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Trump defeated Democratic candidate Vice President Kamala Harris, and Republicans claimed a majority of the Senate in elections this week. "We know kind of where the world is headed in a Trump environment because we've seen it before," said Jeffrey Solomon, president of TD Cowen, on CNBC's "Money Movers" Wednesday. One M&A advisor, who also spoke to CNBC anonymously, noted that Trump's disdain for Big Tech companies — historically active deal-makers — might keep them on the sidelines. Apparent GOP opposition to the CHIPS Act means that semiconductor consolidation might be challenging, the advisor noted, while cautioning it is still too early to know what a Trump presidency would mean. That advisor noted that smaller banks had been getting gobbled up for "some time," but that the pace and size of those acquisitions would likely ramp up under a Trump presidency.

Persons: Donald Trum, Ronda Churchill, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, Jeffrey Solomon, TD Cowen, Solomon, Trump, Lina Khan, Khan, Howard Gutman, Jonathan Miller, —, Jared Holz, Mizuho, Sen, Elizabeth Warren, David Zaslav, David Grogan Organizations: Republican, Nevada GOP, Afp, Getty, Trump, Democratic, Republicans, Biden administration's Department of Justice, Federal Trade Commission, CNBC, Dow Jones, MorganFranklin Consulting, Big Tech, Qualcomm, Intel, Integrated Media, Pharmaceutical, Biotech, Illumina, FTC, Maze Therapeutics, Sanofi, Senate, DOJ, Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference Locations: Florida, Nevada, Las Vegas , Nevada, Ronda, Trump, Sun Valley , Idaho

☆ Reddit has acquired an AI startup to beef up its ad business in a deal worth around $40 million
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-01 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Brands like Unilever, L'Oréal, and NotCo pay Memorable AI an annual fee to use its tools. The company said this allows advertisers to reduce the time they would usually spend testing and optimizing ad creative, the company said. Related storiesThe Memorable AI team has joined Reddit as part of the acquisition. AdvertisementIts ads business is growing, but still tiny compared to Google, Meta, Amazon, and TikTok.

Persons: —, Reddit, van, Cofounders Camilo Fosto, Sebastian Acevedo, Michael Kassan, Brian O'Kelley, hasn't Organizations: Service, Business, Harvard, Stanford, MIT, Brands, Unilever, L'Oréal, Aperiam Ventures, Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments, LDV, Ventures, Google Locations: New York

☆ Ad giant Omnicom lifts the lid on its new generative AI platform ArtBotAI, which it says improves ad performance by 40%
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-10 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The execs leading ArtBotAI said it differs from other ad agency holding groups' AI offerings because it builds on the ArtBot content automation tool its Critical Mass agency originally launched in 2022. "It's not just a generative AI tool, it's an automation tool that has been operationalized with large accounts at scale." Related storiesArtBotAI's generative AI functionality is driven by Omnicom's large language models, which it has created through partnerships with companies including Microsoft, OpenAI, Google, Getty, Adobe, and Amazon. KAITLIN MOERMANOmnicom said clients using ArtBotAI have, on average, achieved 40% increases in ad engagements like clicks and video views since they began using the platform. Omnicom stated in its February financial filings that its use of generative AI presents risks like ethical considerations, a negative impact on the public perception of the company, and the need to comply with various regulations.

Persons: —, ArtBotAI, ArtBot, Paolo Yuvienco, It's, Artbot, Yuvienco, Valerie Vargas, Alissa Hansen, KAITLIN MOERMAN Omnicom, Omnicom, Hansen, Ingo Duckerschein, Duckerschein Organizations: Service, Business, Apple, Unilever, Pfizer, Volkswagen, Omni, Omni Assist, Microsoft, Google, Getty, Adobe, Advertising, United Talent Agency, Agency, WPP, Intuit, Taboola Locations: North America

☆ Jeff Zucker Abandons Telegraph Bid, Putting London Paper Back Into Play
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Michael M. Grynbaum | More About Michael M. Grynbaum | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Jeff Zucker’s bid for Tory titan-hood has come to an end. The media executive on Tuesday formally abandoned his attempt to take the reins of London’s Daily Telegraph, bailing out after British political and news leaders balked at Mr. Zucker’s reliance on Emirati financiers to bankroll the effort. Mr. Zucker’s venture company, RedBird IMI, had sought government approval to complete a debt-for-equity deal that would hand it control of The Telegraph and its sister magazine, The Spectator. Because of the withdrawal, other prospective owners may now attempt to purchase the publications. “Our ownership would have seen the strongest editorial protections ever put forward for a U.K. newspaper, along with much-needed investment,” a RedBird IMI spokesperson said in a statement.

