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☆ Wall Street is loving AI while Big Tech is warning employees about how they use it
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

In today's big story, we're looking at Wall Street's love affair with Nvidia (and AI) while Big Tech still grapples with how to use the tools . Since Nvidia's GPUs sit at the center of the AI revolution, the company's success suggests the hype around the tech is warranted. One issue is bias showing up in AI tools . AdvertisementInternal documents show that Amazon is warning its employees not to use third-party generative AI tools for work , BI's Ashley Stewart and Eugene Kim report. It's an interesting acknowledgement of the risks involved with using AI tools — especially when Amazon is pitching its own chatbot to customers .

Persons: —, It's, Michael M, Tyler Le, it's, Matthew Fox, Wall, Jensen, Kathleen Brooks, XTB, BI's George Glover, Chelsea Jia Feng, — ChatGPT, Monica Melton, BI's Ashley Stewart, Eugene Kim, Paul Morigi, Jenny Chang, Rodriguez, Goldman, Joe Duran, Jensen Huang, Huang, Reddit, Sam Altman, Elon Musk, Gemini, isn't, RJ Scaringe, Rivian, Scaringe, Steve Conine, Niraj Shah, Lucas Jackson, Wayfair, Bruce Dixon, they'd, Dan DeFrancesco, Jordan Parker Erb, Hallam Bullock, George Glover, Grace Lett Organizations: Service, Nvidia, Big Tech, Getty, Nasdaq, Nikkei, GameStop, SEC, CNBC, EV, Warner Bros Discovery Inc, Hyatt Hotels Locations: Paul, New York, London, Chicago

☆ These high beta stocks will lead the way if the year-end comeback continues
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Hakyung Kim | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Essentially, if the broad market index rises by 1%, the following high beta stocks could jump by 1.5% or more. The company has a beta value of 1.7 and is scheduled to report earnings on Tuesday. Essentially, if the broad market index rises by 1%, the following high beta stocks could jump by 1.5% or more. Goldman Sachs recently recommended the pullback in Devon Energy shares as a buying opportunity, citing the company's strong balance sheet as a factor. The company has a beta value of 1.7 and is scheduled to report earnings on Tuesday.

Persons: Stocks, Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo, Gunnar Wiedenfels, Bing Guan Organizations: CNBC Pro, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, CNBC, APA Corp, APA, Devon Energy, Marathon, Marathon Oil, Nvidia, UBS, Qs, Warner Bros Discovery, Angeles Refinery, Reuters, Beta, APA APA Corp, Entertainment, Devon Energy Corp, Oil Corp, Targa Resources Corp, MGM MGM Resorts, HAL Halliburton, McMoRan, Aptiv, WYNN Wynn Resorts, Body, Semiconductor Corp, NVIDIA Corp, Zebra Technologies, Albemarle, Alaska Air Group Locations: Angeles, Carson , California, Freeport

[1/2] JioCinema and Pokemon logos are pictured in this illustration taken November 15, 2023. Pokemon has spawned a global multi-billion dollar media franchise spanning trading cards, games, TV shows and movies. In total, JioCinema will add around 3,000 hours of children's content, including movies and shows from Entertainment One, Animaccord, Cartoon Network Studios and DreamWorks, the sources said. Some Pokemon content was earlier on Voot, but the new JioCinema deal is a "much larger partnership", one of the sources said. NBCUniversal told Reuters that "kids and family programming", including DreamWorks content, was part of a multi-year partnership with JioCinema announced in May.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Mukesh Ambani, Mukesh Ambani's, Ambani, Viacom18, NBCUniversal, JioCinema, Aditya Kalra, Munsif, Miral Organizations: REUTERS, Disney, Netflix, Cartoon Network, DreamWorks, Pokemon Company, Walt Disney Co, Nintendo, Media Partners, Entertainment, Cartoon Network Studios, Reuters, Warner Bros Discovery Inc, Hollywood, Thomson Locations: DELHI, India, New Delhi, Bengaluru

☆ You haven't been paying a fair price for your streaming services. Warner Bros. Discovery CFO says: 'I think that's in the process of being corrected'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Will Gendron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A change may be coming to your streaming services, Warner Bros. The services have been undervalued, Gunnar Wiedenfels said, and "quality content has been given away"That could spell price hikes. AdvertisementAdvertisementAs Insider's Matt Turner summed up: "Streaming services have been underpriced in the name of attracting critical mass." In January, Warner Bros Discovery increased the price of an ad-free subscription to HBO Max for the first time since its launch in 2020. Aside from boosting prices, services are also cracking down on password sharing.

