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☆ TV and film jobs may never fully recover post-pandemic, strikes, says Teamsters president
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Gili Malinsky | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Jobseekers interested in breaking into the film and television industry may have a harder time this year and even in the coming years. The summit covered the media's job landscape at large and how educators can create pathways for young people in it. It's part of Reel Works, an organization that offers an assortment of educational and training programs in the field for underserved youth. U.S. film studios will see a 14% year-over-year decline in content investment in 2024 as a result of the 2023 strikes and the changing film market post pandemic, according to analytics company Ampere Analysis. Ampere also found that the number of scripted TV releases in the US fell from 633 in 2022 and 2021 to 481 in 2023.

Persons: Jobseekers, Tommy O'Donnell, O'Donnell, John Gibson, Kwame Amoaku, David Haddad, Irene Phan, Ampere, we've Organizations: Theatrical Teamsters, Paramount Global, Works, Motion, Association, Haddad's Inc, MBS, CNBC, Writers Guild of America, Screen, American Federation of Television, Radio Artists, Otis College of Art, City, Teamsters, International Alliance, Employees, Ampere, Ampere Analysis Locations: York, Greater Los Angeles, Los Angeles, City and County, New York, U.S

☆ Profit from video games that were turned into movies doubled in 2023. Hollywood wants more.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-31 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Hollywood is increasingly adapting video games into movies and TV shows. Video game studios are cautious, fearing adaptations could compromise their intellectual properties. But Hollywood has a backup plan: Video games. Ampere found that Hollywood shifted its focus away from comic books in movies and television shows last year in favor of video game adaptations like "The Last of Us." Video game adaptations typically get a bad rap as schlocky retellings, especially from younger gamers.

Persons: —, Ampere, Mario, Barbie, Paul Dergarabedian, Comscore, Helene Juguet, Lance Reddick —, Black —, Strauss Zelnik, Zelnik Organizations: Hollywood, Service, Wall Street, Ampere, Amazon Prime, Netflix, Mario Bros, Guardians, Marvel, Ubisoft Film, Television, Newsweek, Forbes, Miami, Electronic Gaming Association Locations: London, Austin

☆ Netflix is pulling back on movies, adding to Hollywood's woes as a grim box office year looms
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-13 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The downsizing of Netflix's film ambitions is on pace with a broader contraction at the streamer, which announced 88 fewer original films last year than in 2022. But for some on Wall Street, the right number of Netflix original films just might be zero. Netflix's rise has been a mixed bag for filmWhen Netflix film head Scott Stuber joined the company in 2017, the mandate was quantity. Netflix announced a whopping 232 original films in 2021, according to Ampere Analysis. Netflix's original films started declining in 2022 from the 2021 peak of 232.

Persons: bode, Scott Stuber, Stuber, David Fincher, Ted Sarandos, Ted Hope, Hope, didn't, Variety, Maestro, we're, Netflix's, Kevin Goetz, Michael Pachter, Kasey Moore, LightShed, Goetz, " Goetz, Wedbush's Pachter, Pachter Organizations: Netflix, Business, Ampere, Independent, Variety, Hollywood, Puck News, Apple, LightShed Partners Locations: —

☆ New ads business will launch on Philips Smart TVs to take on Samsung and LG in the $33 billion connected-TV ad market
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-09 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewA new connected-TV ads business is set to launch on Philips Smart TVs in the coming weeks to rival competing solutions from LG, Vizio, and Samsung, according to multiple people familiar with the matter. The new offering is from TP Vision, a consumer electronics company that operates the Philips Smart TV brand in Europe and other countries outside the US. TitanOS will operate as a standalone business unit from TP Vision, a separate person familiar with the matter said. AdvertisementIn the highly competitive connected-TV ads market, scale will be crucial to the success of Titan Ads. AdvertisementAs one TV ad buyer put it, "The last thing we need is more hardware fragmentation initiatives.

Persons: —, Janko Roettegers, TPV, Ampere, Richard Broughton Organizations: Service, Philips Smart, LG, Samsung, Business, TP, Philips Smart TV, Philips TV, TitanOS, TP Vision, Philips, Pocket Media, Titan, Ampere Analysis, Sony, Netflix, YouTube Locations: Europe, Americas

☆ Nintendo is expected to launch the 'Switch 2' console this year. Here's what to expect
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-08 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Splatoon 3 proved to be a hit in Japan, helping keep momentum for Nintendo's ageing Switch console. Nintendo has sold 132.46 million units of the Switch, making it the company's second-most successful console after the handheld Nintendo DS. If the Switch remained popular in the holiday quarter then Nintendo could push a new console out to the Fall of this year, Goyal said. If Switch sales dropped in the December quarter, the new device could come as early as Spring or Summer, he added. Kantan Games' Toto said he expects the successor to be a "new device and not just an upgrade."

