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☆ 'Elvis' and 'Avatar' face off as Hollywood returns to Golden Globes
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Lisa Richwine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] The Annual Golden Globe Awards ceremony will be held on Tuesday in Beverly Hills, California, U.S. Photo taken on December 12, 2022. REUTERS/Mario AnzuoniLOS ANGELES, Jan 10 (Reuters) - The flashy "Elvis" biopic and sci-fi blockbuster "Avatar: The Way of Water" battle for the top honor at the Golden Globes on Tuesday when stars return to a ceremony trying to rebuild its reputation after scandals. The Golden Globes will be back on television after celebrities and broadcaster NBC abandoned the 2022 show because of ethical lapses at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), the group that hands out the awards. "I think we're going to see 'Elvis' win and Austin Butler win," said Chris Beachum, managing editor of awards website Gold Derby. Golden Globes voters "have proven time and time again that they love spectacles and they love musicals."

☆ NBCUniversal layoffs hit TV ad sales teams as resources shift from linear to streaming
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

NBCUniversal is laying off executives from its ad sales teams today. Linear TV ad sales is declining and NBCU is shifting priorities to streaming. NBCUniversal is letting go of ad sales executives at 30 Rock today, according to two people with direct knowledge of the changes. One of the people with direct knowledge told Insider the layoffs overall will be "big." The company has been looking to shave staff after a decline in linear TV viewing and an ad recession have hurt the traditional ad sales business.

☆ Buy these broadband operators after valuations took a hit, Truist says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Oversold conditions make now an opportune time to bet on shares of Comcast and Charter Communications , Truist said. Analyst Greg Miller upgraded shares of both Comcast and Charter to buy from hold, with respective $50 and $550 price targets. The recent investor flight from both stocks has created a valuation reset, he said. Comcast and Charter sold off sharply in 2022, falling about 30% and 48%, respectively. Comcast shares gained more than 1% premarket, while Charter added 1% on light volume.

☆ 2022 was tough for media stocks like Netflix and Disney, and 2023 doesn't look good, either
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

On top of that, companies are contending with lower ad revenue and more cord cutting. Tightening ad marketOn top of this, the ad market has worsened. Paramount missed third-quarter estimates after its ad revenue dropped, with its stock hitting a low in the following days. "We also anticipate that advertising streaming will become more important in the year to come," Solomon Partners' Boidman said. For media companies like Comcast and Charter Communications , lagging subscriber growth on the broadband front, rather than the pay-TV business, weighed more significantly on their stocks.

☆ Netflix co-CEO Sarandos says streamer likely to offer multiple ad-supported tiers
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Netflix is likely to offer multiple subscription plans with ads in the future, the company's co-Chief Executive Ted Sarandos said on Tuesday, just weeks after the streaming giant rolled out its first ad-supported option. For viewers who don't want to see commercials, Netflix already offers multiple plans ranging in price from $9.99 a month to $19.99 a month. And the company will likely do the same for its ad-supported model as the business grows, Sarandos said at the UBS TMT conference. "We have multiple tiers today, so it's likely we'll have multiple ad tiers over time, but nothing to talk about yet," Sarandos said. Disney+ also plans to launch a tier with advertising, while also raising prices for its commercial-free option and other streaming services.

Netflix founder and co-CEO Reed Hastings said Wednesday he was slow to come around to advertising on the streaming platform because he was too focused on digital competition from Facebook and Google . "So Google and Facebook were going to mop up the world — and they have in non-TV advertising." Advertisers were "desperate" for avenues in connected TV and internet, Hastings said, but Netflix was still on the sidelines. "We didn't have to steal away the advertising revenue. There are also free streaming services, such as Paramount's Pluto and Fox Corp.'s Tubi, which make revenue solely through advertising.

AMC Networks told its employees Tuesday that it is planning significant layoffs, according to a memo obtained by CNBC and people familiar with the matter. In recent years, AMC Networks has been seen as an acquisition target for larger media companies. We have directed the executive leadership of AMC Networks to undergo significant cutbacks in operations. These will include a large-scale layoff as well as cuts to every operating area of AMC Networks. We are confident that AMC Networks will come through this even stronger.

