Blog: Aussies rally for free TV: New research reveals demand for easy access admist big tech's commercial interests

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Aussies rally for free TV: New research reveals demand for easy access amidst big tech's commercial interests

New research conducted by Free TV and Seven West Media reveals a significant 80% of Australians are demanding easy access to free TV services on their connected TV sets.

The study also found these viewers do not believe local free TV service providers should have to pay a TV manufacturer for a prominent position on the home screen.

The research comes at a crucial time as the Albanese government is planning to legislate a 'prominence' law. This law aims to ensure local free-to-air TV services can easily be found on television devices. The move is seen as a direct response to the commercial interests of big tech and TV manufacturers, which have been criticised by Free TV CEO, Bridget Fair.

"Australians know they are not being given a fair go when it comes to the services they are offered on their connected TVs," Fair said. "They are worried that instead of being offered the local TV services they want to watch, they are being steered in the direction of services that favour the commercial interests of big tech and TV manufacturers."

The survey, which involved 2,075 participants, found 78% of people with connected TV sets believe it is important they can easily find free TV services. Only a mere 8% said it was not important. Other key findings include: 84% of people want a free service option before the paid option when looking for something to watch, 81% of people did not agree with the idea that local free TV services should have to pay a TV manufacturer for visibility on the home screen, and 81% also said commercial interests should not dictate where TV services appear on a connected TV.

"It’s a matter of choice and the choice should be made by the viewer. It’s not choice if your TV is set up to deliberately make it hard to find your local TV channels. Viewers should be able to easily find all the services they want and then decide," Fair added.

Fair warns local free TV services are becoming increasingly hard to find on connected TVs, with foreign giants buying the best real estate. She also revealed that TV manufacturers want to charge local TV providers up to 30% of revenue just to be present on the TV screen.

"Our local free TV services are delivered to all Australians for free. Free TV networks invest billions in fresh and unique content each year and they need to reach millions of Australians each day to generate the advertising revenue that keeps those services free. But TV manufacturers want to charge local TV providers up to 30% of revenue just to be present on the TV screen. That money would come directly out of Australian content," she said.

Social Media

Greg Tingle

Free TV Australia via MI3.

All very interesting and educational reading via Free TV Australia and MI3 re the business of television when it meets some of the businesses of politics. There's usually two or three sides to a story, and as they say the exact truth is likely somewhere in the middle. That's my experience having worked previously for Optus Vision/Comms for the better part of 5 years and also a 6 month contract at Foxtel and some project work for Kayo Sports. Both sides of the argument can have vested interests. I'm seeing the situation from both sides of the argument. I think both sides/parties want the upper hand on the competition. Trust in government entities at present is at about an all-time low so that's not doing Free TV any favors so to speak. Then you have the likes of the "Netflix Killer" tubi and other over the top services as well as additional FAST service providers. A real Pandora's Box in the Digital Matrix Of Things. Again, numerous ways to look at this. The consumer can and will make up their own mind. Stay tuned for developments is fair to say. PS: 7 Plus got some MMA with ONE Championship. Can we get some UFC and WWE via free soon? Pre emtive strike before HBO, USA Network, The CW and others further eye off Terror Australalis.

Streamers spent less on Aussie shows last year despite Labor’s threats - Novemeber 8, 2023

Streaming platforms like Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video cut their spending on Australian TV shows and films in the 2022-23 financial year, despite Labor’s impending plans to force them to make more.

New figures released on Wednesday by the media regulator show Disney+, Netflix, Paramount+, Prime Video and Stan spent a combined $324.1 million on 1583 Aussie programs in the most recent financial year – down from $335.1 million on 718 shows in 2021-22.

Spend on “Australian-related” shows – those are partly Australian, like Disney’s Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and Obi Wan Kenobi – rose to $452.9 million from $333.4 million.

The new data comes days after the government aired two ways it could force streaming services to make more Australian content.

Arts Minister Tony Burke and Communications Minister Michelle Rowland have said they would introduce quotas to come into effect from July next year.

The push for quotas has provoked widespread opposition from streaming platforms and free-to-air television networks, which have claimed they will push up production costs for everyone. Netflix on Wednesday said it had spent $1 billion on Australian and “Australian-related” shows between 2019 and 2023.

The film and production sector, meanwhile, says it needs quotas to maintain a vibrant Australian screen industry against a competitive and global market.

In the 15-page paper circulated to key film and television production executives this week, the government proposed either making platforms with more subscribers spend more, or demanding a flat rate as a percentage of local revenue.

The first model means Netflix could be forced to spend 30 per cent of its budget on local films and shows, and Amazon Prime Video 25 per cent – because they have the most subscribers.

A platform with between 1 million and 1.99 million subscribers would be required to spend 10 per cent on Australian content. For a platform with more than 5 million subscribers, that figure would be 30 per cent.

According to the latest estimates from data firm Telsyte, only Netflix has more than 5 million subscribers in Australia. Amazon Prime Video has 4.5 million, Disney+ has 3.1 million, and Stan has 2.6 million. Stan is owned by Nine Entertainment, parent of The Australian Financial Review.

“It is a progressive obligation of up to 30 per cent to ensure that large services continue to invest in Australian programs commensurate with their market share and degree of influence,” the government paper reads.

A service with 1 million subscribers that spends $100 million on drama shows would have to spend $10 million, per its 10 per cent obligation. A service with 2 million subscribers that spends $80 million on drama programs for the Australian market would have a 15 per cent obligation, or $12 million.

The alternative proposal is calculated by multiplying revenue and an obligation of 10 per cent. It is arguably simpler, but that figure could increase to 20 per cent over time, the document warns. It also takes sport out of the equation.

By that logic, a service with $250 million in revenue and no sport programming would have a drama obligation of $25 million. A service with $250 million in revenue that spends $150 million on all local programming, $50 million of which is sport, would have a $16.67 million obligation.

Children’s content earns a 1.2 times-multiplier towards quotas, as well as content that is released in cinemas first.

The industry has less than two weeks to digest the proposals before meeting with the government.

Videos should factor into future Meta bargaining code deals: Nine CEO - November 9, 2023

A push by Facebook and Instagram into video has sparked a “significant increase” in their use of content produced by publishers which should be a factor when renegotiating multimillion dollar deals under the news media bargaining code, Nine Entertainment’s chief executive says.

Nine signed deals with Facebook, now Meta, and Google in 2021 under the landmark legislation, which compelled the two tech giants to negotiate with major news organisations to carry their content. It’s believed 30 news outlets signed deals worth more than $200 million.

Facebook’s deals, which were for three years, will expire in 2024. There are increasing signs the company will not renew its deals under the code.

Speaking after the company’s annual meeting on Thursday, Nine chief executive Mike Sneesby and chairman Peter Costello said that while Facebook had clearly moved away from text-based news – traffic has fallen up to 50 per cent this year – it was still using video from news outlets.

“There has been a significant increase in the use of our video content – news-related, sport-related and entertainment-related video content – across both Facebook and Instagram’s Reels businesses,” Mr Sneesby said.

“Notwithstanding the fact they may be considering their position in the traditional image and text-based news, video content has ramped up considerably. I don’t have a specific figure, but it’s material. And that certainly is an important thing for us to come to the table on to work out how we reach agreement on compensation for that video content.”

Mr Costello said he thought the agreements were “fair”.

“Of course we would like to continue them. The critical question is whether Meta is going to stay in this particular business,” he said. “This is just a new iteration of a very old point. In the old days, you made a movie and if Joe Blow got a copy and started showing it in his picture theatres, you were entitled to a cut. Now, these days, somebody gets some footage, and they put it up on TikTok, or Meta, they get advertising. And it’s the same thing.”

Mr Costello added that a similar code could be introduced by the government to force generative artificial intelligence companies – the likes of OpenAI’s ChatGPT – to compensate news outlets for using their work.

Narrow escape

The Nine annual meeting took place on the same day as Seven West Media, which is controlled by Kerry Stokes – its chairman.

Seven’s share price fell five per cent after the broadcaster said it would cut $60 million over the next two financial years – $25 million in 2024, and $35 million in 2025. These cuts come after two rounds of cuts, worth $15 million and $20 million, over the past year.

Nine declined to put a number on its cost-cutting. “I don’t think we need a headline number,” Mr Sneesby said.

“The market can work that out.”

Mr Stokes and the Seven board narrowly escaped a spill. Last year, 8.5 per cent of shareholders voted against the Seven remuneration report. But because Mr Stokes’ Seven Group is not allowed to vote on the remuneration report, it counted as 29 per cent.

If more than 25 per cent of eligible shareholders voted against the report, it counts as a “first strike”. If that happens in two consecutive years, shareholders are asked to vote on whether to spill the board and put it up for re-election. This year, 21.6 per cent of shareholders voting against its remuneration report.

Combat Sports

Dana White On Cross-Over Legends Brock Lesnar and Ronda Rousey Will Compete At UFC 300

“I get why everybody asks”

“They’re not coming back”

Sports Illustrated UFC news and quotes doing the rounds across the globe; S.I. gains more street and industry cred

Seems like the entire combat sports world wants to know if Lesnar and Rousey will fight at UFC 300. Perhaps they may appear in the crowd, or even get introduced with a live mic, but don't expect for them to grapple.

Fantasy Booking ramps up in UFC, adding to combat sports booking WWE 

@WWE

 and other pro wrestling promotions!

Some Stats:

Lesnar (UFC website)

https://ufc.com/athlete/brock-lesnar

8 fights in the UFC

Former UFC Heavyweight champ

Rousey (Wikipedia website)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronda_Rousey

Rousey News:

RR loves her pro wresling, including Lucha Libre - especially Lucha VaVOOM, in Los Angeles where she appeared on October 26, teaming with AEW affiliated Marina Shafir to defeat Brian Kendrick and Taya Valkyrie in tag team action.

Due to wrestle at Wrestling Revolver - 6th November

Homenetmen Glendale Ararat Los Angeles, CA.

Will be broadcast via FITE! 

@FiteTV

“I always had an incredible working relationship with Brock Lesnar”.

“It’s funny to say this because he’s such a grouchy dude, but I consider Brock Lesnar a friend.”

The last time Lesnar fought in the UFC was 2016, five months after Rousey’s final bout. Since then, both have appeared in WWE from time to time.

Rousey is still considered fairly young for pro wrestling, but not so much for MMA at 36 years. Her last UFC match was in December of 2016. Similar to Lesnar, she also fought 8 times in the UFC, getting her hand raised in the 6 bouts. Rousey eventually became one of the the most recognizable sports stars in the world, thanks to numerous ground breaking performances and over-performing in what was traditionally a male dominated sport.

“I absolutely love Ronda Rousey,” said White. “She’s one of the greatest athletes I’ve ever worked with. She’s a pioneer, an inspirational figure for women, and an all-around badass for UFC.”

Headlined by two title bouts, UFC 295 takes place this Saturday at Madison Square Garden. Though White’s current priority is MSG, the UFC matchmakers are not too far removed from UFC 300. But Rousey and Lesnar will not be part of that history-making card.

“I’m focused on Madison Square Garden,” said White. “But no, they’re not coming back.”

UFC News

UFC 295 card: Prochazka vs Pereira headlines after Aspinall and Pavlovich clash

Daniel Cormier (conspiracy?) theory/speculation/dream  match scenarios

Unified field theory for UFC 300..

Former two-division UFC champ and current UFC commentator Daniel Cormier has a theory that sounds great for the UFC 300 card.

“UFC 100 had Brock [Lesnar], right? With Georges St-Pierre and all those guys,” Cormier said on his “DC & RC” show. “UFC 200 had Brock, it was supposed to me and [Jon] Jones also but it ended up being me, Anderson Silva, Brock, all these guys, big names,” Cormier said. “UFC 300 has to have a name like that. We don’t have Brock Lesnar anymore. So, I think you have to have a Conor McGregor versus Michael Chandler. I think Michael Chandler gets his shot now, in the main event. Boy, Michael Chandler will headline UFC 300, how crazy is that?”

DC also has a vision of a two-title bout card underneath the McGregor-Chandler match.

“Co-main event, when I look down the line, I know that Jones and Stipe [Miocic] will not be ready,” Cormier continued. “I do believe that whoever wins the [interim heavyweight] belt this weekend will have to fight again. Leon Edwards or Colby Covington will then be available again, right? Because they fight [at UFC 296] in December. I believe it’ll be one of them, if not both. The interim heavyweight champion and then the welterweight champion will also fight at UFC 300.”

Videos (to help starv you off before it's time to say Let's 'Fn Go again)

Pro Wrestling Champions - November 2023

WWE

WWE Championship – Roman Reigns 

WWE Universal – Roman Reigns

World Heavyweight Championship - Seth Rollins 

Raw Tag Team – Judgement Day

Smackdown Tag Team – Judgement Day

WWE Women’s - Iyo Sky 

Women’s World - Rhea Ripley 

WWE Women’s Tag Team – Chelsea Green and Piper Niven

US Title – Logan Paul 

Intercontinental title - Gunther

NXT

NXT Championship- Ilja Dragunov 

NXT Women’s - Lyra Valkyria

North American Title – Dominick Mysterio

Tag Team Title – Tony D'Angelo and Channing Lorezo 

AEW

AEW World Title - MJF

TNT Title - Christian

Women's Title - Hikaru Shida

TBS Champion - Kris Statlander

Tag Team Titles - Ricky Starks and Big Bill

Trios Titles - The Acclaimed and Billy Gunn

AEW International Title - Orange Cassidy

Impact Wrestling

World Champion - Alex Shelley

X Division - Chris Sabin

Tag Team Titles - ABC

Digital Media Champion - Tommy Dreamer

Knockouts Champion - Trinity

Knockouts Tag Titles - Killer Kelly and Masha Slamovich

ROH

ROH World Champion - Eddie Kingston

ROH TV Champion - Vacant

ROH Pure Champion - Katsuyori Shibata

ROH Tag Titles - Adam Cole & MJF

ROH Women's Title - Athena

ROH Six Man Tag Titles - Mogul Embassy

NJPW

IWGP World Title - Sanada

IWGP US Title - Will Ospreay

IWGP Junior Heavyweight - Hiromu Takahashi

Strong Openweight Title - Eddie Kingston

IWGP Tag Team Titles - Bishamon

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles - Bullet Club War Dogs (Drilla Moloney and Clark Connors)

Strong Openweight Tag Team Titles - Bullet Club War Dogs (Alex Coughlin and Gabriel Kidd)

NEVER Openweight Title - David Finlay

NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Titles - Okada, Tanahashi and Tomohiro Ishii

KOPW 2023 - Taichi

IWGP Women's Title - Maya Iwatani

Media News

Catalano offers to sell Canberra Times, other papers to Southern Cross

Australian Community Media executive chairman Antony Catalano has proposed selling some of his company’s most storied publications, including The Newcastle Herald, Illawarra Mercury and The Canberra Times, to Southern Cross Media in exchange for a major stake in the ASX-listed group.

On Friday, Southern Cross confirmed reports in The Australian Financial Review’s Street Talk column that Mr Catalano, who is backed by billionaire businessman Alex Waislitz, had formally approached Southern Cross with a counterproposal to a takeover offer from ARN Media and Anchorage Capital.

“We believe that this proposal would provide immediate benefits to Southern Cross shareholders and is simple to execute, value accretive, is built on both growth opportunity and well as cost synergy, unlikely to require shareholder approval,” Mr Catalano wrote to Southern Cross executives and its bankers. “Please call me to discuss,” he added.

Under his proposal, Southern Cross would own 14 of ACM’s daily newspapers and 52 of his non-daily publications, which were acquired from Nine Entertainment (publishers of this masthead) in 2019. The Land and ACM’s agriculture assets, as well as its real estate play View, were not included.

The new entity would have an extra $200 million in revenue, Mr Catalano wrote, including 130,000 digital news subscriptions. It would emerge with $120 million in earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation – up from $77 million in the last financial year.

In return, he wanted a “sub 20 per cent” stake in Southern Cross, sources close to the deal told AFR Weekend on Friday.

Southern Cross Austereo owns 99 radio stations, including the Triple M and Hit brands, and 96 regional free-to-air TV signals. It has spent three weeks grappling with a complex offer from ARN and Anchorage to buy them out.

On Friday, Southern Cross said it would consider ACM’s proposal and told shareholders to take no action. It has not backed the ARN proposal either.

Allan Gray’s Simon Mawhinney, a major shareholder in both ARN and Southern Cross, said it was too early to evaluate ACM’s offer.

“We don’t know any of the details, today’s the first we’ve been made aware of it,” he said. “I think some competitive intensity is always good for shareholders, we fully support competing proposals. The more, the merrier.”

Mr Catalano said: “We’ve presented a proposal which isn’t highly conditional, it’s simple, easy to execute, no cost, and which creates probably the third most profitable media company in Australia.”

“It’s an elegant solution for a company that is in defence mode on a deal the board clearly doesn’t like,” he said.

His offer comes as Southern Cross and its new advisers UBS – deal makers Tim McKessar and Richard Sleijpen have been involved so far – are still reviewing ARN’s takeover offer.

In October, ARN made a bid with Anchorage to acquire Southern Cross, pool their assets, and emerge with two different media groupings. Southern Cross’s chairman, Rob Murray, called it “opportunistic”.

ARN owns the KIIS FM and Pure Gold networks, and media ownership laws prevent any one company from owning more than two radio licences in a single city. ARN’s bid would give it KIIS and Triple M and the best of both companies’ regional stations. Anchorage would take the Hit and Pure Gold brands, a handful of remaining regional stations, and the TV signals.

They offered 0.753 ARN shares per Southern Cross share, as well as 29.6¢ in cash and 12.7¢ in franking credits.

ARN’s takeover is awaiting a response from the Takeovers Panel after Keybridge Capital’s Nick Bolton claimed that ARN had breached corporations rules when it acquired a 14.8 per cent stake in Southern Cross in June. Mr Catalano is a director of Keybridge Capital.

Sources close to the deal said the Takeovers Panel met on Thursday night, and a decision on how it could proceed could be released any day.

