CBS Sports and former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo have mutually agreed to part ways, ending a nine-year partnership. The split follows Romo's July arrest for operating while intoxicated in Wisconsin and his subsequent no-contest plea. Romo cited chronic pain from back surgeries and a resulting reliance on alcohol as contributing factors. J.J. Watt will continue filling the color commentator role for the remainder of the NFL season.
Dana Walden, President and Chief Creative Officer of The Walt Disney Company, addressed the latest round of layoffs at the Bloomberg Screentime conference, describing the cuts as 'extremely painful' but necessary for survival. The company recently eliminated approximately 300 positions, primarily in human resources and technology, marking the latest reduction in a series of cost-cutting measures under CEO Josh D'Amaro. Walden emphasized that Disney is consolidating its various acquired businesses into a unified structure to improve agility and decision-making speed, rather than pursuing aggressive efficiency targets like tech competitors. She stated that technology has targeted the media business, forcing Disney to adapt to remain competitive. This move follows earlier layoffs in April and July, as well as a voluntary early retirement program for executives, all part of the 'One Disney' strategy aimed at streamlining operations amid declining box office revenue and rising streaming competition.
Conan O'Brien revealed at the Bloomberg Screentime conference that he chose to end his TBS show in 2021 after 28 years, rather than waiting for the 30-year mark, because he perceived the late-night landscape was shifting. He described leaving before being 'asked to leave' as an Irish tradition. O'Brien noted that while networks claim late night is no longer economically viable, he finds his current podcasting situation more comfortable due to better margins and a smaller, crucial team.
Walt Disney Company has initiated its fourth round of layoffs in 2026, cutting approximately 300 jobs primarily in human resources and technology. This move follows earlier reductions in April and July under CEO Josh D'Amaro, who is pursuing a 'One Disney' strategy to streamline operations and reduce costs. The latest cuts were preceded by a voluntary early retirement program for senior executives and align with the company's broader efforts to adapt to a shifting media landscape dominated by streaming and artificial intelligence.
Walt Disney Company has initiated a new round of layoffs affecting approximately 300 employees, primarily in technology and human resources departments. This is the third reduction in workforce under CEO Josh D'Amaro, following cuts in April and July. The move follows a voluntary early retirement program for senior executives and precedes potential further reductions as the company seeks to lower costs amid competition from streaming and AI.
Paramount and a group of states have settled the antitrust lawsuit blocking its $111 billion plan to buy Warner Bros. Discovery, clearing the last major hurdle to a mega-merger that would combine Paramount’s studio, CNN, CBS News, HBO and streaming services. Concessions include an editorial-independence board for CNN and CBS News, a commitment to release about 30 films in theaters each year, and $1.5 billion more in film production over five years, formalized in a consent decree awaiting court approval; Paramount would also face a $7 million-per-day break fee if the deal fails to close by Oct. 1. Labor groups remain divided over the deal’s implications for competition and editorial independence.
Nielsen will publish weekly streaming top-ten charts 11 days after each reporting period and start providing daily streaming numbers to paying clients, halving the previous reporting lag and bringing streaming metrics closer to real-time with linear ratings. The data remains the same, but faster collection and verification let studios monitor rivals and enable quicker PR storytelling. The first accelerated weekly report covers Aug. 31–Sept. 6 (including Netflix’s The Gentlemen season 2 and Leanne) and Apple has already cited faster data for Ted Lasso. The approach also helps analyze how events (like Dolly Parton’s death) affect viewing. Nielsen says it won’t immediately issue daily top tens to the press, though clients may share the sped-up numbers, potentially shaping coverage.
Greg Cote, a 54-year veteran sports columnist for the Miami Herald and a familiar figure on The Dan Le Batard Show, was laid off as part of McClatchy Media's latest round of newsroom cuts.
MLive Media Group will stop printing eight Michigan newspapers by December 6, 2026, moving to online content, newsletters and social channels; about one job will be cut, and print-delivery contracts will end, as publishers shift to digital formats amid shrinking print audiences.
The Saturday Evening Post will end its 205-year print run with the January issue, citing rising production costs, declining advertising revenue, and changing reader habits; the magazine will continue online.
WBAL NewsRadio will lay off the majority of its staff and overhaul its programming, a move described by a host as shocking; the Baltimore station has operated since 1925 and is owned by Hearst.
Paramount Global and Skydance have discussed forming an independent oversight panel to govern CNN as part of their Warner Bros. Discovery deal, a move intended to reassure stakeholders about CNN’s journalistic independence while weighing potential costs and impact on future synergies. insiders warn the panel could be symbolic or hinder integration, a risk amid antitrust scrutiny and governance debates sparked by Bari Weiss’s role at CBS News.
Paramount Skydance’s proposed merger with Warner Bros. Discovery faces a ticking clock, with the cost of delay pegged at about $650 million per quarter starting Oct. 1, even as Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison says he’s confident the deal will close.
Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch said Fox’s NFL rights deal will remain intact through the 2029 season and won’t be amended, even as the NFL pushes to use an opt-out to refresh terms with partners like Amazon, Disney, NBCUniversal and CBS amid streaming’s rise. Talks with rights holders are ongoing, and Fox says its relationship with the NFL remains positive, with negotiations likely to restart closer to the current pact’s expiration.
Paramount CEO David Ellison publicly defends the $110 billion Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger in a New York Times op-ed, rejecting claims it would consolidate control or threaten newsroom independence. He argues the merged company would hold less than 20% of US TV viewing (about 13% when accounting for YouTube) amid competition from Netflix, Amazon and Apple, and pledges substantial content investment—30 theatrical films and 170 TV series annually backed by over $30 billion. The deal faces antitrust lawsuits from 12 state attorneys general and the WGA; DOJ and some international regulators have approved it, but domestic progress is paused with the trial rescheduled for March 2, 2027.
