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☆ How Dana Walden could defy critics and become Disney's first female CEO
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +22 min

The appointment would make Walden the first female CEO of the Walt Disney Co. in its 100-year history. "Anybody they choose will have never been the Disney CEO prior to that." At Disney, Walden has hit several home runs, including FX's "The Bear," Hulu's "The Dropout" and "Only Murderers in the Building," and ABC's "Abbott Elementary." Former Disney CEO Bob Chapek CNBCChapek climbed the corporate ladder at Disney for 30 years by showcasing his business and finance chops. Combating female stereotypesIf Walden were appointed CEO, she would be the first woman to run the century-old company.

Persons: Dana Walden, Disney Entertainment Rich Polk, Peter Chernin, Rupert, Walden, Bob Iger, he'd, Fox, Chernin, Peter Roth, Roth, Peter Chernin Getty, Josh D'Amaro, Jimmy Pitaro, Alan Bergman, Nelson, Peltz, Iger, Bob Chapek, Walden's, Bergman, she's, hasn't, —, Walden —, Dana doesn't, Jennifer Salke, Jennifer Salke Stephen Desaulniers, CNBC Walden, Richard Plepler, Craig Hunegs, Carol Burnett's, Carrie Hamilton, George Burns, Dean Martin, roasts, Martin, Buddy Hackett, Matt Walden, Bender, Goldman, she'd, Arsenio, Lucie Sulhany, Dana Walden Jason Laveris, Gary Newman, Newman, It's, Dana, Ryan Murphy, John Landgraf, Jan, Seth MacFarlane, Guy, Tuck, MacFarlane, Murphy, Steve Levitan, Dan Fogelman, Rick Rosen, Rosen, Howard Gordon, Levitan, Peter Rice, Rice, wasn't, Chapek, Rich Appel, Gary, it's, Percy Jackson, didn't, Bob Chapek CNBC Chapek, showrunners, Scarlett Johansson, Kristina Schake, Jay Sures, Sures, Amazon's Salke, Greta Gerwig, Gloria, Murphy's, Miss Jones, There's, Steve Levitan Peter, Hopper, Critics, She's, Salke, WME's Rosen Organizations: Disney Entertainment, Getty, Century Fox Filmed Entertainment, Rupert Murdoch's News Corp, Walt Disney Co, Century Fox, Fox, Century Fox Television, Warner Bros, Disney, ESPN, Entertainment, CNBC, Trian Partners, Iger, Amazon Studios, HBO, Disney TV Studios, Hollywood, Westlake School for Girls, Harvard, Westlake School, The Friars Club, University of Southern, Paramount, Paramount Domestic Television, Filmmagic, Fox Broadcasting, Walden, CBS, FX Networks, Bob Chapek CNBC, Indiana University, Michigan State University, United Talent Agency, Hulu Locations: Santa Barbara , California, Walden, Brentwood , California, She's, Disney's, Studio City, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, University of Southern California, Chapek, Hollywood, Walden's, Iger, America

☆ The Israel-Hamas war threatens to derail Middle Eastern investment in US media and entertainment
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-04 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Still, the US presence highlighted the deepening ties between Hollywood and the region , as Western media, entertainment, and sports entities have seen major investment in recent years from Saudi, Qatar, and the UAE. Even before October 7, US entities that were receiving investment from the Middle East were reluctant to speak publicly about those relationships. Insider spoke with investors, producers, and other media and entertainment stakeholders about what's next for Hollywood's relationships with Mideast backers. Qatar hasn't seen any recent major deals but earlier this year, Peter Chernin and Providence Equity's production roll-up The North Road received $150 million from the Qatar Investment Authority. "The political nature gets more complicated," an industry insider observer said, noting how countries like Qatar are grabbing headlines for their role in the situation.