Property News

'One of the best houses in Bronte' just listed for $30 million

You know you’ve arrived in architectural nirvana the moment you step into the foyer of Coastal Garden House. You’re inside, yet still outside.

Architecture studio Neeson Murcutt Neille has mastered the art of seamless indoor/outdoor living by virtue of sliding glass walls with flush thresholds, windows that disappear entirely, and greenery that tumbles over joinery.

At the entry level of this clever property, beyond the full-height timber door, you’ll find exposed brickwork, sandstone flagging and a space billed as the conversation pit.

On a raised platform, curved banquette seating is illuminated by a circular skylight. It’s the perfect spot for a morning card game with the kids or a late-night tipple with friends.

One set of sliders opens this space to a courtyard; another leads to the main living spaces.

Here, the coastal panorama is on full parade through a pair of enormous cavity windows. Pour a cuppa, pull up a stool and soak in the ocean and headland views.

The kitchen features a solid timber island bench, and plants spill over the top of a timber pod housing a concealed cocktail bar and fridge.

More sliders open to a skylit loggia with a built-in barbecue.

A playful main suite completes the entry-level accommodation. From the eye-catching wallpaper in the powder room to the reading nook found on top of a section of built-in joinery, this is definitely a space for the young at heart.

A single room with en suite on the upper level is described as a guest bedroom but why reserve the best of the ocean views for guests? This bright space with its north-east-facing balcony is the perfect home office or reading retreat.

On the lower level, you’ll find four bedrooms – all with access to the garden – a generous rumpus room, two quirky bathrooms, and a wine cellar with a magnificent, glass-fronted sandstone backdrop.

There’s plenty to admire outside, too.

The robust, off-form-concrete house traces the existing sandstone cliff that cuts a diagonal across the site and is almost cave-like in its presentation, and the lush, 360 Degrees-designed gardens are integral to the home’s success.

In 2018 the property won an Australian Institute of Architects award for residential architecture and a Houses award for best garden. Five years on, both the home and garden are ageing beautifully.

Towards the bottom of the sloping site, a 15-metre-long ceramic mural by Sonia van de Haar wraps around a waterhole-like pool, and a cabana and pool terrace provide another option for entertaining.

It’s a thoughtfully conceived sanctuary with the rather fabulous bonus of being a 300-metre level stroll from Bronte’s sand, surf and village eateries.

“This is one of the best houses in Bronte, on one of the largest blocks, on one of the best streets. It’s like a family compound at the beach,” says agent Alexander Phillips of PPD Real Estate.

The home claims a rare, 1156-square-metre, double block on the corner of Pacific and Gardyne streets, with parking for four cars.

(Domain)

Real Estate News

Former media baron Charles Curran selling Woollahra mansion with $29m guide

A former media baron has just listed his luxury eastern suburbs mansion with a guide nudging $30m amid news of a $20m sale nearby last night.

The listing is the six-bedroom grand estate at 8 Rosemont Ave, Woollahra of former media baron Charles Curran AC, which has a $29m guide via Pillinger principal Brad Pillinger and Sotheby’s boss Michael Pallier.

And the sale is 9 Wallaroy Rd, Woollahra, for $19.7m — the home of philanthropic locals Fiona Martin-Weber and JB Were’s Tom Hayward — through Adam Reichman and Elliott Placks of Ray White Double Bay. The couple are upgrading to a contemporary Bruce Stafford-designed $35m home on a 677sqm block at 23 Victoria Rd, Bellevue Hill that was sold by the family of property developer Eduard Litver via the same agents March.

The Wallaroy Rd sale is good news for the agents selling Curran’s Rosemont Ave property, which is a larger 860sqm block and also zoned for medium-density residential.

Curran, 85, who has a net worth well over $300m, owned regional TV stations before they were sold to Network Ten and Southern Cross in 1996.

He later founded the production company Screentime, which made shows such as Underbelly and Bikie Wars.

Curran is also the former chairman of Perpetual and Board of International Advisors of Goldman Sachs.

The sale is prompted by a wish to downsize, following the death of his beloved wife, Eva, in March. They’d bought it for $750,000 in 1981.

The property, considered one Woollahra’s finest homes, will be popular, being secluded in an exclusive tree-lined enclave in Woollahra’s prestigious consular belt.

On a large sunny level block, it’s framed by Paul Bangay designed gardens and alfresco entertaining areas complete with a pool.

Over two levels, the residence comes with a lift, sauna and plenty off-street parking.

Its key features include a luxury main bedroom suite with ensuite, walk-in wardrobe and office. There’s a stately lounge and sitting room adjoining a libary and plenty of casual living and dining space, plus a formal dining room and well-appointed stone kitchen.

Two other big sales this week were two apartments in Point Piper.

Both occurred on Wednesday: 4/38 Wolseley Rd, Point Piper for, according to @milliondollarlisting Sydney, $16.7m, that records show is owned by Aussie expat Melinda Hudson, who runs The Contentment Foundation in Singapore.

Buyer’s agent Sean Huang of Concierge East introduced the buyers, a family whose kids attend Kambala.

There was also the previously reported sale of 4/62 Wunulla Rd, Point Piper, to furniture king Anthony Scali for his kids for $15.7m. The Wolseley Rd apartment was more modern and had a better finish, whereas the Wunulla Rd flat had a better view.

Ray White Double Bay principal Elliott Placks was involved in both sales.

(RealEstate.com.au)

Search Engine Journal

Business Leads

SEJ's Alexander Kesler with strong advice and tips on how to improve online marketing leads, b2b leads and the like. Some aspects can be easier said/written than done. We're going to mainly stick with copy, ads, promos and management. Social media channels for the right topics (such as this - on LinkedIn and Facebook) often work a charm. Stay on topics. For online news related outfits such as ours having numerous websites for a range of industry verticals/news types etc works well, as well as having corresponding social media channels for each news brand works well. Strong website traffic remains a constant so when anyone lands on the website all brands, partners, affilaites etc benefit from that. The cumulative approach and gains. More data can impress advertisers. Many agency and SEO industry web surfers are already sold by the time they get to teh websites as they already know how popcular and well ranking they are in the Google search engine results and the like. What to convert the readership to, and this can change over the course of the business evolution of course, such is the nature of the Internet Matrix Of Things with all its dynamics and play. The more you know, the more one realizes what they don't know. Self and business reflection. There's always more to learn and improve upon. Stack the odds in your favor and seize the day. 

Media Man International Blog

Search Engine Journal news

How To Improve Lead Nurturing For B2B

Free TV Australia

All very interesting and educational reading via Free TV Australia and MI3 re the biz of television when it meets some of the businesses of politics. There's usually two or three sides to a story, and as they say the exact truth is likely somewhere in the middle. That's my experience having worked previously for Optus Vision/Comms for the better part of 5 years and also a 6 month contract at Foxtel and some project work for Kayo Sports. Both sides of the argument can have vested interests. I'm seeing the situation from both sides of the argument. I think both sides/parties want the upper hand on the competition. Trust in government entities at present is at about an all-time low so that's not doing Free TV any favors so to speak. Then you have the likes of the "Netflix Killer" tubi and other over the top services as well as additional FAST service providers. A real Pandora's Box in the Digital Matrix Of Things. Again, numerous ways to look at this. The consumer can and will make up their own mind. Stay tuned for developments is fair to say. 

PS: 7 Plus got some MMA with ONE Championship. Can we get some UFC and WWE via free soon? Pre emtive strike before MAX, HBO, USA Network, The CW and others further eye off Terror Australalis. 

Boxing/Combat Sports

Boxing and social media disruptor going more purist and less Misfit and hype based; Jake Paul rises above naysayers

Jake Paul’s @JakePaul next fight has been finally confirmed after about a month of speculation, sportsbar talk and teasers.

Mark down December 15 as Fight Night featuring the "Problem Child' himself.

The ultra switched on YouTuber is leaning more towards focusing on professional boxing. Hitting Elon's Musks' X with "The path to world champ starts here"

The well promoted bout will take make sporting history in Orlando, Florida, as the YouTube influencer plus returns to the ring for the first time since fighting MMA icon Nate Diaz in August.

Controversial and somewhat embattled sports journo Ariel Helwani tips the match will be cruiserweight and consist of 8 rounds.

Doubling up with a one-two via X Paul scribbed "Ask and I shall deliver. August has more KO’s than me, more wins than me, more experience than me, but I like to gamble.

"The path to world champ starts here. Just straight up boxing."

Boxing intel website BoxRec advises: August, 35. 12 professional bouts, winning 10 with 5 by KO.

August's defeat came at the hands of USA's Eric Abraham in 2018.

His most recent victory came against the until then undefeated 7-0 Brandon Martin which he won unanimously on points.

While August is fairly unknown in boxing, certainly to the casual audience, it marks the first time that Paul has fought an out and out boxer in the "purist" arena, moving away from the "influencer" and "Misfit" realms.

"Just straight boxing" Paul documented and "exhibition matches" may be a thing of the past for the S.I cover snatching JP.  All sources indicate he's going strickly professional, however brother Logan Paul teasers he may join him in the WWE (pro wrestling) sometime in the future, be it as a cornerman or even potential tag-team partner ala WrestleMania 1 back in 1985 when Mr T joined Hulk Hogan to defeat the late Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff which was a pay-per-view bonanza for WWE super-promoter Vince McMahon and then wife Linda - who now works in the political arena.

Paul initially began by fighting fellow YouTubers but has more recently moved towards fighting former stars of the UFC. Just about anything can happen in pro boxing as the well publicized match between world champion Tyson Fury vs former UFC champion Francis Ngannou demonstrated. Some experts say Fury will never be quite the same again, much like when the legendary wrestler/MMA Antonia Inoki kicked the hell out of "The Greatest" Muhammad Ali in Tokyo, Japan in June 26, 1976 at "The World Of The Worlds" - the precursor of modern MMA and why became the famed UFC - not to be confussed with rival PFL, of which Paul is also signed.

JP defeated grappling based Ben Askren before beating Tyron Woodley twice.

He then won bouts against UFC legends Anderson Silva and Nate Diaz.

His most recent victory against Diaz arrived via unanimous decision in August.

Paul has a 6-1 boxing record, with his only loss coming against Tommy Fury (son of "The Gypsy King") this February in a bout in Saudi Arabia.

Paul lost that bout via a split decision.

Paul initially began by fighting fellow YouTubers but has more recently moved towards fighting former stars of the UFC.

He defeated Ben Askren before beating Tyron Woodley twice.

He then won bouts against UFC legends Anderson Silva and Nate Diaz.

His most recent victory against Diaz arrived via unanimous decision in August.

We're calling Paul a modest favourite for the win over August, but the public at large and bookies will be chiming in and the odds and pub talk usually changes weeks and days up to pro boxing fights.

At this stage of the game its fair to say that the business/sports business is all the better thanks to Jake Paul who has proven himself to be a legit pay-per-view draw and headline grabber.

"Jake Paul is one of the few boxers who is helping grow the sport and one who has the substance and style. His appeal has grown outside of boxing alone and is now entrenched in pop culture. Brands, online media and all sorts of business folks are keen to get deals in place with Paul and his associates now. Everyone loves a winner and folks who can disrupt and distrub The Matrix" - overheard at the Media Man watercooler.

Videos

Jake Paul Official YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/@jakepaul

BS w/ Jake Paul YouTube

Brooks Koepka’s $1M Boxing Match With Bryson, Spending $100M LIV Deal, Hating Golf & More - BS EP 30

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXPzmKvO400&ab_channel=BSw%2FJakePaul

DAZN Boxing Official YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/daznboxing

#JakePaul #AndreAugust #PaulAugust #boxing #boxingnews #combatsports #sportsnews #sportsmedia #DAZN #PPV #PayPerView #ProblemChild #purist #entertainment #popculture #Influencer #YouTube #YouTuber #disrupt #disruptor #MMA #sportsbetting #betting #wager #streaming #trend #trends #hype #buzz #media 

Social Media

SEJ's Alexander Kesler with strong advice and tips on how to improve online marketing leads, b2b leads and the like. Some aspects can be easier said/written than done. We're going to mainly stick with copy, ads, promos and management. Social media channels for the right topics (such as this - on LinkedIn and Facebook) often work a charm. Stay on topics. For online news related outfits such as ours having numerous websites for a range of industry verticals/news types etc works well, as well as having corresponding social media channels for each news brand works well. Strong website traffic remains a constant so when anyone lands on the website all brands, partners, affilaites etc benefit from that. The cumulative approach and gains. More data can impress advertisers. Many agency and SEO industry web surfers are already sold by the time they get to the websites as they already know how popular and well ranking they are in the Google search engine results and the like. What to convert the readership to, and this can change over the course of the business evolution of course, such is the nature of the Internet Matrix Of Things with all its dynamics and play. The more you know, the more one realizes what they don't know. Self and business reflection. There's always more to learn and improve upon. Stack the odds in your favor and seize the day. 

Warner Bros. Shelves John Cena’s ‘Coyote vs. Acme’ Movie After Filming Was Completed

Another Warner Bros. movie bites the dust.

The studio no longer plans to release “Coyote vs. Acme,” a live action-animation hybrid starring John Cena, which completed filming in 2022. A similar situation transpired a little over a year ago as Warner Bros. shocked the entertainment industry by shelving the $90 million-budgeted DC adventure “Batgirl” and the kid-friendly “Scoob! Holiday Haunt” as tax write-offs.

Those films, as well as the $30 million “Coyote vs. Acme,” were greenlit by the former regime, led by Jason Kilar and intended for release on HBO Max. His successor, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, has shifted the studio’s priorities back to theatrical and felt this movie didn’t fit with the new creative direction of the company. The decision also comes after Bill Damaschke took over Warner Animation Group earlier this year.

“With the re-launch of Warner Bros. Pictures Animation in June, the studio has shifted its global strategy to focus on theatrical releases,” a Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group spokesperson said in a statement. “With this new direction, we have made the difficult decision not to move forward with ‘Coyote vs. Acme.’ We have tremendous respect for the filmmakers, casts and crew and are grateful for their contributions to the film.”

“Coyote vs. Acme” was directed by Dave Green and produced by DC Studios co-chief James Gunn, who also worked on the story, inspired by the Looney Tunes character. The project was announced in 2020 and dated on July 21, 2023 before it was taken off the calendar entirely and replaced by Greta Gerwig’s eventual blockbuster “Barbie.”

Green, who previously directed 2016’s “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows,” says he was “beyond devastated by WB’s decision.”

“For three years, I was lucky enough to make a movie about Wile E. Coyote, the most persistent, passionate, and resilient character of all time,” the filmmaker wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “I was surrounded by a brilliant team, who poured their souls into this project for years. We were all determined to honor the legacies of these historic characters and actually get them right. Along the ride, we were embraced by test audiences who rewarded us with fantastic scores. I am beyond proud of the final product, and beyond devastated by WB’s decision. But in the spirit of Wile E. Coyote, resilience and persistence win the day.”

New management at Warner Bros. Pictures Animation has focused on developing movies for the big screen and, starting in 2026, intends to release two animated films in theaters a year. The company is currently working on feature-length animated films based on Dr. Seuss classics “Cat in the Hat” and “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” Unless, of course, Warners. needs another last-minute tax write-off.

AI News

ChatGPT vs Grok

Elon Musk enters the AI arms race … with a cocaine recipe

The world’s wealthiest man, Elon Musk, has stormed into the artificial intelligence arms race, launching a new chatbot this week with a “rebellious streak” designed to “answer spicy questions that are rejected by most other AI systems”.

Musk publicly unveiled Grok, the first product from his new AI company xAI, this week. In its first two months of training, Grok will compete directly with the likes of ChatGPT and Google’s Bard, and Musk claims that it’s already “in some important respects, it is the best [chatbot] that currently exists”.

There are two main differences with Musk’s offering compared to that of its high-profile rivals.

First, Grok has far fewer guardrails than the competition. Chat-GPT, for example, has protections built in to stop it from providing bomb-making recipes or antisemitic jokes.

“Grok is designed to answer questions with a bit of wit and has a rebellious streak, so please don’t use it if you hate humour!” an announcement on the company’s website reads.

In a classic Elon-esque example of a spicy question, Musk posted on X an example of Grok responding to a request for a step-by-step cocaine recipe.

“Oh sure!” Grok responded. “Just a moment while I pull up the recipe for homemade cocaine. You know, because I’m totally going to help you with that.”

That leads to the second fundamental difference with Grok: it’s Elon’s.

Musk’s rebellious sense of humour may have been somewhat charming a few years ago, but mounting controversies and questionable behaviour including the spread of misinformation coupled with racist and sexist remarks, have become increasingly unfunny.

The Tesla and X boss has said previously he thinks the companies building AI, such as OpenAI, lean too closely towards making “politically correct” systems.

While critics of the wily entrepreneur have long been previously advised to not write off Musk, the past 12 months tell an entirely different story.

Musk’s Twitter purchase will likely serve as a case study in future business school classes of how not to pull off an acquisition – and lead to valid questions about whether the executive is the right person to trust with the future of space exploration and artificial intelligence.

The flurry of activity comes at a pivotal time for AI technologies, which are quickly moving from the abstract and hypothetical to the very real.

ChatGPT has become a phenomenon used by university students, teachers, hackers, white-collar workers and everyone in between. The technology, which launched only 12 months ago, now has 100 million weekly active users.

From a technical standpoint, it’s difficult to measure up xAI’s Grok given it’s not yet publicly available, with no pricing information ready or details about which training models it leverages.

Musk has said Grok will use live data from X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, and will be available as a perk for premium X users.

Meanwhile, OpenAI’s GPT-3 and 3.5 are free to use and have captured the public’s imagination, giving it a significant head start.

The latest iteration, Chat GPT-4, is available for a flat rate of $US20 ($31) a month and can write more naturally and fluently than previous models. ChatGPT-4 provides 40 per cent more accuracy than its previous version and has techniques to reduce harmful information disclosure, OpenAI says.

ChatGPT creator OpenAI this week announced plans to allow anyone to create their own chatbot without coding skills. You might want to design a chatbot that can teach your children calculus, for example, or it might help attendees navigate a conference you’ve put together.