Persons: Gunnar Wiedenfels, Wiedenfels, Max —, Matt Turner, Comcast's Peacock, Max, Peacock, Mark Schilsky, HBO Max, we're, Bob Iger, Schilsky Organizations: Warner Bros, Discovery, Service, Bank of America Securities Media, Communications, Entertainment Conference, Netflix, Hulu, Disney, Paramount, Apple, Bernstein Research, Warner Bros Discovery, HBO, HBO Max, Wall Street Journal Locations: Wall, Silicon, Hollywood

☆ Warner Bros Discovery to add CNN on streaming service - Bloomberg
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

June 28 (Reuters) - Warner Bros Discovery Inc (WBD.O) is planning to add live programming from CNN to the Max streaming service later this year, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. The company did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comments. Reporting by Tiyashi Datta in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju SamuelOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Tiyashi Datta, Maju Samuel Organizations: Warner Bros Discovery Inc, CNN, Max, Bloomberg, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ Obesity drug Wegovy's popularity has US employers rethinking insurance coverage
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Patrick Wingrove | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/2] A selection of injector pens for the Saxenda weight loss drug are shown in this photo illustration in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., March 31, 2023. A new and more expensive version of the drug specifically for weight loss, called Wegovy, had been approved in 2021 by U.S. health regulators. Employers that cover weight-loss drugs have required medical practices to document patients’ need for Wegovy since it was approved. The federal Medicare healthcare program for Americans aged 65 and older cannot cover weight loss treatments by law. Only 16 states – the most populous being California, Pennsylvania and Michigan – cover Wegovy and other obesity drugs under their Medicaid plans for low-income patients.

Persons: Jim Vondruska, Shawnte, Aon, Mercer, Willis Towers Watson, Eli Lilly, Jeff Levin, Levin, Scherz, Michael Manolakis, William Yancy, Manolakis, Patrick Wingrove, Michele Gershberg, Suzanne Goldenberg Organizations: REUTERS, New, Warner Bros, Warner Bros Discovery Inc, Reuters, Marsh & McLennan, Employers, Barclays Research, Novo Nordisk, Duke University, Thomson Locations: Chicago , Illinois, U.S, New York, Marsh, Wegovy, California, Pennsylvania, Michigan

☆ Warner Bros, NetEase launch 'Harry Potter: Magic Awakened' video game
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

June 27 (Reuters) - A Warner Bros Discovery Inc (WBD.O) unit and China's NetEase Inc on Tuesday announced the worldwide launch of role-playing video game "Harry Potter: Magic Awakened". The free-to-play title will let players experience life as a student at Hogwarts, the fictional school of wizardry in the popular "Harry Potter" series of books by J.K.Rowling. Players can learn magic spells and summon "Harry Potter" characters such as Hermione Granger and Rubeus Hagrid as allies to aid in their battles. The game can be downloaded for free on iOS and Android platforms from Tuesday, the companies said. Reporting by Tiyashi Datta in Bengaluru; Editing by Saumyadeb ChakrabartyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Harry Potter, J.K.Rowling, Hermione Granger, Rubeus Hagrid, Tiyashi Datta, Saumyadeb Organizations: Warner Bros Discovery Inc, Inc, Tuesday, Thomson Locations: Hogwarts, Bengaluru

Liberty Global could retain a stake in the merged entity, which would comprise ITV Studios and All3Media, the person said. Spokespeople for ITV, All3Media, Warner Bros. and Liberty Global declined to comment. Discovery and Liberty Global bought All3Media in 2014 for an enterprise value of about 550 million pounds. In a potential deal, ITV would combine All3Media with the Studios business it has built to offset more volatile revenue from its advertising-dependent TV channels and new ITVX streaming service. ITV Studios, which makes reality show "Love Island", grew revenue by 19% to 2.1 billion pounds and adjusted earnings by 22% to 259 million pounds in 2022.

