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☆ Montana Has More Cows Than People. Why Are Locals Eating Beef From Brazil?
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-13 | by ( Susan Shain | Rebecca Stumpf | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“Making It Work” is a series is about small-business owners striving to endure hard times. While many people can conjure up romantic visions of a Montana ranch — vast valleys, cold streams, snow-capped mountains — few understand what happens when the cattle leave those pastures. Even here, in a state with nearly twice as many cows as people, only around 1 percent of the beef purchased by Montana households is raised and processed locally, according to estimates from Highland Economics, a consulting firm. As is true in the rest of the country, many Montanans instead eat beef from as far away as Brazil. Any ranchers who want to break out from this system — and, say, sell their beef locally, instead of as anonymous commodities crisscrossing the country — are Davids in a swarm of Goliaths.

Persons: don’t, JBS, Tyson, Davids Organizations: Highland Economics, Tyson Foods, Cargill, Foods, Walmart, Costco Locations: Montana, Brazil

☆ These stocks could survive Wall Street's summer lull and thrive, CFRA’s Sam Stovall says
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-12 | by ( Pia Singh | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

June's historical average return comes out at just 0.1% while July typically sees a 1.2% gain, according to Stovall. Summer exception This summer could prove to be an exception to the typical summer lull, given the upcoming presidential election, Stovall said, noting that the broad market index has posted an average 3.7% summer increase during the 19 election years since World War II. Ahead of this year's election, Stovall expects a few aerospace and defense contractors to stand out. Other areas of the market that should survive and thrive during a slow summer period are consumer staples companies, tobacco names, health-care distributors and pharmaceuticals, Stovall said. Costco and Walmart shares are up roughly 29% and 2% this year, respectively, posting strong returns as consumers have become more motivated by price and value in a high-inflation environment.

Persons: Sam Stovall, Stovall, CFRA, Eli Lilly, Lockheed Martin, Morgan Stanley, Becton Dickinson, Christopher Horvers, FactSet Organizations: Day, Labor, Walmart, Lockheed, Dynamics, Republicans, Costco, JPMorgan

☆ Sony Pictures is buying Alamo Drafthouse theater chain
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-12 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Sony Pictures has acquired Alamo Drafthouse, the seventh-largest movie theater chain in North America, the company announced Wednesday. Alamo Drafthouse CEO Michael Kustermann will remain at the helm of the dine-in movie theater chain and will report to Ravi Ahuja, president and CEO of the newly formed Sony Pictures Experiences division. The company's 35 cinemas will continue to be operated by Alamo Drafthouse and its headquarters will remain in Austin, Texas. The acquisition comes after Alamo Drafthouse filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2021 due to Covid-19 pandemic disruptions. "We are excited to make history with Sony Pictures Entertainment and have found the right home and partner for Alamo Drafthouse Cinema," said Kustermann.

Persons: Walter Reade, Michael Kustermann, Ravi Ahuja, Alamo Drafthouse, Ahuja, Tim League Organizations: Sony Pictures, Alamo, Department, Paramount, Warner Bros, Century Fox, MGM, Universal, United Artists, Columbia Pictures, Sony, Walter Reade Organization, Lowes, Disney, El Capitan Theatre, Netflix, Egyptian, New York's, Altamont Capital Partners, Fortress Investment Group, Sony Pictures Entertainment Locations: North America, Columbia, New York's Paris, Austin , Texas, Texas

☆ Julia Louis-Dreyfus says complaining about political correctness is a 'red flag' after costar Jerry Seinfeld's comments
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-10 | by ( Olivia Singh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read preview"Seinfeld" star Julia Louis-Dreyfus says that comedy can be approached with sensitivity without sacrificing the art — and taking issue with political correctness is a "red flag." Louis-Dreyfus, known for her work on shows like "Saturday Night Live," "Seinfeld," and "Veep," was asked to weigh in after fellow comedian and former costar Jerry Seinfeld's recent comments about political correctness in comedy made headlines. "When I hear people starting to complain about political correctness — and I understand why people might push back on it — but to me that's a red flag, because it sometimes means something else," she said. "My feeling about all of it is that political correctness, insofar as it equates to tolerance, is obviously fantastic," the Emmy-winning actor said. HBOLouis-Dreyfus' comments come weeks after Seinfeld said there are fewer sitcoms because political correctness is ruining comedy.