Persons: Jeff Zucker’s, “, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan Organizations: London’s Daily Telegraph, Mr, RedBird IMI, The Telegraph, The, IMI, The Spectator, RedBird, Media Investments, United Locations: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

☆ Ad insiders are buzzing about industry power broker Michael Kassan's messy split with UTA and what it means for the future of MediaLink
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

After falling out with Kassan, UTA may think twice about buying another agency. The media and ad industry will be watching to see what, if any, leadership changes UTA makes at MediaLink. The end of the ad industry schmoozefest? One industry veteran said they saw Kassan's exit as an opportunity to change how ad industry consultants operate and charge for services. At the center of the dispute between UTA and Kassan is the MediaLink founder's $950,000 annual expense account.

Persons: Michael Kassan, MediaLink, Kassan, Jeremy Zimmer, Kassan wasn't, Vianney Tisseau, headhunting, Jon Miller, Sanford Michelman, Michelman, Robinson, Ethan Miller, Julian Jacobs, David Anderson, WME, Kassan's, Wenda Harris Millard, wasn't, what's, There's, Lou Paskalis, Marc Sternberg's, Lady Gaga, Elton John, Mariah Carey, Tom Brady, Rob Norman, WPP's Organizations: UTA, Cannes Lions, Consumer, Business, Los Angeles Superior Court, Los, Judicial, Mediation Services, Variety Cannes Lions Studio, Integrated Media, Getty, Talent, Accenture, General Motors, Netflix, JUV Consulting, Madison, Endeavor, Writers Guild of America, Zimmer, Western Initiative Media Worldwide, Interpublic Group, Bank of America, AJL, Marc Sternberg's Brand, Kassan, Southwest, NFL Locations: MediaLink, Cannes, France, Madison, Droga5, Hollywood, Kassan, California, South, Austin

☆ 16 VCs that are funding the future of entertainment by backing generative AI and other disruptive tech
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-12 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +17 min

AdvertisementAfter a period of "wild west" investing in AI, Blank believes activity will favor AI companies that respect artists' consent and compensation. It recently co-led a $1 million seed round in Conduiit, which centralizes entertainment companies' production finance operations. Endeavor Venture InvestmentsEndeavor Venture Investments is the venture arm of entertainment and sports behemoth Endeavor. SWaN & LegendThe Virginia-based VC firm has a broad consumer portfolio that includes a number of entertainment investments. With Hollywood in contraction, SWaN has largely hit pause on new entertainment investments to get its portfolio companies on a strong footing.

Persons: Michael Blank, Blank, Jon Miller, Miller, Slack, Garnet Heraman, BDMI, Urs Cete, Michael, TMRW, Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Elysian Park Ventures Jay Adya, Grant Lamos, Tom Brady, Gotham Chopra, Michael Strahan, Jay Adya, Morgan, Kushaan Ahuja, Drew Glover, Glover, Alex Harris, they've, Noah Doyle, Payback India, Jed Katz, Rich Greenfield, Rich, Ilya Pozin, Jamie Seltzer, LightShed, Steve Cohen's, it's, Sri Chandrasekar, Tripp Shriner, Ishan Sinha, That's, Wondery, Ian Doody, Raine, Gordon Rubenstein, Joe Ravitch, Jeff Sine, ‐, Fred Schaufeld, SWaN, that's, Oscar, Jose, Schaufeld, Sam Wick, Alex J, Investcorp, Paul Yoo, Edgar Bronfman Jr, Daniel Leff, Waverley, Leff Organizations: Service, Creative Artists, Connect Ventures, Business, Hollywood, Veteran, TPG, Integrated Media Co, Advancit, CAA, Bertelsmann, Waverley, Octopus Ventures, Accel, Facebook, Venture, Aperture Venture, Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments, Fremantle, Connect, CAA Connect Ventures, New Enterprises Associates, TMRW Sports, Disney, Universal, Elysian Park Ventures, Elysian, Sports, Endeavor Venture, Endeavor Venture Investments, behemoth Endeavor, Dapper Labs, Fiat Ventures, Fiat Ventures Fiat Ventures, Fiat, Payback, Rent, LightShed, Rich Greenfield Influential, LightShed Ventures, Pluto, Apple, Octopus Ventures Octopus Ventures, Investments, Corp, Etsy, Re, Point72 Ventures New York Mets, Range Media Partners, Point72 Ventures, Sri, Powerhouse, Athletic, The New York Times Co, Evolution Media, Creative Artists Agency, Astro, Rave Digital Media, Accel Entertainment, Jose Andrés Media, Berliner, UTA Talent, UTA, UTA Ventures, Ventures, VR, Amazon, PFL Locations: blockchain, —, Conduiit, fintech, London, Australia, Papercup, Los Angeles, Virginia, UTA.VC

