ViacomCBS and WarnerMedia Exploring Sale of The CW; Grammys Postponed Amid Omicron Surge; Sundance Goes Online; Chris Noth Cameo Cut From 'AJLT' Finale

[View on web]( [New reader? Subscribe]( January 06, 2022 What's news: Omicron strikes again, postponing the Grammys and pushing Sundance to an online-only event. The CW is up for sale. The Russos AGBO is valued at over a $1 billion. Kanye is headlining Coachella. Plus: Jon Stewart doesn't think J.K. Rowling is anti-Semitic — [Abid Rahman]( ViacomCBS and WarnerMedia Exploring Sale of The CW ►Never been profitable. The CW, home to shows like Batwoman and Walker, is being shopped by its corporate owners, ViacomCBS and WarnerMedia, multiple sources confirm to THR's [Lesley Goldberg]( and [Alex Weprin](. The WSJ, which first reported the news, says that the local TV giant Nexstar is among the potential suitors. Nexstar, which owns 199 local TV stations as well as the cable channel NewsNation and The Hill, is one of the largest owners of The CW stations. It isn’t immediately clear whether ViacomCBS and WarnerMedia plan to sell the entire network, or retain minority stakes. [The story.]( —Awash with money. AGBO, the indie banner led by Avengers: Endgame directors Anthony and Joe Russo, has received a $400 million minority investment from Nexon Co., the Japanese video game maker. The Tokyo-listed company's 38 percent stake values AGBO at a whopping $1.1 billion. [The story.]( —Not happening. A brief resurrection of Mr. Big on HBO Max’s And Just Like That won’t happen in the wake of sexual assault allegations against actor Chris Noth. Mr Big died in the opening episode, but the show’s writers had planned for the character to have a cameo in the finale, but the scene has since been cut. [The story.]( —"I do not think J.K. Rowling is anti-Semitic." Jon Stewart is clarifying his comments criticizing J.K. Rowling and the Harry Potter franchise. Stewart made headlines this week by calling out the fantasy franchise’s goblin banker characters as resembling Jewish caricatures but he said he was not accusing Rowling of anti-Semitism. [The story.]( Grammy Awards Postponed Amid Omicron Surge ►"Too many risks." The Grammys is the latest awards show to get postponed amid the Omicron surge. The 64th edition of awards show was scheduled to take place Jan. 31 at the Crypto.com Arena (formerly known as the Staples Center) in Los Angeles, and a new date has not been set. [The story.]( —Online once more. The in-person return of the Sundance Film Festival has been canceled due to the surge of COVID-19 cases, with the festival moving completely online. The news comes 15 days prior to the festival’s start date of Jan. 20. [The story.]( —Layoffs. Canadian exhibition giant Cineplex has temporarily laid off around 5,000 part-time employees on Wednesday after its theaters in Ontario were shuttered amid the Omicron surge. Cineplex made similar job cuts in March 2020 across Canada during the initial phase of the pandemic, before reopening its circuit countrywide. [The story.]( —"It was a shock because I’m triple-vaxxed." Whoopi Goldberg, who tested positive for COVID-19 this week, offered an update on her condition during Wednesday’s episode of The View. Goldberg gave insight into when she learned she tested positive and how she’s been spending time in quarantine. [The story.]( —Ye grabbing headlines. Kanye West has been tapped to headline Sunday night at this year’s Coachella and might also stage a second Sunday Service performance. Billie Eilish is also in talks to headline the event, likely Friday night. [The story.]( The "Gaslighting" of Jan. 6: TV News Grapples With Capitol Riot a Year Later ►"We crossed some kind of rubicon in what is acceptable to some portion of the country." A year ago today the world watched in horror as a mob of Trump supporters, having walked to the Capitol building from a nearby rally, surrounded the building and ultimately forced their way in. On the anniversary of the chaos, THR's Alex Weprin spoke to TV news correspondents who covered the scene discuss how the moment changed American politics. [The story.]