 35-49. Meanwhile, just over a quarter of 50-64yr olds (28%) and 65+ (30%) prefer to watch such content with the subtitles or captions on. Younger Australians are also more likely than their older counterparts to prefer their news and entertainment in a language other than English. This new Roy Morgan dataset was developed in partnership with the Media Federation of Australia's DE&I Advisory Council. A nationwide cross-section of 14,969 Australian aged 14+ were interviewed between April and June 2025. (RMS)

News

After trashing big tech for years, Murdochs eye TikTok US stake

US President Donald Trump has stated that a group of "American patriots" could potentially buy the US operations of short-video platform TikTok. He named Lachlan and Rupert Murdoch as likely investors in TikTok, as well as IT pioneers Michael Dell and Larry Ellison. Sources have indicated that the Murdoch family would most likely invest in TikTok via Fox Corporation. However, the Murdochs' media outlooks in Australia have been frequent critics of TikTok - and social media platforms in general - in recent years. Amongst other things, they lobbied for reforms that led to the introduction of the News Media Bargaining Code. (RMS)

News

Atlassian in blockbuster $1.5b AI deal

Computer software company Atlassian has made its second big acquisition this month, paying $US1 billion ($1.5 billion) to buy US software firm DX. Atlassian's purchase of DX comes after it bought The Browser company for $US610 million, with Atlassian co-founder and chief executive Mike Cannon-Brooke saying the purchase of DX will help its customers understand if they are making the right AI investments. For his part, Atlassian chief technology officer Rajeev Rajan notes many of DX's current customers are also Atlasssian clients. (RMS)

News

Starlink ups plans to 44,988 satellites

SpaceX has filed a formal application to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for permission to launch thousands of extra satellites into very low Earth orbit (VLEO). The scheme will take some time to implement but suggests that Starlink would then be able to manage greater coverage of its direct-to-consumer connectivity. Starlink already has about 650 ‘direct-to-cell- satellites in orbit.

The application covers a slew of new orbits, between 326 kms and 335 kms and much lower than the existing Starlink fleet. The application also covers usage of new – to Starlink – transmission frequencies. Those frequencies include those which Starlink acquired from EchoStar earlier in September.

“This new system of up to 15,000 satellites will provide ubiquitous connectivity to ordinary mobile handsets and a range of other devices and user terminals,” the company wrote in its filing.

The request is over and above existing filings which total up to 29,988 satellites and covers a maximum – says SpaceX – of an extra 15,000 satellites, and taking the total envisioned of 44,988 satellites.

This filing attachment contains information describing SpaceX’s non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) satellite system and use of spectrum for Mobile-Satellite Service (MSS), as required under Part 25 of the Commission’s rules.1 SpaceX proposes to provide MSS service internationally.

The SpaceX request typically lists up to 5,760 satellites for each orbital plane. SpaceX says the frequencies and satellites will be used in partnership with terrestrial operators to augment high-capacity terrestrial 5G networks.

Observers say these very low orbits mean that the satellites are subject to some atmospheric drag. While the atmosphere is extremely thin at altitudes of around 330 kms, it still impacts satellites at these heights. Consequently, the fleet will need to be replaced more frequently as the satellites decay in orbit.

Expert observers suggest that the extra fleet, when fully in position will need an average of 3,100 replacements to be launched annually.

Last November, the FCC cleared SpaceX to orbit some Starlink satellites as low as 340 kms in orbit, so long as the company coordinates with NASA. The company’s new application requests to orbit the next-generation cellular Starlink satellites ever closer to Earth, from between 326 kms to 335km, which would likely help reduce their latency when connecting to phones below.

News

Netflix: Top 3 (World)

1. Wednesday: Season 2
28.2 million views

The Addams Family spin-off returns with Part 2, topping the English TV list and driving massive buzz for its gothic mystery and Jenna Ortega's performance. It's a major highlight for September releases.

2. My Life With the Walter Boys: Season 2
10.9 million views

This teen romance drama sees fans divided between love interests, maintaining strong viewership from its first season.

3. Hostage: Limited Series
5.5 million views

A tense thriller that's emerged as a sleeper hit this month, praised for its pacing and plot twists in WIRED's best shows roundup. Scary good. Not for kids.

News

Foxtel 'thriving' under DAZN

Foxtel Group's CEO Patrick Delany says the pay-TV group is is more committed than ever to serving the Australian market under new parent company DAZN. Delany says the global sports-focused streaming group bought Foxtel due to its current strategy of continuing to grow through streaming while maintaining its traditional pay-TV service; DAZN finalised the acquisition of Foxtel in April. Meanwhile, Delany says there are compelling reasons for the NRL to renew its broadcasting rights deal with Foxtel. (Roy Morgan Summary)

News

Lachlan's win means his mates Down Under can breathe easily

Andrew Bolt is perhaps the News Corp Australia employee most relieved that Lachlan Murdoch has won the succession battle regarding control of the Murdoch family media empire. Bolt had stated last year that he would quit if James Murdoch and the other siblings of Lachlan Murdoch involved in the battle had won control of the empire. Lachlan Murdoch is also a big supporter of News Corp Australia boss Michael Miller, who retains his role despite ongoing rumblings that Sky News boss Paul Whittaker is after his job, while Daily Telegraph editor Ben English is said to be Lachlan Murdoch's favourite editor. (RMS)

News

Paramount/Warner deal could buck merger trend (RMS)

Peter Supino from Wolfe Research estimates that a merger between Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros Discovery would generate initial cost synergies of about $US3bn. He says it would create the world's biggest film and TV studio and one of the top five streaming video companies. Shares in both companies have rallied in response to media reports that Paramount is preparing an all-cash takeover bid for Warner Bros Discovery. The merger between Paramount Global and Skydance Media was completed in August. (RMS)

News

September 12, 2025

Fox's path now clear, says Lachlan

Fox Corporation's executive chairman and CEO Lachlan Murdoch says the deal to resolve a long-running family trust dispute will ensure clarity about the media company's future strategy. The $US3.3bn deal will give Lachlan Murdoch full control of the family's stakes in both Fox and News Corporation. Murdoch says the deal with his siblings will allow Fox to continue on the path that it set in 2019 when the Murdoch family sold its entertainment assets to Disney. He notes that Fox's revenue has increased by $US5bn since the sale to Disney. (RMS)

News

September 10

Siblings paid to exit Murdoch media empire

Sources have indicated that the Murdoch family has settled the long-running dispute over future control over its media empire in a deal worth $US3.3bn ($5bn). Rupert Murdoch's eldest son Lachlan is set to assume full control of the family's stakes in News Corp and Fox Corporation, ending the dispute with his siblings. Prudence MacLeod, Elisabeth Murdoch and James Murdoch will each receive $US1.1bn, while they have also agreed to sell all of their shares in the two companies over the next six months. The family trust that was at the centre of the legal dispute between the Murdochs will be dissolved as part of the deal. (RMS)

News

September 8

News

Meta tries diplomacy as ban looms

The federal government is set to reveal further details of its age-limits policy for social media in coming weeks. This includes the 'reasonable steps' that technology group will have to take in blocking people under the age of 16 from accessing their platforms. Meta executives Antigone Davis and Dustin Ho recently visited Australia to hold talks with the government regarding the looming age restrictions. Other social media platforms such as YouTube and TikTok have launched advertising campaigns in recent weeks to promote the educational value of their platforms. (RMS)

News

Kayo, Binge remain key pillars of Foxtel

Foxtel Group executive Mark Frain has emphasised that the pay-TV company remains committed to the Binge streaming service under its new owner, the sports-focused DAZN. The CEO of Foxtel Media says the entertainment-focused Binge is a key part of the group's future plans; he argues that Binge provides DAZN with an opportunity to bolster and complement sport. Meanwhile, Frain expects demand for Kayo Sports to continue growing amongst both from advertisers and subscribers. Foxtel will hold its 2006 'upfronts' event ths week. (Roy Morgan Summary)

News

Antitrust suit against Fox News dismissed

US District Court judge Aileen Cannon has ruled in favour of Fox News in an antitrust case launched by cable news rival Newsmax. The latter had alleged that Fox News had used its market power to coerce distributors into unfair terms that bar them from carrying its competitors' broadcasts. Cannon essentially found that the complaint against Fox News had been poorly drafted, but she ruled that Newsmax can lodge a revised complaint by 11 September. (RMS)

News

Netflix: October 2025

Movies

A House of Dynamite (Oct 24): A political thriller directed by Kathryn Bigelow, starring Idris Elba, Rebecca Ferguson, and others. It centers on a nuclear threat to the U.S., touted as a potential Best Picture nominee.

The Woman in Cabin 10 (Oct 10): A psychological thriller starring Keira Knightley as a journalist uncovering a mystery on a luxury yacht, based on Ruth Ware’s novel.

Steve (Oct 3): Cillian Murphy stars as a headteacher at a reform school facing personal and professional struggles, based on Max Porter’s novella Shy.

About My Father (2023, Oct 1): A comedy with Sebastian Maniscalco and Robert De Niro, focusing on a clash between an Italian father and his fiancée’s family.

Blue Crush (2002, Oct 1): A sports drama starring Kate Bosworth about a woman pursuing her dream of becoming a pro surfer.

Casper (1995, Oct 1): A family-friendly supernatural comedy with Christina Ricci about a kind-hearted ghost.

Elysium (2013, Oct 1): A sci-fi action film by Neill Blomkamp starring Matt Damon, exploring class struggles between Earth and a luxurious space station.

Hacksaw Ridge (2016, Oct 1): Mel Gibson’s WWII drama about medic Desmond Doss, starring Andrew Garfield.

Dirty Dancing (1987, Oct 1): The iconic romantic dance film with Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey.

Austin Powers Trilogy (Oct 1): All three films (International Man of Mystery, The Spy Who Shagged Me, Goldmember) bring Mike Myers’ comedic spy antics.

Series

Nobody Wants This Season 2 (Oct 23): The rom-com starring Kristen Bell and Adam Brody returns, following Joanne and Noah’s chaotic relationship.

The Diplomat Season 3 (Oct 16): Keri Russell and Rufus Sewell navigate political intrigue, with Bradley Whitford joining as the First Gentleman.

The Witcher Season 4 (Oct 30): Liam Hemsworth takes over as Geralt of Rivia, adapting the final novels of Andrzej Sapkowski’s series. A Rats special may accompany it.

Love Is Blind Season 9 (Oct 1): Set in Denver, this reality dating show explores love without physical attraction.

Monster: The Ed Gein Story (Oct 3): Ryan Murphy’s anthology series continues with Charlie Hunnam as the infamous serial killer Ed Gein, joined by Laurie Metcalf and Addison Rae.

Splinter Cell: Deathwatch (TBD): An animated espionage series based on the video game, following Sam Fisher.

The Resurrected (TBD): A Taiwanese series about two mothers resurrecting a criminal to avenge their daughters.

Genie, Make a Wish Season 1 (Oct 1): A Korean rom-com starring Kim Woo Bin as a genie and Bae Suzy as a stoic woman.

Dudes Season 1 (Oct 1): A German comedy spinoff of Alpha Males.

The New Force Season 1 (Oct 1): A Swedish drama about Stockholm’s first female police officers.

Documentaries

Victoria Beckham (Oct 9): A three-part series tracing her journey from Spice Girls fame to fashion mogul.

The Perfect Neighbor (Oct 17): A Sundance award-winning documentary on the 2023 Ajike Owens murder and Florida’s stand-your-ground laws.

Starting 5 Season 2 (Oct 16): Follows NBA stars like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Kevin Durant during the 2024-2025 season.

Who Killed the Montreal Expos? (Oct 21): Explores the demise of the Canadian baseball team.

The White House Effect (Oct 1): Examines climate policy under George H.W. Bush and its lasting impact.

Rockstar: Duki From the End of the World (Oct 1): An Argentine documentary on trap star Duki.

Specials and Animation

Dr. Seuss’s Horton! (Oct 1): An animated adaptation from Brown Bag Films.

Ranma 1/2 Season 2 (Oct 1): Weekly anime episodes continue the classic series.

Rurouni Kenshin Season 2 (Oct 1): A Japanese anime about a samurai seeking redemption.

Six Kings Slam 2025 (Oct 15): A live tennis showcase featuring top players.

Matt McCusker: A Humble Offering (Oct 1): A stand-up comedy special.

News Flashback

Netflix: September 2025

Highlights include:

Wednesday Season 2, Part 2 (Sept. 3): The second half of the season continues with four episodes, following Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) at Nevermore Academy as she faces new mysteries and threats, including her Season 1 rival Tyler’s Hyde form.

Black Rabbit (Sept. 18): A limited series starring Jude Law as a restaurateur and Jason Bateman as his brother, diving into New York’s criminal underworld.

Alice in Borderland Season 3 (Sept. 25): The Japanese thriller returns with new death games and challenges for Arisu and Usagi.

House of Guinness (Sept. 25): A new drama series exploring the family behind the iconic brewery.

aka Charlie Sheen (Sept. 10): A two-part documentary offering an unfiltered look at Charlie Sheen’s life and career.

Canelo Álvarez vs. Terence Crawford (Sept. 13): A live boxing event with a behind-the-scenes series, Countdown: Canelo v Crawford (Sept. 4). *just hit. Record breaking viewership/audience!

Love Is Blind: Brazil Season 5 and Love Is Blind: France (Sept. 10): New seasons of the reality dating franchise.

Next Gen Chef (Sept. 17): A culinary competition featuring 21 chefs under 30 at the Culinary Institute of America.

Pokémon Concierge Season 1, Part 2 (Sept. 4) and Pokémon Horizons Season 2 – The Search for Laqua Part 4 (Sept. 26): Animated series for fans of the franchise.

Dr. Seuss’s Red Fish, Blue Fish (Sept. 8): An animated preschool series based on the classic book.

The Wrong Paris (Sept. 12): A rom-com featuring Miranda Cosgrove as a woman who joins a dating show, expecting France but landing in Texas.

Inspector Zende (Sept. 5): A Bollywood drama about a serial killer evading capture in Mumbai.

Love Con Revenge (Sept. 5): A documentary series following victims of romance scams seeking justice.

Licensed Movies (Sept. 1):

Classics like:

8 Mile (RT: 96%)
The Amazing Spider-Man 1 & 2
Boyz n the Hood (RT: 96%)
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (RT: 99%)
La La Land
Shrek series
Billy Madison
Willy Wonka (original)
The Expendables (1 to 4). Carry over from August
Against The Ropes (has returned)
The Legend Of Baron To'A (just hit)

WWE RAW
WWE SmackDown (numerous international markets. Not US)
WWE NXT

News

Media Man

Google Finance wins Media Man 'Business News Website Of The Month' award

Runner-ups: Yahoo! Finance, The Australian Financial Review, FOX Business and Sky News Australia

Yahoo! Finance Sports Report wins Media Man 'Sports Business Podcast Of The Month' award

News

Brand News via Media Man

Netflix wins Media Man 'Brand Of The Month'; Runner-up: MAX

WWE wins Media Man 'Wrestling Promotion Of The Month' award

UFC wins Media Man 'MMA Promotion Of The Month' award

TKO Group wins Media Man 'Entertainment Promoter Of The Month' award

AEW wins Media Man 'Challenger Brand Of The Month' award

Prime wins Media Man 'Beverage Of The Month' award

Claudio's Cafe wins Media Man 'Coffee Brand Of The Month' award; Runner-up: Nespresso

Entertainment/Media: Stocks

September 2025

TKO Start To New Week; Paramount Inks Zuffa Boxing For Win-Win-Win; Beancounters Rejoice (Mainly); Netflix Remains Moderately Bullish; Netflix Observes Paramount Deal; TKO Solid +
Warner Moderate dip for today following Streaming/Broadcasting Industry Shake-ups

September 29, 2025

Wall Street
New York

TKO Group $205.33 +6.32 +3.18%
Netflix $1,206.41 -4.20 -0.35%
Walt Disney Co $114.78 +1.31 +1.15%
Paramount Skydance Corp $19.50 +0.58 +3.07%
Warner Bros Discovery Inc $18.86 -0.65 -3.31%
News Corp Class A $31.03 +0.581.90%
Amazon Dotcom Inc $222.17 +2.39 +1.09%

News Lead Up

Entertainment/Media: Stocks

Netflix Bullish Heading Into Weekend; TKO Solid +

September 26, 2025

TKO Group $199.04 +3.25 +1.66%
Netflix $1,210.61 +2.37 +0.20%
Walt Disney Co $113.47 +0.48 +0.42%
Paramount Skydance Corp $18.92 -0.0100 -0.053%
Warner Bros Discovery Inc $19.51 -0.27 -1.37%
News Corp Class A $30.45 +0.27 +0.91%

News

Sept 26

Netflix

Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) is among the Renaissance Technologies Portfolio: Loop Capital analyst Alan Gould upgraded the stock’s rating to Buy from Hold, and also lifted his price target to $1,350 per share from $1,150.

