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☆ Disney CFO says Epic Universe's opening could boost attendance at Disney's Florida theme parks
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-15 | by ( Lauren Edmonds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Disney's CFO Hugh Johnston discussed Universal Studios' upcoming theme park, Epic Universe. Both Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort are adding new attractions. AdvertisementEpic Universe's arrival in Central Florida might be good for its direct competitor, Walt Disney World. Disney's Chief Financial Officer Hugh Johnston discussed Universal Orlando Resort's upcoming theme park during Thursday's earnings call. When asked how Epic Universe's May 2025 debut could impact Walt Disney World, Johnston seemed optimistic.

Persons: Hugh Johnston, Johnston, —, Walt, Arturo Holmes, Disney Dreamers Academy Dennis Speigel, NBCUniversal, Comcast NBCUniversal, Brian L, Roberts, Harry Potter, Berk, Josh D'Amaro, Indiana Jones, James Cameron's Organizations: Universal Studios, Disney, Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, Service, Walt Disney, Cinderella's, Disney Dreamers Academy, Park, Inc, Comcast, Comcast Corporation, Universal Orlando Resort Universal, of, Nintendo, Magic, Central, Central Florida Tourism, Disney's Hollywood Studios Locations: Central Florida, Florida, Pueblo Esperanza

☆ 'Lopez vs. Lopez' started its third season, and George Lopez explains its success
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-21 | 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: +3 min

With Friday's "Lopez vs. Lopez" season three kickoff, the show's star George Lopez attributes the series' success to the strong stories that drive the characters. They’re mostly based on experiences of mine or Mayan’s,” said Lopez, referring to his daughter, Mayan Lopez. Fans will remember that season two ushered in big changes for the Lopez family. And their daughter Mayan became engaged to boyfriend Quinten (Matt Shively) in the season finale. “Lopez vs. Lopez” airs Fridays at 8:30 pm ET on NBC, and via streaming on Peacock the next day.

Persons: Friday's, Lopez, George Lopez, ”, Mayan Lopez, George, Rosie's, Selenis Leyva, Mayan, Quinten, Matt Shively, Mayan’s, “, ” Lopez, “ Rosie, Josué, Jaime Camil, ” “ Lopez, Lopez ”, —, III, VI, John Wick, “ Lopez Organizations: UCLA, Hollywood, NBC, Comcast, Netflix

Disney parks are adding a top-tier, line-skipping upgrade with a whole new world of pricing: as much as $449 per person on top of park admission, Walt Disney Co. said Wednesday. The two existing Lightning Lane passes require holders to commit to estimated time windows for specific attractions. Tokyo Disney Resort's Premier Access passes work like the Lightning Lane Multi Pass. Disney World tickets start at $119 for single-day admission and are $104 for one of the Disneyland Resort parks, according to the park websites. The Premier Pass pilot program is among Disney Parks' priciest upgrades or ticket packages.

Persons: Lightning Organizations: Disney, Walt Disney Co, Lightning, Walt Disney, Disneyland, Disney Parks, Paris, Premier, Tokyo Disney Resort's, Universal Express, Universal Destinations, Universal Studios Hollywood, NBC, Universal, Comcast, Walt Disney Company, CNBC Locations: Anaheim , California, Lake Buena Vista , Florida, Florida, Tokyo

☆ Netflix forces Wall Street to focus on profit and revenue with decision to stop reporting subscriber numbers in 2025
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Netflix said Thursday it will no longer report quarterly membership numbers and average revenue per membership starting in the first quarter of 2025. It's also a signal Netflix's second wave of subscriber growth may be ending. Netflix shares fell 4% in after-hours trading, in part because of a weaker full-year revenue growth outlook than some analysts estimated. Netflix forecast revenue growth of 16% in the second quarter but just 13% to 15% for the full year. "In our early days, when we had little revenue or profit, membership growth was a strong indicator of our future potential," Netflix said in its shareholder letter.

Persons: It's, haven't, Greg Peters Organizations: Netflix, ARM, Apple, Warner Bros, Disney, Paramount Global, Comcast, CNBC Locations: U.S

☆ David Ellison's Skydance Media explores acquiring all of Paramount Global, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

David Ellison's Skydance Media and its financial backers are exploring a deal to take private all of Paramount Global , people familiar with the matter told CNBC. It is unclear if Redstone would demand a different premium for selling National Amusements than the remaining shareholders of Paramount Global would obtain. Skydance isn't interested in a deal where it would only acquire National Amusements but not all of Paramount, said the people. Spokespeople for RedBird, Skydance, Paramount Global and National Amusements declined to comment. Discovery has also had preliminary discussions about acquiring Paramount Global, according to people familiar with the matter.

