DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Why Netflix, Disney, and other Hollywood companies are flocking to CES this year
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-08 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Advertising and marketing pros made up 7% of CES' attendees in 2023, per CES. Look for topics like the creator economy and the rise of artificial intelligence to dominate the conversation for advertisers, Kassan added. And Roku, which is closing in on its search for a new ad sales head, is sending a large contingent. The cost advertisers pay for streaming ads is expected to decline as platforms release more inventory, particularly with Amazon unleashing ads on Prime Video. Advertisers also have more options with the fast-growing FASTs (free, ad-supported streaming TV channels), which primarily offer older TV shows and movies.

Persons: David Benioff, Weiss, Alexander Woo, Amy Reinhard, execs, It's, who'll, Patrick Pannett, Michael Kassan, Evan Spiegel, Kassan, — that's, Rita Ferro, NBCUniversal's Mark Marshall, NBCU's Peacock, NBCUniversal, Peacock, NBCU, Tanner Elton, Amy McDevitt, Ludacris, Jon Steinlauf, GroupM Organizations: Netflix, CES, Business, Consumer Technology Association, Madison Avenue, Walmart, Disney, Nexstar Media Group, Nvidia, Paramount, CTA, Tech, NBC, Bravo, Amazon Ads, Warner Bros, Magna, CTV, Hulu, Intelligence, Prime Video Locations: Las Vegas, Peacock

☆ YouTube is facing a reckoning as rivals offer TV streaming scale for the first time
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

One holding company exec said for the first time in years, their clients' YouTube spending hasn't increased this year. Execs also cited suitability of YouTube content as an ongoing factor in their spending allocations. YouTube TV , launched in 2017, provides linear and on-demand programming, and parent Alphabet has called it a bright spot for subscriber growth. YouTube also pitches TV advertisers on YouTube Select, which lets advertisers run ads on the top 5% of its most popular programming. And last year, YouTube reached a deal to make NFL's Sunday Ticket games an add-on for YouTube TV subscribers.

Persons: Max, Execs, Adalytics, Dan Salmon, Brian Albert, Albert, Nielsen, it's, we're, execs, Brian Wieser, Wieser Organizations: YouTube, Business, Disney, Paramount, Amazon, Prime, Google, Hollywood, New, Research, US, Netflix, Hulu, Sunday Ticket, Nielsen . Ad, YouTube's Locations: Madison, Wall

☆ The advertising winter may finally be starting to thaw
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The long advertising winter could be coming to an end in the second half of this year. There are tentative signs that the advertising winter is starting to thaw. Meta, which derives more than 98% of its revenue from advertising, reported revenue well ahead of analysts' estimates for the second quarter. To be sure, some pure-play advertising companies remain challenged. Indeed, on Thursday, the US Commerce Department said the US economy grew by 2.4% in the second quarter, which was up from 2% in the first quarter.

Persons: spenders, Kimberly, Clark, Brian Wieser, Groupe, IPG, Arthur Sadoun, It's, they're Organizations: Companies, Meta, Google, PepsiCo, Wall, Tech, Microsoft, US Commerce Department Locations: Madison

☆ Comcast beats expectations as higher prices offset slowing broadband growth
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Comcast beat analyst estimates on Thursday when it reported its second-quarter results, as higher pricing helped offset a continued slowdown in its broadband business. The company now groups its Xfinity-branded broadband, cable TV and wireless services with its U.K.-based Sky. Higher average rates helped to offset second-quarter subscriber losses, leading to broadband revenue growth of 4.4%. Comcast and its peers have experienced slowing growth in the broadband segment following quarters of robust gains during the early days of the Covid pandemic. The drop in domestic advertising was largely due to lower revenue at NBCUniversal's TV networks, which was partially offset by the leap in Peacock revenue.

Persons: Peacock, Cord, Bob Iger, NBCUniversal, Mario Organizations: Comcast, Refinitiv, Disney, USA Network, Bravo, Premier League soccer, Peacock, Sky Sports, Revenue, Mario Bros, Super Nintendo, CNBC Locations: Beijing, Japan, Orlando, Florida

☆ A top Warner Bros. Discovery ad sales exec has exited, and insiders say rumors are flying of layoffs and changes as early as next week
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Insiders are speculating more layoffs and organizational changes are on the way. The media giant is wrapping its ad sales upfront period, where sales have been soft across the industry. Discovery has parted ways with another top ad sales exec, and insiders are speculating that more layoffs and changes are on the way. He's also a vet of Hulu ad sales and active in digital advertising, serving on the board of trade group the Interactive Advertising Bureau. Keller's exit is the second big WBD ad sales departure this year; John Dailey stepped down from his position as SVP of ad sales in March.