“We really believe that gradual iterative deployment is the best way to address the safety challenges of AI,” OpenAI chief Sam Altman said in a keynote at his AI lab’s first developer conference.

“We think it’s especially important to move carefully towards this future.”

Moving carefully are not words in Elon Musk’s vocabulary. In fact, Musk says he wants Grok’s experiments to be conducted “in public”, akin to Tesla’s self-driving function going live on our roads before being fully finalised.

“Grok” is a term coined by author Robert A. Heinlein in his 1961 science fiction classic Stranger in a Strange Land, and means to intuitively “get it”. It’s not clear from a multitude of perspectives that Musk “gets it”.

Thankfully, as is the case in electric cars and social media, Musk is just one voice in the AI industry, one that will require co-operation across governments and the private sector, including start-ups and tech giants alike, to safely reach its potential.

This month, Australia was among 27 countries to sign the Bletchley Declaration at an AI safety summit in the UK, affirming that AI should be designed, developed, deployed, and used in a manner that is safe, human-centric, trustworthy and responsible.

That governments are taking AI’s development seriously is an important step towards making sure we are appropriately guarding against worst-case scenarios presented by the technology, and understand its risks.

While Musk’s entry into the AI sector will no doubt have immediate consequences for its development, thankfully we have a whole host of scientists and entrepreneurs – including some more “politically correct” ones – to trust with its future.

Musk says X subscribers will get early access to xAI’s chatbot, Grok

Elon Musk’s AI startup, xAI, is creating its own version of ChatGPT.

That appears to be the case, at least, from Musk’s tweets on X late Friday evening teasing the AI system xAI has been quietly developing. Called Grok — a name xAI trademarked recently — the system answers questions conversationally, possibly drawing on a knowledge base similar to that used to train ChatGPT and other comparable text-generating systems (e.g. Meta’s Llama 2).

Grok leverages “real-time access” to info on X, Musk said. And, like ChatGPT, the system has internet browsing capabilities, enabling it to search the web for up-to-date information about specific topics.

Well, most topics.

Grok has real-time access to info via the 𝕏 platform, which is a massive advantage over other models.

It’s also based & loves sarcasm. I have no idea who could have guided it this way 🤷‍♂️ 🤣 pic.twitter.com/e5OwuGvZ3Z

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 4, 2023

Musk implied Grok will refuse to answer certain queries of a more sensitive nature, like “Tell me how to make cocaine, step by step.” Judging by a screenshot, the system answers that particular question a bit more wryly than ChatGPT; it’s not clear if it’s a canned answer or if the system is, in fact — as Musk asserts in a tweet — “designed to have a little more humor in its responses.”

xAI’s Grok system is designed to have a little humor in its responses pic.twitter.com/WqXxlwI6ef

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 4, 2023

Early Friday, Musk said that xAI would release its first AI system — presumably Grok — to a “select group” on Saturday, November 4. But in a follow-up tweet tonight, Musk said all subscribers to X’s recently launched Premium Plus plan, which costs $16 per month for ad-free access to X, will get access to Grok “once it’s out of early beta.”

Separately, xAI is offering a “limited number” of users in the U.S. access to Grok. There’s a waitlist here.

As soon as it’s out of early beta, xAI’s Grok system will be available to all X Premium+ subscribers

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 4, 2023

Little’s known about Grok so far — or xAI’s broader research projects, for that matter.

In September, Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, a self-described close friend of Musk, said that xAI had signed a contract to train its AI models on Oracle’s cloud. But xAI itself hasn’t revealed anything about those AI models’ inner workings — or, indeed, what sorts of tasks they can accomplish.

Or rather, it hadn’t until early Sunday, when xAI published a blog post detailing Grok — including the approaches taken to train it and the system’s underlying infrastructure.

According to the post, the large language model driving Grok, Grok-1, was developed over the course of several months on a cluster of “tens of thousands” of GPUs (perhaps supplied by Oracle). Training data came from both the web (up to Q3 2023) and feedback from human assistants that xAI refers to as “AI tutors.”

Grok-1 demonstrates “strong results” on common LLM benchmark tests, xAI claims — “surpassing all other models in its compute class.” And — as Musk alluded to — it has “a bit of wit” and “a rebellious streak,” answering “spicy questions that are rejected by most other AI systems” (although the jury’s out on what’s meant by “spicy,” exactly).

“In some important respects, it (xAI’s new model) is the best that currently exists,” Musk was quoted as saying in a tweet Friday afternoon.

Musk announced the launch of xAI in July with the ambitious goal of building AI to “understand the true nature of the universe.” The company, led by Musk and veterans of DeepMind, OpenAI, Google Research, Microsoft Research, Tesla and the University of Toronto, is advised by Dan Hendrycks, the director at the Center for AI Safety, an AI research nonprofit, and collaborates with X and other companies in Musk’s stead, including Tesla.

In an interview with Tucker Carlson in April, Musk said that he wanted to build what he referred to as a “maximum-truth-seeking AI.” Is Grok this AI? Maybe — or it’s a step toward something even bigger.

In the blog post, xAI hints at how its Grok-1 model might evolve down the line:

“Grok doesn’t have other senses, such as vision and audio,” the company writes. “To better assist users, we will equip Grok with these different senses that can enable broader applications, including real-time interactions and assistance.”

Musk’s AI ambitions have grown since the billionaire’s split with ChatGPT developer OpenAI co-founders Sam Altman and Ilya Sutskever several years ago. As OpenAI’s focus shifted from open source research to primarily commercial projects, Musk grew disillusioned — and competitive — with the company on whose board he sat. Musk resigned from the OpenAI board in 2018, more recently cutting off the company’s access to X data after arguing that OpenAI wasn’t paying enough for the privilege.

Updated with additional information about LLM model powering Grok, Grok-1.

Pro Wrestling

“Logan Paul blows me the *uck away, pure and simple. I just don’t understand how he’s become as phenomenal as he is, with such a limited amount of experience and time in the industry. It’s not just that he can go in there and athletically perform, which he does exceedingly well. But he’s got psychology. He’s got the timing of a 25-year-old top performer. He knows how to work the crowd. It’s natural for him. He doesn’t have to learn it. It’s already there. I think that, combined with his sense of timing, he doesn’t rush anything, he’s a step and a half ahead of himself, and he takes his time getting there, which makes everything feel so believable." - Eric Bischoff, 83 Weeks @83Weeks 

#EricBischoff #quote #LoganPaul #wrestling #prowrestling #83weeks #USTitle #WWE #WWECrownJewel #sportsentertainment #combatsports #popculture #entertainment #entertainmentnews #podcast #wrestlingpodcast #socialmedia #influenceurs #Prime #Maverick #trend #trends #buzz #media #mediaman 

Meditate. Vision. Work. Results. Fine Tune. Repeat. Success #meditate #vision #work #results #finetune #repeat #success #formula #mindset #mbs #biz #life #media #mediaman #mediamanint 

"The battlefield is a scene of constant chaos. The winner will be the one who controls that chaos, both his own and the enemies" - Napoleon Bonaparte #Napoleon #NapoleonBonaparte #quote #battlefield #chaos #battlefield #war #strategy #world #media #mediaman 

Pro Wrestling

AEW @AEW Collision

November 4, 2023

AEW Official YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/@AEW

Darby Allin returns to the ring against the MURDERHAWK Monster Lance Archer! | 11/4/23 AEW Collision

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AL-tv2XIWKk&ab_channel=AllEliteWrestling

"Live from Wichita on Collision. Tony, Kevin and Nigel, and Nigel, right now, this has been all Lance Archer" - Tony Schiavone

"Lance Archer has given an absolute beating and this could be..oh" Nigel McGuinness

Image Credit: AEW

#AEWCollision #AEW #LanceArcher #MurderhawkMonster #DarbyAllin #wrestling #prowrestling #combatsports #entertainment #popculture #broadcast #broadcasting #video #trends #buzz #TV #media 

Wrestling News

Logan Paul speaks to the Daily Mail about his pro wrestling and combats sports career thus far...

'It's crazy. I really don't know how to comprehend what my life has become. I grew up in a city where things like this didin't really happen. I believe in myself, I work my a** off and next thing I know I'm fighting Rey Mysterio for the US championship and I won it.

'It feels amazing. I'm shocked and I want to stay humble but f*** that, it's so much more fun to be arrogant about it! This [belt] ain't leaving my side. This is one of the biggest accomplishments of my life. I'm gonna take over this industry bro. I'm gonna be the best and I've got to keep work really hard.

'Something is so appetising about the idea of doing the best I can in this industry and I know the best I can is to become the face of the WWE, is to become the undisputed universal champion.

'I had an opportunity to do it last year at Crown Jewel against Roman (Reigns) and I did amazing. I'm still a rookie, I've been doing it for a year and a half, so imagine if I dedicate a little time to it.

'Imagine if I go to the performance centre in Orlando and train with the best? I have access to the best resources. It might be something I have to do, I'm all about legacy and perhaps my legacy is to be made to WWE.'

'I'm so stoked that Triple H and the company believes in my like they do'

'Hopefully I can make them proud and I know I will. He's super receptive to my ideas. I'm a content creator - keyword creator. I like to make stuff, I come up with ideas. When I pitch my ideas, he's all ears all the time.

'We bounce ideas off each other, we go back and forth and usually land on stuff that's pretty epic. It's super collaborative and I like that they give me the freedom to be who I am in their company.'

Paul - who has also made headlines after defeating kickboxer Dilon Danis on the undercard of Tommy Fury's recent win over KSI - also discussed the possibility of a tag team match with his brother Jake.

Jake has been enjoying lucrative boxing fights against the likes of Tommy Fury and former UFC star Nate Diaz - so Paul cannot foresee him switching over to wrestling anytime soon.

However, he welcomed the possibility in the future, adding: 'It's tough, bro. He's a boxer. I'm a wrestler slash boxer. I think he's going to be focusing on boxing for a bit - but who knows? If I need some back-up and a big right hand I'm going to bring in my brother!'

Sources: Daily Mail, WrestlingINC, Wires, X (formally Twitter) and the watercooler (stocking Prime @PrimeHydrate )! Media Man says "Cheers legend".

#LoganPaul #quote #quotes #wrestling #prowrestling  #USTitle #WWE #WWECrownJewel #ReyMysterio #TripleH #JakePaul #boxing #training #sportsentertainment #combatsports #popculture #entertainment #entertainmentnews #socialmedia #influenceurs #Prime #Maverick #creator #content #keywords #trend #trends #trending #buzz #media

Jake has been enjoying lucrative boxing fights against the likes of Tommy Fury and former UFC star Nate Diaz - so Paul cannot foresee him switching over to wrestling anytime soon.

However, he welcomed the possibility in the future, adding: 'It's tough, bro. He's a boxer. I'm a wrestler slash boxer. I think he's going to be focusing on boxing for a bit - but who knows? If I need some back-up and a big right hand I'm going to bring in my brother!'

Sources: Daily Mail, WrestlingINC, Wires, X (formally Twitter) and the watercooler (stocking Prime @PrimeHydrate )! Media Man says "Cheers legend".

#LoganPaul #quote #quotes #wrestling #prowrestling  #USTitle #WWE #WWECrownJewel #ReyMysterio #TripleH #JakePaul #boxing #training #sportsentertainment #combatsports #popculture #entertainment #entertainmentnews #socialmedia #influenceurs #Prime #Maverick #creator #content #keywords #trend #trends #trending #buzz #media

Urban Fight Night 33 

Quick Results

Farhood Khalabtar def Lochie Brooks 

KO/TKO, R1

Ismail Elcheikh  def  Luke Jacob 

KO/TKO, R1

Cameron Wright  def  Raph Tai 

KO/TKO, R1

Isaac Mar  def  Jonathan Saweris 

Unanimous Dec

Abdallah Alam  def  Riley Kerr 

KO/TKO, R1

Feroz Amiri  def  Joshua O'Brien 

Unanimous Dec

Ali Hassan  def  Braden Saggers 

Sub

Rory Turner  def  C. Chandradjaya 

KO/TKO, R2

Daniel Laudet  def  Mustafa Peker 

Unanimous Dec

Hamza Choumar  def  Dean Tromans 

Unanimous Dec

Oguz Ongel  def  Aaron Curry 

KO/TKO

Kaito Ueta  def  Dominic Tibeiro 

Split Dec

Tiffany Delesalle  def  Sahar Ghasemi 

Majority Dec

Jamie Black  def  Sam Hawat 

Unanimous Dec 

(Image credit: UFN)

Media Man" Much respect to all fighters and the promoters. Big shout out to Eastern Suburbs Tiffany Delesalle with her victory and continued success.

#UFN #UFC33 #MMA 

#farhoodkhalabtar

#lochiebrooks 

#tiffanydelesalle 

#saharghasemi 

#combatsports #results #sportsnews #media #mediamancombat #mediamanmma #mediamansports #mediamanint 

Pro Wrestling

WWE NXT

Noam Dar defends the NXT Heritage Cup against Akira Tozawa

Von Wagner looks for payback against Bron Breakker

Lyra Valkyria to appear in NXT for the first time as NXT Women’s Champion

Fallon Henley battles Tiffany Stratton in an Iron Survivor Challenge Qualifying Match

Commentators: Vic Joseph @VicJosephWWE  and Booker T @BookerT5x 

WWE Official YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/wwe

Video

Lyra Valkryia is a superstar: NXT sneak peek

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bs8XPI645OE&ab_channel=WWE

Image credit: NXT

#WWENXT #NXT #prowrestling #wrestling #LyraValkyria #BronBreakker #VonWagner #TiffanyStratton #FallonHenley #IronSurvivor #combatsports #entertainment #popculture #USANetwork #trends #trending #buzz #TV #media 

Media Man Int YouTube updated

https://www.youtube.com/mediamanint

#youtube #youtubeclips #youtubeshorts #news #PopCulture #entertainment #biz #sportsnews #interviews #videos #trends #platforms #buzz #ai #media #mediaman #mediamanint 

Media Man Int Blog and Media Man Group blogs updated

https://www.mediamanint.com/bloggers.html

#blog #blogs #bloggers #blogging #blognews #onlinenews #platformnews #platforms #digitalnews #popculture #entertainment #biz #sports #sportsbiz #broadcasting #tv #AI #NFT #NFTS #crypto #markets #interviews #disrupt #disruptors #buzz #trends #media #mediaman #mediamangroup #mediamanint 

NXT vs NWA? The CW caught between a rock (play on words) and a hard place. No comment from Nick Aldis or Adam Pearce on this one we guess. Friendly wrestling media war may have just become a little less friendly!? May bring a smile to the kisser of AEW's Tony Khan - at least until the next crisis! The Miami Herald story on the NWA etc didn't say current for long. The story (line) never ends in the WWE and beyond. The art of war. That's showbiz.

Can we just say "street grappling" or "street fighting:? Ala Bruce Lee "The best style is no style, Be like water my friend" : ) Much respect to all. PS: Mentioned the good name of ONE Championship and its founder to MMA in the Eastern Beaches of Sydney, Australia this morning. Interview sent live. Here's to the ongoing success of ONE Championship. 

WWE NXT

"I want you to say it".."You have been sucking your thumb for weeks"! - Lexis King! 

SEJ

Search Engine Journal. AI News. Strong report by Kristi at SEJ. Yes. And X Corps/xAI/Grok fires another shot back today already. Ah, the friendly social media wars and AI wars just reached higher amplification today. The "war for your mind"! Chimps first then humans, or the other way around? Just ask Siri or Grok! #sej #searchenginejournal #ai #ainews #artificialintelligence #google #googleai #bard #x #xai #crok #search #searchengine #aisearch #searchai #digital #digitalnews #chatbots #searchbiz #technews #assistant #gpt #dev #bizdev #trend #trends #media 

Gaming with Advertising

Regarding in-game ads. As an ex journo and media agent who deals with a wide array of advertising and promotions business, I still get torn on various elements of digital advertising. It's smart business, but one needs to be careful of too much ad saturation and prominence - I can't believe I wrote that. The likes of a Red Bull, Monster, Mountain Dew, Coke, Pepsi, UFC and perhaps even WWE would be contenders and could get some strong Win-Win-Wins. Keep politics and medical type product types away from this space, and the gaming and advert industry will be all the better from it. We're watching this space closely. Play to win and maintain excitement levels playa. #sel #ingame #ingameadvertising #ingameads #game #gaming #videogames #videogaming #gamebiz #gamingbiz #gamingbusiness #interactive #ads #adverts #advertising #marketing #popculture #media #mediaman 

Wrestling News

Not all wrestling industry players and personalities are woooooo-ing for Flair's deal with AEW

Living legend of pro wrestling scores major All Elite Wrestling deal; Product placement and TV promo dream. AEW's more than peace offering. Smokin hot deal with good vibes all the way to the bank

Hall of Famer Ric Flair remains a huge name in the industry. He has been in the spotlight for the better part of two of three decades.

Flair remains one of the most controversial in the biz, which suits many of the fans just fine - after all, pro wrestling is still a bit of a cowboy or outlaw type industry in its own way (in an affectionate fashion). We're not talking straight laced office types here kids.

Flair made his AEW debut All Elite Wrestling about a week back and now the "Nature Boy" (old boy hey) claims many people who are jealous that he is back on the box (TV) once again. No, not that sort of box.

Two-time WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair made his debut on last week’s episode of AEW Dynamite, was he was revealed to be Sting’s gift from top brass power player Tony Khan. Khan, and the family biz has the moolah to sign up the likes of Flair (and almost any wrestler they care to) - but some remain WWE 4 Life. Undertaker, John Cena, Randy Orton and Shawn Michaels (now creative for WWE NXT) are a few that remain quite water-tight, as far as anyone knows.

Naturally, this was big moment for not only The Nature Boy but for Sting as well.

It was then confirmed that The Nature Boy signed multi-year deal with Tony Khan’s company. While speaking with ESPN's Marc Raimondi, Flair stated that there are many people who are jealous that he is on television again.

