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Sherrese Clark has attached herself to another acquisition of a legendary artist. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, Clark, former CEO of Tempo Music, launched HarbourView Equity Partners to invest in “ evergreen intellectual property. ” In 2025, the firm received $500 million in debt financing from KKR to scale its portfolio of music, media, and sports-related intellectual property. To date, HarbourView Equity Partners’ portfolio includes more than 70 music catalogs and more than 35,000 songs, including master recordings and publishing income streams, Music Business Worldwide reports. The portfolio includes artists such as Wiz Khalifa, Nelly, and T-Pain. Now joining the list is the late Quincy Jones. HarbourView Equity Partners has acquired Jones’ “select music and non-music assets” from the Estate of Quincy Jones, per the outlet. The deal includes his participation in Michael Jackson’s albums “Off The Wall, “Thriller,” and “Bad,” which he produced, and also his stake in “The Fresh...
Tyler Perry’s minority stake in BET+ has been acquired. Perry launched his first series with BET in 2019 and, in connection with the streaming platform, has produced more than 700 episodes, Deadline reports. His most recent deal was valued at nine figures with BET Media Group and is slated to conclude by 2028 and encompasses producing new and existing series for both BET and BET+, according to a separate article from Deadline. Perry was a minority shareholder in BET+, with his stake estimated at 25%, which would amount to tens of millions of dollars, Deadline reports. Now, Perry’s stake is being acquired by Paramount. In June, BET+ will no longer exist as a standalone streaming service, and its more than 1,000 hours of content, spanning originals, movies, and specials, will move to Paramount+ . “We share the same ambition to expand the reach of BET content, and Tyler will continue to be a valued and important partner through his overall programming agreement,” a Paramount...
A portion of Tina Turner’s historic catalog has been acquired by Pophouse Entertainment. The late singer, who died in 2023 at 83, is widely recognized as the “Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” according to Variety. She was also a 12-time Grammy winner and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice. Two years before her passing, she decided to sell her recordings, music publishing, and name and likeness rights to BMG. The deal was reportedly valued at $50 million, according to Variety. BMG CEO Hartwig Masuch called the acquisition both an honor and a responsibility that he vowed to take seriously. “Tina Turner’s musical journey has inspired hundreds of millions of people around the world and continues to reach new audiences … She is truly and simply the best,” he said at the time, according to Music Week. At the time of the deal, Turner commented: “Like any artist, the protection of my life’s work, my musical inheritance, is something personal. I am confident that with BMG and...
Artist Trevor Jackson is getting real about money. The Indianapolis native’s foray in the entertainment industry was inspired by Gregory Hines, an actor, singer, and dancer, he acknowledged on the “Can We Talk RNB” podcast . Jackson began tap dancing at age 3, and by the time he was 8 years old, he was touring as Young Simba in Broadway’s “The Lion King.” He continued in the role until he was 11 years old, performing in various cities across the country, he shared on the podcast. Then he moved to Los Angeles, where he continued to pursue acting, music, and dance. He auditioned for commercials and met with various music labels, including Epic Records, Interscope Records, and Motown Records. Today, he is currently signed with UnitedMasters, he shared on the podcast. Still taking inspiration from Hines’s career, Jackson incorporates dance into his music, with his most recent album being “I Love You, Goodbye.” He has also continued to pursue acting, earning roles in “Let It Shine,”...
Netflix has withdrawn its reported $83 billion bid for Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) after months of competing for the company, clearing the path for a rival offer backed by media executive David Ellison. In a joint statement released Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026, Netflix co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters said the company would not increase its bid to counter a competing offer from Paramount Skydance. While praising WBD as a “world-class organization,” the executives said the deal was “no longer financially attractive.” “We believe we would have been strong stewards of Warner Bros.’ iconic brands, and that our deal would have strengthened the entertainment industry and preserved and created more production jobs in the U.S.,” the co-CEOs said. “But this transaction was always a ‘nice to have’ at the right price, not a ‘must have’ at any price.” Inside The Netflix And Paramount Fight For WBD As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Netflix reached an agreement in December 2025 to acquire a...
