Analyst Report: Jabil Inc
Ancestra says a lot about the current state of AI-generated videos
After watching writer / director Eliza McNitt’s new short film Ancestra, I can see why a number of Hollywood studios are interested in generative AI. Many of the shots were made and refined solely with prompts, in collaboration with Google’s DeepMind team. It’s obvious what Darren Aronofsky’s AI-focused Primordial Soup production house and Google stand to gain from the normalization of this kind of creative workflow. But when you sit down to listen to McNitt and Aronofsky talk about how the short came together, it is hard not to think about generative AI’s potential to usher in a new era of “content” that feels like it was cooked up in a lab — and put scores of filmmakers out of work in the process.
Inspired by the story of McNitt’s own complicated birth, Ancestra zooms in on the life of an expectant mother (Audrey Corsa) as she prays for her soon-to-be-born baby’s heart defect to miraculously heal. Though the short features a number of real actors performing on practical sets, Google’s Gemini, Imagen, and Veo models were used to develop Ancestra’s shots of what’s racing through the mother’s mind and the tiny, dangerous hole inside of the baby’s heart. Inside the mother’s womb, we’re shown Blonde-esque close-ups of the baby, whose heartbeat gradually becomes part of the film’s soundtrack. And the woman’s ruminations on what it means to be a mother are visualized as a series of very short clips of other women with children, volcanic explosions, and stars being born after the Big Bang — all of which have a very stock-footage-by-way-of-gen-AI feel to them.
It’s all very sentimental, but the message being conveyed about the power of a mother’s love is cliched, particularly when it’s juxtaposed with what is essentially a montage of computer-generated nature footage. Visually Ancestra feels like a project that is trying to prove how all of the AI slop videos flooding the internet are actually something to be excited about. The film is so lacking in fascinating narrative substance, though, that it feels like a rather weak argument in favor of Hollywood’s rush to get to the slop trough while it’s hot.
As McNitt smash cuts to quick shots of different kinds of animals nurturing their young and close-ups of holes being filled in by microscopic organisms, you can tell that those visuals account for a large chunk of the film’s AI underpinnings. They each feel like another example of text-to-video models’ ability to churn out uncanny-looking, decontextualized footage that would be difficult to incorporate into fully produced film. But in the behind-the-scenes making-of video that Google shared in its announcement last week, McNitt speaks at length about how, when faced with the difficult prospect of having to cast a real baby, it made much more sense to her to create a fake one with Google’s models.
“There’s just nothing like a human performance and the kind of emotion that an actor can evoke,” McNitt explains. “But when I wrote that there would be a newborn baby, I did not know the solution of how we would [shoot] that because you can’t get a baby to act.”
Filmmaking with infants poses all kinds of production challenges that simply aren’t an issue with CGI babies and doll props. But going the gen AI route also presented McNitt with the opportunity to make her film even more personal by using old photos of herself as a newborn to serve as the basis for the fake baby’s face.
With a bit of fine-tuning, Ancestra’s production team was able to combine shots of Corsa and the fake baby to create scenes in which they almost, but not quite, appear to be interacting as if both were real actors. If you look closely in wider shots, you can see that the mother’s hand seems to be hovering just above her child because the baby isn’t really there. But the scene moves by so quickly that it doesn’t immediately stand out, and it’s far less “AI-looking” than the film’s more fantastical shots meant to represent the hole in the baby’s heart being healed by the mother’s will.
Though McNitt notes how “hundreds of people” were involved in the process of creating Ancestra, one of the behind-the-scenes video’s biggest takeaways is how relatively small the project’s production team was compared to what you might see on a more traditional short film telling the same story. Hiring more artists to conceptualize and then craft Ancestra’s visuals would have undoubtedly made the film more expensive and time-consuming to finish. Especially for indie filmmakers and up-and-coming creatives who don’t have unlimited resources at their disposal, those are the sorts of challenges that can be exceedingly difficult to overcome.