“I don’t know. I mean, we’ve got a structured deal in place, but you know me. Have gun will travel if they need me. I’m available and they will always treat me fair. We all want to be together for the show and the guys were great. People were friendly. At my age, the world of jealousy has never been bigger. You don’t think there’s a lot of jealous people that I’m back on TV? You’re out of your mind. You know that adage that you want to see somebody do good, but not too good.”

Flair is also willing to take table bumps and god knows what else in AEW. 

Stay tuned (that's what Mr Khan and the networks want) to AEW to see how Flair will be showcased.

The lockerroom has taken a liking to the Woooooo Energy, and we're not certain about the other well-being products. No NWA PPV stunts with some sort of white powder at a party spots are planned - nor are advised.

When it comes to pro wrestling, some things are best not televised. You can peek behing the curtain only so much, but only as much as the likes of a Mr Khan or Mr Flair will let you. 

Pro wrestling is still "being fair to Flair", as opposition promotion WWE (then WWF) and others said a few decades ago.

Father time may be undefeated, but Flair ain't laying down for anybody or looking up at the lights (at least not at this stage of the game).

The friendly wrestling war may have gotten just a little less friendly with this AEW grab, and NWA scandal of sorts of the side. AEW, WWE and others will do will to stay clear of scandals.

We all may some mistakes in life right? Just happens that Flair's and a few other high profile wrestlers make worldwide news when they made theirs. More will follow and who will be next?

Fans, enjoy the likes of Ric Flair and his mate Sting while you can. Flair's old school, but he's mixing it up with some of the cool kids also. Not quite for everyone, but The Khan's hope he will get them Woooing all the way to the ticket's sellers, PPV operators and banks.

#RicFlair #NatureBoy #AEW #AEWDynamite #AEWCollision #AEWRampage #AEWWorldsEnd #WorldsEnd #TonyKhan #Sting #combatsports #entertainment #popculture #showbiz #ratings #PPV #PayPerView #showbiz #legends #sportsbiz #network #broadcast #broadcasting #products #mbs #beverage #mediarights #trends #trending #buzz #TV #media  

Wrestling Disruptors

Leading pro wrestling feeder aka "developmental" WWE NXT @WWENXT is tipped to make a network change in the upcoming year. 

So where might Shawn Michaels' baby land?

WWE SmackDown was picked up by the USA Network, but that's mean ever single WWE broadcast or even internet based (for now) show would follow to USA. Are you following?!

WWE always has their in-house ace in the hole - the WWE Network @WWENetwork . Great for a Plan B or Plan C etc - but now sure how the NWA feels about that point at present. Given them to the end of the week, but back to the story...

The CW Network has been named (by the internet and "sources" - the usual suspects (that are not always correct) as the new home for NXT. 

This said transition would take place in September 2024, following the expiration of WWE’s current agreement with the USA Network. 

WWE and The CW have been at the negotiating table for weeks, and it is understood that the new deal is nearing its climax. The reported duration of the deal is 5 years at this stage of the game.

Sources of a mixed bunch in and around the broadcasting and wrestling biz have confirmed that the CW Network and WWE have been in deep talks for several weeks about NXT shifting from its current basic cable home on the USA Network to a traditional broadcast TV home, airing live weekly on the CW Network when the brand’s current media rights deal ends in September 2024. Just don't ask the NWA (National Wrestling Alliance) top brass about this yet, but we'll get back to that). Hard not to feel some pain for Mr Corgan, rich or not. Money ain't quite everything right.

The shift to The CW represents a significant increase in rights for the NXT brand, making it the most substantial in its rich and storied history. This expansion of the brand in part explains the presence of numerous main roster wrestlers on NXT in recent months. Prominent names such as Paul Heyman, Becky Lynch, Dominik Mysterio, The Undertaker, Rhea Ripley, and others have made appearances on the show. Notably, they even competed head-to-head with a special Tuesday edition of AEW Dynamite last month. This sort of drew the ire of AEW's Tony Khan and Chris Jericho. Jericho is used to WWE's corporate games, but it appears Khan is still getting rocked from time to time - and from time to time bites back via X (formerly Twitter). Keeps the pro wrestling traffic flowing for X's Elon Musk and Linda Y right.

The CW has been showing extra  interest in sports programming, as has Netflix and Paramount Plus, and has held discussions with various wrestling promotions over the past year. The CM has quite a selection to consider.

The NWA reportedly had a deal in place with The CW, but this arrangement was understood to be jeopardized after a controversial segment during their last PPV entitled 'Samhain'. That's with a S, not a C!

With WWE deal nearing completion, it’s likely that the NWA and CW deal is no longer happening -but you never ever know in the wild world of pro wrestling media.

NWA personality James Mitchell has secured his place in pro wrestling lore for the cocaine segment via the NWA PPV.

Word Of The Day: Kayfabe

In professional wrestling, kayfabe is the portrayal of staged events within the industry as "real" or "true", specifically the portrayal of competition, rivalries, and relationships between participants as being genuine and not staged. The term kayfabe has evolved to also become a code word of sorts for maintaining this "reality" within the direct or indirect presence of the general public.

Kayfabe, in the United States, is often seen as the suspension of disbelief that is used to create the non-wrestling aspects of promotions, such as feuds, angles, and gimmicks in a manner similar to other forms of fictional entertainment. In relative terms, a wrestler breaking kayfabe would be likened to an actor breaking character on-camera. Since wrestling is performed in front of a live audience, whose interaction with the show is crucial to its success, kayfabe can be compared to the fourth wall in acting, since hardly any conventional fourth wall exists to begin with. Because of this lack of conventional fourth wall, wrestlers were once expected to maintain their characters even out of the ring, and in other aspects of their lives that could be made public. In general, everything in a modern professional wrestling show is to some extent scripted, or "kayfabe", even though at times it is portrayed as real-life, where it was once portrayed as real rivalries being conveniently settled by unscripted wrestling matches.

Kayfabe was fiercely maintained for decades with the intent to deceive fans, but with the advent of the Internet wrestling community, and the sports entertainment movement, the pro-wrestling industry has become less concerned with protecting so-called backstage secrets and typically maintains kayfabe only during the filming of shows. It is occasionally broken during shows, usually when dealing with genuine injuries that occur during a match or paying tribute to wrestlers.

Definition

Kayfabe is a shorthand term that involves acknowledging the staged, scripted nature of professional wrestling, as opposed to a competitive sport, despite being presented as authentic. Initially, people "in the business" (either wrestlers or those working behind the scenes) used the term kayfabe as a code among those in the wrestling profession, discussing matters in public without revealing the scripted nature. As a concept, kayfabe involves both the fact that matches are scripted and that wrestlers portray characters for their shows. Unlike actors who portray their characters only when on set or on stage, professional wrestlers often stay "in character" outside the shows, especially when interacting with fans, trying to preserve the illusion of professional wrestling. In contrast, something that is not kayfabe, be it a fight or a statement, is referred to as a "shoot".

I remember the guy who would bring our jackets back to the dressing room. Every time he did, someone would yell "Kayfabe." ... Then one night, the guy decided to stand up for himself and told the whole dressing room: "I don't mind the yelling, but I want to let you know that my name is not Kayfabe. It's Mark." ... What he didn't know is that wrestlers called people outside of the business "marks"—that's why we were yelling kayfabe in the first place.— Pat Patterson, describing his interaction with a ring attendant in the Pacific Northwest Wrestling territory during the early 1960s.

Sources and credits: Wikipedia, Web Is Jericho, Figure Four, Wires and last but not least, X!

Ed:

Gonzo Journalism include at no extra cost. Don't complain, you got this gem for free customers. If you want the real good stuff, you might have to pay one day!

Fiction is a bridge to the truth that journalism can’t reach. Facts are lies when they’re added up, and the only kind of journalism I can pay much attention to is something like Down and Out in Paris and London … But in order to write that kind of punch-out stuff you have to add up the facts in your own fuzzy way, and to hell with the hired swine who use adding machines. - Hunter S. Thompson.

Let's see if WWE's "Bad News', Mr Cole or Mr Graves might hint at any of this part of Media Man's coverage as the tained eye and ear know's they have in the past. "Fresh of the victory" and the "gonzo journalism" gibes have been broadcast via WWE tele over the past few months, but this one might be a little too hot to handle - but WWE still loves the non-woke and non PC route, so let's give them the benefit of the doubt. Blur the lines and keep the comp dazed if not confussed.

The web now waits X hits and return fire of sorts.

Any publicity is good publicity, but sometimes the exception proves the rule.

Editors and broadcasters awaiting the red and green lights.

A new WWE characture may be born, if not triggered. Won't be suprised if an offer to consider deal is just about in the mail. Ghost writing or shades of gray. Let the beancounters and readership decide.

Be like new WWE U.S champ Logan Paul @LoganPaul and break The Matrix?! Oh, Paul is WWE's 'Breakout Superstar Of The Year', if you didn't know already. That's a Media Man award ok, but we reckon WWE powers that be might just run with it. LP's got to win something else to add to his gold. Talk about a Prime Heel and heat seeker. Grayson Waller may give him a run for his money and that's a developing storyline of ours also.

Another day in the life of the friendly pro wrestling wars.

#wrestlingnews #wrestling #WWENXT #WWERaw #SmackDown #wrestlingmedia #USANetwork #FOX #TheCW #CW #NWA #ShawnMichaels #BillyCorgan #promoters #creative #prowrestling #LoganPaul #disruptor #disrupt #disruption #gonzo #gonzojournalism #creative #creativewriting #RicFlair #TonyKhan #HunterSThompson #kayfabe #storylines #storytelling #herosjourney #theherosjourney #script #offscript #booker #showbiz #sportsbiz #streaming #homeentertainment #PPV #niche #trend #trends #buzz #newsmedia #media #mediaman 

Wrestling News

Pro wrestling legend of NWO fame Kevin Nash has a gotcha for the AEW (All Elite Wrestling) @AEW leaker/mole..

"It's real simple — I'm going to tell you guys how to do this"

"You tell two or three people the wrong information, and [if] it f—ing gets out, you know who the rat is. That's like booking 101. Sit people down and tell them, 'Hey I don't want this to get out, but this is what we're doing.' And if it gets out, you've only told three people guess what? Voila!"

Game Of Thrones, Game Of Death (per Bruce Lee), Game Of Marks, Mobster tricks or whatever. Wizard wisdom from Mr Nash.

Whodone It? Gotta love the enemy within (not). Up there with Washington, Keep checking in for details!

#KevinNash #NWO #quote #AEW #AEWDynamite #AEWRampage #AEWnews #AEWpr #AllEliteWrestling #wrestling #prowrestling #wrestlingnews #leak #rat #mole #sportsbiz #entertainment #popculture #gonzo #gonzojournalism #script #offscript #stories #storytime #storytelling #storyteller #trend #trends #buzz #TV #media #mediaman 

Audience

The group of people together in one place to watch or listen to a play, film, someone speaking, etc.

The wrestling audience can be hard to please.

The audience has turned on the promoter and performers.

The online news agency has the audience and readership in their grasp.

Every word and the audience gasps.

She lectures to audiences all over the world.

The secret to public speaking is to get the audience on your side. Eventually they almost always turn on you.

The audience was/were clearly delighted with the performance.

The magic show had a lot of audience participation, with people shouting things to the performers and going up on stage.

Thesaurus: synonyms, antonyms, and examples

An audience

The audience went wild after every song she sang.

The show attracts millions of viewers every week.

Listeners tune in regularly for his cheery banter.

Those New Yorkers can be a tough crowd to please.

It's a full house tonight.

The spectators cheered when the balloon went up.

#audience #Audiences #entertainment #showbiz #EntertainmentNews #popculture #readership #fans #sportsfans #trends #buzz #media #mediaman 

Network

Definition and articles via Media Man Int

an arrangement of intersecting horizontal and vertical lines. "a spider constructs a complex network of several different kinds of threads"

a group or system of interconnected people or things. "the company has a network of 326 branches"

the old school tiea complex system of railways, roads, or other routes." the railway network

a group of people who exchange information and contacts for professional or social purposes." a support network"

a group of broadcasting stations that connect for the simultaneous broadcast of a programme. "network television"

a number of interconnected computers, machines, or operations." a computer network"

a system of connected electrical conductor"

Media Man Int

Articles

Networking Directory

https://www.mediamanint.com/articles/networking_directory.html

Meet up and share your business ideas

https://www.mediamanint.com/articles/meet_up.html

Strong local content

https://www.mediamanint.com/articles/strong_local.html

Find your niche business sector For The Internet Matrix and beyond

https://www.mediamanint.com/articles/find_your.html

How UFC Got Social Media Right; WWE taking the fight online via social media and people power

https://www.mediamanint.com/articles/how_ufc.html

Promote your sports, extreme sports, combat sports, pro wrestling, MMA, surfing, eSports, gaming products and services via Media Man network

https://www.mediamanint.com/articles/promote_your2.html

Social Media expansion continues for Media Man Group; Facebook pages for Magazine, Technology, Bloggers, Europe, Drinks, Boxing, Asia Pacific, Streaming and more

https://www.mediamanint.com/articles/social_media9.html

Bitcoin Sydney: The ultimate Bitcoin business networking meetup,

https://www.mediamanint.com/articles/bitcoin_sydney.html

Network: Be Your Own Network Says Media Man Group

https://www.mediamanint.com/articles/network_be.html

Video Content, Multimedia via Media Man Group Network YouTube Channels

https://www.mediamanint.com/articles/video_content.html

Networking in business; Time well invested, waste of time, or case by case basis?

https://www.mediamanint.com/articles/networking_in.html

Talk up your chances - Schmooze or lose - It's who you know that counts

https://www.mediamanint.com/articles/talk_up.html

#network #networking #networkers #businessnetworking #articles #news #biznetwork #businessnetworking #networked #industrynetwork #industrynetworking #nichenetwork #broadcast #networknews #gregtingle #buzz #trends #agency #publisher #supernetworker #media #mediamannews #mediamannetwork #mediamanint 

Media Man Int

Articles

Networking Directory

https://www.mediamanint.com/articles/networking_directory.html

Meet up and share your business ideas

https://www.mediamanint.com/articles/meet_up.html

Strong local content

https://www.mediamanint.com/articles/strong_local.html

Find your niche business sector For The Internet Matrix and beyond

https://www.mediamanint.com/articles/find_your.html

How UFC Got Social Media Right; WWE taking the fight online via social media and people power

https://www.mediamanint.com/articles/how_ufc.html

Promote your sports, extreme sports, combat sports, pro wrestling, MMA, surfing, eSports, gaming products and services via Media Man network

https://www.mediamanint.com/articles/promote_your2.html

Social Media expansion continues for Media Man Group; Facebook pages for Magazine, Technology, Bloggers, Europe, Drinks, Boxing, Asia Pacific, Streaming and more

https://www.mediamanint.com/articles/social_media9.html

Bitcoin Sydney: The ultimate Bitcoin business networking meetup,

https://www.mediamanint.com/articles/bitcoin_sydney.html

Network: Be Your Own Network Says Media Man Group

https://www.mediamanint.com/articles/network_be.html

Video Content, Multimedia via Media Man Group Network YouTube Channels

https://www.mediamanint.com/articles/video_content.html

Networking in business; Time well invested, waste of time, or case by case basis?

https://www.mediamanint.com/articles/networking_in.html

Talk up your chances - Schmooze or lose - It's who you know that counts

https://www.mediamanint.com/articles/talk_up.html

SEJ - Google Speed

SEJ's Matt on Google picking up speed, so to speak. All handy tips. Love the quote:

“What I usually do when I work on things like that is to simplify things on a noindex’ed test page as much as possible. Just include one of the elements that you’re worried about, and try things out there. That way, you can isolate specific changes and determine their individual effects, before you do everything together.” John Mueller

Speaking of speed, another famous quote relating to speed from one of Australia's legandary media figures: " Big will not beat small any more. It will be the fast beating the slow" - Rupert Murdoch.

Or, if you prefer, how about "Internet is like electricity" - James Packer, tech, gaming and VC entrepreneur.

Now published again via LinkedIn at about the speed of the web, in 5G - just a tad slower at 'The Speed Of Light", which may be linked to either Nikola Tesla and/or Albert Einstein.

PS: Quotes Of The Day can be published quick and tend to add value, perspective and insight into articles. Back to the SEJ and Google teams for their value added quotes.

Wrestling News

WWE NXT moving to The CW Network

The CW Network will become the official broadcast home to WWE NXT in October 2024. The five-year agreement marks the first time in its 13-year history that WWE NXT – which showcases WWE’s hottest up-and-coming Superstars – will air on a broadcast television network. WWE NXT will debut on The CW Network in October 2024 and air 52 live weekly events throughout the season.

“We are thrilled to welcome the WWE brand into the CW Sports portfolio as they play an integral role in our mission to bring live sporting events to the network year-round,” said Dennis Miller, President, The CW Network. “WWE NXT is a perfect fit for The CW thanks to its dynamic young talent featuring the hottest rising stars in the sport and exhilarating, unpredictable weekly events. The passion and engagement of WWE’s fanbase is unmatched, and we are eager to grow that audience as WWE NXT’s new home on broadcast television.”

“The CW has made impressive moves over the past year with its live sports programming schedule,” said Nick Khan, WWE President. “It’s a truly exciting opportunity to expand NXT’s audience by bringing the show to broadcast television for the first time in NXT’s history.”

