Entertainment Lawyers

  From humble beginnings as a set-top box manufacturer for Netflix, to a booming slice of the streaming market during the global health pandemic, ROKU hasn’t done too badly for itself. It’s not exactly news that streaming services overall are one of the few arms of the entertainment industry that have seen positive growth through the global health crisis.  Super-streamer ROKU has opted for a slightly different approach to the standard subscription model, however. Instead, they’ve opted to go with an advertising-based revenue stream. Commercials for ad-supported services and a share of the PPV and subscription service revenue on offer through its streaming sticks comprise the bulk of its revenue. In this way, it’s consolidated and leverage many streaming services for one smart package. While it seems to break the subscription service model, we’re also seeing consumers turn away from subscription only. It’s not all that surprising. Entertainment budgets are no longer as lib...

  Perhaps one of the most pressing issues for the entertainment industry at present, the need for some form of COVID-relief (and knowing who will be eligible for it) is a hot talking point. With the elections finally behind us, and the prospect of a Biden/Harris administration now incoming, what could happen on this thorny issue? BLAKE & WANG P.A takes a look The first question is whether or not the ‘lame duck’ congress session will address the package, or if we will actually be forced to wait on Biden being sworn in. Should anything happen during this fraught transition period, the other question will be whether Trump will finally work with Democrats or continue to teter between suggesting massive bailouts and refusing to negotiate.  Exhibition theaters have been the most vocal about needing urgent help now, but other sectors of the entertainment industry are equally as hopeful. From tax credits to retain workers through hiring incentives and cheap small-business loa...

Alongside the other dominant movie theater location, New York, the continued shuttering of California’s lively movie theater scene has been seen universally as a devastating loss of market share and income alike for the beleaguered exhibition industry. In one of the first pieces of good news, we’ve seen in a long time, it seems there’s a final movement to get key California locations open again, with Cinemark opting to open across a range of their California theaters. Cinemark already has about 85% of its theaters operating throughout the U.S. The exhibitor, currently America’s third-largest has 13 locations open in the Greater Bay Area. In the last two weeks, we’ve also seen five of its largest Alameda County theaters reopen, joined by at least one San Francisco multiplex and some key locations in Santa Clara county a few days later.  Cinemark currently doesn't have a whole lot of competition in the state. With California’s strict COVID-19 health precautions on the table, inclu...

  With Tyler Perry Studios, a cornerstone of the Atlanta studio industry, being among the first production companies in the country to reopen, what’s the secret to their continued ability to work? To date, strict quarantine and rigorous testing. BLAKE & WANG P.A take a closer look.  The Tyler Perry model has seen mandatory masking and social distancing on set and off, and the creation of a ‘bubble’ that has managed to retain a safe working environment despite several positive screening tests. Other studios have climbed on board with similar plans, no doubt benefited by the boost to testing capacity and speed we’ve seen as medical teams get to grips with the virus. While COVID-19 testing and it’s somewhat invasive nasal swabbing becoming part of our daily lives probably is no one’s idea of a great time, it’s allowed casts and crews to return to work. Not that it’s made the transition to the ‘new normal’ a smooth ride. Juggling tests- and testing requirements differ bet...