Persons: —, Julia Louis, Dreyfus, Louis, Jerry Seinfeld's, Jerry Seinfeld, Jason Alexander, George Costanza, Elaine Benes, Joseph Del Valle, Dreyfuss, I'm, it's, HBO Louis, Seinfeld Organizations: Service, The New York Times, Business, Getty, Times, HBO, New Yorker

☆ Julia Louis-Dreyfus, too, has an opinion on political correctness in comedy: ‘It’s just good to be vigilant’
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-09 | by ( Alli Rosenbloom | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Move over, Jerry. Julia Louis-Dreyfus has entered the chat. Last month, comedian Jerry Seinfeld sparked discourse online when he told the New Yorker in an interview that he felt there isn’t any “funny stuff” to watch on TV anymore, complaining that it was “the result of the extreme left and P.C. Political correctness, she later said, “insofar as it equates to tolerance, is obviously fantastic.” She added that she still reserves the right to “boo anyone who says anything that offends me, while also respecting their right to free speech.”“I think it’s just good to be vigilant,” she added. The bigger problem, she said, is the “consolidation of money and power” as it pertains to the “siloing” of Hollywood’s studios, streamers and distributors, which she looks at as the real “threat to art.”

Persons: Jerry, Julia Louis, Dreyfus, Jerry Seinfeld, ”, Seinfeld ”, Louis, thoughtfully, “ Organizations: CNN, New Yorker, New York Times, Times

☆ Duolingo deletes LGBT references in Russia after warning from Moscow
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-05 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Roskomnadzor, Russia’s communication regulator, had written to Duolingo, warning it against publishing material promoting non-traditional sexual relations and LGBT propaganda. “We support LGBTQ+ rights and believe in normalizing LGBTQ+ representation in our content,” a Duolingo spokesperson said. “Unfortunately, local laws prohibit us from including certain content in Russia. “The company Duolingo sent Roskomnadzor a letter in response, in which it confirmed that it had deleted materials promoting non-traditional sexual relations from its training app,” Russian news agencies quoted Roskomnadzor as saying on Tuesday. Russian courts have issued fines for those that violate its “LGBT propaganda” law, including online film distributors and executives.

Persons: “, Vladimir Putin, we’re, ”, Duolingo, Roskomnadzor Organizations: Reuters, Moscow Locations: Russia, Russian

☆ NBA, NHL voice concerns over future of Diamond Sports, as it tries to craft post-bankruptcy plan
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-04 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Diamond Sports — which operates its networks under the Bally Sports brand — has been under bankruptcy protection since March of last year. The leagues are worried the owner of the largest portfolio of regional sports networks won't have a viable business plan sorted out ahead of the 2024-25 season. Meanwhile, numerous NBA and NHL teams have reached deals with local broadcast station groups to carry local games. Diamond Sports must put together a reorganization plan, outlining its future outside of bankruptcy protection, and receive court approval to move forward with it. The NBA has pushed for Diamond Sports to have "a very clear business plan no later than July," Indelicato said Tuesday.

Persons: Diamond, Vincent Indelicato, Indelicato, Sinclair Organizations: Bally, MLB's Houston Astros, Minnesota Twins, Target, National Basketball Association and National Hockey League, Diamond Sports, Sports, Bally Sports, NBA, NHL, Major League Baseball, Comcast Corp, Comcast, MLB, Regional, Distributors, CNBC Locations: Minneapolis , Minnesota, NBCUniversal

☆ How a global seafood giant broke Red Lobster
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-25 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

Former Red Lobster employees say that while the pandemic, inflation and rent costs impacted Red Lobster, Thai Union’s ineptitude was the pivotal factor in Red Lobster’s decline. Kenny criticized Red Lobster employees at meetings and made derogatory comments about them, according to former Red Lobster leaders who worked closely with Kenny. Red Lobster’s annual customer count has dropped by 30% since 2019, Red Lobster said in its bankruptcy filing. Red Lobster employees say they were pressured by Thai Union representatives to buy more seafood from Thai Union. Thai Union representatives also began sitting in on meetings between Red Lobster and seafood suppliers, said one of the former Red Lobster employees who witnessed these conversations.

