Toy figures of people are seen in front of the displayed Paramount + logo, in this illustration taken January 20, 2022.
REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration Acquire Licensing RightsNov 3 (Reuters) - Paramount Global shares (PARA.O) surged 10% on Friday, after the media company narrowed the 2023 loss forecast for its fast-growing streaming business as investments peaked a year ahead of target.
"We now expect DTC (direct-to-consumer) losses in 2023 will be lower than in 2022 – meaning streaming investment peaked ahead of plan," Paramount CEO Bob Bakish said.
Despite the industry's focus pivoting to profitability, analysts do not see a clear path to that target, with brokerage Needham believing that Paramount could be bought by a larger streaming competitor.
"It is bite-size enough to be acquired by a larger streaming competitor for its deep library of film and TV content, as well as its sports rights and news assets."
Persons:
Dado Ruvic, HBO Max, Bob Bakish, Needham, Samrhitha, Devika
Organizations:
REUTERS, Paramount Global, Disney, HBO, Rivals Walt Disney, Warner Bros Discovery, Paramount, NFL, Thomson
Locations:
Bengaluru