• Comcast Corp.’s NBCUniversal reported revenue of $6.1 billion for the second quarter — a 25 percent year-over-year decrease — with its advertising revenue dropping 27 percent and distribution revenue down 15 percent during the same time period. Comcast said that the company’s Peacock streaming service, which launched for Comcast cable subscribers in April before premiering nationwide on July 15, has attracted 10 million sign-ups so far. (Deadline Hollywood)

• The 2020 Primetime Emmys will be held virtually, according to a letter from the ceremony’s executive producers and host Jimmy Kimmel, which told acting nominees to prepare to participate from their homes, and that technicians, producers and writers will work with them to produce the ceremony remotely. (Variety) 

• ViacomCBS Inc. is adding 70 shows to CBS All Access today, including MTV’s “Laguna Beach,” Nickelodeon’s “SpongeBob SquarePants” and Comedy Central’s “Chappelle’s Show.” The company is set to relaunch the service under a new name with 30,000 TV shows and movies in early 2021, but has no plans to raise the price of the platform, which currently costs $5.99 a month for the ad-supported version and $9.99 a month for the ad-free plan. (CNBC)

Ashley Judd Can Sue Harvey Weinstein for Sexual Harassment, Court Rules
Neil Vigdor, The New York Times 

The actress Ashley Judd can proceed with a sexual harassment claim as part of a lawsuit against Harvey Weinstein, the movie mogul imprisoned for sex crimes and a focus of the #MeToo movement, an appeals court ruled on Wednesday.

Writers Guild Members Approve New TV/Theatrical Deal
Erik Hayden, The Hollywood Reporter 

After reaching a tentative agreement with Hollywood producers on July 1 amid the pandemic, Writers Guild of America members have now voted to approve the new three-year TV/theatrical deal.

Disney World employees describe the cost of staying safe as coronavirus cases surge in Florida
Shoshy Ciment, Business Insider

For Kristen Gainey, the pandemic became real the day Disney World closed. “To think that something that barely closes for hurricanes and stuff is shut down, was kind of crazy,” said the Walt Disney World cosmetologist who has worked in the Florida theme park for the last eight years.

One Direction’s Tenth Anniversary Prompts 468% YouTube Catalog Spike
Eli Countryman, Variety 

One Direction’s “hiatus” hasn’t stifled its streaming success. The band’s music catalog experienced a 468% increase on YouTube Music in response to the band’s 10th anniversary on July 23, despite members going their own ways in 2015.

Why Movie Theater Reopenings Overseas Show ‘Early Signs of Progress’ for the Industry
Trey Williams, The Wrap Pro 

Hollywood has resigned itself to forgo releasing new movies in theaters (for now), instead rolling out shelved wares overseas in markets where the novel coronavirus pandemic is more under control.

Cineworld Reacts To Universal-AMC Theatrical Window Crunching PVOD Deal: “We Do Not See Any Business Sense In This Model”
Anthony D’Alessandro and Nancy Tartaglione, Deadline Hollywood 

Those in town assuming that one of the other big exhibition circuits will fall in line with AMC and seek their own 17-day theatrical window-PVOD deal with Universal will soon realize that it will be a cold day in hell. Cineworld CEO Mooky Greidinger, who oversees the world’s second largest chain, exclusively tells Deadline that “We do not see any business sense in this model” when it comes to Universal and AMC’s agreement for a 17-day theatrical window for movies, with an option to go on PVOD thereafter.

‘Tenet’ Approved for Theatrical Release in China
Rebecca Davis, Variety 

“Tenet” announced Wednesday that it has passed government approvals for a theatrical release in China, an indication that an official release date is now on the horizon.

Universal Pictures’ deal with AMC doesn’t necessarily mean you can quickly see big movies at home
Steven Zeitchik, The Washington Post 

A newly announced deal between Universal Pictures and the nation’s largest theater chain to bring movies quickly to digital platforms is sending shock waves through Hollywood, with many rival theaters criticizing it for terms on which they were not consulted and benefits on which they are not included.

What AMC and Universal’s deal to shorten the theatrical window to 17 days means for the future of movies
Travis Clark, Business Insider 

After a three-month feud, Universal Pictures and AMC Theatres, the largest theatrical chain in the world, have reached a deal that could have major ramifications for the future of the movie business.