The revised forecast represents a further 11% upside potential for the stock, which has already gained 37% year-to-date, as of the close of business on September 23.

Gould acknowledged that his prior downgrade of Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) was a mistake and noted a strong fundamental backdrop for the company in his recent adjustment:

“We are upgrading our rating back to Buy based on exceptional 3Q engagement, a strong 4Q content slate, higher long-term margin assumptions as each dollar of content is generating more revenue, which leads to higher earnings and free cash flow. Our NFLX downgrade in mid-December with the stock in the low $900s was wrong, but after a strong first half, the stock has tread water the past quarter. At the time of our downgrade management was guiding to 11-13% revenue growth in 2025; it is now 16-17%.”

The Loop Capital analyst credited the latest seasons of Squid Games, Wednesday, and KPop Demon Hunters for Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX)’s growing engagement.

Moreover, he raised his third-quarter estimates for the streaming giant and also highlighted its dominant position in the entertainment industry despite stiff competition. (Wires)

News

Lead Up

September 25, 2025

TKO Group $195.79 flat
Netflix $1,208.24 +4.29 0.36%
Walt Disney Co $112.99 -0.44 -0.39%
Paramount Skydance Corp $18.93 -0.19 -0.99%
Warner Bros Discovery Inc $19.78 -0.040 -0.20%
News Corp Class A $30.18 -0.055 -0.18%

News

Lead Up

September 24, 2025

TKO Group $196.66 -5.63 -2.78%
Netflix Inc $1,202.42 -16.05 -1.32%
Walt Disney Co $113.59 +1.34 +1.19%
Paramount Skydance Corp $19.11 -0.62 -3.12%
Warner Bros Discovery Inc $19.81 +0.25 +1.25%
News Corp Class A $30.35 -0.23 -0.75%

News

Lead Up

Entertainment/Media: Stocks

September 19, 2025

TKO Group $201.11 -1.69 -0.83%
Walt Disney Co $113.76 -1.10 -0.96%
Paramount Skydance Corp $18.92 +1.05 +5.85%
Warner Bros Discovery Inc $19.33 +0.63 +3.37%
News Corp Class A $30.62 +0.17 +0.56%

Cryptocurrency News, Fintech, Blockchain, Media

September 29, 2025

Cryptos Today: (Near Live)

Bitcoin $114,160.79 +1.91%
Ethereum $4,222.43 +2.12%
Tether $1.0005 -0.02%
XRP $2.8938 +1.08%
Solana $214.06 +2.03%
TRON $0.3372 +0.45%
Dogecoin $0.2369 +0.18%

News

September 29, 2025

Crypto market attempts to form a double bottom

Market Overview

The crypto market has been gaining since the start of the day on Friday, adding 3.5% during this time to $3.85 trillion, but still 1.3% below the level of a week earlier.

The rebound is coming from roughly the same levels as in early September. Once again, altcoins are recovering stronger than BTC. Such outperformance in the early stages of recovery often indicates the future winners of the race, which in this case are altcoins.

The sentiment index fell to 28 on Friday but recovered to 50 by Monday. The approach to the extreme fear zone seems to have activated optimists, who began to buy back the drawdown. However, cautious traders will likely prefer to wait for the results of the 50-day moving average test, which is currently passing through $3.92 trillion.

At the end of last week, Bitcoin found support at 109,000. It was bought at roughly the same levels as the end of August and even slightly higher, which is positive for the bulls. On the other hand, September's local high is lower than the previous one, which generally indicates a decrease in volatility and a stronger movement towards a breakout beyond the $108-118K range. Movements within the range can give many false short-term signals.

News Background

Santiment has recorded a surge in mentions of “buy on dip,” which may indicate the likelihood of an imminent rebound. In addition, whales continue to accumulate BTC, and the supply of Bitcoin on exchanges is declining.

However, Glassnode warns of a continued correction, given growing selling pressure from long-term holders and declining institutional demand for ETFs. The first Ethereum ETF with a staking feature from REX Shares and Osprey Funds has launched in the US. Investors will receive monthly payments for supporting the ETH network. Applications from BlackRock and Fidelity are still being reviewed by the SEC.

Ethereum has begun to show signs that a local bottom has likely been reached, notes analyst Mikybull Crypto. The RSI oscillator on daily charts has fallen to its lowest levels since April, when ETH was trading around $1,400.

According to the Wall Street Journal, US regulators are investigating cases of potential insider trading involving companies that accumulate cryptocurrencies in their reserves. The SEC and FINRA have already sent inquiries to a number of companies.

Rating agency Moody's warns that the rapid expansion of cryptocurrencies’ use in developing countries, including stablecoins, poses risks to monetary sovereignty and financial stability. (FxPro)

News

September 25, 2025

The crypto market is digging deeper

Market Overview

The crypto market capitalisation has fallen to a nearly three-week low of $3.83 trillion, falling deeper below its 50-day moving average. However, similar declines at the end of June and the end of August only encouraged buyers. On Thursday morning, Bitcoin wiped out the previous day's gains, while major altcoins, Ethereum, and Solana, have been declining for the fifth trading session in a row.

The sentiment index at 44 barely touches the fear zone, preventing us from talking about a full-fledged reversal in sentiment. Nevertheless, we are once again turning our attention to crypto as an early indicator of risk appetite. Altcoins, as well as small currencies of developed countries, have been losing ground since the Fed cut rates a week ago, and key US indices have joined them since Tuesday.

On Wednesday, Bitcoin unsuccessfully attempted to storm the 50-day moving average. Earlier, BTCUSD fell out of the upward channel that had been forming since early September. These are all signs of a deeper dive ahead, potentially into the $104-107K range.

News Background

Bitcoin's implied volatility has fallen to its lowest level since 2023. Blockchain data points to a “calm before the storm,” according to XWIN Research. The last time this happened, it was followed by explosive growth.

CoinW also calls the situation “the calm before the storm.” Negative funding rates, seasonal trends, and inflows into institutional ETFs tip the odds in favour of growth. According to CoinGlass, Bitcoin has strengthened in October in 10 of the last 12 years.

If US inflation turns out to be moderate, the Fed's rate will be further reduced, and the amount of liquidity in the market will increase. According to QCP Capital, this factor will be the main driver of Bitcoin's growth in October.
However, JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon believes that the Fed is unlikely to cut its key rate. He sees factors that are more likely to cause inflation to rise than fall.

SkyBridge Capital founder Anthony Scaramucci confirmed his previous forecast that Bitcoin will reach its target of $150,000 by the end of the year. In his opinion, November-December is the most favourable period for buying BTC.

Pantera Capital CEO Dan Morehead said BRICS countries, including Russia and China, view Bitcoin as a tool for de-dollarisation. In his opinion, these countries will prepare to create state Bitcoin reserves and their own Bitcoin ETFs. (FxPro)

News

Blockchain News

1. SWIFT Announces Blockchain-Based Overhaul for Global Payments

The Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT), which handles millions of daily transactions, is integrating a blockchain-based ledger into its infrastructure. This move aims to enhance interoperability and speed, with top global banks collaborating on the project.

In response to rising stablecoin competition, SWIFT's update could accelerate tokenized asset adoption. Industry experts see this as a pivotal step toward hybrid traditional-fintech systems.

Related buzz: Qatar National Bank (QNB) has adopted JPMorgan's blockchain platform for instant USD payments in the Middle East, building on its prior Ripple partnership for cross-border efficiency.

2. Institutional Momentum:

BlackRock's Bitcoin ETF Expansion and Treasury PlaysBlackRock filed for a Bitcoin Premium Income ETF, extending its dominance beyond the $87 billion iShares Bitcoin Trust. This signals growing mainstream interest in yield-generating crypto products.

Anthony Scaramucci-backed Hivemind Capital launched a $550 million fund to acquire digital tokens on the Avalanche blockchain—the first of its kind for on-chain treasuries.

However, institutional Bitcoin acquisitions have slowed sharply, with treasuries scaling back amid market volatility. Analysts predict a potential cycle dip mirroring 2017, with $200K BTC targets if liquidity holds.

3. Regulatory and Government Advances

Nasdaq proposed rule changes to tokenize equity securities and exchange-traded products, potentially unlocking billions in on-chain capital markets.

The SEC is drafting an "innovation exemption" to fast-track digital asset product approvals, while U.S. lawmakers push to include crypto in retirement plans.

Stablecoin legislation is also advancing in Congress.

Globally, Kyrgyzstan plans to migrate government services on-chain by 2028, and the Philippines is exploring blockchain post-corruption protests.

Fnality, a blockchain payment firm, raised $136M from major banks for real-time settlements.

4. Tech Innovations and Ecosystem GrowthAmadeus Protocol unveiled the world's first "thinking blockchain," converting mining power into AI intelligence via unique Proof-of-Work (uPoW).

Solana developers are debating removing block limits after the Alpenglow upgrade to boost capacity for high-performance validators.

Layer-1 blockchains are solidifying as crypto's backbone, with tokenized assets and stablecoin rules testing their scalability.

AGII launched optimization engines for reliable blockchain automation in Web3.

In gaming and RWAs:

OFA Group's real-estate tokenization platform with Blockchain App Factory, and AAA's document-authentication pilot using Integra Ledger.

5. Market Sentiment and Warnings

Bitcoin's upward grind continues, but analysts flag 10-20% pullbacks and a possible financial crash by late September tied to global M2 liquidity.

XRP ETF speculation is heating up, with bearish trader bets amid approval rumors.

Broader trends: Korea Blockchain Week (through Sep 28) featured exchange partnerships and regulatory updates. Decentralized apps like Bitchat surged in Madagascar during protests.

News Flashback

September 24, 2025

BTC Calm Breaks as Bulls Face Resistance

Digital assets have been hit by one of the biggest sell-offs since the beginning of the year. According to Coinglass, 1.5 billion dollars in long positions were liquidated at the start of this week. Bitcoin fell from its monthly highs due to a revision of market views on the fate of the federal funds rate, the strengthening of the US dollar, and concerns about a decline in demand.

Corporations have accumulated $116 billion worth of Bitcoin and have become serious players in the market. The fall in their shares, coupled with Nasdaq's requirement for shareholder approval of new issues, has created real panic. If these financial institutions find it difficult to raise funds through securities issues, demand for digital assets will fall, and prices will also drop.

Optimists believe that this is not the case. There are also specialised exchange-traded funds and the resumption of the Fed's monetary policy easing cycle is likely to increase demand for Bitcoin ETFs. The outflow of capital from money market funds will also play a role. Reserves increased to a whopping $7.7 trillion in 2025. The average yield was 4.1%, which is significantly higher than the average 0.6% on bank deposits. As the federal funds rate declines, yields will fall, and money will flow into other ETFs, including those related to cryptocurrency.

Investors believe that over time, the link between US stock indices and Bitcoin will be restored. However, while US stocks have such an important growth driver as artificial intelligence technology, Bitcoin does not. Companies from the S&P 500, especially tech giants, regularly report positive corporate reports. Interest in cryptocurrency purchases by corporations, on the contrary, is falling.

The cryptocurrency market is prone to extremes. The highest derivative bets are concentrated at the 95,000 and 140,000 levels. This means that after a long period of calm, investors are expecting to see a real storm. Much will depend on the ability of Bitcoin bulls to overcome important resistance levels at 113,500 and 115,000. If they succeed, there will be a chance to restore the uptrend. Failure will increase the risks of a Bitcoin correction. (FxPro)

News

Best Quotes Of The Day

Cryptocurrency

“Bitcoin is a tool for freeing humanity from oligarchs and tyrants, dressed up as a get-rich-quick scheme.” – Naval Ravikant, former CEO of AngelList

“We have elected to put our money and faith in a mathematical framework that is free of politics and human error.“ – Tyler Winklevoss, co-CEO of Gemini

"You can't stop things like Bitcoin. It will be everywhere, and the world will have to readjust. World governments will have to readjust." —John McAfee, Founder of McAfee Associates

“There are 3 eras of currency: Commodity based, politically based, and now, math-based.“ – Chris Dixon, Venture Capitalist at Andreesen Horowitz

“As the value goes up, heads start to swivel and skeptics begin to soften. Starting a new currency is easy, anyone can do it. The trick is getting people to accept it because it is their use that gives the “money” value.“ - Adam B. Levine, CEO of Tokenly

“Trading Bitcoin is like trading Apple, Amazon, Google, or Facebook a decade ago. The more you obsess over timing the market, the more mistakes you make. They were all technology networks that were dominant & destined to grow.” - Michael Saylor, Former CEO of MicroStrategy

"Whereas most technologies tend to automate workers on the periphery doing menial tasks, blockchains automate away the center. Instead of putting the taxi driver out of a job, blockchain puts Uber out of a job and lets the taxi drivers work with the customer directly." - Vitalik Buterin, Co-Founder of Ethereum

"The Latin American countries where you have this combination of inflation or hyperinflation cycles – deflation as well – and then you have very high friction for financial transactions, a high percentage of people who are unbanked, cryptocurrencies make total sense." – Fred Thiel, CEO of Thiel Advisors & Marathon Digital Holdings

“…we know gold is a $12 trillion asset, bitcoin’s about a 10th of gold. Could they be half of gold? At one point, Sure, it could … And at some point, it will be larger than gold… that money is finding its way to Gen Z and Millennials, and they feel much more comfortable with digital gold than old clunky gold.” - Mike Novogratz, CEO of Galaxy Digital

“If you don't believe me or don't get it, I don't have time to try to convince you, sorry.” - Satoshi Nakomoto, Founder of Bitcoin

Entertainment/Media: Stocks

Netflix Bullish Heading Into Weekend; TKO Solid +

September 26, 2025

TKO Group $199.04 +3.25 +1.66%
Netflix $1,210.61 +2.37 +0.20%
Walt Disney Co $113.47 +0.48 +0.42%
Paramount Skydance Corp $18.92 -0.0100 -0.053%
Warner Bros Discovery Inc $19.51 -0.27 -1.37%
News Corp Class A $30.45 +0.27 +0.91%

News

Netflix

Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) is among the Renaissance Technologies Portfolio: Loop Capital analyst Alan Gould upgraded the stock’s rating to Buy from Hold, and also lifted his price target to $1,350 per share from $1,150.

The revised forecast represents a further 11% upside potential for the stock, which has already gained 37% year-to-date, as of the close of business on September 23.

Gould acknowledged that his prior downgrade of Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) was a mistake and noted a strong fundamental backdrop for the company in his recent adjustment:

“We are upgrading our rating back to Buy based on exceptional 3Q engagement, a strong 4Q content slate, higher long-term margin assumptions as each dollar of content is generating more revenue, which leads to higher earnings and free cash flow. Our NFLX downgrade in mid-December with the stock in the low $900s was wrong, but after a strong first half, the stock has tread water the past quarter. At the time of our downgrade management was guiding to 11-13% revenue growth in 2025; it is now 16-17%.”

The Loop Capital analyst credited the latest seasons of Squid Games, Wednesday, and KPop Demon Hunters for Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX)’s growing engagement.