( —Beijing boost. NBCUniversal is looking to the Winter Olympics to give its Peacock streaming platform a boost. Peacock will stream every event live, as well as NBC’s primetime show and studio programming, on the streamer's premium tier. All paid subscribers (the premium tier costs $4.99 per month with ads) will have access, with no pay TV subscription required. [The story.]( —Niche move. AMC Networks has acquired Houston-based anime distributor and streamer Sentai Holdings. The company, which has targeted “boutique” streaming services, adds Sentai to its holdings that include AMC, AMC+, Shudder, Sundance Now, ALLBLK, Acorn TV and IFC Films Unlimited. [The story.]( —"Well-cast stars fight an inconsistent tone." THR's chief TV critic [Dan Fienberg]( reviews CBS’ Good Sam. Jason Isaacs and Sophia Bush play bickering father-daughter heart surgeons in this new medical procedural. [The review.]( —Another record. The fourth season of Yellowstone ended with another ratings record for Paramount Network. Sunday’s season finale amassed 10.3 million viewers, including a simulcast on CMT. In an all-time high for both the series and the outlet, 9.34 million people watched on Paramount Network, topping the 8.12 million for the two-episode season debut in November. [The story.]( Beverly Hills Spy: How a WWII-Era James Bond Betrayed the Allies ►From 'Rutland of Jutland' to traitor. THR's [Seth Abramovitch]( digs into Hollywood's past to uncover the fascinating story of Frederick Rutland, who to his glamorous friends, including Boris Karloff, was a dashing British war hero and a fixture of L.A. high society during the interwar period. To his Japanese handlers, he was Agent Shinkawa, an asset who provided critical intelligence in the lead-up to Pearl Harbor. [The story.]( —Big hire. The BBC has named former president of NBC News International Deborah Turness to the post of CEO, BBC News and Current Affairs. She will join the BBC from ITN, where she is currently serving as CEO. [The story.]( —Keeping it historical. The Crown's Tobias Menzies will lead the cast of Manhunt, a straight-to-series limited drama for Apple exploring the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. The series, from creator Monica Beletsky, is described as part historical fiction and part conspiracy thriller and is based on the best-selling book Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer by James Swanson. [The story.]( —Date change. American Cinema Editors has moved the 72nd annual ACE Eddie Awards from Feb. 26 to March 5, and it will now be held at the Theater at the ACE Hotel in DTLA. The event will additionally have reduced capacity due to the Omicron surge. [The story.]( In other news... —Pam & Tommy: [Hulu’s latest trailer highlights love story]( —Adele gets a "steal" on [Sylvester Stallone’s Beverly Park mansion]( —Spider-Man producer [Amy Pascal doubles down on Gloria Vanderbilt’s Beekman Place co-op]( —BAFTA unifies U.S. operations under one board, [Starz’s Kathryn Busby named chair]( —Hasbro promotes [Chris Cocks to CEO]( —Sean Hannity, Fox News face [ethical issues over Trump text revelations]( —Chineses star [Zhang Hanyu to lead suspense drama Unspoken]( What else we're reading... —Don’t Look Up Doesn’t Get the Climate Crisis [[New York Magazine]( —The Thirst For Jack Harlow, Gen Z’s Breakout White Rapper, Explained [[Vox]( —Middle Age Doesn’t Happen Just Like That [[New York Times]( —How Jessica Simpson Almost Lost Her Name [[Bloomberg]( —Noah Hawley's Alien Series Will Tackle Immortality [[Esquire]( Today... Today's birthdays: [Eddie Redmayne]( (40), Kate McKinnon (38), Eliza Scanlen (23), Norman Reedus (53), Rowan Atkinson (67), Betty Gabriel (41), Rinko Kikuchi (41), Frank Sivero (70), Trudie Styler (68), Irina Shayk (36), Jesse Dylan (56), Hilaria {NAME} (38), Courtney Eaton (26) Joyce Ostin, a photographer and daughter-in-law of legendary music executive Mo Ostin, died Dec. 29 at her Pacific Palisades home after a battle with cancer, her family announced. She was 64. [The obituary.]( This email was sent to {EMAIL} by Penske Media Corporation. Please add email@email.hollywoodreporter.com to your address book to ensure delivery to your inbox. Visit the [Preferences Center]( to update your profile and customize what email alerts and newsletters you receive. Copyright © 2022 The Hollywood Reporter, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media, LLC. 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