Image: Google
But Ancestra also feels like a case study in how generative AI stands to eliminate jobs that once would have gone to people. The argument is often that AI is a tool, and that jobs will shift rather than be replaced. Yet it’s hard to imagine studio executives genuinely believing in a future where today’s VFX specialists, concept artists, and storyboarders have transitioned into jobs as prompt writers who are compensated well enough to sustain their livelihoods. This was a huge part of what drove Hollywood’s film / TV actors and writers to strike in 2023. It’s also why video game performers have been on strike for the better part of the past year, and it feels irresponsible to dismiss these concerns as people simply being afraid of innovation or resistant to change.
In the making-of video, Aronofsky points out that cutting-edge technology has always played an integral role in the filmmaking business. You would be hard-pressed today to find a modern film or series that wasn’t produced with the use of powerful digital tools that didn’t exist a few decades ago. There are things about Ancestra’s use of generative AI that definitely make it seem like a demonstration of how Google’s models could, theoretically and with enough high-quality training data, become sophisticated enough to create footage that people would actually want to watch in a theater. But the way Aronofsky goes stony-faced and responds “not good” when one of Google’s DeepMind researchers explains that Veo can only generate eight-second-long clips says a lot about where generative AI is right now and Ancestra as a creative endeavor.
It feels like McNitt is telling on herself a bit when she talks about how the generative models’ output influenced the way she wrote Ancestra. She says “both things really informed each other,” but that sounds like a very positive way of spinning the fact that Veo’s technical limitations required her to write dialogue that could be matched to a series of clips vaguely tied to the concepts of motherhood and childbirth. This all makes it seem like, at times, McNitt’s core authorial intent had to be deprioritized in favor of working with whatever the AI models spat out. Had it been the other way around, Ancestra might have wound up telling a much more interesting story. But there’s very little about Ancestra’s narrative or, to be honest, its visuals that is so groundbreaking that it feels like an example of why Hollywood should be rushing to embrace this technology whole cloth.
Films produced with more generative AI might be cheaper and faster to make, but the technology as it exists now doesn’t really seem capable of producing art that would put butts in movie theaters or push people to sign up for another streaming service. And it’s important to bear in mind that, at the end of the day, Ancestra is really just an ad meant to drum up hype for Google, which is something none of us should be rushing to do.
Rays owner in ‘advanced talks’ to sell team to Florida group
Tampa Bay Rays principal owner Stu Sternberg is in “advanced talks” to sell the franchise to a group led by a Florida-based residential developer.
Patrick Zalupski, a home builder in Jacksonville, has been identified as the potential lead buyer in a deal that values the team at about $1.7 billion. He already has executed a letter of intent to purchase the team, per Sportico, which first reported the talks.
Sternberg bought the Rays in 2004 for $200 million.
The team acknowledged the discussions in a statement, saying “The Tampa Bay Rays announced that the team has recently commenced exclusive discussions with a group led by Patrick Zalupski, Bill Cosgrove, Ken Babby and prominent Tampa Bay investors concerning a possible sale of the team. Neither the Rays nor the group will have further comment during the discussions.”
A year ago, Sternberg had a deal in place to build a new stadium in the Historic Gas Plant District, a reimagined recreational, retail and residential district in St. Petersburg, to replace Tropicana Field. However, after Hurricane Milton shredded the roof of the stadium last October, forcing the Rays into temporary quarters, Sternberg’s commitment has been less than resolute, saying the team would have to bear excess costs that were not in the budget.
In March, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred and some other owners began to privately push Sternberg to sell the franchise, The Athletic reported.
Zalupski is the president and CEO of Dream Finders Homes, founded in December 2008. He also is a member of the board of trustees at the University of Florida.
It is unclear what Zalupski’s group, if it ultimately goes through with the purchase and is approved by MLB owners, would do for a permanent stadium.
The Rays are currently playing at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, located at the site of the New York Yankees‘ spring training facility and home of their Single-A Tampa Tarpons.
Reese Witherspoon’s Niece Starts Hollywood Caree
Reese Witherspoon cordially invited her niece to a day on set.
And Abby James Witherspoon was happy to bring fans along. After all, as the Loyola University film production student shadowed her aunt during filming, she gave a glimpse into the outing.
“I always love learning from professionals, especially when it’s my Aunt Reese,” the 19-year-old explained in a June 16 video shared to Reese’s Instagram. “I also loved learning from not only my aunt, but also the amazing crew of women that she surrounds herself with.”
