Ratings: Allen Gregory Debuts Weakly

Allen Gregory Allen Gregory looks like he just might be a snotnose whom people dislike. The latest entry in Fox's Animation Domination block debuted Sunday to modest 4.74 million viewers and a 2.4 rating among 18-to-49-year-olds at 8:30/7:30c, overnight Nielsen numbers showed. That indicates people changed channels in droves as The Simpsons' "Treehouse of Horror XXII," which preceded it, spooked 8.01 million, posting a 4.0 demo rating. Fall TV Popularity Contest: We have a winner! In the same hour, Once Upon a Time, starring Ginnifer Goodwin and Jennifer Morrison, looked like it could be a keeper, pulling in 11.64 million (compared with 12.79 million for its debut) and a 3.9 demo rating. With CBS' ratings skewed by a half-hour football overrun, Amazing Race lured 14.29 million viewers (3.5 demo rating), according to the early data. At 9/8c, CBS' The Good Wife attracted 10.12 million people (2.3 rating), whileDesperate Housewives grabbed 9.28 million (3.1), and Family Guy and The Cleveland Show grabbed 5.97 million viewers (3.2 demo rating) and 4.63 million (2.3), respectively. Sunday Night Football again featured a lopsided game. But the Eagles' 34-7 thrashing of the Cowboys wasn't nearly half as bad as the 62-7 final score a week ago (the biggest blowout in the franchise's history on NBC) and managed a night-leading 20.16 million fans and 8.2 demo rating. Check out the rest of the day's news In prime time's final hour Sunday, Pan Am leveled off, getting 5.90 million viewers and a 1.9 demo rating vs. last week's 5.77 million (1.8) - which culminated a downward path that began with 10.87 million, down to 7.75 million, to 6.42 million and to 5.89 million viewers. At the same time, CSI: Miami grabbed 10.14 million people and a 2.0 demo rating. And for the record, the seven-game World Series won by the St. Louis Cardinals wound up averaging 16.6 million viewers, a 16 percent increase over last year's 14.3 million. The final game caught 25.4 million fans, making it the most-watched Series game since 2004, when the Boston Red Sox clinched their first title in 86 years.

Sandra Bullock's Agents Buy Her Son a $14,000 Warhol Painting

In what might qualify as the most extravagant baby gift ever, Sandra Bullock's agents, Kevin Huvane and Bryan Lourd, bought a $14,000 painting for her 1-year-old son, Louis. Before you start occupying Huvane's CAA offices in Los Angeles, note that the Andy Warhol painting was bought at a charity auction and that the money will go toward Elizabeth Taylor's amFAR organization for AIDS research. Bullock's reaction to the generous gesture? "Thanks for not being cheap f-cks." At Thursday's amFAR Inspiration Gala at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood, Bullock's agents placed the winning bid on a $14,000 Andy Warhol print called 'Peaches.' "I want to thank Kevin Huvane and Bryan Lourd for not being cheap f-cks and gifting my son with his first Warhol," joked Bullock. Bullock spoke in honor of Taylor, who died in March at the age of 79: "Earlier this year, the world lost a radiant woman of courage and compassion. She lives on in every person she touched. She never thought twice to put her arm around someone who was suffering, and that is the gift we have a human beings, the ability to reach out and touch another human being. Tonight we can honor this extraordinary woman and finish what she started." [Photo: FilmMagic] [Via Us] Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook RELATED

'The Killing' Star Wins Lancelot Role in Warner Bros.' 'Arthur & Lancelot' (Exclusive)

Ernest M. Brown/Getty ImagesJoel Kinnaman Warner Bros. finds its Lancelot for that planned King Arthur movie Arthur & Lancelot. The Killing star Joel Kinnaman has won the role and it is in discussions to star for director David Dobkin, who also authored the script. The role of Arthur has not yet been cast, and sources say Kinnaman will do chemistry reads with a number of Hollywood's up-and-coming leading males. As THR first revealed, the casting process for that two leads has incorporated such hot stars as Package Harrington (Cinemax's Bet on Thrones), Mike Claflin (Pirates from the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides), Dominic Cooper (The Demon's Double), Hendes Matheson (A Virtual Detective), and Jim Sturgess (Over the World) within the United kingdom and Ben Master and Liam Hemsworth within the U.S. Kinnaman found Hollywood's attention within the Swedish film Snabba Cash (Fast Money), then reserved a lead male role in AMC's acclaimed crime series The Killing. Younger crowd can look in the Snabba Cash director Daniel Espinosa's approaching Ryan Reynolds-Denzel Washington thriller Safe House and that he has shot Snabba Cash 2 in Sweden. Kinnaman is repped by UTA and Magnolia Entertainment. Email: Borys.Package@thr.com Twitter: @Borys_Package The Killing Joel Kinnaman