Persons: Shari Redstone, David Ellison's, Ellison, hasn't, Skydance, Larry Ellison, Skydance hasn't, Skydance isn't, Puck Organizations: National Amusements, CBS, Viacom, Media, Paramount Global, CNBC, Skydance, Paramount, RedBird Capital Partners, KKR, Netflix, YouTube, Apple, Oracle, MTV, VH1, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, National, Warner Bros, Redstone, Discovery, Comcast, Street, Amusements, Bloomberg Locations: Laguna Beach , California, U.S

☆ Chiefs-Dolphins Playoff Game on Peacock Sets Records for U.S. Streaming and Internet Usage
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Patience Haggin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs defeated the Dolphins 26-7 on Saturday. Photo: David Eulitt/Getty ImagesThe NFL playoff game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins made history—and not just because it was so cold that one head coach’s mustache formed icicles. The Wild Card game, which aired on the streaming service Peacock, was the most streamed U.S. event ever, drawing 23 million viewers, according to Comcast NBCUniversal, Peacock’s owner. It also was the largest event ever for internet usage in the U.S., accounting for 30% of web traffic, making Saturday the single highest day of U.S. internet usage in history.

Persons: Patrick Mahomes, David Eulitt Organizations: Chiefs, Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, Comcast NBCUniversal Locations: U.S

☆ Chiefs-Dolphins Playoff Game on Peacock Sets U.S. Streaming and Internet-Usage Records
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Patience Haggin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Persons: Patrick Mahomes, David Eulitt Organizations: Chiefs, Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, Comcast NBCUniversal Locations: U.S

☆ The founders of The Gist and Just Women's Sports describe what it's like to run a women-focused media company in a male-dominated industry
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Margaret Fleming | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Ellen Hyslop cofounded in 2017 The Gist, a sports media company geared toward female fans. Three years later, Haley Rosen founded Just Women's Sports, making Instagram content about, well, just women's sports. In the male-dominated sports media industry, these female founders have built sustainable and successful businesses around women in sports. In 2022, women's sports received 15% of all sports media coverage, a study by Wasserman's The Collective found. "Every single person at Just Women's Sports adds so much value and is so influential and impactful in the company," Rosen said.

Persons: Ellen Hyslop, Gist, Haley Rosen, They're, Rosen, Billie Jean King, Hyslop, The Gist, That's, King, Kevin Durant, Allyson Felix, Abby Wambach, Sam Kerr, Kelley O'Hara, Elena Delle Donne, Haley, Michele Kang, Wasserman's, We're Organizations: Sports, Nike, Media, Comcast, Labs, King's Enterprises, Elysian Park Ventures, State, Brooklyn Nets, New York Liberty, Philadelphia 76ers, Washington

☆ The latest sign Linda Yaccarino could be Elon Musk's choice for Twitter CEO? She just resigned from NBCUniversal.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Sindhu Sundar | Lauren Johnson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Yaccarino is reportedly Elon Musk's likely candidate to replace him as Twitter's CEO. Linda Yaccarino is leaving NBCUniversal on the heels of reports that she's the likely contender to replace Elon Musk as Twitter's CEO. She was a key contributor to NBCU's push into streaming TV, with the rollout of the ad-supported version of streaming service Peacock in 2020. Under Yaccarino, NBCUniversal has offered to let advertisers buy ads using non-Nielsen ratings from competitors like VideoAmp and iSpot.tv. Mark Marshall, another longtime NBCUniversal ad exec and formally president of ad sales and client partnerships, will take over Yaccarino's role on an interim basis, NBCUniversal said.

☆ Elon Musk names NBCU ad chief Linda Yaccarino as Twitter CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

New York CNN —Elon Musk on Friday named longtime media executive Linda Yaccarino as the new CEO of Twitter, months after he promised to step back from the role. “I am excited to welcome Linda Yaccarino as the new CEO of Twitter!” Musk wrote in a tweet on Friday. NBCUniversal’s ad sales team has generated $100 billion in ad sales since she joined in 2011, according to her profile, and forged partnerships with many new media companies including Twitter as well as Apple News, Buzzfeed, Snapchat and YouTube. Ad sales represented more than 90% of the company’s revenue before Musk purchased it in October. Musk has previously spoken about improving ad sales by focusing more on the relevance of its ads.