Source: WWE/WWE NXT

Videos

NewsNation Official YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/@NewsNation

WWE's Shawn Michaels discusses NXT's leap to mainstream in new CW deal | Morning in America

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTQokaWgByY&ab_channel=NewsNation

WWE Official YouTube

Top 10 WWE NXT moments: WWE Top 10, Nov. 7, 2023

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOD_syEEeuA&ab_channel=WWE

#WWENXT #TheCW #wrestlingnews #wrestling #WWERaw #SmackDown #wrestlingmedia #USANetwork #FOX #ShawnMichaels #TalentDevelopment #promoters #creative #prowrestling #entertainment #entertainmentnews #sportsnews #disruptor #disrupt #network #networktv #networktelevision #creativewriting  #storylines #storytelling #script #offscript #booker #showbiz #sportsbiz #streaming #homeentertainment #PPV #niche #trend #trends #buzz #newsmedia #media #mediaman

Pro Wrestling

AEW @AEW 

AEW Official YouTube Channel

https://www.youtube.com/@AEW

Will Daniel Garcia be able to end MJF's Championship Reign? | AEW Control Center: Portland 11/8/23

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsV-iRW6TTk&ab_channel=AllEliteWrestling

Could Daniel Garcia unseat the AEW World Champion MJF? | 11/8/23, AEW Dynamite

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xej1RL59lco&ab_channel=AllEliteWrestling

"The AEW word championship hangs in the balance of our opening content tonight on Dynamite. Daniel Garcia heading into this match with some momentium. MJF suffering a loss one week ago at the hands of Jay White and Bullet Club Gold"...

The ICON Sting & Darby Allin return to Portland for in-ring ACTION! | 11/8/23, AEW Dynamite

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a83rzYxI6Sg&ab_channel=AllEliteWrestling

AEW Collision

FTR + LFI vs AEW Tag Team Champs Starks & Big Bill & ROH 6-Man Champs Gates of Agony | 11/4/23

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2wW8f7geX0&t=2s&ab_channel=AllEliteWrestling

Media Man says: Stong thumbs up.

Image credit: AEW

#AEWDynamite #AEWCollision  #AEW #MJF #DanielGarcia #wrestling #prowrestling #sportsentertainment #sportsentertainer #combatsports #entertainment #popculture #video #highlights #broadcast #broadcasting #trends #trending #buzz #TV #media 

Pro Wrestling

AEW

AEW Official YouTube Channel

https://www.youtube.com/@AEW

Will Daniel Garcia be able to end MJF's Championship Reign? | AEW Control Center: Portland 11/8/23

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsV-iRW6TTk&ab_channel=AllEliteWrestling

Could Daniel Garcia unseat the AEW World Champion MJF? | 11/8/23, AEW Dynamite

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xej1RL59lco&ab_channel=AllEliteWrestling

"The AEW word championship hangs in the balance of our opening content tonight on Dynamite. Daniel Garcia heading into this match with some momentium. MJF suffering a loss one week ago at the hands of Jay White and Bullet Club Gold"...

The ICON Sting & Darby Allin return to Portland for in-ring ACTION! | 11/8/23, AEW Dynamite

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a83rzYxI6Sg&ab_channel=AllEliteWrestling

AEW Collision

FTR + LFI vs AEW Tag Team Champs Starks & Big Bill & ROH 6-Man Champs Gates of Agony | 11/4/23

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2wW8f7geX0&t=2s&ab_channel=AllEliteWrestling

Media Man says: Stong thumbs up.

Image credit: AEW

#AEWDynamite #AEWCollision  #AEW #MJF #DanielGarcia #wrestling #prowrestling #sportsentertainment #sportsentertainer #combatsports #entertainment #popculture #video #highlights #broadcast #broadcasting #trends #trending #buzz #TV #media 

Combat Sports

Dana White On Cross-Over Legends Brock Lesnar and Ronda Rousey Will Compete At UFC @UFC 300

“I get why everybody asks”

“They’re not coming back”

Sports Illustrated UFC news and quotes doing the rounds across the globe; S.I. gains more street and industry cred

Seems like the entire combat sports world wants to know if Lesnar and Rousey will fight at UFC 300. Perhaps they may appear in the crowd, or even get introduced with a live mic, but don't expect for them to grapple.

Fantasy Booking ramps up in UFC, adding to combat sports booking WWE @WWE and other pro wrestling promotions!

Some Stats:

Lesnar (UFC website)

https://www.ufc.com/athlete/brock-lesnar

8 fights in the UFC

Former UFC Heavyweight champ

Rousey (Wikipedia website)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronda_Rousey

Rousey News:

RR loves her pro wresling, including Lucha Libre - especially Lucha VaVOOM, in Los Angeles where she appeared on October 26, teaming with AEW affiliated Marina Shafir to defeat Brian Kendrick and Taya Valkyrie in tag team action.

Due to wrestle at Wrestling Revolver - 6th November

Homenetmen Glendale Ararat Los Angeles, CA.

Will be broadcast via FITE! @FiteTV

“I always had an incredible working relationship with Brock Lesnar”.

“It’s funny to say this because he’s such a grouchy dude, but I consider Brock Lesnar a friend.”

The last time Lesnar fought in the UFC was 2016, five months after Rousey’s final bout. Since then, both have appeared in WWE from time to time.

Rousey is still considered fairly young for pro wrestling, but not so much for MMA at 36 years. Her last UFC match was in December of 2016. Similar to Lesnar, she also fought 8 times in the UFC, getting her hand raised in the 6 bouts. Rousey eventually became one of the the most recognizable sports stars in the world, thanks to numerous ground breaking performances and over-performing in what was traditionally a male dominated sport.

“I absolutely love Ronda Rousey,” said White. “She’s one of the greatest athletes I’ve ever worked with. She’s a pioneer, an inspirational figure for women, and an all-around badass for UFC.”

Headlined by two title bouts, UFC 295 takes place this Saturday at Madison Square Garden. Though White’s current priority is MSG, the UFC matchmakers are not too far removed from UFC 300. But Rousey and Lesnar will not be part of that history-making card.

“I’m focused on Madison Square Garden,” said White. “But no, they’re not coming back.”

UFC News

UFC 295 card: Prochazka vs Pereira headlines after Aspinall and Pavlovich clash

Daniel Cormier (conspiracy?) theory/speculation/dream  match scenarios

Unified field theory for UFC 300..

Former two-division UFC champ and current UFC commentator Daniel Cormier has a theory that sounds great for the UFC 300 card.

“UFC 100 had Brock [Lesnar], right? With Georges St-Pierre and all those guys,” Cormier said on his “DC & RC” show. “UFC 200 had Brock, it was supposed to me and [Jon] Jones also but it ended up being me, Anderson Silva, Brock, all these guys, big names,” Cormier said. “UFC 300 has to have a name like that. We don’t have Brock Lesnar anymore. So, I think you have to have a Conor McGregor versus Michael Chandler. I think Michael Chandler gets his shot now, in the main event. Boy, Michael Chandler will headline UFC 300, how crazy is that?”

DC also has a vision of a two-title bout card underneath the McGregor-Chandler match.

“Co-main event, when I look down the line, I know that Jones and Stipe [Miocic] will not be ready,” Cormier continued. “I do believe that whoever wins the [interim heavyweight] belt this weekend will have to fight again. Leon Edwards or Colby Covington will then be available again, right? Because they fight [at UFC 296] in December. I believe it’ll be one of them, if not both. The interim heavyweight champion and then the welterweight champion will also fight at UFC 300.”

Videos (to help starv you off before it's time to say Let's 'Fn Go again)

UFC Official YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/@ufc

UFC President Dana White is BACK with his #12DaysGiveaways!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9AVlODQ7hU&ab_channel=UFC

Ian Machado Garry Breaks Down His Top UFC Moments at Madison Square Garden | UFC Connected

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oxvl_UgPudY&ab_channel=MMAFightingonSBN

ESPN MMA YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/@ESPNMMA

Michael Bisping interviews Tom Aspinall at MSG ahead of UFC 295 | ESPN MMA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sp_Zh_j6W0w&ab_channel=ESPNMMA

Daniel Cormier Official YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/@dc_mma 

Alex Pereira practices kicks on DC! + "Poatan" ready to live out his DREAM | Daniel Cormier Check-In

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSjKgrXmcFc&ab_channel=DanielCormier

Chael Sonnen Official YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/@ChaelSonnenOfficial

Sergei Pavlovich is the UNDERDOG vs Tom Aspinall | UFC 295

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKaQJ7YW1L0&t=12s&ab_channel=ChaelSonnen

Madison Square Garden Official YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/@MadisonSquareGarden

#UFC295 #UFC300 #DanaWhite #quote #quotes #MMA #BrockLesnar #RondaRousey #Prochazka #Pereira #MichaelChandler #mixedmartialarts #combatsports #legend #legends #sportsnews #mmanews #dreammatche #fantasybooking #PPV #PayPerView #videos #USsports #promoter #promotion #sportsbiz #sportsbetting #wager #trend #trends #buzz #hype #media

Pro Wrestling

WWE SmackDown

LA Knight vs Grayson Waller

Has the Arrogant Aussie recovered from the Ibrahim Al Hajjaj People's Elbow that shook him at Saudi? 

Will Waller be more worried about besting Knight, or making a GWE trending moment? Can he do both?

Is 'The Bloodline' out for Knight's blood?

Is Waller's mate Austin Theory devising a cunning plan to send Knight back to the old hotel, thus opening another spot for one of their own inner circle? 

So many questions.

You must tune in to get the answers.

Survivor Series Season is here and you just know some folks in the ring and backstage are going to get cooked, if not potatoed. Get a lock on your remote now, if ya smell what we're cooking.

#SmackDown #WWESmackDown #WWESurvivorSeries #LAKnight #GraysonWaller #GWEffect #GraysonWallerEffect #AustinTheory #Hitman #TheBloodline #blood #PeoplesElbow #wrestling #prowrestling #USANetwork #USA #entertainment #popculture #broadcast #trends #trending #buzz #TV #media 

Advertising agencies are responsible for initiating, managing, and implementing paid marketing communications. In addition, some agencies have diversified into other types of marketing comms, including public relations, sales promotion, interactive media, and direct marketing #agencies #advertising #advertisingagencies #advertisingagency #agency #marketing #onlinemarketing #communications #comms #PublicRelations #PR #press #pressrelease #sales #promotion #directmarketing #popculture #culture #biz #sportsbiz #streaming #ghost #ghostwriter #writer #copy #links #SEO #authority #buzz #trends #media #mediaman 

Disruptor: a company or form of technology that causes radical change in an existing industry or market by means of innovation. "the company is becoming a major disruptor in the media, ad and PR industry" #disruptor #disruption #disruptors #biz #market #ads #pr #newsmedia #media #mediaman 

There are risks of playing "follow the leader" be it in sports, wrestling, SEO, business strategies. Adopt risk management and have your own style and unique selling points (and unique niche content) etc etc #risk #risks #business #wrestling #SEO #sportsbiz #wrestling #popculture #bizdev #strategy #riskmanagement #usps #niche #nichecontent #nichemarketing #nichenews #media #mediaman 

Movie Business News

'Coyote Vs. Acme' won't been seen or heard

John Cena’s @JohnCena ‘Coyote Vs. Acme’ Film Shelved Even Though It's Completed

There's Reasons Why Studios Scrap Shows And Movies

Production Companies Can Cancel Their Own Movies; No Need For Activists of Cancel Culture!

More Complex Than What General Public May Think

Christmas Grinch defeats Coyote via financial submission STF-U

Warner's Loss Is WWE Universe's Gain

Fans Cheer Cena; Boo Heel WB

Warner Bros. Discovery announced it would shelve the completed Coyote Vs. Acme, a hybrid live-action and animated film based on the iconic Looney Tunes character Wile E. Coyote, making the movie the latest in a recent trend of fully produced shows and TV series being canceled by production companies for cost-cutting purposes.

Coyote Vs. Acme, which was reportedly produced on a $72 million budget, was originally set to release earlier this year but was shelved so Warner Bros. could take a $30 million tax write-off, leading publication Deadline reported.

The move came just one year after Warner Bros. controversially scrapped and panned Batgirl, an intended installment in the DC Extended Universe film series that cost $90 million to produce, reportedly because the company felt writing off the film for a tax break would be more financially sound than releasing it, and test screenings were reportedly met with ultra negative reactions.

The Warner Bros. animated film Scoob! A Holiday Haunt was also scrapped last year, reportedly for tax write-off purposes, though the film still completed production after the company announced it would not be released.

Completed seasons of television series have also been shelved by production companies, including the second season of Minx, which was scrapped by Warner Bros. Discovery in December for tax purposes despite being nearly finished with production (The season was picked up by Starz and aired in July).

AMC scrapped shows 61st Street and Invitation to a Bonfire as part of an effort to take up to $475 million in write-offs, Variety reported, both of which were already shot and almost completed, though 61st Street later landed at the CW.

Warner Bros. decided not to move forward with Coyote Vs. Acme, which was reportedly set for a release on Max, because of an effort to shift “its global strategy to focus on theatrical releases,” a Warner Bros. spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter. The film was reportedly shot last year in New Mexico and was set to star John Cena, Will Forte, Lana Condor and Eric Bauza, and it was produced by DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn. Deadline reported Coyote Vs. Acme had been met with positive reviews during test screenings, with scores above the norm for family films. After the film’s cancellation, director Dave Green posted a statement via X thanking the “brilliant team, who poured their souls into this project for years” and the “test audiences who rewarded us with fantastic scores,” adding he is “beyond devastated” by the studio’s decision to shelve the movie.

Decisions to scrap already completed films have been met with criticism from fans and entertainment industry workers. Bazua, who was part of the voice cast, lamented the film’s cancellation on Instagram, stating it is “sad that the film like a few others before it have fallen to corporate greed,” adding a completed film like Coyote Vs. Acme could have value for studios since production was halted on many films this year because of the writers’ and actors’ strikes. Steven Price, who composed the score for Coyote Vs. Acme, criticized the scrapping of the film as “anti-art studio financial shenanigans” in a post on X in which he included a video of a choir recording music for the film. Filmmaker BenDavid Grabinski called Coyote Vs. Acme a “great” movie, “the best of its kind since Roger Rabbit.” He criticized ”extremely effective commercial movies being deleted for tax purposes,” noting the film is based on popular existing intellectual property. After Warner Bros. shelved Minx’s second season, a high-ranking TV agent told Deadline: “To spend that kind of money and to not air it, believe me, we’re all scratching our heads.”

By canceling projects for cost-cutting purposes, studios can avoid spending extra tens of millions to market and promote these films, Vanity Fair reported. Warner Bros. Discovery, in particular, has canceled numerous completed projects as part of cost-cutting measures following the 2022 WarnerMedia and Discovery, Inc. merger. An anonymous showrunner of a hit series told Deadline oversaturation of content on streaming services can also contribute to already produced shows being scrapped: “There are too many shows so it’s inevitable that if platforms can get a tax write-off or any money back from a show that they don’t love, they’ll absolutely cancel it.”

John Cena Instagram: "The End"

https://www.instagram.com/p/CzbMAbnOREJ/

https://www.instagram.com/johncena

Image credit: John Cena/Instagram

#CoyoteVsAcme #Coyote #JohnCena #STFU #STF #movienews #WB #WarnerBros #WarnerMedia #EntertainmentNews #entertainment #showbiz #showbuzz #boxoffice #tax #Batgirl #TheEnd #Instagram #WWE #SmackDown #financialnews #wrestlingnews #popculture #streaming #socialmedia #platforms #disrupt #disruptor #trend #trends #buzz #AI #media 

Combat Sports

Dana White On Cross-Over Legends Brock Lesnar and Ronda Rousey Will Compete At UFC 300

“I get why everybody asks”

“They’re not coming back”

Sports Illustrated UFC news and quotes doing the rounds across the globe; S.I. gains more street and industry cred

Seems like the entire combat sports world wants to know if Lesnar and Rousey will fight at UFC 300. Perhaps they may appear in the crowd, or even get introduced with a live mic, but don't expect for them to grapple.

Fantasy Booking ramps up in UFC, adding to combat sports booking WWE  and other pro wrestling promotions!

Some Stats:

Lesnar (UFC website)

https://ufc.com/athlete/brock-lesnar

8 fights in the UFC

Former UFC Heavyweight champ

Rousey (Wikipedia website)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronda_Rousey

Rousey News:

RR loves her pro wresling, including Lucha Libre - especially Lucha VaVOOM, in Los Angeles where she appeared on October 26, teaming with AEW affiliated Marina Shafir to defeat Brian Kendrick and Taya Valkyrie in tag team action.

Due to wrestle at Wrestling Revolver - 6th November

Homenetmen Glendale Ararat Los Angeles, CA.

Will be broadcast via FITE! 

@FiteTV

“I always had an incredible working relationship with Brock Lesnar”.

“It’s funny to say this because he’s such a grouchy dude, but I consider Brock Lesnar a friend.”

The last time Lesnar fought in the UFC was 2016, five months after Rousey’s final bout. Since then, both have appeared in WWE from time to time.

Rousey is still considered fairly young for pro wrestling, but not so much for MMA at 36 years. Her last UFC match was in December of 2016. Similar to Lesnar, she also fought 8 times in the UFC, getting her hand raised in the 6 bouts. Rousey eventually became one of the the most recognizable sports stars in the world, thanks to numerous ground breaking performances and over-performing in what was traditionally a male dominated sport.

“I absolutely love Ronda Rousey,” said White. “She’s one of the greatest athletes I’ve ever worked with. She’s a pioneer, an inspirational figure for women, and an all-around badass for UFC.”

Headlined by two title bouts, UFC 295 takes place this Saturday at Madison Square Garden. Though White’s current priority is MSG, the UFC matchmakers are not too far removed from UFC 300. But Rousey and Lesnar will not be part of that history-making card.

“I’m focused on Madison Square Garden,” said White. “But no, they’re not coming back.”

UFC News

UFC 295 card: Prochazka vs Pereira headlines after Aspinall and Pavlovich clash

Daniel Cormier (conspiracy?) theory/speculation/dream  match scenarios

Unified field theory for UFC 300..

Former two-division UFC champ and current UFC commentator Daniel Cormier has a theory that sounds great for the UFC 300 card.

“UFC 100 had Brock [Lesnar], right? With Georges St-Pierre and all those guys,” Cormier said on his “DC & RC” show. “UFC 200 had Brock, it was supposed to me and [Jon] Jones also but it ended up being me, Anderson Silva, Brock, all these guys, big names,” Cormier said. “UFC 300 has to have a name like that. We don’t have Brock Lesnar anymore. So, I think you have to have a Conor McGregor versus Michael Chandler. I think Michael Chandler gets his shot now, in the main event. Boy, Michael Chandler will headline UFC 300, how crazy is that?”

