HES – Midi

Latin Music Nears $500 Million in Mid-Year 2025 Revenue, Per RIAA Report

HES — Wed, 24 Dec 2025 05:23:34 +0000

Latin music pulled $490.3 million in mid-year revenue in the first half of 2025, up nearly 6% from the same point last year. Music from all over Latin America — including best-selling albums from Bad Bunny, Fuerza Regida (pictured above), Rauw Alejandro, Karol G and more — helped the genre grow faster than the U.S.-based market in 2025.

Streaming is doing all the heavy lifting, accounting for a massive 98% of that bump, with paid subscriptions alone generating $271.1 million.

“Latin music in the US continues to gain popularity and generate increased value thanks to the incredible artists whose music connects across language and geographical barriers with support from creative label partnerships. At a mid-year high approaching half a billion dollars, Latin music continues to earn new listeners and invigorate existing fans,” said RIAA Vice President of Research Matt Bass. “With streaming offering more access than ever to legacy voices and next generation icons defining today’s culture, Latin has become the second-fastest growing genre in America.”

As announced last month, RIAA reporting now uses wholesale figures, a shift the organization said will help capture the “continued evolution in the music business across new formats, platforms and business models.” In the past, the RIAA has measured by retail value, using sales-based data as its primary benchmark.

However, similar to previous years, the data suggests streaming delivers a majority of U.S. revenue, occupying 98% of the pie at $481.6 million (paid subscriptions up generated $271.1 million). This marks the 12th straight year of growth at mid-year, with Latin music totaling 8.8% of U.S. recorded music revenue.

By Thania Garcia

Bolivia lifts restrictions on satellite companies like Starlink to upgrade its internet connectivity

HES — Wed, 24 Dec 2025 04:56:38 +0000

Bolivia’s new government on Tuesday issued a decree that will allow global satellite internet companies such as Starlink or Kuiper to provide internet access across the Andean nation as it tries to upgrade its technology and speed up its notoriously slow connectivity rates.

Bolivia’s centrist President Rodrigo Paz signed the decree, which waives the restrictions placed on international satellite companies by the socialist administration of his predecessor, Luis Arce.

Last year, Arce’s government refused to grant a license to SpaceX, which owns Starlink, to operate in Bolivia, citing data protection and national sovereignty concerns.

For years, Bolivia has tried to improve internet access in remote areas with a satellite purchased from China during the government of left-wing leader Evo Morales. When the satellite was acquired in 2013, Morales promised it would “enlighten the people, after years of living in obscurity.”

However, the Chinese satellite, known as the Tupac Katari, failed to significantly speed up internet connections on mobile phones or in homes, because it relies on geostationary technology and orbits Earth at a distance of about 35,000 kilometers (about 21,800 miles) from the surface.

In contrast, satellites used by Starlink orbit the planet at a distance of 550 kilometers (some 340 miles). Modern satellites used by Starlink and its competitors stay closer to Earth, which enables them to transmit data at faster rates.

A report published in November by Ookla, a connectivity intelligence company, found that Bolivia had the slowest internet speed for mobile phones and fixed broadband in South America. Brazil is the regional leader in internet speed.

On Tuesday, the Bolivian president said that by granting licenses to international satellite companies, he is hoping to “reduce the digital divide” and guarantee access to high quality connectivity for Bolivians.

The slow connectivity rates in Bolivia stymie simple tasks such as conference calls, and also make it harder to conduct more complex operations online, including cloud computing.

“We became spectators while the rest of the world advanced,” said Paz, who was elected in October. “But that is over. With new technologies we will be able to make up for lost time.”

Paz also said international companies — including Tesla, Amazon, Tether and Orcacle — plan to invest in data centers that Bolivia will set up near the cities of El Alto and Cochambamba.

The president has been trying to draw international investment to Bolivia, as part of an effort to overcome an economic crisis, characterized by severe shortages of U.S. dollars.

Earlier this week, Paz signed a decree to eliminate fuel subsidies that had hobbled public finances and worsened the dollar shortages. Labor unions across the Andean nation took to the streets on Monday to protest the elimination of the fuel subsidies.

By CARLOS VALDEZ

The Oscars will abandon broadcast TV for YouTube starting in 2029

HES — Wed, 24 Dec 2025 04:38:01 +0000

The Oscars telecast will move from broadcasting to streaming in 2029, switching from ABC to YouTube — a watershed moment for the entertainment business.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said Wednesday that YouTube signed a “multi-year deal” for the “exclusive global rights to the Oscars.”

The deal will run through 2033.

The deal underscores a tremendous power shift in the media industry, which has been upended by YouTube and streaming platforms like Netflix.

ABC, owned by Disney, has been the home of the Oscars for decades. ABC will continue to show the awards ceremony through 2028.

The Academy had been auctioning off the rights to future telecasts in recent weeks, leading to speculation that a new Big Tech buyer would swoop in.

YouTube evidently outbid ABC and other suitors, though the details were not immediately available.

YouTube CEO Neal Mohan said in a statement, “The Oscars are one of our essential cultural institutions, honoring excellence in storytelling and artistry. Partnering with the Academy to bring this celebration of art and entertainment to viewers all over the world will inspire a new generation of creativity and film lovers while staying true to the Oscars’ storied legacy.”

Mohan’s acknowledgement of the Academy’s legacy will resonate in Hollywood, where creators are split between preserving traditional modes of storytelling and embracing audience-centric platforms like YouTube and Netflix.

“YouTube broadcasting the Oscars is like shaking hands with the guy who’s trying to kill you,” screenwriter Daniel Kunka remarked on X when the announcement was made.

