Deadline

Deadline is an entertainment-industry news publication founded by journalist Nikki Finke. It began in 2006 as Deadline Hollywood Daily, a website that extended Finke’s “Deadline Hollywood” column in LA Weekly. Its reporting concentrated on the business decisions behind films and television: studio deals, executive changes, casting, production plans and the performance of new releases. The publication now operates at Deadline.com and is owned by Penske Media Corporation, which acquired it in 2009.

Finke’s voice was central to Deadline’s early identity. She wrote about Hollywood with an unusually blunt tone, often addressing powerful executives directly. “TOLDJA!” became one of her recognizable signatures when a story she had reported was confirmed. Deadline’s rapid publication of industry news made the site a closely watched source for people working in film and television, as well as readers interested in how those businesses operate.

The publication’s history includes a significant break with its founder. After Penske Media Corporation bought Deadline, Finke remained associated with the site for several years, but she left in 2013. She died in 2022. Deadline continued publishing under its established name rather than reverting to the title of her original column or blog.

Today, Deadline reports on developments throughout the entertainment industry, including film, television, streaming and theater. Its coverage follows projects from announcements of rights purchases and casting through production, distribution and release. For television, it reports on pilot orders, series renewals and cancellations. Its box-office reports track theatrical releases, while its awards coverage follows the races leading to the Oscars and Emmys. The site also reports from festivals and markets where films are screened, sold and acquired, including Cannes and Sundance.

Deadline’s reporting has particular relevance during labor disputes because its subjects include the studios, networks, writers, actors and production companies affected by negotiations. Its coverage of the 2023 Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA strikes followed a conflict that halted much film and television work. Those strikes also demonstrated why announcements about productions and release schedules can matter beyond a single title: decisions made during negotiations affect jobs and the availability of new work.

Beyond daily articles, Deadline produces its *Contenders* events, which bring filmmakers, performers and other participants together to discuss awards-season projects. These events connect a publication known for breaking business news with the promotion and examination of completed work. From Finke’s 2006 blog to its current coverage, Deadline’s distinguishing subject has remained the machinery of entertainment: who makes projects, who finances and distributes them, and what happens when plans change.