Persons: haven't, Jamal Khashoggi, Israel, it's, Knaebel, They're, Greg Silverman's, Silverman, Harry Potter, Chris Nolan's, Abu Dhabi's, Ari Emanuel, Peter Chernin, Jeff Zucker, LIV Golf Organizations: Film, Washington Post, Hollywood, Global Media, Saudi, Stampede Ventures, Warner Bros, Endeavor, Qatar hasn't, Providence, North, Qatar Investment Authority, IMI, CNN, Investment Fund, PGA Locations: Saudi Arabia, American, Jeddah, Saudi, Qatar, UAE, Gaza, Israel, Germany, Silver

☆ Media and entertainment companies are finding more investment from the Middle East, but it can come with controversy. Here are 11 of the most notable deals.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Insider broke down 11 top media companies with Middle Eastern backing or partnerships. Middle Eastern investment has poured into US media and entertainment, and US media companies have been eager recipients. Here's a rundown of 11 key Western media and entertainment companies, listed alphabetically, that have licensing and investment partnerships with Middle Eastern entities. Jimmy Finkelstein's news startup The Messenger has Middle Eastern funding via its acquisition of IMI-backed startup Grid, which is now shuttered. The North Road, Peter Chernin and Providence Equity's production roll-up, took a $150 million investment in January from the Qatar Investment Authority, Qatar's main investment vehicle, to support its expansion.

Persons: Peter Chernin, Jeff Zucker, Uber, Jamal Khashoggi's, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, —, hasn't, Mohammed bin Salman, SRMG, Abu, Abu Dhabi's, Jimmy Finkelstein's, BeIn, Stone, Ian Orefice, WBD Organizations: Providence, North, IMI, ex, CNN, Public Investment Fund, Blackstone, Washington Post, Saudi Crown, Saudi, Guardian, Media, Bloomberg Media, Saudi Research, Media Group, Media Investments, CNN Business, Abu Dhabi Media Investment Corporation, Sky News Arabia, Business, Independent, SRMG, Miramax, BeIn, Paramount, Qatar Investment Authority, Penske Media Corporation, Billboard, Variety, Penske, Vox Media, New York, Billboard Arabia, RedBird Capital, Mideast, MBC Group, MBC, Fortress Investment Group, Investment, Warner Bros Locations: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, West, Saudi, Abu Dhabi, ViacomCBS, SRMG

☆ MaC Venture Capital hires TCG veteran Jennifer Randle as its first chief operating officer
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Melia Russell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

MaC Venture Capital has hired Jennifer Randle as its first COO. In less than three years, MaC Venture Capital has become a presence in the tech ecosystem that cannot be ignored. Jennifer Randle, a finance and operations veteran, has joined MaC as its first chief operating officer — a sign of a maturing firm with more personnel and funds to manage. In this role, Randall will support firm operations from finance and accounting to investor relations and IT. In April of 2023, according to data gathered by Venture Forward, Deloitte, and the National Venture Capital Association, Black investors made up only 4% of investment partners with decision-making responsibilities.

Persons: Jennifer Randle, Randle, MaC, —, Randall, Peter Chernin, That's, Marlon Nichols, Nichols Organizations: MaC Venture Capital, Chernin, nab, MaC, Capital Partners, KPMG, Venture, Deloitte, National Venture Capital Association Locations: America, Mansa

☆ With actors poised to join film and TV writers on strike, Hollywood insiders lay out the dream and nightmare scenarios: 'There's going to be no cash flow'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

For the first time since 1960, Hollywood actors and writers could be on strike at the same time. If the actors union, SAG-AFTRA, hits the picket lines, it would cause an even deeper disruption to the entertainment industry. Stakes were high enough with the writers' strike. The movement is having a moment, as has been evidenced by other unions — from teachers to truck drivers — joining Hollywood writers on the picket line. A combined writers' and actors' strike "could well go into the end of the year," Handel said.

