Many sports fans are unhappy with how much it costs to watch their games, an AP-NORC poll finds

WASHINGTON (AP) — A new poll finds sports fans are likelier to use a combination of streaming services and linear TV options to access their favorite teams. The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll shows this complicated and often expensive patchwork is common for many sports fans and leaves them beholden to multiple platforms and subscriptions if they want to keep up with their teams. About 4 in 10 people who follow sports “extremely” or “very” closely use both cable and satellite TV and a sports streaming platform. That's compared with about 2 in 10 people who follow sports “somewhat” closely.

Spain is the latest country to threaten with Eurovision boycott if Israel participates

MADRID (AP) — Spain has joined the group of countries threatening not to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest unless Israel is excluded from the competition over the war in the Gaza Strip. The Netherlands, Ireland and Slovenia have already taken the same stance. Spain’s addition to the list puts more pressure on both Israel and the European Broadcasting Union, which organizes the popular contest. Russia was banned from Eurovision after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Israel has continued to compete the past two years despite disputes over its participation.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of America are still benefiting from Nate Bargatze's controversial Emmys bit

The Boys & Girls Clubs of America has seen a surge in donations after a controversial fundraising stunt at the Emmy Awards. Host Nate Bargatze pledged $100,000, adjusting the amount based on acceptance speech lengths. Despite the gimmick, which had donation totals in negative territory near the end of the night, the organization received $250,000 from Bargatze and $100,000 from CBS. The nonprofit says its donation totals have more than doubled compared to this time last week. While some applauded the stunt, others criticized it as insincere. Fundraising strategist T. Clay Buck argued that generosity should not be conditional or theatrical.

Arthur Sze is appointed US poet laureate as the Library of Congress faces challenges

The Library of Congress has named Arthur Sze the new U.S. poet laureate. The library announced Monday Sze will serve a one-year term, starting this fall. The 74-year-old author and translator succeeds Ada Limón. Sze was initially hesitant about the role due to concerns over the responsibilities involved and recent upheaval at the federal library. However, Sze accepted the position after considering the opportunity to give back to poetry. Sze plans to focus on translation, which he believes can deepen the appreciation of poetry. Sze says from his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, poetry has helped him grow “in every way.” The New York City native studied at the University of California, Berkeley.

Emmy Awards ratings up 8% with CBS audience of 7.4 million

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Emmy Awards have seen a ratings boost as the television industry aims to recover from recent disruptions. About 7.4 million viewers watched the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards on CBS, hosted by Nate Bargatze. This marks the most-watched Emmys since 2021, showing an 8% increase from the previous year's ABC telecast. Sunday’s show was up more than 70% from the all-time low of 4.3 million from the Fox telecast of January 2024, which was delayed by months because of Hollywood’s writers and actors strikes. The Emmys last attracted over 10 million viewers in 2018, and nearly 22 million in 2000.

Joy Reid and Percival Everett are among winners of the 46th annual American Book Awards

NEW YORK (AP) — Former MSNBC host Joy Reid and authors Percival Everett and John Edgar Wideman are among this year's recipients of the American Book Awards. The awards announced Monday celebrate diversity in American art and culture and are presented by the Before Columbus Foundation. Reid, who left MSNBC in February, received the foundation's anti-censorship prize. Wideman won a lifetime achievement award. Honorees for current works include Everett for “James,” his Pulitzer Prize-winning retelling of “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”; Kaveh Akbar for “Martyr!”; Danzy Senna for “Colored Television” and Claire Messud for “This Strange Eventful History.” The awards aim to recognize literary excellence without limitations, reflecting diversity naturally.

Couldn't make it to see Bad Bunny in Puerto Rico? He's livestreaming his last concert

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Bad Bunny’s residency in Puerto Rico has boosted the island’s economy and stoked conversations about its identity and struggles. Now, fans from around the world will have a chance to tune in. Amazon announced Monday that the Puerto Rican singer’s final show of his “No Me Quiero Ir de Aquí” residency on Sept. 20 will be livestreamed to give “fans everywhere front-row access to this historic concert." The show is the last in a historic nine-concert residency exclusively for Puerto Rico residents and will be streamed for free on the Amazon Music app, Prime Video and Twitch starting at 8:30 p.m. ET

'Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle' opens to $70M, biggest anime debut to claim top box-office spot

LOS ANGELES (AP) — “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle” carved out a place in box office history this weekend, slicing straight to No. 1 to outpace the horror sequel “The Conjuring: Last Rites.” The Sony-owned Crunchyroll release shattered expectations with a mighty $70 million debut in North America, according to Sunday estimates from Comscore. That haul marks the biggest domestic opening ever for an anime film, surpassing “Pokémon: The First Movie,” which opened with $31 million in 1999. The film also opened in 49 international markets, earning a global total so far of $178 million. “The Conjuring: Last Rites” took the No. 2 spot at the box office, earning $26 million in North America.

Emmy Awards highlights: Tramell Tillman, Colbert wins and a teen who stepped out of his comfort zone

The Emmy Awards weren’t all about Seth Rogen walking up the aisle in his burnt brown tux to collect yet another award. It just sometimes seemed that way. But behind the undeniable march of “The Studio” were some other pieces of Emmy history. Owen Cooper, at 15, was named the youngest male actor for his work as a troubled killer in “Adolescence” and “Severance” star Tramell Tillman became the first Black actor to win in his category. And the up and down year of Stephen Colbert hit a high when his show was named best talk series for the first time, just months after learning it would be canceled.

Suspect in Seattle home invasions of Macklemore and celebrity athletes pleads not guilty

SEATTLE (AP) — A man accused of breaking into the homes of Seattle-area celebrities and pepper-spraying people he encountered inside has pleaded not guilty to multiple charges. He appeared in court on robbery charges related to the violent robbery of musician Macklemore's home in June. Patrick Maisonet was arrested in August on unrelated robbery charges and pleaded not guilty. Police say Maisonet and accomplices used bear spray on Macklemore's 22-year-old nanny before stealing sports memorabilia. He's also charged with the violent break-in at Ichiro Suzuki's home in February and football player Richard Sherman, in March. Other alleged burglaries occurred while celebrity athletes were away.