☆ Benko's complex web at Signa - from Chrysler building to Berlin landmark
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

SIGNA PRIME/PROPERTY PORTFOLIOAccording to Signa, Prime is the group's largest company in its real estate division, valued at around 20.4 billion euros ($22.23 billion). Since 2019 Signa Holding has also been a co-owner of New York's iconic Chrysler Building. TRADING/RETAIL COMPANIESBenko has bundled his trading interests under the divisions Signa Retail and Signa Premium. In Switzerland, Benko's trading investments are bundled into Signa Retail Selection AG, which filed for bankruptcy protection on Wednesday. In 2018, Signa Holding bought around 24% stake in Austrian daily newspapers "Krone" and "Kurier" from Funke media group.

Persons: Lisi Niesner, Rene Benko, Ernst Tanner, Hans Peter Haselsteiner, Torsten Toeller, Arthur Eugster, SIGNA, Signa, Otto Wagner, Benko's, Klaus, Michael Kuehne, Kuehne, Hamburg's, Chirathivat, Benko, Frasers, Kaufhof, Karstadt, Galeria, Alexandra Schwarz, Goerlich, Mattias Inverardi, Victoria Farr, Emma, Rachel More, Elisa Martinuzzi, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: Signa, REUTERS, Chrysler, Bank Austria, Femina, Chrysler Building, . Central Group, Globus, Selfridges, Central Group, Funke, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany, New, Britain's Selfridges, Innsbruck, Swiss, Vienna, Hamburg, KaDeWe, Oberpollinger, Munich, Vienna's, Tyrol, Essen, Duesseldorf, London, Switzerland

An Abu Dhabi-backed investment fund said Monday it has paved the way to take ownership of Britain's Telegraph newspaper and The Spectator magazine after striking a deal with the publications' previous owners to repay debts owed by them. The Barclay family owned the right-leaning newspaper and magazine nefore they were put into receivership. Various media firms have been reported to be interested in taking over the publications, including German publisher Axel Springer and the Daily Mail's publisher. The fund said the deal includes an option to turn the loans into equity which would give it ownership control of the newspaper and magazine. Lenders for the Barclay family would need to agree to the deal, which is expected to attract a high level of political scrutiny.

Persons: Abu, Jeff Zucker, Media Investments —, Britain's Barclay, Barclay, Axel Springer Organizations: Britain's Telegraph, The Spectator, IMI, RedBird, CNN, Abu Dhabi's, Media Investments, Lloyds Bank, Ritz Hotel, Daily, International Media Investments Locations: Abu Dhabi, German

☆ Disney will soon own all of Hulu. Here's how the company got here and what's next.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-11 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Disney has offered to pay Comcast $8.6 billion to take full control of Hulu. Disney is already in the process of rolling out a unified app that'll make Hulu's general entertainment content available in Disney+ . "With Hulu firmly in the Disney fold, they can create their own mini-bundle with kids and family (Disney +), general entertainment (Hulu), and sports (ESPN). The valuation also has to take into account that Hulu contains an entire Disney basic cable network, FX on Hulu. Netflix is set to spend $17 billion on entertainment content in 2024, while Disney is poised to spend $15 billion.

