Networks See Trump Trial Ratings Surge, WashPo Boosts AI Use After Losing $77M and Theaters Brace for Bleak Memorial Day

Plus: Media Matters hit with layoffs, Lionsgate slashes fiscal Q4 loss and Paramount reaches multiyear Charter deal [Donald Trump in court]( [CNN, MSNBC and Fox News See Ratings Surge During Trump Trial Coverage | Charts]( By Natalie Korach Donald Trump’s criminal trial in New York led to a ratings surge for all three cable news networks, with CNN and MSNBC seeing outsized growth year-over-year in daytime segments during Stormy Daniels and Michael Cohen’s blockbuster testimonies. The salacious trial of the former president has captivated cable news viewers, even as the networks themselves are unable to capture video footage from inside the courtroom. The networks have leaned into the surging interest in the historic criminal case, airing regular special coverage in an effort to capture the essence of the trial without full access. And despite criticism from some circles that they’re going overboard, the networks are seeing significant year-over-year gains as a result. [Read More]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Washington Post sign outside its headquarters.]( [Washington Post Expands Use of AI After Losing $77 Million in Last Year]( By Jacob Bryant The Washington Post announced Wednesday that it registered a $77 million loss in the last year, according to publisher and chief executive Will Lewis. “To speak candidly,” Lewis told staffers gathered at the paper’s headquarters, “we are in a hole, and we have been for some time.” [Read More]( --------------------------------------------------------------- ['Furiosa' and 'Garfield' Won't Save Theaters From a Bleak Memorial Day Weekend Box Office]( By Jeremy Fuster This year’s batch of Memorial Day weekend films, led by Warner Bros.’ “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” and Sony’s “The Garfield Movie,” may realize a solid return on investment for their studios. But it is highly unlikely they will save theaters from what is set to be the worst Memorial Day weekend box office in a quarter century. Memorial Day weekend has historically served as the launch pad for some of the biggest summer hits in box office history, the most recent being Paramount’s record-breaking “Top Gun: Maverick” in 2022 which had a $160.5 million four-day domestic start. Last year, Disney’s remake of “The Little Mermaid” led the charts with a $118.8 million extended launch in North America. [Read More]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Media Matters CEO Angelo Carusone (Courtesy of Media Matters)]( [Media Matters Hit With More Than a Dozen Layoffs Amid Conservative 'Legal Assault on Multiple Fronts']( [Lionsgate Earnings]( [Lionsgate Slashes Fiscal Q4 Loss to $39.5 Million on Boost in TV Production in First Post-Spinoff Earnings]( [Paramount, Charter Communications]( [Paramount and Charter Reach Multiyear Carriage Agreement, Will Include Paramount+ With Spectrum Subscriptions]( ['Fallout' Is First Prime Video Show to Score No. 1 on Nielsen Streaming Ratings 3 Weeks in a Row]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Wrap Pro logo] Discover why entertainment executives and professionals rely on the WrapPRO platform daily for exclusive coverage, analysis, deeper reporting, and access to VIP events & screenings throughout the year. [Subscribe Today]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [YouTube]( TheWrap | 2034 Armacost Ave Los Angeles, CA 90025 [Preferences]( | [Unsubscribe]( [LiveIntent Logo]( [AdChoices Logo](