CBS and Viacom ‘in final stages’ of merger talks August 12, 2019 CBS and Viacom are said to be in the final stages of talks over an all-stock merger that values Viacom at a discount to its closing price on Friday. Viacom shareholders will receive just over 0.595 shares in CBS for each share they own, Reuters reported, citing two sources. Read more: Viacom launches on-demand streaming [...]
Physical entertainment sales slump amid shift to streaming August 12, 2019 The physical entertainment market declined by almost a fifth over the last quarter, as the growing popularity of streaming services continues to impact traditional formats. Sales of CDs, DVDs and video games dropped 19 per cent in the 12 weeks to the end of June, as a reduction in shopper numbers was compounded by a [...]
Facebook confirms ‘news tab’ launch in US as it offers newspapers $3m to reproduce content August 10, 2019 Facebook is set to launch a “news tab” in the US, confirming reports that it has been contacting media companies to license their stories. The social media giant has offered new executives up to $3m (£2.48m) a year to license their publications headlines and previews of articles a new tab, as reported by the Wall [...]
MNG Enterprises discloses 9.4 per cent stake in New Media August 9, 2019 MNG Enterprises has disclosed a 9.4 per cent stake in New Media Investment Group and has said it may try to block the company’s proposed takeover of rival newspaper owner Gannett. Local newspaper giant New Media announced on Monday that it was planning to buy Gannett for $1.4bn (£1.2bn) in a deal that would create [...]
WPP share price rise leads FTSE 100 as results beat expectations August 9, 2019 Advertising giant WPP has outperformed market expectations in the first half of the year, as its turnaround strategy helped boost business with key clients like Ebay and L’Oreal. Read more: WPP sells 60 per cent stake in Kantar to value it at $4bn The figures Profit before tax sank 44.1 per cent year on year [...]
Youtube and Netflix among most-watched channels as streaming booms August 7, 2019 YouTube and Netflix are now the third and fourth most-watched video services in the UK, as streaming continues to eat away at traditional TV viewing. British adults watch on average 34 minutes of Youtube and 18 minutes of Netflix per day, overtaking both Channel 4 and BBC Two. Read more: The new King of the [...]
Sky Studios takes stake in UK natural history producer True to Nature August 7, 2019 Sky Studios today announced it has taken a stake in UK-based natural history production firm True to Nature (TTN), marking the first investment for the media group’s new content division. Sky Studios has secured a 24.9 per cent stake in TTN, which will create new wildlife programmes for distribution on Sky’s platform. Read more: Sky [...]
Hipgnosis bags rights to music catalogue of Ed Sheeran songwriter August 7, 2019 Music royalties investment firm Hipgnosis has acquired the music catalogue of Benny Blanco, the songwriter and producer behind top artists including Ed Sheeran. Read more: Hipgnosis snaps up rights to music catalogue of Eurythmics co-founder Dave Stewart Hipgnosis has secured 100 per cent copyright ownership over Blanco’s portfolio of songs, which includes 29 number ones [...]
The new King of the Jungle: Why Disney could be a spoiler for Netflix August 7, 2019 In 2017 Dana Brunetti, the producer behind hit Netflix series House of Cards, declared that appointment-viewing TV was dead. Gone were the days of scheduled programming, he said. On-demand binge-watching was here to stay. Brunetti’s show helped propel Netflix to the forefront of the streaming landscape and, two years later, on-demand TV is now the [...]
Cryin’ King: Disney investors tearful despite box office hits August 6, 2019 Record $8bn (£6.6bn) box office takings did not spare Disney investors from taking a hit last night as the company missed expectations. Shares dropped five per cent in after-hours trading as operating losses widened to $553m from $168 a year ago. It comes as the firm increased spending on ESPN Plus and built Disney Plus, [...]
