DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ 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

Analyst Edward Kelly upgraded the discount retailer to overweight from equal weight and opened a $180 price target. Yefremov's $400 price target indicates shares can jump 31.7% from Wednesday's closing price. Analyst Andrea Teixeira downgraded the energy drink maker to neutral from overweight and cut her price target by $7 to $59. — Alex Harring 5:38 a.m.: Wall Street reacts to Meta earnings Meta Platforms disappointed investors with its weak revenue guidance , sending shares down about 13% in premarket trading. His price target of $55 implies upside of 22% over the next 12 months.

Persons: Bernstein, Wells, Edward Kelly, shrinkflation, Kelly, — Alex Harring, Sherwin, Williams, Aleksey Yefremov, Yefremov, Doug Creutz, Creutz, Judas, Goldman, bullish, Goldman Sachs, Brooke Roach, Roach, Andrea Teixeira, Alex Harring, Ford, Wells Fargo, Colin Langan, Langan, LSEG, Eric Sheridan, Brian Nowak, Morgan Stanley, Doug Anmuth, Ronald Josey, Daniel Roeska, Roeska, General Motors, Fred Imbert Organizations: CNBC, General Motors, Traders, Grand Theft, Sony, Electronic Arts, TJX, TJX Companies, JPMorgan, Monster Beverage, Ford, Ford Pro, Facebook, Meta, Citi, mojo, General, GM Locations: Wells Fargo, Thursday's, Wednesday's, Michigan

☆ Disney beat back activist investor Nelson Peltz. Now the real work begins
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

That would mark a milestone for the company, which launched Disney+ on Nov. 12, 2019. It would be the first time Disney showed it can make money from Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+. Disney will need to sustain and grow streaming profit to justify Iger's five-year-old strategy to go "all in" on the segment. Disney has already offered ESPN+, a sports streaming service that has some but not all of ESPN's content. Trian Partners' Nelson Peltz, who failed to join Disney's board Wednesday after securing just 31% of the vote, publicly questioned what he has called Disney's "woke" content strategy.

Persons: Bob Iger, Sun Valley , Idaho David A, Iger, Disney, they've, Cowen, Doug Creutz, Needham, Laura Martin, Gabby Jones, David Greenbaum, Sean Bailey, Alan Bergman, Indiana Jones, Nelson Peltz, Peltz, shouldn't, Bob Chapek, He'll, Bergman, Jimmy Pitaro, Josh D'Amaro, Dana Walden, They've, Cowen's, you've, That's, it's, — CNBC's Sarah Whitten, Needman's Martin Organizations: Disney, Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference, Grogan, CNBC Disney, Disney Disney, Hulu, ESPN, Co, Warner Bros . Discovery, Fox, CNBC, Athletic, Bloomberg, Getty, Marvel, Star Wars, Searchlight, Walt Disney Motion, Disney Entertainment, Century Fox, Sony, Disney's Marvel Studios, Trian Partners, Financial Times, Resorts, Iger Locations: Sun Valley , Idaho, Brooklyn , New York, Iger, Parks, Disney

☆ The Bull Fight: Disney vs. Warner Bros. Discovery
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailThe Bull Fight: Disney vs. Warner Bros. DiscoveryNeedham’s Laura Martin and TD Cowen’s Doug Creutz, join 'Power Lunch' to discuss the media bullfight between Disney and Warner Bros Discovery.

Persons: Laura Martin, Doug Creutz Organizations: Disney, Warner Bros, Warner Bros Discovery

☆ Here's what Wall Street wants to see from Hollywood this year
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-10 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

But Wall Street is worried that hero may never come for Hollywood. Yet, Wall Street still isn't satisfied. Warner Bros. Wall Street wants a solution, or, at the very least, a company to set the stage for a potential solution. watch nowConsider M&A difficultiesMergers and acquisitions present another path to a bigger bundle, but Wall Street isn't sure there will be a big deal in 2024.