Persons: Spokespeople, Amy, Jo Crowley, Paul Sandle, Elisa Martinuzzi, Hugh Lawson Organizations: ITV, Warner Bros Discovery Inc, Liberty Global, Warner Brothers, . Liberty Global, ITV Studios, All3Media, Reuters, Liberty, Warner Bros, JPMorgan, Discovery, Thomson

☆ Reliance's JioCinema signs content streaming deal with NBC Universal
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BENGALURU, May 29 (Reuters) - JioCinema, the streaming platform run by India's Reliance Industries Ltd (RELI.NS), has signed a partnership with NBC Universal Media in a push to increase Hollywood content on the platform for Indian viewers, the companies said on Monday. The multi-year deal will give JioCinema's premium subscribers access to popular shows such as "Downton Abbey", "Suits" and "The Office," the companies said in a joint statement. This comes after JioCinema signed a content streaming deal with Warner Bros Discovery Inc (WBD.O) in April for shows such as "Succession" and "Game of Thrones". JioCinema announced its premium pricing earlier this month, moving away from free content model to fight rivals like Netflix (NFLX.O) and Disney (DIS.N) in the content streaming space. Reporting by Shilpa Jamkhandikar and Hritam Mukherjee; Editing by Savio D'SouzaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ 'Hot labor summer': Los Angeles unions back Hollywood writers
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( Jorge Garcia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LOS ANGELES, May 26 (Reuters) - Unions representing teachers, truck drivers and other workers who will be headed soon to the bargaining table turned out in downtown Los Angeles on Friday to support Hollywood's striking film and television writers. On Friday, a few hundred members of unions in the tourism and hospitality industries, teachers, logistics workers and public employees rallied in downtown Los Angeles in a show of unity. The participating unions represented more than 200,000 workers with collective bargaining agreements also due to expire in 2023, organizers said. "It's going to be a hot labor summer," Lorena Gonzalez, executive secretary of the California Labor Federation, told the crowd. [1/6] Union workers rally to fight alongside Writers Guild of America for liveable wages and future contracts in Downtown Los Angeles, California, U.S., May 26, 2023.

☆ Warner Bros Discovery's surprise loss clouds strong streaming unit show
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] The exterior of the Warner Bros. Warner Bros Discovery reported a per-share loss of 44 cents, while analysts had expected a profit of 1 cent, according to Refinitiv data. Warner Bros Discovery's new streaming service, christened "Max," is set to launch on May 23, combining HBO Max's scripted entertainment with Discovery's reality shows. Warner Bros Discovery reported revenue of $10.70 billion for the first three months of 2023, compared with analysts' estimates of $10.78 billion, according to Refinitiv data. The Warner Bros studio segment missed on its revenue forecasts, as its big March release "Shazam!

☆ Exclusive: Reliance JV Viacom18 strikes deal with Warner for streaming content-sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Aditya Kalra | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

NEW DELHI, April 27 (Reuters) - The broadcast venture of India's Reliance (RELI.NS) has struck a deal with Warner Bros Discovery Inc. (WBD.O) for its streaming platform JioCinema, a big push into bringing popular Hollywood content on the platform, two sources with direct knowledge said. The first source said the partnership will be exclusive and see most of Warner's marquee content on the JioCinema platform. "It's a deep exclusive arrangement which will make JioCinema the house of Warner, HBO in India," said the person. The content deal could bring in thousands of hours of streaming content onto JioCinema, which has become popular for streaming the IPL cricket tournament on the platform for free in the ongoing season. Viacom18 won the IPL digital streaming rights from 2023 to 2027 for around $2.9 billion, rights which Disney previously held.

☆ Warner Bros Discovery unveils its revamped 'Max' streaming service
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Dawn Chmielewski | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 12 - Warner Bros Discovery Inc(WBD.O) said on Wednesday it will launch on May 23 its long-awaited new streaming service, christened "Max", which combines HBO Max's scripted entertainment with Discovery's reality shows. The opportunity to better capitalize on the streaming video revolution was one of the justifications for the merger of Discovery and WarnerMedia in 2022. "We are not trying to win the direct-to-consumer spending war," Zaslav assured investors, shortly after the merger was finalized. Zaslav repudiated his predecessor's COVID-19 era strategy of releasing new movies simultaneously in theaters and in the home, via HBO Max. Instead, Warner Bros films would enjoy a traditional theatrical release, and reap box office proceeds, before becoming available on the streaming service.