YouTube would surely disagree. The platform has encouraged filmmakers to experiment with new technology and distribute projects in new ways, and has also dabbled with financing original movies in the past.

The Oscars, though, still primarily celebrate theatrical releases, even as more and more people ultimately see the films via streaming.

The 2025 winner for Best Picture, “Anora,” had its launch at the Cannes Film Festival, then came out in theaters, and made its way to Hulu months later.

ABC, which has been “the proud home to The Oscars for more than half a century,” said in a statement, “We look forward to the next three telecasts, including the show’s centennial celebration in 2028, and wish the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences continued success.”

By Brian Stelter

Netflix announces deal to buy Warner Bros. and HBO

HES — Wed, 24 Dec 2025 04:18:51 +0000

Netflix has triumphed in the bidding war for Warner Bros. and HBO, announcing a deal that could combine two of the three biggest streamers with one of the largest traditional movie and television studios.

If the deal goes through, it will fundamentally reshape Hollywood at a precarious time for the entertainment business. It would give Netflix control of some of the industry’s most valuable intellectual property, including Batman, Harry Potter and Game of Thrones, and would give a company that historically had very little interest in movie theaters oversight of the studio that put more butts in seats than any other this year.

But first it will be subjected to intense regulatory review in the US and other countries.

Netflix announced the blockbuster deal with Warner Bros. Discovery on Friday morning. It has agreed to buy the legendary TV and movie studio and assets like the HBO Max streaming service for $72 billion, plus debt.

The announcement jolted Hollywood and jumbled expectations about the next steps for Warner Bros. Discovery, which is also the parent company of CNN.

Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) said it is moving forward with its plans to split into two publicly traded halves in 2026. Once the split takes effect, Netflix intends to acquire the Warner half. The other half, Discovery Global, will house CNN and other cable channels.

WBD now expects the split to take effect in the summer of 2026.

But this mega-media merger saga is far from over. Paramount and Comcast, the other media giants known to have submitted offers for WBD, may continue to pursue the company.

Netflix’s (NFLX) stock fell more than 2% in early trading, while Warner Bros. Discovery’s (WBD) stock gained 2%.

Surprise turn of events

For several weeks Paramount was thought to be the frontrunner in the auction for WBD. Paramount executives, who want to buy all of WBD – including its cable assets – exuded confidence about their merger proposal and their mutually beneficial relationship with President Trump.

But Netflix surprised many with the boldness of its bids: The streaming giant submitted two proposals earlier this week that vaulted it ahead of Paramount’s offers, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos acknowledged the shock on a call with Wall Street analysts Friday morning.

“I know some of you are surprised that we’re making this acquisition. And I certainly understand why. Over the years we have been known to be builders, not buyers,” Sarandos said. “But this is a rare opportunity, and it’s going to help us achieve our mission to entertain the world and to bring people together through great stories.”

Sarandos told Bloomberg recently that most media transactions don’t end well – a statement he was asked about on Friday’s call.

“I think it is true, like historically, many of these mergers haven’t worked. Some have,” Sarandos said. “A lot of those failures that we’ve seen historically is because the company that was doing the acquisition didn’t understand the entertainment business. They didn’t really understand what they were buying. We understand these assets that we’re buying.”

Sarandos added that past merger failures happened because the acquiring company was no longer growing and needed a merger to gain ground. That’s not the case for Netflix, he noted, which continues to add subscribers and pad its bottom line with increased engagement.

Antitrust concerns

Netflix agreed to the same costly breakup fee that Paramount proposed during the auction process, a source familiar with the matter told CNN. This means the would-be buyer will pay WBD billions of dollars if the deal is not completed.

That’s critical because the biggest X factor is regulatory approval. Some American politicians have already raised concerns about the potential consolidation.

This “should send alarm to antitrust enforcers around the world,” Sen. Mike Lee wrote on X.

In recent weeks Paramount CEO David Ellison was viewed as the Trump administration’s favored buyer of WBD. Paramount fanned doubts that regulatory agencies controlled by Trump would approve other proposed deals.

Now some analysts expect a political and legal battle will ensue. But the US is just one of many markets that will take a close look at the transaction. Paramount was said to face a particularly uncertain regulatory environment in Europe.

Netflix executives previewed their arguments for regulators on Friday, asserting that the assets are complementary in nature and that the deal will create “more opportunities for the creative community.”

Greg Peters, the Netflix co-CEO, said Warner Bros. “has helped define entertainment for more than a century,” and “with our global reach and proven business model, we can introduce a broader audience to the worlds they create—giving our members more options, attracting more fans to our best-in-class streaming service, strengthening the entire entertainment industry and creating more value for shareholders.”

Hollywood expresses doubt

That’s the pitch. But many entertainment industry heavyweights have already heaped doubt on it.

Cinema United, a trade association representing movie theater owners, said the deal “poses an unprecedented threat to the global exhibition business,” given Netflix’s general aversion to theatrical releases.

Netflix, anticipating these objections, said Friday that it “expects to maintain Warner Bros.’ current operations and build on its strengths, including theatrical releases for films.”

A combination of Netflix and HBO would end one of the great media industry rivalries of the past decade. A recent Bank of America analyst report put it this way: “If Netflix acquires Warner Bros., the streaming wars are effectively over. Netflix would become the undisputed global powerhouse of Hollywood beyond even its currently lofty position.”

This is a developing story and will be updated.

Top 5 useful tips to keep in mind when mixing audio?

HES — Fri, 20 Jan 2023 11:28:33 +0000

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