Universal Music Group (UMG) shares rose 3% on Friday — the same day news broke that the company will lay off hundreds of staffers — and finished the week up 6.9% to 26.95 euros ($29.54). The prospect of cost savings made UMG the top-performing music stock of the week, beating French music streaming company Deezer’s 6.5% gain and 6% improvements by both Chinese music streamer Tencent Music Entertainment and live entertainment company MSG Entertainment. 

UMG first let investors know it was planning layoffs in its October earnings call. On Friday, a report by Bloomberg said UMG is planning layoffs as early as this quarter, primarily in its recorded music division. A company spokesperson declined to comment on the scope and timetable of the layoffs but told Billboard UMG is “creating efficiencies” in certain areas of the business “so we can remain nimble and responsive to the dynamic market, while realizing the benefits of our scale.” UMG’s stock gained 14.7% in 2023.

Despite no stocks finishing the week with double-digit gains, the 20-company Billboard Global Music Index rose 3.6% to a record 1,566.45 as 12 companies posted gains and eight companies’ share prices declined. Streaming companies led the way with an average gain of 3.9%. Live music companies averaged a 0.7% improvement. Record labels and publishers dropped an average of 1.5%. Radio companies lost an average of 4%.

Music stocks topped the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite, which gained 3.1% to 14,972.76 and easily bested the S&P 500’s 1.8% increase to 4,783.83. In the United Kingdom, the FTSE 100 fell 0.8% to 7,624.93. South Korea’s KOSPI composite index dropped 2.1% to 2,525.05. 

The index got a big lift from Spotify’s 4.9% gain to $203.03 this week. Spotify has surged 12.4% since it announced layoffs on December 4 and pledged to operate more efficiently. On Thursday, Spotify closed above $200 for the first time since Feb. 1, 2022. At Friday’s closing price, the stock is up 120.5% in the last 52 weeks. 

Live Nation finished the week up 1.6% to $90.66 after Roth analyst Eric Handler upgraded the stock to “buy” and increased the price target from $92 to $114. The $114 price target implies a nearly 26% upside from Friday’s closing price. 

Shares of French music company Believe fell 10.5% to 8.97 euros ($9.83) on Friday’s news that the company’s investors were pursuing taking the company private. According to a Reuters report, Believe’s largest shareholders, which includes founder Denis Ladegaillerie and U.S. investment firm TCV, have been working with advisors to gauge the interest of private equity firms. In the first nine months of 2023, Believe, the owner of digital distributor TuneCore and record labels such as PlayTwo and Jo&Co, had revenue of 630.4 million euros ($691 million), up 14.8% year over year. 

While other companies in recorded music and publishing posted gains this week, K-pop stocks were down across the board. HYBE’s 2% decline to 247,000 won ($188.05) was the best of the four South Korean music companies. JYP Entertainment fell 8.3% to 96,600 won ($73.54). Two others each dropped 5.9%: SM Entertainment closed at 88,200 won ($67.15) and YG Entertainment finished the week at 43,100 won ($32.81). 

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Curious about Max? From hit shows and movies to documentaries, comedy specials and more, the streaming giant has enough content to keep everyone in the household entertained. Keep reading to learn more about Max, including membership plans, pricing and how to get a free trial.

What Is Max?

Max is a relatively new streaming platform that combines HBO and Discovery channels including, Max Originals, B/R Sports, DC, ID Network, TCM, TLC, Discovery, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, OWN, Food Network, HGTV, and Trvl Channel.

HBO Max launched by Warner Bros in 2020, replacing HBO Go. The streamer gained a massive following during the beginning of the pandemic, namely because every 2021 Warner Bros. movie arrived on HBO Max the same day as its theater release. Last year, HBO Max and its sister streamer, Discovery+, ballooned to a combined 96.1 million subscribers (and counting).

Warner Bros. Discovery decided not to merge HBO Max and Discovery+ into one streaming platform and instead launched Max, a mega-streamer combining programming from HBO and Discovery.