Persons: Jonathan Handel, that's, Handel, —, AFTRA, it's, Paul Hardart, Bob Iger, Peter Chernin —, Fox —, Iger, Alan Bergman, Dana Walden, I've, he'd, Hardart Organizations: Hollywood, Guild of, SAG, WGA, Alliance, Producers, Netflix, Disney, Guild of America, Entertainment, Media, Technology, NYU's Stern School of Business, News Corp, Disney Entertainment, United Locations: California, Hollywood, United States

☆ Peter Chernin Taps David Nevins to Help Lead North Road as It Beefs Up
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Joe Flint | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

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Persons: Dow Jones, nevins

☆ Peter Chernin's North Road buys Turkish film and TV house Karga Seven
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 6 (Reuters) - Veteran Hollywood producer Peter Chernin said on Tuesday his company North Road has bought Turkish film and television house Karga Seven Pictures in one of its first major international acquisitions. Los Angeles-Istanbul-based Karga Seven is best known for its popular English-language period piece, "Rise of Empires: Ottoman", and Turkish time travel drama, "Midnight at the Pera Palace", which were among Netflix's top shows. Karga Seven's founders Sarah Wetherbee, Emre Sahin and Kelly McPherson will remain in leadership roles, with Wetherbee and Sahin serving as global co-CEOs and reporting to North Road President Jan Frouman. McPherson will head English-language content, along with newly hired Ömer Müjdat Özgüner serving as the company's Turkey CEO. Reporting by Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles and Samrhitha Arunasalam in Bengaluru; Editing by Pooja DesaiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Peter Chernin, Chernin, Karga Seven's, Sarah Wetherbee, Emre Sahin, Kelly McPherson, Wetherbee, Sahin, Jan Frouman, McPherson, Ömer Müjdat, Ford, Dawn Chmielewski, Samrhitha, Pooja Desai Organizations: Hollywood, Pictures, North Road, Providence, Red Arrow Studios, Chernin Entertainment, Thomson Locations: Turkish, Los Angeles, Istanbul, Turkey, United States, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Middle Eastern investors are pouring money into US media, sports, and entertainment — here are the 9 most active players and their key leaders
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Lucia Moses | Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Investors in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates are pouring money into Western media and entertainment. Sovereign funds and other entities in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE are pouring millions into US media and entertainment, and they're finding plenty of takers. The channels for money from Saudi Arabia and other parts of the Middle East are complex. Insider broke down the key entities — their owners, leaders, and high-profile investments and joint ventures — in the top three Middle Eastern nations pouring money into US entertainment and media. It describes itself as the largest media company in the Middle East and North Africa and runs one of the largest TV news channels, Al Arabiya.

Persons: Jamal Khashoggi's, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, —, WME, Jimmy Finkelstein's, Abu Dhabi's, It's, Yasir Al, Rumayyan, Waleed bin Ibrahim Al Ibrahim, Sam Barnett, Peter Smith —, Christina Wayne, SRMG, Mohammed bin Salman, Alrashid, Johnny Depp, Jeanne du Barry, Sharon Stone, Bruno Mars, Luca Guadanigno, Vince McMahon's, Turki Al, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Dayel, Mansoor bin Ebrahim Al, Mahmoud, Peter Chernin, Nasser Al, Germain, BeIN, Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad, Khalifa Al, Vincent, Asghar Farhadi's Oscar, Nart Bouran, JAF, Jeff Zucker, Graydon Carter's, it's, Semafor, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Sheikh Mansour, Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber Organizations: United, Sovereign, Saudi, Washington Post, Saudi Crown, Endeavor, UFC, IMI, Abu Dhabi Media Investment Corporation, Public Investment Fund, Saudi Aramco, Newcastle United, English football, PGA, MBC, Shahid, Netflix, Vice Media, Variety, MBC Group's, Antenna Group, Cineflex Studios, NBCUniversal International, Amazon, AMC, Saudi Research, Media, Publicly, Red Sea, Cannes, Penske Media Corporation, Bloomberg Media, Vince McMahon's WWE, country's General Entertainment Authority, Development, Cultural Development Fund, George Washington University, American University . Qatar Qatar Investment, Qatar Investment Authority, Providence, BeIN Media, Paris Saint, Miramax, Paramount, Doha Film, Doha Film Institute, H.E, Hollywood Reporter, United Arab Emirates Abu, Investment Authority, UAE, Abu, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Hollywood, Dubai Studio, Dubai Media City, National Geographic, BBC News, International Media Investments International Media Investments, National, CNN, Sky News Arabia, Reuters, JAF Communications, Grid, RedBird Capital Partners, Punchbowl News, New York Times, Manchester City, The, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company Locations: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, UAE, Saudi, East, North Africa, Al Arabiya, Netherlands, Greece, Dubai, Jeddah, SRMG, Riyadh, Doha, Europe, Americas, ViacomCBS, Qatari, Thani, Abu Dhabi

