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☆ 2024 is shaping up to be the year of the streaming bundle
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-26 | by ( Drew Richardson | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The atmosphere at the Disney Bundle Celebrating National Streaming Day at The Row in Los Angeles on May 19, 2022. Still, the age of the cable bundle is giving way to the era of a new kind of bundle that could give both streamers and cable providers a path forward. Media executives told CNBC this month that 2024 could finally be the year that media companies get serious about the bundle. Discovery, earlier this year predicted more integration of streaming services into cable bundles. Despite the demand for a streaming bundle, top players have historically been apprehensive to make such a deal.

Persons: Tim Nollen, Chris Winfrey, Nollen, John Malone, who's, Bob Bakish, David Zaslav Organizations: Disney, Netflix, Media, CNBC, Macquarie, Charter Communications, National Football League, ESPN, Charter's, Liberty Media, Warner Bros, Paramount, Discovery, Companies Locations: Los Angeles

☆ Charter CEO Chris Winfrey discusses media industry outlook on Liberty's investor day
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailCharter CEO Chris Winfrey discusses media industry outlook on Liberty's investor dayCharter CEO Chris Winfrey joins 'Squawk on the Street' to discuss whether Winfrey still considers Charter a growth company, the temporary growth impacts affecting the company, and more.

Persons: Chris Winfrey, Winfrey Organizations: Email

☆ Disney, Charter reach distribution deal ahead of 'Monday Night Football'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Rival media companies Warner Bros Discovery (WBD.O) and Paramount Global (PARA.O) gained 2.3% and 2%, respectively. That deprived nearly 15 million Spectrum video subscribers of access to the U.S. Open tennis tournament, college football and other programming. Charter pays Disney more than $2.2 billion annually for the right to distribute the media giant's channels to subscribers. Companies like Charter say rising distribution fees are forcing cable companies to increase prices, causing consumers to leave. It wants to keep as many cable subscribers as possible while it prepares to offer ESPN directly to consumers on an app.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Walt Disney, Robert Iger, Chris Winfrey, Akash Sriram, Maju Samuel Organizations: Walt Disney Company, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Charter Communications, ESPN, NFL, Disney, Warner Bros Discovery, Paramount Global, ABC, U.S, Buffalo Bills, New York Jets, Charter, Companies, NBA, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, New York City, Los Angeles, Bengaluru

☆ Disney and Charter Reach Agreement, Ending Cable Standoff
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Benjamin Mullin | More About Benjamin Mullin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Disney and Charter said Monday that they had reached a deal to resolve their programming dispute, ending a skirmish that raised questions about the future of cable television. The two sides said their new deal meant that Charter’s nearly 15 million cable TV subscribers would be able to watch programming from Disney’s channels, which include FX and ESPN. The agreement was reached hours before the kickoff of Monday Night Football, one of the most popular telecasts in the United States. For more than a week, Disney and Charter, one of the biggest cable companies in the United States, had been locked in a high-stakes struggle over the terms of their distribution agreement. The two sides couldn’t reach a deal, and Disney’s shows were pulled off Charter’s cable service before Labor Day, when many Americans were expecting to tune into college football and the U.S. Open tennis tournament.

Persons: Bob Iger, Chris Winfrey Organizations: Disney, Charter, FX, ESPN, Labor, U.S Locations: United States

☆ The Charter-Disney showdown didn't transform the TV industry, after all, despite the hype
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Charter and Disney have reached a rights deal, and the media industry was duped. Slate's headline the same day honed in further: "Disney Is in a Fight That Might Change TV Forever." But there's a reason why Dolan discussed this concept a decade ago and still linear cable TV exists. Charter still makes money by offering linear cable TV. Comcast , the largest U.S. cable TV provider, owns a slew of cable networks.

Persons: Devin Singletary, Michael Morris, Chris Winfrey, Winfrey, Goldman, CNBC's David Faber, Aaron Rodgers, haven't, Jim Dolan, Dolan, It's, it's Organizations: Buffalo Bills, New York Jets, Highmark, Charter, Disney, Street Journal, Marks, CNBC, Guggenheim Securities, ESPN, ABC, U.S, Cablevision, Comcast, DirecTV Locations: Orchard Park , New York, Goldman Sachs, New York

☆ Charter and Disney aren't budging in their blackout fight as NFL season kicks off
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The kickoff to the NFL season is Thursday night, and Charter Communications doesn't appear to be moving down the field in its negotiations with Disney . On Thursday, Charter CEO Chris Winfrey said that "Disney will be who decides" what happens in the dispute. "It's unfortunate that Charter decided to abandon their consumers by denying them access to our great programming," Disney said Thursday. Adding to the pressure is the kickoff of the NFL season — with ESPN's first "Monday Night Football" game of the season occurring in a few days — as well as the U.S. Open and the beginning of college football season. Currently, ESPN+ offers its own exclusive content and games, with some overlaps from the TV network, such as some "Monday Night Football" broadcasts.

