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☆ It's a do-or-die moment for debt-riddled Warner Bros. Discovery's live-sports strategy as it vies for NBA rights
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( James Faris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

WBD generated $6.2 billion of free cash flow through 2023 and likely shelled out around $1.4 billion of that for NBA games. Analysts estimate that figure would be closer to $2 billion if WBD re-ups its NBA package. WBD wants a big NBA deal, despite Wall Street's wishesSixteen months ago, Zaslav said WBD didn't "have to have" the NBA. NBA ratings have been lackluster lately, with national TV games averaging 1.6 million viewers in the last two seasons. Zaslav's latest public remarks on the NBA negotiations reflect that.

Persons: —, Shaquille O'Neal, Charles Barkley, Tim Nollen, Max, Jason Bazinet, WBD, David Zaslav, it's, Jessica Reif Ehrlich, Wall, Zaslav, John Hodulik, Chuck, Ernie Johnson Organizations: Service, Basketball Hall of Famers, NBA, TNT, ESPN, Warner Bros, Business, Media, Amazon, NBC, Comcast, Apple, Netflix, WWE, Macquarie, Disney, Fox, Cable, Citigroup, Warners, of America, Street, Zaz, UBS Locations: Shaq

☆ Netflix has a stranglehold on its competition, but the streaming wars aren't over. Here's how Disney and Amazon could dethrone the dominant streamer.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( James Faris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

"Netflix won the streaming wars in 2009 when they started streaming," said Tim Nollen, a media analyst at Macquarie. "I think it's a little bit ridiculous, to be honest," Bazinet said when asked if Netflix has won the streaming wars. AdvertisementHow Hollywood can beat Netflix at its own gameHollywood stalwarts can compete in streaming, Bazinet argued — provided the media industry first consolidates even further. The two biggest threats right now are Disney — which has about 220 million subscribers across Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ — and Amazon. Nollen said Amazon would flood the market with cheap ads and crush its competition like it did in e-commerce.

Persons: —, That's, Jason Bazinet, Tim Nollen, They've, Bazinet, overreacted, Jessica Reif Ehrlich, Reif Ehrlich, Nielsen Bazinet, Joe Bonner, Bonner, John Hodulik, Hodulik, I'm, Macquarie's, Nollen, it's Organizations: Service, Netflix, Business, Citigroup, Disney, Paramount, Macquarie, Hollywood, Bank of America, Nielsen, ESPN, Argus Research, Hulu, UBS, Amazon Locations: Hulu

☆ Licensing to Netflix has become a big business for studios again, but some insiders worry it could backfire
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Lucia Moses | James Faris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Read previewCash-hungry entertainment studios are back in the content licensing game, sending their valuable shows like HBO's "Sex and the City" and Disney's "Grey's Anatomy" back to Netflix. Licensing has historically been a mainstay of entertainment companies, except for a brief period when many hoarded content while they built up their own streaming services. "It's the future," said Dan Cohen, the chief content licensing officer at Paramount. Netflix and other entertainment companies that sought full ownership of content as they built up their streaming services are now becoming more agnostic about it. But, for now, the major entertainment companies don't have much of a choice.

Persons: —, Mike Pears, Pears, Jessica Reif Ehrlich, Dan Cohen, Reif Ehrlich, Mitch Metcalf, Metcalf, Meeka Bondy, Perkins, John Hodulik, Tim Nollen, Netflix's, it's, Nollen Organizations: Service, Netflix, Business, AMC, Apple, Warner Bros . Discovery, Paramount, Bank of America, ABC, NBC, Metcalf Entertainment Intelligence, UBS, CBS, Macquarie, Hulu

☆ 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

☆ NFL's Black Friday game is the latest warning sign for traditional TV
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Drew Richardson | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