Persons: Bob Iger's, —, Bob Iger, Hulu —, what's, Comcast's NBCUniversal, pare, he's, Jonathan Miller, Brian Roberts, there's, Bernstein, Laurent Yoon, Read, Jordan Helman, Max, Puck, Disney, Bernstein's Yoon Organizations: Disney, Comcast, Hulu, Service, YouTube, News, Century Fox, Marvel, Netflix, Integrated Media, ESPN, ABC, LightShed Partners, Warner Bros, Wall, Paramount Global, Paramount, Showtime, HBO Max, Macquarie Equity Research, Media, Disney Disney, Hollywood Locations: Disney, Hulu, Canada, India, Hollywood

☆ Katie Deighton — Reporter at The Wall Street Journal
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Katie Deighton | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Katie DeightonKatie Deighton is a reporter covering customer experience, user experience and product design for The Wall Street Journal’s CMO Today section. Before joining the Journal, Katie was senior editor at The Drum, a U.K.-based marketing and media trade publication. From New York she covered companies’ marketing and media investments, as well as the financials and business strategies of the “big six” global advertising companies. Prior to the move she covered European advertising for The Drum in London, and began her career reporting on the British live events industry. Katie is a graduate of the University of Bristol and first trained as a journalist at the Press Association in London.

Persons: Katie Deighton Katie Deighton, Katie Organizations: University of Bristol, Press Association Locations: U.K, New York, London, Brooklyn

☆ Trump is furious at Forbes after the publication dropped him from its 400 wealthiest Americans list
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Trump is angry that Forbes kicked him off of its list of wealthiest Americans. Forbes says Trump just isn't worth enough money, especially because his social media play fizzled. AdvertisementAdvertisementDonald Trump on Monday lashed out at Forbes after the financial publication recently dropped the former president from its list of the 400 wealthiest Americans that includes the likes of Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Warren Buffett. One of the main reasons was that Truth Social, the very social media platform where Trump lashed out at Forbes, has lost significant value. A spokesperson for Forbes pointed Insider to the publication's own story, which included a statement that defended Forbes' view of Trump's net worth.

Persons: Trump, Forbes, —, Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Warren Buffett, Stormy Daniels, Rosie O'Donnell, Crooked Joe, " Forbes, Dan Alexander, Letitia James, Austin Russell Organizations: Forbes, Service, Monday, Trump, Republicans, New York, New, Kong, Media Investments, Whale Media Investments, China Investment Corp, China Morning Post, New York Times, Washington, Communist Party, Trump Organization Locations: China, Hong

☆ How insiders are reacting to Mark Thompson, CNN's new CEO, and how they think he'll tackle the network's challenges: 'He wants to be involved in editorial'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

WBD named Mark Thompson as CNN's new CEO in a shift by David Zaslav to an experienced news leader. Thompson is widely credited with turning the Times into a digital powerhouse, transforming a news organization that was teetering financially. Under Thompson, there also were flops along the way to success for the Times, like the failed NYT Now mobile app. Thompson is expected to be involved in editorialObservers and insiders expressed optimism about the Thompson news. They also will be watching to see how he will carry out WBD CEO David Zaslav's commitment to providing a wider range of political viewpoints, including conservative ones.

Persons: WBD, Mark Thompson, David Zaslav, Thompson, Chris Licht, Ken Doctor, Meredith Kopit Levien, who'd, Times —, Levien, Nate Silver, Jill Abramson, Abramson, wouldn't, Mark, Donald Trump, David Zaslav's, He'll, Jeff Zucker, I've, Zaslav, Licht, he'd, Semafor, James Harding, Andrew Ross Sorkin, he's, Jonathan Miller, Miller, Amy Entelis, David Leavy, Virginia Moseley, Eric Sherling, who's, Leavy Organizations: CNN, New York Times, Warner Bros, Discovery, Max, longtime Times, Times, ESPN, ABC, Observers, BBC, Company, Integrated Media Co, Editorial Locations: British

☆ Media and entertainment companies are finding more investment from the Middle East, but it can come with controversy. Here are 11 of the most notable deals.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Insider broke down 11 top media companies with Middle Eastern backing or partnerships. Middle Eastern investment has poured into US media and entertainment, and US media companies have been eager recipients. Here's a rundown of 11 key Western media and entertainment companies, listed alphabetically, that have licensing and investment partnerships with Middle Eastern entities. Jimmy Finkelstein's news startup The Messenger has Middle Eastern funding via its acquisition of IMI-backed startup Grid, which is now shuttered. The North Road, Peter Chernin and Providence Equity's production roll-up, took a $150 million investment in January from the Qatar Investment Authority, Qatar's main investment vehicle, to support its expansion.

