In this Jan. 30, 2018 photo, Michael B. Jordan poses for a portrait at the "Black Panther" press junket at the Montage Beverly Hills in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP)
NEW YORK (AP) --
Michael B. Jordan says that he will adopt inclusion riders for all projects produced by his production company.
In a message on Instagram on Wednesday, Jordan pledged to support "the women and men who are leading this fight." His announcement followed Frances McDormand's acceptance speech at Sunday's Oscars, where she urged the industry to adopt inclusion riders.
McDormand's comments brought new attention to the practice of contract addendums that require studios to hire a diverse crew and cast for a project.
Launched in 2016, Jordan's Outlier Society production company is developing a sci-fi series for Netflix and other projects. The 31-year-old Jordan stars in the superhero blockbuster "Black Panther."
Dish Network satellite dishes are shown at an apartment complex in Palo Alto, Calif., Feb. 23, 2011. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)
DirecTV is calling off its planned acquisition of rival Dish after the offer was rejected by bond holders at that company.
The deal was reliant on Dish bond holders agreeing to trade in the debt they held for debt in the new company, a swap that would have cost them about $1.6 billion, collectively.
The retreat by DirecTV this week may end a years-long effort by the company to acquire both Dish and Sling after it announced the bid in September.
DirecTV was looking to acquire Dish TV and Sling TV from its owner EchoStar in a debt exchange transaction that included a payment of $1, plus the assumption of approximately $9.8 billion in debt. The deal was contingent on several factors, including regulatory approvals and bondholders writing off debt related to Dish.
"While we believed a combination of DirecTV and Dish would have benefited all stakeholders, we have terminated the transaction because the proposed exchange terms were necessary to protect DirecTV's balance sheet and our operational flexibility," DirecTV CEO Bill Morrow said in a statement.
The prospect of a DirecTV-Dish combo has long been rumored, and reported talks resurfaced over the years. And the two almost merged more than two decades ago — but the Federal Communications Commission blocked the deal valued at the time at $18.5 billion deal, citing antitrust concerns.
The pay-for-TV market has shifted significantly since. As more and more consumers tune into online streaming platforms, demand for more traditional satellite entertainment continues to shrink.
DirecTV says that it will continue to invest in next-generation streaming platforms and offer new packaging options while integrating content from live TV alongside direct-to-consumer... Read More