Discovery+ is still available as a standalone platform.

What to Watch on Max

Whether you love television, movies or a blend of both, Max has the kind of streaming library tailormade for binge watchers. Some of the new, upcoming and previous seasons to hit Max include new episodes of House of the Dragon and Euphoria premiering this year.

TV lovers can also binge episodes of fan favorites such as Succession, The Last of Us, The White Lotus, …And Just Like That, Barry, Doom Patrol, Rap Sh!t, Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin, Selena + Chef, Hacks, Big Little Lies, and Euphoria are streaming on Max along with must-watch movies and documentaries such as Blue Beetle, Barbie, The Gilded Age, Bookie, Oprah & The Color Purple: Journey, The Diana Investigations, Devil in the Ozarks, Menendez Brothers: Misjudged?, The Murder Gabby Petito: What Really Happened, The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: Natalia Speaks, Love to Love You, Donna Summer, The Weeknd: Live at Sofi Stadium, Love, Lizzo, Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over, Shaq, All That Breathes, and All the Beauty and the Bloodshed.

Also streaming on Max: Abbott Elementary, Gold Rush, Rick and Morty, The Haunted Museum, Yellowstone Wardens, Fixer Upper: The Hotel, Property Brothers: Forever Home, Gossip Girl, South Side, Station Eleven, The Staircase, Peacemaker, Tokyo Vice, The Boondocks, Curb Your Enthusiasm.

90 Day Fiance, Sister Wives, Welcome to Pathville, 1000-lb Sisters, Big Fat Fabulous, Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, My Strange Addiction, Evil Lives Here, Very Scary People, Undercover Underage, People Investigates, Ghost Hunters, and Ghost Brothers: Lights Out.

Last Week Tonight With John Oliver and Real Time With Bill Maher are on Max, as well as numerous movies, classic episodes of beloved sitcoms such as The Nanny, Martin, The Fresh-Prince of Bel-Air and Friends, along with kid-approved and family-friendly shows including Sesame Street, Ben 10, Looney Tunes Cartoons and the Harry Potter film franchise.

How Much Does Max Cost?

Max has expanded to two subscription tiers: ad-supported, commercial free and ultimate ad-free. The platform also allows you to watch certain episodes for free. Max’s paid subscriptions start at $9.99 ($99.99 a year) for ad-supported streaming, or $15.99 ($149.99 a year) to watch ad free.

The Ultimate ad-free includes 4K Ultra HD quality, 100 downloads to watch on the go and you can stream on up to four devices at once.

The ad-supported and ad-free streaming plans let you enjoy over 13,000 hours of entertainment, exclusive access to must-watch movies, all your HBO favorites — and you can stream from up to five different profiles, which is great if there are multiple people in your household.

What’s only available on the ad-free plan? With Max’s commercial-free plan, users can stream certain movies in 4K, download content to watch offline and stream from other countries. Streaming from outside the U.S.? Access Max through ExpressVPN.

Does Max Offer a Free Trial?

Unfortunately, Max does not offer free trials, but the streaming giant has free episodes and previously announced promotions such last year’s $1.99/monthly deal for Black Friday and a discount promo in 2022. You never know when the platform will launch another streaming deal, but there are ways to go about getting Max for free right now.

Already subscribed to HBO? You may already have free Max through Samsung TV, Roku, Verizon Fios, DirecTV and other cable or live TV streaming platforms. Not sure? Click here to find out if you already have access to Max. Otherwise, you can score a free trail to Max through platforms such as Prime Video and DirectTV Stream. AT&T quietly removed the HBO Max bundle deal from its wireless plans last year, but customers can still access free Max with select plans and Cricket Wireless currently offers free Max with a $60 unlimited plan.

Can you get a free trial to Max through Hulu? New subscribers can enjoy a free trial to Hulu and add Max as an additional channel for an extra $15.99 a month.

Currently, Direct TV Stream’s offers monthly plans for less than $80/month to stream 75+ channels. Upgrade to the Entertainment Choice plan for $83.99/month and save $25/month for two months.

