Entertainment Lawyers

 As streaming becomes the go-to entertainment service, do the familiar names in TV spaces still have the audience-pulling equity they once did? And do audiences even care? That’s a question that’s been occupying headlines since HBO announced it is returning the HBO brand to its flagship Max streamer. We have our expert entertainment lawyer Los Angeles at Blake & Wang P.A., Brandon Blake, to offer his insight.                                                                            Brandon Blake The Power of (the Perception of) Quality Many were surprised when HBO made the announcement that, a mere 2 years after rebranding their streaming platform to Max, they would be rolling back the clock and returning to the HBO brand name. Their reasoning was that the HBO brand itself has long b...

 A strong box office benefits us all, of course, but Warner Bros. Discovery must have a particularly shiny smile this week, with both the stand-out performers coming from them. Our entertainment attorney Los Angeles in the know, Blake & Wang P.A.’s Brandon Blake, fills in the details.                                                                    Brandon Blake Shattering Domestic and Global Milestones The Minecraft Movie has now passed the $900M threshold globally, making it the second-highest grossing video adaption of all time (and that’s without adjusting for inflation, which may see it take the top spot). Needless to say, it’s currently the top contender for top grossing film of the year domestically so far. Captain America: Brave New World slides into second place. The Surprising Success o...

 Samsung, already a leader in sheer volume for FAST channels, is now introducing a broadcast network-style central platform to anchor its dominance in this growing market. Unveiled at their NewFronts presentation last week, there could be interesting shifts ahead. Brandon Blake, entertainment lawyer Los Angeles at Blake & Wang P.A., takes a closer look.                                                                            Brandon Blake Introducing Samsung Television Network Ambitiously calling it the “broad-FAST channel of the future,” the new FAST “network” will incorporate live sports offerings alongside key library fare such as late-night stalwarts. Letterman himself made an appearance at the NewFronts event to talk more about the show’s new channel.   We’ve seen cons...

  Lionsgate Shareholders Weigh in on Looming Split from Starz As we approach the final formalities in the separation between Lionsgate and its Starz arm, we’ve finally seen regulatory processes close and the split head to shareholders for a final vote. With further details, we have entertainment lawyer Los Angeles , Brandon Blake, at Blake & Wang P.A.                                                                        Brandon Blake Overwhelming Investor Support During a special shareholders meeting last Wednesday, Lionsgate shareholders gave their overwhelming support to the planned split between the two entities. This will see Lionsgate rebrand as Lionsgate Studios Corp, and Starz reformed as Starz Entertainment Corp. Other necessary proxy resolutions, including the new board of director...

 FAST streaming services have become a critical cornerstone of the streaming ecosystem, if an often forgotten one. While Roku holds the crown in the FAST arena, Samsung’s recent advances in the space have certainly created some competition for them— and may have actually claimed the crown. Brandon Blake, our expert entertainment attorney in Los Angeles from Blake & Wang P.A., looks for a winner in the battle of the FAST providers.                                                                           Brandon Blake The Battle of the FAST Platforms Samsung is certainly happy to claim the FAST crown, and with 700 FAST channels now open in the US market under their banner, they may have a point. As with Roku, they had a natural entry into the FAST ecosystem, in this case through their Smart T...

    While we’ve seen plenty of consolidatory action from larger studios in the post-pandemic period, we’ve seen considerably less movement on the indie front. However, with Shout! acquiring fellow indie distributor, Gravitas Ventures, there’s now an incredibly impressive indie film library for them to draw on. To tell us more, we have Brandon Blake, entertainment lawyer at Blake & Wang P.A.                                                                            Brandon Blake Continuing as Independent Brands Despite the consolidation, however, both Gravitas Ventures and Shout! will be continuing to acquire content separately. However, the increase in scale will no doubt bring to life better monetization opportunities for their content across both streaming and linear. Gravi...

  LA’s production-related woes are hardly news at present. With a dire need to encourage more TV series and films to choose LA as their filming destination, hoping to offset the 30% plunge in production we’ve seen over the last 5 years, there could well be reason to believe mid-budget movies will be returning to the LA area. Brandon Blake, entertainment lawyer Los Angeles at Blake & Wang P.A., shares the news.                                                                          Brandon Blake   New Plans   We’ve already seen some major proposed overhauls to the city’s tax incentive plans, which would bring LA back into line with some of the more compelling local and international location destinations. However, a small local group, including some LA City Councilmembers, ar...