Pemberton clocks in on Fox's 'Watch'

Johnny Pemberton has became a member of the cast of Fox's "Neighborhood Watch," starring Ben Stiller. Cast includes Vince Vaughn, Rosemarie DeWitt and Jonah Hill. Akiva Schaffer is aboard to helm. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg composed the script about several concerned neighbors who form a neighborhood watch group to prevent crime, simply to uncover a larger conspiracy. Shawn Levy will produce. Pemberton continues to be multitasking in the last year, getting carried out in films including Sony's "21 Jump Street" and Universal's untitled Judd Apatow pic in addition to hosting the MTV skein "Megadrive." He's repped by Gersh and Principato Youthful. Contact Justin Kroll at justin.kroll@variety.com

Start Looking: Rose McGowan, Patrick John Flueger in 'The Tell-Tale Heart' (Photos)

"True!-nervous-very, very nervous I used to be and am why are you going to say that i'm mad?" opens Edgar Allan Poe's short story, The Tell Tale Heart. The haunting tale of the guy who killings a classic guy, after which hides his body under his floormats simply to be driven insane through the seem of his still-beating heart continues to be modified into an approaching film starring Patrick John Flueger, Rose McGowan and Peter Bogdanovich.our editor recommendsRose McGowan to Star in Romantic Thriller 'Napa'Scream Honours: Stars Celebrate the Frightening (Videos) Flueger, most lately observed in Paramount's Footloose, is playing charge role, and joining him because the female lead is McGowan, noted for her roles in Grindhouse, Scream, Jawbreaker, The Black Dahlia and Charmed. An account of romance continues to be put into Poe's dark story for that film adaptation. Bogdanovich (director of Paper Moon, The Final Picture Show) will have the main one-eyed old guy. VIDEOS: Scream Honours: Stars Celebrate the Frightening Director John La Tier's adaptation is presently filming in New Orleans. Also joining the cast is Jacob Vargas (Demon, Traffic, Jarhead), Damon Whitaker (Ghost Dog: The clear way of the Samurai), and Kirk Fox (Failing to remember Sarah Marshall). The film has been created by Daniel Zirilli through Popart Film Factory & Leverage Entertainment. Flueger is symbolized by UTA & Nancy Kremer Management, McGowan through the Gersh Agency & MPE, Bogdanovich by Abrams Artists Agency & MPE, and Zirilli is handled by Zero Gravity. View more exclusive start looking photos below: Above: Patrick John Flueger. Below: Patrick John Flueger and Rose McGowan. Related Subjects Rose McGowan

Mena Suvari to Guest-Star on American Horror Story

Mena Suvari Mena Suvari has signed on for just about any guest role on American Horror Story, TVLine.com reviews. The American Beauty and American Cake star may have a young lady getting a hyperlink using the Harmon's house whose nickname is really The Black Dahlia. It's unclear whether she'll portray the identical Black Dahlia murder victim whose situation remains unsolved after greater than six decades. See the relaxation of current day news Suvari, who'll return to the wedding cake fold in 2012's American Reunion, look in Episode 9 in the Foreign exchange series.

Trust Me (Puss)