Persons: “, Ludovic Garnier, Jorge Silva, Red Lobster’s, ”, Les Foreman, Red, Thiraphong Chansiri, Angel, Feng shui, Chansiri, Amanda Mustard, Paul Kenny, Kenny, ’, Kenny’s, Bill Darden, General Mills, Darden, Kelli Valade, Valade, Trin, Tapanya, Kevin Lamarque, Barry Fulghum, Lobster, Leah Millis Organizations: New, New York CNN, Thai Union Group, Red, Lobster, Thai Union, CNN, Red Lobster, John West Foods, longtime, Reuters, Thai, West Coast, Lobster’s, Bloomberg, Getty, Minor, Thai Union —, Union, Darden, Gate, Golden, Capital, Facebook, Thai Union . Thai Union, ” Thai Union Locations: New York, Thai, Thailand, Thai Union, United States, Orlando, Australian, Dallas, America, United, Texas, Spring , Maryland

☆ WBD's streaming chief JB Perrette reveals the plan to get Max growing
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Discovery's Max was supposed to become a Netflix killer when it rolled out a year ago. It combined HBO Max's prestige originals with Discovery+'s reality TV fare to capture viewers as they migrate away from WBD's bedrock traditional TV business. Related storiesGiven its low penetration, it's possible that Max can add tens of millions of subscribers, he said. WBD execs hope the crackdown will encourage people to subscribe to the three-in-one bundle of Max, Disney+, and its sister app, Hulu. While the overlap between Netflix and Disney+ is high, about half of Disney+ subscribers don't subscribe to Max, and vice versa, so each has a chance to significantly increase its audience.

Persons: —, Discovery's Max, WBD, Max, hasn't, JB Perrette, Perrette, We're Organizations: Service, Warner, Netflix, HBO, Disney, Hulu, Business, Nielsen, Vodafone, Amazon, Paris Olympics, Cartoon Network Locations: WBD, Orange

☆ Here's how Disney’s streaming business can work toward Netflix-like profitability
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Paulina Likos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +14 min

Disney's streaming margins, while still negative due to losses and nowhere near Netflix's, have improved significantly in recent quarters and are now on the doorstep of an important milestone. Disney's streaming overview Disney+ is its flagship streaming service across the globe. The ARPU discrepancy on Disney+ core helps explain why Netflix is much more profitable than Disney's streaming business. Given that Disney's streaming business has rolled out pretty much everywhere across the globe, Cruetz said moving forward "it's about driving more penetration in those markets." The latest is a matchup with Disney and HBO's parent Warner Bros Discovery , whose flagship streaming service is called Max.

Persons: Bob Iger, Disney, Iger, Covid, Morgan Stanley, It's, That's, Cowen, Doug Creutz, Hulu's, Cowen's Cruetz, Brandon Nispel, Cruetz, TD Cowen, Max, Creutz, cannibalization, it's, KeyBanc's Nispel, Wells Fargo, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim, Presley Ann Organizations: Disney, Netflix, ESPN, Reliance Industries, Century Fox, CNBC, Comcast, Capital, Warner Bros Discovery, Getty Locations: Netflix's, Hulu, India, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, U.S, Canada, Europe, Africa, West Asia, Los Angeles

☆ Children continue to work at poultry processor, Labor Department says, even after teen worker’s recent death
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —Children have again been found working at a Mar-Jac Poultry slaughterhouse, according to the US Department of Labor. The latest discovery in Alabama comes less than a year after a teen worker was killed at a company facility in Mississippi. The DOL’s recent allegation follows an incident last year in which a teen died at a Mar-Jac facility in Mississippi. According to Mar-Jac Poultry Alabama’s website, “Mar-Jac Poultry does not sell to the general public, individual restaurants or convenience stores. The Labor Department has lately been trying to crack down on incidents of child labor, especially at meatpacking facilities.

Persons: DOL, ”, Mar, Jac, “ Mar, “, Jac Poultry, —, Kavilanz, Amy Simonson Organizations: New, New York CNN, Jac, US Department of Labor, CNN, Mar, Labor, Fair Labor, ABC News, Occupational Safety, Health Administration, The Labor Department, Department of Labor, Health, Human Services Locations: New York, Alabama, Mississippi, Mississippi , Alabama, Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi, DOL, Fayette

☆ What Comcast's new Netflix, Peacock, Apple TV+ streaming bundle tells you about the industry's economics
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Peter Kafka | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

If you subscribe to Netflix's cheapest plan, and also get Peacock's cheapest plan, and also get Apple TV+, it will cost you $23 a month. So Peacock and Apple would benefit more from being in a bundle with Netflix, so they are more likely to discount their rates to make the bundle work. Digital distributors like Apple have made it very easy for subscribers to turn their streaming subscriptions on and off. Netflix, Comcast, and Apple all declined to comment about bundle economics. AdvertisementSo maybe all streaming subscriptions aren't equal.