Abby—the eldest daughter of Reese’s brother John Witherspoon—shared clips of the Legally Blonde alum getting her hair and makeup touched up between filming, her aunt’s dog running around and crew working through the day.
“We even celebrated a producer’s birthday with cupcakes,” she explained with the dessert in hand. “It’s one of the best parts about being on set, you will never go hungry, and sometimes, flowers and dogs. I had such a great day. Thanks, Aunt Reese!”
Phil Foden: England man rediscovers form for Man City in Club World Cup opener
Guardiola set out his stall for this competition by signing three players for more than £100m – and two of those, Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki, started on their debuts.
Dutchman Reijnders described himself as “box-to-box” number eight when speaking in Florida before the game and there were early positive signs too of what he will bring to this City side.
City struggled without the presence of Rodri in the middle of the park after the Spaniard’s serious knee injury last September, but may have found the perfect partner for the Ballon d’Or winner.
Reijnders’ athleticism and reading of the game was evident, showing his ability to get around the pitch to snuff out attacks, while also being able to pick out a pass and drive the side forward. He looks to have brought much-needed energy to a City midfield that was often stagnant last term.
“You feel and smell it, a really good player,” admitted Guardiola. “The pace and in the final third with the ball, when he gets the rhythm he will be top.”
French forward Cherki also showed his creativity with some neat flashes on the ball, but the 21-year-old may be a player that brings eye-catching moments in games rather than controlling the play like Reijnders.
Guardiola, who left another new signing, full-back Rayan Ait-Nouri, on the bench, added: “Kevin is difficult to replace, we know that. At the same time the club decided for Rayan because he has incredible skills close to the box. It was just his first game in tough conditions.”
2 soldiers killed in separate non-combat incidents in Iraq, Kuwait
The Pentagon on Wednesday announced the deaths of two soldiers killed in separate, “non-combat” incidents earlier this week in Iraq and Kuwait.
Staff Sgt. Saul Fabian Gonzalez, 26, of Pullman, Mich., died Tuesday in Erbil, Iraq, and Sgt. 1st Class Emmett Wilfred Goodridge Jr., 40, of Roseville, Minn., died Sunday in Camp Buehring, Kuwait, according to a Defense Department statement.
No further details were given as to the cause of the deaths, which are both under investigation.
Gonzalez had been assigned to D Troop, 2nd Squadron, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Fort Campbell, Ky., while Goodridge was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.
Both men had been supporting Operation Inherent Resolve at the time of their deaths. The operation is tasked with keeping the Islamic State at bay in the Middle East after the caliphate was defeated in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria in 2019.
Deaths of U.S. troops deployed to the Middle East are increasingly rare following the end of the Afghanistan war in 2021 and a 2024 agreement between the United States and Iraq to withdraw U.S.-led coalition forces from the country by the end of 2026.
But the area remains volatile, thanks to the Iranian-backed militia groups that can attack American forces in the region, with three Army soldiers killed in a drone attack on a small U.S. outpost in Jordan in January 2024.
And since Israel launched strikes on Iran on June 13, at least five U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria have come under fire from Tehran-supported militants, according to Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Long War Journal.
The best streaming deals: Disney Plus, HBO Max, Netflix, and more
So far, 2025 has been a great year for watching new, must-see TV shows and movies on subscription services. But if you, like many of us, have more concurrent subscriptions than you care to admit, you’ll agree that keeping up with the latest each month is expensive. They may not cost as much as most of the tech we cover, but it adds up.
If you’re trying to cut down on your expenses, you might be able to do so while holding onto your precious subscriptions. Attempting to cancel your service is a good way to see if you’ll be offered a cheaper monthly rate to stick around. Outside of that, several services offer ongoing promos, some of which are even available to new and returning subscribers alike. Below, we’ve curated some of the best deals going on right now, so you can enjoy streaming your favorite show or movie for less than it would typically cost you.
Note: keep an eye out for free trials and student discounts
Most streaming services offer free trials that typically last from a week to a month, whether you sign up for an annual membership or just a monthly subscription. However, you will likely have to provide your credit card information in advance, and you will be charged once your trial is over, so make a note in your calendar if you don’t want to be charged.