Moreover, he raised his third-quarter estimates for the streaming giant and also highlighted its dominant position in the entertainment industry despite stiff competition. (Wires)

News

Lead Up

September 25, 2025

TKO Group $195.79 flat
Netflix $1,208.24 +4.29 0.36%
Walt Disney Co $112.99 -0.44 -0.39%
Paramount Skydance Corp $18.93 -0.19 -0.99%
Warner Bros Discovery Inc $19.78 -0.040 -0.20%
News Corp Class A $30.18 -0.055 -0.18%

News

Lead Up

September 24, 2025

TKO Group $196.66 -5.63 -2.78%
Netflix Inc $1,202.42 -16.05 -1.32%
Walt Disney Co $113.59 +1.34 +1.19%
Paramount Skydance Corp $19.11 -0.62 -3.12%
Warner Bros Discovery Inc $19.81 +0.25 +1.25%
News Corp Class A $30.35 -0.23 -0.75%

News

Lead Up

Entertainment/Media: Stocks

September 19, 2025

TKO Group $201.11 -1.69 -0.83%
Walt Disney Co $113.76 -1.10 -0.96%
Paramount Skydance Corp $18.92 +1.05 +5.85%
Warner Bros Discovery Inc $19.33 +0.63 +3.37%
News Corp Class A $30.62 +0.17 +0.56%

Casino/Gaming/Hotels

News, Background, Stockmarket

Markets/Trades: Near Live

September 26, 2025

New York, USA

MGM Resorts International $35.60 +1.12 +3.25%

Wynn Resorts Ltd $128.97 +3.13 +2.49%

Las Vegas Sands $54.01 +0.95 +1.79%

Boyd Gaming Corporation $85.94 +1.45 +1.72%

Caesars Entertainment, Inc. $27.04 +1.13 +4.36%

Red Rock Resorts, Inc. $61.73 +1.75 +2.92%

Hilton Grand Vacations Inc. $43.49 +0.59 +1.38%

PENN Entertainment, Inc. $19.80 +0.26 +1.33%

Light & Wonder, Inc. $84.96 +0.30 +0.35%

News Bonus

NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA) $178.19 +0.50 +0.28%

TKO Group $199.04 +3.25 +1.66%

Casino News

Casino: a public room or building where gambling games are played. "He was a keen gambler and often went to casinos". A facility for gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions.

Some casinos are also known for hosting live entertainment, such as stand-up comedy, concerts, and sporting events. The term casino is of Italian origin, from the root word casa meaning "house." Originally, the term referred to a small country villa, summerhouse, or social club. During the 19th century, casino came to encompass other public buildings where pleasurable activities took place.

The precise origin of gambling is unknown, but it is believed to have existed in nearly every society in history. The first known European gambling house, the Ridotto, was established in Venice, Italy, in 1638 to provide controlled gambling during the carnival season. In the United States, early gambling establishments were known as saloons. In the early 20th century, gambling was outlawed in the U.S. by state legislation. However, in 1931, gambling was legalized in Nevada, leading to the rise of Las Vegas as a major gambling center. In 1976, New Jersey allowed gambling in Atlantic City, which is now the second-largest gambling city in the U.S.

Casinos offer a variety of games of chance, which in some cases involve an element of skill. Common games include craps, roulette, baccarat, blackjack, and video poker. All casino games have a mathematically determined advantage for the house, known as the house edge, which ensures that the casino will make a profit in the long run. The percentage of funds returned to players as winnings is known as the payout. Slot machines have become one of the most popular forms of gambling in casinos. The design of a casino, including factors like sound, odour, and lighting, is often carefully controlled to encourage gambling.

News

WWE and UFC Themed Slot Games Continue To Build Upon Popularity; TKO Beancounters See Strong Merit; No Official Betting On TKO's/WWE Action Pro Wrestling Match Outcomes! UFC MMA Match Betting Remains Bullish! UFC themed 'The Smashing Machine' movie gets strong industry and fan reviews; UFC/MMA themed movie 'Brawler' still happening; Tipped to be a big hit in Vegas (Media Man Group/Casino News Media)

News

New York City's Casino License Race Heats Up:

Manhattan Proposals Rejected, Yonkers and Queens Advance

All three proposed casino projects in Manhattan have been voted down by local community committees, including the high-profile $11.2 billion Freedom Plaza bid near the UN headquarters, operated by Mohegan and developer Stefan Soloviev. This leaves no casino developments in Manhattan for now.

On a positive note, MGM Resorts' $2.3 billion expansion of Empire City Casino in Yonkers and Genting Group's $5.5 billion Resorts World upgrade in Queens received key approvals from advisory panels on September 25, moving them to the state licensing board. Developers are promising billions in community investments, jobs, and infrastructure to sway officials.

Social buzz: X users are debating the economic impact, with some calling it a win for suburban gambling hubs over urban congestion.

Michigan Cracks Down on Unlicensed Online Casinos

The Michigan Gaming Control Board issued cease-and-desist orders to eight unlicensed online operators targeting residents, emphasizing risks to player data and fair play. This aligns with broader U.S. enforcement trends under state laws like the Lawful Internet Gaming Act.

Boom in New Online and Sweepstakes Casinos for U.S. Players

September 2025 has seen a surge of fresh platforms, with experts ranking sites like Ignition, Jackbit, Wild io, BitStarz, and Rakebit for their fast payouts, crypto support, and bonuses up to $1,000 match + free spins. New sweepstakes options include LoneStar Casino (500+ games, 100K Gold Coins no-deposit bonus), Sixty6 (1,500 slots), and Rich Sweeps (5,000-game launch).

Standouts for social/sweepstakes play: GameDayZone (NFL-timed debut), Shuffle us (spin-off from Shuffle dotcome), and Sweeps Royal (mobile-first with generous promos). These focus on no-purchase entry, quick redemptions, and AI personalization.

Other Notable Stories

Tragic NFL Shooting Linked to CTE: Shane Tamura, a Las Vegas casino worker, was revealed to have chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) after fatally shooting four at NFL headquarters in July, blaming the league for hiding head injury data.

Mining Stocks Tie-In: Casino-adjacent sectors like mining (key for casino construction materials) saw gains, with BHP up 1.32% to $42.22 on September 26.

For more details follow X handles like
@casinonewsmedia

Casino, Gaming and Hotel Stocks

Markets/Trades

September 21, 2025

New York, USA

MGM Resorts International $35.80 -0.14 -0.39%

Wynn Resorts Ltd $129.52 +0.84 +0.65%

Las Vegas Sands $53.87 +0.66 +1.24%

Boyd Gaming Corporation $83.30 Flat

Caesars Entertainment, Inc. $25.56 -0.84 -3.18%

Red Rock Resorts, Inc. $60.76 -0.23 -0.38%

Hilton Grand Vacations Inc. $44.53 -0.35 -0.78%

PENN Entertainment, Inc. $19.09 -0.12 -0.62%

Light & Wonder, Inc. $87.28 -0.94 -1.07%

News Bonus

Prices: Near Live!

NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA) $176.60 +0.20% +0.36

News

MGM CEO says Dubai casino approval still pending as 2028 resort construction advances

MGM Resorts International has yet to receive approval to operate a casino at its upcoming $2.5 billion integrated resort in Dubai, CEO Bill Hornbuckle said, despite earlier expectations that a decision would have been made by now.

“I thought by now, Abu Dhabi would have ruled on what they were doing,” Hornbuckle said during a recent industry conference, referring to the anticipated regulatory green light. “There’s a lot of dialogue around that.”

The resort, currently under construction on a 25-acre artificial island near Jumeirah Beach and the Burj Al Arab, is being developed in partnership with the government-owned Wasl group. It will feature MGM Grand, Bellagio, and Aria-branded hotels, along with a 250,000-square-foot podium that has been purpose-built to accommodate a casino should regulatory conditions allow.

While a federal gaming regulator, the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA), was established in recent years to oversee commercial gambling activities across the UAE, the final decision to authorize casino operations remains with the rulers of individual emirates.

Hornbuckle noted that the company is still waiting on an official directive from Dubai’s leadership. “We don’t have permission yet from the ruler of Dubai to go forward,” he said. “I don’t know when we’ll hear, but I do believe this ... If this gets a casino, and I believe it will over time, we think it’s a massive opportunity.”

MGM submitted its license application to the GCGRA in September 2024. Any future approval would likely involve both federal coordination and local consent. The GCGRA is currently chaired by Jim Murren, MGM’s former CEO.

Meanwhile, competition in the UAE's nascent casino sector is heating up. Wynn Resorts is preparing to open the country’s first casino at its upcoming property in Ras Al Khaimah.

Scheduled for a 2027 launch, the resort on Al Marjan Island will likely be the UAE’s only licensed casino at the time of opening, according to Wynn CEO Craig Billings. He said last month that he anticipates it will be “the first and only casino in the country.”

Wynn has also expanded its footprint in Ras Al Khaimah by acquiring an additional 70 acres of land, raising speculation of a potential second property in the emirate. Analysts estimate that the UAE gaming market could generate annual revenues of up to $8 billion, while Wynn has projected figures closer to $5 billion.

Despite Wynn’s confidence in securing a dominant position, sources cited by Arabian Gulf Business Insight suggest that other operators may eventually receive licenses, casting doubt on the prospect of a long-term monopoly.

News

Lead Up ...

Casino, Gaming and Hotel Stocks

Markets/Trades

September 16, 2025

New York, USA

MGM Resorts International $35.36 -0.28 -0.79%

Wynn Resorts Ltd $120.68 -2.17 -1.77%

Las Vegas Sands $51.86 -1.23 -2.32%

Boyd Gaming Corporation $82.15 -1.32 -1.58%

Caesars Entertainment, Inc. $25.58 -0.32 -1.24%

Red Rock Resorts, Inc. $59.71 -1.37 - 2.24%

Hilton Grand Vacations Inc. $45.45 -0.100 -0.22%

PENN Entertainment, Inc. $18.92 +0.090 +0.48%

Light & Wonder, Inc. $88.69 -1.74 -1.92%

News Bonus

NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA) $174.84 -2.91 -1.64%

Lead Up

24 hours ago approx

Markets/Trades

September 15, 2025

New York, USA

MGM Resorts International $35.64 +1.09 Today +3.15%

Wynn Resorts Ltd $122.85 +1.40 Today +1.15%

Las Vegas Sands $53.09 -0.41 -0.77%

Boyd Gaming Corporation 83.47-1.03 -1.22%

Caesars Entertainment, Inc. 25.90 +0.81 +3.23%

Red Rock Resorts, Inc. 61.08 -0.01 -0.02%

Hilton Grand Vacations Inc. 45.55 +0.34+ 0.75%

PENN Entertainment, Inc. 18.83 -0.78 -3.98%

Light & Wonder, Inc. 90.43 +1.36 + 1.53%

News Bonus

NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA) 177.75 -0.07 -0.04%

Combat Sports

Boxing Under The Media Watercooler

A Most Eventful Few Months For Boxing Promoters, Streamers/Broadcasters and Fight Fans

September 2025

TKO/Zuffa/Sela vs The World ... or collaborating with the combat sports world?!

TKO's/UFC's super-promoter Dana White has been notoriously vocal with his criticisms of the boxing biz world in the past, which makes his newfound involvement in the sport all the more motivating for a promoter as competitive as Eddie Hearn.

"I'm excited to cross swords with Dana," Hearn advised. "There will never be any disrespect, if I'm honest. You're never going to see me slagging him off or talking down about him. I'm excited by the challenge because I think it's a real challenge. I don't expect Dana and TKO to come into boxing and just sit in a corner and deliver some decent numbers for shareholders. I think they're going to want to have a presence and try and dominate the sport. It's the ego that they all are blessed with.

"It's good for me in many ways. ... If he really has ambitions to try and dominate the sport, it is going to be me and him duking it out. I don't think that's bad for boxing, honestly. He probably believes he can dominate boxing, dominate me, dominate everything. And I feel the same. So you've got two guys with a lot of ambition, with deep pockets and big egos. In a pleasant way, let a battle commence."

What may be a potential low blow for the sport, however, are TKO's ongoing attempts to circumvent the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act, which has protected fighter rights (to a considerable degree) since its creation in 1999. The act is not perfect, as is the case with most rules/acts, or whatever you want to call it old sport.

Hearn has navigated boxing for decades with the Act in place and not batted much of an eye, so naturally he's dubious or even suspicious, of the intentions White and company have with the newly-introduced Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act, a TKO-backed bill which drew extensive criticism at a recent California State Athletic Commission meeting. The answer to that question, Hearn said, will provide clarity about Zuffa Boxing's future and intentions.

Eddie Hearn has some new competition in the boxing world.

This past weekend marked the first event of the long-awaited Zuffa Boxing era, helmed by UFC CEO Dana White and Saudi fight financier Turki Alalshikh. Terence "Bud" Crawford went toe-to-toe with Saul "Canelo" Alvarez to cap off the historic night Saturday in Las Vegas, with Crawford winning a unanimous decision to become undisputed super middleweight champion.

The foray into boxing has been on White's mind for several years, though ultimately it took a partnership with Riyadh Season's Alalshikh to make the ambition a reality. As a result, White and Matchroom Boxing's Hearn have now become rivals of sorts. And while the two powerhouse promoters have long maintained a friendly relationship, things did appear to shift in the lead-up to Crawford vs. Alvarez.

"Our relationship's good," Hearn said of White on "The Ariel Helwani Show." "I've never had any kind of falling out with Dana. I can't stress enough the respect I have for him.

"But you can't expect me, a guy who is extremely competitive, to not want to roll up my sleeves and see who is the best in boxing, because I believe I am the best in boxing. We're the only global promotion company in the world, and I believe I'm head and shoulders above everybody as a promoter. Call that delusion, call that arrogance, or call that the truth. But that's what I truly believe."

White has been notoriously vocal with his criticisms of the boxing world in the past, which makes his newfound involvement in the sport all the more motivating for a promoter as competitive as Hearn.

What may be problematic for the sport, however, are TKO's ongoing attempts to circumvent the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act, which has protected fighter rights since its creation in 1999.

Hearn has navigated boxing for decades with the Act in place and not batted much of an eye, so naturally he's dubious of the intentions White and company have with the newly-introduced Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act, a TKO-backed bill which drew extensive criticism at a recent California State Athletic Commission meeting. The answer to that question, Hearn said, will provide clarity about Zuffa Boxing's future and intentions.

"Why are you trying to get that Act changed or removed?" Hearn said. "The strange thing about that act is that on every [boxing] show, you have to declare to the fighters on the card the revenue of the event, which is quite unique.

"Clearly, there isn't really a problem with that in the boxing world because a significant proportion of the revenue is paid to the athletes. So maybe when there's a bigger TV deal [for TKO], the split of that revenue is not paid accordingly with the tradition of the industry, and I don't think they're going to go with the tradition of the industry. I think they will think that fighters are overpaid because [boxers] are in relation to the UFC and MMA talent."

White has already raised a few eyebrows within boxing circles in the lead-up to Crawford vs. Alvarez, boasting that he's promoted two of the three highest-selling gates in the sport's history between Saturday's event at Allegiant Stadium and the 2017 crossover spectacle between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor.

While true, Hearn believes the claim to be a bit disingenuous.

"If you really want to come into boxing and call Mayweather-McGregor one of the biggest fights of all time, please. It was an exhibition. That's not a fight," Hearn said. "And by the way, Crawford-Canelo was not Dana White's fight. It was Turki Alalshikh's fight, and [White] was invited to be the promoter. Well done, well played.

"Let's not get it twisted. The work that Turki Alalshikh has done in boxing has paved the way for Canelo-Crawford. Without Turki Alalshikh, Canelo vs. Crawford never would have happened. In fact, it wouldn't have even been a fight that Dana White would have even considered or thought of making. So well done to Dana, well done to TKO. But let's give the credit of Canelo-Crawford to Turki Alalshikh, the man that truly paid up for the fight. The man that truly had the vision for two generational greats to meet in a ring. I didn't believe that fight could get made. He went out and made it."

The partnership between Alalshikh and TKO is an interesting one for Hearn, who's worked extensively alongside the Saudi money man. How will it continue to look? How much input do White and TKO actually have?

From Hearn's experience, the answer to the latter question might not be much.

"Working with Turki Alalshikh is a wild ride," Hearn said. "Dana works at a high level. Mark Shapiro, Nick Khan, all these people — they're very, very good at what they do. They're very smart, but they also like to do what they do and what they want to do. Turki Alalshikh, I'm just being straight, he doesn't really allow you to do what you want to do. He does what he wants to do, and you follow.

"I've learned over the years of working with him, your advice mainly falls on deaf ears. He's a very smart guy, and there's a method to the madness. But the traditional ways of going on sale through tickets or announcing the press conference or even announcing the fights, it's not the traditional way with him. And I think they're going to clash, but money's money, isn't it? It depends if you're prepared to keep your mouth quiet and do as you're told. I am. Are they? That's the difference for me."

All in all, Hearn believes everyone involved with this latest venture is smart, has good contacts and connections, and has the wisdom that guarantees them to succeed, at least to a certain degree.

Yet despite all White has laid out regarding his plans to take over the sport, Hearn isn't concerned with losing his position among the sport's promotional giants.

