Category: Entertainment

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, The Hollywood Reporter may receive an affiliate commission.

Ahead of fall’s Dancing With the Stars season 35 premiere, a new spinoff is joining the franchise to determine who will become a pro dancer on the flagship series. Hosted by fan-favorite season 34 winner Robert Irwin, Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro premieres on Monday, July 13 at 8 p.m. PT/ET on ABC, which is available on any streaming service that carries said network, namely DirecTV (with a five-day free trial), Fubo (with a one-day free trial), Sling and Hulu + Live TV.

Unlike Dancing With the Stars, the spinoff competition does not stream live on Disney+, however it will be available to watch on a one-day delay (every Tuesday) on Disney+/Hulu.

At a Glance: How to Watch Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro

Where to Watch Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro: Air Date, Time

The spinoff competition series will be broadcast Mondays on ABC, at 8 p.m. PT/ET, starting with the July 13 premiere.

Where to Stream Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro Online

Since The Next Pro airs on ABC, it will also be available to watch live on any streaming service that carries the network, including DirecTV (with a five-day free trial), Fubo (with a one-day free trial), Sling and Hulu + Live TV. Episodes will be available to stream the following day on Disney+/Hulu. More on each option — and their new subscriber discounts — below.

DirecTV

Five-day free trial; packages from $19.99 per month

ABC is included in any of DirecTV’s signature packages: Entertainment, Choice, Ultimate or Premier. Plus, DirecTV offers a five-day free trial for its streaming service, meaning new subscribers can tune in at no cost for a limited time.

Learn more about each plan option, including how to build your own channel lineup (starting at just $19.99 per month), at directv.com.

Fubo

One-day free trial; packages from $64.99 per month ($54.99 for first month)

ABC is available to stream with a subscription to Fubo, which offers a one-day free trial for new subscribers. After the trial, plans start at $54.99 for the first month and $64.99 monthly thereafter.

Sling

Plans from $4.99 per day or $19.99 per month

ABC is included in Sling’s Blue Plan, from $45.99 per month, and Sling’s Orange & Blue plan, from $60.99 per month. That said, local channel availability depends on your TV market. Visit Sling.com to check station availability and package options, starting as low as $4.99 per day or $19.99 per month.

Hulu + Live TV

Three-day free trial; packages from $89.99 per month

Watch ABC for free with a three-day trial to Hulu + Live TV. Subscriptions come bundled with Disney+ and ESPN+, and start at $89.99 per month.

Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro Host, Judges, Cast

Season 34 DWTS winner Robert Irwin will serve as host, while mother-son duo Shirley and Mark Ballas will be on the weekly judging panel. Rotating guest judges — who will double as weekly mentors — will take the panel’s third slot. This season’s guest judges include Derek Hough, Witney Carson, Jenna Johnson, Britt Stewart, Daniella Karagach, Brandon Armstrong and Kym Johnson-Herjavec.

Twelve contestants will compete on The Next Pro. These professional dancers include Benjamin Castro, Allen Genkin, Selena Hamilton, Natalie Jolley, Erik Linder, Nina Mayster, Jake Monreal, Briar Nolet, AJ Pritchard, Tristen Sanders, Stephani Sosa and Adele Zaikman. Sosa is sister to current pro Ezra and was a troupe member on season 33.

Cinema United and other organizations that have opposed Paramount’s attempted mega-merger with Warner Bros. Discovery applauded the move by 12 state attorneys general on Monday to sue to block the $111 billion deal.

Cinema United, the trade organization that advocates on behalf of movie theaters across the country and internationally, took a victory lap on the challenge to a deal it vociferously opposed, arguing that small businesses across the country would suffer. “The ramifications of further movie studio consolidation will be significant and lasting, not just in Hollywood, but on Main Streets across this nation where local movie theaters serve as cultural and financial cornerstones for communities of all sizes,” president and CEO Michael O’Leary said in a statement.