Some streaming platforms offer student discounts. These include Hulu, Paramount Plus, YouTube TV, Amazon Prime, and more. You’ll have to prove your student eligibility through a sign-up form and typically be enrolled in an accredited Title IV college or university to take advantage of these deals.
Peacock is NBCUniversal’s streaming service, one that offers next-day programming from NBC (and Bravo). The platform also provides access to live sports programming, including Sunday Night Football and WWE, as well as movies and shows like The Wild Robot, Conclave, Wicked, Oppenheimer, Yellowstone, Teacup, The Office, Saturday Night Live, Rian Johnson’s Poker Face, and the forthcoming The Office spinoff, The Paper.
The platform currently offers two plans: an ad-supported Peacock Premium tier for $7.99 a month (or $79.99 a year) or the ad-free Peacock Premium Plus tier for $13.99 a month (or $139.99 a year). Only the latter lets you download content for offline viewing.
In terms of deals, things are pretty dry right now. You can grab a complimentary subscription when you sign up for a year of Instacart Plus ($99 annually or $9.99 a month). You can also get free access if you’re an Xfinity Internet customer with gigabit speeds or a Diamond or Platinum Rewards member. If you’re a first responder or a medical professional (and are alright with your credentials being verified by SheerID), you can get Peacock’s monthly plan for $3.99 per month, which is a nice perk.
The best Disney Plus deals
$11
This bundle comes with ads and grants access to all of the shows and movies available in Hulu’s and Disney Plus’ library.
With Disney Plus, you can stream a wide range of shows and movies, including Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, Deadpool & Wolverine, Andor, X-Men ‘97, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, and Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour film. A monthly subscription currently costs $9.99 a month with ads or $15.99 a month without (or $159.99 annually). The $15.99 per month service includes Dolby Atmos sound, as well as the ability to download TV shows and movies on up to 10 devices.
For just a dollar more, Disney offers an ad-supported, $10.99-a-month Duo Basic subscription that brings together Disney Plus and Hulu. To enjoy an ad-free experience across both services, the cost is $19.99 per month.
There’s also the $16.99-a-month Disney Bundle Trio Basic bundle, which includes the ad-supported Hulu and ESPN Plus (paying $26.99 a month nets you the ad-free version of Hulu and Disney Plus, though ESPN will still have ads). That’s cheaper than subscribing to all three streaming services individually, and is the wisest route to take if you want all three.
That being said, there are other ways to save, particularly with carrier promos. Those currently on one of Verizon’s Unlimited plans, for instance, can get Disney Plus Trio Basic with ads for $10 a month instead of $16.99. If you already subscribe to Verizon’s existing Legacy bundle, you can also continue to enjoy ad-free Disney Plus, as well as ad-supported ESPN Plus and Hulu, for $15 per month ($6 off).
$10
Hulu grants access to originals like The Handmaid’s Tale, as well as non-Hulu content like Shogun, The Bear, Futurama, Say Nothing, and Alien: Romulus. T-Mobile also offering complementary access to the Hulu-ad supported plan when you maintain a qualifying Go5G Next line.
Hulu offers both ad-supported and ad-free plans. No matter which you buy, you’ll be able to access all of Hulu’s TV shows and movies on multiple devices, including originals like The Handmaid’s Tale and Sand Land, as well as other content, like Shogun, The Bear, Futurama, and The Veil. It’s also where you’ll be able to watch the King of the Hill revival when it lands on August 4th. The service also allows two people to stream simultaneously, and you can have up to six user profiles. However, subscribing to the ad-free plan means you won’t have to deal with commercials; You’ll also be able to watch downloads offline.
The ad-supported plan currently costs $9.99 per month, while the ad-free plan costs $18.99 a month. Hulu also sells ad-free and ad-supported bundles that include Disney Plus and / or ESPN Plus, which are cheaper than subscribing to each service individually. With the Hulu with Live TV, Disney Plus, and ESPN Plus bundle, you’ll be able to access more than 90 live sports, news, and entertainment channels, as well as content from each of the streaming services. You’ll also be able to record live shows with unlimited DVR storage and take advantage of the same features the standard, ad-free, and ad-supported Hulu plans offer. The ad-supported Hulu with Live TV subscription is $82.99 a month, while the ad-free tier is $95.99 a month (though, it’s worth noting that, of the three services included, ESPN Plus will still have ads, even at this tier). Complicated, right?