A St. Paul Film production in colaboration with Sveriges Television, Gotlands Filmfond, Nordisk Film, Filmregion Stockholm-Malardalen and 4 1/2 Film. (Worldwide sales: Trust Nordisk, Hvidovre, Denmark.) Produced by Fredrik Heinig, Mathilde Dedye. Executive producers, Gunnar Carlsson, Bo Rehnberg, Lone Korslund, Ake Lundstrom, Karin Julsrud. Directed, put together by Johan Kling.With: Susanne Thorson, Alexander Skarsgard, Philomene Grandin, Michael Segerstrom, Lotti Tornros, Gitte Witt, Lars Bringas, Michelle Meadows, Peter Carlberg, Moa Gammel, Richard Ulfsater, Vera Vitali, Gustaf Skarsgard.After winning some acclaim for his 2007 bigscreen debut "Darling," author-director Johan Kling encounters a sophomore slump with "Trust Me.In . Still reading through the fest circuit a minimum of annually past its home-turf theatrical release, this glumly misanthropic backstage ensembler might be the kind of enterprise one suspects amused its makers really computer ever will any needing to pay clients. Thesp Alexander Skarsgard's rising worldwide star should help snag some home-format sales. The youngish people from the theater company introduced by author-director Katja (Susanne Thorson) are practicing her latest play, but she seems really the only person truly devoted to your time and energy. Everyone else is bored, lazy, predatory, pathetic and/or possibly a liar, with just about all people terms highly relevant to Katja's b.f. Alex (Skarsgard), who's likely to uncover he's heavy-laden another company member (Philomene Grandin). Other styles associated with less-than-amusing hijinks are the resident Don Juan (Lars Bringas), the lone plus-sized female (Lotti Tornros) as well as the peeping-tom landlord (Michael Segerstrom) anxious to evict these for murky reasons. Within the final stretch, the pic tries a turn toward the nice cozy and fuzzy via enhanced romantic prospects and justice properly meted out. But it's far too little, too far gone following a lot time spent with dully unsympathetic figures in quasi-farcical situations missing of fizz. A soundtrack filled with retro jazz attempts to pressure some jauntiness into the proceedings, to little avail. People who eventually rent "Believe MeInch (initially entitled "Puss," or "Hug") to feast their eyes on "True Blood's" Skarsgard will feel no less than partly compensated the actor briefly temps clad only in the towel, a revealing kimono. Artists are competent if hardly challenged. Packaging is clever enough.Camera (color), Jakob Ihre editors, Johan Soderberg, Patrik Gyllstrom production designer, Roger Rosenberg costume designer, Anna Grenas. Examined on DVD, San Francisco Bay Area, March. 12, 2011. (In Mill Valley Film Festival -- World Cinema.) Running time: 119 MIN. Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com

Winfrey to stay after 'Lifeclass'

Discovery Communications' partnership using the famous host the famous host oprah Winfrey, OWN, features that Winfrey it's still available to fans every Friday after "Oprah's Lifeclass," both on the web and on-air beginning now. Winfrey will fix the series, which revisits interviews and moments from "The The famous host the famous host oprah Winfrey Show" in greater depth, and allows fans in the cable program ("childhood friendsInch) to resolve questions asked for by Winfrey and respond to each other online. Series is produced by Harpo Art galleries. Contact Mike Thielman at mike.thielman@variety.com

Individuals Choice Honours 25 Under 25: Hollywood's Most popular Youthful Stars

It appears like Hasbro Boss John Goldner wasn't kidding around. Only one next day of he told experts the toy company was "positively talking about" a 4th 'Transformers' film with director Michael Bay, producer Steven Spielberg and Vital, Variety reviews that plans for any 4th and fifth have been in the whole shebang. Should this happen, the program would be to shoot 'Transformers 4' and 'Transformers 5' back-to-to keep production costs lower and produce inside a new star to exchange the departing Shia LaBeouf. No deals happen to be offered yet, but Variety mentions Jason Statham being an option being "bandied about." (Note: this is awesomesauce.) Bay had alluded that he wouldn't direct another 'Transformers' film, but he's thinking about pointing this go-around, showing once more those funds talks. [Variety] Talking about Shia LaBeouf, the actor is mounted on play a 20-feet-tall giant in what's being referred to being an "untitled cool love story." The film follows a broke girl who moves home following a string of bad associations, and strikes up a rapport using the giant nearby. Gil Kenan ('Monster House') authored the script and can direct. Being 20-ft-tall might have prove useful for LaBeouf in Vancouver a week ago. Ahem. [Variety] Time for many Hollywood gossip: TheWrap reviews that Mark Wahlberg and David O. Russell are no more buddies following the director cast Bradley Cooper in the new film. Wahlberg have been mounted on star in Russell's 'The Silver Textures Playbook' but was changed by Cooper due to costs. A minimum of that is what the director's estranged cousin informs TheWrap. Wahlberg has starred in three films for Russell, including 'The Fighter' which marked the director's comeback after investing years in Hollywood jail for his caustic on-set antics. Originate from this story that which you must. [TheWrap] "Used to do it by myself terms, during my own time, during my own words, which is completely the kind of relationship I wish to need to that information. Used to do it because I recognized the way in which it assisted people, Used to do it since it was time to get it done, and yeah, it had been certainly a deliberate choice to get it done for the reason that way," Zachary Quinto on why he made the decision to be released. Good job. [NextMovie] 'Zombieland' screenwriters Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese happen to be hired to show the Hasbro toyline 'Micronauts' right into a new film for director J.J. Abrams and Vital. You will find several things wrong for the reason that sentence, however, many right? [Deadline] Film writer William Monahan has ideas for any follow up to 'The Departed,' try not to hold your breath. ""I believe Warner Bros. might have loved to determine a synopsis from it,Inch the Oscar champion told Collider when requested why a follow up wouldn't materialize despite Monahan's notes. "I do not do synopses and that i don't pitch. Personally, I'm not sure whether it's ever going to take place. I understand the film, I have got the film during my mind. Even when everyone did not return, that they could within the film as I have set up it, it might be a hell of the salary for an individual to create. The film would need to be absolutely superb." [Collider] [Photo: Vital] Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook RELATED