And with the game streaming the day after Thanksgiving, Amazon could capture some of the holiday viewership, which broke records last year. ESPN's pivotESPN has long ruled sports programming on traditional TV. Yet even as the streaming trend picks up, sports programming is helping keep cable and traditional TV alive, for the moment. Earlier this year, data firm Nielsen reported that traditional TV made up less than half of overall TV usage in July. A FOX Sports TV camera operator during the week 5 NFL game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Carolina Panthers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on October 11, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Persons: Jacob Kupferman, National Football League's, it's, Brian Rolapp, CNBC's Julia Boorstin, Garth Brooks, Nielsen, Tim Nollen, John Hodulik, Bob Iger, CNBC's Boorstin, Patrick, David J, Griffin Organizations: Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, National Football, Amazon's, NFL, Detroit Lions, Dallas Cowboys, Fox, CBS, NBC, YouTube, Warner Bros, ESPN, UBS, Disney, Fox Sports, FOX Sports, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Mercedes, Benz, Getty Locations: Atlanta , Georgia

Friday's early calls include an upgrade to a restaurant software stock and a big downgrade to a solar name. The bank downgraded Unity stock to neutral from outperform, also slashing its target price to $20 from $55. Analyst Doug Anmuth's updated price target of $510 could mean that there's still 17% room for the stock to go. Analyst Jonathan Block's price target of $70 signifies a 13% upside from the stock's Thursday closing price of $62.16. Koning has a price target of $18 per share, implying upside of nearly 30% over the next 12 months.

Persons: Baird, Tim Nollen, Lisa Kailai Han, Carlo Santarelli, — Lisa Kailai Han, JPMorgan downgrades, Drew Chamberlain, Doug Anmuth's, Anmuth, NFLX, Henry Schein, Jonathan, Freyr, BTIG, Gregory Lewis, FREY, Lewis, Stephens, Joshua Long . Long, Long, Portillo's, Mgmt, Chris Dendrinos, Dendrinos, Baird Baird, David Koning, Koning, — Fred Imbert, Julien Dumoulin, Smith, Fred Imbert Organizations: CNBC, Bank of America, Macquarie, Unity, Wynn Resorts, Deutsche Bank, JPMorgan, JPMorgan downgrades Enviva, Netflix, FR, European Union, RBC Capital, FTC Solar Bank of America, FTC Solar, FTC Locations: Macquarie, Unity, UAE, Boston, Norway, Portillo's, Thursday's

☆ The NBA is shooting for a new media rights deal worth up to $60 billion, nearly triple its previous pact, that will pay teams and players millions more
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( James Faris | Margaret Fleming | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Media analysts widely expect the league to select at least three distributors for its next media rights deal after the current setup expires in 2025. Comcast's NBCUniversal could be a frontrunner for a spot in the NBA's new media deal alongside Amazon, Nispel said. NBA players could be poised to earn sky-high paydaysThe NBA's last media deal — the $24 billion contract it struck in 2014 — was nearly triple the value of its previous pact. The pressure is now on the NBA to deliver a media deal that satisfies teams, athletes, and fans. Still, Macquarie media analyst Tim Nollen is optimistic about the size of the NBA's next media rights deal.

Persons: Jessica Reif Ehrlich, disruptors, Brandon Nispel, Nispel, —, Shirin Malkani, who's, Perkins, Leron Rogers, that's, Mark Patricof, Tim Nollen, Nollen, Reif Ehrlich, Ehrlich Organizations: NBA, Media, ESPN, Warner Bros, TNT, Disney, Apple, NBC, Comcast, Wall Street, Bank of America, NFL, MLB, NHL, KeyBanc Capital, Amazon, Flagship, ABC, Prime, Industry, Patricof, Macquarie, Diamond Sports

☆ UBS shares the only 4 media stocks worth buying now as the cable bundle collapses, the Disney-Charter conflict gets ugly, and streaming growth slows
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( James Faris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Media analysts say this dispute could be the beginning of the end for the cable bundle. After a decade of steady decline, the pay TV bundle now appears to be on life support. Charter refuses to pay Disney's higher asking price for its family of networks, including ESPN, without including Disney+ and Hulu in the bundle. The cable giant also wants its customers to have a Disney-free option for a reduced price, which may also be a non-starter. Otherwise, it plans to send its pay TV customers elsewhere.