"I don't mean it disrespectfully when I say I think I'm on another level in boxing," Hearn said. "You can see that on the deliverance. When Dana does his UFC stuff, it's the same kind of passion that I probably have inside for boxing. I can't go into MMA and deliver it in the same way. Whether you think you've got a history in the sport, it's just not the same. It's 24/7, 365 days a year — live, breathe boxing.

"There's nothing I don't know about my fighters' careers. The opponents they've faced. BoxRec is the king of my browser. I've been sitting, watching, learning the sport for 40 years. It's just different."

News

Matchroom: The Greatest Showmen (Currently streaming via Netflix)

Reception

Early reviews praise the series for its gripping portrayal of the Hearns, drawing comparisons to Succession for its family drama and business intrigue, though some note a "hokey" reality-TV flair.

Boxing and sports fans have hailed it as essential viewing for its authentic glimpses into the industry, with one IMDb user calling it "brilliant" for fans of sales, sports, or the Hearns specifically.

Where to Watch

Stream all episodes exclusively on Netflix. A trailer is available on the official Netflix site and Matchroom's YouTube channel for a preview of the "rollercoaster" ride.

Matchroom: The Greatest Showmen is a six-episode sports documentary series that premiered globally on Netflix on September 17, 2025. It offers unprecedented access to the Hearn family and their Essex-based sports promotion empire, Matchroom Sport, which has been a cornerstone of British sporting culture for over four decades. The series highlights the high-stakes world of promoting major events in boxing, darts, snooker, and more, blending family dynamics, business rivalries, and behind-the-scenes drama.

Plot Summary

The documentary follows father-son duo Barry Hearn (Matchroom's founder and president) and Eddie Hearn (CEO of Matchroom Boxing) as they navigate the challenges of expanding their multi-sport promotion company.

Key storylines include: Eddie's intense focus on boxing, including high-profile fights involving clients like Anthony Joshua and Conor Benn (whose career faces uncertainty due to personal and professional hurdles).

Barry's strategies to boost visibility for sports like pool and darts, featuring rising stars such as Luke Littler.
A longstanding family rivalry that escalates both personally and professionally, adding tension to their partnership.

Appearances from other Matchroom stars like Katie Taylor and Ronnie O'Sullivan, showcasing the glamour and grit of the promotion business.

Produced by Box To Box Films (the team behind Formula 1: Drive to Survive and At Home with the Furys), the series mixes raw business insights with personal anecdotes, portraying the Hearns as competitive deal-makers who defy traditional corporate norms.

Cast and Key Figures

Barry Hearn: Founder of Matchroom, OBE recipient, and the patriarch driving the company's global ambitions.
Eddie Hearn: Charismatic CEO, known for blockbuster boxing promotions and his larger-than-life persona.

Guest Appearances: Anthony Joshua, Conor Benn, Luke Littler, Katie Taylor, Ronnie O'Sullivan, and other athletes under Matchroom's umbrella. (Grok)

Entertainment, Pop Culture And Streaming News

September 2025

September 17

1. Hollywood Legend Robert Redford Passes Away at 89.
Academy Award-winning actor, director, and activist Robert Redford died on September 16, 2025, at the age of 89. Known for iconic roles in films like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting, and All the President's Men, as well as founding the Sundance Film Festival, Redford was celebrated for his deep commitment to environmental causes and Native American rights. Tributes are pouring in from across the industry, highlighting his enduring legacy in cinema and activism.

2. Sean Astin Elected President of SAG-AFTRA Actor Sean Astin, best known for The Lord of the Rings trilogy and Stranger Things, has been elected as the new president of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA).
The union, representing tens of thousands of performers and media professionals, announced the leadership change amid ongoing discussions about AI's impact on the industry. Astin's win signals a focus on protecting artists' rights in an evolving entertainment landscape.

3. Broadway Revival: Starry Cast for 'Art' The Tony Award-winning play Art is returning to Broadway in a fresh revival featuring a high-profile cast.
Directed by Scott Ellis, the production explores themes of friendship and aesthetics through abstract art, promising to draw crowds with its witty dialogue and ensemble performances. Previews begin soon, marking a highlight in the fall theater season.

4. 'Demon Slayer' Breaks Box Office Records
The latest installment in the Demon Slayer anime franchise has shattered global box office records, becoming one of the highest-grossing animated films of all time. Fans are celebrating the milestone, with the film's stunning animation and emotional storytelling credited for its success. This comes amid growing international acclaim for Japanese anime in mainstream entertainment.

5. AI Copyright Lawsuit Rocks Entertainment Industry
An AI company faces a major lawsuit for alleged copyright infringement in generating content, spotlighting the escalating tensions between technology and creative industries. Entertainment giants are increasingly vocal about protecting intellectual property as AI tools become more integrated into film, music, and TV production. This case could set precedents for future regulations.

Streaming Spotlight: Netflix's September 2025 Lineup

Netflix is dropping a slew of must-watch titles this month, blending reboots, originals, and classics.

Highlights include:Wednesday Season 2 (Part 2): The Addams Family spin-off continues with more gothic mystery and Jenna Ortega's sharp wit.

Charlie Sheen Docuseries: A two-part deep dive into the actor's career highs, lows, and redemption arc.

Black Rabbit: A star-studded crime drama featuring Jude Law and Jason Bateman.

House of Guinness: A lavish period drama from the Peaky Blinders creator.

New Movies: Additions like 10 Things I Hate About You, The Amazing Spider-Man duology, Bridesmaids, and the zombie thriller 28 Years Later (streaming September 20 in the US).

Other OTT platforms are also heating up:

ETV Win: Telugu short drama Forever premieres on September 21.

Disney+: Live-action remakes and sequels, including a billion-dollar grosser from earlier this year.

HBO Max: Indie films Friendship and Warfare for prestige viewing.

Other Buzzworthy Updates

Music Milestone: Andrea Bocelli directed and performed at a historic concert in the Vatican, blending opera with sacred spaces.

Gaming & Anime Events: The Origin Summit features entertainment titans like BLACKPINK's label CEO and BTS/HYBE execs discussing AI, blockchain, and the $80T IP market.

TV Premieres: Fall lineup includes The Morning Show Season 4, Stranger Things updates, and new series like Chad Powers and Boston Blue.

Theater & Events: FirstBank sponsors the Calabar Entertainment Conference in Nigeria, focusing on African media growth.

In Japan, the live-action 5 Centimeters per Second film held its completion screening with stars like Hokuto Matsumura and Mitsuki Takahata. (Grok)

News

Movie Box Office (North America)

September 14, 2025

1. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - The Movie: Infinity Castle - $70m
2. The Conjuring: Last Rites - $26.1m
3. Downtown Abbey: The Grand Finale - $18.1m
4. The Long Walk - $11.4m
5. Toy Story - $3.5m
6. Weapons - $2.7m
7. Hamilton - $2.2m
8. Freakier Friday - $2.1m
9. Spinal Tap II - $1.7m
10. The Sound of Music - $1.6m

News

September 2025

September 15

Netflix News

Media Man: The List!

Movies: Top 10 (Australia)

1. The Wrong Paris
2. No Hard Feelings
3. aka Charlie Sheen
4. K-POP Demon Hunters
5. Unknown Number: The High School Catfish
6. The Little Things
7. Love Hurts
8. Force Of Nature: The Dry 2
9. Saiyaara
10. K-POP Demon Hunters Sing-Along

Highly Recommended:

The Beekeeper
The Running Man
Ali
Dune: Part Two
The Expendables
War
The Legend Of Baron To'a
Here Comes The Boom
Total Recall
The Mask Of Zorro
Edge Of Tomorrow
Moneyball
Happy Gilmore 2
Knives Out
Good Will Hunting
The Old Guard 2
American Made
The Dry
Gladiator
Dennis The Menace
The Fate Of The Furious
Battleship
K.O
The Legend Of Tarzan

Most Anticipated:

WWE Wrestlepalooza
WWE SmackDown
NXT Homecoming
WWE RAW
Matchroom: The Greatest Showmen

Media Man: What a month on Netflix!

Markets, Crypto and Culture

September 15, 2025

Sydney, Australia

Markets

ASX futures down 59 points/0.7% to 8804
Wall Street:
S&P 500 -0.1%
Dow Jones -0.6%
Nasdaq +0.4%
Europe:
Stoxx 50 +0.1%
FTSE -0.2%
DAX flat
CAC flat

Bitcoin -0.1% to $US115,849

Gold +0.3% to $US3643.14 per ounce
Oil +0.5% to $US62.69 a barrel
Brent crude oil +0.9% to $US66.99 a barrel
Iron ore +0.4% to $US105.90 per ton
10-year yield:
US 4.06%
Australia 4.21%
Germany 2.71%

News

Cryptos Today: (Near Live)

Bitcoin $116,036.73 USD +0.28%
Ethereum $4,624.75 USD -0.60%
Tether $0.9998 USD +0.14%
XRP $3.04 USD -2.20%
BNB $933.05 USD +0.18%
Solana $243.15 USD +1.40%
TRON $0.3491 USD +0.06%
Dogecoin $0.2799 USD -3.15%

Market Cautious, Mood/vibe rising!

Pop Culture And Entertainment News

August 2025

Media Man Watercooler

Grappling With Culture Edition

Movie Box Office (North America)

August 3, 2025

1. The Fantastic Four: First Steps - $40m
2. The Bad Guys 2 - $22.2m
3. The Naked Gun - $17m
4. Superman - $13.9m
5. Jurassic World: Rebirth - $8.7m
6. Together - $6.8m
7. F1: The Movie - $4.1m
8. I Know What You Did Last Summer - $2.8m
9. Smurfs - $1.8m
10. How to Train Your Dragon - $1.4m

Heading For Streaming?!

Eddington
Elio
Oh, Hi!
The Home
Lilo & Stitch
28 Years Later
Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning
Materialists
From the World of John Wick: Ballerina

Newsfeed

Robin Claim Denied for Batman Sequel

Entertainment journalist Jeff Sneider reported that Robin is featured in the script for "The Batman Part II," describing it as a bold evolution of the dark narrative from the 2022 original. DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn denied the claim, stating that only a few people have read the script and urging dismissal of the speculation. The film remains scheduled for release on October 2, 2026, with production set to begin in early 2025.

News

Upcoming Street Fighter Reboot (2026)

Overview: A new live-action Street Fighter movie, directed by Kitao Sakurai (Bad Trip), is in development by Legendary Entertainment and Capcom, with a planned release in 2026. Originally set for March 20, 2026, it was delayed after directors Danny and Michael Philippou left due to scheduling conflicts. No new release date is confirmed.

Cast:Andrew Koji as Ryu
Callina Liang as Chun-Li
Noah Centineo as Ken
Jason Momoa as Blanka
Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson as Balrog
David Dastmalchian as M. Bison
Cody Rhodes as Guile
Roman Reigns as Akuma
Orville Peck as Vega
Andrew Schulz as Dan Hibiki
Vidyut Jammwal as Dhalsim

Hirooki Goto as E. Honda

Plot: Details are scarce, but it’s expected to focus on the classic World Warrior Tournament, featuring rivalries like Ryu vs. Ken and battles against M. Bison’s Shadaloo organization. The tone aims to balance the games’ playful, over-the-top style with modern cinematic flair, learning from past adaptations’ mistakes.

Production: Filming is set to begin in September 2025 in Australia, with WWE stars Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns scheduled to film from September 2, with Reigns on set until late September.

Expectations: The diverse cast, including action stars, wrestlers, and musicians, suggests a bold, eclectic approach. Fans hope it captures the game’s vibrant characters and fighting spirit, avoiding the pitfalls of earlier films.

Additional Notes

Other Adaptations: Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie (1994) is a well-regarded anime adaptation, closer to the game’s tone and often preferred by fans. Street Fighter: Assassin’s Fist (2014) is a live-action web series focusing on Ryu and Ken’s early years, also better received than the live-action films.

Sentiment on X: Posts on X reflect mixed feelings about the 1994 film, with some calling it entertainingly bad but not on the level of cult classics like The Room. The upcoming reboot generates cautious optimism, with excitement for the cast but skepticism due to past failures.

Critical Perspective: The 1994 film’s campy style and deviation from the game’s tournament focus (e.g., no Hadokens or special moves) disappointed purists, while the 2009 film’s gritty approach failed to capture the franchise’s charm. The 2026 reboot has a chance to succeed by embracing the games’ colorful, exaggerated tone, but it must navigate the challenge of translating a fighting game’s minimal plot into a compelling narrative. (Grok)

News

Happy Gilmore 2

Happy Gilmore 2 is a 2025 American sports comedy film, a sequel to the 1996 cult classic Happy Gilmore. Directed by Kyle Newacheck and co-written by Adam Sandler and Tim Herlihy, it premiered on Netflix on July 25, 2025, and became the platform’s biggest U.S. film debut, garnering 46.7 million views in its opening weekend.

Plot:
The story picks up nearly 30 years after the original. Happy Gilmore (Adam Sandler), now older and retired from golf after a tragic accident, struggles with personal issues and has turned to alcohol. He returns to the sport to raise $300,000 for his daughter Vienna’s (Sunny Sandler) ballet school tuition in Paris. Along the way, he faces his old rival Shooter McGavin (Christopher McDonald) and contends with an energy drink mogul (Benny Safdie) pushing an extreme version of golf. The plot blends nostalgia with new challenges, focusing on Happy’s comeback and family life.

Cast Returning:
Adam Sandler (Happy Gilmore), Julie Bowen (Virginia Venit), Christopher McDonald (Shooter McGavin), Ben Stiller (Hal L.).

New: Bad Bunny (as Happy’s caddy), Sunny Sandler (Vienna), Sadie Sandler, Benny Safdie, Travis Kelce (waiter), Margaret Qualley, Ethan Cutkosky, Conor Sherry, Maxwell Jacob Friedman, Blake Clark.

Cameos: Golfers like Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Jack Nicklaus, John Daly, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas, Paige Spiranac; celebrities including Eminem, Post Malone, Dan Patrick, Reggie Bush, Becky Lynch, Nikki Garcia, Ken Jennings, Cam’ron, Kym Whitley, Kevin Nealon, and more.

Key Details
Release Date: July 25, 2025, on Netflix (3 a.m. ET/midnight PT).

Trailers: First teaser dropped December 2024, a second in March 2025, and a full trailer at Netflix’s Tudum event in May 2025, showcasing cameos and the nostalgic tone with Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Tuesday’s Gone.”

Production: Filmed in New Jersey, with Sandler and Herlihy co-writing. The script was rewritten to honor Carl Weathers (Chubbs), who passed away in 2024, with references to his character instead of recasting.

Tributes: The film honors Weathers and includes a nod to Cameron Boyce. (Grok)

News

Hulk Hogan: News

Hogan’s legacy includes his role in popularizing professional wrestling in the 1980s, headlining the first WrestleMania, and becoming a cultural icon through media like “Rocky III” and “Hogan Knows Best.” His controversial moments, including a 2015 scandal involving racist remarks and a lawsuit against Gawker, also shaped his later years. He was active in politics, notably endorsing Trump at the 2024 Republican National Convention.

Hulk Hogan, whose real name was Terry Gene Bollea ... passed away on July 24, 2025, at the age of 71. His death was due to a heart attack, as confirmed by a Florida medical examiner’s report, with contributing factors including a history of atrial fibrillation and chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Tributes followed from wrestling figures like Ric Flair, Triple H, and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, as well as public figures like Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who declared a “Hulk Hogan Day” in Florida, with flags flown at half-staff. Some posts on X speculated about undisclosed health issues, with one claiming his therapist suggested the death certificate might not fully reflect his condition, though no autopsy details have confirmed this. (Grok)

News

American Gladiators: News

The latest news on American Gladiators centers around its reboot on Amazon Prime Video, announced in 2025. The revival is hosted by WWE superstar Mike “The Miz” Mizanin, with Rocsi Diaz as sideline reporter and Chris Rose on play-by-play.

The show features 16 new Gladiators—eight men and eight women, including bodybuilders, pro wrestlers, former Division I athletes, CrossFit champions, and military veterans. Notable names include AEW’s Wardlow and Kamille, former WWE wrestler Eric Bugenhagen (Rick Boogs), OVW’s Jessie Godderz (Mr. PEC-Tacular), and Jessica Roden (J-Rod).

The series will blend new events with classics like “Gauntlet,” “Hang Tough,” and “The Eliminator.” Two seasons have reportedly been filmed, though no premiere date is confirmed.

A 24/7 American Gladiators FAST channel with original episodes is also available on Prime Video, and a Live Nation tour is set for November 1 to December 21, 2025.