'Fringe' Star Anna Torv On Existence Without Peter Bishop

For somebody who does not exist, Peter Bishop sure gets lots of attention. "Fringe," the breathtaking Fox series presently in the 4th year on tv, established fact to take bizarre risks and asking audiences in the future along for that ride but removing among the show's most significant figures Joshua Jackson's skeptic youthful genius Peter Bishop directly from existence? This is a gigantic gamble, for this show. When Anna Torv, who stars within the series as brilliant FBI agent Olivia Dunham, stopped by MTV News now to discuss the present season of "Fringe," we requested her the most crucial question of: what's existence as with a global without Peter Bishop? "Well, the Olivia which i play does not understand what existence was as with him, so I am normal," she stated, speaking that the show presently is available inside a world where both Peter from your world and also the one from sleep issues died within their childhood quite simply, he never resided lengthy enough to satisfy Olivia and link up with Fringe Division. Obviously, Peter were available our heroes just have no idea that at this time. Also it will not be lengthy before he comes roaring to existence, Torv taunted, so when he is doing, things are likely to get better, interesting, to place it gently. "I do not think I am giving anything away when I only say the event of the months are Peter Bishop," she stated. "We are likely to see much more of him and just how he unravels these figures." Starting this latest season, Torv stated that they was completely not aware from the "Fringe" writers' plans for how to approach Olivia, her fellow cast people and also the mythology they have already spent years creating considering Peter's departure. "They're going for their authors camping and pretty near to filming, they return, and it is like, 'Okay, are we able to talk now?'" she chuckled. "I suppose there's just kind of a lot there wasn't time to sit down lower and exercise which cases did not get solved and which of them did [within the new, Peter-less 'Fringe' timeline]." Without that type of concrete information, then, Torv centered on what she thought will be the transformed dynamics between Olivia along with other people from the Fringe team, namely Peter's father Walter, the ingenious but broken researcher performed perfectly by John Noble. "When Peter was there, he was greatly the nurturer [to Walter], he was greatly the companion, but without him, the greatest difference we have seen is within Walter, who did not have Peter to create him out and help him improve,Inch she stated. "But things i was looking forward to is there's a bit more warmth, a closeness between Walter and Olivia." It's not only Olivia and Walter's relationship that's transformed due to Peter's removal from existence, either. "You will find a few episodes approaching where we reintroduce a few figures and you will go, 'Oh, this is a different relationship towards the one we are accustomed to,AInch she taunted. "But I am not likely to say anymore about this!Inch Inform us that which you think about the brand new season of "Fringe" within the comments section as well as on Twitter!

Disney reups Maxdome pact

BERLIN -- Disney has extended a VOD deal with broadcaster ProSiebenSat.1 that includes more than 500 titles for its on-demand service Maxdome. The agreement provides Germany's biggest VOD service with all of Disney's theatrical slate, including such high-profile titles as "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," as well titles from the Mouse House library, and live action and animated series from the Disney Channel and Disney Junior, among them "Hannah Montana," "Wizards of Waverly Place" and "Handy Manny." ProSiebenSat.1's first VOD deal with Disney, inked in 2008, included such titles as "Toy Story 2," "Armageddon," "Pearl Harbor," "Grey's Anatomy" and "Lost." Maxdome boasts more than 35,000 film and TV titles. Contact Ed Meza at staff@variety.com

