Sunday Java
Your weekly digest of the top stories across entertainment and tech brought to you by Technically Entertaining.
I’ve been mulling over a weekly digest for Technically Entertaining for a while now. This is the premier edition of us delivering the top stories across the world of entertainment and tech straight to your inbox, as well as what’s on deck for the coming week.
Since we’re sharing this with you, dear reader, on a Sunday morning, we want to create the same sense of slowing down that is reminiscent of days largely gone (unfortunately) where you or your parents would sit at the breakfast table, freshly brewed coffee notes are filling the air, and the rustling of newspaper pages is the only sound breaking through an otherwise calm morning (unless of course there were, or are, small kids in your house). This weekly digest isn’t supposed to give you more to read, more to follow up on, or create more FOMO. We want to help you slow down, take a sip of your coffee, and let your mind wander wherever it may take you upon reading the bite-sized stories in these Sunday editions.
At this point, you have definitely noticed a lot of references to coffee. I can’t help it: I’m a super fan and avid coffee drinker. My go to way to make coffee is a very simple and classic V60 filter. For me, nothing hits better on a Sunday morning than that first sip of freshly brewed coffee.
So you can imagine how delighted I was that this week new studies came out that reinforced the evidence we already had on the positive impact of drinking coffee on your health. I’m not talking about the energy boost from your cup of pick-me-up. I’m taking about an actual decrease in the risk of heart diseases and strokes - before noon seems to be ideal, but studies find that you can have 2-3 cups, if not 4, a day no problem. Here’s the cup that I brewed myself while writing this post.
Hence the name for this special weekly edition: Sunday Java. An ode to slowing down and taking time, an acknowledgement of my love for coffee (also, Morning Brew was already taking - kudos to our friends over there, they’re doing an amazing job), and a wordplay on our focus on the intersection of tech and entertainment stories by referencing one of the world’s most used programming languages.
Lean back, take a sip of your coffee (or tea, I don’t judge), and let’s dive into this week’s digest.
Top stories June 14-20
Colbert gets fired
In a surprise announcement, CBS and late night television host Stephen Colbert stunned its audiences by announcing the show would be cancelled after the next season in May 2026 and Colbert would be fired as well. The official language is that this is purely a “financial decision” amid the high price tag of producing late night content. However, announcing this decision just a few days after CBS parent company Paramount settled a lawsuit with President Trump by paying $16 million in what is effectively a bribe in order to finally clear Paramount’s imminent merger with Skydance Media adds a very weird flavor to this whole story. Skydance CEO David Ellison, son of Oracle founder and billionaire Larry Ellison, has cozied up to the Trump administration over the past few months, and Larry Ellison himself is rumored to be in the mix to acquire whatever part of social media network TikTok will eventually be spun off and sold to US investors. Worries had already been swirling that Skydance leadership would dial up the pressure on Colbert and fellow frequent Trump-critic John Stewart. The sheer optics of this won’t help in quieting any of those rumors down.
For a talent like Colbert, I believe he will look at a world of opportunity. He can go it alone and create his own media company. You’d think HBO, which airs fellow political comedian John Oliver’s show, would be interested in bringing him on board. Maybe a publication like The Atlantic makes a move and expands its media offering with new exclusive content and a different channel. Or Netflix pounces on this opportunity to bring in a magnetic entertainment star and live programming it’s actively looking for right now. Speaking of Netflix…
Netflix and Spotify team up
The streaming giant is working on a partnership with fellow music/podcast/video streamer Spotify. The initial focus is said to be on music-driven shows: think America’s Got Talent, award shows, live concert series, background stories on artists. This mashup makes sense for both sides as it opens their doors to growing their respective subscriber bases while adding unscripted, live content that allows both companies to stay culturally relevant and participate in daily conversations among consumers.
A big winner here could be artists. The content collaboration opens up additional pathways of distribution for artists and their music, establish connection with new fanbases, and grow their own business through strengthened fandom with previously untapped audiences.
Netflix keeps beating expectations
It seemingly doesn’t matter how high Wall Street sets the bar for Netflix. The company just finds a way to beat expectations. Netflix announced its Q2 earnings this week, and the results are nothing short of impressive. 16% revenue increase compared to Q2 last year, resulting in revenue of $11.1 billion for the quarter. Netflix lifted its full-year revenue guidance accordingly to $45.2 billion. As the markets closes on Friday, the stock is up 35.6% for the year and an astonishing 88% for the past 12 months.
Netflix also released the trailer for the fifth and final season of its mega hit show Stranger Things. Set to be released in two volumes at end of November, during Christmas, with the grand finale following on New Year’s Eve. Just give it a watch and you’ll know why Netflix will likely beat its full-year revenue guidance as well.
A family of Blue Heelers dominates streaming
I bet if you asked Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos what one TV show would be that is currently not airing on Netflix, but that he would have loved to have among its own roster, the name Bluey would have to be in the top 3 of his choices.
Just in case you haven’t seen or heard of Bluey: it’s an Australian animated TV series that follows Bluey, an anthropomorphic Blue Heeler puppy, her sister Bingo, and her parents Chilli and Bandit. Ever since the show was picked up by Disney+, it has become a global phenomenon. It’s now aired in over 60 countries and just this week, media analytics firm Nielsen announced a stunning statistic: Bluey is this year’s most watched streaming show, across all streaming platforms. In fact, Bluey is watched 40% more than Netflix’s most streamed show Squid Game.
Especially with Netflix’s recent deal to acquire the rights to Sesame Street to bolster its offering of entertainment content for kids, there’s no way Sarandos and team wouldn’t want to call Bluey their own.
Roblox launches new licensing service
Gaming platform Roblox announced its new licensing platform that gives content creators on Roblox access to well-known entertainment IP from partners of Roblox program.
Roblox’s goal is to have 10% of all global gaming content revenue flow through the Roblox ecosystem - so roughly $20 billion by today’s numbers. A big unlock to drive scale and achieve better monetization of gaming content across different audiences is by leveraging famous IP and tapping into the specific fandom. It’s a recipe that has worked well for mobile games and IP holders alike, and it definitely has potential with Roblox’s growing audience and ecosystem. What’s great about this setup is that all licensing agreements are done between the IP holder and Roblox, so the creator simply adheres to the licensing terms, but there’s no individual negotiation taking place. The crux of how effective this program will be is how much leeway the IP holders give creators with their beloved IP. In other words, how creative - and potentially how “off brand” - can creators be and go when they decide to license Stranger Things characters for the new Roblox game they’re building. If the terms are too restrictive and IP holders aren’t comfortable with letting the creators do their thing, there’s a risk of getting too much of the same and hence stifling the upside of this initiative.
The program launches with prominent partners like Lionsgate, Netflix, Sega, and Kodansha and features some of their most well-known IPs: Stranger Things, Squid Game, The Twilight Sage, of the SAW franchise.
On deck next week
Meta releases its quarterly earnings on July 23
President Trump already threatened to sue the Wall Street Journal over reporting of a letter sent to Jeffrey Epstein. Will he follow through or TACO?
Now, brew yourself another cup. Have a great Sunday.