Concerns about potential tension between WWE and AEW talent were dismissed, with sources indicating professionalism on set. (Grok)

News

UFC Movie News

No other major UFC movie projects have been reported recently. Brawler stands out as the primary UFC-branded cinematic effort, leveraging the organization’s direct involvement and Snyder’s bold directorial style. Zack Snyder’s ‘Brawler’: Zack Snyder is directing a UFC-themed drama titled Brawler, in collaboration with UFC CEO Dana White and Turki Alalshikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority and owner of The Ring magazine. The film follows a young fighter from Los Angeles rising through the UFC ranks while battling personal struggles, aiming for a championship. Snyder is co-writing the screenplay with Shay Hatten and Kurt Johnstad, and producing alongside Deborah Snyder and Wesley Coller under their Stone Quarry banner. Filming may include real UFC events in Las Vegas and Riyadh, promising authenticity. No official cast or release date has been confirmed, but rumors suggest Adam Driver could lead, with potential cameos from UFC figures like Dana White, Jon Anik, Joe Rogan, and Daniel Cormier. The film is expected to blend Snyder’s signature visual style—slow-motion, gritty combat—with a grounded, emotional narrative, potentially setting it apart from other MMA films like Warrior or the Road House remake. A release is tentatively eyed for 2026.

Dwayne Johnson’s ‘The Smashing Machine’: Directed by Benny Safdie for A24, this UFC film wrapped filming early in Vancouver. It focuses on MMA legend Mark Kerr, with Dwayne Johnson starring. Unlike Brawler, it’s a biographical drama, not a fictional story, and has no direct UFC organizational involvement. The film has generated buzz for its intense portrayal of Kerr’s life and career. No specific release date has been announced, but it’s expected to hit theaters soon given the completed production.

Other UFC-Related Projects: Former UFC fighter Keith Jardine has ventured into filmmaking, writing and directing a horror movie called Kill Me Again, which is currently in theaters. While not a UFC-centric film, Jardine’s MMA background ties it to the sport’s community. Additionally, a Jordan Peele-produced film Him features former UFC and PFL heavyweight Maurice Greene, indicating UFC fighters’ growing presence in Hollywood.

Sentiment on X: Posts on X reflect excitement for Brawler, with fans noting its potential for UFC fighter cameos and heavy promotion by the UFC. Some see it as a fresh, grounded direction for Snyder compared to his superhero and sci-fi work. There’s also chatter about UFC’s broader media moves, like a potential Netflix deal for TV rights, which could amplify projects like Brawler. (Grok)

News

Netflix: Top 10 Series (August 2025)

Wednesday (Season 2, Part 1) - The highly anticipated return of the Addams Family spinoff, starring Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams, navigating mysteries at Nevermore Academy. The first four episodes premiered on August 6, 2025, and it’s dominating viewership charts globally.

The Hunting Wives - A Starz series available on Netflix, this thriller has gained traction for its dramatic storytelling, landing high on the US charts.

Leanne - A comedy series featuring Leanne Morgan, noted for its humor and fresh appeal, ranking consistently in the US top 10.

Untamed - A series generating buzz for its unique premise, though specific details are less prominent in the data. It’s a top performer in global and US rankings.

SEC Football: Any Given Saturday - A seven-part documentary series diving into the 2024 SEC college football season, appealing to sports fans. Premiered August 5, 2025.

Perfect Match (Season 3) - A reality dating competition featuring singles from Netflix’s reality universe, hosted by Nick Lachey. It premiered in early August and is climbing the charts.

Amy Bradley Is Missing - A true-crime series capturing attention for its gripping narrative, ranking high in the US and globally.

Sullivan’s Crossing (Season 3) - A CW drama available on Netflix, focusing on emotional and romantic storylines, gaining steady viewership.

Love Life (Seasons 1-2) - An HBO Max anthology series now streaming on Netflix (starting August 5, 2025), with Anna Kendrick and William Jackson Harper exploring romantic journeys.

Conversations with a Killer: The Son of Sam Tapes - A true-crime docuseries delving into the infamous Son of Sam case, noted for its chilling archival content.

News

VideoGame Releases: August 2005 and Beyond

August 2025

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, August 28): A stunning 4K remake of the stealth classic, preserving its espionage gameplay and iconic moments.

Madden NFL 26 (PC, PS5, Switch 2, Xbox Series X/S, August 14): The annual sports title with updated rosters and gameplay enhancements.

Gears of War: Reloaded (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, August 26): A refreshed take on the gritty shooter series, optimized for modern platforms.

September 2025

Borderlands 4 (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, September 12): The looter-shooter returns with chaotic gunplay, new characters, and signature humor.

Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles (Switch 2, September 30): A tactical RPG revival, announced by Square Enix, generating excitement for strategy fans.

October 2025

Ghost of Yotei (PS5, October 2): A spiritual sequel to Ghost of Tsushima, featuring new samurai-themed adventures.

Ninja Gaiden 4 (PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox Series X/S, October 21): A high-octane action title continuing the ninja saga, recently launched as Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound on August 1, 2025, to positive reviews.

The Outer Worlds 2 (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, October 29): A sci-fi RPG sequel with expanded exploration and narrative depth.

November–December 2025

Few confirmed releases, but titles like Grand Theft Auto 6 were initially expected in 2025 but have been delayed to 2026.

Other anticipated games without firm dates include Hollow Knight: Silksong, Little Nightmares 3, and Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2.

Recent News (August 2025)

Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound Launch (August 1, 2025):

This dual-ninja action game launched across PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, and Xbox platforms, receiving strong early reviews for its intense combat and visuals. Dotemu and PlayStation highlighted its release on X, emphasizing its demon-slaying gameplay.

Square Enix Announcements (August 1, 2025):

Square Enix revealed multiple titles for the Switch 2, including Octopath Traveler 0, The Adventure of Elliot: The Millenium Tales, Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles (September 30), and Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven. These announcements, shared via X, signal strong third-party support for Nintendo’s new console.

Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase (July 31, 2025): A presentation aired with updates on third-party Switch and Switch 2 games, providing new details on upcoming 2025 titles, as noted by IGN on X.

News

Media Man

Netflix wins Media Man 'Brand Of The Month'; Runner-up: HBO (FKA MAX)

WWE wins Media Man 'Wrestling Promotion Of The Month' award

UFC wins Media Man 'MMA Promotion Of The Month' award

TKO Group wins Media Man 'Entertainment Promoter Of The Month' award

AEW wins Media Man 'Challenger Brand Of The Month' award

Prime wins Media Man 'Beverage Of The Month' award

Claudio's Cafe wins Media Man 'Coffee Brand Of The Month' award; Runner-up: Nespresso

CBD News

Cannabis News via Media Man

Cafe News and Coffee News via Cafe News Media/Media Man Group

Best Quotes

"A morning without coffee is like sleep." - Anonymous

"Coffee is a beverage that puts one to sleep when not drunk." - Alphonse Allais

"Coffee is the best thing to douse the sunrise with." - Terri Guillemets

"May your coffee be strong and your Monday be short." - Anonymous

"Coffee smells like freshly ground heaven." - Jessi Lane Adams

"To me, the smell of fresh-made coffee is one of the greatest inventions." - Hugh Jackman

"I like my coffee like I like myself: strong, sweet, and too hot for you." - Jac Vanek

"Coffee first. Schemes later." - Leanna Renee Hieber

"I can't imagine a day without coffee. I can't imagine!" - Howard Schultz

"Life's too short to drink bad coffee." - Anonymous

"Coffee is a language in itself." - Jackie Chan

News via Grok

Cafe News

Café News is likely a reference to Daily Coffee News by Roast Magazine, a leading source for coffee industry updates. It covers topics like cafe openings, closures, equipment, sustainability, and more, maintaining objective editorial content without sponsored posts.

Recent highlights include:

Closures and Openings: An influential Los Angeles cafe is set to close, while new cafes like Blue Bottle Coffee opened in Singapore, and SAI Café relocated in Lincoln Park, Chicago, after nearly 40 years.

Innovative Ventures: The UK’s first capybara cafe is opening in Norfolk, offering tea and cake alongside capybaras, and a Florida cafe lets customers interact with them to support animal rescue.

Community Impact: In Atlanta, Café Momentum provides internships for teens in the criminal justice system, blending culinary training with social good.

Cafe News Flashback

Winnipeg Café Recognition: A Winnipeg café has been highlighted for its exceptional outdoor dining experience, making it onto a list of top Canadian outdoor dining spots. This recognition emphasizes the café’s appeal for al fresco dining.

Riot Recovery in the UK: A café impacted by riots has reopened, showcasing resilience and community support as it gets back to business.

Atlanta’s Café Momentum: In Atlanta, Georgia, Café Momentum is transforming lives by offering teens previously involved in the criminal justice system a chance to gain work experience through an internship program led by award-winning chef Chad Houser.

UK’s First Cat Café at Risk: Lady Dinah’s Cat Emporium in London, the UK’s first cat café, opened in 2014 after a crowdfunding campaign. It faces closure but is fundraising to stay open, continuing its mission to rehome rescue cats.

Controversial Coffee Shop Opening: Umar Patek, convicted for his role in the 2002 Bali bombings, has opened a coffee shop in Surabaya, Indonesia, called Hedon Estate, branding his coffee as Ramu. This move has stirred mixed reactions, particularly among victims’ families.

London Café Investigation: Café Diana in Kensington, London, is under scrutiny after a raid uncovered patrons smoking shisha in the basement, with 45 tubs of suspected shisha tobacco seized, raising concerns about regulatory compliance.

Unique Café Experience in Florida: The Capybara Café in St. Augustine, Florida, allows customers to interact with capybaras while enjoying drinks. It supports a nonprofit focused on rescuing and rehabilitating animals.

Supermarket Café Closures: Morrisons is closing 52 cafés across the UK, including locations in London, Leeds, Portsmouth, and Glasgow, as part of a cost-cutting strategy, impacting 365 jobs. Customers lament the loss of these affordable, community-focused spaces.

London’s Top Café for 2025: Swiss Bread Bakery & Café in Richmond has been named London’s best café for 2025 by the Muddy Stilettos Awards, celebrated for its fresh baked goods and Swiss-inspired offerings.

Themed Cafés in Japan: In Tokyo and Osaka, Pokémon Cafés are introducing new Mega Evolution-themed menus starting June 14, 2025, with exclusive merchandise and stickers for diners. Additionally, a “Jujutsu Kaisen x Sanrio Characters” themed café is open, offering photogenic menus and reservation perks.

These stories reflect a mix of innovation, community impact, and challenges in the café industry globally. (Grok)

News

Coffee News via Grok

Specialty Coffee Surge in the U.S.: Specialty coffee consumption has hit a 14-year high, with 46% of American adults drinking specialty coffee daily, surpassing traditional coffee (42%), according to the National Coffee Association’s 2025 Specialty Coffee Report.

Vietnam’s Robusta Boom: Vietnam’s coffee production is projected to reach 31 million 60-kilogram bags in the 2025/26 market year, driven by robusta exports hitting a record high. Key markets include Germany, the U.S., and growing Asian markets like China and Japan.

Brazil Labor Concerns: Reports from Public Eye and Repórter Brasil have highlighted allegations of modern slavery in Brazil’s coffee sector, raising ethical concerns in one of the world’s top coffee-producing countries.

Health Benefits of Coffee: A Harvard study of over 47,000 women suggests daily caffeinated coffee consumption is linked to healthier aging, with a 13% higher chance of living longer without major chronic diseases. Decaf and tea didn’t show similar benefits.

Price Hikes Looming: U.S. tariffs and supply chain issues are driving up coffee prices. Australian roasters predict barista-brewed coffee could cost up to $12 due to rising production costs.

Technological Advances: Edith Cowan University researchers developed drone-based software to detect coffee berry borer infestations, a pest causing over $1 billion in global losses in 2023.

Unionization Efforts: Baristas at four Blue Bottle Coffee locations in California are pushing to join the Blue Bottle Independent Union, following successful unionization in Boston. Workers at Quills Coffee in Kentucky also secured a contract with pay raises and better benefits.

Global Expansion: China’s Luckin Coffee is planning a major U.S. expansion, starting with a branch in Manhattan, leveraging low prices and tech-driven operations.

For more detailed coffee industry updates, you can check sources like Perfect Daily Grind or Daily Coffee News. (Grok)

News

Media Man 'Cafe Of The Month'

Another Bakery ties with Barzuza; Coogee, NSW connection!

Media Man Former Cafes Of The Month include:

Sydney's Eastern Suburbs

City Extra
Bakehouse Cafe
Chalk Espresso Bar
The Lion And Buffalo
Heart Cafe
The Crabbe Hole
Speedos Cafe
In Cafe Restaurant
Barzura

Sydney's Northern Beaches

Rusti Fig
Cocoa Bar
Palm Beach Cafe & Restaurant
2108 Expresso
Chillbar
Swell Cafe
Classic Coffee

Alice Springs:

Red Dog Cafe
Lasseters Health Club

Brisbane:

Pig And Whistle
Corner Cafe 26

Global:

Cafe 392

*Cafe News Media is part of the Media Man Group

News

May 2025

Capybara Cafe in Florida: The Capybara Cafe in St. Augustine, Florida, opened by Stephanie Angel, allows customers to interact with capybaras while enjoying drinks. It supports a nonprofit for animal rescue and rehabilitation.London's Best Cafe 2025:

Swiss Bread Bakery & Café in Richmond was named London’s top coffee shop for 2025 by the Muddy Stilettos Awards, praised for its fresh breads, croissants, and cakes.

Binalong Cafe’s Ukraine Support: A cafe in Binalong, NSW, removed its symbolic tariff on American goods after raising funds for Ukraine, earning a visit from the Ukrainian ambassador.

Swansea Cafe’s Offline Nights:

A Swansea cafe introduced monthly "offline nights" banning phones and laptops to encourage conversation, with positive feedback for fostering community interaction.

Supermarket Cafe Closures: Morrisons announced the closure of 52 cafes and 17 stores in a cost-cutting move, while Sainsbury’s is also shutting down cafes, impacting jobs but leaving some locations open

.Vegemite Dispute in Canada: An Australian cafe owner in Toronto was ordered to remove Vegemite from his menu due to Canadian regulations on added vitamins, sparking support from Australia’s PM.

Negative Incidents: A cafe in London refused service to a customer due to facial disfigurement, raising concerns about discrimination.

In Canberra, a cafe manager was denied bail over allegations of sexually assaulting a teenage staff member.

Unique Cafe Developments:

A fantasy bookstore and cafe, ‘The Dark, Unbound,’ is set to open in Falls Church, Virginia, blending literature and coffee culture.

Coffee News

Kona Coffee and Immigration Crackdown: In Hawaii, Kona coffee fields, known for their premium beans retailing over $30 for an 8-ounce bag, are facing challenges due to a Trump administration immigration crackdown. Many of the workers handpicking these beans are immigrants from Latin America, some undocumented, raising concerns about labor shortages on the Big Island.

Kraft Heinz and Tariffs: Kraft Heinz, which owns Maxwell House and Gevalia, has requested 60 days' notice from coffee suppliers before price hikes due to U.S. tariffs imposed by the Trump administration. Coffee bean prices have nearly doubled over the past year due to adverse weather and crop shortfalls, with tariffs adding further pressure. The company estimates input costs rising by 5% this year, up from a previous 3% forecast.

Brazilian Coffee Exports: Brazilian coffee exporters see an opportunity in U.S. markets due to lower tariffs (10%) compared to higher levies on rivals like Vietnam (46%) and Indonesia (32%). This could boost Brazil’s robusta bean exports, especially if the U.S. fails to exempt coffee from tariffs or if competitors can’t negotiate reductions.

Starbucks Labor Issues: Over 1,000 Starbucks baristas at 75 U.S. stores have been on strike since May 18, 2025, protesting a new dress code, highlighting ongoing labor tensions at the coffee giant.

Sustainable Coffee Initiatives: In Brazil, companies like Kanematsu and Morinaga Milk Industry are collaborating to build a sustainable supply chain for coffee beans, focusing on environmental and social responsibility.

Philippine Coffee Auction Record:

A 22-year-old farmer from La Trinidad, Benguet, sold local coffee beans for nearly P10,000 per kilo at an auction, breaking a national record and earning P1.158 million, showcasing the growing value of specialty coffee.