☆ JPMorgan breaks from rest of Wall Street, says don't chase Disney shares here
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Jesse Pound | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Disney's stock may be getting ahead of itself after the return of legendary CEO Bob Iger, according to JPMorgan. Shares of the media giant rallied after the Sunday night announcement that Iger was replacing Bob Chapek , his former successor. Wall Street analysts largely cheered the move, with MoffettNathanson upgrading Disney to outperform from market perform . "We like Disney shares long-term, and advised to buy the recent selloff on the numbers flush, but are reluctant to recommend chasing shares here (currently up ~8%). JPMorgan still has an overweight rating and a price target of $135 per share for Disney.

☆ John Leguizamo says food is a 'bait and a lure' in 'The Menu' horror-comedy movie
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Arturo Conde | Arturo Conde Is An Editor | A Bilingual Freelance Journalist. He Writes For La Opinión A Coruña | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

The new horror-comedy “The Menu,” uses that allure to trap privileged diners at a high-end banquet, the actor John Leguizamo said in an interview with NBC News. “I loved the clever writing, the beautiful poetry about food, and then obviously the beautiful execution of the food,” he said. Beyond these ruling class stereotypes, however, Leguizamo said he’s proud that “The Menu” puts the spotlight on Latino actors in a different way. Outside of the film, food is nurturing and empowering, Leguizamo said. Lately Leguizamo has been busy traveling across the country and doing a deep dive into the culture — including the iconic foods and restaurants — of several U.S. cities as part of his upcoming documentary series, "Leguizamo Does America."

☆ CNN chief Chris Licht has big ideas, but employees are nervous, and more job cuts are coming
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +13 min

Courtesy: CNNShifting from ZuckerPart of Licht's challenge as the new leader of CNN is he's not the old leader. There's also a hangover effect from the sudden collapse of CNN+, which Zucker pushed relentlessly as the future of the business. The comments heightened anxiety for many CNN staffers, according to six people who were at the company at the time. The changes should also bring workflow alignments to CNN digital and linear, which should help both entities' content and organization. CNN still hasn't named a chief digital officer, although the company's job posting now says it's filled.

☆ Hulu insiders are confused and frustrated about their future as Disney and Comcast battle it out for control of the streamer
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Lucia Moses | Elaine Low | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Sparring between Disney and Comcast CEOs over Hulu has stoked uncertainty among insiders about the streamer's future. Many wonder how Hulu will stay differentiated from Disney+ if Disney becomes Hulu's sole owner. Insiders and advertisers alike are also watching to see if Hulu will lose some of its distinctiveness as Disney invests more in Disney+. "That was a clear departure from Disney being family-focused and Hulu being general entertainment," said a second former Hulu exec. And as the CEOs posture, people inside the streamer are eager for leadership to tell them, as a third former company insider put it, "what Hulu means to the Walt Disney Company."

Hurricane Ian in the Gulf of Mexico on Sept. 27, 2022. Share this -Link copiedHurricane Ian over Cuba on Tuesday morning Hurricane Ian over Cuba, on Tuesday. Share this -Link copiedIan expected to strengthen later Tuesday morning Hurricane Ian is expected to strengthen later Tuesday morning, officials said. Share this -Link copiedStorm clouds over St. Petersburg, Florida Storm clouds are seen as Hurricane Ian approaches in St. Petersburg, Florida on Monday. Ricardo Arduengo / AFP - Getty Images Share this -Link copiedHurricane Ian as it barrelled towards Cuba Hurricane Ian growing stronger as it barrelled toward Cuba on Monday.

☆ Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav faces 3 key challenges as financial headwinds disrupt his strategy and threaten his promises to Wall Street
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

MoffettNathanson analyst Robert Fishman crystallized the daunting task ahead for Zaslav and WBD in his August 5 report "Reality First. The honeymoon was short-lived," said one senior Hollywood insider. It turns out there are five, housing some 40,000 employees globally: Warner Bros., HBO Max, the Turner entertainment channel business, CNN, and Discovery. The WBD insider said there isn't a rush to hire a new chief and that the company will continue to meet people. Under the ownership of AT&T, WarnerMedia's financials were buried in its parent's spreadsheets — now as a pure-play entertainment company, Warner Bros.

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