The Choice plan is $83.99/month (reg. $108.99) for 105+ live channels and local TV stations, DVR, sports channels (ACC Network, Big Ten Network, MLB Network, NBA TV, SEC Network, etc.) and more. DirecTV customers can also add Max, Showtime, Starz and other channels for an additional fee.

DirecTV’s Premiere Plan is on sale for $94.99/month (reg. $108.99) and includes free Max, Showtime, Starz and Cinemax as well as everything in the cheaper tiers, plus over 140+ live and local channels, 65,000+ on-demand titles, unlimited DVR recording, regional sports networks and tons of other benefits.

How to Get a Free Trial to Max Through Prime Video

Prime Video recently added Max to its lineup which includes Paramount+, Showtime, Starz, BET+, AMC+, Discovery+ and other streamers that you can add to your subscription. Max is available ad-free for $15.99/month after a free trial for a week.

Prime Video is one of the many perks that’s included with Amazon Prime memberships. If you’re not a Prime member, click here to launch your 30-day free trial ($14.99/month after the free trial ends).

Besides Prime Video, the subscription includes free shipping on millions of items, a subscription to Amazon Prime Music, free GrubHub+ for a year and tons of other member benefits.

In 2022, Prime Video beat out Netflix to become the No.1 subscription streaming platform in the U.S. The platform features Amazon Originals like Role Play, Saltburn, Reacher, Sound of Freedom, The Summer I Turned Pretty, Daisy Jones & The Six, Swarm, The Power, Harlem, Riches, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, The Wheel of Time, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan and The Boyz, movies like Role Play, Saltburn, Somebody I Used to Know, The People We Hate at the Wedding, My Policeman with music, fashion and sports programs such as Kendrick Lamar’s The Big Steppers Tour in Paris, Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty Vol. 4 and Thursday Night Football. You’ll also find paid episodes of hits shows Yellowstone, RuPaul’s Drag Race; and blockbuster films like Barbie, Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse on Prime Video.

The Michael Jackson biopic Michael has been dated for a global release on April 18, 2025.

Lionsgate is behind the project, which will be directed by Antoine Fuqua. Jackson‘s nephew Jaafar Jackson will play him in the film about the singer’s life. Universal Pictures has international rights for the film, excluding Japan.

Graham King, a seasoned hand at biopics with the Oscar-winning Queen film Bohemian Rhapsody under his belt, is producing along with John Branca and John McClain, who are the co-executors of the Michael Jackson estate. John Logan, who penned Gladiator and The Aviator, wrote the script.

According to Lionsgate, the film will cover all aspects of Jackson’s life, though it is unclear how — or even if — it will address the many controversies involving the late music icon, given that the biopic is being made in conjunction with his estate, which has defended him against accusations of sexually abusing children. Those accusations were returned to the public discourse thanks to the 2019 HBO documentary Leaving Neverland.

The official synopsis for the film reads: “Michael will bring audiences a riveting and honest portrayal of the brilliant yet complicated man who became the King of Pop. The film presents his triumphs and tragedies on an epic, cinematic scale — from his human side and personal struggles to his undeniable creative genius, exemplified by his most iconic performances. As never before, audiences will experience an inside look into one of the most influential, trailblazing artists the world has ever known.” 

The Minecraft film is currently the other major studio film dated for April 2025. The Warner Bros. movie is set to star Jason Momoa and Jack Black.

This article was originally published by The Hollywood Reporter.

Sphere Entertainment has said it’s committed to working with alternative “forward-thinking cities around the world” after officially withdrawing plans to build a Sphere concert arena in London.   

On Monday (Jan. 8), Sphere Entertainment’s sister company, Madison Square Garden Entertainment (MSGE), which is owned by tycoon James Dolan, told British officials that it would not be proceeding with its long-standing proposal to build a Sphere venue in the British capital city.   