Tyler Perry Talks “Camp Quarantine” and Challenges of Filming Amid a Pandemic
Bryn Elise Sandberg, The Hollywood Reporter 

When it comes to getting Hollywood back to work, few industry leaders have been as proactive as Tyler Perry. Back in May, when much of the country was still under stay-at-home orders, the Atlanta-based mogul announced that he planned to restart filming on two of his BET series, Sistas and The Oval, in July. 

Despite Coronavirus, Food Network Has Been Stuffing Its Viewers With New Programs
Kate Aurthur, Variety 

In June, two perennial Food Network shows, Guy Fieri’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” and Robert Irvine’s “Restaurant: Impossible,” went back into production. It was the first time either show shot on location since the coronavirus pandemic brought all television and film production to a dramatic halt in mid-March.

The Hallmark Channel Has to Be Brave to Evolve Its Brand
Joachim Scholz, Adweek 

Hallmark Channel is facing a boycott again. In what almost seems like a sequel to its same-sex kiss controversy earlier this year, the company has come under fire for announcing that upcoming Christmas movies would feature LGBTQ+ storylines.

Inside Netflix’s Strong Black Lead, how the streamer showcases a variety of Black experiences
KC Ifeanyi, Fast Company 

When Netflix’s marketing arm Strong Black Lead officially launched in 2018, it was a flag in the ground that one of the world’s leading entertainment companies would use its influence to amplify Black voices and creators—and not just during Black History Month or another uprising.

Fans are ecstatic that Netflix acquired ‘Moesha,’ ‘Girlfriends,’ and other classic Black ’90s sitcoms
Starr Rhett Rocque, Fast Company 

#BlackTwitter is celebrating the little bit of good news in this world on this #ThrowbackThursday eve. Netflix’s Strong Black Lead announced that seven beloved Black sitcoms from the ’90s and ’00s are coming to the streamer starting August 1. 

Here’s how Snap’s diversity stacks up against Silicon Valley
Sam Dean, Los Angeles Times 

For years, as major tech companies shared regular reports on the diversity of their workforces, Snap Inc. kept that data secret.

TikTok’s new CEO says company will reveal how its algorithms work
Sara Fischer, Axios 

In his first public statement as CEO of TikTok, former Disney exec Kevin Mayer says the company will be releasing that code that drives its content-moderation algorithms so that experts can observe how its policies are enforced in real time. He says TikTok will also reveal its data flows to regulators, and is calling on its rivals to do the same.

Breaking Off TikTok Will Be Hard to Do
Juro Osawa et al., The Information 

Under pressure from the Trump administration, ByteDance is considering selling control of its blockbuster social video app, TikTok. But carving TikTok out of ByteDance would mean cutting off the app’s access to a wide range of technology, powering everything from personalized recommendations to advertising to content moderation. 

Theaters About to Get More Hooked on Blockbusters
Dan Gallagher, The Wall Street Journal 

If nothing else, movie-theater operators will soon find out who their true fans really are. On paper, the agreement announced late Tuesday between Universal Pictures and AMC Entertainment is just that—a peace deal between two companies that recently took their spat over movie-release windows public.

Box Office Bends to Hollywood, Forever Changing Movie-Going
Tara Lachapelle, Bloomberg 

That sound you just heard is a window shattering, and Comcast Corp. billionaire Brian Roberts is holding the brick. I’m talking about the theatrical window, that is — the period during which movies are available exclusively at cinemas before viewers can watch them at home. 

What AMC and Universal’s Historic Streaming Deal Really Means for Moviegoers
Chris Lee, Vulture 

In a summer when global pandemic has plagued the movie industry with a rash of theater closures, turning soundstages into ghost towns and infecting the global filmmaking and distributing ecosystem with job losses, AMC and Universal have agreed to roll up the window. That is to say, America’s largest theater chain and one of Hollywood’s five major studios have agreed to put aside their well-publicized differences to strike a historic deal permitting Universal’s movie releases to stream on paid video-on-demand platforms a mere 17 days after they are shown in theaters.

How the TV Industry Can Better Protect Writers From the Next Toxic Showrunner
Marti Noxon and Kater Gordon, The Hollywood Reporter 

In late 2017, Emmy-winning Mad Men writer Kater Gordon accused the show’s creator, Matthew Weiner, of sexual harassment. In a corroborated article, she alleged that while working together late one night on the former AMC drama, Weiner told her that she owed it to him to let him see her naked.