Persons: Peter Chernin, Jeff Zucker, Uber, Jamal Khashoggi's, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, —, hasn't, Mohammed bin Salman, SRMG, Abu, Abu Dhabi's, Jimmy Finkelstein's, BeIn, Stone, Ian Orefice, WBD Organizations: Providence, North, IMI, ex, CNN, Public Investment Fund, Blackstone, Washington Post, Saudi Crown, Saudi, Guardian, Media, Bloomberg Media, Saudi Research, Media Group, Media Investments, CNN Business, Abu Dhabi Media Investment Corporation, Sky News Arabia, Business, Independent, SRMG, Miramax, BeIn, Paramount, Qatar Investment Authority, Penske Media Corporation, Billboard, Variety, Penske, Vox Media, New York, Billboard Arabia, RedBird Capital, Mideast, MBC Group, MBC, Fortress Investment Group, Investment, Warner Bros Locations: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, West, Saudi, Abu Dhabi, ViacomCBS, SRMG

☆ Tim Scott’s Optimism and Faith Charm Iowa Fairgoers
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Anjali Huynh | More About Anjali Huynh | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina enjoyed on Tuesday what other candidates had missed: having the Iowa State Fair largely to himself. He shook hands, tried barbecue and threw footballs with fairgoers — all a natural part of the retail politics of a presidential candidate seeking to gain standing in the first-in-the-nation caucus state. Kim Reynolds of Iowa and was repeatedly recognized — and praised — by fairgoers. Still, he faces an uphill battle as he seeks to propel himself from a distant third place, at best. Polls from The New York Times and Siena College this month found that he had support from 9 percent of likely Iowa Republican caucusgoers and just 3 percent of likely voters for Republican primaries nationally.

Persons: Tim Scott of, fairgoers, Scott, Kim Reynolds, —, Iowa Republican caucusgoers Organizations: Tim Scott of South Carolina, Fair, Gov, fairgoers, The New York Times, Siena College, Iowa Republican, Republican Locations: Tim Scott of South, Iowa

☆ Media insiders say ESPN's new sports-betting push could help it court a younger crowd and set up a spinoff from Disney
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Industry insiders say ESPN's deal with Penn Entertainment could signal a potential ESPN spinoff from Disney. Disney announced a $2 billion deal with casino operator Penn Entertainment to create ESPN Bet. ESPN's $2 billion Penn Entertainment deal rocked the sports-betting world — and also renewed speculation among industry insiders that Disney could spin off its media crown jewel. For ESPN, it's not as material, but it's helpful — ESPN has locked in a 10-year partner with guaranteed pay so that improves the visibility of ESPN's revenue. To be sure, some industry watchers have questioned how the deal positions ESPN's ability to catch up in the sports-betting race.

Persons: Bob Iger, Jonathan Miller, Penn, Alex Iosilevich, it's, It's, Iger, — DraftKings, sportsbooks, LightShed, Peyton Manning's, Ashley Rodriguez Organizations: Industry, Penn Entertainment, ESPN, Disney, ESPN Bet, what's, Hearst, CNBC, NFL, NBA, MLB, Integrated Media Co, Caesars Entertainment, Penn, LightShed Partners, American Gaming Association, Amazon, Comcast, Peyton Manning's Omaha Productions, Front Office Sports Locations: Saudi

☆ How ESPN's $2 billion sports-betting deal could set it up for a spinoff from Disney, according to industry insiders
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Industry insiders say ESPN's deal with Penn Entertainment could signal a potential ESPN spinoff from Disney. Disney announced a $2 billion deal with casino operator Penn Entertainment to create ESPN Bet. ESPN's $2 billion Penn Entertainment deal rocked the sports-betting world — and also renewed speculation among industry insiders that Disney could spin off its media crown jewel. To be sure, some industry watchers have questioned how the deal positions ESPN's ability to catch up in the sports-betting race. According to the American Gaming Association, sports betting grossed $7.5 billion in gaming revenue in 2022, up 75% from 2021.

Persons: Bob Iger, Jonathan Miller, Penn, Alex Ilosevich, it's, It's, Iger, — DraftKings, sportsbooks, LightShed, Peyton Manning's, Ashley Rodriguez Organizations: Industry, Penn Entertainment, ESPN, Disney, ESPN Bet, what's, Hearst, CNBC, NFL, NBA, MLB, Integrated Media Co, Caesars Entertainment, Penn, LightShed Partners, American Gaming Association, Amazon, Comcast, Peyton Manning's Omaha Productions, Front Office Sports Locations: Saudi

July 12 (Reuters) - Investment firm Wellington Management is in talks to lead a new funding round for Skims, which could value the underwear clothing company owned by Kim Kardashian at about $4 billion valuation, according to people familiar with the matter. Skims and Wellington did not respond to comment requests. Women's Wear Daily reported on the Skims funding round earlier on Wednesday without naming Wellington. Other investors included D1 Capital Partners, as well as existing investors Thrive Capital, Imaginary Ventures and Alliance Consumer Growth. Kardashian is also actively raising funds for her new private equity firm SKKY Partners, which focuses on consumer and media investments.

