We have now officially seen the end of Warner Bros’ Max era- and many feel it’s best forgotten as quickly as it arrived. The last 2 years have not been all that kind to Warner Bros, and the constant shifts in its branding and focus have done little to offset that. To fill in the gaps as we see its flagship streamer return to the familiar HBO Max name, we have our expert entertainment attorney at Blake & Wang P.A., Brandon Blake

Brandon Blake

Back to the Future

Warner Bros. announced its plan to return to the HBO brand name in May. While officials were quick to talk about how the reversal would “amplify the uniqueness” of the streaming platform, especially as the overall streaming landscape becomes rather crowded, many in the industry have also taken this as a sign that their early attempts to freshen the brand have simply failed. 

The move was initially made as part of a plan to blend Discovery’s unscripted programing with their better-known HBO fare. However, this mingling of genres wasn’t a particular success, with the brand losing a lot of the immediate recognition the HBO branding brings to the table, especially with Discovery+ remaining a stand-alone offering. 

Continuing Success

If we are being fair, however, Max can’t be written off completely as a bad idea. The service still managed to pull in new subscribers and kept strong viewership numbers. However, the loss of overall cohesion in the brand certainly had an impact on Warner Bros. stock along the way. Now, of course, we’re also waiting for the split-off of Warner Bros. cable TV assets from its streaming and studios arm, and in the midst of an aggressive territorial expansion for HBO Max itself. 

Warner Bros will be reporting its Q2 earnings over the next few weeks. As of the last earnings call, they had 122.3M global subscribers. It will be interesting to see what impacts, if any, this swing back to the old familiar brings for the struggling streamer in the coming weeks. 

The LA Film Office has not been free from scrutiny as California battles against the flight of productions from its destinations, but it seems the institute is here to stay- at least for another 5 years. We have our expert entertainment lawyer from Blake & Wang P.A., Brandon Blake, to tell us more.

Brandon Blake 

Board of Public Works Renewal

FilmLA has now had its contract renewed to act as the region’s film office until 2030. However, some local public advocates are still calling for the nonprofit to overhaul its processes and make the Californian Film and TV Tax Credit program more appealing, hoping to restore the state’s former glory as the go-to shooting destination. 

The Board of Public Works, however, was quick to note that it doesn’t have the authority to make specific contractual changes. Instead, they proposed that concerned stakeholders share concrete suggestions with the state for future overhauls. They also established a need for quarterly reporting, and seem willing to request for proposals from both FilmLA and other relevant entities to bid on the contract. 

No Blank Check

FilmLA, too, seems open to having contractual structure changes over the next five years, so there’s plenty of reason to hope we will still see some reform within the organization geared toward helping productions better navigate local regulations and procedures. Many believe that slicing through some of this red tape is the key to improving California’s appeal as a filming destination. Whether it’s truly FilmLA’s work to do, or if the city departments need to better address this, is the real question. 

There’s certainly an argument to be made that consistency and a familiar face also have a role to play in restoring California’s appeal, so let’s choose to see this renewal, and the acknowledgement of the bureaucratic issues dogging permitting in LA, as a positive development for the Californian film landscape. 

We could be on the verge of some major shifts in the streaming advertising landscape, with news of a new deal between Amazon Ads and Roku. It’s suggested that this new deal will give media buyers access to four-fifths of domestic connected-TV households. We have Blake & Wang P.A. entertainment lawyer, Brandon Blake, with the details.

Brandon Blake

Reaching 80% of US Connected-TV Households

It is expected that the deal will launch from Q4 of this year. Amazon’s DSP (demand-side platform) will be used to place ads across top-viewed platforms, including both Prime Video and Roku Channel, as well as offering other services for the Fire TV and Roku operating systems. 

This system has already been trialed, with pretty interesting results reported by both companies. They are suggesting that 40% more unique viewers are reached, without extra cost to the buyer’s account. It also lowered the frequency of ads shown to a specific user (by roughly 30%), allowing for tighter targeting of ads and less repetition to users unwilling to bite. Taken together, this pretty much triples the value per ad spend compared with other options. 