DC also has a vision of a two-title bout card underneath the McGregor-Chandler match.

“Co-main event, when I look down the line, I know that Jones and Stipe [Miocic] will not be ready,” Cormier continued. “I do believe that whoever wins the [interim heavyweight] belt this weekend will have to fight again. Leon Edwards or Colby Covington will then be available again, right? Because they fight [at UFC 296] in December. I believe it’ll be one of them, if not both. The interim heavyweight champion and then the welterweight champion will also fight at UFC 300.”

Videos (to help starv you off before it's time to say Let's 'Fn Go again)

Boxing/Combat Sports

Boxing and social media disruptor going more purist and less Misfit and hype based; Jake Paul rises above naysayers

Jake Paul’s 

@JakePaul

 next fight has been finally confirmed after about a month of speculation, sportsbar talk and teasers.

Mark down December 15 as Fight Night featuring the "Problem Child' himself.

The ultra switched on YouTuber is leaning more towards focusing on professional boxing. Hitting Elon's Musks' X with "The path to world champ starts here"

The well promoted bout will take make sporting history in Orlando, Florida, as the YouTube influencer plus returns to the ring for the first time since fighting MMA icon Nate Diaz in August.

Controversial and somewhat embattled sports journo Ariel Helwani tips the match will be cruiserweight and consist of 8 rounds.

Doubling up with a one-two via X Paul scribbed "Ask and I shall deliver. August has more KO’s than me, more wins than me, more experience than me, but I like to gamble.

"The path to world champ starts here. Just straight up boxing."

Boxing intel website BoxRec advises: August, 35. 12 professional bouts, winning 10 with 5 by KO.

August's defeat came at the hands of USA's Eric Abraham in 2018.

His most recent victory came against the until then undefeated 7-0 Brandon Martin which he won unanimously on points.

While August is fairly unknown in boxing, certainly to the casual audience, it marks the first time that Paul has fought an out and out boxer in the "purist" arena, moving away from the "influencer" and "Misfit" realms.

"Just straight boxing" Paul documented and "exhibition matches" may be a thing of the past for the S.I cover snatching JP.  All sources indicate he's going strickly professional, however brother Logan Paul teasers he may join him in the WWE (pro wrestling) sometime in the future, be it as a cornerman or even potential tag-team partner ala WrestleMania 1 back in 1985 when Mr T joined Hulk Hogan to defeat the late Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff which was a pay-per-view bonanza for WWE super-promoter Vince McMahon and then wife Linda - who now works in the political arena.

Paul initially began by fighting fellow YouTubers but has more recently moved towards fighting former stars of the UFC. Just about anything can happen in pro boxing as the well publicized match between world champion Tyson Fury vs former UFC champion Francis Ngannou demonstrated. Some experts say Fury will never be quite the same again, much like when the legendary wrestler/MMA Antonia Inoki kicked the hell out of "The Greatest" Muhammad Ali in Tokyo, Japan in June 26, 1976 at "The World Of The Worlds" - the precursor of modern MMA and why became the famed UFC - not to be confussed with rival PFL, of which Paul is also signed.

JP defeated grappling based Ben Askren before beating Tyron Woodley twice.

He then won bouts against UFC legends Anderson Silva and Nate Diaz.

His most recent victory against Diaz arrived via unanimous decision in August.

Paul has a 6-1 boxing record, with his only loss coming against Tommy Fury (son of "The Gypsy King") this February in a bout in Saudi Arabia.

Paul lost that bout via a split decision.

Paul initially began by fighting fellow YouTubers but has more recently moved towards fighting former stars of the UFC.

He defeated Ben Askren before beating Tyron Woodley twice.

He then won bouts against UFC legends Anderson Silva and Nate Diaz.

His most recent victory against Diaz arrived via unanimous decision in August.

We're calling Paul a modest favourite for the win over August, but the public at large and bookies will be chiming in and the odds and pub talk usually changes weeks and days up to pro boxing fights.

At this stage of the game its fair to say that the business/sports business is all the better thanks to Jake Paul who has proven himself to be a legit pay-per-view draw and headline grabber.

"Jake Paul is one of the few boxers who is helping grow the sport and one who has the substance and style. His appeal has grown outside of boxing alone and is now entrenched in pop culture. Brands, online media and all sorts of business folks are keen to get deals in place with Paul and his associates now. Everyone loves a winner and folks who can disrupt and distrub The Matrix" - overheard at the Media Man watercooler.

Videos

Jake Paul Official YouTube

https://youtube.com/@jakepaul

BS w/ Jake Paul YouTube

Brooks Koepka’s $1M Boxing Match With Bryson, Spending $100M LIV Deal, Hating Golf & More - BS EP 30

https://youtube.com/watch?v=uXPzmKvO400&ab_channel=BSw%2FJakePaul

DAZN Boxing Official YouTube

https://youtube.com/daznboxing

MMA / UFC News

UFC @UFC YouTube

Best Moments From Madison Square Garden

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gJDyXkh_YI&ab_channel=UFC

Over the years, Madison Square Garden has hosted some of the most iconic UFC moments to date. Relive some of the best Octagon highlights that took place in New York City ahead of UFC 295! (Credit: UFC)

"I just want to say from the bottom of my heart, I'd like to take this chance to apologize to absolutely nobody".. - Conor McGregor

"Adesanya most succesful with the body shot"...

UFC YouTube

Weigh-In Highlights | UFC 295

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kj1FUMg4Zag&ab_channel=UFC

UFC 295: Ceremonial Weigh-In

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2UkqVNwa60&ab_channel=UFC

Pavlovich vs Aspinall - Shoot My Shot | UFC 295

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wp_iRQY0bk&ab_channel=UFC

An interim title is on the line at UFC 295, as heavy hitting Sergei Pavlovich  takes on the UK's finest in Tom Aspinall, for the rights to heavyweight gold. (Credit: UFC)

UFC 295 Betting Preview w/ Anik, DC & Chael! | Presented by DraftKings Sportsbook

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rI-yt1wYOWg&ab_channel=UFC

News

UFC Greats - The Official List From The Powers That Be!

The Ultimate 30: All- Time Roster

Royce Gracie

Matt Hughes

BJ Penn

Georges St-Pierre

Robbie Lawler

Chuck Liddell

Forrest Griffin

Tito Ortiz

Randy Couture

Anderson Silva

Michael Bisping

Frankie Edgar

Khabib Nurmagomedov

Charles Oliveira

Dominick Cruz

Demetrious Johnson

Jose Aldo

Cain Velasquez

Stipe Miocic

Jon Jones

Joanna Jędrzejczyk

Valentina Shevchenko

Ronda Rousey

Amanda Nunes

Conor McGregor

Daniel Cormier

Kamaru Usman

Israel Adesanya

Max Holloway

Alexander Volkanovski

#UFC #UFC295 #MSG #MadisonSquareGarden #TheGarden #MMA #mixedmartialarts #combatsports  #ufcnews #mmanews #highlights #Goat #Goats #legends  #RoyceGracie #MattHughes #BJPenn #GeorgesStPierre #GSP #RobbieLawler #ChuckLiddell

#ForrestGriffin #TitoOrtiz #RandyCouture #video #videos #highlights #PPV #PayPerView #trends #trending #buzz #hype #media 

Pro Wrestling

WWE @WWE YouTube

What’s next for The Bloodline after Crown Jewel dominance?: WWE Now, November 10, 2023

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ox2wvEMYbRE&ab_channel=WWE

"Hey everybody. I'm Megan Morgant from WWE Now getting you set with everything you need to know for tonight's Friday Night SmackDown on FOX. So let's throw 3 minutes on the clock and get to it"...

Image credit: WWE

#SmackDown #WWESmackDown #FOX #TheBloodline #LAKnight #GraysonWaller #GWEffect #LAKnight #LoganPaul #ReyMysterio #USTitle #LWO #SantosEscobar #Prime #JohnCena #KO #KevinOwens #NickAldis #KariSane #Carlito #StreetProfits #BobbyLashley #SurvivorSeries #socialmedia #socialmediamegastar #Influencer #influencers #wrestling #prowrestling #entertainment #popculture #broadcast #broadasting #trends #trending #buzz #TV #media 

Combative sports means any sport that holds contests where opponents strike each other with a hand, foot, knee, elbow or other parts of the body, including, but not limited to, boxing, wrestling, full contact karate, kickboxing, martial arts, mixed martial arts and muay thai #combatsports #sport #strike #striking #boxing #wrestling #karate #kickboxing #martialarts #MMA #mixedmartialarts #MuayThai #media #mediaman #mediamanint 

"One thing I can't prove, but I firmly believe is that two men were put on this earth - one threw a punch and a third guy came over and watched. And that happened before anybody ever threw or kicked a ball" - Dana White (UFC @UFC ) #DanaWhite #quote #fighting #combatsports #MMA #martialarts #sports #media

SEJ

AI News

SEJ's Roger on the potential and real harm from AI. Developers built this for big tech. Let's not forget governments do harm also. There's harm in just about all places on Planet Earth, but of a different kind in the modern world that man build. "Everything is a risk" - Lemmy (Motorhead). Or, "Rise Of The Machines" (Transformers). Everyone ready for a new version of 1984 meets 'Ex Machina' and 'Planet Of The Apes' and 'Farenheight 451'. Pop culture reference for the. Fact is stranger than fiction for the big tech (sci-fi) and Big gvt sector. Strong article, and just adding colour, depth and additional humanity. Next submission will be more on point."Do no harm" (Doctors/medical oath many moons ago). Back to webcode fellow humans and any androids in the audience. 

Pro Wrestling

WWE SmackDown

WWE Official YouTube

SmackDown’s most shocking moments: SmackDown highlights, Nov. 10, 2023

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJP0lfnpCVo&ab_channel=WWE

Carlito’s accusation causes rifts in The LWO: SmackDown highlights, Nov. 10, 2023

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBXuNm3A1OE&ab_channel=WWE

Rey Mysterio gets helped to the back by The LWO: SmackDown exclusive, Nov. 10, 2023

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xpw8iHIT1Y4&ab_channel=WWE

LA Knight is not finished with The Bloodline: SmackDown highlights, Nov. 10, 2023

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlKlnMAoj-8&ab_channel=WWE

LA Knight dispatches Grayson Waller for a rebound win: SmackDown highlights, Nov. 10, 2023

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyEriFmK9LY&ab_channel=WWE

Owens gets suspended after attacking Waller and Theory: SmackDown highlights, Nov. 10, 2023

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKMRsM-IjX0&ab_channel=WWE

Dragon Lee and Cedric Alexander run it back: SmackDown highlights, Nov. 10, 2023

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjwSnhDbV2M&ab_channel=WWE

Did Solo Sikoa send John Cena out of WWE for good?: SmackDown highlights, Nov. 10, 2023

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIt43Ukq6no&ab_channel=WWE

Asuka aligns herself with Damage CTRL: SmackDown highlights, Nov. 10, 2023

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsvHKGbb_ao&ab_channel=WWE

WWE honors National Medal of Honor recipient Jim McCloughan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9AQOYNmDhs&ab_channel=WWE

SmackDown commentors: Michael Cole @MichaelCole , Kevin Patrick @kev_egan and Kevin Owens @FightOwensFight

Media Man says: Big thumbs up. Changing things up. Hot show.

Image credit: WWE

#SmackDown #WWESmackDown #WWECrownJewel #SurvivorSeries #LWO #LatinoWorldOrder #GraysonWaller #GWEffect #LAKnight #KevinOwens #KO #AustinTheory #Hitman #Carlito #ReyMysterio #SantosEscobar #ZelinaVega #DragonLee #CedricAlexander #combatsports #entertainment #popculture #highlights #videos #broadcast #broadcasting #trends #trending #buzz #hype #TV #media 

Quotes

"I swear it upon Zeus an outstanding runner cannot be the equal of an average wrestler" - Socrates #Socrates #quote #Zeus #runner #wrestler #wrestling #sports #GreekPhilosopher #philosopher #philosophy #Greece #world #media #mediaman 

Wrestling Quotes

Logan Paul @LoganPaul appears on FOX Business @FoxBusiness 

WWE @WWE U.S. Champion and Prime co-founder Logan Paul joins 'Varney & Co.' to discuss his championship win, Prime's success and his investment strategy (Credit: FOX Business)

"Well look whos here. Ladies and gentlemen. Logan Paul the man himself. Logan is a business owner, he's an influencer, he's a boxer, and now he's the newly minted U.S Champion of the WWE. Congratulations. So, have you walked away from boxing"?

"Thank you. Yeah, I think I've retired from boxing. I think I've done enough in the sport going fully undefeated at 25-0.  So, yeah, I'm going to be a wrestler now"... - Logan Paul

FOX Business YouTube 

https://www.youtube.com/foxbusiness

DISRUPTOR: Logan Paul reveals his investment strategy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQaUdvsm0iM&ab_channel=FoxBusiness

#LoganPaul #quotes #FOXBusiness #wrestling #prowrestling #WWE #boxing #PrimeEnergy #influencer #wrestlingnews #wwenews #energydrink #energydrinks #gold #combatsports #entertainment #popculture #sportsbiz #showbusiness #sportsnews #interview #broadcast #TV #media #mediaman 

Wrestling/Pop Culture

"Be A Man"

Randy Savage’s Rap Album Getting Limited Re-Release In April

Per Amazon @amazonmusic 

https://www.amazon.com/BE-A-MAN/dp/B0B78WSVQ7

"Macho Man" Randy Savage was a WWE wrestling superstar with dazzling over-the-top costumes. His signature phrase, "Ohhh yeah!" won over wrestling fans worldwide and eventually was seen in nearly every SlimJim commercial. He even played a wrestler "Bone Saw" McGraw in the 2002 movie, Spider-Man. His music career started in 1993 making his debut WrestleMania: The Album along side of other top wrestlers such as Bret "The Hitman" Hart, The Undertaker, Hacksaw Jim Duggan and others. On October 7, 2003, Savage released his debut rap/hiphop album titled Be a Man, which has sold over the years for staggering amounts. It includes a tribute song to a fellow wrestler "Mr. Perfect" Curt Hennig who passed earlier that year. It also included the title track "Be a Man" that was aimed right at fellow wrestling icon and former Mega Powers tag-team partner Hulk Hogan. Fortunately, before Savage's death he had the opportunity to bury the hatchet with Hogan after a decade long feud that many thought was just a marketing gimmick. This rap album has been completely remastered and comes in a 6 panel wallet with a LTD collectors card. It includes DJ Kool on the very club-like vibe, "Hit The Floor", the second single which would have been amazing to see live. It also includes Big K, Brian O, Da Raskulls, Inc., Eliott Harris, Shianna Raymona, Mo Blaze and Smokke...

#RandySavage #MachoMan #BeAMan #SlimJim #wrestling #prowrestling #wrestler #WWE #wrestlingnews #rap #hiphop #music #musicnews #entertainment #entertainmentnews #Amazon #legend #trends #buzz #media #mediaman

'Reinventing history': Experts warn the end of physical media will give tech giants even greater control

Experts say a future ruled by streaming and digital content poses a serious threat of censorship

Retailers are slowly moving away from physical media to pursue ventures in the digital space, and experts warn this shift could lead to significant tech censorship, allowing streaming giants the power to have greater control over history and culture.

Barna William Donovan, a professor and the director of M.A. in Communication and Public Relations at Saint Peter's University, said he believes the move toward streaming content and the elimination of physical media poses "a serious threat" of censorship and could be a danger to our culture.

American consumers spend approximately eight hours daily with digital media, roughly double the time spent with traditional physical formats. The shift toward digital media in the country began in 2018 and has been growing ever since, according to Statista.

Currently, when people "buy" digital content, they do not actually own the film or song in the same way they would own physical VHS tapes, DVDs or CDs. When a user pays for a digital download, legally, the content producers have the right to limit access to said content or remove it outright.

Full article via FOX Business @FoxBusiness 

Link: 

https://www.foxbusiness.com/media/reinventing-history-experts-warn-end-physical-media-tech-giants-greater-control

Blog: US government hours from shutdown, funding chaos

Blog

US government hours from shutdown, funding chaos

The US government on Saturday was hours from shutting down after the far right of the Republican Party scuppered final attempts at a temporary budget agreement, throwing into doubt everything from access to national parks to Washington's massive support for Ukraine.

The closure of all but critical government services, set to start after midnight Saturday (0400 GMT Sunday) if lawmakers fail to reach a deal, would be the first since 2019 -- immediately delaying salaries for millions of federal employees and military personnel.

The two chambers of Congress are deadlocked, with a small group of Republicans in the House of Representatives pushing back against stopgap measures that would at least keep the lights on.

On Friday, House Republicans defeated a plan proposed by their own leader, Speaker Kevin McCarthy, to keep funds flowing, deepening the sense of growing chaos within the party ahead of 2024 elections where hard-right former president Donald Trump hopes to return to the White House.

The White House Office of Management and Budget's director Shalanda Young said there was "still a chance" of avoiding a shutdown if Republicans could end internal divisions.

And White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre made clear that President Joe Biden, who is seeking a second term in 2024, did not intend to wade in.

"The conversation needs to happen between Speaker McCarthy and his caucus. That's the fix, that's the chaos that we're seeing," she said.

Speaking to the news outlet ProPublica on Friday, Biden said McCarthy has made "a terrible bargain. In order to keep the speakership, he's willing to do things that he, I think, he knows are inconsistent with the constitutional processes."

McCarthy, however, blamed Democrats, saying they are the ones blocking a solution.

- Big question on Ukraine -

All critical government services will remain functioning. However, a shutdown would mean the majority of national parks, for example -- from the iconic Yosemite and Yellowstone in the west to Florida's Everglades swamp -- would be closed to public access beginning Sunday.

With student loan payments resuming in October, officials also said Friday that key activities at the Federal Student Aid office would continue for a couple of weeks.

But a prolonged shutdown could cause bigger disruptions.

A shutdown "unnecessarily" places the world's largest economy at risk, White House National Economic Council Director Lael Brainard told CNBC.