Actor Mike Colter, known for portraying Luke Cage in Marvel shows like “Luke Cage” and “Jessica Jones,” has launched a haircare venture inspired by his children. While traveling in Europe with his wife, Iva, they were scouring the area for products for their daughters who have mixed-textured hair. After running into the issue time and again with no luck, one of their daughters suggested they create their own products. For Colter, the idea didn’t feel far-fetched, especially considering the expertise of his wife, whom he describes as having “business acumen” in a conversation with Forbes’ senior writer Jabari Young. Iva previously served as Netflix’s vice president of talent acquisition and is now chief people officer for the Wonder Project, according to information on her LinkedIn. “She thought, ‘Let’s try it. Let’s see first can we engineer and find the right products that we can actually stand behind that are sustainable, that are paraben-free, that are vegan , that don’t have any...
Zoe Saldaña is approaching a milestone that few actors in film history have reached, and the moment is arriving with both statistical weight and cultural resonance. According to USA Today, the Afro-Dominican actress has officially surpassed Samuel L. Jackson to become the second-highest-grossing actor of all time, with her films earning approximately $15 billion worldwide. She now trails only Scarlett Johansson, whose box office total stands at roughly $15.4 billion. With “Avatar: Fire and Ash” continuing to perform well, that gap is narrowing fast. The Road To No. 1 The latest installment in the blockbuster franchise she’s been a part of from the beginning has been a key driver of that momentum, opening up to $88 million domestically and quickly surpassing $760 million worldwide. As with previous installments, the film’s global staying power has positioned Saldaña to continue climbing the all-time rankings in the weeks ahead. Currently, the top-grossing spot belongs to Scarlett...
Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. has turned down Paramount’s $108 billion bid. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, Netflix agreed to acquire Warner Bros in a deal with a total enterprise value of approximately $82.7 billion (equity value of $72.0 billion). The boards of directors for both Warner Bros and Netflix are in favor of the deal. Netflix states the agreement would position it to define the “ next century of storytelling.” “For more than a century, Warner Bros. has thrilled audiences, captured the world’s attention, and shaped our culture. By coming together with Netflix, we will ensure people everywhere will continue to enjoy the world’s most resonant stories for generations to come,” President and CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery Inc., David Zaslav, commented in a Dec. 5 press release. Days later, Paramount entered the race for Warner Bros. Discovery Inc., making a rival bid of $30.00 per share, for an overall enterprise value of $108.4 billion, per a separate AFROTECH™ article....
Paramount has placed an all-cash bid for Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. (WBD). As AFROTECH™ previously reported, WBD had reached an agreement with Netflix to be acquired for a total enterprise value of $82.7 billion ( equity value of $72.0 billion). The deal would include Warner Bros.’ film and television studios, HBO Max, and HBO, but not Discovery or its cable networks such as CNN and TNT, per NBC News. The deal was approved unanimously by both companies’ board of directors. However, for the acquisition to be finalized, it would require approval from the Justice Department’s antitrust division and, likely, the European Commission and other governments globally, notes NBC News. President Donald Trump has shared his thoughts on the matter, per the outlet, stating, “Well, that’s got to go through a process, and we’ll see what happens. They have a very big market share. When they have Warner Bros., that share goes up a lot.” Paramount has now also placed a bid to purchase WBD. According...
AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc., the world’s largest movie theater chain, reported a net loss of $298.2 million for the third quarter of 2025, while generating $1.3 billion in revenue for the period ending Sept. 30, according to Variety. The outlet reports that the company’s revenue slightly exceeded analysts’ expectations of $1.23 billion for the quarter. However, the net loss widened significantly compared to the $20.7 million loss reported during the same period last year. AMC attributed the steeper loss to non-cash charges tied to a debt refinancing completed in July 2025, Variety notes. On an adjusted basis, the company reported a loss of $110 million, or 21 cents per share, compared to 4 cents per share in the third quarter of 2024. Admissions revenue for the quarter was reported at $715.1 million, a drop from $744.2 million in the prior year, according to Variety. Food and beverage sales also declined, reaching $451.8 million compared to $490.4 million in 2024. These numbers...