Chris Brown Tops BET Hip-Hop Awards With Four Wins

Chris Brown was the big winner Tuesday night at the BET Hip-Hop Awards, held in Atlanta.our editor recommendsABC 'Sorry' for Airing Nicki Minaj Wardrobe Slip-Up Snoop Dogg Teaming With Rapper Wiz Khalifa for 'Comedy Stoner Movie' Cash Money Founders on Lil Waynes Tha Carter IV Debut: No Record is Safe From HimBET Awards Preview: Justin Bieber to Attend, Beyonce, Lil Wayne Among Performers and Nominees The singer received four trophies, including best hip-hop video and best collaboration for "Look at Me Now," featuring Busta Rhymes. STORY: Chris Brown's 'Dancing With the Stars' Performance Angers Fans According to E! Online, Brown was not present at the show as he is currently on his F.A.M.E. tour, but he did tweet this message: "Thank you BET but most of all TeamBreezy." Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne and Wiz Khalifa also were among the night's big winners, taking home two awards apiece. The latter was named rookie of the year. STORY: Chris Brown Announces North American Tour Meanwhile, Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy won for best CD, while his Watch the Throne collaborator Jay-Z was named hustler of the year. The show, hosted by Mike Epps, featured performances by T.I., Wiz Khalifa, Big Sean, Lupe Fiasco and Erykah Badu (who initially appeared onstage in a mask and surprised attendees when she revealed her identity) and Heavy D and Tyrese, among others. VIDEO: Chris Brown Shows Off his Dance Skills at VMAs A complete list of winners follows: Best Hip-Hop Video Chris Brown feat. Bustya Rhymes, "Look at Me Now" Best Featured Verse Chris Brown feat. Busta Rhymes, "Look at Me Now" Best Collaboration Chris Brown feat. Bustya Rhymes, "Look at Me Now" Best Live Performer Lil Wayne Best Lyricist Lil Wayne Video Director of the Year Hype Williams Producer of the Year Lex Luger MVP of the Year Nicki Minaj Track of the Year Wiz Khalifa, "Black and Yellow" Hustler of the Year Jay-Z CD of the Year Kanye West, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy DJ of the Year DJ Khaled Rookie of the Year Wiz Khalifa Best Mixtape J. Cole, Friday Night Lights Made-You-Look Award Nicki Minaj People's Champ Award Chris Brown feat. Bustya Rhymes, "Look at Me Now" I Am Hip-Hop Award LL Cool J Best Club Banger Waka Flocka Flame feat. Roscoe Dash and Wale, "No Hands" Related Topics Chris Brown Jay-Z Kanye West Nicki Minaj Lil Wayne Wiz Khalifa BET

Equity, League strike deal

Stage thesps' union Actors Equity Assn. and the Broadway League, the trade association of legit producers and presenters, have made a tentative pact for the production contract, the agreement that governs the employment of actors and stage managers in commercial Broadway productions and tours. Good for four years, the new deal would expire in September 2015. Few details were made public prior to the union's upcoming ratification vote on the pact, but among the provisions were annual wage increases as well as the formation of a new Labor-Management Committee. The new body would aim to reduce grievances and more nimbly address work-related situations regarding safety and other issues. Group, to be made up of an equal number of union reps and producers, would meet quarterly. Formation of the committee seems prompted in part by last season's urgent, high-profile labor and safety concerns arising on "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark." The new overall deal between Equity and the League will first be reviewed by Equity's governing body, the National Council. If the council gives the pact a green light, the deal then goes up for a ratification vote by union members who have worked under the production contract since 2004. No exact timeline for that process has yet been laid out, although a rep for Equity estimated the vote could take place in early December. Once approved, the contract would be retroactive to Sept. 25. The latest round of labor talks seems to have gone smoothly for both sides, with barely a peep heard in legit circles about the negotiations. Although often such contractual wrangling is largely collegial, talks do sometimes deteriorate, as evidenced by the stagehands' strike in 2007 and the musicians' strike in 2003, both of which shut down the Rialto for multiple performances. Contact Gordon Cox at gordon.cox@variety.com