Persons: Tim Nollen, That's, Jessica Reif Ehrlich, John Hodulik, Hodulik Organizations: Disney, Media, UBS, ESPN, Hulu, Macquarie, Bank of America, Netflix, Charter Locations: imploding

☆ How much is Hulu worth? As Disney gears up to buy Comcast's share of the streamer, analysts say Bob Iger may have to pay a hefty price.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( James Faris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

When it comes to Hulu, value is in the eye of the holder. However, Comcast claims Hulu is worth double what Disney is saying, according to Bloomberg — even in a tough media environment. "It's what would a willing buyer in a robust auction pay," Roberts said of Hulu's valuation at a MoffettNathanson conference in May. Another way to value Hulu is by comparing its EV-to-subscriber ratio with that of Netflix. By buying all of Hulu, Disney can position itself for the next big trend in media, Noell said.

Persons: Bob Iger, Bloomberg —, Peacock, Brian Roberts, Roberts, financials, maven, Hulu, Tim Nollen, Netflix's, Nollen, Iger, Matthew Thornton, who's bullish, Barton Crockett, Crockett, Brandon Nispel, Nispel, Jason Bazinet, Bazinet, Davis Noell, Noell Organizations: Disney, Comcast, Hulu, Bloomberg, Wall Street, Macquarie, Netflix, Rosenblatt Securities, Citigroup, Star Wars, Marvel, Providence Equity Partners Locations: Hulu

☆ How Bob Iger's big plan to shrink Disney could pay off and how it could backfire, according to industry insiders
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

After a run of acquisitions during his first tour as Disney CEO, Bob Iger is looking to shrink the company. "They are our film studios, our parks business, and streaming, all of which are inextricably linked to our brands and franchises." Verizon has reached out to Disney about partnering on a new ESPN streaming service, The Information reported. 2024 will bring some clarity to Disney's streaming business. "The streaming business with ESPN going direct to consumer can generate a lot of subscriptions and hopefully be a positive earnings contributor.

Persons: Bob Iger, He's, Iger, Wells, Steven Cahall, MoffettNathanson's Michael Nathanson, Iger's, hasn't, Macquarie, Tim Nollen, Doug Shapiro, Shapiro, Disney, It'll, there's, Tim Cook, Eddy, Drew Angerer, Disney's, Penn, Joel Simkins, Stratechery's Ben Thompson, Thompson, — Iger, mused, signups, he's, Kevin Lansberry, I'm, Nollen Organizations: Disney, ABC, FX, Geographic, ESPN, Google, Netflix, Warner Bros, Discovery, Warner Bros . Discovery, Comcast, Marvel, Pixar, Apple, Walt Disney, Turner Broadcasting System, Apple's, Hulu, ESPN Iger, Penn Entertainment, Houlihan, Global Technology Group, LightShed Partners, Verizon, Flagship Locations: Orlando , Florida, Sun

☆ Bob Iger is moving to shrink Disney — here's how industry insiders see his playbook and its potential pitfalls: 'Everything is not OK'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

After a run of acquisitions during his first tour as Disney CEO, Bob Iger is looking to shrink the company. He's looking to Disney's IP-driven parks, streaming, and film studios to drive growth. "They are our film studios, our parks business, and streaming, all of which are inextricably linked to our brands and franchises." 2024 will bring some clarity to Disney's streaming business. "The streaming business with ESPN going direct to consumer can generate a lot of subscriptions and hopefully be a positive earnings contributor.

☆ Traditional TV usage drops below 50% for first time ever
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The decline of traditional TV continues, even as the prices of streaming services rise. Total traditional TV usage — comprised of broadcast and pay-TV — dropped below 50% in July for the first time ever, according to Nielsen's monthly streaming report, The Gauge. Usage among pay-TV customers fell to 29.6% of TV, while broadcast dropped to a 20% share during the month. Many consumers left the traditional TV bundle due to its steep prices. Lackluster streaming subscriber growth hasn't helped much in their bid for profitability, Macquarie noted in its report.