Coffee Price Hikes:

U.S. coffee shops are grappling with rising costs due to a 10% global tariff on coffee imports, with additional levies on countries like India and Vietnam. Only 1% of U.S. coffee is sourced domestically (Hawaii and Puerto Rico), making the industry vulnerable to these tariffs, which could further increase consumer prices.

Efficient Brewing Science:

Researchers have found that pouring water slowly from a height of up to 50 cm for pour-over coffee can enhance flavor extraction, using up to 10% fewer beans, a critical finding amid rising coffee prices and climate-driven production challenges

Latest Cannabis News Summary (as of June 20, 2025)

Legal and Enforcement Updates:
Australia: Phuc Tran, 24, was sentenced in Canberra for selling cannabis-laced gummies and vapes to children, facing charges under new Commonwealth laws. Police found cannabis plants, THC products, and over 600 vapes at a related property.UK: A British couple was accused of smuggling £1 million worth of cannabis from Thailand through Heathrow Airport, part of a trend involving British tourists allegedly exploited by criminal gangs.Canada: The Ontario Provincial Police seized thousands of cannabis plants and hundreds of pounds of flower following a Health Canada referral.US: Four Los Angeles County men were arrested for conspiring to distribute over 2,000 pounds of drugs, including cannabis.

Health and Research:
Multiple studies highlight cannabis-related cardiovascular risks. A study in the journal Heart found cannabis users have a 29% higher risk of heart attacks, 20% higher stroke risk, and double the risk of heart disease death compared to non-users.A UC San Francisco study suggests even edibles may pose heart risks, with higher THC doses linked to worse outcomes.Older cannabis users face increased risks of emergency room visits and hospitalizations, with a Canadian study linking use to subsequent dementia.

Policy and Regulation:
UK: London Mayor Sadiq Khan supports a report advocating for the decriminalization of personal cannabis possession, proposing its regulation under the Psychoactive Substances Act to reduce stop-and-search disparities.Maryland, US: Hemp businesses and the Maryland Hemp Coalition are suing the state over restrictive cannabis licensing and product seizures, arguing the system inflates prices and limits access.Australia: Tasmania’s strict cannabis laws were questioned after a woman with a medicinal cannabis prescription was convicted of drug-driving, highlighting legal ambiguities

.Industry and Market:
Canada: Aurora Cannabis denied rumors of acquiring New Zealand’s Medleaf Therapeutics, refuting an AI-generated article with fabricated quotes.US: A DEA judge halted a hearing on federally legal cannabis cultivation for research, impacting MMJ BioPharma Cultivation’s efforts.Canada: British Columbia’s government faced questions about cannabis tax revenue allocation, while Metro Vancouver approved its first private cannabis stores

.Medicinal Cannabis Concerns:
Guernsey: Health professionals raised concerns about recreational use of medicinal cannabis, with 79% of recent users consuming non-prescribed products.Australia: The medical regulator launched a task force to investigate excessive medicinal cannabis prescribing, citing cases like a pharmacist dispensing 959,000 products annually.Note: Health risks associated with cannabis, particularly cardiovascular issues, are a growing concern based on recent studies. Legal developments reflect ongoing tensions between decriminalization efforts and strict enforcement, while the industry faces regulatory and market challenges.

News

June 2025

Health Risks Highlighted: Recent studies have raised concerns about cannabis use, linking it to significant cardiovascular risks. A study published in the journal Heart found cannabis users face a 29% higher risk of heart attacks, a 20% higher risk of stroke, and double the risk of dying from heart disease compared to non-users. The research suggests these risks may be more severe than those associated with cocaine, prompting calls for cannabis to be treated like tobacco—discouraged but not criminalized. Another study from UC San Francisco noted that even cannabis edibles could contribute to heart disease, with risks increasing with higher THC consumption.

Market and Legal Developments:
In Connecticut, recreational cannabis retail sales hit a record high of $18.7 million in May 2025, despite a falling price per gram. However, the state had the highest per-gram price compared to Maine, Massachusetts, and New Jersey in 2024.Aurora Cannabis denied false AI-generated reports claiming a $215 million acquisition of Medleaf Therapeutics, causing a 20% drop in its shares. The company clarified no such deal or discussions occurred.California’s legal cannabis market saw its largest sales drop in history, with a projected 6% further decline due to an excise tax increase from 15% to 19% starting July 1, 2025. A proposed bill to block this hike passed the Assembly but awaits Senate approval.In the UK, London Mayor Sadiq Khan backed a report advocating for the decriminalization of personal cannabis possession, citing disproportionate stop-and-search impacts on ethnic communities. However, the UK government has no plans to reclassify cannabis from a Class B substance.

International and Policy Updates:
Australian medicinal cannabis growers, represented by the Cannabis Cultivator Guild, are pushing for market reforms to prioritize domestic producers over imports, citing high licensing costs and an import-dominated market.In the US, a Republican-led House subcommittee voted to support a bill that could ban most hemp-derived cannabinoid products, including edibles, at the federal level, potentially impacting the hemp industry significantly.Maryland Governor Wes Moore announced 6,938 additional pardons for simple cannabis possession, reflecting ongoing efforts to reduce penalties for minor cannabis offenses.

Other Notable Stories:
In Cardiff, UK, 18 bags of cannabis (8kg) from California were intercepted at a Royal Mail sorting office, highlighting ongoing smuggling issues.Research involving 889 women found cannabis provides greater pain relief with fewer side effects than other treatments, but stigma and legal barriers limit patient disclosure to doctors.The EU reported cannabis as the most widely used illicit drug in Europe, with a market valued at €12.1 billion annually, and warned of rising potency increasing mental health risks.These stories reflect a mix of growing health concerns, evolving markets, and shifting policy landscapes in the cannabis space.

Movie Box Office (North America)

June 15, 2025

1. How to Train Your Dragon - $83.7m
2. Lilo & Stitch - $15.5m
3. The Materialists - $12m
4. Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning - $10.3m
5. From the World of John Wick: Ballerina - $9.4m
6. Karate Kid: Legends - $5m
7. Final Destination: Bloodlines - $3.9m
8. The Phoenician Scheme - $3m
9. The Life of Chuck - $2.1m
10. Sinners - $1.5m

others ...

Bring Her Back
Dan Da Dan: Evil Eye
Thunderbolts*
Friendship
The Last Rodeo
j-hope Tour Hope on the Stage in Japan
A Minecraft Movie
The Accountant 2
Hurry Up Tomorrow
Clown in a Cornfield
Shadow Force
Flight or Fight
Until Dawn
The Amateur
The King of Kings
HIT: The 3rd Case
Guru Nanak Jahaz

*correct at time of publication to best of knowledge

News

Logan Paul: News

Energy Drink Wars

Two Men and a Coffee Shop

Cafes Of The World

Organic Food, Drinks and Healthy Lifestyle: Media Man Directory

Meet up and share your business ideas

JR's hot BBQ sauce and WWE Shop a winner for Australian fans; Brings back fond wrestling memories, by Greg Tingle - May 2013

International Coffee Day 2024: History, importance, theme, quotes and more

In Case You Missed It

By A Scribe with A.I And Extra Beans

On October 1, the world observes International Coffee Day which unites the coffee lovers worldwide honouring a beloved beverage that surpasses cultures and promotes bonding.

The world celebrates International Coffee Day every year on October 1, 2024. This day aims to celebrate the beloved caffeine-rich beverage.

Every year, International Coffee Day is observed with a theme and purpose and the theme for this year is “Coffee, Your Daily Ritual, Our Shared Journey“.

The day emphasises sustainable and ethical farming practices, while highlighting the importance of coffee farmers.

International Coffee Day 2024: History

The International Coffee Organisation (ICO) decided to establish October 1, 2014, as International Coffee Day which will be celebrated worldwide. The first International Coffee Day was celebrated in 2015 in Milan.

This day raises awareness about the challenges coffee farmers face such as climate change, price volatility, and economic hardships in coffee-producing countries.

This initiative aims to highlight the need for sustainable practices within the coffee industry.

International Coffee Day 2024: Importance

Here's the importance of International Coffee Day 2024:

Coffee is more than just a beverage. It is a cultural phenomenon inferring social communion and community bonding. In Paris, there are some quaint Ethiopian coffee ceremonies and some trendy cafes that take coffee as an indispensable part of their daily lives.

On the other end, the coffee industry is a major global commodity providing work opportunities to farmers and workers across the world. The ICO calls for fair trade and practices and ethical sourcing of coffee and ensures that the producer gets fair compensation for their labour.

This day also spreads awareness about environmental sustainability, including climate change and deforestation, that global coffee production is compelled to face. International Coffee Day calls for a healthy planet and a level playing field for sustainability practices.

International Coffee Day 2024: Top 10 Quotes

"A morning without coffee is like sleep." - Anonymous

"Coffee is a beverage that puts one to sleep when not drunk." - Alphonse Allais

"Coffee is the best thing to douse the sunrise with." - Terri Guillemets

"May your coffee be strong and your Monday be short." - Anonymous

"Coffee smells like freshly ground heaven." - Jessi Lane Adams

"To me, the smell of fresh-made coffee is one of the greatest inventions." - Hugh Jackman

"I like my coffee like I like myself: strong, sweet, and too hot for you." - Jac Vanek

"Coffee first. Schemes later." - Leanna Renee Hieber

"I can't imagine a day without coffee. I can't imagine!" - Howard Schultz

"Life's too short to drink bad coffee." - Anonymous

"Coffee is a language in itself." - Jackie Chan

News via Grok

International Coffee Day 2024 was celebrated on October 1, 2024. Here's what you need to know:

Theme: This year's theme was "Coffee: Your Daily Ritual, Our Shared Journey," emphasizing collaboration across the coffee industry, from farmers to consumers, promoting sustainability and ethical practices.

Significance:

The day aims to raise awareness about coffee's journey from farm to cup, supporting the livelihoods of millions of coffee farmers worldwide.

It promotes sustainable and ethical farming practices, addressing challenges like climate change and economic hardships faced by coffee-producing countries.

Celebrations and Offers:

Various coffeehouses and brands offered deals like free coffee, discounts on subscriptions, or free beans with purchases. For instance, Atlas Coffee Club gave away a free bag of coffee, and Blue Bottle Coffee provided a 10% discount on whole bean coffee among other offers.

Health Insights:

Coffee has been highlighted for its health benefits, with research suggesting it can reduce the risk of chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes and heart diseases when consumed in moderation (up to 400mg of caffeine daily for healthy adults).

Cultural and Social Impact:

Celebrations included sharing love for coffee on platforms like X, where users discussed coffee's cultural significance, its global trade importance, and personal coffee rituals.

Events and Initiatives:

The International Coffee Organization (ICO) and various coffee associations globally organized or supported events, focusing on themes like sustainability, the circular economy in coffee production, and promoting fair trade.

Misconceptions and Facts:

While coffee is celebrated, it's also important to address misconceptions about its production and consumption. For instance, while coffee is globally beloved, the industry faces issues like price volatility and labor rights, which International Coffee Day aims to address through awareness and advocacy.

Conclusion:

International Coffee Day not only serves as a celebration of coffee but also as a call to action for more sustainable practices, fair trade, and recognition of the hard work of coffee growers. It's a day where coffee lovers worldwide come together to appreciate this beverage's role in their daily lives and its broader global impact.

If you're looking for ways to celebrate or engage with International Coffee Day, consider trying a new coffee blend, supporting a sustainable coffee brand, or simply sharing your coffee story on social platforms like X to join the global conversation. (Grok)

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Media Man Former Cafes Of The Month include:

Sydney's Eastern Suburbs

City Extra

Bakehouse Cafe

Chalk Expresso Bar

The Lion And Buffalo

Heart Cafe

The Crabbe Hole

Speedos Cafe

In Cafe Restaurant

Barzura

Sydney's Northern Beaches

Rusti Fig

Cocoa Bar

Palm Beach Cafe & Restaurant

2108 Expresso

Chillbar

Swell Cafe

Classic Coffee

Alice Springs:

Red Dog Cafe

Lasseters Health Club

Brisbane:

Pig And Whistle

Corner Cafe 26

Streaming Media Industry Disruptions Continue

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Live Sport Major Draw As Per Netflix

Compelling Storylines And Series Keeps Audience Coming Back For More As Per WWE

Combat Sports Storytelling And Talent Elevation As Per Dana Whites Contenders Series

Free Services With Ads Supported Has Taken Some Audience As Per Tubi

YouTube Cemented As Major Challenge To Netflix

Paramount's Quality And Iconic Movies Keep Them Valuable Commodity, Despite Bottom Line Loss

X Corp's X Platform One To Watch For Major Industry Disruption; WWE Speed Deal With WWE Just A Minor Preview Of What's On The Cards

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Press Release

Ric Flair Drip and TYSON 2.0 Cannabis Brands Broaden Footprint in Missouri

Carma HoldCo Signs Exclusive Deal with Opus Farms to Distribute and Manufacture the Celebrity Cannabis Brands to Dispensaries across The Show-Me State

ORANGE COUNTY, Calif., June 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Carma HoldCo Inc., a leading global house of brands that harnesses the power of cultural icons to transform industries, announced it has formed an exclusive manufacturing and distribution partnership with Opus Farms, a wholesale producer of high-quality cannabis products.

Under the agreement, Opus Farms is manufacturing and distributing cannabis products by TYSON 2.0, the premium cannabis brand founded by legendary boxer, entrepreneur and advocate Mike Tyson, and Ric Flair Drip, a lifestyle-focused product brand co-founded by the iconic wrestling World Champion, Ric Flair, to dispensaries across the state. Consumers can purchase the athletes' products at dispensaries such as Sunny Daze Dispensary and Shangri-La Jefferson.

"Missouri, prepare for an unparalleled experience with TYSON 2.0," said Mike Tyson, co-founder, and chief brand officer of TYSON 2.0. "Our exclusive partnership with Opus Farms and Carma HoldCo ensures our top-tier cannabis products reach consumers across Missouri. This is about delivering quality and innovation to cannabis enthusiasts and elevating the game with TYSON 2.0!"

Ric Flair chimed in, "Embrace the flair, Missouri! Ric Flair Drip is about infusing every moment with style and substance. It's more than just a product; it's an experience – a lifestyle. Get ready to drip with the Nature Boy!"

"Our partnership with Carma HoldCo will expand the reach of Ric Flair Drip and TYSON 2.0 cannabis products in Missouri," said Garry Rivera, president of Opus Farms. "At Opus Farms, we take immense pride in our commitment to excellence and precision in cultivation. Being entrusted with the production, manufacturing and distribution of Ric's and Mike's products underscores our dedication to delivering top-quality offerings to consumers."

Adam Wilks, co-founder and CEO of CarmaHold Co. stated, "Our collaboration with Opus Farms in Missouri represents another strategic step towards ensuring consumers nationwide and around the globe have access to the finest cannabis products available under our growing brand umbrella. This partnership will deliver exceptional quality and innovation to cannabis enthusiasts while further solidifying our position as a leader in the cannabis industry."

About TYSON 2.0
TYSON 2.0 is a brand founded by the legendary boxer Mike Tyson. The Company entered the cannabis ring in 2021, with a commitment to providing the highest quality products in each market that it entered. While continuing to conquer the global cannabis market, TYSON 2.0 has also expanded into a variety of other consumer product categories, spanning across the US and 16 other countries. In every endeavor, the brand undertakes Mike Tyson's legendary mindset of being the greatest of all time. Whether it's cannabis or beyond, TYSON 2.0 is committed to delivering the goods while cultivating unrivaled experiences.

About Ric Flair Drip Cannabis
Ric Flair Drip is a lifestyle-focused product brand co-founded by the iconic wrestling World Champion, Ric Flair. The brand envelops extravagance and pushes people to never settle for mediocrity. With a commitment to quality and style, each product embodies the essence of the styling, profiling, limousine-riding, jet-flying Nature Boy himself. From the initial launch to the brand's expansion into new markets, Ric Flair Drip is giving everyone the opportunity to live like the legend.

About Carma HoldCo
Carma HoldCo Inc. is a leading global house of brands that harnesses the power of cultural icons to transform industries. The company focuses on creating unique experiences and product offerings that aim to connect with, inspire and elevate consumers' lives. Within Carma HoldCo's talent roster is a lineup of globally recognized superstars, including Mike Tyson, Ric Flair and Future, who bring their legendary charisma and influence to the forefront of every venture.