Persons: Philip Fong, Mario, Zelda, Serkan Toto, Piers Harding, Atul Goyal, Goyal, I'm, Nintendo's, Harding, Rolls, Toto, Moffett Nathanson, Will Organizations: Nintendo, AFP, Getty, CNBC, Kantan Games, Ampere, Jefferies, Mario Bros, Moffett Locations: Japan, Tokyo

SAG-AFTRA actors and Writers Guild of America (WGA) writers walk the picket line during their ongoing strike outside Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California, U.S., August 22, 2023. Striking writers and actors slashed spending, burned through savings and piled up debt to survive. Sets for movies and TV shows are lighting up again as studios rush to resume filming. Still, Hollywood is unlikely to return to the frenzied production pace of the streaming wars, when studios competed for subscribers and cachet. Hollywood actors won similar gains in a tentative agreement reached with the studios on Nov. 8.

Persons: Mario Anzuoni, caterers, Wall, Celia Finkelstein, ” Finkelstein, “, Serena Kashmir, ”, Fran Drescher, Kevin Klowden, ” Klowden, Long, Marc Meyer Jr, I’ve, Meyer, Guy Bisson, Neil Begley, Ampere, Dawn Chmielewski, Danielle Broadway, Lisa Richwine, Mary Milliken, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Writers Guild of America, Walt Disney Studios, REUTERS, Companies Comcast Corp, Fox, Netflix, Hollywood, Reuters, WGA, SAG, Milken Institute, Sony Pictures, Disney, Global, Ampere, Moody’s, Companies, “, Thomson Locations: Burbank , California, U.S, California, Georgia, New Mexico, Hollywood, ” Kashmir, Kashmir, Colorado, North Hollywood, Los Angeles

☆ Netflix and others have pulled back on hard-hitting documentaries as streamers seek more true crime and 'nothing too political'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

"Beyond Utopia" attracted interest at Sundance from streamers like Amazon's Prime Video and Netflix. Interest peaked four years ago at the Sundance Film Festival, fueled by Amazon and Netflix, which paid a record $10 million for the Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez doc "Knock Down the House." In the crime realm, WME advised, Netflix was seeking films based on big, well-known cases and scams like "Dahmer" and "Tinder Swindler." Filmmakers point to streamers' self-censorship and 'cold feet' over sensitive topicsSome filmmakers said there are still champions at the streamers for documentaries that push the envelope. "Beyond Utopia" is among a number of recent films that have been snubbed by the big streamers, despite winning awards and buzz.

Persons: Madeleine Gavin, It'll, It's, Gavin, Hulu, Peter Broderick, Hulu didn't, Sundance fests, Broderick, WME, Dahmer, Ted Hope, Hope, Vanessa Hope, Taiwan's, he'd've, Oscar, Bryan Fogel, Jamal Khashoggi, Thom Powers, it's, Keith Ochwat, Ochwat Organizations: Sundance, Netflix, PBS, Sundance Film, Amazon, Alexandria, Paradigm Consulting, Amazon Prime, Apple, Hulu, Hollywood, Gravitas Ventures, & $ Locations: Joy, Congo, arthouses, Hulu, China, Park City, Syria, Russian, Ukraine, Venice

REUTERS/Kevork Djansezian Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 27 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Microsoft’s (MSFT.O) gaming master plan is slowly coming together. But Microsoft’s gaming revenue was still around 8% of group sales, or $15 billion, for the year ended June 2022. Given these risks, it makes sense for Nadella to grow his exposure to those parts of the gaming market which are less likely to be upended by cloud gaming. It remains possible that cloud gaming is a dog that doesn’t bark – or at least not for some time. As a result of the Activision deal, Nadella has a hedge of sorts against cloud gaming happening too fast.

Persons: Kevork, Satya Nadella’s, Ampere, ”, GamesIndustry.biz, Nadella, George Hay, Katrina Hamlin Organizations: Activision, REUTERS, Reuters, Bethesda, Microsoft, Satya Nadella’s Activision, Ampere, Sony, Nintendo, Reuters Graphics, Netflix, Gamers, Xbox, PlayStation, Big Tech, Apple, HK, reckons, Competition, Markets Authority, CMA, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Ubisoft Entertainment, Ubisoft, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, United States, U.S

☆ Sony PlayStation 5 console sales pass 40 million
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Sam Nussey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

TOKYO, July 27 (Reuters) - Sony Group Corp (6758.T) has sold more than 40 million PlayStation 5 consoles, its gaming division said on Thursday, citing the easing of supply chain problems. "It took months for supply chains to normalise so we could have the inventory to keep up with demand," Sony Interactive CEO Jim Ryan wrote in a blog post. "Now PS5 supply is well-stocked and we are seeing that pent up demand finally being met." The Japanese tech and entertainment conglomerate has said it expects to sell 25 million PS5 units this year, which would be a record for any PlayStation device. Sony's latest console is closing the gap with the PS4 console, said Piers Harding-Rolls, analyst at Ampere Analysis.