Persons: it's, Ted Sarandos, I've Organizations: Service, Apple, Comcast, Business, Netflix, Verizon, Disney

☆ Analysts say Corona brewer is a buy despite slowdown in sales across the industry
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Matthew J. Belvedere | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Two Wall Street research firms are calling Constellation Brands a buy, arguing that worries over a key sales metric for the beer maker are overblown. Based on their bi-annual survey of the beer market, the analysts expect depletions for Constellation to rise 7% or more this year. Jim has been calling for Constellation to get out of wine and spirits and concentrate solely on beer. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio.

Persons: industrywide, Jefferies, Wells, Jim, Elliott, Bill Newlands, Newlands, Garth Hankinson, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Justin Sullivan Organizations: Constellation Brands, Jefferies, Modelo, Constellation, Wells, Elliott Management, CNBC Locations: Wells Fargo, Corona, Modelo, San Rafael , California

☆ Chinese EV startup Nio is changing its global strategy with U.S., EU tariffs on the horizon
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

NIO launches its second brand ONVO and its first model L60 on May 15. SHANGHAI — Chinese electric car startup Nio is adjusting its approach to global markets in light of geopolitical developments, CEO William Li told reporters Thursday. Nio launched its lower-priced brand Onvo on Wednesday with a new L60 SUV that's about $4,000 cheaper than Tesla's Model Y. "For example, in Europe we previously used a direct sales method," said Li, who founded Nio about 10 years ago. That can include local distribution or production, Li said, describing the strategy overall as "global capability, local operation."

Persons: Ai Tiecheng, NIO, ONVO, William Li, Li, Nio, BYD Organizations: NIO, CNBC, GAC's Locations: Shanghai, China, SHANGHAI, Europe

☆ Heads-up, Apple and the rest of Big Tech: Disney wants better app store deals.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Peter Kafka | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Speaking at an investor conference this week, Iger said he's giving up too much money to the Big Tech app stores that distribute Disney-owned streamers like Hulu and Disney+. "Unlike Netflix, we distribute largely through third-party app stores. App stores and app distribution are a meaningful part of many tech companies' business plans. It's also possible that Disney won't need to leave third-party app stores — or threaten to leave — in order to save money. Maybe one of them will include a way to take a bit less from one of the world's biggest video companies.

Persons: Bob Iger, Iger, Michael Nathanson, I've, It's Organizations: Disney, Apple, Google, Big Tech, Hulu, Business, Netflix, signups

☆ What Biden’s tariffs on Chinese imports may mean for American jobs, the economy and inflation
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Biden’s tariff plan likely won’t move the needle for monetary policy, said Ryan Sweet, chief US economist at Oxford Economics. “Consumers and producers often pay higher prices when tariffs are implemented.”That’s because tariffs tax imports when they come ashore, adding costs for US distributors, retailers and, ultimately, consumers. Worse, some businesses appeared to take advantage of the trade war by bumping up prices even higher. Container shipping imports from China to Mexico rocketed higher by 60% in January and 34% for the first quarter, Xeneta data shows. “It’s obvious that imports to this extent are not only for domestic purposes in Mexico,” he said.

Persons: Biden, Joe Brusuelas, Donald Trump’s, Trump, —, Ryan Sweet, ” Sweet, Sweet, George W, Bush, Barack Obama, Goldman Sachs, ”, Wells, Nicole Cervi, “ There’s, ” Cervi, Peter Sand, “, Sand, “ It’s Organizations: CNN, RSM US, stoke, Oxford Economics, Biden, Peterson Institute for International Economics, Trump, Federal, “, US International Trade Commission, New, New York Fed, National Bureau of Economic Research, Republican, ramped, Container Locations: China, New York, “, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Vietnam, Wells, Mexico

☆ A key sign of strength in Warner Bros. Discovery's latest earnings report would take a massive hit if TNT loses the NBA
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( James Faris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

And while WBD's $0.40-per-share loss was 4 cents better than last year, it was still lower than analysts had hoped for. Warners added about 2 million net streaming subscribers globally in the first quarter, bringing its total to 99.6 million. There's a simple explanation for WBD's streaming ad growth despite modest subscriber additions: the advent of live sports on Max. As impressive as WBD's burgeoning streaming ad business looks now, it may be nothing more than a blip if Comcast's NBC outbids TNT for NBA media rights in the league's next TV deal. Suddenly, it seems like Zaslav is taking an even bigger risk by playing hardball with the NBA.