☆ These 22 top reality TV companies making hits like 'Love Is Blind' and 'The Kardashians' could see a boom if the Hollywood writers' strike drags on
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Lucia Moses | Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Hollywood writers' strike could drive an increase in demand for unscripted programming. Insider identified companies dominating the genre, producing reality content for top networks and streamers. Check out 22 companies making top titles including "90-Day Fiancé," "Real Housewives," and more. Even if the writers' strike is resolved more quickly than pundits generally are predicting, reality TV's future looks bright. Reality shows are also a way for streamers to grow their international audience as much of it translates globally.

☆ 22 red-hot reality TV companies producing shows like 'The Kardashians' and 'Queer Eye' that could grow amid Hollywood's writers' strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Lucia Moses | Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Hollywood writers' strike could drive an increase in demand for unscripted programming. Insider identified companies dominating the genre, producing reality content for top networks and streamers. Check out 22 companies behind top titles including "The Kardashians," "Queer Eye," and more. Even if the writers' strike is resolved more quickly than pundits generally are predicting, reality TV's future looks bright. Reality shows are also a way for streamers to grow their international audience as much of it translates globally.

☆ Saudi money is flowing to US media and entertainment, from Live Nation to LIV Golf, 5 years after Jamal Khashoggi's murder: 'The ice has thawed'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Claire Atkinson | Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +20 min

Sovereign funds and other entities in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE are pouring millions into US media and entertainment. Insider identified some key people connecting Middle East investors with American companies. Saudi Arabia is trying to pitch itself to the world as a cultural and economic reformer and spur tourism. Vince McMahon's WWE has a long-term partnership with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with a major live WWE event there slated for May. Vince McMahon's WWE was one of the first US companies to create unique events in Saudi Arabia.

☆ 9 Middle Eastern funds and investors pouring money into US media, sports, and entertainment
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Lucia Moses | Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Governments and investors in the Middle East are pouring money into Western media and entertainment. Sovereign funds and other entities in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE are pouring millions into US media and entertainment, and they're finding plenty of takers. The channels for money from Saudi Arabia and other parts of the Middle East are complex. Insider broke down the key entities — their owners, leaders, and high-profile investments and joint ventures — in the top three Middle Eastern nations pouring money into US entertainment and media. It describes itself as the largest media company in the Middle East and North Africa and runs one of the largest TV news channels, Al Arabiya.

☆ Why big investors like Carlyle and Ares are zeroing in on Hollywood and sports deals — and driving private credit in media to new highs
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Rebecca Ungarino | Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

And Ares raised $3.7 billion for a fund last fall geared specifically toward sports, media, and entertainment investments across private debt and private equity. Unlike private equity investing, where managers take stakes in companies or buy them, private credit investors lend to businesses and make money on interest payments. (Private investment firm KKR's media, entertainment, and sports portfolio includes Insider parent company Axel Springer.) Carlyle's $146 billion credit arm has also provided capital to Clair, a media tech company that specializes in live production services and audio products. The strategists said driving that uptick are private credit defaults that include so-called softer forms of default, like breaching a loan's terms and conditions, along with private credit portfolio companies having generally lower ratings and less diversified businesses.

☆ Saudi money is pouring into Hollywood and media, 5 years after the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. Here's who's cashing in and how.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Claire Atkinson | Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Sovereign funds and other entities in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE are pouring millions into US media and entertainment. Saudi Arabia is trying to pitch itself to the world as a cultural and economic reformer and spur tourism. Even those media players that are comfortable with invetment from the Middle East may not find funds flowing, one Hollywood veteran said. A major live WWE event in Saudi Arabia is slated for May. Of the growing ties between US entertainment and media and Middle East investors, this person added, "Presumably media organizations got into this to help society make better decisions."

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.