However, if you just want Hulu and don’t need the live TV version, you can subscribe to the ad-supported Disney Bundle Duo Basic, which includes Disney Plus, for $10.99 a month. You can also add ESPN Plus for $16.99 per month, or get rid of ads and add live sports for $26.99 a month.
In terms of deals, students can subscribe to the ad-supported version for $1.99 a month or a bundle that combines Spotify Premium, Showtime, and ad-supported Hulu for $5.99 a month. Some wireless carriers are also offering customers discounts when they buy premium phone plans. As mentioned previously, those currently on one of Verizon’s Unlimited plans can get the Disney Plus Trio Basic with ads for $10 per month instead of $16.99. If you already subscribe to Verizon’s Legacy bundle, you can also continue to stream ad-free Disney Plus and ad-supported ESPN Plus / Hulu for $15 a month ($6 off). T-Mobile, meanwhile, is offers complimentary access to Hulu’s ad-supported tier when you maintain a qualifying Go5G Next line.
$23
Sling TV is a live TV streaming service featuring live and on-demand TV channels like CNN, Fox, NBC, Comedy Central, Cartoon Network, and more. It’s half off for your first month, if you aren’t already a subscriber.
Sling TV is a streaming service that functions as a more affordable alternative to YouTube TV and Hulu with Live TV. With it, you can watch a range of streaming services as well as live and on-demand channels — including ESPN, CNN, Fox, NBC, Comedy Central, and Cartoon Network — on multiple devices.
Sling offers an ad-supported free tier — Sling Freestream — which provides access to more than 500 live channels as well as more than 40,000 on-demand movies and TV shows. The platform also offers three paid plans, all of which come with 50 hours of DVR storage: Sling Blue ($50.99 a month); Sling Orange ($45.99 a month); and Sling Orange and Blue ($65.99 a month). Sling also lets you subscribe to Max as a Blue-tier add-on for a discount (totaling $57.97 per month), or you can buy an ad-free subscription to Max as a standalone service for $16.99 a month. For a limited time, Sling is including a one-month trial to AMC Plus with subscriptions — perfect if you’ve never seen Halt and Catch Fire.
If you’re into sports, you may want to opt for Sling Orange over Blue as it grants access to ESPN channels — but only on one device. Sling Blue, however, offers a number of channels Sling Orange lacks, including Fox News, MSNBC, E!, Discovery, Bravo, and local NBC or Fox affiliates. You can also subscribe to a bundle that includes both Sling Orange and Sling Blue, which offers all the channels featured in the first two plans.
Sling is currently offering new customers a 50 percent discount on their first month of Sling Orange, meaning you’ll pay $23 instead of $45.99. The promo also applies to Sling Blue, although it’s slightly more expensive at $25.50, down from $50.99. You can also get one month of Sling Orange and Sling Blue combined for $33 per month instead of $65.99. In addition to 50 percent off your first month, Sling is also offering free unlimited DVR during that period, along with a $5 discount on Paramount Plus with Showtime, AMC Plus, or Starz.
The best Apple TV Plus deals
$10
Apple’s streaming service has a variety of original programming, including live MLB games and standouts like Severance, Ted Lasso, Silo, and Coda. A subscription normally runs $9.99 per month with a seven-day free trial.
Apple TV Plus is a service operated by Apple that offers original shows and movies in 4K HDR, including Ted Lasso, The Studio, The Morning Show, Silo, Severance, Finch, Coda, For All Mankind, and Napoleon. The platform is also the streaming home to Major League Soccer, and currently costs $9.99 a month. There are no ads whatsoever on Apple TV Plus, except some skippable pre-roll advertisements for other Apple TV Plus content.
There are a couple of promos to make note of when it comes to Apple TV Plus. The service currently offers a weeklong free trial for new subscribers, after which you’ll be charged $9.99 a month. You can also get a free three-month subscription when you buy an Apple device, though you’ll have to redeem the offer within 90 days of purchase.