☆ Warner Bros Discovery unveils revamped 'Max' in push for streaming growth
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Dawn Chmielewski | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Warner Bros Discovery eliminated "HBO" from the name of the streaming service, which for some viewers connotes bespoke series but repels others. He repudiated his predecessor's COVID-19 era strategy of releasing new movies simultaneously in theaters and in the home, via HBO Max. Instead, Warner Bros films would enjoy a traditional theatrical release and reap box office proceeds before becoming available on the streaming service. It licensed some of these shows to other streaming services, as Warner Bros Discovery looked for new ways to monetize its film and television libraries. Like other media companies, Warner Bros Discovery has yet to turn a profit on its HBO Max and Discovery+ streaming services, though the company has reduced losses from them.

REUTERS/Mario AnzuoniNEW YORK, Feb 24 (Reuters) - The rights to stream "South Park," the popular animated comedy featuring foul-mouthed children, is the subject of a new lawsuit where Warner Bros Discovery Inc is seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in damages from Paramount Global (PARA.O). The complaint said the defendants cemented their apostasy in August 2021 when Paramount's MTV unit announced an agreement to stream new "South Park" content on Paramount+, through season 30 in 2027. Warner said it now expects to receive only 14 of the 30 new "South Park" episodes it had been promised, including two "Pandemic Specials" that Paramount claims constitute season 24. The defendants also include MTV and South Park Digital Studios, a joint venture between Paramount, Parker and Stone. "South Park" was launched in August 1997 on Comedy Central, owned by Paramount.

The personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index, the Fed's preferred gauge of inflation, shot up 0.6% last month after gaining 0.2% in December. In the 12 months through January, the PCE index accelerated 5.4% after rising 5.3% in December. "This PCE number, which to me is a vital number, clearly suggests that the Fed has more to do. ET, Dow e-minis were down 352 points, or 1.06%, S&P 500 e-minis were down 48.25 points, or 1.2%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were down 202.5 points, or 1.66%. A string of Fed policymakers including Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester and Boston Fed President Susan Collins are also slated to speak.

☆ AT&T seeks to shed cybersecurity division -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Milana Vinn | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, Feb 21 (Reuters) - AT&T Inc (T.N), the second-biggest U.S. wireless carrier, is exploring a sale of its cybersecurity division, potentially undoing an acquisition it completed five years ago, according to people familiar with the matter. The sale of the cybersecurity business would add to a string of divestments AT&T has turned to in order to pay down debt following its $108.7 billion acquisition of Time Warner Inc in 2018, a deal it has since also unwound. AT&T has been working with Barclays Plc (BARC.L) to solicit potential bids for its cybersecurity business, which was called Alienvault when it was acquired in 2018 in a roughly $600 million deal, the sources said. The sources cautioned that no deal is certain and requested anonymity because the matter is confidential. AT&T's cybersecurity division helps small-to-medium-sized businesses keep their information technology networks, including laptops, desktops, servers and mobile devices, secure.

☆ AT&T seeks to shed cybersecurity division, sources tell Reuters
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

AT&T Inc , the second-biggest U.S. wireless carrier, is exploring a sale of its cybersecurity division, potentially undoing an acquisition it completed five years ago, according to people familiar with the matter. The sale of the cybersecurity business would add to a string of divestments AT&T has turned to in order to pay down debt following its $108.7 billion acquisition of Time Warner Inc in 2018, a deal it has since also unwound. The sources cautioned that no deal is certain and requested anonymity because the matter is confidential. AT&T's cybersecurity division helps small-to-medium-sized businesses keep their information technology networks, including laptops, desktops, servers and mobile devices, secure. The acquisition of Alienvault was aimed at giving AT&T an edge in signing up and retaining corporate clients, but the deal's rationale has eroded as cybersecurity startups that offer cheap alternatives mushroomed.

☆ Shareholder votes offer check on unjustified CEO pay at S&P 500 companies, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Ross Kerber | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Feb 16 (Reuters) - Compensation for S&P 500 (.SPX) chief executives has soared in recent years even as investors cast more of their advisory "Say on Pay" votes against management, leading to doubts about the ballots' usefulness. Discovery's total shareholder return for 2021 was minus 22%, versus a gain of 29% for the S&P 500. Warner Brothers Discovery, created last year when Discovery Inc bought AT&T's (T.N) media assets, has not set the frequency of its pay votes. To rank CEOs as "overpaid," As You Sow used criteria including shareholder returns, critical shareholder pay votes and the ratio of CEO to worker pay. It noted the average share of votes cast "against" executive pay at S&P 500 companies climbed to 12.6% last year, from 11.7% in 2021 and 10.4% in 2020.