Partners and Rivals

It’s an interesting bit of teamwork, certainly, especially given that Amazon and Roku are rivals in several aspects of their business. However, given that Amazon actively sells Roku-connected devices and Prime Video is now available among Roku’s offerings, they are also partners with overlapping interests. Both also have a strong customer focus and rely heavily on their marketing portfolios for new opportunities. 

Advertisers will, no doubt, be happy for expanded access to a broad consumer base, especially paired with the (claimed) savings on ad inventory spending. 

As we know from tech circles, once a new technology is brought to market, we typically see competitors eager to get their own slice of the action. Does this mean we will see a widespread change in how advertising is delivered for other streaming platforms? It’s too early to tell, but there are certainly some interesting changes coming in the streaming advertising landscape.

Jurassic World: Rebirth is set to be a reboot for the franchise, but can it spread some of that magic to the box office, too? As we hope to see the momentum kicked off on Memorial Day continue through the end of the year for cinema screens, the time is ripe for a $100M opener, and the famous dino franchise may be set to deliver. Entertainment attorney Brandon Blake, at Blake & Wang P.A., has all the news. 

Brandon Blake

Fourth of July Opener

The film is set to hit theatrical screens over the long weekend for the Fourth of July celebrations. This should set it up for box office traction. Long weekends are typically the best for increased traffic from families looking for entertainment. 

Based on current tracking, the film is actually expected to open north of $120M, but tracking can, and notoriously has, gone wrong. However, a $90- $100M start should definitely be on the cards. 

Franchise Staying Power

In 2015, we saw Jurassic World, the first of the modern Jurassic Park installments, take off for a series-best $206.6M domestically (not adjusted for inflation). While the following 2 films didn’t quite meet that high, they did manage openings in the $140M range, which is hopeful. 

However, the reboot is using a new ensemble cast, although there are some hot names among them that should have pulling power. The reboot is also using a new core idea to expand a little beyond the classic dino-narrative. This time, only limited dinosaurs remain, confined to specialized biospheres, and they could hold the key to a needed life-saving drug. 

Will a new story and cast, paired with the same action on screen the franchise has become known for, be enough to pull off that coveted $100M start? We’ll find out soon. 

As bundling becomes an important part of most streamer’s subscriber growth strategy, Disney has definitely taken the lead. Last week, Disney+ announced a new partnership with both TSN and Crave for its Canadian viewers. To fill us in on the details, we have entertainment attorney Brandon Blake, from Blake & Wang P.A. 

Brandon Blake

Expanded Bell Media Deal

Disney has had a deal with Bell Media in Canadian territories for a while now, but under the new deal, subscribers will now also have access to not only HBO, but also sports programming, as a single, lower-cost package. This will kick off later this year, although launch timing and pricing have not yet been revealed.

This builds on Disney’s deal with Charter Communications to offer Disney+ to Spectrum Select TV customers at no additional costs, which was signed earlier this year.

The Battle of the Bundles

Bundling as a way to expand subscriber access in markets where the subscriber base has matured is becoming a go-to strategy for streaming services at present. Not only does it help access the last few hold-outs who have not signed on for the service itself, but it also helps offer lower entry points and tighter costs for subscribers.

Bell Media, as a traditional linear TV channel, has not been immune from the overall decline in viewership we’re seeing on legacy channels, and they have been looking for a jumping point into the streaming space for a while now. In fact, Crave and TSN themselves entered a bundle deal earlier this year. The combined Crave/TSN bundle is currently priced at $16.10 a month. That may give us an idea of where the pricing for the new bundle will land.

Disney has bought into the bundling idea in a big way currently, and it’s a strategy that seems to be paying off for them, so it will be interesting to see how this cross-border partnership works out for them.

Владивосток, как и любой другой крупный город, имеет свою темную сторону — индустрию секс-услуг. Проституция в данном регионе давно стала частью повседневной жизни и вызывает разнообразные эмоции и мнения у жителей. Но почему проститутки Владивостока часто остаются без внимания и никому не задают вопросов?