Persons: —, Nielsen's, Tim Nollen, Max, Comcast's Peacock, Macquarie Organizations: Comcast Corp, Charter Communications, Comcast, Charter, Macquarie, Macquarie ., Nielsen, Netflix, Disney, Hulu, ESPN, Warner Bros, Warner Bros . Discovery, Paramount Locations: Macquarie

☆ ESPN's layoffs underscore its desperate need for a post-cable lifeline, but analysts are split on Disney's streaming plan that puts $20 billion of revenue at risk
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( James Faris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

But that plan carries serious risk, as it would jeopardize still-sizable cable revenue without guaranteeing that enough sports fans would support such a product. Several other analysts — including Barton Crockett of Rosenblatt Securities, who has a buy rating for Disney shares — seconded those concerns about cannibalizing cable revenue. Nollen estimated 35 million current cable customers would switch to ESPN DTC. ESPN DTC is zero incremental cost and potentially billions in incremental revenue." An ESPN streamer (in light purple) would gradually drive revenue for Disney, Wells Fargo predicts.

Persons: Disney, that's, Jalen Rose, Todd McShay, Bob Iger, Macquarie's Tim Nollen, Nollen, Barton Crockett, —, Crockett, who'd, Will, you've, they'll, William Cohan, Cohan, Joe Bonner, Bonner, Brandon Nispel, Iger, Nispel, We've, Jason Bazinet, Bazinet, Hulu —, Wells Fargo's Steven Cahall, Cahall, Wells Organizations: ESPN, Disney, Bank of America, NBA, Sports, ESPN Disney's ESPN, Rosenblatt Securities, ESPN DTC, Will Disney, Citigroup, NFL, NBC, Apple, Comcast, NBC Sports, Netflix Netflix, Hearst, Argus Research, Netflix, KeyBanc, Hulu, DIS, Wells Fargo Sports Locations: Wells Fargo, it's, Wells, Hulu, Puck

☆ ESPN is a huge issue for Disney as it reconciles ad revenue pullback , says Macquarie's Tim Nollen
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | 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 EmailESPN is a huge issue for Disney as it reconciles ad revenue pullback , says Macquarie's Tim NollenTim Nollen of Macquarie, along with CNBC's Brian Schwartz and Julia Boorstin join 'The Exchange' to discuss why shares of Disney are trending lower today, Disney's action to buy more shares of Hulu, and Disney's battle with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

☆ Netflix's paid sharing plan will kickstart the advertising tier: Macquarie's Tim Nollen
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | 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 EmailNetflix's paid sharing plan will kickstart the advertising tier: Macquarie's Tim NollenTim Nollen, Macquarie Group senior media analyst, and CNBC's Julia Boorstin join 'Power Lunch' to discuss Netflix's advertising business, how the password crackdown would work, and how much money is to be made.

☆ Netflix vs. Disney? Analysts have a favorite, and give it nearly 30% upside
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Zavier Ong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

There's plenty of competition in streaming services, but Netflix and Disney are undoubtedly two of the biggest names — and both are facing a number of headwinds. However, analysts' average potential upside tells a different story: Disney gets average potential upside of 26%, according to FactSet data, while Netflix's comes in at just 3.8%. The case for Netflix For Bank of America, Netflix is a "world class brand" with a "leading global subscriber base." "I think Netflix is certainly going to have a lot of leverage on revenue growth and cost discipline. With the kind of blended businesses and the opportunities for improvement, I think Disney is a little bit better in my favor," he said.

☆ Here's why Disney might be looking to sell its stake in Hulu
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | 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 EmailHere's why Disney might be looking to sell its stake in HuluTim Nollen of Macquarie Capital joins 'Closing Bell Overtime' to discuss strength from the communication services sector, Disney looking to sell its stake in Hulu, and investment opportunities in the media landscape.

☆ Netflix's expected password-sharing crackdown puts college students on edge
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Sam Figiel, a sophomore at Mercer University in Georgia, said access to Netflix is required for many of his peers' classes. Yet the gradual password-sharing changes have created uncertainty for college students who might not have, or want to spend, disposable income for their own subscriptions. People in the 18-to-34 age group, which accounts for 30% of all Netflix users, are more likely to exchange passwords than older viewers. "There are a lot, lot, lot of U.S. users that are not paying for it, and so I think they're very sensitive to the backlash that they're going to get when they institute this," Nollen said. Staying or leavingEven if the cost of a subscription could rise for borrowers, some college students think Netflix is too important to give up.