Cinema United has long opposed a mega-merger of another major Hollywood entity with Warner Bros., claiming that such a transaction would concentrate too much power in the hands of a single distributor. The group is not only concerned about bargaining power, but about the diversity and number of films that would be released each year were two major distributors to merge. (Paramount Skydance CEO Ellison has promised to release at least 30 films theatrically a year across Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery, which he says will operate as studios independently, if the merger is consummated.)

Cinema United’s take is especially salient given that, in their lawsuit, the state regulators argued that the theatrical market, in particular, would be harmed by a reduction in owners of wide-release, high-grossing films. They claimed that the mega-deal would raise prices for consumers, reduce the amount of projects in theaters and throttle the diversity and quality of entertainment.

Along with California, attorneys general for Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon and Washington joined the suit filed in California federal court on Monday.

Equally vocal on the alleged evils of corporate consolidation in the entertainment industry has been the Writers Guild of America, the union representing film and television writers across the country. The union said on Monday that it had “engaged with the offices of many State Attorneys General” to argue against the merger for some time.

“This is one of the worst proposed mergers we’ve seen. We’ve been very clear from day one that combining Warner Bros. Discovery with Paramount threatens our members and this industry, and must be blocked,” Writers Guild of America West president Michele Mulroney said in a statement.

Added her counterpart from the Writers Guild of America East, Tom Fontana, “The proposed Paramount Skydance merger with Warner Bros. Discovery would create an alarming amount of consolidation and contraction and cause irreparable harm to our members. People will lose their jobs, their income, their homes. The damage this deal would do to America’s entertainment and news industries would be an absolute, unmitigated disaster.”

Ahead of Monday’s announcement, the American Economic Liberties Project, a nonprofit devoted to antitrust policy, had helped organize a series of town halls for industry workers opposed to the Paramount-Warner Bros. deal. Unsurprisingly, a moderator for these town halls, American Economic Liberties Project senior advisor Alvaro Bedoya, cheered on the legal challenges.

“The rich guys who run Paramount can say what they want, but the people who actually work for them know that this will kill jobs and screw over the small businesses that are the lifeblood of this industry. I hope the states win and win fast, because these people need it,” the former FTC commissioner said in a statement.

In response to Monday’s lawsuit, Paramount alleged that the lawsuit would help shield tech giants like Apple and Amazon as well as the dominant streaming company, Netflix, from competition and that a blocked transaction would result in consequences for entertainment workers and consumers.

But the merger’s opponents aren’t convinced. New York mayor Zohran Mamdani got in the action on Monday, posting on the social platform X that he was “proud” that New York is one of the states participating in the suit. He added, “New York’s workers helped build this industry. They should not be sacrificed for the sake of further corporate consolidation.”

By now it’s well-known that Jay-Z‘s third and eagerly anticipated “Extra Innings” show at Yankee Stadium was delayed by roughly three hours due to a security breach at the gates that led to thousands of people being trapped outside as they were slowly admitted by security. The show didn’t begin until after midnight ET Monday morning and ended with celebratory fireworks around 2:45 a.m.

But the enthusiasm from the packed crowd hadn’t dampened by the time Jay-Z finally took the stage, as the audience went wild for surprise guest performances from Rihanna — who made a rare concert appearence — as well as from Beyoncé, Jeezy, Clipse and more.

Most of the audience stayed through the show, and concertgoers commuting home on the subway could be heard musing about how it was the best show of Jay-Z’s three-night run, excitedly recounting how they saw Rihanna and Beyoncé.

Until the show suddenly kicked off around 12:21 a.m. ET, it wasn’t clear if the concert would even happen. The stadium was mostly filled by the expected 9:30 p.m. start time, with fans donning merch to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Jay-Z’s seminal album Reasonable Doubt. At 9:45 p.m., a voice over the loudspeaker thanked people for their patience and said they were still trying to get everyone in safely.

Over the next two hours, though, patient but frustrated fans received few updates apart from consistent messaging from security officials that they wanted to wait for everyone who had purchased a ticket to get in. Chatting with concertgoers, security officials mentioned people rushing the gate and how people were now being let in slowly. The crowd inside remained calm, though, sticking around and mostly staying in their seats when they weren’t taking advantage of the delay to visit the concession stands and the restrooms.