1. Культурный контекст

Проституция в России имеет свою долгую историю, частично связанную с социально-экономическими проблемами и особенностями общества. Владивосток, как портовый город, привлекает различных людей, включая тех, кто занимается продажей секс-услуг. Поэтому местные жители привыкли к наличию проституток в городе и часто не задают вопросов по этому поводу.

2. Низкий уровень образования и информированности

Один из основных факторов, почему проститутки во Владивостоке не вызывают широкого обсуждения, — это низкий уровень образования и информированности населения. Многие жители города просто не понимают, как обращаться с такой проблемой, как проституция, и поэтому предпочитают умалчивать и игнорировать её.

3. Табу и стигма

Проституция, как и многие другие аспекты сексуальности, остается темой табу и стигмы в обществе. Люди боятся обсуждать этот вопрос открыто, опасаясь осуждения или собственного негативного отношения к этому явлению. В результате проститутки во Владивостоке становятся Всё, что важно знать о проститутках незаметными фигурами, о которых лучше не говорить.

4. Независимость и свобода выбора

Некоторые проститутки во Владивостоке предпочитают держать свою деятельность в секрете и не привлекать к себе внимания со стороны общественности. Это связано с их независимостью и свободой выбора — они считают, что их профессия не должна определять их личность и общественное положение.

5. Законодательство и наказание

Сфера секс-услуг в России регулируется законодательством, которое нередко является неоднозначным и противоречивым. Проститутки во Владивостоке могут сталкиваться с различными юридическими сложностями и рисками, поэтому предпочитают сохранять низкий профиль и избегать лишнего внимания.

Заключение

Проститутки во Владивостоке остаются одной из многих категорий людей, о которых лучше не задавать вопросы или обсуждать публично. Их незаметность и невидимость в обществе связаны с множеством факторов, включая культурный контекст, низкий уровень образования и информированности, стигматизацию, независимость и свободу выбора, а также законодательство и наказание. Важно помнить, что каждый человек имеет право на свободу и самоопределение, даже если его профессия вызывает смешанные чувства и ассоциации у других.

After a slump at the start of the year, it looks like the domestic box office could be back on track. In fact, we may even see some records fall (the good way) this summer, if luck holds. Our entertainment lawyer from Blake & Wang P.A., Brandon Blake, takes a look at what could lie ahead for the summer season.

Brandon Blake

A Strong Memorial Day Start

We started the summer box office season with a bang, indeed. Not only did the final installment of the Mission: Impossible franchise manage a very credible first weekend, surpassing almost all of the other films in the franchise, but we saw Disney’s live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch rocket to a staggering $183M in its first weekend, demolishing several records along the way. Ironically, this puts the movie just behind the Lion King as Disney’s second-most successful live action remake, despite the original animation having flown mostly under the radar for them.

All in all, across all titles, we saw a $326M at the box office, one of the strongest Memorial Day weekends on record. 

Looking Ahead to the Summer Box Office

Currently, the 2025 box office year to date is standing at $3.3B, up 22% over the same period last year. That may be a surprise for some, given the general impression that it was off to a very soft start after a pumping December holiday period!

There’s better news coming, however, or at least we hope. The first half of the year, based on release schedules, was always set to be duller than the second half. Barring an ugly surprise on one of the cornerstone upcoming releases, we should be looking at a strong end to the year. 

That’s sure to be welcome news for the box office and the film industry in general. Let’s hope to have even better news to report from the latest releases as we get deeper into the final half of the year! 

With another round of results from Nielsen’s Gauge report, things are looking surprisingly good for both streaming and linear TV for a pleasant change. To fill us in on all the details, we have Blake & Wang P.A. entertainment attorney, Brandon Blake. 

Brandon Blake

Streaming Soars, but Linear Gets a Boost, Too

Streaming has been on the rise for a while, to no one’s real surprise. For the April Gauge report, its upward trend continued, rising to 44.3% of all domestic TV use, up from March’s 43.8%. This represents the third month in a row where streaming platforms have set a new high.