☆ Digital video is set to top traditional TV this year. How Wall Street says to play it
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

As of Thursday's close, Netflix shares were up 9% year to date, while Disney , Paramount and Warner Bros. NFLX YTD mountain Netflix shares since the start if 2023 During the pandemic, the streaming industry challenged cable TV as customers cut the cord. Shares of Netflix struggled Thursday following a report from The Wall Street Journal that the company was cutting prices in over 30 countries. Disney represents another clear-cut behemoth in the space, and boasts one of the higher number of buy ratings on Wall Street. The Trade Desk is another advertising stock Wall Street is bullish on, with more than 60% of analysts giving a buy rating on the stock.

☆ Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav faces complex challenges as a combined HBO Max-Discovery streamer preps to launch this spring and staffers fear more layoffs and cuts
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Lucia Moses | Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

CEO David Zaslav is expected to provide an update of the company's financials and outlook for the year ahead. WBD also shed more than half its stock price since the merger deal closed April 8, before a more recent partial recovery. But optimism around the company seems to be based on the feeling that things can only go up from here. Discovery to $20 from $16, assuming the heaviest cost cutting is done and despite the fact that the near-term ad outlook is poor. Legacy Warner ad salespeople in particular are frustrated over this approach and worried it'll cost them in the form of a smaller annual bonus than they've come to expect in years past.

☆ How Netflix leaders, including its new co-CEO, are thinking about a fast streaming service that could supercharge its ads business
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Netflix said it's open to adding a free, ad-supported streaming service. A FAST offering could help Netflix scale its nascent ads business, which has been slow to take off. Could Netflix launch a free, ad-supported service? A FAST channel — free, ad-supported television — is a linear stream, a model media companies are increasingly using to complement traditional TV and paid streaming services. For Netflix, a FAST could be a quick way to scale its ads business.

☆ Disney needs to show investors it has a plan to make streaming profitable — and stop hemorrhaging money
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Paulina Likos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Disney's direct-to-consumer unit, which includes streaming platforms Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+, has yet to reach profitability — losing nearly $1.5 billion last quarter. Those loses spurred Disney's board to push out then-CEO Bob Chapek and bring Iger back to the top job. In 2021 Disney spent $25 billion to produce original content, and the following year expanded its budget to $33 billion. Similarly, Macquarie's Nollen said Disney's advertising-based subscription tier for Disney+ is "a lever Disney can pull to raise revenue." "Lots of angry people ask me why I support Nelson Peltz for the Disney board, and I give a simple answer: What has this board done for its shareholders other than wipe out more shareholder money?"

☆ Publicis Reports 9.4% Organic Revenue Growth for Fourth Quarter
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Megan Graham | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +4 min

Publicis Groupe SA said Thursday that organic revenue grew 9.4% in the fourth quarter as its data and technology services continued to capture a shift in client spending. The growth in the quarter ending Dec. 31 brought Publicis’s full-year 2022 organic revenue growth to 10.1%. The results beat the average analyst estimate of 5.3% growth for the quarter and 8.8% for the year, according to FactSet. Publicis said it expects organic revenue growth of 3% to 5% in 2023. Organic growth refers to the change in net revenue excluding the impacts of acquisitions, disposals and currency fluctuations.

☆ Netflix is thinking about a free streaming service to boost its ads business, insiders say
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

☆ Netflix with ads got off to a slow start, but the streamer could still win at advertising
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Analysts are eagerly anticipating updates on Netflix's ads tier during its 4Q earnings call January 19. Netflix Basic with Ads has gotten off to a slow start, initially missing viewership targets. Subscriptions to the ad tier are expected to grow once the streamer cracks down on password sharing. The stock initially fell 9% on reports that Netflix was letting advertisers take money back after some ad campaigns fell far short of their viewer targets. And Netflix's Basic with Ads was the least popular tier in its first month, according to an Evercore ISI survey.

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