Persons: Kim Kardashian, Skims, Kardashian, Carlyle, Jay Sammons, Abigail Summerville, Krystal Hu, Diane Craft Organizations: Investment, Wellington Management, Wellington, Lone Pine Capital, D1 Capital Partners, Imaginary Ventures, Alliance Consumer, SKKY Partners, Thomson Locations: Wellington, Boston, Lone, New York, Austin

☆ Middle Eastern investors are pouring money into US media, sports, and entertainment — here are the 9 most active players and their key leaders
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Lucia Moses | Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Investors in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates are pouring money into Western media and entertainment. Sovereign funds and other entities in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE are pouring millions into US media and entertainment, and they're finding plenty of takers. The channels for money from Saudi Arabia and other parts of the Middle East are complex. Insider broke down the key entities — their owners, leaders, and high-profile investments and joint ventures — in the top three Middle Eastern nations pouring money into US entertainment and media. It describes itself as the largest media company in the Middle East and North Africa and runs one of the largest TV news channels, Al Arabiya.

Persons: Jamal Khashoggi's, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, —, WME, Jimmy Finkelstein's, Abu Dhabi's, It's, Yasir Al, Rumayyan, Waleed bin Ibrahim Al Ibrahim, Sam Barnett, Peter Smith —, Christina Wayne, SRMG, Mohammed bin Salman, Alrashid, Johnny Depp, Jeanne du Barry, Sharon Stone, Bruno Mars, Luca Guadanigno, Vince McMahon's, Turki Al, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Dayel, Mansoor bin Ebrahim Al, Mahmoud, Peter Chernin, Nasser Al, Germain, BeIN, Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad, Khalifa Al, Vincent, Asghar Farhadi's Oscar, Nart Bouran, JAF, Jeff Zucker, Graydon Carter's, it's, Semafor, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Sheikh Mansour, Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber Organizations: United, Sovereign, Saudi, Washington Post, Saudi Crown, Endeavor, UFC, IMI, Abu Dhabi Media Investment Corporation, Public Investment Fund, Saudi Aramco, Newcastle United, English football, PGA, MBC, Shahid, Netflix, Vice Media, Variety, MBC Group's, Antenna Group, Cineflex Studios, NBCUniversal International, Amazon, AMC, Saudi Research, Media, Publicly, Red Sea, Cannes, Penske Media Corporation, Bloomberg Media, Vince McMahon's WWE, country's General Entertainment Authority, Development, Cultural Development Fund, George Washington University, American University . Qatar Qatar Investment, Qatar Investment Authority, Providence, BeIN Media, Paris Saint, Miramax, Paramount, Doha Film, Doha Film Institute, H.E, Hollywood Reporter, United Arab Emirates Abu, Investment Authority, UAE, Abu, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Hollywood, Dubai Studio, Dubai Media City, National Geographic, BBC News, International Media Investments International Media Investments, National, CNN, Sky News Arabia, Reuters, JAF Communications, Grid, RedBird Capital Partners, Punchbowl News, New York Times, Manchester City, The, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company Locations: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, UAE, Saudi, East, North Africa, Al Arabiya, Netherlands, Greece, Dubai, Jeddah, SRMG, Riyadh, Doha, Europe, Americas, ViacomCBS, Qatari, Thani, Abu Dhabi

☆ Former CNN boss Jeff Zucker's $1 billion venture is reportedly considering a big investment in former Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter's media startup Air Mail
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( Alison Brower | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Zucker's firm, RedBird IMI, is reportedly one of three investors circling a majority stake in Air Mail. Jeff Zucker's media venture, RedBird IMI, is exploring a majority stake in Graydon Carter's startup Air Mail, The New York Times reported. It is one of three investors circling Air Mail, according to the Times. Carter, who spent 25 years leading Condé Nast's Vanity Fair, launched Air Mail — "a lively digital weekly for the world citizen," per its website — in 2019. In May 2021, as he was seeking investors for the series B, Carter told Insider he expected Air Mail to reach profitability in three years.