Decades after its release, Prince’s 1984 album and film soundtrack, “Purple Rain,” is seeing renewed momentum. According to Forbes, U.S. sales for the album more than doubled over a one-week period as it returned to multiple Billboard charts. Luminate, a leading entertainment data and analytics company providing trends, behaviors, and insights across music, film, and television, reported that “Purple Rain” sold just over 3,100 copies in the latest U.S. tracking week, up from about 1,400 the week before — a 119% increase, according to Forbes. The outlet reports that the surge helped the album return to Billboard’s Vinyl Albums chart at No. 13 and the Top Album Sales chart at No. 38. The increase suggests that many of the recent purchases came from vinyl sales. “Purple Rain” has remained a consistent favorite among fans of physical records and is often mentioned alongside albums such as “The Dark Side of the Moon” by Pink Floyd and “Legend” by Bob Marley & the Wailers as essential...
DeVon Franklin began building a relationship with Babyface a decade ago, and it has blossomed with the release of his latest movie. Success Of “Ruth & Boaz” The former Sony executive has added a new project to his portfolio: “Ruth & Boaz,” a modern twist on a Biblical story that premiered on Netflix Sept. 26 and features Serayah McNeill, Tyler Lepley, Phylicia Rashad, and others. Boardroom reports that it became the platform’s most-streamed movie during its release week, garnering 434.4 million minutes of watch time. Franklin also tag-teamed with Tyler Perry as a producer on the film. Together, they “proceeded to negotiate the best film deal” he’s done in his career, he said in a Facebook post. Reflecting On Hollywood Tenure Franklin now has nearly 20 years of experience creating inspirational projects and has been in Hollywood for nearly 10 years more, he reflected on the “Black Tech Green Money” podcast hosted by AFROTECH™ Brand Manager Will Lucas. This experience is part of what...
Amaya Espinal is collaborating with a billion-dollar soda brand. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Espinal rose to fame after her appearance on Season 7 of Peacock’s “Love Island USA,” where she ultimately won. The New York native is also a cardiac nurse who earned a degree from a two-year program in 2021. In a TikTok video, she sits in the same car her mother purchased for her 21st birthday, and she admits that life looked very different just a year ago. She’s right, since now she has more than 7 million followers across TikTok and Instagram alone after appearing on the show. She also gained a slew of brand deals, which include Hourglass Cosmetics, Anastasia Beverly Hills, Fenty Beauty , Garnier USA, and her latest Poppi. Pepsi acquired this prebiotic soda brand founded by Allison Ellsworth for $1.95 billion earlier this year. At the Clover x Shark Tank Summit, held in September at The Venetian in Las Vegas, Ellsworth explained that the brand follows an 80/20 rule: allocating most...
Spike Lee is applauding the “Sinners” deal. “Sinners” is a film that Ryan Coogler released in April 2025 , joined by his wife, Zinzi, as a producer, People reports. It tells the story of twin brothers, both played by Michael B. Jordan, who face a dilemma with vampires at a juke joint in 1930s Clarksdale, MS, according to USA Today. The film earned $366.7 million worldwide from a $90 million production budget, per Box Office Mojo and a previous AFROTECH™ article. “Eternal gratitude. My heart is bursting with it,” Ryan Coogler wrote in a letter to supporters, Deadline reports. “I want to thank each and every one of you who bought a ticket to see ‘Sinners.’ Who decided to drive to see the film in different formats. Who bought popcorn and a drink, booked a sitter and carpooled, and stood in the lobby afterward and talked and made a friend. Who changed their work schedules. Who saw the film in groups.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sinners Movie (@sinnersmovie) The film’s...
Teyana Taylor is crediting Beyoncé for the sound advice that she applied to her business endeavors. The Harlem, NY, native is a jack of all trades , with titles that include artist, actor, dancer, choreographer, model, creative director, and businesswoman. View this post on Instagram A post shared by i-D (@i_d) As AFROTECH™ previously reported, she attended the Harlem School of Arts to study music, acting, and choreography. Her breakthrough in the entertainment industry occurred in 2007 after signing a record deal with Pharrell Williams’ Star Trak Entertainment. Working as the choreographer at age 15 for Beyoncé’s “Ring the Alarm” music video the year prior served as a career catalyst, according to a separate AFROTECH™ article. Fast forward to 2025, Taylor acknowledged in an interview with Marie Claire that Beyoncé supported Taylor during the highs and lows of her career. Taylor retired from music in 2020, stating she felt “unappreciated” by her label, Def Jam, per People. She...