Apple TV Plus is also included in the larger Apple One suite of apps. The all-in-one service lets you bundle four other Apple services for a single monthly subscription starting at $19.95 a month. New subscribers will get a free month of Apple TV Plus if they include it as part of their Apple One membership. In addition, eligible individuals who sign up for the student Apple Music subscription, which starts at $5.99 per month, can get Apple Music for 50 percent off with a free Apple TV Plus subscription.
As far as carrier deals go, T-Mobile offers discounts on Apple TV Plus, as well as other streaming services. For instance, the wireless carrier is currently offering customers in the US complimentary access to Apple TV Plus when they subscribe to a qualifying Go5G Next line. For Verizon Unlimited customers, the option exists to get Apple One (which includes Apple TV Plus) for $10 per month ($9.95 off) for an individual plan, or $20 for a family plan ($5.95 off).
$17
Max provides access to shows like Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Dune: Prophecy, The Last of Us, The Penguin, — as well as films like Barbie and Dune — starting at $9.99 a month. AT&T offers complimentary access to the ad-free Max tier when you subscribe to a select AT&T Unlimited Choice or Plus plan, which starts at $60 per month.
Max, which will soon be rebranded as HBO Max this summer, is home to Game of Thrones and its spinoff, House of the Dragon, along with shows and movies like Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Dune: Prophecy, The Last of Us, Wonka, Euphoria, Hacks, Scavenger’s Reign, The Batman, Succession, and even content from Discovery Plus.
The platform offers an ad-supported tier that costs $9.99 a month and two ad-free plans that start at $16.99 a month. Unlike the ad-supported plan, the standard ad-free tier also lets you download 30 shows or movies for offline viewing. Max also offers a $20.99-a-month Premium plan, which allows you to stream in 4K and supports Dolby Atmos with select content. The latter plan also lets you stream on four devices simultaneously and download a maximum of 100 shows or movies to watch on the go.
Max offers an annual subscription and various bundles, both of which are cheaper than subscribing on a monthly basis. The ad-supported plan normally costs $99.99 a year, saving you a modest $19 over the course of 12 months, while subscribing to the annual ad-free base plan for $169.99 saves you $33. You can also save about $41 by subscribing to the annual 4K Premium ad-free plan for $209.99. Lastly, you can opt for the ad-supported bundle — which includes Max, Disney Plus, and Hulu — for $16.99 a month, or pay $13 extra to go ad-free. The total cost is cheaper than subscribing to each of the three individually, saving you money in the long run. A basic plan exists, with ads, for $9.99 per month.
Multiple wireless carriers are offering deals. You can, for instance, get a year of Netflix and Max when you purchase a 5G Home Plus, LTE Home Plus, Fios 1 Gig, or the Fios 2 Gig Verizon Home Internet (VHI) plan. Alternatively, Verizon is offering those with an Unlimited plan the ability to get Netflix and Max (with ads) for $10 a month (about $7 off).
AT&T also includes complimentary access to ad-free Max when you subscribe to select AT&T Unlimited Choice or Plus plans, which start at $60 a month. If you opt for Cricket’s Unlimited Plus 15GB Mobile Hotspot phone plan, which starts at $60 a month, you’ll also be able to get the ad-supported version of Max for free. Finally, you can get two months of Max free with DirectTV Stream or Satellite TV services.
$8
The well-known streaming service offers individual subscriptions starting at $7.99 a month as well as more premium tiers that allow for 4K resolution and additional users. T-Mobile is offering the ad-supported plan for free those on qualifying Go5G Next, Go5G Plus, and Magenta Max lines. This deal is also available to those on two or more qualifying Go56 and Magenta lines.
A Netflix subscription grants you access to thousands of movies and TV shows, as well as a limited number of mobile games. Notable shows and movies include Squid Game, Dan Da Dan, Baby Reindeer, The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep, Cobra Kai, Stranger Things, The Killer, and Arcane, among countless others.
