Here are the most read stories of the week.
Data Dispatch: Sprint/T-Mobile merger largest transaction for two investment banks
If completed, the pending merger of T-Mobile US Inc. and Sprint Corp., the third- and fourth-largest U.S. wireless carriers, would mark the biggest deal to date for boutique investment banks PJT Partners Inc. and Raine Group LLC. PJT Partners, which was spun out of private equity firm Blackstone Group LP in 2015, is among the advisers to T-Mobile; Raine Group, formed in 2009 by former Goldman Sachs Group Inc. investment banker Joe Ravitch and former Morgan Stanley and UBS Group AG banker Jeff Sine, counts Sprint parent SoftBank Group Corp. as its largest client.
Update: Analysts say CBS suit against National Amusements faces 'uphill battle'
CBS Corp.'s move to sue its controlling shareholder National Amusements Inc. in a fight to control the future of the company is a risky one and a court approval might be difficult, experts said. After National Amusements pushed for a CBS/Viacom Inc. merger for months, CBS filed a lawsuit against the Redstone-led holding company, which controls nearly 80% of the voting stock in the two media conglomerates.
Chinese tech giants increasingly under pressure as content crackdown intensifies
As authorities in China increasingly step up efforts to filter online content, industry experts have said that tech companies can expect more rules and regulations. The country's State Administration of Radio and Television demanded that internet startup Beijing Bytedance remove a joke-sharing app and ordered news site Toutiao to shut its operations due to the nature of its content.
Upfronts 2018: ESPN advocates for 'elusive' live audiences
During its May 15 presentation to advertisers, ESPN Inc. touted its new president, Jimmy Pitaro, and its on-air talent, including the irrepressible anchor and faux pitchman extraordinaire Kenny Mayne, as it played through its mix of sports programming and audience advantages. The upfront was the first under Pitaro, who succeeded John Skipper after he abruptly resigned in December 2017.
Upfronts 2018: NBC beefs up content targeting 18-to-49 demo
Wielding an edge in such key demos as adults 18 to 49 and adults 25 to 54 as the current TV season nears its conclusion, Comcast Corp.'s NBC (US) will add five first-year dramas and three new comedies over the course of the 2018-19 season. The network will launch medical drama "New Amsterdam," based on New York's Bellevue Hospital, out of multi-generational hit series "This Is Us" on Tuesdays.