The announcement came less than two months after London Mayor Sadiq Khan blocked plans for the 21,500-capacity, 300-foot-tall spherical building because of the impact he believed it would have on the surrounding area, including high energy use and the “significant light intrusion” it would cause local residents.   

In a letter to the planning inspectorate seen by Billboard, Richard Constable, MSGE’s executive vp/global head of government affairs and social impact, told officials that “following careful review, we cannot continue to participate in a process that is merely a political football between rival parties.”  

“It is extremely disappointing that Londoners will not benefit from the Sphere’s groundbreaking technology and the thousands of well-paying jobs it would have created,” wrote Constable, confirming that MSGE — acting on behalf of Sphere Entertainment — was officially withdrawing its application from the planning process.

The termination of MSGE’s plans for a London version of its $2 billion Sphere venue in Las Vegas follows years of controversy surrounding the project, which was due to be built on a five-acre plot of land in Stratford, East London (the site has been largely derelict since 2012 when it was used as a temporary coach park during the London Olympics).

A proposal for what was later christened MSG Sphere London was first submitted in 2019, but it immediately received strong opposition from local councillors and campaign groups, as well as AEG, the owner and operator of the 20,000-capacity The O2 arena located less than five miles away.   

Despite residents’ concerns, The London Legacy Development Company provisionally greenlit the plans in March 2022 before they were subsequently overturned by Mayor Khan last November.   

In a statement, Sphere Entertainment said it had informed Michael Gove — the U.K. secretary of state for levelling up, housing and communities, who initiated a review of the mayor’s decision in December — that it would not be moving forward with its plans for London and would not be participating in a review.

“We are committed to continuing to work collaboratively with forward-thinking cities around the world who are serious about bringing this next-generation entertainment experience to their communities,” said a spokesperson for Sphere Entertainment.

Sphere Entertainment Co., formerly Madison Square Garden Entertainment (MSGE), was formed in April when MSGE’s traditional live entertainment business, which includes the Madison Square Garden and Radio City Music Hall venues in New York, split off from the Sphere and MSG Networks businesses. Sphere retained a 33% stake in MSGE.

The five-acre site earmarked for the London Sphere, which MSGE bought for around £60 million ($76 million), is now expected to be put up for sale.   

Meanwhile, the developer is understood to be in talks with multiple international markets about rolling out the Sphere model in other global cities, following its high-grossing debut in Las Vegas last year with a residency by U2.

In December, the New York Post reported that Dolan was meeting with investors in Abu Dhabi about building a second Sphere in the United Arab Emirates capital. Also last year, several South Korean newspapers reported that the city of Hanam was another potential future location after talks took place between city officials and representatives of MSGE. Sphere Entertainment Co. declined to comment on those reports when contacted by Billboard.   

KCON just keeps getting bigger.

Entertainment company CJ ENM announced on Wednesday (Jan. 10) this year’s plan for the K-Pop and K-culture festival, including its first ever stop in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong date will kick off the festival series, taking place at AsiaWorld-Expo on March 30 and 31. The 10,000-capacity arena will host create the multi-faceted KCON Hong Kong 2024 with concerts from top artists and a full convention celebrating Korean culture.

KCON will then return to Japan from May 10 to 12, and Los Angeles from July 26 to 28. KCON also plans to hold events in Europe and Saudi Arabia in the second half of 2024, with more details to be revealed at a later date. 

“KCON has not only promoted artists’ global expansion, but also led small and medium-sized businesses to advance overseas, and has become a festival venue where K-culture and K-lifestyle can be promoted and experienced,” Joon-beom Sim, head of music entertainment at CJ ENM, said in a press statement. “As the platform that unites and interacts with global K-POP fans, KCON this year will continue building on its legacy as a K-POP festival that reflects K-POP’s current status and proposes newness.”

Last year, KCON toured four regions: Thailand, Japan, Los Angeles and Saudi Arabia. KCON LA 2023 was one of KCON’s biggest events, holding three full shows over the course of the festival’s weekend.