Still, there were scattered expressions of frustration and confusion among concertgoers (“This is crazy,” one fan said, likely voicing the thoughts of many people in the audience.) And there were some brief boos amid a “Hova” chant before 11 p.m. A rumor began spreading that Kanye “Ye” West, Jay-Z’s former close collaborator from whom he’s since become estranged, would be appearing, after Jay had been performing some of their Watch the Throne collabs (not to mention earlier work that West had produced) on the previous two nights.

Still, as the clock creeped closer to midnight, and fans also heard that supposedly Jay-Z had to end the show by midnight, confusion reigned with many people suspecting the concert might get canceled.

Around 11:45 p.m. there was another update, saying they were still trying to get people inside safely and that safety was the most important thing to organizers and Jay. Then, at 12:21 a.m., the lights went down and the video of Beyoncé cutting Jay-Z’s hair that kicked on Friday night’s show appeared on the video screens onstage. It was happening!

Jay-Z quickly took the stage leading a hyped up crowd through “Brooklyn’s Finest.” After the high-energy kickoff, he took a few minutes to apologize for and explain the delay, saying in part that he didn’t want people to get “trampled,” noting safety concerns behind the delay as organizers had to deal with crowd control given that there were “10,000 people outside.”

Still he promised “I got some shit for you,” suggesting the show would be worth the wait.

And Hova delivered. While fans were originally speculating if West would show, there was an appearance from an arguably more elusive performer and close Jay-Z collaborator, Rihanna, performing live for the first time in more than two years, and more than 10 years after her Anti world tour in 2016. When she walked out from backstage on “Run This Town,” another West collab, the crowd went wild.

She then delivered a solo version of “Bitch Better Have My Money” and left the stage, later being led out of the stadium, through the audience, around 1:45 a.m.

Before Rihanna, fans got their first performance of “Dirt Off Your Shoulder” in the three-night run and guest appearances from Teyana Taylor, performing the Mary J. Blige portion of “Can’t Knock the Hustle” that Beyoncé delivered during night one; Jermaine Dupri on “Money Ain’t a Thang,” with the crowd enthusiastically rapping the opening lines from the Vol. 2 … Hard Knock Life track before Dupri took the stage); Jeezy; The-Dream; and Usher.

The extensive, decades-spanning setlist (45 songs!) featured a mix of hits and deeper cuts including tracks from Reasonable Doubt and The Blueprint, albums celebrated on the previous two evenings, as well as more of The Black Album than he’d performed on those previous outings.

During “99 Problems,” another first at the Yankee Stadium shows, enthusiastically received by the sleep-deprived crowd, helicopter-captured video from inside the stadium broadcast on the screen behind Jay-Z showed that the audience was still packed.

Jay-Z also welcomed Swizz Beatz, with the two performing a cover of the late DMX’s “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem” with enthusiastic backing from the audience, as the kick-off to a string of tracks that ended with the more recent hit “On to the Next One.” Pharrell Williams returned for a multi-song set, including their collab “Frontin’,” in an echo of Saturday night’s performance. Jay and Pharrell also brought out the Clipse, to loud cheers, for “Grindin’.”

When Jay-Z asked the audience around 2 a.m. if they were ready to go home, the crowd responded with a resounding “no.”

The encore kicked off with another appearance from Queen Bey, who came out during night one and returned with Lebanese dance group the Mayyas. Sporting a summery Yankee fan look after her pinstripe attire Friday night, she performed “Drunk in Love.”

The married couple shared a kiss onstage before Beyoncé again expressed her support for the audience. “I love you all so much,” she said. “I appreciate your loyalty to this man right here.”

Thenm after what had been the closing tracks on the previous nights, “Ni**as in Paris” into “Big Pimpin’,” Hov kept the show going with “Empire State of Mind,” along with guest appearances from Fat Joe and Jadakiss on “New York,” and then “Lucifer” and “Encore.”

The three-night stand was capped by celebratory fireworks, which could be seen shooting off from Yankee Stadium at 2:45 a.m. Monday morning.

