Screen industries bring £7.9bn into UK economy as tax relief drives TV and film production October 9, 2018 Tax relief in the UK creative industries has driven a spend of £7.9bn a year into the British economy, research out today has shown. The British Film Institute (BFI) said tax relief across industries such as film, high-end TV and video games led to the huge spend in 2016, rising from £2.7bn the year before and [...]
ITV ditches plans to move back into South Bank headquarters October 9, 2018 Broadcaster ITV has ditched plans to move back into its headquarters on London's South Bank, it confirmed today. The firm's chief exec Carolyn McCall has instead decided to put the building up for sale. ITV originally moved out of its South Bank site and into a separate London facility in 2017, with plans to move [...]
Could YouTube star Joe Sugg win Strictly Come Dancing? October 8, 2018 When Strictly Come Dancing unveiled its 2018 lineup, I imagine there would have been more than a couple of blank faces at the name Joe Sugg. While reality stars frequently feature on the show, Sugg is the first social media celebrity to ever appear. But if Strictly’s core fanbase aren’t familiar with him, plenty of [...]
F1 video game-maker Codemasters accelerates towards full-year targets October 8, 2018 Recently listed gaming firm Codemasters today told investors it was on track to meet its full-year targets as it made £39.7m in revenue in the six months to 30 September 2018. The maker of the official F1 video games said digital sales as a proportion of its revenue rose to 53 per cent, amounting to [...]
Daily Mirror owner Reach sees like-for-like revenues drop as squeeze on circulation and print advertising continues October 8, 2018 The owner of the Daily Mirror newspaper Reach today reported another like-for-like fall in group revenue due to lower circulation and advertising revenues. In a trading update, Reach said that in the third quarter, though total revenue rose 21 per cent due to its recent acquisition of the Express & Star, on a like-for-like basis [...]
When the banter stops: Viral publisher Unilad braced to enter administration October 4, 2018 The company behind Unilad, an internet news site known for its viral content, is set to go into administration – putting hundreds of jobs at risk. A judge recommended the move after a court heard that the website’s parent, Bentley Harrington, had debts running up to £6m. Alex Partridge, Unilad’s co-founder, echoed the call. Patridge [...]
Comcast confirms it has secured 75 per cent of Sky shares October 4, 2018 US media titan Comcast today confirmed it had snapped up over 75 per cent of Sky's shares – leading it tantalisingly close to finalising its acquisition of the British broadcaster. In a regulatory filing, Comcast said that once Fox's sale of its 39 per cent stake in Sky had been approved, it would hold over [...]
Damien Hirst refits his new £40m Soho headquarters, set to open early next year October 4, 2018 Artist Damien Hirst has a “blank canvas” to rework his new £40m building in the heart of London’s Soho. Hirst’s new flagship studio and art complex is expected to go through a major overhaul to match his needs and vision before opening in the early part of next year. The second floor of the new [...]
ITV shares rise as it rules itself out of buying Peaky Blinders maker Endemol Shine October 3, 2018 ITV shares lifted today after the company ruled itself out of the race to buy production house Endemol Shine. Media reports had linked ITV to a bid for the Dutch creator of shows like Peaky Blinders and Big Brother, but in a statement to the market the broadcaster said it was not interested in striking a [...]
Comcast raises money for Sky purchase with $27bn bond sale October 3, 2018 US media giant Comcast has carried out one of the biggest bond sales in corporate history, borrowing $27bn to fund its acquisition of Sky. The bond sale is the second largest of the year and fourth largest in corporate history. Read more: Sky share price flies after Comcast’s £30bn takeover offer The company sold unsecured bonds [...]
