Podcast platform Acast secures $33m funding amid rise in on-demand listening December 5, 2018 Podcast startup Acast has secured $33m (£25.9m) in Series C funding as it cashes in on the surging popularity of on-demand listening. Acast, which helps podcast makers distribute and monetise their content, said the funding will be put towards growth as the platform looks to expand internationally. “This has been the biggest year in our [...]
Sorrell strikes again with deal for US digital advertisers December 4, 2018 Sir Martin Sorrell will make his second acquisition since leaving advertising giant WPP as he takes over Mighty Hive, a day after his new outfit announced it was in advanced talks with the company. S4 Capital, which was set up by Sorrell after he left the world's biggest advertising firm earlier this year, said it will [...]
Sorrell’s S4 Capital says talks to buy ad firm Mightyhive are now ‘advanced’ December 3, 2018 Sir Martin Sorrell’s new company S4 Capital has confirmed it is now in advanced talks to buy Mightyhive, a programmatic advertising group based in San Francisco. S4 plans to integrate the firm as part of its drive to form a new business combining media and technology. It already confirmed talks were taking place last month, [...]
Netflix in advanced talks to make Pinewood Studios its UK production hub December 1, 2018 Netflix is in advanced talks to make Pinewood Studios its UK production hub following months of discussions over a long lease deal. The studios are based in Slough, just outside of London, and have a central role in UK film production as Netflix continue to expand their operation. The move will see Netflix use the same [...]
Software giant Adobe invests £63.5m in UK as creative sector booms November 29, 2018 Adobe will invest £63.5m in its UK operations and increase its workforce by over 20 per cent over the next three years, the company said today. The investment is the latest British expansion by the US-based software company, which has grown its UK workforce by 30 per cent in the last two years. The Department for [...]
Daily Mail owner posts 16 profit dip as online revenues overtake print advertising for first time November 29, 2018 The group that owns newspaper the Daily Mail said today its profit before tax fell 16 per cent in the last financial year sending shares sliding. The Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT) said pre-tax profit had slipped 16 per cent to £182m in “challenging trading conditions”. In an illustration of the changing nature of [...]
UK creative industries smash £100bn barrier amid video game boom November 28, 2018 Britain’s creative industries contributed a record-breaking £101.5bn to the UK economy last year, new figures have revealed. Figures published by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) show Britain’s film, music and advertising industries grew almost twice as quickly as the UK economy in 2017. Since 2010 gross value added (GVA) from the [...]
Disney signs deal to move digital ad business to Google November 28, 2018 Disney has agreed to transfer its global digital advertising business to Google in a lucrative deal for the tech giant. The deal will see Disney move its entire digital video and display business for brands such as Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars to Google's Ad Manager platform. The agreement builds on an existing relationship between the two [...]
Ofcom boss calls on British broadcasters to create Netflix rival November 28, 2018 Public service broadcasters should work together to create a ‘Brit Player’ to rival Netflix, the head of Ofcom said today. Sharon White told the Outside the Box conference in London that broadcasters should pull together their on-demand services to create a platform offering popular British shows such as Broadchurch, Blue Planet and Bake Off in one [...]
Conde Nast chief executive Bob Sauerberg steps down amid restructuring November 27, 2018 Conde Nast chief executive Bob Sauerberg is stepping down as the publisher merges its US and international operations. Sauerberg, who has been at the media organisation for 18 years, will step down to pursue other opportunities, the company confirmed today. The news was first announced in an internal email from Conde Nast chairman and chief executive Jonathan Newhouse viewed [...]