The well-known streaming service currently offers three plans: Standard with ads ($7.99 per month), Standard without ads ($17.99 per month), and Premium ($24.99 per month). The premium tier allows for higher resolution, lets multiple users watch content on four devices at the same time as opposed to just two, and lets you download on six devices at a time as opposed to just two. It’s also the only plan that supports 4K HDR content, as well as spatial audio.
Netflix isn’t currently offering a discount, but T-Mobile is offering the ad-supported plan for free to those on qualifying Go5G Next and Go5G Plus lines. This deal is also available to those on qualifying Magenta Max lines, or for those who sign up to two or more Go56 and Magenta lines. As mentioned previously, you can also get a year of both Netflix and Max when you purchase one of the following Verizon Home internet plans: a 5G Home Plus, LTE Home Plus, Fios 1 Gig, or the Fios 2 Gig Verizon Home Internet (VHI) plan. Alternatively, Verizon is offering those with an Unlimited plan the ability to get Netflix and Max (with ads) for $10 per month ($6.98 off).
The best YouTube TV deals
YouTube TV grants subscribers access to live sports and a number of major news and entertainment channels, including PBS, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, NBC, ABC, Fox, CNN, and more. It also comes with unlimited recording for a maximum of six accounts, all for $82.99 per month. You can buy optional add-ons as well, which range between $2 and $65 a month and include access to services like Max, Starz, and NBA League Pass. The service also offers a separate Spanish-only plan.
Now through July 31st, new subscribers can sign up for the YouTube TV Base Plan for $59.99 ($23 off) a month for the first two months. It’ll be free for 21 days as a trial.
The best Paramount Plus and Showtime deals
$8
The ad-supported Paramount Plus Essential plan provides access to a wide variety of shows and films, including Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the entire Yellowstone catalog, Top Gun: Maverick, and Bob Marley: One Love. Walmart Plus members can currently get it for free as a part of their plan.
Paramount Plus and Showtime provides access to live sports and 24/7 live news with CBS News. It also grants access to the entire Paramount Plus catalog, including shows like Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Yellowstone spinoff 1923, as well as films like Gladiator II and Top Gun: Maverick. You’ll also get access to Showtime’s library, which includes originals like Billions, Dexter: Resurrection, and Yellowjackets, as well as movies like Talk To Me and Past Lives.
If you want to subscribe to both Paramount Plus and Showtime, you can sign up for the ad-free Paramount Plus with Showtime package for $12.99 a month (it comes with a one-week trial). Alternatively, if you’re willing to pay upfront, you can save about $36 over the course of a year when you subscribe to the annual plan for $119.99 per year.
Alternatively, you can subscribe to Paramount Plus as a standalone service when you pay for Paramount Plus’ ad-supported Essential plan, which costs $7.99 per month (it, too, comes with a one-week trial for new subscribers). The annual plan, meanwhile, costs $59.99 per year, saving you $36 over the course of 12 months if you’re willing to pay upfront. Just bear in mind this plan offers fewer live sporting events than the Paramount Plus with Showtime package, and won’t let you download content for offline viewing.
In terms of deals, Walmart Plus subscribers can currently get the Essential plan for free as part of their subscription. College students can also subscribe to the Essential plan for $5.99 ($2 off) a month, while seniors with an AARP membership can get a 10 percent discount on the Essential plan or Paramount Plus with Showtime plan. Lastly, military members can get a 50 percent discount on a year of the Essential or Paramount Plus with Showtime plans.
$18
With Starz, you can stream movies like Asteroid City and Jurassic Park, as well as original shows like Outlander. Currently, the platform only offers one ad-free plan, which typically costs $10.99 a month.
With Starz, you can stream a variety of shows and movies, including John Wick: Chapter 4, M3GAN, and Asteroid City, as well as originals like Outlander and Sweetpea. The platform offers a single ad-free plan for $10.99 per month, which allows you to stream on up to four devices simultaneously and download content for offline viewing. Right now, however, new subscribers can get three months of Starz for $4.99 per month. Alternatively, you can sign up for a six-month plan for $17.99, a savings of $28.
The best Amazon Prime Video deals
$9
Amazon Prime members can take advantage of faster delivery as well as an assortment of other benefits. This includes Amazon Prime Video, which encompasses a wide range of movies, some live content, and shows like The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Customers of Metro By T-Mobile’s unlimited plan can get a free Amazon Prime membership, which provides access to Prime Video for free.