Persons: Doug Creutz, Creutz, Michael Nathanson, MoffettNathanson, Rafael Henrique, Lightrocket, Nathanson, Shari Redstone, David Zaslav, Bob Bakish, Barbie Organizations: Getty, Hollywood, Disney, Warner Bros, Discovery, Comcast, Paramount Global, Netflix, Companies, Warner Bros . Discovery, Paramount, Cowen, Century Fox, Amusements, Comcast's, Universal

[1/2] SAG-AFTRA members walk the picket line during their ongoing strike outside Sony Studios in Culver City, California, U.S. September 29, 2023. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLOS ANGELES, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Santa Claus will not be coming to Hollywood this year. The strike, which has entered its 14th week, is scrambling next year’s film slate and delaying the return of primetime television comedies and dramas. Some have sold rights to film and television libraries to keep the lights on, one buyer told Reuters. Some major studio films scheduled for next year could slip into 2025 if the work stoppage continues, according to the studio executive, raising concern that audiences will get out of the habit of going to theaters.

Persons: Mario Anzuoni, Santa Claus, “, ”, Farrelly, Satan, Bob Marley, Guy Ritchie’s, Jake Gyllenhaal, Henry Cavill, Doug Creutz, Dawn Chmielewski, Lisa Richwine, Ken Li, Rod Nickel Organizations: Sony Studios, REUTERS, Reuters, Media, Warner Bros ., Television, CSI, CBS, Thomson Locations: Culver City , California, U.S, Santa, Hollywood, North America, Spain, Los Angeles

☆ Apple Is Stepping Into the Metaverse. Will Anyone Care?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Kellen Browning | Mike Isaac | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Apple headset is expected to cost about $3,000 and will look like ski goggles, according to current and former employees familiar with its development. Eventual hits like the iPod, iPhone and Apple Watch started in niche markets that grew into big businesses. But even Apple executives have been skeptical about the company’s prospects in virtual reality, which, they say, may still not be ready for its mainstream moment. That drop-off cuts recent metaverse start-up investment to about a quarter of its peak in the first half of 2022, PitchBook said. “The metaverse investment fad — it came and went, and now people are focused on A.I.,” said Doug Creutz, an analyst at Cowen & Company.

Persons: PitchBook, ”, Doug Creutz Organizations: Apple, Worldwide Developers, Apple Watch, PitchBook, Cowen & Company

☆ Paramount looks well positioned with balance of streaming and theater-first movies, says Daniel Loria
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | 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 EmailParamount looks well positioned with balance of streaming and theater-first movies, says Daniel LoriaDoug Creutz, Cowen & Company analyst, Daniel Loria SVP of content strategy at Box Office Pro and CNBC's Sarah Whitten, joins 'The Exchange' to discuss how box office numbers are being affected by streaming, blockbuster movie performance following the pandemic, and entertainment companies generating revenue in 2023.

☆ Activision fails to increase representation of women as it faces 2025 goal
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Video game publisher Activision Blizzard failed to increase its representation of women in the first quarter of 2022, according to a diversity report it released on Thursday. Executives have pledged to make women more pervasive inside the company after media reports described cases of harassment of women, prompting government investigations. Microsoft , an Activision Blizzard competitor and partner, began talks to acquire the game publisher after the reports pushed down the game publisher's stock price. In 2021 the company set a goal to reach 35% by 2025. "We'll continue to measure the impact of these changes, as we're confident this work will contribute to our goal of becoming the most welcoming and inclusive company in the industry," Hines wrote.

☆ Activision increased representation of women and non-binary people by 2 percentage points as it faces 2025 goal
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Video game publisher Activision Blizzard increased representation of women and non-binary people by 2 percentage points from November 2021 to December 2022, according to data shared with CNBC. The company said women and non-binary employees represented 24.3% of its workforce in November 2021 but that figure has increased to 26.3% as of the end of 2022. Executives have pledged to make women more pervasive inside the company after media reports described cases of harassment of women, prompting government investigations. Microsoft , an Activision Blizzard competitor and partner, began talks to acquire the game publisher after the reports pushed down the game publisher's stock price. In 2021 the company set a goal to reach 35% for full-time non-binary and women workers by 2025.

☆ Watch CNBC's full interview with fmr. Amazon exec. Matt Ball and Cowen's Doug Creutz
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | 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 EmailWatch CNBC's full interview with fmr. Amazon exec. Matt Ball and Cowen's Doug CreutzMatt Ball, former Amazon Studios head of strategy, and Doug Creutz, Cowen analyst, join 'TechCheck' to break down Disney's earnings results.