Persons: Discovery's, David Zaslav, Max, Warners, WBD, it's Organizations: Warner Bros, Business, NBA, Warners, Max, MLB, NHL, NBC, TNT, Media, UBS, hardball

Signage stands outside the Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. headquarters in Cockeysville, Maryland, U.S., on Friday, Aug. 10, 2018. Sinclair , one of the largest owners of broadcast stations in the U.S., is looking to sell more than 30% of its footprint, according to people familiar with the matter. Sinclair owns or operates 185 TV stations in 86 markets. Broadcast TV station groups have suffered in the past five years as millions of Americans have canceled traditional pay TV. Most stations make money from so-called retransmission fees, paid on a per-subscriber rate by traditional TV distributors, such as Comcast, DirecTV, and Charter, for the right to carry the stations.

Persons: Sinclair, Moelis, Chris Ripley, we've, Ripley, Spokespeople Organizations: Sinclair, Group Inc, Fox, NBC, ABC, CBS, Tennis, Bloomberg, Comcast, DirecTV Locations: Cockeysville , Maryland, U.S, Minneapolis, Portland, Pittsburgh, Austin , Texas, Fresno, Calif

☆ Another Sriracha Shortage May Be on the Horizon. What Happened?
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Christina Morales | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Huy Fong Foods, the maker of the most popular variety of Sriracha sauce, told distributors last week that it would halt production of all its products until at least September, rekindling fears of another prolonged shortage of the beloved condiment. For years, the manufacturer has had difficulty at times obtaining the red jalapeño chiles it needs to make the sauce. Huy Fong representatives declined to comment on Thursday. No other companies that produce Sriracha seem to be affected by the chile shortage. Why did Huy Fong Foods halt production?

Persons: Huy Fong, rekindling, Huy, chiles Organizations: Huy Fong Foods

☆ The Balmain dress Elle Fanning wore to the Met Gala has a long history
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Leah Dolan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

For Elle Fanning, who showed up to Monday night’s Met Gala in a completely transparent Balmain gown, it was the latter. Behold: The naked dress (or in Redmayne’s case, naked suit). In 1962, Hollywood actor Carroll Baker was photographed in one of the first ever naked dresses — also designed by Balmain. Balmain just designed the 8th one.”Hollywood starlet Caroll Baker also wore one of Balmain's transparent dress designs in 1962. Her sheer Balmain dress turned heads — and generated headlines.

Persons: it’s, Elle Fanning, Fanning, Emily Ratajkowski, Kim Kardashian, Doja, Phoebe Dyvenor, Greta Lee, Eddie Redmayne, Theo Wargo, Miley Cyrus, Jennifer Lawrence, Vanessa Hudgens, Florence Pugh, Kendall Jenner, Charli, Charlize Theron, Iris Law, Carroll Baker, —, Baker, Pierre Balmain, “, sparkles, ”, Caroll Baker, Spencer, “ Carroll, Yves Saint Laurent didn’t, Mary Quant, Edie Sedgwick, Trevor Humphries, Baker’s, nonchalantly Organizations: CNN, Balmain, Hollywood, Dior, Hulton, New York Times, Production, Paramount, Fox, MGM, Warner Brothers Locations: Prada, Paris, London, Balmain, British, America, Europe, Hollywood, Baker’s

☆ Inflation-hit Germans are demanding a legal cap on the price of a doner kebab. They're not joking.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Mikhaila Friel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A German political party proposed a government cap on doner kebabs. Around €7 billion, or around $7.5 billion, worth of doner kebabs are sold every year in Germany, according to The Guardian and The Independent. The party plans to propose a government price cap of €4.90 (around $5.30) or €2.90 (around $3.10) for young people, The Guardian reported. If those decrease, then kebab prices also decrease," Gebel told BI. "The kebab price will remain high if the government does not change anything," she said.

Persons: Chancellor Scholz, —, Kathi, Gebel, Olaf Scholz, Virginia Mayo, Scholz, Putin … I'm Organizations: Guardian, Service, Independent, Left Party, AP, European Central Bank, Federal Statistical Office Locations: Germany, Brussels, Virginia

☆ Ahead of retail earnings, here's what we know about the consumer so far
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Robert Hum | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

There are signs that the U.S. consumer is still spending, especially on experiences. But stubbornly high prices are squeezing consumers with lower incomes, pressuring everyday purchases and corporate profits. Broadly speaking, credit card companies like American Express, Visa and MasterCard have described spending trends as "relatively strong," "relatively stable," and even "healthy." Priceline parent Booking Holdings told analysts there are no signs consumers are taking shorter vacations or trading down in their hotel choices. McDonald's added that "the consumer is certainly being very discriminating in how they spend their dollar."