☆ The top 4 sports and sports tech VCs are ready to open their checkbooks. Here's what they're looking for.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Matthew Kish | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Courtside Ventures in January closed a $100 million fund, its biggest yet. KB Partners late last year closed a $127 million fund, also its biggest yet. If you're not in one of those lanes, don't bother reaching out, even though the firm has the new $100 million fund to dole out. Parikh expects fewer investments in media companies out of the new fund, but more investments in gaming. It's doling out the money through two accelerator programs and an investment fund.

☆ NBCUniversal prepares bid to win back NBA streaming rights, sources tell CNBC
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | 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 EmailNBCUniversal prepares bid to win back NBA streaming rights, sources tell CNBCAndrew Ross Sorkin joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss Comcast NBCUniversal planning to make an aggressive offer to regain broadcasting rights for NBA programming, streaming competitors in sports broadcasting, and the estimated costs behind the bid.

The world’s best-known female conductor, Marin Alsop, revealed that she’s “offended” by her best-known fictional counterpart: Lydia Tár. It’s about women as leaders in our society,” Alsop, the chief conductor of the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra and a MacArthur “genius award” winner, told the Sunday Times. Now, there is just one: Stutzmann, who took the podium at the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in October. While “Tár” may have struck a nerve with Alsop, it appears to have had the opposite effect on film critics. Focus Features, the U.S. distributor of "Tár," did not immediately respond to NBC News' request for comment.

☆ 1 in 5 studio films included an LGBTQ character in 2021, GLAAD report finds
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Jo Yurcaba | Jo Yurcaba Is A Reporter For Nbc Out. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

Sixteen of the 77 films released by those studios (20.8%) featured 28 LGBTQ characters, the report found. That percentage is down slightly from 2020, during which 10 of the 44 theatrical releases (23%) featured 20 LGBTQ characters, according to the report. Of the 16 films that included LGBTQ characters in 2021, 11 films (69%) included gay male characters, four (25%) included lesbian characters and two (13%) included bisexual characters, according to the report. For the second year in a row, GLAAD found that there were zero LGBTQ characters with disabilities or LGBTQ characters living with HIV represented in the year’s films. The majority of the 28 characters, 17, received fewer than five minutes, and six of those characters received less than a minute of screen time.

“Spoiler Alert,” the new film based on entertainment journalist Michael Ausiello’s heartbreaking 2017 memoir, certainly doesn’t have a storybook ending. The film, directed by Michael Showalter (“The Big Sick”), closely follows “Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies,” which Ausiello wrote in the wake of his husband Kit Cowan’s death from colorectal cancer, at age 42. Even watching the movie now, it’s still a bit of a head trip to see it.”From left, Ben Aldridge, Jim Parsons, Sally Field and Bill Irwin in "Spoiler Alert." But, in general, these moments — and even the comedic stylings of Sally Field — aren’t able to distract from the inherent sadness of “Spoiler Alert” for very long. “I want them to have their own experience seeing the movie,” Ausiello said of audience members.

☆ 15 venture capitalists that early-stage sports tech, health, and wellness founders should know if they're looking to raise capital
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Matthew Kish | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +17 min

Other recent investments include Bumble, Goop, Spring Health, Chief, Found, Daily Harvest, and Blueland. Recent investments include the sneaker-trading platform Tradeblock, which touts itself as an alternative to StockX and Goat. Recent investments include AnyDistance, Balanced, and Juna. Her recent investments include Calibrate, DUOS, Dutch, and Buffalo Market, a food distributor focused on plant-based and organic foods. Recent investments include pickleball products company Revolin, live-sports artificial-reality company Quintar, recovery products company Alleviate, and community cycling app Preem.

The upcoming film is the brainchild of Billy Eichner, the comedic mind behind “Billy on the Street” and “Difficult People.” Eichner both stars in and co-wrote the Judd Apatow-produced movie. Eichner plays his typical self-deprecating, cynical protagonist, a podcast host named Bobby who has pretty much given up on finding anyone tolerable to date. “I wanted it to be personal, and it’s all about being vulnerable and telling an honest story.”Both Eichner and Macfarlane said they hope straight people will watch and enjoy their gay rom-com — just like gay people have long watched and enjoyed straight love stories. “As a gay man, I’ve watched those movies, and I cried and I laughed, and I took something away from it,” Macfarlane said of straight rom-coms. “So I think maybe asking some of our straight friends to watch a gay couple fall in love and cry and laugh and take something from it, too.

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