Persons: Jim Ryan, Piers Harding, Sam Nussey, David Goodman Organizations: Sony Group Corp, Sony Interactive, Ampere Analysis, Thomson Locations: TOKYO

☆ Sports events organisers encouraged to secure injunctions against online piracy
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, May 4 (Reuters) - Sports events organisers such as Sky, Canal+ and FIFA should be allowed to secure injunctions against online piracy of live events, the European Commission said on Thursday, following calls from companies for action against a problem that costs them billions of euros annually. The non-binding recommendation from the EU executive however falls far short of broadcasters and events organisers' calls for binding legislation. "The Recommendation encourages the use of blocking injunctions tailored to live events and, in the case of live sports events, encourages member states to grant legal standing to sports event organisers to seek an injunction where it is currently not possible," the Commission said in a statement. It also urged providers of hosting services to take measures to minimise illegal streaming and events organisers to boost the availability and affordability of their commercial offers to attract viewers. The recommendation also calls for cross-border cooperation between EU countries to tackle the issue.

☆ Hollywood film and TV writers are preparing for a strike. Here's how Disney, Netflix, and other entertainment giants could weather a work stoppage.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The writers guild asked its members to authorize a strike, which would come at a risky time for Hollywood. Netflix, Amazon, and Disney have content stockpiles that could help them through a work stoppage. A Hollywood writers strike is looming at a precarious time for the media and entertainment industry. During that 100-day strike, more than 60 TV shows shut down and ratings and ad sales dropped. The landscape of entertainment options is "much more competitive than it was during the last writers strike," media consultant Peter Csathy told insider.

☆ From Disney and Netflix to Warner Bros. Discovery, which entertainment giants would be the winners and losers of a Hollywood writers strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

A possible Hollywood writers strike is looming at a risky time for the entertainment business. A Hollywood writers strike is looming at a precarious time for the media and entertainment industry. During that 100-day stoppage, more than 60 TV shows shut down and ratings and ad sales dropped. The landscape of entertainment options is "much more competitive than it was during the last writers strike," media consultant Peter Csathy told insider. Paramount also has an extensive live sports offering, which should offer some insulation if writers go on strike.

☆ 12 top investors, from Blackstone to TPG, pouring billions into production studios in a long-term bet on Hollywood's content boom
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Institutional investors continue to see gold in Hollywood studios, despite a slowdown in content spending. Just as investors are pouring money into film and TV production companies, they're also doubling down on studio space, betting that the content boom is here to stay. The production real estate arena has attracted giants like Blackstone, which in 2020 acquired 49% of real estate investment trust Hudson Pacific Properties' three Los Angeles-based studios. Also bulking up in Hollywood is Bain Capital Real Estate, which in 2019 created a joint venture with Bardas Investment Group, a West Hollywood real estate development and investment firm. And investors insisted to Insider that their long-term view on the space hasn't darkened, even if high interest rates and a slowdown in new content spending temper activity in the short term.

☆ Assassin's Creed maker Ubisoft sinks to more than seven-year low after slashing guidance, cancelling games
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The stock has since pared losses slightly and was last trading at around 20 euros, down 16% from the Wednesday close. In a trading update on Wednesday, Ubisoft lowered net bookings guidance for the third quarter of 2022 to 725 million euros, down from an earlier target of 830 million euros. The company forecast full-year net bookings would likely fall 10% after an earlier projection called for an increase of 10%. Ubisoft said Wednesday that it would depreciate around 500 million euros of capitalized research and development and narrow its focus to fewer titles. The company hopes to cut costs by about 200 million euros through a mix of targeted restructuring, divestment of "non-core" assets, and employee attrition.

☆ Global spending on mobile games falls 5% as high inflation causes market to cool
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Spending on mobile games declined last year as consumers got more frugal with their purchasing decisions in response to rising inflation, according to a report from app analytics firm Data.ai. Mobile game spending fell 5% globally in 2022, to $110 billion, Data.ai, which was formerly known as App Annie, said in its "State of Mobile" report Wednesday. The report also looks at the broader state of sectors like mobile ads, retail and social media apps. Nevertheless, first-time installs of mobile titles rose 8% to a record 90 billion, with so-called "hypercasual" titles leading the gains. In recent years, growth in mobile gaming has been the dominant story in the games industry, with major publishers making big bets on mobile game developers.