Amazon Prime Video is an on-demand streaming service owned by Amazon. Its library includes a range of movies, some live content, and shows like Fallout, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, The Boys, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and more. Through the service, you can watch certain titles in 4K and take advantage of deals on rentals and purchases not included in the subscription. There’s also an option to add extra channels with Prime Video channels, or go ad-free for an additional $2.99 a month.
Amazon Prime Video is included with an Amazon Prime membership, though you can sign up for the service without a membership for $8.99 a month with ads or $11.98 without. Right now, customers of Metro By T-Mobile’s unlimited plan can also get a free Amazon Prime membership, which provides access to Prime Video and other benefits, for free.
Update, June 18th: Adjusted relevant pricing details, and added new, more relevant links within each service’s section.
Anthem in Spanish sparks debate over Dodgers’ immigrant support
Latin singer Nezza said she is “super proud” of performing the national anthem in Spanish at Dodger Stadium on Saturday night and that she has “no regrets.”
Her surprising 90-second rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” prior to the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ game against the Giants — and a behind-the-scenes video she shared on social media of team representatives discouraging it beforehand — quickly went viral. It has become a flashpoint for Dodgers fans frustrated by the team’s lack of vocal support for immigrant communities impacted by the deportation raids across the U.S., including numerous neighborhoods in and around Los Angeles.
“This is my moment to show everyone that I am with them that we have a voice and with everything that’s happening it’s not OK,” Nezza, 30, told The Associated Press. “I’m super proud that I did it. No regrets.”
Nezza said she hadn’t yet decided whether to sing in English or Spanish until she walked out onto the field and saw the stands filled with Latino families in Dodger blue. Prior to that, as shown in the singer’s TikTok video, a Dodgers employee had told Nezza that “we are going to do the song in English today, so I’m not sure if that wasn’t transferred or if that wasn’t relayed.”
The Spanish-language version Nezza sang, “El Pendón Estrellado,” is the official translation of the national anthem and was commissioned in 1945 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt from Peruvian-American composer Clotilde Arias.
Nezza says her manager immediately received a call from an unidentified Dodgers employee saying their clients were not welcome at the stadium again, but the team denied that in a statement to the AP.
“There were no consequences or hard feelings from the Dodgers regarding her performance,” the Dodgers said in the statement. “She was not asked to leave. We would be happy to have her back.”
Despite the Dodgers’ statement, Nezza said she does not think she will return to the stadium but hopes her performance will inspire others to use their voice and speak out.
“It’s just shown me like how much power there is in the Latin community,” Nezza said. “We’ve got to be the voice right now.”
The Dodgers have not gone on the record regarding the arrests and raids made by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in the areas just a short drive from Dodger Stadium, but player Enrique Hernandez posted about it on Instagram over the weekend.
“I am saddened and infuriated by what’s happening in our country and our city,” Hernández posted in English and Spanish. “I cannot stand to see our community being violated, profiled, abused and ripped apart. ALL people deserve to be treated with respect, dignity and human rights.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Bluebird Cafe Speaks Out About Photos
Meanwhile, Rodrigo herself previously shut down speculation that she penned “Vampire”—or any song for that matter—about her frayed friendship with Swift. (The “Karma” singer was given a songwriting credit on “Deja Vu” in July 2021, four months after the song’s release, and the singers have not interacted publicly since.)
“I was very surprised when people thought that,” she told The Guardian of the rumors back in 2023. “I mean, I never want to say who any of my songs are about. I’ve never done that before in my career and probably won’t. I think it’s better to not pigeonhole a song to being about this one thing.”
As for any grudge against Swift? “I don’t have beef with anyone,” the High School Musical: The Musical: The Series alum told Rolling Stone that same year. “I’m very chill. I keep to myself. I have my four friends and my mom, and that’s really the only people I talk to, ever. There’s nothing to say.”
And rest assured, Rodrigo isn’t paying attention to the latest bout of feud rumors.
“There’s so many Twitter conspiracy theories,” she added. “I only look at alien-conspiracy theories.”
Keep reading for more celebrities who have feuded…