"This reorganization will result in a more cost-effective, coordinated approach to our operations," Iger told analysts on a conference call. Disney earlier reported its first quarterly decrease in subscriptions for its Disney+ streaming media unit, which lost more than $1 billion. Iger also repositioned the company to capitalize on the streaming revolution, acquiring 21st Century Fox's film and television assets in 2019 and launching the Disney+ streaming service that fall. Now, Iger will seek to put Disney's streaming business on a path to growth and profitability. It reorganized its business in 2018 to accelerate the growth of its streaming business, and again in 2020, to further spur streaming's growth.

Iger said he would reorganize the company into three segments: an entertainment unit that encompasses film, television and streaming; a sports-focused ESPN unit; and Disney parks, experiences and products. "This reorganization will result in a more cost-effective, coordinated approach to our operations," Iger told analysts on a conference call. Disney earlier reported its first quarterly decrease in subscriptions for its Disney+ streaming media unit which lost more than $1 billion. Now, Iger will seek to put Disney's streaming business on a path to growth and profitability. It reorganized its business in 2018 to accelerate the growth of its streaming business, and again in 2020, to further spur streaming's growth.

☆ Exclusive: Warner Bros Discovery licenses movies and TV shows to Roku, Tubi
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Dawn Chmielewski | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Jan 31 (Reuters) - Warner Bros Discovery Inc (WBD.O) has reached deals with streaming services Roku Inc (ROKU.O) and Fox Corp's (FOXA.O) Tubi to license 2,000 hours of movies and TV series, as it becomes the latest media company to embrace free, ad-supported streaming TV. The streamers announced Tuesday they plan to use the content to launch Warner Bros-branded free, ad-supported TV (or FAST) channels. For the first nine months of 2022, Warner Bros Discovery's streaming business, which includes HBO Max, lost $1.38 billion. The studio is seeking to capitalize on a growing segment of the streaming universe, which industry executives see as complementing subscription streaming services. AMC Networks Inc (AMCX.O), Comcast Corp's (CMCSA.O) NBCUniversal and the National Hockey League have launched FAST channels over the last year.

☆ Warner Bros Discovery explores sale of music library - FT
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 12 (Reuters) - Warner Bros Discovery Inc (WBD.O) is exploring a sale of its music library that could be valued at more than $1 billion, the Financial Times reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter. The company is looking for buyers for the music copyrights that it owns, according to the report, which added that the process was in its early stages. Warner Bros Discovery, which was formed last year by the merger of AT&T Inc's (T.N) WarnerMedia unit and Discovery Inc, did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Warner Bros Discovery's reported plan would be the latest under top boss David Zaslav, who recently shut down the CNN+ streaming service and canceled the movie "Batgirl". Reporting by Yuvraj Malik in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika SyamnathOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Warner Bros Discovery rolls out first HBO Max price hike in U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 12 (Reuters) - Warner Bros Discovery Inc (WBD.O) is raising HBO Max's ad-free subscription fee in the United States for the first time since the streaming service was launched in 2020, the TV network said on Thursday, sending its shares down 3%. HBO Max, which also has an ad-supported tier, faces pressure from slowing user growth and tight competition from larger rivals Netflix Inc (NFLX.O) and Walt Disney Co's (DIS.N) Disney+. Netflix and Disney had also raised prices for some of their streaming services last year. Warner Bros Discovery, formed last year by the merger of AT&T Inc's (T.N) WarnerMedia unit and Discovery Inc, is pushing for internal changes including plans to combine HBO Max and Discovery+. It also made both HBO Max and Discovery+ available on Amazon.com Inc's (AMZN.O) Prime Video platform in select markets.

☆ Warner Bros Discovery expects $1 bln more in scrapped content charges
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 14 (Reuters) - Warner Bros Discovery Inc (WBD.O) on Wednesday raised its expectations of costs related to content write-offs by $1 billion and said the charges could now reach up to $3.5 billion. For the media company, formed earlier this year by the merger of AT&T Inc's (T.N) WarnerMedia unit and Discovery Inc, the total financial restructuring cost could now be between $4.1 billion and $5.3 billion. Some reports said the shows "Nevers" and "Westworld" would be pulled from HBO Max. The company has said the restructuring initiatives will be substantially completed by the end of 2024. Reporting by Eva Mathews in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini GanguliOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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