☆ Ubisoft cancels three games and slashes targets, citing 'worsening macroeconomic conditions'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Tencent has increased its stake in French games maker Ubisoft, the company behind popular franchises like Assassin's Creed. Ubisoft canceled three unannounced games and slashed its full-year financial targets Wednesday, blaming "worsening macroeconomic conditions" that have plagued the video game industry. The French game publisher said it expects 2022 net bookings to come in at 725 million euros ($779.4 million), lower than an earlier target of 830 million euros. For the full year, Ubisoft said it expects its 2022 net bookings to fall 10%. Tencent invested 300 million euros in Guillemot Brothers Limited, taking a 49.9% stake in the family investment firm that owns 15% of Ubisoft.

☆ Amazon bulked up its advertising behemoth in 2022 — and its becoming an even bigger threat to Meta
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Lauren Johnson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Amazon's digital ad business is only behind Google's and Meta's — and it's already stolen budget from Meta. Today, that advertising business is no longer simply a way to drive product sales on Amazon. Amazon's ad business, which generated $9.5 billion during the third quarter of 2022, dwarfed Microsoft and Snap and ranked third behind Google and Facebook parent, Meta. There are now nearly 600 advertising partners in Amazon's advertising ecosystem, according to Amazon's directory of companies in the space. As part of its ambitions to grow advertising, Amazon also pitches a data clean room called Amazon Marketing Cloud.

☆ Why Liverpool and Manchester United, two giants of soccer, are up for sale at the same time
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

In November, the owners of first Liverpool and then Manchester United confirmed they were open to new investment offers, with the potential for full sales of the top flight English clubs. Meanwhile New York-listed shares in Manchester United popped 18% on the news on Nov. 23 that its owners were similarly opening themselves up to investment opportunities. Big money competition One recurring complaint Manchester United fans have had of the Glazers is a lack of investment in the club, across both facilities and players. Old Trafford Stadium, the home of Manchester United Football Club. "In the cases of Liverpool and Manchester United, both owners have held the clubs for a long time, and both assets have appreciated a lot as their leagues and brands and global fan bases have developed.

☆ 21 production companies that are acquisition targets as streamers race to get profitable and private equity bets big on Hollywood content
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Lucia Moses | Elaine Low | Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The streaming wars have fueled a wave of deal-making for Hollywood production companies. Private equity is leading the charge, with firms like Apollo and Blackstone spending big on content. Insider identified 21 top production companies that could attract buyers or investors in 2023. Media companies need fresh content to win and keep subscribers who have more options than ever to choose from. Insider spoke with five industry dealmakers, consultants, and other experts who named 20 companies that could be hot acquisition targets as the drive for content continues.

☆ Women athletes now have their own sports network
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Kaitlin Balasaygun | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The first-ever network to focus on female athletes, the Women's Sports Network, launched Wednesday, offering 24/7 streaming of original programming, competitions, documentaries and a daily studio show "Game On." The Women's Sports Network is a free, ad-supported network featured on streaming services including Amazon.com 's Freevee, Fox Corp .'s FuboTV and Tubi, along with smart TVs. The Women's Sports Network has partnerships with the Women's National Basketball Association, Women's Football Alliance, Ladies Professional Golf Association, U.S. Female athletes at the collegiate level are also proving to be winners in the NIL era, garnering deals with brands including Nike now that college athletes can be paid for their name, image and likeness. "The Women's Sports Network is exactly what athletes, fans and sponsors have been asking for," Mollie Marcoux Samaan, commissioner of the Ladies Professional Golf Association, said in a release announcing the network launch.

☆ Execs at Netflix, Warner Bros. Discovery, and more entertainment companies are reining in content spending as 'it's safer for their jobs not to buy'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Streamers like Netflix and HBO Max are spending less aggressively on content after years of big outlays. And Netflix, known for its astronomic content bill, is holding its budget at $17 billion for 2022 and likely 2023 after several years of increases. Content spending across Hollywood typically slows down in the fourth quarter. "Now, networks and studios are going to go to their super-experienced person — they're going to take fewer chances on that emerging voice," one filmmaker said. "I don't think they're going to up the volume at HBO, but they're still going to make big shows."

☆ Microsoft exec says gaming is 'somewhat resilient' to economic weakness
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Microsoft's head of gaming said Wednesday that video games can stand up to economic weakness, even as the software maker expects slower pickup in other parts of its business targeting consumers. Gaming remains a high priority for Microsoft, with the company working to close its $68.7 billion acquisition of publisher Activision Blizzard . Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming, sounded optimistic about the prospects of the unit. "The video game industry has never been 'recession-proof,' but that line gets brought out every time the r-word is mentioned," Mat Piscatella, executive director and video game industry advisor at market researcher NPD Group, wrote in a July tweet. "People can play video games for hundreds of hours," he said.

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