The business has been valued at as much as 3 billion pounds ($3.7 billion), according to analysts. "But we do see a pathway whereby, via consolidation, ITV may be able to simultaneously both demonstrate and create value from ITV Studios," they said. ITV built up its Studios production business in the last decade to reduce its reliance on the British advertising market and tap into rising global demand for content. Revenue in the nine months to end-September rose 16% to 1.39 billion pounds ($1.71 billion). That would imply a valuation of about 3 billion pounds, in line with analysts' calculations and nearly as much as ITV's total market value of 3.27 billion pounds.

☆ 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.

☆ Ben Affleck and Matt Damon just scored $100 million from RedBird Capital. Check out 15 more private equity players making big bets on Hollywood.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Elaine Low | Claire Atkinson | Madeline Berg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Private equity firms are investing heavily in film and TV companies, even amid a possible recession. Private equity accounted for 42% of deals over the last year vs. 24% in 2018, according to PwC. RedBird Capital just invested $100 million in Ben Affeck and Matt Damon's new production company, Artists Equity. And earlier that month, Swedish firm EQT invested in UTA, which makes the private equity player the largest outside shareholder of the talent agency. Insider's second annual list of the top private equity players in Hollywood highlights 16 firms, based on our reporting and conversations with investors and insiders.

☆ Meet 9 top media bankers transforming the M&A landscape and driving deals for Warner Bros. Discovery, Legendary, Amazon, and more
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

2022 kicked off with some huge transactions, from AT&T's WarnerMedia spin-off to private equity scooping up content players. Brad Pitt's production company, Plan B, and Diamond Sports Group both recently tapped big banks to explore their options. Not surprisingly, WarnerMedia was at the heart of the richest transaction fee waterfall for big banks in 2022. Moelis and LionTree were just tapped to help figure out what's next for Sinclair's Regional Sports Networks, Diamond Sports Group, while Brad Pitt's production company, Plan B, also hired Moelis to shop the production company, according to Variety. There's lots of dry powder still in private equity, Navid Mahmoodzadegan, co-founder and co-president at investment bank Moelis, told Insider.

☆ 'Top Gun: Maverick' studio Skydance just scored a $400 million funding led by KKR. Meet 16 private equity players betting big on Hollywood now.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Elaine Low | Claire Atkinson | Madeline Berg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Private equity firms are investing more deeply in film and TV content companies, even amid a possible recession. Private equity accounted for 42% of deals over the last year vs. 24% in 2018, according to PwC. KKR just led a $400 million funding round for Skydance, giving the "Top Gun: Maverick" studio a $4 billion valuation. And earlier in July, Swedish firm EQT invested in UTA, which makes the private equity player the largest outside shareholder of the talent agency. And KKR is continuing to make big bets: It just led a $400 million funding round in "Top Gun: Maverick" studio Skydance that sent the production company's valuation north of $4 billion.

☆ Meet 9 top media bankers transforming the M&A landscape as streaming video reshapes entertainment
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

2022 kicked off with some huge transactions, from AT&T's WarnerMedia spin-off to private equity scooping up content players. Company valuations are set to fall back to earth in 2023, and private equity and strategics are lying in wait. Not surprisingly, WarnerMedia was at the heart of the richest transaction fee waterfall for big banks in 2022. Joshua Grode's Legendary Entertainment, backed by Dalian Wanda and now Apollo Group, which took a stake in the studio in January. There's lots of dry powder still in private equity, Navid Mahmoodzadegan, co-founder and co-president at investment bank Moelis, told Insider.

☆ Kevin Hart sold a $100 million stake in his media company to private equity firm Abry. Here are 10 more Hollywood production shops that are hot M&A targets.
▼ + stars: | 2022-05-19 | by ( Natalie Jarvey | Elaine Low | Madeline Berg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Abry Partners' $100 million stake in Kevin Hart's company HartBeat is the latest big M&A move in Hollywood. Dealmakers said production companies are valuable amid the streaming wars and demand for content. The M&A activity had top Hollywood dealmakers telling Insider in early 2022 that practically every independent production company is a target. Many production companies make work-for-hire or don't control the rights to a project once it is sold off to a studio distributor. Based on January interviews with five entertainment industry experts and insiders, Insider identified a list of 10 production companies that could be compelling acquisition targets as M&A activity continues.

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