On “Izzo,” Jay altered one of the lyrics to address the fact that the show hadn’t begun on time, and he quipped multiple times throughout the show that they’d go until 5 a.m. But near the end of the more-than-two-hour concert he just found himself musing, “It’s been a night. We’re just enjoying the night. It’s one of those legendary nights.”

One of the breakout stars for the U.S. at this year’s FIFA World Cup has secured new representation for his off the pitch endeavors.

Folarin Balogun, the striker for the U.S. men’s national team and the Ligue 1 club Monaco, has signed with Klutch Sports Group. Balogun was a breakout for the U.S., scoring three goals to help lead the team to the round of 16.

“Folarin Balogun is one of the most talented and influential players in global football today. His relentless ambition and cultural impact represent the standard of excellence we hope to continue to bring to the sport,” said Rich Paul, Founder and CEO of Klutch Sports Group. “We are incredibly proud to welcome him to KLUTCH and excited about everything we can build together.”

Klutch first entered the global soccer business when it acquired the football-focused European agency ROOF two years ago. Balogun however is the first soccer star to sign with Klutch directly.

The high profile of the World Cup and a newfound excitement for soccer could lead to new opportunity for the 25 year old, who also found himself at the center of one of the tournament’s more memorable storylines after President Donald Trump called FIFA chief Gianni Infantino in an effort to get a red card issue to Balogun reviewed. He was ultimately allowed to play in the round of 16 matchup against Belgium.

With athletes becoming many of the worlds biggest celebrities, the opportunities for off the field work continues to grow. That includes entertainment in the form of docuseries and scripted fare, but also high-profile endorsement deals across seemingly every category.

It’s an area that Klutch, which counts superstars like LeBron James and Jalen Hurts on its roster, knows well.

Jay-Z fans were caught on video rushing an entrance to Yankee Stadium on Sunday night ahead of the veteran rapper’s third and final performance of three shows at his hometown stadium, which was delayed roughly three hours as security navigated the massive crowd that had gathered outside, admitting those with tickets, as the already packed audience within the venue were told Jay-Z was waiting to take the stage until everyone who had purchased a ticket could get in.

Early in his performance, which was scheduled for Sunday night but began after midnight on Monday, Jay-Z apologized for the delay and told the sold-out crowd at the 46,000-seat stadium in the South Bronx that, “like, 10,000 people” were outside, so security “closed all the doors, and somebody rushed the door. They closed the door for you guys’ safety and everyone’s safety outside.”

Video posted to X seems to confirm the breach of at least one turnstile at the stadium. In footage posted by users @HipHopKlipz36 and @TheRocSupremacy, several young concertgoers are seen breaching a turnstile, and a bottleneck quickly forms, with several individuals becoming stuck in the entryway as a heaving crowd seems to be pushing them forward.

While certain elated fans jump up and down, excited to have gotten past the turnstile, several others are soon in peril behind them. It’s unclear if those seen in the video are ticketholders or if they are unticketed fans attempting to gain entry.

After about a minute of this dangerous situation unfolding, security and New York Police Department officers are seen rushing over to the entrance to stop a potential stampede. There have been no injuries reported during the concert.

It is unclear if this was an isolated incident or if reported similar breaches of security did in fact occur around the stadium’s many entrances.

Sunday night’s show was the third and final performance of Jay-Z’s historic three-night Yankee Stadium run, a celebration of the 30th anniversary of his seminal album Reasonable Doubt and the 25th anniversary of The Blueprint, with the third night more of an overarching career retrospective. Like the first two nights, it was a star-studded event. Beyoncé, Rihanna, Teyana Taylor, Usher and Pharrell Williams all graced the stage at the show, which wrapped at 2:45 a.m. Monday.

On Monday, the baseball team, Jay-Z’s company, and the promoter of the event released a joint statement after the show, saying: “The Yankees, Roc Nation and Live Nation express our deep gratitude to the NYPD and to Yankee Stadium security personnel for their leadership and direction throughout the evening, putting the welfare of attendees above all other considerations.”