About Opus Farms
At Opus Farms, we are committed to the production of premium cannabis products using cutting-edge technology and expert cultivation techniques. With a steadfast dedication to precision and care at every stage, we ensure consistently superior outcomes that exceed expectations. Opus Farms values every individual within our community. Our community is not just a part of our identity; it is integral to who we are. We deeply appreciate and respect every individual as we strive to contribute to the transformation and advancement of the cannabis industry. For more information, visit https://opusfarms.co

Websites

Tyson 2.0
https://tyson20.com

Carma HoldCo
https://carmahold.com

Ric Flair Drip
https://ricflairdrip.com

Opus Farms
https://opusfarms.co

Pop Culture News, Trending News

September 26, 2024

Under The Media Man Watercooler

Dana White Contender Series (UFC) broadcast today/tonight via ESPN.

WWE Raw: New Intercontinental Champion Jey Uso.

Netflix: 'Mr. McMahon' docu-series due to hit 'Big N' around the time you read this in most global markets; Vince McMahon requests "open mind" and cites "distorts the viewers perception"

Media And Entertainment Industry: Global Layoffs Continue: Big end of town, medium through to smaller operations. A.I, M&A and overall cost cutting cited as some of the numerous reasons.

News Corp - Rupert Murdoch Family Dynasty. Real life 'Succession' meetings occuring at Washoe County Courthouse, Reno, Nevada, with Rupert Murdoch, other key family members and legal representatives. Re restructuring of Murdoch Family Trust. $19bn trust! 7 blacked out SUV's pulled up ... Some documents unsealed via The New York Times.

Box Office Movies (North America)

1. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice - $26m

2. Transformers One - $25m

3. Speak No Evil - $5.9m

Combat Sports News

MMA: UFC Fight Night: France. September 29

WWE NXT. Florida. Broadcast today. WWE and TNA Wrestling collaboration and appearances tipped and ongoing!

WWE SmackDown - September 27. Oklahoma City

WWE Bad Blood - October 5. Atlanta, Georgia. Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns vs The Bloodline (Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu)

UFC 307 - October 6. Salt Lake City, Utah

Netflix: Queen Of The Villains based on Dump Matsumoto and Japanese pro wrestling industry continues to impress both new and more experienced and knowledgeable audiences.

Netflix: Terminator: Zero gets big thumbs up. Adult supervision recommended!

News Media And Politics: Distrust in sectors at all time and and for good reason: Media Man Group.

YouTube And Netflix in battle for same and similar type audiences; Household continue to "cut the cord"! YouTube making viewer friendly changes to web interface with TV broadcast audiences in mind. Remaining smartphone friendly.

Online Newspapers Continue To Order Subscribers Significant Discounts To Retain Readership Numbers.

Pro Wrestling: Numerous World Class Wrestlers Tipped To Appear On WWE TV in near future. The names Lucha Bros and Motor City Machine Guns keep coming up!

Niche Audiences With Some Scoops And Inside Intel helps success of online based media companies; High traffic websites and solid social media performance key elements of success.

Blockchain/Crypto: Celebs And Brands Keep Experimenting With Memecoins! Not many will enjoy a Doge/Musk And/Or Logan Paul type profile! ... for better or worse! Logan Paul back to family matters and worldwide audiences yearning for LP return to WWE rings already! Cheers with Prime!

Combat Sports

UFC 308 UFC 307

UFC 308 (Wikipedia)

UFC 307 (Wikipedia)

UFC News via Grok; X's Grok Helps Fans, News Publishers And Sports Promoters Win The Grapple With The Web: Media Man

News

UFC UFC 308 Anticipation

UFC 308, scheduled for next month in Abu Dhabi, has generated significant excitement among fans following the release of its official poster. The event features notable fighters including Khamzat Chimaev, whose participation is of particular interest due to his past health challenges. The poster has been widely praised for its design, with many considering it one of the best in UFC history, although the absence of women's fights has sparked some debate. Overall, UFC 308 is anticipated to be a highlight of the year, highlighted by its strong lineup and the return to Abu Dhabi. (Grok)

News

UFC 308 Poster Reception

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is set to host UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi on October 26, 2024, marking another significant international event for the organization. The event has sparked considerable excitement among MMA fans, primarily due to the release of its official poster, which has received widespread acclaim for its design. Fans and commentators have praised the poster online, with many expressing high expectations for the fight card, suggesting it could be one of the best of the year. The anticipation for UFC 308 not only highlights the event's high-profile nature but also underscores UFC's ongoing global expansion and its strong presence in the United Arab Emirates. (Grok)

News

Anticipation for UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is set to host UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi on October 26, 2024, generating significant excitement among fans. The event's official poster has been praised for its design, with many fans and commentators expressing high enthusiasm for the upcoming fights. Discussions have highlighted anticipation for performances by fighters like Khamzat Chimaev, with some fans expressing concerns about potential withdrawals due to health issues. The event is viewed as a showcase of UFC's international presence, particularly in the UAE, and is considered by some to potentially be one of the best fight cards of the year. (Grok)

Official Websites

UFC
http://ufc.com

UFC 308
http://ufc.com/event/ufc-308

UFC YouTube
http://youtube.com/UFC

Media Man: Strong thumbs up to UFC and Grok.

American, European and Australian Sports News via Grok; Elon Musk Grok Takes The Sports Fan And Sports News Publisher Around The Globe In Seconds Ala Virtual News Time Travel Machine: Media Man

News

Joshua vs Dubois at Wembley

August 31, 2024

The upcoming boxing event, #RiyadhSeasonCard: Wembley Edition, features a highly anticipated heavyweight match between Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois, set for September 21, 2024, at Wembley Stadium. This fight is highlighted by Joshua's undefeated record against British fighters, which he aims to maintain. The event has been described as potentially historic, with expectations to break attendance records. Additional tickets have been released due to high demand, indicating significant public interest in what is being promoted as an unmissable event in the boxing calendar. (Grok)

News

Joshua vs. Dubois Tickets Released

Additional tickets are now available for the highly anticipated heavyweight boxing match between Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois, scheduled for September 21, 2024, at Wembley Stadium. This event, part of the Riyadh Season Card: Wembley Edition, is expected to set an attendance record with the stadium's capacity increased to 96,000. The fight is being promoted as a historic occasion, with significant interest from boxing fans and includes a special performance by Liam Gallagher. Promotional efforts by various boxing organizations and figures have urged fans to secure tickets for what is described as a potential heavyweight classic. (Grok)

News

Hamilton Leads FP2 at Italian GP

During the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes set the fastest lap in the second free practice session (FP2), followed closely by Lando Norris of McLaren and Carlos Sainz of Ferrari. Ferrari demonstrated strong performance with both cars in the top five. George Russell, also from Mercedes, faced delays due to an earlier crash by Andrea Kimi Antonelli but managed to place sixth. McLaren also showed promising pace with Norris in second and Piastri in fourth. Red Bull Racing encountered issues, with Max Verstappen experiencing a lock-up and the team addressing concerns about top speed. The session highlighted intense competition among Mercedes, McLaren, and Ferrari, setting up an anticipated close qualifying session. Despite his crash, Antonelli provided valuable data to his team. (Grok)

News

Antonelli Crash Halts FP1 at Italian GP

During the first practice session (FP1) at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza, rookie driver Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes experienced a significant crash at the Parabolica corner, leading to a red flag. Despite initially setting the fastest lap, Antonelli's session ended prematurely with his car heavily damaged, though he was reported to be unharmed. Max Verstappen from Red Bull Racing set the fastest time of the session, demonstrating strong performance. The incident also impacted Antonelli's teammate George Russell, who had to wait for repairs before participating in FP2. Other teams like McLaren and Ferrari also reported on their performances, with McLaren's drivers in the top five and Ferrari's drivers finishing second and fourth. (Grok)

News

COTA Hosts First Hypercar and LMGT3 Practice

The FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) is currently hosting the 6 Hours of COTA, also known as Lone Star Le Mans, at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. This event marks the first time Hypercars and LMGT3 cars are racing together at this track. Notable participants include teams from Porsche, Toyota Gazoo Racing, Ferrari, Jota Sport, and Aston Martin. During the first practice session (FP1), Porsche Penske Motorsport's #5 car, driven by Matt Campbell, set the fastest lap time of 1:53.574. The event also introduced specially equipped safety cars, including a Porsche 911 Turbo S with lightweight wheels. This race is significant for its competitive field and its strategic importance in the championship standings. (Grok)

News

WEC's Historic Hypercar Race at COTA

The FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) is currently hosting the 6 Hours of COTA race at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, marking a significant event as it features both Hypercars and LMGT3 cars racing together for the first time at this venue. Prominent teams like Toyota GAZOO Racing, Porsche Motorsport, Ferrari Hypercar, and Peugeot Sport are participating, showcasing new models such as the Peugeot 9X8. The event highlights include experienced drivers like Andre Lotterer, who is aiming for another podium finish with an impressive track record at COTA, and the debut of new car models. Activities during the practice sessions involved teams adjusting setups, changing drivers, and adapting to track conditions, drawing considerable attention to the competitive spirit of endurance racing. (Grok)

News

Rhea Ripley Showcases Ink in WWE Tattooed Series

Rhea Ripley, a prominent WWE wrestler, was featured in a special segment titled 'WWE Tattooed,' where she showcased her extensive tattoo collection. This episode included a photoshoot and discussions about her tattoos, engaging fans with insights into her personal style and past rivalries, notably with Charlotte Flair. Ripley also shared stories about her fans' enthusiasm for her tattoos, particularly highlighting their reaction to a recent addition to her scorpion tattoo. The segment received positive feedback, enhancing Ripley's popularity within the WWE community. Additionally, Ripley discussed a time she got a matching tattoo with fellow wrestler Toni Storm, further personalizing her connection with fans and colleagues. (Grok)

News

WWE vs. AEW: Talent Pay Debate

The professional wrestling industry is currently embroiled in a debate over wrestler compensation, sparked by AEW's high-paying contracts to Swerve Strickland and Daniel Garcia. WWE has criticized these contracts, suggesting they exceed market value and could inflate salary expectations industry-wide, potentially harming the sport. Conversely, many fans and industry figures support AEW's approach, arguing that wrestlers deserve higher compensation due to the physical demands of their job. This perspective sees AEW's strategy as fostering a competitive market that might lead to better overall compensation in wrestling. Critics of WWE's stance argue that their reluctance to match AEW's offers undervalues talent and could impact WWE's ability to retain or attract top wrestlers. The discussion reflects broader issues about wrestler worth, the economics of wrestling promotions, and the effects of competition on talent contracts. (Grok)

News

WWE Criticizes AEW Contracts as Overspending

Professional wrestlers Swerve Strickland and Daniel Garcia have signed lucrative contracts with All Elite Wrestling (AEW), which WWE views as detrimental to the wrestling industry, claiming the salaries exceed market value. This perspective has ignited a debate about compensation in wrestling. Supporters of higher pay argue that wrestlers, who endure significant physical tolls, deserve substantial compensation, akin to athletes in other major sports. Critics of WWE's stance believe the company's opposition stems from a reluctance to increase their own payroll, potentially driven by profit considerations rather than the welfare of the performers. The situation underscores broader issues of pay equity and the impact of competition on industry standards, with some seeing AEW's strategy as beneficial for raising overall compensation levels in wrestling. (Grok)

News

Swerve Strickland's Lucrative AEW Deal

Swerve Strickland has signed a lucrative contract with AEW, placing him among the highest-paid wrestlers alongside stars like Kazuchika Okada and Mercedes Moné. This deal has stirred debate within the wrestling community, particularly from WWE, which considers the contract to exceed the perceived market value significantly. Critics from WWE argue that such high compensation could inflate industry salary expectations, potentially forcing WWE to increase its own wrestlers' pay. However, supporters of the deal highlight the physical demands and lack of off-season in wrestling, suggesting that wrestlers deserve substantial compensation. This situation underscores broader issues regarding talent compensation, market value assessments, and the competitive dynamics between AEW and WWE in the professional wrestling landscape. (Grok)

News

Swerve's AEW Deal: Highest in Pro Wrestling

Swerve Strickland has recently signed a lucrative contract with All Elite Wrestling (AEW), reportedly placing him among the highest-paid wrestlers in the industry, comparable to stars like Kazuchika Okada and Mercedes Moné. This deal, extending through September 2029, has drawn criticism from WWE officials, who argue that the financial terms are excessively high and could set an unsustainable precedent for wrestler salaries. Despite WWE's contention that Strickland's market value does not justify such compensation, many fans and industry observers believe his performances and popularity warrant his high salary. Additionally, WWE's critique coincides with their unsuccessful attempts to reacquire Strickland and recruit other talents like Daniel Garcia, who chose to remain with AEW. This situation highlights a competitive landscape where wrestler contracts are becoming more financially rewarding. (Grok)

News

Strickland's AEW Deal Stirs Market Controversy

Swerve Strickland has signed a lucrative contract with AEW, placing him among the highest-paid wrestlers alongside stars like Kazuchika Okada and Mercedes Moné. This deal has sparked controversy within the wrestling industry, particularly from WWE, who argue that such high compensation sets an unsustainable market value for wrestlers. Critics suggest WWE's stance might stem from their own financial interests, particularly after releasing Strickland only to see him succeed elsewhere. Supporters of high-value contracts highlight the physical toll on wrestlers and argue they deserve substantial pay. This situation underscores ongoing debates about wrestler compensation, market dynamics, and the competitive landscape between WWE and AEW. (Grok)

News

Jon Jones Defiant on Aspinall Fight

Jon Jones, the UFC heavyweight champion, has publicly expressed confidence in defeating Tom Aspinall, the interim champion, but has chosen to fight Stipe Miocic instead. This decision has sparked debates about Jones's legacy and his avoidance of Aspinall, with critics arguing that Jones should defend his title against the interim champion who has actively defended his belt. Jones, however, insists that his legacy is secure regardless of the fight outcome, highlighting his long-term dominance in the sport. Discussions also touch on Jones's past, including his performances and controversies like failed drug tests, questioning whether his refusal to fight Aspinall might affect his reputation or if his established record justifies his choices. (Grok)

News

McAfee Donates $1M to WVU NIL Collective

Pat McAfee, a former NFL player and West Virginia University alumnus, hosted a live broadcast of his show in Morgantown, West Virginia, creating significant local excitement. The event was so anticipated that local schools closed due to expected traffic congestion, and a large crowd gathered. During the show, McAfee announced a $1 million donation to West Virginia's Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) collective, the Country Roads Trust, to support student-athletes. The event featured appearances by notable figures including Nick Saban and highlighted the enthusiasm of WVU fans, particularly for quarterback Garrett Greene. This live show not only boosted local spirit but also emphasized McAfee's ongoing influence and connection to his alma mater. (Grok)

News

McAfee Hosts Massive WVU Live Show

Pat McAfee, a former NFL kicker and West Virginia University alum, hosted a live broadcast of his show in Morgantown, creating significant local excitement. The event was so anticipated that local schools closed due to expected traffic congestion. McAfee's show attracted a crowd reportedly larger than those seen at major college football events like College GameDay. During the broadcast, McAfee announced a $1 million donation to West Virginia's NIL collective, the Country Roads Trust, to support student-athletes. The event featured appearances by notable figures including Nick Saban, who discussed the challenges West Virginia faces in their upcoming game against Penn State. The atmosphere in Morgantown was described as electric, reflecting high expectations for the football season opener. (Grok)

News

College Football Season Kickoff

The 2024 College Football Season is kicking off with significant attention on several fronts:

New Kickoff Rule: College football is studying the new NFL kickoff rule during the 2024 season, aiming to make the play safer while maintaining its excitement. This rule, inspired by the XFL, adjusts where players line up and when they can move, promoting more returns but with reduced high-speed collisions.

Marquee Matchups: The season starts with several high-profile games. Notably, LSU faces USC in the Vegas Kickoff Classic on September 1, a game that's drawing considerable betting interest. Other early games include Georgia vs. Clemson and Florida vs. Miami, setting the stage for what's expected to be a competitive season.

Team Preparations and Expectations:

Penn State is entering the season with new coordinators and high hopes for making the College Football Playoff, focusing on the progression in their quarterback room.

Michigan State under new leadership with head coach Jonathan Smith, looks to redefine its play.

Colorado, led by Deion Sanders, has already begun its season against North Dakota State, unveiling new uniforms and showcasing key players like Travis Hunter.

Player Spotlight:

Players like Oregon's Dillon Gabriel are on the watch for breaking records, with expectations high for quarterbacks returning from injuries like Cam Rising of Utah and Riley Leonard, now at Notre Dame.