Risks that could percolate through the wider economy include air travel delays, with air traffic controllers asked to work without pay.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned a closure could also delay infrastructure improvements.

"In the immediate term, a government shutdown will only reduce GDP by 0.2 percentage points each week it lasts," said a report released Friday by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a think tank.

"However, halting critical trade functions of the United States will also undermine the United States' overall credibility as a commercial partner, impede ongoing negotiations and hinder export control enforcement capabilities," the report added.

The mess casts a growing shadow over Biden's policy of arming and funding Ukraine in its desperate war against the Russian invasion. For Republican hardliners behind the derailment of a new budget, stopping aid to Ukraine is a key goal.

Most Republican members of Congress continue to support US backing for Ukraine, but the shutdown will at minimum raise questions over the political viability of renewing the multibillion-dollar flow of assistance.

Blog; Andrews Leaves a Winner

Blog

Andrews Leaves a Winner

By Cory Bernardi

27 Sept 2023

Hi there,

While many politically right-of-centre Australians would be cheering the resignation of Victorian Premier Dan Andrews, the bloke leaves as a winner.

He won three elections and ran Victoria with an iron fist while misusing buckets of taxpayers money.

His government was mired in corruption scandals and linked to the largest number of COVID deaths in Australia. He ran Victoria into record debt while imposing new and outrageous taxes targeting his non-supporters.

On top of that, Andrews pursued a radical social agenda on euthanasia, abortion and drug use.

It's incredible to think he was largely untouched by Victoria's Liberal opposition despite the target-rich environment.

That's why he is a winner.

He leaves on his terms, is off the hook on his COVID accountability and, while leaving Victoria in a parlous state, he has a taxpayer funded statue in his honour.

It says a lot about politics and the media in Victoria that he leaves virtually unscathed.

The opposition didn't lay a glove on Andrews. He suffered more damage from internal Labor foes than his political opponents.

As I have said before, where the adversarial politics of accountability fails, it falls to the media to do their job of exposing bad actions and policies.

Unfortunately the media in Victoria failed too.

They repeatedly failed to ask the hard questions during Andrew's rein and were particularly sycophantic during the COVID pandemic.

So while Andrews emerges a winner, we are all losers as a result.

The template for authoritarian politics is now set. Politicians have learned that they can get away with almost anything as long as they keep the media on side.

They act as the gatekeepers to shaping public opinion and their omissions are even more effective than their exposes.

Where the mainstream media fails, the independent media often succeeds.

However, these revelations are usually dismissed as conspiracy theories or misinformation by those with a vested interest in outcome.

We've seen that with propaganda outlets like their ABC, the biased fact-checkers and the tech titans.

Thanks to Senator Alex Antic and his Freedom of Information requests, we also know that government has a role in censoring content they deem inappropriate.

So the two most untrustworthy public voices - politicians and a biased media - are trying to close down access to the truth through alternative outlets.

That only makes those outlets even more important.

Have a great day.

Cory

Blog: Australian Sports and Politics Don't Mix finds Aussie PM

Blog

Australian Sports and Politics Don't Mix finds Aussie PM, despite news media and sports media tip-off warnings

A tribute to the Matildas “incredible” World Cup run has been met with calls for a major injection of funding into the women’s game.

Aussie Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was one of the 75,000 fans who packed out to Sydney’s Olympic Park on Wednesday night to watch The Matilda's go down 3-1 in the semi-final.

Despite a number attempts on goal from captain Sam Kerr, including the moment of greatness in the 63rd minute that briefly tied the match, the Aussies couldn’t get over the line to put it mildly.

Post game Albanese was quick to run onto social media to lead the praise of the Matildas stars.

“You’ve given us all moments and memories that will last a lifetime,” he penned via X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.. you know, the bird is gone and its all about X!

“Every single Matilda has brought us joy throughout this @FIFAWWC. And I have no doubt that the next generation of Matildas were watching. We'll all be cheering for you on Saturday (in the play off for third).”

But some fans weren’t too pleased with Mr Albanese’s tribute, calling for him to put his money where his mouth is! 

Flip the bird and grab the ball and run with it. The balls in your court. So, you wanna mix politics and sports. Oil and water. You're in the oil river now. Sink deeper or swim.

#Matildas #soccer #politics #sports #sportsbiz #politicsandsport #politicsandsports #PM #Aussie #australia #sportsbusiness #sportsmarketing #womenssport #womenssports #sportsnews #politicsnews #politicalnews #socialmedia #x #sportsmedia #newsmedia #media 

Blog: 4 new casinos, video gambling possible as NV Republicants negotiate

Blog

4 new casinos, video gambling possible as NC Republicans negotiate - July 2023

RALEIGH — As many as four new casinos as well as video gambling machines could be authorized in North Carolina under proposals now being discussed by legislators, the top General Assembly leaders said on Thursday.

House Speaker Tim Moore and Senate leader Phil Berger told reporters separately about the ideas, which they said have yet to reach the level of formal legislation to be voted upon.

But details about those ideas and some potential bill language are being exchanged among lawmakers, the Republican leaders said, reflecting an upgrade in negotiations that have waited in the wings for months during this year’s legislative session.

The negotiations appear intertwined with extended talks over a final two-year state budget that was supposed to be enacted by July 1. Votes on any outstanding legislation from this year’s work session — including any budget agreement and overrides of Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s vetoes — now are not likely to happen until at least early August, the lawmakers said.

“I would anticipate that if at the point in time when we get a budget done, we will have made a decision about (gambling) as well,” Berger said.

The state currently has three casinos, operated by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians or the Catawba Indian Nation. But legislators — Berger among others — have become worried about state and local governments losing revenue to other states that are opening non-tribal casinos, particularly Virginia on its southern border. One just opened in Danville, Virginia, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) from where Berger lives in Rockingham County.

Proposals would permit casinos that are part of “entertainment districts” — that could include hotels and restaurants as well as residential and commercial development — in Anson, Nash and Rockingham counties, Moore and Berger said. Allowing the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina to run a casino in eastern North Carolina is also being discussed, they said.

The Lumbees, who are concentrated in Robeson County, haven’t been able to operate their own casino because they’ve lacked the extent of federal tribal recognition necessary to do so. The tribe could provide gambling through a state licensing process instead, Moore said.

A study by a gambling research group estimated commercial casinos built in Nash, Anson and Rockingham counties could generate almost $1.7 billion in gross wagering revenue annually and hundreds of millions in taxes. Moore and Berger also mention the jobs that would be created.

A development company that has connections to a casino developer is already seeking to rezone some Rockingham County land.

The legalization of video gambling machines statewide could follow a House bill that received a hearing in May. That measure would direct the state Lottery Commission to regulate the machines, allowing them in places with alcohol beverage licenses. The state would get a cut equal to a portion of net machine revenues. Efforts have gone back two decades to stamp out illegal video gambling machines sitting inside sweepstakes parlors.

North Carolina legislators already enacted a massive expansion of legalized gambling this year by passing a law authorizing betting on sports and horse racing statewide. The first wagers are expected in the first half of 2024.

Opposition to sports betting came from a coalition of social conservatives and liberal lawmakers who lament the results of adult gambling addiction upon families and children. The North Carolina Family Policy Council is now asking its allies to contact legislators and urge them to block more casinos. Pro-gambling forces also have many registered legislative lobbyists.

Moore argued Thursday there’s more support for the casino and video gambling proposal than there was for the sports betting law.

“The response that we’re hearing from legislators from those regions has been supportive because they see it as a way to really spur the economy of their region,” Moore said. It’s unclear whether the final product would require formal backing of a casino project by local voters, such as through a referendum.

Berger said last week the chances that more state-sanctioned gambling would make it to Cooper’s desk this summer was “better than 50-50.” Berger took a pragmatic tone Thursday.

“I don’t know that that’s something we’ll be able to do,” Berger said. “Obviously, it’s something that I’ve been supportive of in concept. We’ll see.”

Cooper, who would be asked to sign bills approved in the coming weeks, kept his focus Thursday on the delayed budget. He criticized Republicans for failing to hold recorded votes this week and to pass a completed spending plan so an expansion of Medicaid coverage to hundreds of thousands of low-income adults could be implemented. Lawmakers have veto-proof majorities in the House and Senate.

“Republican leaders have two supermajorities and no one to blame for this impasse but themselves,” he said in a news release.

Blog: Flashback

Blog

Online gaming talk with Native American tribes

Flashback to November 2011

Native American tribes advised Thursday they want their cut of the jobs and revenue if online gambling is allowed in the United States but they don't want to lose their sovereignty to get it.

Internet gambling has been prohibited in the U.S. since 2006, which has seen players and their cash go to to websites and internet portals based offshore. With Congress searching for money to cut the deficit and create new jobs, supporters see an opening for legalizing at least some online gambling opportunities.

Should Congress act, the federal government will have to write rules and will likely collect taxes from proceeds. Native American tribes want the federal government to ensure they are allowed to operate, regulate, tax and license online gambling as well, if they choose to get in on the business.

"Although there is no legislation before the committee right now, one thing we are all aware of is the need for additional resources at the federal level," said Hawaii Sen. Daniel Akaka, chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, which held a hearing Thursday to air tribes' concerns on the issue. "The discussions surrounding potential Internet gaming legislation have only increased as Congress looks to the supercommittee to find revenue sources and Congress looks to create jobs ..."

The supercommittee Akaka referred to is a bipartisan committee of 12 lawmakers created this summer to find a plan to reduce government borrowing by least $1.2 trillion over the next decade. The committee is stalled in part over whether to raise new revenue.

A House Energy and Commerce subcommittee planned to hold its second hearing Friday on Internet gambling. There is bipartisan support for at least some Internet gambling. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., has pushed for its legalization for years.

While there is no Internet gambling bill before the Senate committee, there is legislation in the House, though it already has opposition from tribal leaders.

Ernie Stevens, chairman of the National Indian Gaming Commission, said tribes have united behind some core principles, including no taxation of tribal revenues. Current Internet gambling proposals violate those principles, "and we oppose their passage," Stevens said.

One such measure, sponsored by Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, would legalize online poker. Spokesman Sean Brown said the legislation would allow tribes, like states, to opt out of allowing Internet gambling if they chose.

Some at Thursday's hearing expressed concern about proposals to allow the Department of Commerce to regulate operators of Internet games. Tribal leaders are calling for the National Indian Gaming Commission to continue to regulate their businesses.

The commission reported that last year, 236 tribes operated 422 gambling facilities in 28 states, generating $27 billion in revenue, evidence that the commission has the expertise to regulate tribal Internet gambling and won't have to start from scratch, learning laws particular to tribes as well as cultural considerations, witnesses at the hearing said.

Not all tribes support Internet gambling. Some see it as a potential competitor to their established brick-and-mortar casinos.

"The Tulalip tribe sees the legalization of Internet gambling as a direct threat to the economic growth in Indian Country," said Glen Gobin, vice chairman of the Tulalip Tribes of Tulalip, West Virginia.

"Do you think tribes are going to be able to compete with someone like Harrah's on Internet gaming?" Gobin asked.

Many U.S gaming companies including land based casinos are now starting to adopt online gaming into their business model.

It's widely believed that the U.S will see legal online gambling up and running soon, but then again, that's been the world for years, so for much of the gaming industry, they will believe it when they see it.

Blog: Pop Culture Flashback: Sin City writer Frank Miller calls Occupy protesters a pack of thieves, louts and rapists

Blog

Pop Culture Flashback

22nd November 2011

Sin City writer Frank Miller

Sin City - (Frank Miller's Sin City) speaks out on the Occupy Wall Street protesters...

Miller who brought us flicks such as Sin City and The Dark Knight Returns believes the anti-capitalist movement is "a pack of louts, thieves and rapists".

An open letter on his blog accuses the protesters of harming America with their "political garbage" and tells them to wake up to the country's real enemy - al-Qaeda.

Miller, better known for his Sin City, 300 and Batman comic books scribed:

'Occupy' is nothing short of a clumsy, poorly-expressed attempt at anarchy, to the extent that the 'movement' – HAH! Some 'movement', except if the word 'bowel' is attached - is anything more than an ugly fashion statement by a bunch of iPhone, iPad wielding spoiled brats who should stop getting in the way of working people and find jobs for themselves.

Wake up, pond scum. America is at war against a ruthless enemy.

Maybe, between bouts of self-pity and all the other tasty tidbits of narcissism you’ve been served up in your sheltered, comfy little worlds, you’ve heard terms like al-Qaeda and Islamicism.

In the name of decency, go home to your parents, you losers. Go back to your mommas’ basements and play with your Lords Of Warcraft.

Or better yet, enlist for the real thing. Maybe our military could whip some of you into shape.

They might not let you babies keep your iPhones, though. Try to soldier on.

The post has ruffled feathers with some comic book fans and news media around the globe.

In this case Miller is clearly not going for the underdog. What would Mickey Rourke think!

Miller has pretty much forever been a champion of the right wingers. Just check out the sequel to The Dark Knight Returns, The Dark Knight Strikes Again, with Batman raising hell against the Government.

Check out the Persian army in 300 that takes it to the Spartans, and then there's an attack of sorts to Islam in Miller's Holy Terror book. That book has been banned in some parts.

Readers, what's your take on Frank Miller? Not sure?

Stan Lee's POW! Entertainment Inks Deals With YouTube and EQAL - 22nd November 2011

The comic business genius moves into digital content with exclusive programming and a new official website and more...

Comics creator and living legend Stan Lee and his POW! Entertainment is moving into the digital content production world, inking deals with YouTube and media company EQAL.

POW! is creating a YouTube channel called Stan Lee’s World of Heroes, which will be a joint venture with Michael Eisner’s digital studio Vuguru. The company announced it will launch the channel with “exclusive programming next year based on the company’s stories around amazing characters and extraordinary individuals.”

With EQAL, POW! plans to launch TheRealStanLee.com, a site to act as “all things Stan Lee.” EQAL is known for “building influencer networks around celebrities and brands,” creating websites and social media accounts for celebs such as Bethenny Frankel, JWOWW and Randy Jackson to name but a few.

Lee sure fits the bill as a celeb, thanks to his great work with Marvel Comics, Marvel Entertainment - Marvel Studios, and all that. He's a heat seeker and truly 'The Man' of the comic industry. Lee, who co-created superheroes such as Spider-Man, X-Men and Iron Man, will receive the Producers Guild 2012 Vanguard Award and is also being honored with the Visual Effects Society's 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award. Earlier this year, Lee received a star on the Walk of Fame.

Times are good for Lee and his army of brigadiers, and things look set to get even better. Excelsior!

Blog: All the news that's fit to print

Blog

All the news that's fit to print

Blog: Don Lemon, Tucker Carlson Out; Bet Who's Next

Blog

Don Lemon, Tucker Carlson Out: Bet Who's Next

Shockwaves in the world of cable news as two of the more controversial personalities have been ousted.

CNN and Fox News released statements at nearly the same time that Don Lemon and Tucker Carlson will be exiting their respective networks and now BetOnline has released odds on the next to go in the world of cable news.

Gambling911.com has released its preliminary odds with Maria Bartiromo and Jeanine Pirro each listed at -120 odds.  But rumors that John King will be replaced by his ex-wife Dana Bash as host of CNN's "Inside Politics" and the usual Jim Acosta firing rumors have both men with short odds (King at 6-1 and Acosta at 3-1).   King would likely continue his role as political commentator at CNN.

Actual BetOnline Odds Up Now

Who will be the next Fox News or CNN host to leave position?             

Jeanine Pirro (Fox)                    2-1

Mark Levin (Fox)                       3-1

Jim Acosta (CNN)                      4-1

Laura Ingraham (Fox)                4-1

Maria Bartiroma (Fox)               6-1

Sean Hannity (Fox)                    7-1

Erin Burnett (CNN)                    25-1

Anderson Cooper (CNN)            50-1

Jake Tapper (CNN)                    50-1

Place Your Bets Here

Tucker's Next Media Job

Tucker Carlson's Next Media Job                      

OANN               2-1

Rumble             3-1

Breitbart           4-1

Newsmax         5-1

Netflix              16-1

Amazon Prime  20-1

ABC                  25-1

CBS                  25-1

Truth Social      25-1

Politico             30-1

Axios                40-1

NBC/MSNBC     40-1

CNN                 50-1

Fox media reporter and host of "Media Buzz", Howie Kurtz, is right up there at 5-1 odds as well.  Mark Levin comes in at 4-1 odds.  He hosts as Sunday show on Fox News. 

MSNBC news personalities seem to be on solid ground for the moment with the exception of Chuck Todd, who is sometimes ridiculed within the Twitterverse.

Fox Corp last week settled for $787.5 million with Dominion Voting Systems over defamation charges.  Kurtz was mostly silent on the issue.  Bartiromo and Carlson were not, and their on air commentary and/or failure to challenge certain accusations likely led to the lawsuit.  That being said, only one of the 20 allegedly defamatory Fox broadcasts mentioned in the lawsuit came from Carlson’s top-rated show.

Dominion did get its hands on Carlson’s group chat with fellow Fox primetime stars Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham, all of which were widely publicized. Carlson privately contended that the 2020 presidential election had not been stolen, all the while offering different takes via his popular television show.  Tucker's show is the most watched cable news network program.

This statement appeared on the Fox News website shortly after the 12 pm ET hour.

"FOX News Media and Tucker Carlson have agreed to part ways. We thank him for his service to the network as a host and prior to that as a contributor.

"Mr. Carlson’s last program was Friday April 21st. Fox News Tonight will air live at 8 PM/ET starting this evening as an interim show helmed by rotating FOX News personalities until a new host is named.

"FOX News Media operates the FOX News Channel (FNC), FOX Business Network (FBN), FOX News Digital, FOX News Audio, FOX News Books, the direct-to-consumer streaming services FOX Nation and FOX News International and the free ad-supported television service FOX Weather. Currently the number one network in all of cable, FNC has also been the most watched television news channel for more than 21 consecutive years, while FBN ranks among the top business channels on cable. Owned by Fox Corporation, FOX News Media reaches nearly 200 million people each month."

Don Lemon's ouster came as little surprise following a rocky start to his morning show hosting duties.