However, this time it didn’t come at the expense of classic linear offerings, as it has in prior months. Cable was responsible for 24.5% of TV use in April, up slightly from 24% in the prior month. Broadcast networks, meanwhile, saw a 0.3% uptick to 20.8%. The loser in this round was Nielsen’s “Other TV” category, which is where everything from physical media to gaming fits in. This took a modest drop from March’s 11.7% to close at 10.3%. 

Sports to the Rescue (Again)

For cable, this rise is mostly attributable to the NHL and NBA playoffs. In fact, CBS took home the crown for its broadcast of the NCAA men’s basketball championship. Interestingly, a core library title took the streaming crown- Grey’s Anatomy. Currently running its 21st season exclusively on Hulu, it managed to take in 10% of the streaming total despite only 15 episodes being available currently, including across library seasons. Nor does Nielsen’s Gauge account for its on-air viewing on ABC. Close on its heels came The White Lotus.

YouTube continues to dominate as the largest individual streaming platform used by TV viewers, rising to a 12.4% high. Roku saw a personal best (2.4%) and has seen 21% in growth since November last year. All in all, it’s been a positive month across the board- let’s hope to see that impetus continue into the rest of the year. 

There’s been speculation around when we would see Fox enter the streaming space for quite a while now, and it seems that day has finally arrived. The new streaming arm, which will go by the name Fox One, will serve a different role for them than other legacy studios, but it will be interesting to see what they make of it. Our Blake & Wang P.A. entertainment lawyer, Brandon Blake, shares the news.

Brandon Blake

Fox One: For the “Cord-Nevers”

With a pretty loyal user base, Fox as a whole has managed to avoid much of the cord-cutting plaguing other legacy studios in Hollywood. However, now they want their share of what they are calling the “cord-nevers.” The people who have never bought into a traditional Pay TV service, and are unlikely to change their mind. The name was announced last week, but so far we have few other details, especially on the pricing side. However, Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch suggested it would not be priced as a discount compared to their Pay TV bundles, stating, ““We do not want to lose a traditional cable subscriber to Fox One.”

What Fox One Will Offer

We also know that the new streaming service will offer both live and on-demand feeds, drawing from Fox, Fox News, Fox Weather, Fox Business, and FS1. Other channel content will be dotted in as they see fit. Unsurprisingly, especially for their primary demographic, they are also teasing advanced personalization. It is expected that the service will launch before NFL season in the fall- always popular for Fox.

They announced the launch the same day as their latest quarterly earnings report, which saw their revenue from advertising rise to over $2B, half their total revenue, alongside a noted uptick in their affiliate fees for both cable and broadcast. 

Starz will no doubt be happy with its first half-week of trading results as an independent entity. Now officially split off from the larger Lionsgate group, these represent its first days as a stand-alone public company. To tell us more we have entertainment lawyer Brandon Blake, of Blake & Wang P.A. 

Brandon Blake

Successful First Trading Day

Starz listed on the Nasdaq (under the STARZ ticker) at $11.20, and saw an initial rise of 40%. After 8 years under the Lionsgate banner, Starz split off formally last week as the final regulatory processes came to a close. 

These gains are certainly a ray of light in a stock market facing serious headwinds from uncertain governmental economic policies and escalation in the tariff wars. 

Recovery for Entertainment Stocks?

While we’ve seen generally soft or mixed results from many of the key entertainment companies listing their Q1 results, especially with that turbulence added to the mix, we also saw the general entertainment stock sector see incremental recoveries last week, even after the somewhat controversial announcement of a potential “foreign film tariff” in the works. 

It’s common for newly listed stocks to see some optimism. Starz, however, bolstered by some exciting key first-look and library deals from its once-parent, Lionsgate Studios, as well as an already proven track record of successes, certainly makes for an appealing stock among the current markets. Most of its revenue is now derived from streaming. 

It seems Wall Street, at least, has confidence in Starz’s standalone streaming strategy, even amid the wider market challenges. With somewhere in the region of 28M subscribers globally, could this be the rise of a new boutique premium streaming service challenger? For now, we’ll have to wait and see, but it’s looking positive for Starz.