Kevin Hart attends the 2023 Fanatics Super Bowl Party at Biltmore Hotel on February 11, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images)
From satellite radio deals to a streaming platform lawsuit, here's what's trending in entertainment today.
Kevin Hart Gets More Sirius
Comedian Kevin Hart and satellite radio company Sirius/XM announced that their partnership would get an extension. Hart, along with his Hartbeat entertainment company, signed a multi-year deal that will keep the comedian's Laugh Out Loud Radio station operating. "You're looking at a relationship that has evolved, that is growing and going in the right direction," Hart said to the Associated Press. " I think this is one where the hard work has been put into the growth of the station and the platform is just paying off."
Award Shows & Hosts
Actor and daytime TV host Drew Barrymore is taking her emceeing skills to a stage over at MTV. She's been tapped to host the MTV Movie & TV Awards 2023 at the Barker Hangar in Los Angeles. Barrymore made the announcement during a segment on The Drew Barrymore Show when she appeared as the menacing M3GAN doll. The awards ceremony is slated for May 7.
Meanwhile, rockstar Lenny Kravitz will host the iHeartRadio Music Awards 2023. The 10th annual show is just weeks away from kicking off at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles. "I'm thrilled to host and perform at the 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards to celebrate the best in music," Kravitz said in a statement. "As always, the show will feature some great surprises and unforgettable performances that music fans across the country won't want to miss." The show will get underway on March 27.
Making a Lawsuit
Remember the hit Netflix documentary Making a Murderer? Streaming in 2015, it told the story of Steven Avery's conviction and life sentence in the death of a 25-year-old online car marketplace photographer. The documentary explores the possibility that Avery was set up by local authorities, accusing them of planting evidence. A now-retired police sergeant who was involved in the case, Andrew Colborn, sued the streaming giant after saying he received "worldwide ridicule" over the series, but a federal judge has tossed the defamation filing stating that Colborn did not prove that the platform acted in malice.
M&M's is rebranding its iconic chocolate candy characters with new looks and storylines highlighting the "progressive world" we live in today. Jane Hwang, global vice president of M&M's, joined Cheddar to talk about the company's rebrand. "M&M's is on a mission to create a world where everyone feels they belong," she said. The multi-colored, anthropomorphized candies will be getting an updated look and tone, according to Hwang, such as Green receiving a makeover that reflects more female empowerment and confidence.
The Department of Agriculture has officially unveiled its plan to fight catastrophic wildfires that have devastated parts of the West in the last few years. The department, along with the Forest Service will work to significantly increase fuels and forest health treatments to address the escalating crisis of wildfire danger. Executive Editor of Cipher, a publication by Breakthrough Energy, Amy Harder, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
A new report out on Linkedin says that Crypto-related job postings in the US surged to 395% between 2020 and 2021. Job titles which included titles containing "Bitcoin", "Ethereum", "Blockchain", and cryptocurrency, all outpaced jobs in the wider tech industry which saw a 98% increase in listings during the same time period. LinkedIn also notes that the most common crypto job postings were blockchain developers and engineers. CEO of Radkl, Ryan Sheftel, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
A new study has been causing a lot of buzz in the cannabis industry. Researchers from Oregon State University found that compounds in cannabis could prevent infection with COVID-19, but that doesn't mean smoking marijuana prevents people from getting infected. CV Sciences medical advisor Dr. Michael Lewis joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Software company BigPanda recently raised $190 million in Series D funding, led by Advent International and Insight Partners. The funding round gives the company unicorn status with a $1.2 billion valuation. BigPanda develops A.I. software that detects and analyzes problems in I.T. systems. The company says it aims to be the solution for other companies that do not have enough manpower to manage their data, as more and more industries continue to build a broader digital presence. BigPanda co-founder and CEO Assaf Resnick joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Amazon Prime announced the name of the highly anticipated Middle-Earth prequel streaming series to be called "The Rings of Power," premiering on September 2. The show takes place thousands of years before the stories set in "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings."
Sebastien Lagree, creator and founder of Lagree Fitness, joins Cheddar News to talk about the growth of Lagree Fitness and industry trends to watch in 2022.
We've all seen the headlines about a record number of Americans quitting their jobs in what's become known as the Great Resignation. However, new data on why people are leaving the workforce in droves suggests the bigger headline is Americans are simply burned out. Stephanie Aston, CEO of Black Girl Group, joined Cheddar News to break down why so many employees have reached their breaking points and what employers can do about it.
Nikhilesh De, managing editor of global regulation and policy at CoinDesk, joins Cheddar News to discuss Bitcoin's slump and corporations' growing interest in NFTs.
Thrive Market is a health-first membership for conscious living, with a mission to make healthy and sustainable living easy and accessible. Nick Green, CEO and co-founder, chatted with Cheddar's Baker Machado about the company's approach and new ventures in 2022. "I grew up outside of Minneapolis, middle class, middle America, and really saw firsthand how hard my mom had to work to put healthy food on the table, on a budget, without a health food store nearby," he said. "Twenty-some years later we looked around and just thought it was crazy that millions of Americans are still struggling with the same thing, and we decided to change it." Recently the brand released a line of organic frozen products and will be introducing new beauty and home brands.