☆ Desire for assets like ESPN is not super high right now, says Cowen's Doug Creutz
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | 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 EmailDesire for assets like ESPN is not super high right now, says Cowen's Doug CreutzMatt Ball, former Amazon Studios head of strategy, and Doug Creutz, Cowen analyst, join 'TechCheck' to break down Disney's earnings results.

☆ Disney has bigger problems than Ron DeSantis
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

But there are problems with spinning off ESPN, even if it would raise cash and allow Disney to trim debt. Labor painsUnionized rank-and-file workers at Disney World last week voted 96% against a contract offer from Disney that would have given them raises of at least $1 a year over the next five years. The company called the rejected wage proposal a “very strong offer.”But the last thing that Iger or Disney needs is to upset the strong demand for travel to Disney World or other park locations. Political battles in FloridaThe political culture wars are yet another headache for Iger, as Disney faces the possible loss of the powers it has to operate as a government-like entity for the land on which Disney World operates. “We are monitoring the progression of the draft legislation, which is complex given the long history of the Reedy Creek Improvement District,” said Jeff Vahle, president, Walt Disney World Resort.

NEW YORK, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Large shareholders in News Corp (NWSA.O) on Wednesday applauded Rupert Murdoch's decision to withdraw a proposal to reunite the owner of Dow Jones and Fox Corp , as News Corp decided to pursue a sale of Move Inc instead. On Tuesday, activist investment firm Irenic Capital, which had also opposed the proposed reunion of Fox and News Corp, applauded the decision to not move forward. Cowen & Co's Doug Creutz said investors were pleased by the decision to walk away from a potential combination, saying that pressure from investors like T Rowe Price weighed on the Murdoch's decision to pursue the deal. Fox shares were up about 2% on Wednesday. "The other big question is – does News Corp give their shareholders their pro-rata shares of REA in addition to selling Move?

☆ Microsoft recognizes its first union as ZeniMax software testers organize
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile for Web Summit via Getty Images)Microsoft said Tuesday that it has recognized its first union of employees in the software maker's 47-year history. Last year, Microsoft said it would support approaches that would make it simpler for its employees to join unions. A supermajority of ZeniMax workers said they wanted to join the union, the CWA said in a statement. Microsoft operates 23 internal game studios in addition to selling Xbox consoles and operating gaming services such as Game Pass subscription packages. The workers become the largest group of quality-assurance testers at any U.S. game studio, the CWA said.

☆ Microsoft responds to FTC case seeking to block Activision Blizzard deal
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Microsoft on Thursday filed its response to U.S. regulators' antitrust case attempting to block the software maker from buying video-game publisher Activision Blizzard . But then Microsoft revealed its plan to buy Activision Blizzard. To relieve government opposition to the deal, Microsoft has offered concessions. "Sony refuses to deal," Microsoft said in its filing. In the months since then, two groups of Activision Blizzard employees have voted to form unions.

☆ Gaming benefits from being largely platform agnostic, says Cowen's Doug Creutz
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | 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 EmailGaming benefits from being largely platform agnostic, says Cowen's Doug CreutzCowen's Doug Creutz joins 'TechCheck' to discuss investment strategies in the gaming sector, the leading names in gaming and new game releases that are expected to perform well.

☆ Hulu will lose top NBC shows like 'SNL' and 'The Voice' in September, one of the key challenges ahead for streamer chief Joe Earley, according to insiders
▼ + stars: | 2022-03-10 | by ( Natalie Jarvey | Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Disney executive Joe Earley was named president of Hulu in January. "This is the best outcome for them," said a former Hulu executive, noting that Earley's "superpower" is navigating the type of complicated internal conflicts that have plagued the streamer's leaders. Under Earley, Hulu will have "an advocate," the former executive said. Many in Hollywood believe Disney hasn't taken Hulu international because it doesn't want to further boost the platform's overall valuation. It will also be Earley's job to redefine the Hulu brand once it becomes 100% owned by Disney.

Search resuls for: "Doug Creutz"

18 mentions found