.png?width=739&name=MicrosoftTeams-image%20(31).png)
Don’t forget to check out our Friday Fivecast, the audio version of our weekly Friday Five blog. Listen in your car, at your desk, and anywhere you take your podcasts. Find it here, then click on our Spotify profile to subscribe.
Streaming
Return to HBO Max: Streaming Service Reverts Back to Previous Name
Warner Bros. Discovery is reverting the name of its streaming service from "Max" back to "HBO Max," acknowledging the strength and recognition of the HBO brand after a brief rebranding in 2023. The decision, met with humor and light applause during the company's 2025 upfront presentation, reflects a broader shift back to emphasizing quality storytelling and HBO’s long-standing brand equity.
Broadway
Celebrating Podcasts: Golden Globes to Introduce a New Category
The Golden Globes will introduce a Best Podcast category at the 83rd ceremony in 2026, marking the first time a major film and TV awards show formally honors the medium. This new category will include six final nominees chosen from the top 25 ranked podcasts.
Cannes
Honoring Cinematic Technology: New Award Launched at the Cannes Film Market
The Cannes film market’s Marché du Film is partnering with the Consumer Technology Association, producer of CES, to launch a new award recognizing innovative technologies transforming film production, financing, and distribution. The award marks the first time the CES Innovation Awards will specifically honor advancements in cinema technology.
VFX
Protecting Creative Workers: A Push to Form a Trade Association
Veteran VFX executive Scott Ross is urging for the formation of a global trade association to combat studio dominance and protect creative workers. He and other panelists at FMX, Film & Media exchange confab in Germany, also discussed the disruptive potential of AI, while others saw it as a tool that could elevate truly creative talent.
Awards
Celebrating Yugoslav Entertainment: New Film and TV Award Ceremony
The Sarajevo, Zagreb, and Auteur film festivals have launched the Adriatic Film and TV Awards to honor film and television from former Yugoslav countries. The inaugural ceremony will be held October 24–26 in Tivat, Montenegro, with winners chosen by the newly formed Adriatic Film and TV Academy, comprising over 500 regional industry professionals.
High five! Another Friday Five is going live next week—same time, same place. We know what caught our eyes, but we’re all ears. Tell us what you’d like to learn more about in our upcoming editions by following us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Be sure to tag #FridayFive in your comments.
Want an even more convenient way to stay in the know? Get Friday Five sent right to your inbox each week by signing up for our direct newsletter below.
See you next Friday at 10 a.m. (PT).
