Good morning! Testimonies begin in Diddy’s sex trafficking trial, hand sanitizer brand Touchland to be acquired, and Fortune’s Nina Ajemian reports from NBCUniversal’s Upfront presentation—where execs are promising a studio that’s bigger and better than ever.
– Upfront and personal. In between Seth MacFarlane dissing competing streaming services in a glitzy musical number and Snoop Dogg rapping “Drop It Like It’s Hot,” NBCUniversal painted a vision of an unforgettable year ahead for the legacy studio during its annual Upfront presentation yesterday at Radio City Music Hall.
Donna Langley, chairman of NBCUniversal entertainment and studios, is the only woman to run a legacy Hollywood studio. She made the pitch that NBCUniversal’s best days are ahead of it—as it approaches its 100th anniversary in 2026. NBCUniversal made $3.76 billion at the global box office last year. “At a moment when attention is being pulled in multiple directions, our ability to collaborate across the company and work together towards a common goal is our superpower,” Langley said. “And, that starts with our franchise-first strategy, investing in durable stories and brands that inspire fans everywhere in a multitude of ways.”