Game Day Insights: From X posts, there's a buzz about the start of the season with live updates, game previews, and fan reactions, indicating high excitement and engagement from the community.

Cultural Impact and Media: The season's kickoff is not just about the games but also the cultural phenomenon, with extensive media coverage, fan events in places like Las Vegas, and discussions around team strategies, player health, and the future of college football formats.

This season promises to be intriguing with new rules, team dynamics, and the ever-present quest for the College Football Playoff, capturing the attention of fans and bettors alike as teams and players aim to make their mark. (Grok)

News

Sea Eagles Triumph Over Bulldogs

The Manly Warringah Sea Eagles achieved a significant victory over the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs with a final score of 34-22 at Accor Stadium. This win marked Manly's 10th victory in their last 11 encounters against the Bulldogs. The match was notable for Manly's strong performance, highlighted by plays from Haumole Olakau'atu and a late try by Mahoney, despite a concerning injury to Tom Trbojevic who left the field with a bleeding right arm. Bulldogs fans and players, while disappointed, remain optimistic, pointing to their team's overall successful season and their standing in the finals. Discussions following the game focused on player performances, the impact of the result on team standings, and strategies moving forward in the NRL season. (Grok)

News

Bulldogs Slip, Sea Eagles Soar

The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs suffered a significant loss against the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles in the NRL, with the final score at 34-22 favoring Manly. This match was pivotal as it highlighted various aspects of both teams' performances and strategies. Manly's victory was marked by strong individual performances, notably by Haumole Olakau'atu, and strategic plays that capitalized on controversial referee decisions, including a non-enforced sin bin for Manly's Tom Trbojevic. The Bulldogs, on the other hand, faced challenges including fatigue from extensive travel and a reshuffled backline, which might have contributed to their subpar performance. Despite the loss, Bulldogs' fans and commentators remained optimistic, viewing the game as a learning opportunity and a chance for the team to regroup. Manly's win has significant implications for their pursuit of a home final, while the Bulldogs' chances of securing a top-four position were impacted.(Grok)

News

All-Australian Team 2024 Selection Controversy

The 2024 AFL All-Australian team selection has ignited significant debate among fans and analysts, focusing on the criteria and composition of the team. Traditionally comprising 22 players, this year's selection faced scrutiny for its inclusion of players from underperforming teams like the West Coast Eagles, and the exclusion of others who had standout seasons. Critics argued over the balance between positional requirements and individual merit, suggesting a shift towards selecting purely the best 22 players regardless of their position. Notable controversies included the omission of players like Charlie Curnow and Tom Papley, while players like Nick Daicos and Marcus Bontempelli were celebrated for their performances, with Daicos being named the AFL Coaches Association Champion Player. The selection process was criticized for potential biases, prompting discussions on how the All-Australian team could better reflect the season's top performers. Despite the controversies, the team's announcement highlighted achievements like Ollie Dempsey winning the Rising Star award and Marcus Bontempelli receiving the Leigh Matthews Trophy for the Most Valuable Player. (Grok)

News

Streaming Entertainment via Grok; X TV Tipped To Eventually Go Head To Head With YouTube, Netflix, But Will Take Many Years To Get To That Point; Customers Waiting To Churn/Switch. Changes Ahead For WBD, HBO, Binge, Paramount And Many Others - Too Many To List! Media Man Founder and Subscriber TV Veteran

Streaming entertainment has transformed how we consume media, offering a vast array of movies, TV shows, music, and more directly to our devices. Here's a breakdown of what's happening in this space as of my last update:

Major Players:

Netflix: Known for its original content like "Stranger Things," "The Crown," and "Squid Game." They've been pushing into gaming and have been experimenting with ad-supported models.

Amazon Prime Video: Comes with Amazon Prime membership. Notable for "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," "The Boys," and its integration with shopping and other Amazon services.

Disney+: A powerhouse for family entertainment, featuring Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, and classic Disney content. It's also expanding its library with more adult-oriented content under the Star banner in some regions.

HBO Max: Offers premium content like "Game of Thrones," "Chernobyl," and a vast library of movies. It's also known for its DC Universe shows.

Apple TV+: While newer, it's making waves with high-quality originals like "Ted Lasso," "The Morning Show," and "See."

Peacock (NBCUniversal): Provides a mix of free and premium content, including "The Office," WWE, and original series like "Punky Brewster."

Paramount+: Combines CBS All Access with content from Paramount, Nickelodeon, MTV, and more, featuring shows like "Star Trek: Discovery" and "The Stand."

Trends and Developments:

Original Content: There's a massive push towards creating exclusive content to attract subscribers. This includes movies, series, documentaries, and even live sports.

Global Expansion: Services are increasingly focusing on international markets, either by offering local content or by making their service available in more countries.

Bundling: Companies are bundling their streaming services with other products. For example, Disney has bundles with Hulu and ESPN+.

Ad-Supported Models: To combat rising costs, some platforms like Netflix have introduced or are considering ad-supported tiers.

Direct-to-Streaming Releases: Movies are increasingly bypassing traditional theatrical releases, going straight to streaming platforms, especially noted during global health crises.

Quality Over Quantity: While there's a lot of content, platforms are also focusing on high-quality, award-winning productions to stand out.

Interactive Content: Some platforms are experimenting with interactive movies or shows where viewers can choose the plot direction.

Technological Integration: Enhanced with technologies like 4K, HDR, Dolby Vision, and Dolby Atmos for audio, providing a cinematic experience at home.

Challenges:

Content Saturation: With so many platforms, there's a risk of content fatigue among viewers.

Churn: Subscribers frequently switch between services based on what's currently available, leading to high turnover.

Regulatory Scrutiny: Issues like market dominance, content licensing, and privacy are increasingly under regulatory lenses.

Piracy: Despite advanced measures, piracy remains a challenge, especially for content not easily accessible in certain regions.

If you're interested in a specific aspect of streaming entertainment or want to know about recent developments since my last update, feel free to ask! If there's a particular service or type of content you're curious about, I can dive deeper into those areas. (Grok)

News

Streaming TV

Streaming TV has revolutionized how we consume television content, offering a vast array of shows, movies, and original programming through internet-based platforms rather than traditional cable or satellite TV. Here's a breakdown of what you might be interested in regarding streaming TV as of my last update:

Key Players:

Netflix: Known for its extensive library, original content like "Stranger Things," "The Crown," and "Squid Game," and a global reach.

Amazon Prime Video: Comes with an Amazon Prime subscription, offering shows like "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," "The Boys," and movies, plus the integration with shopping services.

Hulu: Offers a mix of current TV episodes, a robust library of older content, and originals like "The Handmaid's Tale." It's also notable for its live TV option.

Disney+: Focuses on family-friendly content, including Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, and National Geographic. Hits include "The Mandalorian" and "WandaVision."

HBO Max: Home to HBO's acclaimed series like "Game of Thrones," "Chernobyl," plus a wide range of Warner Bros. movies and new originals.

Apple TV+: While newer, it's gaining traction with high-quality originals like "Ted Lasso," "The Morning Show," and "Foundation."

Peacock: NBCUniversal's service, offering a mix of free and premium content, including "The Office," "Parks and Recreation," and new originals.

Trends and Features:

Ad-Supported vs. Ad-Free: Many services now offer tiers where you can choose between watching with ads for a lower price or paying more for an ad-free experience.

Live TV Streaming: Services like Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, and Sling TV allow streaming of live broadcast channels, appealing to sports fans and those who still want traditional TV experiences.

Bundling: Some platforms offer bundles with internet service providers or other streaming services to reduce costs.

Original Content: There's a significant push towards exclusive, original content to differentiate services, leading to a golden age of TV with high-quality, diverse programming.

Global Expansion: Services are increasingly focusing on global markets, offering localized content or subtitles/dubbing in multiple languages.

Technological Considerations:

4K and HDR: Many services now offer content in 4K resolution and HDR, enhancing viewing quality.

Offline Viewing: Most services allow downloading content for offline viewing, which is great for travel or areas with poor internet.

Smart TVs and Devices: Streaming is not just for computers or smartphones anymore; smart TVs, streaming sticks (like Roku, Amazon Fire Stick), and gaming consoles have made streaming accessible on almost any screen.

Challenges:

Content Fragmentation: With content spread across multiple services, there's a growing issue of "streaming fatigue" where consumers feel overwhelmed by the number of subscriptions needed.

Price Increases: As content quality and exclusivity rise, so do subscription costs, leading to discussions about the cost-effectiveness of streaming vs. traditional cable.

Piracy: The fragmentation and cost have somewhat revived piracy concerns as viewers look for ways to access content without multiple subscriptions.

If you're looking for recommendations or have specific questions about streaming services or shows, feel free to ask! If there's been a significant update or new service since my last update, you might want to check the latest reviews or news for the most current information. (Grok)

Media Man

News

Streaming Movies Top 10 (North America)

August 27, 2024

1. Furiosa (Max)

2. The Union (Netflix)

3. Jackpot (Prime Video)

4. The Instigators (Apple TV+)

5. Alien (Hulu)

6. The Bikeriders (Peacock)

7. Immaculate (Hulu)

8. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (Hulu)

9. Alien: Covenant (Hulu)

10. Twister (Max)

News

Top 10 Streaming TV (North America)

August 27, 2024

1. Bad Monkey (Apple TV+)

2. The Umbrella Academy (Netflix)

3. Industry (Max)

4. The Bear (Hulu)

5. From (Prime Video)

6. Presumed Innocent (Apple TV+)

7. Emily in Paris (Netflix)

8. Time Bandits (Apple TV+)

9. A Good Girl's Guide to Murder (Netflix)

10. Evil (Paramount+)

Media Man

Movie Box Office (North America)

August 18, 2024

1. Alien: Romulus - $41.5m

2. Deadpool & Wolverine - $29m

3. It Ends with Us - $24m

4. Twisters - $9.8m

5. Coraline - $8.4m

6. Despicable Me 4 - $6m

7. Trap - $3.4m

8. Inside Out 2 - $3.2m

9. Stree 2 - $2.6m

10. Borderlands - $2.4m

others...

Harold and the Purple Crayon

Cuckoo

Longlegs

The Firing Squad

A Quiet Place: Day One

Bad Boys: Ride or Die

The Fabulous Four

Fly Me to the Moon

Raayan

Bad Newz

MaXXXine

The Bikeriders

Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot

Horizon: An American Saga

The Lion King

Kalki 2898 AD

Kinds of Kindness

The Garfield Movie

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

Jatt & Juliet 3

Blue Lock Thee Movie - Episode Nagi

Daddio

Janet Planet

The Watchers

IF

The Exorcism

Thelma

GHOST Rite Here Rite Now

Furiosa: A Mad Max Story

The Fall Guy

The Strangers: Chapter 1

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings

Haikyuu!! The Dumpster Battle

In a Violent Nature

Ezra

Sight

* Correct at time of publication

Movie Box Office (North America)

August 4, 2024

1. Deadpool & Wolverine - $97m

2. Twisters - $22.7m

3. Trap - $15.6m

4. Despicable Me 4 - $11.3

5. Inside Out 2 - $6.7m

6. Harold and the Purple Crayon - $6m

7. Longlegs - $4.1m

8. The Firing Squad - $1.6m

9. A Quiet Place: Day One - $1.4m

10. Bad Boys: Ride or Die - $601,000

others...

The Fabulous Four

Fly Me to the Moon

Raayan

Bad Newz

MaXXXine

The Bikeriders

Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot

Horizon: An American Saga

The Lion King

Kalki 2898 AD

Kinds of Kindness

The Garfield Movie

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

Jatt & Juliet 3

Blue Lock Thee Movie - Episode Nagi

Daddio

Janet Planet

The Watchers

IF

The Exorcism

Thelma

GHOST Rite Here Rite Now

Furiosa: A Mad Max Story

The Fall Guy

The Strangers: Chapter 1

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings

Haikyuu!! The Dumpster Battle

In a Violent Nature

Ezra

Sight

* Correct at time of publication

News

Box office numbers down approx 70 percent from last year

(References: Wikipedia, Box Office Mojo, IMDb, Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter)

Movie Box Office (North America)

July 28, 2024

1. Deadpool & Wolverine - $205m

2. Twisters - $35.3m

3. Despicable Me 4 - $14.2

4. Inside Out 2 - $8.3m

5. Longlegs - $6.8m

6. A Quiet Place: Day One - $3m

7. Bad Boys: Ride or Die - $1.3m

8. The Fabulous Four - $1m

9. Fly Me to the Moon - $950,000

10. Raayan - $453,000

others...

Bad Newz

MaXXXine

The Bikeriders

Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot

Horizon: An American Saga

The Lion King

Kalki 2898 AD

Kinds of Kindness

The Garfield Movie

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

Jatt & Juliet 3

Blue Lock Thee Movie - Episode Nagi

Daddio

Janet Planet

The Watchers

IF

The Exorcism

Thelma

GHOST Rite Here Rite Now

Furiosa: A Mad Max Story

The Fall Guy

The Strangers: Chapter 1

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings

Haikyuu!! The Dumpster Battle

In a Violent Nature

Ezra

Sight

* Correct at time of publication

News

Box office numbers down approx 70 percent from last year

(References: Wikipedia, Box Office Mojo, IMDb, Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter)

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The History Of Coffee

c 850
First known discovery of coffee berries. Legend of goat herder Kaldi of Ethiopia who notices goats are friskier after eating red berries of a local shrub. Experiments with the berries himself and begins to feel happier.

c 1100
The coffee first trees are cultivated on the Arabian peninsula. Coffee is first roasted and boiled by Arabs making "qahwa" --- a beverage made from plants.

1475
The worlds first coffee shop opens in Constantinople. It is followed by the establishment of two coffee houses in 1554.

c 1600
Coffee enters Europe through the port of Venice. The first coffeehouse opens in Italy in 1654.

1607
Coffee is introduced to the New World by Captain John Smith, founder of Virginia at Jamestown... Some Canadian historians claim it arrived in previously settled Canada.

1652
The first coffeehouse opens in England. Coffeehouses are called "penny universities" (a penny is charged for admission and a cup of coffee). Edward Lloyd's coffeehouse opens in 1688. It eventually becomes Lloyd's of London, the world's best known insurance company. The word “TIPS” is coined in an English coffee house: A sign reading “To Insure Prompt Service” (TIPS) was place by a cup. Those desiring prompt service and better seating threw a coin into a tin.

1672
The opening of the first Parisian cafe dedicated to serving coffee. In 1713, King Louis XIV is presented with a coffee tree. It is believed that sugar was first used as an additive in his court.

1683
The first coffeehouse opens in Vienna. The Turks, defeated in battle, leave sacks of coffee behind.

1690
The Dutch become the first to transport and cultivate coffee commercially. Coffee is smuggled out of the Arab port of Mocha and transported to Ceylon and East Indies for cultivation.

1721
The first coffeehouse opens in Berlin.

1723
Coffee Plants are introduced in the Americas for cultivation. Gabriel de Clieu, a French naval officer, transports a seedling to Martinique. By 1777, 1920 million coffee plants are cultivated on the island.

1727
The Brazilian coffee industry gets its start from seedlings smuggled out of Paris.

1750
One of Europe's first coffeehouses, Cafe Greco, opens in Rome. By 1763, Venice has over 2,000 coffee shops.

1822
The prototype of the first espresso machine is created in France.

1885
A process of using natural gas and hot air becomes the most popular method of roasting coffee.

c 1900
Kaffeeklatsch, afternoon coffee, becomes popular in Germany.

1905
The first commercial espresso machine is manufactured in Italy.

1908
The invention of the worlds first drip coffeemaker. Melitta Bentz makes a filter using blotting paper.

1933
Dr. Ernest Illy develops the first automatic espresso machine.

1938
Nescafé instant coffee is invented by the Nestlé company as it assists the Brazilian government in solving its coffee surplus problem.

1945
Achilles Gaggia perfects the espresso machine with a piston that creates a high pressure extraction to produce a thick layer of crema.

1991
Caffè Carissimi Canada, a network of espresso service providers is formed in Canada, modeled after a visit to Franco Carissimi (roaster and equipment manufacturer) in Bergamo Italy. It becomes the fastest growing network of private and independant super automatic machines providers in Canada.

1995
Coffee is the worlds most popular beverage. More than 400 billion cups are consumed each year. It is a world commodity that is second only to oil.