Alamo Drafthouse Files for Chapter 11, Announces Sale to Altamont Capital, Fortress Investment – “Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, the Texas-based theater chain that has become a favorite with cinephiles for its dine-in service and fan-forward approach to exhibition, has filed for Chapter 11. The bankruptcy filing comes as part of an asset purchase agreement with Altamont Capital Partners, a previous investor in the company, as well as affiliates of Fortress Investment Group, a new backer. The company says that operations will continue as normal and the Chapter 11 process and sale will give it the capital it needs to continue operating as it emerges from a public health crisis that left many of its locations closed for months.”
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema was founded in 1997 as a single-screen mom and pop repertory theater in Austin, TX. Twenty-two years later, with 37 locations, Alamo Drafthouse had been called “the best theater in America” by Entertainment Weekly and “the best theater in the world” by Wired. [Variety]
Best in Show winners announced for Digital News Design competition – Society for News Design picked three “Best in Show” winners:
- Large organization: “Who gets to breathe clean air in New Delhi” by The New York Times.
- Medium organization: “Your climate future” by NRK of Norway
- Small organization: “No epicentro” by Agência Lupa in Brazil
Resurrection of Kelly Marie Tran: On Surviving ‘Star Wars’ Bullying, the Pressures of Representation, and ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ [THR]
Sunday’s Golden Globes saw the smallest viewing audience for any Globes ceremony since NBC started broadcasting the event in 1996. [NYT]
Condé Nast appoints Gideon Lichfield as Global Editorial Director of Wired – “Lichfield comes to Wired from MIT Technology Review, where he was responsible for modernizing the 120-year-old title.
As global editorial director, Lichfield will set the overall content strategy, vision and tone across all of Wired’s platforms in the markets where the company owns and operates the title, which include the U.S., U.K., Italy and Japan. In addition to his global role, he will also oversee the U.S. edition of Wired. His appointment takes effect on March 22.”
Hulu Poised to Pass ABC in Ad Sales, Marking New Era for Disney – “Advertising at Walt Disney Co.’s online channels looks set to overtake the company’s ABC broadcast network as marketers shift spending to more targeted audiences.
Ad sales at Disney’s direct-to-consumer businesses rose 47% to $882 million last quarter, according to a filing, closing in on the $984 million at ABC, which registered a 5% gain. At that pace, online outlets such as Hulu, ESPN+ and ABC.com will soon pass the network.” [Ad Age]
ESPN Digital Records Second-Largest Monthly Audience in Sports Category History with 110.9 Million Unique Visitors in January – “According to Comscore, ESPN Digital kicked off 2021 recording the second-largest monthly audience in sports category history with 110.9 million unique visitors in January, only behind the 117.0 million unique visitors ESPN reached in the same month last year. For context, this means that 40 percent of the entire U.S. internet population – not just sports category users – visited an ESPN property in January. This extends ESPN Digital’s leadership position to 35 straight months as the No. 1 U.S. sports category property.”
Washington Football Team Engages Petra Pope to Create First-of-its-Kind Dance Program – “Pope is the latest in a series of planned personnel moves first announced in February that will advance Washington’s total rebranding effort. The campaign will culminate in the creation of a new brand identity, including an official name for the Burgundy & Gold and a reimagined approach to fan engagement and gameday experiences.”
Facebook’s Director of Sports League and Media Partnerships, Rob Shaw, Says Sports Industry Is at Crossroads – “It’s clear that the historically lucrative broadcast business model needs to evolve, or risk losing an entire generation of fans.” [Sportico]
Apple TV+ orders star-studded female-driven anthology series “Roar” – Apple TV+ announced a series order for “Roar,” a new anthology series of darkly comic feminist fables that will star Nicole Kidman; Cynthia Erivo; Alison Brie; and more to be announced soon.
Created by Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch (“GLOW”), and based on a book of short stories by Cecelia Ahern, “Roar” is a collection of eight half-hour genre-bending episodes, told from a uniquely female point of view.
