Disney’s ‘Black Widow’ Sets Stage for Possible Clash With Theaters – At the end of March, theater owners were upset to learn of Disney’s decision to release the movie both in the cinema, and on its Disney+ streaming service for an additional $29.99 fee. Disney also delayed the film’s release to July. Now some theaters are considering ways to push back at the biggest studio in Hollywood over one of the summer’s most anticipated movies, according to people involved in the discussions.
The cinema owners’ aim is to secure better terms from Disney, such as a higher share of box-office revenue or a chance to show “Black Widow” exclusively, but their ability to fight the studio might be undercut by their need to lure moviegoers back to multiplexes after a year of closures and limited capacities. [WSJ]
Pinterest Is Said to Be in Talks to Acquire the Photo App VSCO – Pinterest has held talks to buy VSCO, a photography app that spawned a teenage social media craze, according to two people with knowledge of the matter.
The discussions are ongoing, said the people, who declined to be identified because they were not authorized to speak publicly. A deal price couldn’t be learned; Pinterest has a market capitalization of about $49 billion, while VSCO has raised $90 million in funding and was last valued at $550 million. An acquisition may not materialize, the people cautioned. [NY Times]
According to research from NielsenIQ, COVID-19 fueled a 50% increase in U.S. omnichannel shopping last year, but less than half of the activity led to online purchases. – Said differently, many omnichannel shoppers use digital channels for information rather than simply an electronic means to an end. That means that omnichannel marketing strategies that fixate on e-commerce buying exclude a significant portion of consumers—those whose shopping touchpoints include, but don’t end in, a digital one. [Nielsen]
Rolling Stone hits back amid calls to boycott magazine – Rolling Stone is punching back after a blog post claimed that the magazine “sold out” to President Trump and the Saudis under its owner Jay Penske led to calls for a boycott. [NY Post]
