From video apps to sports matches, here are your top entertainment headlines.
Triller Debts
Video-sharing app Triller has agreed to pay Sony Music Entertainment a $4.57 million settlement for breaching the terms of an agreement it reached with the platform.
Last summer, Sony sued Triller for non-payment of music licensing fees after March 2022. The record label ended up canceling its agreement after the payments stopped, but Triller apparently continued to utilize music from Sony's catalog.
The lawsuit was just one of the high-profile cases thrown at the video-sharing and social networking platform. Universal Music Group also sued Triller for non-payment in January. UMG also pulled its entire catalog from the platform in 2021, citing that Triller refused artist payouts. That same year the two sides struck up a new licensing deal.
Triller also was sued in the summer of 2022 by producers Swizz Beats and Timbaland for allegedly holding out on a $28 million payment for the acquisition of their webcast series, Verzuz. The two sides settled for an undisclosed amount last September.
Lamar Jackson's Jackpot
It's been a long time coming for the Baltimore Ravens star quarterback Lamar Jackson, but he's finally inked a deal to cement his spot in Charm City.
Jackson and the Ravens front office agreed to a five-year $260 million deal — with $185 million guaranteed. That's enough to be counted as the highest-paid contract in NFL history. But he wasn't able to secure that bag without drama.
Jackson bet on himself and negotiated the historic deal without an agent — a move many sports analysts said would hurt his future prospects in the league. The negotiation period since the end of the season was riddled with rumors and speculation about possible collusion between teams after Jackson expressed the desire to be traded and didn't receive interest from any other franchise.
However, the payday comes with great expectations. With the signing of veterans like Odell Beckham Junior, there is a lot for the QB to prove with the purple birds.
Spring Sports Showdown
And continuing down the path of sports, what are you watching this weekend? The slate is packed and can be a little overwhelming. Here's a guide to tune into the competition(s) that piques your interest the most.
Tonight, a pair of Game 6's are going down in California. The reigning NBA champion Golden State Warriors look to even up its series with the Sacramento Kings. The splash brothers and company have home court advantage where they are 33-8 on the season. Just down the Pacific Coast Highway, LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers are looking to close out the No. 2 seed Memphis Grizzlies to move on to the Western Conference Semifinals.
Elsewhere, the NHL is also amid its playoffs for the Stanley Cup championship. Every series aside from one is going to a Game 6 this weekend between the Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers, the Colorado Avalanche and the Seattle Kraken, the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning, the Edmonton Oilers and the Los Angeles Kings, and the Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild.
Finally, the annual Penn Relays, the oldest and largest track and field competition in the U.S., will air from Philadelphia on NBC this Saturday.