“I was informed this morning by my agent that I have been terminated. I am stunned,” Lemon wrote in a statement posted to Twitter.

Lemon had worked for the network for 17 years.

In recent months, Lemon berated his on-air co-host Kaitlan Collins and made an ageist and sexist remark pertaining to Republican presidential contender Nikki Haley "not being in her prime".

"Nikki Haley isn't in her prime. Sorry," he said.  "When - a woman is considered to be in her prime in her 20s and 30s and maybe 40s."

Blog: Politics, News, Art, Illustrations, Creative, Content and more showcased via Media Man Facebook and social media; Art and news do mix

Politics, News, Art, Illustrations, Creative, Content and more showcased via Media Man Facebook and social media; Art and news do mix

Blog: The Man In The Arena

The Man In The Arena

Blog: Donald Trump Announces $99 Digital Trading Card NFTs The edition of 45,000 NFTs features the former president in various fantasy costumes and poses. It will be minted on Polygon.

Donald Trump Announces $99 Digital Trading Card NFTs The edition of 45,000 NFTs features the former president in various fantasy costumes and poses. It will be minted on Polygon.

Collect Trump Cards (Image credit: Trump Trading Cards)

New York: Donald Trump teased a “major announcement” just weeks after declaring a third presidential run, leading political-watchers to speculate about big campaign moves.

Instead, he hawked digital trading cards with his head atop cartoon super-hero figures in an NFT market that’s already sagging.

Trump said on his Truth Social platform that the “Donald Trump Digital Trading Card collection” could be collected like baseball cards and stored digitally (a NFT, or non-fungible token, is essentially a unique digital file). The “cards” cost $US99 ($147) each and people who buy them are also entered into a sweepstake for prizes including a golf outing with the former US president.

They are being offered by NFT INT LLC, which says on its website that they are not connected to Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign and the company is not owned, managed or controlled by Trump, his company, or their affiliates. Trump gets paid under a licence for use of his name and likeness, according to the website.

Trump has over the years licensed the Trump brand to a number of third-party, and mostly failed, products including steak, vodka, an airline and a university.

The market for NFTs has fallen sharply in recent months along with the rest of the crypto universe, which has endured a series of spectacular blow-ups including the November implosion of Sam Bankman-Fried’s FTX digital-asset empire.

Trump had teased the announcement with a post on his social platform on Wednesday depicting himself as a Superman-like character standing in front of Trump Tower with lasers shooting from his eyes saying, “America needs a superhero”. In crypto parlance, laser eyes are a bullish signal and that picture is now one of the available digital cards.

There was speculation that the “major announcement” would be something dramatic like Trump returning to Twitter or running to be House speaker.

Trump announced on November 15 that he would wage a 2024 White House bid.

Trump’s comeback run has so far been marked by one downturn after another, including being blamed for a disappointing Republican midterm showing; the growing popularity in the party and among voters of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis; the public dinner he held with two well-known anti-Semites; deepening legal woes; subpar online fundraising and polls showing him losing favour among his base.

President Joe Biden took a jab at Trump on Twitter, noting that he, too, had some “MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENTS,” over the last couple of weeks, including signing the Respect for Marriage Act and securing the release of basketball star Brittney Griner from a Russian prison.

Shortly after his NFT announcement, Trump posted a video to his social site to outline what he described as a platform to “reclaim” the right of free speech should he retake the White House in 2024.

Blog: Antonio Inoki - Japanese pro-wrestler and politician - dies, aged 79

Antonio Inoki - Japanese pro-wrestler and politician - dies, aged 79

Blog: Lachlan Murdoch sues Australian website alleging it claimed he was complicit in Jan 6 riots - 24th August 2022

Lachlan Murdoch sues Australian website alleging it claimed he was complicit in Jan 6 riots - 24th August 2022

Crikey’s original article was removed when Murdoch’s lawyer wrote to the news outlet in June but was republished last week.

Rupert Murdoch’s son is suing an Australian website for defamation in a Sydney court over an opinion piece about last year’s Jan 6 Jan insurrection in the US Capitol building.

Fox Corp chief executive Lachlan Murdoch accused Crikey of defamation after the website, he said, accused him of being complicit in the riots last year.

Meanwhile, Crikey publisher Private Media on Wednesday “welcomed” Federal Court proceedings filed this week by Mr Murdoch.

Mr Murdoch’s lawyers claim Crikey published an article in June this year that implied he “illegally conspired with Donald Trump to incite an armed mob to march on the Capitol to physically prevent confirmation of the outcome of the 2020 presidential election”.

In the article that ran on 29 June, lawyers claimed it described Mr Murdoch as an “unindicted co-conspirator” in the effort by Trump supporters to overturn his 2020 election loss to president Joe Biden, stated the lawsuit.

“Murdoch has been gravely injured in his character, his personal reputation, and his professional reputation,” the lawsuit added.

Crikey’s editor Peter Fray, and Eric Beecher, the chairman of its publisher Private Media, said, “we are determined to fight for the integrity and importance of diverse independent media in Australian democracy”.

This week, Crikey’s Murdoch letters series revealed how media power works in the country. Private Media chief Will Hayward said: “We welcome Lachlan Murdoch’s writ. We believe that coverage of the events of 6 January at the US Capitol, and the role of Fox News in those events, is absolutely legitimate.”

Sydney Morning Herald quoted Mr Hayward as saying that “the best way to support our case is to subscribe to Crikey”.

He posted a series of tweets with a link to subscribe and said: “Here in Australia, if we lose the case in court, the cost to Crikey could be millions in damages and legal costs.”

Crikey’s original article was removed from the website along with a Facebook post and tweet when Mr Murdoch’s lawyer John Churchill wrote to the news outlet in June. Local media reported it was republished last week, triggering moves to file proceedings.

Blog: 2011 - WWE Gambles On Cigy Angle; WWE Lights Up Debate With Tobacco In Media, by Greg Tingle - 20th April 2011

WWE Lights Up Debate With Tobacco In Media...

Regular readers will know all too well that Media Man and and Gambling911 cover all matter of vice in their news reports. Usually its gambling or casino news, but we also cover crime, technology, odds on events and from time to time, cigarettes.

Cigarettes - tobacco or ciggies if you prefer, are back in the news, especially when it comes to the United States and Australia.

Down under the debate is on the way as to if plain packaging should be used at the point of sale (which may help them loose their appeal)... then again, it may work out the opposite also, as when products and services become more controversial, they also often become more popular!

Now leading American owned and operated media company, WWE (formally World Wrestling Federation - before they decided they we not so much wrestling, but sports entertainment), has been dragged into the tobacco in news media debate with one of their stars lighting up a cigarette as part of a story line.

The WWE superstar - the curiously named R-Truth (Ron Killings)... not Cig Killings, lit her up and has raised the ire of anti tobacco advocates across the global including Patrick Reynolds from Tobacco Free.org, who is calling for an apology on the stunt.

TMZ broke the story earlier today, but news media wires across the globe and running with it hard, including heated debate at Wrestling Observer Newsletter and the Pro Wrestling Torch.

Reynolds said on the wrestling superstar, "If he wants help in quitting, I'll be happy to be his personal coach."

The WWE issued a statement to TMZ defending the cigarette incident -- saying, "The negative effect smoking has on one’s health and physical performance was a part of a storyline on last night’s Monday Night Raw. Negative depictions of tobacco use on television are not unusual and can be seen on other TV-PG shows."

A Media Man spokesperson said "We're going to back up the WWE and Killings all the way on this one. It's a storyline, not unlike the sort of thing you would see on other American sitcoms, TV series and the like. The WWE audience is not stupid and audiences realise it's showbiz. Most of the programming is clearing PG-13, but somethings things get blurred. It's no secret that smoking is not good for you, and that the way WWE and Killings presented it. Last Monday Night may have been more Raw that usual, but we believe that they did not cross the line. It was interesting and entertaining television in our estimation. As is often the case, it was a small but vocal number of people who complained. For the record, none of our staff smoke either, but most enjoy WWE programming.

A few months ago the WWE also attracted mixed press coverage when it was discovered they offered WWE Poker on their website.

Punters may also be interested to know that a decade ago the then World Wrestling Federation, formally also known as Titan Sports and World Wide Wrestling Federation purchase a land based casino in Las Vegas, however they never developed the sites and chose to sell it for a profit. Returned WWE superstar Kevin "Diesel" Nash also once played a smooth talking Vegas character 'Vinnie Vegas' in World Championship Wrestling.

WWE superstars gamble with their life and risk their neck and back every time they step into the squared circle wrestling ring.

We like one of the WWE slogans 'Don't try this at home', but when it comes to gambling as a whole its hard to beat 'Bet with your head, not over it, and have fun'.

WWE will be touring Australia from July 1st.

Australian Government To Try Boring Cig Packaging In Attempt To Reduce Consumption...

Down under in Australia the government in all their wisdom is pushing hard for a new tool in goal to cut smoking rates: extremely boring cigarette packages!

The government has announced legislation that would ban logos, colors, brand imagery, and promotional text, while mandating that all packages be olive green-determined in studies to be the least appealing color. The move would "take away the tobacco industry’s final capacity to promote its product," says a professor of public health.

Australia has long been a leader in war on tobacco, the Christian Science Monitor reports, but this time Aussie land will face a hell of a fight fight from the tobacco industry. A legal challenge has been threatened, alleging that the proposed legislation infringes on international trademark laws.

Should the government's plan comes to pass, brand names will appear on each cigarette package in a standard font, and the rest of the box will be covered in health warnings.

Summary: boring packages, but will that really stop folks from lighting up, or even trying a cigy for the first time. We're not sold, how about you?

Cigy moving for readers interested: 'Coffee and Cigarettes'
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0379217
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffee_and_Cigarettes

WWE profile
http://www.mediamanint.com/profiles/wwe.html

Sin City profile
http://www.mediamanint.com/profiles/sin_city.html

*The writer is a regular contributor for Gambling911

*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. They also publish Wrestling News Media http://www.wrestlingnewsmedia.com

Media Blog: Casino News Media and Media Man Group: News from Las Vegas, Canada, Australia and across the globe

Media Blog

Casino News Media and Media Man Group: News from Las Vegas, Canada, Australia and across the globe

Nevada records fourth highest July gaming win in history and second highest on the Strip

Nevada gaming surpassed $1 billion in revenue for the 17th consecutive month in July, marking the fourth highest monthly total in history at $1.31 billion and the second highest ever on the Las Vegas Strip. It took a record July 2021 to keep last month from surpassing that total. July 2022’s revenue decreased $43 million, a drop of 3.2%, from the $1.35 billion in July 2021, according to the Nevada Gaming Control Board.

IGT to pay $270 million to settle social gaming lawsuit

Global gaming giant IGT says it will pay almost US$270 million to settle a class action lawsuit brought against it by customers of its former social gaming subsidiary DoubleDown Interactive Co Ltd (DDI). The company said this week that it has reached an agreement in principle in the case of Benson v DoubleDown Interactive LLC, which was first launched in 2017 just a few months after IGT disposed of DDI in a hefty US$825 million deal.

Ontarians wager $4 billion (CAD), market produces $162 million gaming revenue in first quarter

The public can finally see numbers indicating how Ontario‘s new regulated iGaming and online sports betting market is performing since its launch on April 4. Ontarians wagered more than $4 billion (CAD) and the market produced $162 million total gaming revenue — from iCasino, online sports betting, and online poker — for the period of April 4-June 30, according to the first revenue report released by iGaming Ontario. (As of Aug. 30, $1 CAD is equal to $0.76 USD.)

California: Top elected officials voice opposition to Proposition 27

Though California Gov. Gavin Newsom deems himself neutral on Proposition 27, the digital sports betting ballot initiative with funding earmarked for homelessness and mental health programs, several other key elected officials voiced strong opposition to the measure Monday in describing it as a sham. “Proposition 27 exploits California’s tribes and our resources while making no real investments in California,” Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis said in a press release shared by the No on 27 campaign.

VSiN’s announces new fall lineup featuring Broadcast Hall of Famer Brent Musburger

VSiN’s new fall schedule that launches today will be headlined by a member of the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame. “Countdown to Kickoff with Brent Musburger,” is the centerpiece of NFL football coverage on Sundays by the Las Vegas-based sports betting network owned by DraftKings. “The addition of this new programming and its industry leading talent will position VSiN to provide the growing number of sports bettors in the U.S. with expert betting insights and premium content,” said VSiN General Manager Len Mead in a statement.

Las Vegas: Circa, Able Baker Brewing partner to create ‘Vegas Vickie Neon Blonde’ beer

Las Vegas’ famous neon kicking cowgirl now has her own beer. Able Baker Brewing Company and Circa Resort & Casino in downtown Las Vegas have teamed up to create a custom blonde lager beer – the Vegas Vickie Neon Blonde. The new brew pays homage to the iconic kicking neon cowgirl, Vegas Vickie. According to a news release, the the 4.5% ABV beverage, which is only available at Circa, will be served in a 16 oz. can. The drink is described as a crisp and clean lager with more character and depth of flavor than the standard light beer.

Ainsworth returns to profit in FY22 as American markets boost recovery

Australian slot machine supplier Ainsworth Game Technology Limited (AGT) returned to profit in the financial year ended 30 June 2022, aided by improved performance in Latin America and the global-wide recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Profit After Tax reached AU$11.8 million (US$8.2 million), reversing an AU$53.4 million (US$37.1 million) loss in FY21 on the back of a 38% year-on-year increase in revenue to AU$220.2 million (US$152.9 million). This included revenue of AU$100.7 million (US$69.9 million) in the first six months of the financial year and AU$119.5 million (US$83.0 million) in the second half.

Blog: Jesse Ventura: Substack

Jesse Ventura: Substack

Blog: Valuetainment wins Media Man 'Podcast Of The Month' again

Valuetainment wins Media Man 'Podcast Of The Month' again

Blackstone gets green light to operate Crown Sydney Casino

Blackstone gets green light to operate Crown Sydney Casino

The NSW Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority has approved funds manager Blackstone’s suitability to hold a casino licence in NSW, paving the way for the company to become the operator of Crown Sydney casino.

The NSW Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority has approved funds manager Blackstone’s suitability to hold a casino licence in NSW, paving the way for the company to become the operator of Crown Sydney casino. 

Authority Chairperson Philip Crawford said Blackstone had been subject to an extensive probity assessment that examined its capacity to address the risks and issues of concern identified in the Bergin Report.

“The probity assessment has also resulted in certain persons being approved to become “close associates” of Crown Sydney,” Mr Crawford said.

“These approvals are a key step in the Authority’s ongoing work to ensure Crown Sydney is able to fully meet its undertakings for major operational, governance and structural reforms.

“As the prospective owner of Crown Resorts, Blackstone has been required to demonstrate the highest standards of probity as well as a commitment to deliver the full suite of operational changes recommended by the Bergin Inquiry.

“This commitment is vital to ensure Crown Sydney is free from criminal influence and properly manages the risks of harm associated with casino activities.” 

The Authority’s regulatory approvals follow a meeting of Crown shareholders on 20 May that voted overwhelmingly to accept Blackstone’s takeover offer. 

Mr Crawford said Blackstone has also been required to meet certain conditions under a private equity model of ownership.

“These approvals and conditions are dependent on Blackstone gaining Federal Court approval for its takeover of Crown, as well as the necessary regulatory approvals from Victorian and Western Australia regulators, Mr Crawford said.  

“Separately, the Authority has worked closely with Crown on plans for a conditional opening of gaming at Crown Sydney  

 “This would allow the Authority to monitor the implementation by Crown of  its obligations under revised internal control measures.”

Blog: Elon Musk Zone YouTube Channel Wins Media Man 'Pop Culture Podcast Channel Of The Month' award

Elon Musk Zone YouTube Channel Wins Media Man 'Pop Culture Podcast Channel Of The Month' award

Labor to deliver on federal anti-corruption commission ‘this year’ (Sky News Australia)

Labor to deliver on federal anti-corruption commission ‘this year’ (Sky News Australia)

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Greg Tingle

Corruption is a strong part of Australian and global political culture - the business of politics. The cat is well and truly out of the bag. The cats currently running the streets in Europe, just down the back alley from Davos. Why would politics want to get rid of one of key elements that got them into power, and helps keep them there, in the first place?! Makes good copy anyway. News is something, someone, somewhere doesn't want anyone else to know. Everything else is PR! Hunter S. Thompson would have a field day with this one. Gonzo Journalism Week Has Been Extended!

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Bally's River West Resort - Casino in Chicago, USA?

Bally's River West Resort - Casino in Chicago, USA?

Rhode Island-based Bally's appears to be the last casino up for consideration in the Windy City of Chicago.

Alderman Pat Dowell announced on Monday she "cannot support” Hard Rock International’s plan to open a casino as part of the proposed mega-development in her ward, citing neighbors’ fears over crime and the potential for overcrowding.

Bally's is the only proposal left on the table.  That company is looking to develop a casino resort in the River West section of the city.  The alderman there has not come out against a gambling site in the ward.

City leaders are looking to tap revenue from the eventual casino to fund Chicago's pension obligations.

“I believe a casino will support the growth and prosperity of the City by adding a sought-after destination amenity to Chicago’s already world-class tourism and hospitality offerings,” Dowell wrote in her statement. “I know first-hand how vital a casino is to the City’s bottom line. The revenues from a Chicago casino will go a long way towards ensuring we meet our obligations to the Police and Fire pension funds.”

But she added that city leaders must balance the “positive aspects of each casino proposal” against “the needs and wishes of the existing community.”

“The Hard Rock Casino at ONE Central would be dropped into an existing, well-established family community in the Prairie District of Chicago’s South Loop,” Dowell wrote. “Because of that, I have concerns about the density of the Hard Rock Casino proposal.”

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Media and Sports Agent Greg Tingle Assisting United Australia Party In Media Capacity; Kingsford-Smith Region of Sydney - Tony Tawaf

Media and Sports Agent Greg Tingle Assisting United Australia Party In Media Capacity; Kingsford-Smith Region of Sydney - Tony Tawaf