Persons: Disney's, Chris Winfrey, Winfrey, Goldman Sachs, Disney Organizations: NFL, Charter Communications, Disney, ESPN, FX, Technology, U.S . Locations: U.S

A screen shows the logo and a ticker symbol for The Walt Disney Company on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., December 14, 2017. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 7 (Reuters) - Charter Communications (CHTR.O) Chief Executive Chris Winfrey said he has a sense of urgency to resolve a distribution dispute with Walt Disney (DIS.N), in remarks on Thursday at a tech conference in San Francisco. Charter is locked in a distribution battle with Disney as the second-largest U.S. cable company negotiates with the media conglomerate over how much its channels are worth and how to package them. Such "carriage disputes" are commonplace in the media world, though this negotiation may shape the future of television in the streaming era. Disney issued a statement saying it “stands ready” to resolve the carriage dispute, and “do what’s in the best interests” of Charter’s customers.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Chris Winfrey, Walt Disney, “, ” Winfrey, Goldman Sachs, Winfrey, ” Disney, Scott Robson, Robson, Dawn Chmielewski, Akash Sriram, Sriraj Kalluvila, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: Walt Disney Company, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Charter Communications, Disney, Technology, ESPN, ABC, Charter's, U.S, NFL, P Global Market Intelligence, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Bengaluru

☆ Even Charter thinks that cable TV sucks now
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Nathan Mcalone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Charter, the second-biggest cable company in the US, says the cable TV model is broken. Fights like this have been common across the history of cable TV. Because Charter pays companies like Disney per subscriber, fewer cable TV subscribers meant less money coming in for TV networks. Charter might never actually say it out loud, but it's clear from the presentation that it thinks the cable TV model sucks now and has become a bad deal for customers. I could easily imagine a new type of cable TV package that mixes some live news and sports channels with access to streaming services.

Persons: it's, That's, Lucia Moses, Chris Winfrey Organizations: Service, Disney, ESPN, Netflix Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ Disney’s battle with Charter could pose an existential threat to the cable bundle
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —It’s a carriage fight that could lead to the dismantling — or revolution — of the cable television bundle. Charter argues that it is paying a premium for Disney content ($2.2 billion in 2023), but that much of the first-class, buzzy content is actually on platforms like Disney+, not the linear channels. And it says it has proposed “creative ways” to make Disney’s DTC offerings available to Charter subscribers. But, in Disney’s eyes, why would it give away access to its expensive DTC content at no additional cost to Charter subscribers? “The Walt Disney Company and Charter have the opportunity to work together on transforming the industry for the long-term benefit of both companies and their customers,” Charter said.

Persons: CNN —, Disney, “, Bob Iger, Chris Winfrey, ” Organizations: CNN, Disney, Charter Communications, US, NFL, ABC, ESPN, Labor, Charter, Warner Bros, Paramount, Comcast, Fox Corporation, Hulu, FuboTV, Walt Disney Company, ”

☆ TV Stocks Fall After Charter, Disney Dispute
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The move from Disney came after the two companies failed to reach an agreement over contract fees. Shares of Charter and Disney each fell more than 2%. "The video ecosystem is broken," Charter CEO Chris Winfrey said in a conference call Friday.

Persons: Chris Winfrey Organizations: Disney, Charter

☆ Spectrum owner Charter calls pay-TV model broken as it battles Disney over blackout
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

That resulted in Charter's customers losing access to its networks, including broadcaster ABC and pay-TV channels such as ESPN and FX. These sorts of battles, which can lead to so-called blackouts for pay-TV customers, are common in the industry. They said they pushed for a revamped deal with Disney that would see Charter cable customers receive access to Disney's ad-supported streaming services like Disney+ and ESPN+ at no additional cost. "The [traditional TV] model has been very good to Disney," Pitaro said at CNBC x Boardroom's inaugural Game Plan sports business summit. Disney said Thursday that it has been able to secure successful deals with other pay-TV companies and is still committed to reaching an agreement with Charter.

