Latest in Corporate Affairs

Vince McMahon, the longtime face of and force behind the WWE and the company’s chairman and CEO, is stepping aside pending an investigation into “alleged executive misconduct” by a special committee of the board of directors. His daughter, Stephanie McMahon, who herself had recently taken a pause from the company in…

The coronavirus pandemic may in remission to some degree across America, but the lawsuits over Hollywood protocols and vaccination mandates look far from over. Following in the legal footsteps of pink slipped General Hospital cast member Ingo Rademacher, two former crew members on the ABC produced soap are now suing…

Digital sports firm Fanatics has hired former Dick Clark Productions chief Mike Mahan in the newly created role of CEO of its trading cards and collectibles business. The collectibles division includes brands like Topps, Candy Digital and zerocool. Fanatics acquired Topps from former Disney CEO Michael Eisner’s…

EXCLUSIVE: Casey Benesch, a former Netflix executive who helped build up the streaming giant’s stature in comedy, is moving to rival Prime Video to head up comedy marketing. The move was announced internally by Ukonwa Ojo, global chief marketing officer for Prime Video and Amazon Studios. Benesch will report to Ojo…

Talent Systems, which makes software for casting and auditioning, has made two significant acquisitions in the unscripted and reality TV sector. One deal is for the eTribez casting platform, which has been used for major reality shows Survivor, Big Brother, Idol, Love Island and MasterChef. The other is for Staff Me Up…

As it boosts the number of film and TV adaptations of its properties, Mattel has hired Disney and Marvel veteran Josh Silverman as global head of consumer products and chief franchise officer. Silverman will oversee global consumer products licensing, franchise management, retail development, publishing, live…

Visual effects firm DNEG, which has worked on projects like Stranger Things and Knives Out as well as launching an animation division, and merger partner Sports Ventures Acquisition Corp. have bailed on their plans to come together. Since the merger was announced last January, market conditions have deteriorated for…

UPDATED, 5:10 PM: Just about a year ago, the Walt Disney Co. announced plans to move most Southern California-based jobs not fully dedicated to Disneyland in its Parks, Experiences and Products Division to a new regional facility in Central Florida. What a difference a year makes. Today, after months of less-than-ideal…

The World Wrestling Entertainment board is investigating longtime Chairman/CEO Vince McMahon for previously undisclosed settlement agreements with former employees. Those include a payoff of $3 million to a female employee he allegedly had an affair with, according to a Wall Street Journal report. McMahon is the…

EXCLUSIVE: Lionsgate and The Sandbox have formed a partnership to create a film and TV destination in the metaverse, describing it as “part virtual real estate, part amusement park.” The Sandbox, a subsidiary of Animoca Brands, put out popular mobile games hits in the 2010s before shifting its focus to bringing IP and…

Jon Steinlauf, Warner Bros Discovery’s Chief U.S. Advertising Sales Officer declined to offer an update on the company’s upfront ad sales progress during Credit Suisse’s 24th Annual Communications Conference. “There’ll be a time for that,” he replied to the Wall Street firm’s Doug Mitchelson when the analyst asked…

Microsoft has officially stopped supporting its Explorer web browser, a key tool in its rise to tech-industry dominance in the early Internet era but also a key element in the government’s landmark antitrust case against the software firm. The company signaled a year ago that it would start sending users to its Edge…