Persons: Jeff Zucker, Graydon Carter's, Zucker, Jeff Zucker's, Carter, Condé, Axios, RedBird, Zucker's, Chris Licht, David Zaslav, Licht, Donald Trump, Zaslav, Carter cohosted Organizations: CNN, IMI, Air Mail, Morning, RedBird IMI, The New York Times, RedBird Capital Partners, Abu, Media Investments, Air, Times, Standard Investments, TPG Growth, Warner Bros, Discovery, Cannes Film Locations: Abu Dhabi, Zaslav

☆ Former CNN Chief Jeff Zucker Has a New Job at RedBird IMI. What Is It?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( Benjamin Mullin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Since leaving CNN a year ago, Jeff Zucker, the network’s former president, has been on the hunt for deals, flush with $1 billion in backing from big investors in the worlds of media and finance. In addition to Mr. Zucker, the key players in the new venture, known as RedBird IMI, are Gerry Cardinale, the chief executive and founder of RedBird, and Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, an Emirati government minister who has spearheaded many of IMI’s investment conversations in the United States. Mr. Cardinale is the chief investment officer of RedBird IMI, and Mr. Al Jaber is chairman. RedBird is committing $250 million to the venture, and IMI has agreed to commit the remaining $750 million. The men gathered to discuss business last fall in a suite overlooking a Formula 1 racetrack in Abu Dhabi.

Persons: Jeff Zucker, Zucker, Gerry Cardinale, Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Cardinale, Al Jaber, RedBird Organizations: CNN, RedBird Capital Partners, International Media Investments, United Arab, IMI Locations: United Arab Emirates, United States, Abu Dhabi

☆ Desperate for streaming profits, media giants look to a soft ad market for help
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

(AP Photo/Universal Pictures) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures/Tippett StudioAfter spending years amassing streaming subscribers at great cost, media companies now need to make some profits. Look no further for proof of that than the most recent annual Upfronts, the events where media companies like Fox Corp ., Warner Bros. During Disney's earnings call earlier this month, CEO Bob Iger put new emphasis on ad-supported streaming. 'We need ads'There's been an uptick of consumers signing up for ad-supported streaming subscriptions. But media companies are struggling with the question of whether ad-tier subscriptions make up for other losses.

☆ Check out the pitch deck that brand safety startup Barometer used to raise its $2.25 million in seed funding
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Lauren Johnson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Startup Barometer wants to help advertisers identify brand-safety issues in podcast shows. Barometer is looking to potentially also launch brand safety tools for user-generated video and Substack. But if advertisers are to invest, they'll need tools that show their ads appeared next to brand-safe content. The company plans to raise another round of funding, which it will use to expand internationally and review non-English languages. Here are select slides that helped Barometer raise its seed round.

BuzzFeed wasn't the only digital media company to announce layoffs Thursday. Miller added that going public is probably not the best strategy for digital media companies like Buzzfeed. The news comes during a tough period for digital media companies as publishers are cutting staff as advertisers reduce spending. BuzzFeed will lay off 15% of staff and shut down its news unit, BuzzFeed CEO Jonah Peretti wrote in an email to staff Thursday. The digital media company scaled back its news operation in an attempt to make BuzzFeed News profitable, resulting in the departure of several editors.

☆ Saudi money is flowing to US media and entertainment, from Live Nation to LIV Golf, 5 years after Jamal Khashoggi's murder: 'The ice has thawed'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Claire Atkinson | Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +20 min

Sovereign funds and other entities in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE are pouring millions into US media and entertainment. Insider identified some key people connecting Middle East investors with American companies. Saudi Arabia is trying to pitch itself to the world as a cultural and economic reformer and spur tourism. Vince McMahon's WWE has a long-term partnership with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with a major live WWE event there slated for May. Vince McMahon's WWE was one of the first US companies to create unique events in Saudi Arabia.

☆ 9 Middle Eastern funds and investors pouring money into US media, sports, and entertainment
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Lucia Moses | Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Governments and investors in the Middle East are pouring money into Western media and entertainment. Sovereign funds and other entities in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE are pouring millions into US media and entertainment, and they're finding plenty of takers. The channels for money from Saudi Arabia and other parts of the Middle East are complex. Insider broke down the key entities — their owners, leaders, and high-profile investments and joint ventures — in the top three Middle Eastern nations pouring money into US entertainment and media. It describes itself as the largest media company in the Middle East and North Africa and runs one of the largest TV news channels, Al Arabiya.

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