Persons: Disney, Chris Winfrey, Winfrey, Bob Iger, Iger, Jimmy Pitaro, nix, Pitaro, didn't Organizations: Cable, Charter Communications, Disney, U.S ., ABC, ESPN, FX, Fort, CNBC, ESPN –, Plan Locations: U.S, New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, Fort Worth and Atlanta

☆ Charter puts media companies on notice in bid to save pay-TV bundle
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Rafael Henrique | SOPA Images | Lightrocket | Getty ImagesCharter Communications CEO Chris Winfrey wants the pay-TV bundle to live. For Charter, a company that doesn't produce content itself, the TV bundle is still a big part of its business, even as broadband grows. Disney also noted its multi-billion dollar investments in exclusive content for Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu. Disney has said it's a matter of time before it offers ESPN outside of the pay-TV bundle. Long live pay-TV

Persons: Rafael Henrique, Chris Winfrey, Winfrey, Barry Diller, Tom Rutledge, —, Hulu —, Disney, Long Organizations: Communications, Getty, Charter, Disney, U.S ., Warner Bros, Discovery, Paramount Global, Comcast, Media, Paramount, ESPN, P Global Market Intelligence, Hulu Locations: U.S, Hulu

Trumzz | Istock | Getty ImagesOver the past two years, millions of low-income U.S. households have received broadband internet at a discount through two consecutive government programs. "Millions could be left in the dark without broadband service for the very same reasons they didn't have it in the first place." The Emergency Broadband Benefit, or EBB, which was approved by then-President Donald Trump in late 2020 and launched in February 2021, provided a $50 subsidy. That's considered an accomplishment, said Ken Garnett, chief strategy officer at Cal.net, a small internet service provider that serves rural inland areas of California. As of January, about $6.1 billion of the funds had been claimed by broadband service providers as reimbursement for discounting their services and products.

☆ NBC Sports hopes to make an aggressive bid to bring back the NBA, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Discovery own the NBA rights until the end of the 2024-2025 season — more than two more years from now. Warner Bros. Warner Bros. NBC aired its last NBA games during the 2002 finals, when the Los Angeles Lakers swept the New Jersey Nets. Regular season NBA games across ABC, ESPN and TNT are averaging 1.6 million viewers this season.

One of the really interesting questions here – this will be fascinating – the core of linear TV is sports rights. When you look at the size and scope of the linear TV business, it's huge. Patrick T. Fallon | Afp | Getty ImagesByron Allen, Entertainment Studios founder and CEO: I think linear TV will exist for a very, very long time. Simmons: I believe Apple, out of nowhere, will start making their own awesome televisions that have Apple TV embedded in them. We are witnessing early stages of this dynamic with deals like "NFL Sunday Ticket" on YouTube and the MLS deal with Apple TV.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: SoFi Technologies, Charter Communications, Delta and more
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Check out the companies making the biggest moves midday:SoFi Technologies — The fintech stock jumped more than 7% after a filing showed CEO Anthony Noto bought $5 million in common stock. Charter Communications — Charter Communications dropped more than 13% after CEO Chris Winfrey said at an investor event the company will invest $5.5 billion over three years to upgrade its high-speed internet network. Morgan Stanley said it was a top auto pick for 2023. RingCentral — Shares of RingCentral climbed 4.8% after being upgraded by Morgan Stanley to overweight from equal weight. In its call, Morgan Stanley said the software company is underappreciated.

☆ Charter CEO Tom Rutledge to Retire After Leading Cable Firm for Decade
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( Patience Haggin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Charter Communications Chief Executive Tom Rutledge is retiring from the company he has led for the past decade, a time of acquisitions that transformed the cable operator into the industry’s second-largest company. Charter said Wednesday that Chris Winfrey , its current chief operating officer and former finance chief, would become the company’s next CEO, effective Dec. 1. Mr. Rutledge is to serve as executive chairman until November 2023, when his contract is up, and maintain oversight of Charter’s government affairs.

☆ Charter CEO Tom Rutledge to Retire After Leading Cable Company for Decade
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( Patience Haggin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Tom Rutledge, who turned Charter into a cable powerhouse, to step down as CEO
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Chairman and CEO of Charter Communications Tom Rutledge speaks at The New York Times DealBook Conference at Jazz at Lincoln Center on November 10, 2016 in New York City. Charter Communications Chief Executive Tom Rutledge will step down on Dec. 1 after a decade at the helm and half a century in the cable industry. Rutledge turned Charter from a relatively small regional cable company into the No. 2 provider in the U.S. by orchestrating an audacious takeover of Time Warner Cable, announced in 2015, for nearly $79 billion including debt. WATCH: Charter CEO Tom Rutledge to step down, will remain exec.

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