Comcast’s Sky just locked down ITV’s media and entertainment unit in a $2.1 billion deal. It radically alters the U.K. free-to-air market. Back in the U.S., the July 4th box office delivered a reality check. Universal’s Minions & Monsters claimed the number one spot, but the numbers look grim for the animation giant.
The theatrical release managed $64 million over the five-day stretch. That breaks down to just $36.4 million for the traditional three-day weekend. Previous franchise entries like Despicable Me 4 and Minions: The Rise of Gru easily cleared $120 million right out of the gate. The audience simply didn’t show up this time.
The real disruption happened in third place. Angel Studios pulled off another theatrical ambush with Young Washington. Chris Pratt blasted an endorsement to his 55 million followers online. The faith-based historical biopic cost $20 million to produce and immediately brought in $20.85 million. It is now the studio’s best live-action opening on record. It barely edged past the $19.6 million start of Sound of Freedom back in 2023.
That unexpected surge embarrassed Warner Bros. Discovery. Their $170 million tentpole Supergirl cratered with a 74% second-weekend drop, falling down to fourth place.
Across the Atlantic, the corporate television market is shifting just as fast. The Sky buyout absorbs ITV’s traditional linear channels and the ITVX streaming platform. Comcast paid $1.6 billion in cash upfront, with another $267 million tied up in performance earn-outs. Both networks will keep their linear broadcasts free-to-air. Sky News and ITV News are staying editorially separate. ITV held onto one prized asset. The highly profitable ITV Studios production arm was completely excluded from the $2.1 billion agreement.