Persons: Brandon Bell, Morgan Stanley's Michael Wilson, Morgan Stanley, Mike Stocker, Stanley Black, Decker, —, Anton Pinsky, Beata Zawrzel, Laxman Narasimhan, Shack, Domino's, Pavlo Gonchar Organizations: Getty, Home Depot, Walmart, American Express, Visa, MasterCard, PayPal, Booking Holdings, Las, Port, Tribune, Service, Consumers, Whirlpool, Corp, Starbucks Corp, Nurphoto, Lightrocket Locations: Austin , Texas, U.S, Las Vegas, Port of Miami, Krakow, Poland, Russia, Ukraine

☆ Warner Bros. Discovery’s stock plummets to new low amid concerns the media giant could lose its NBA rights
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Discovery doesn’t “have to have the NBA.” It appears Wall Street disagrees. TNT has built a programming slate around the NBA games, most notably the highly rated ”Inside the NBA” show. Losing the rights to NBA games could throw aspects of that business partnership into question. Since WBD first began trading on Wall Street in April 2022, the stock has lost roughly 70% of its value. And for Zaslav, whose company is struggling on Wall Street, the battle could not come at a more inopportune time.

Persons: New York CNN — David Zaslav, “, WBD, —, Joe Flint, Amol Sharma, Isabella Simonetti —, Charles Barkley, Andrew Marchand, Warner, That’s, NBCU’s, I’m, Zaslav, Gunnar Wiedenfels, Wiedenfels ’, Bob Iger, David Ellison’s, ” Organizations: New York CNN, Warner Bros, NBA, CNN, Industry, WBD, TNT, The Athletic, New York Post, NCAA, MLB, NHL, NASCAR, Disney, Fox Corporation, Netflix, Paramount Global, Wall Locations: New York

☆ Disney just named 2 new top execs to advise on strategy and M&A as it considers its future: Read the memo
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Disney has appointed two senior executives to oversee corporate strategy as it considers the future of its linear business and contends with streaming losses. Veteran Disney exec Justin Warbrooke, meanwhile, was named EVP and head of corporate development, overseeing M&A as well as divestitures, among other areas. Mayer was Disney's EVP of corporate strategy and business development before going on to run strategy and the DTC and international businesses. As such, we are evolving the Corporate Strategy function to better align with this vision, which includes two leadership roles — one focused on Corporate Strategy and another focused on Corporate Development — both reporting directly to me. In addition to strategy, Andre has advised clients on the topics of operations, organization, customer journey design, and M&A.

Persons: Disney, Nelson Peltz, It's, Bob Iger, Bain, Andre James, Justin Warbrooke, James, Marvel, Hugh Johnston, Kevin Mayer, Mayer, Iger, Tom Staggs, —, Andre, Justin, Hugh Organizations: ESPN, Business, Veteran Disney, Coopers, Lybrand's, DTC, Century Fox, Disney, Media, Walt Disney Company, Corporate, Strategy, Development, of Media, Entertainment, Bain & Company, Consumer, Marvel, Reliance, Fox, Warner Bros . Discovery, Finance Locations: Hulu, India

☆ Bally Sports regional networks go dark for Comcast cable customers
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Negotiations between Comcast and Bally Sports' operator Diamond Sports Group, which has been under bankruptcy protection since last year, broke down following a dispute over terms. Pay-TV distributors have been losing customers at a fast clip in recent years as customers opt for cheaper streaming options. Comcast had more than 13.6 million pay-TV customers as of March 31, after losing 487,000 subscribers during the first quarter. Some regional sports networks have begun offering streaming options to customers at a price point that doesn't upend the pay-TV model. In addition to Comcast, Diamond has held negotiations in recent weeks with Charter Communications — which provides pay-TV services under the Spectrum brand — DirecTV and Cox Communications.

Persons: Diamond, Cox Organizations: Bally, Houston Astros, Minnesota Twins, Target, The Astros, Twins, Comcast, Bally Sports, Diamond Sports Group, MLB, Detroit Tigers, NBA, NHL, Diamond, Comcast ., Communications, DirecTV, Cox Communications, Charter, Google, Disney, San Diego Padres, Phoenix Suns, CNBC Locations: Minneapolis , Minnesota, NBCUniversal

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