Cronenberg Updates On Eastern Promises 2

And The Fly 3!A Dangerous Method is about to premiere at the NY Film Festival; Cosmopolis is in the can; and there have been various rumours in recent months about what else David Cronenberg may have in development. "Sometimes on IMDb you see you're doing three movies you've never even heard of," he told Shock. Thankfully, he's happy to clarify.There were odd rumblings some time ago of Cronenberg remaking his own version of The Fly. Not strictly true, says the director, but not exactly false either. "Yeah, that was a thing," he says. "It's not exactly a remake; it's sort of a sequel, kinda. I've written a script of that but I don't know if it's going to really happen. That has to do with Fox..."He definitely isn't making Timecrimes, the English-language version of Nacho Vigalondo's sci-fi thriller: "They proposed it to me and I turned it down, and then suddenly it was on the 'net like I'm doing it! I think it was the director of the Spanish version that was responsible for saying I'm doing it, but I never was."But a sequel to 2007's Eastern Promises definitely is on the cards, albeit not quite as an immediate prospect. "It's possible," says Cronenberg carefully. "Steve Knight wrote it, and he's now writing a second draft, and Focus are interested, so we'll see..."More naked Viggo violence? Something to erase the memory of The Fly II? Or would you rather Cronenberg shocked with the new rather than revisiting the old? A Dangerous Method is out in the UK in February, followed by Cosmopolis some time later in the year.Of the Don Delillo adaptation (which stars Robert Pattinson) Cronenberg enthuses "It's very cinematic. Well, it is and it isn't. Most of the movie takes place inside a limo. Some people would say that's not cinematic, but I say it is!"

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Keys writes 'Stick Fly' music

KeysAlicia Keys, already on board as a commercial producer of the upcoming Broadway play "Stick Fly," also will pen original music for the production.Keys' stint on the creative team makes her eligible for a Tony nomination, although it's not often play scores are included in the musical-dominated category of scores written for the theater. Still, in 2010, the music from two plays -- including the Branford Marsalis-penned score for "Fences" -- made the cut.Keys is also part of a "Stick Fly" producing theam that includes Nelle Nugent, Samuel Nappi, Reuben Cannon, Sharon A. Carr/Patricia Klausner, Huntington Theater Company, Dan Frishwasser, Sarahbeth Grossman and Charles Salameno in association with Joseph Sirola and Eric Falkenstein.Lydia R. Diamond's play, a regular on the regional circuit and making its Gotham bow this fall, beings previews Nov. 18 at the Cort Theater ahead of a Dec. 8 opening. Helmed by Kenny Leon ("Fences"), play centers on a wealthy black family's weekend gathering on Martha's Vineyard. Cast includes Dule Hill, Mekhi Phifer, Tracie Thoms, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Condola Rashad and Rosie Benton. Contact Gordon Cox at gordon.cox@variety.com

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Derek Luke Joins the Remake of 'Sparkle'

More news around the remake front (yes, we're getting as fed up with writing it when you are reading through it): Derek Luke continues to be cast because the male lead within the remake from the 1976 film 'Sparkle.' The film follows singer Sparkle Williams and her rise to fame. This time around around, actress Jordin Sparks is going to be playing Sparkle with Luke representing Stix, a singer-songwriter deeply in love with Sparkle. Starring alongside Sparks and Luke is going to be Whitney Houston, Mike Epps and Cee Lo Eco-friendly. If perhaps we're able to get another Curtis Mayfield soundtrack using this. [via Deadline] Image thanks to Getty Images

Rhapsody nabs Napster

Music subscription service Rhapsody introduced Monday it was obtaining a familiar brand -- Napster, the peer-to-peer service that released music's online crisis within the late 1990's -- from Best To Buy. The deal weren't revealed. Large-box store Best To Buy acquired Napster 3 years ago for any reported $121 million. Under the agreement, Rhapsody will get Napster customers along with other assets, while Best To Buy will get a minority stake in Rhapsody. Released in 2001 by Viacom's RealNetworks unit, streaming service Rhapsody has become an indie operation that claims 800,000 having to pay customers within the U.S. Rhapsody is facing fresh competition from three-year-old Swedish streaming operation Spotify, which joined the U.S. market in This summer having a "freemium" service offering customers both free and compensated streams. Spotify claims a lot more than two million customers worldwide. Spotify's backers include Sean Parker, a vital player in the introduction of Napster. Rhapsody prexy Jon Irwin stated inside a statement, "There's substantial value in getting Napster's customers and robust IP portfolio to Rhapsody once we execute on our technique to expand our business via direct purchase of people and distribution deals." Founded in 1999, Napster was the most popular P2P network that first caused common online music piracy. It had been ultimately hounded bankrupt and into personal bankruptcy by an RIAA suit, but other sailing sites sprang up in the wake. Following a unsuccessful bid by Bertelsmann to get the website, Napster's assets were acquired by Roxio and, later, by Best To Buy. The mall store offered a hyperlink to Napster's 12 million-song catalog on its site. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com