Persons: Discovery's, salespeople, Jim Keller, Jon Steinlauf —, Keller, He's, WBD, Keller didn't, Chris Licht, Steinlauf, David Zaslav, John Dailey Organizations: Warner Bros, Insiders, HBO Max, Hulu, Interactive, CNN, Discovery Locations: Discovery

☆ The media industry is in turmoil, and that's not changing anytime soon
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

All of this turmoil will be on investors' minds as the media industry kicks off its earnings season this week, with Netflix up first on Wednesday. Netflix, with a new advertising model and push to stop password sharing, looks the best positioned compared with legacy media giants. At the top of the list is contending with Disney's TV networks, as that part of the business appears to be in a worse state than Iger had imagined. The labor fight blew up just as the industry has moved away from streaming growth at all costs. Last week's ruling from a federal judge that Microsoft's $68.7 billion acquisition of game publisher Activision Blizzard should move forward serves as a rare piece of good news for the media industry.

Persons: Mike Blake, Bob Iger, Iger, Bob Iger's, Michael Nathanson, SVB, CNBC's David Faber, Nathanson, Producers –, Mark Boidman, Ross Benes, Benes, Comcast's NBCUniversal, Solomon, Boidman, Random, Paramount's Simon, Schuster, Tegna, Jason Anderson, Peter Liguori, Anderson, HBO Max, Homer, Marge Getty Organizations: Guild of America, Netflix, Alliance, Producers, Reuters, Disney, Disney's, Paramount Global, Comcast, Warner Bros, American Federation of Television, Radio Artists, Media, Solomon Partners, CNBC, Hollywood, Intelligence, ABC, Paramount, BET, NBC Sports, USA, Discovery, Activision, Federal Trade Commission, dealmaking, Microsoft, Tribune Media, Max, HBO, Amazon, MGM, Sky, Fox Corp, FOX Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, MoffettNathanson, Hulu

☆ Former Essence Magazine employees say they witnessed a 'hellish' and 'dehumanizing' culture at the leading publication for Black women in America
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Yoonji Han | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +34 min

On June 28, 2020, a group of women using the name Black Females Anonymous published a damning public letter that shook Essence magazine, the leading publication for Black women in America, to the core. Essence magazine was launched in 1970 at a time when Black business and civil-rights leaders called for greater self-determination and empowerment. The magazine was the brainchild of a group of four Black businessmen who identified a lack of publications for Black women in America. "And that is to serve Black women deeply, to serve women of color in a way that no one else has thought about." Essence CEO Michelle Ebanks, Dennis, and Essence chief content and creative officer, Moana Luu, at the 2020 13th Annual Essence Black Women in Hollywood luncheon.

Persons: Richelieu Dennis, Dennis, haven't, Susan Taylor, Taylor, —, Jason Kempin, wasn't, Michelle Ebanks, Rich Dennis, Arturo Holmes, Margarita Corporan, Forbes, let's, didn't, Sandra Okerulu, Ebanks, Luu, Moana, Rich Polk, Wears, Danielle Young, Julee Wilson, Candace Montgomery, Wilson, Montgomery, Martha, Martha Dennis, Rechelle, Sophia, Richelyna, Alan Lescht, bristled, Joy Collins Profet, Readers, Essence's, Collins Profet, Caroline Wanga, — it's, Wanga, unappreciated, Travis Montaque, cofounders, Lionel Hahn, Yesha Callahan, Rich, That's what's, Yoonji Han Organizations: Black, Time Inc, Vogue, Sports, Essence Communications, Entertainment, New York Times, Meredith Corporation, Essence, Inc, Brands, Ventures, Upfronts, Babson College, The, Depot, PepsiCo, Accenture, Unilever, Magazine, Magazine's, Penske Media, Getty, Essence Ventures, Afropunk, Vice Media, Black Entertainment Television, Digital, Sports Illustrated, Media, Fortress Investment, NASDAQ, Trace Media, texturism, Readers, Employees, Staff, BET, Culture, Democracy, Inkwell Locations: America, Black, Liberia, Queens, shea, Moana Luu, Martinique, France, Paris, Philippines, Hollywood, Industry City, Brooklyn, Cannes

☆ Essence Magazine was meant to be a place for 'Black girl magic.' Internally, some employees say it was more like 'Black girl tragic.'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Yoonji Han | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +34 min

"Essence is the most deceptive Black media company in America. Essence Magazine was first published in 1970 at a time when Black business and civil rights leaders called for greater self-determination and empowerment. The magazine was the brainchild of a group of four Black businessmen who identified a lack of publications for Black women in America. "And that is to serve Black women deeply, to serve women of color in a way that no one else has thought about." Essence CEO Michelle Ebanks, Richelieu Dennis, and Essence chief content & creative officer Moana Luu at the 2020 13th Annual ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood luncheon.

Persons: Richelieu Dennis, Dennis, Susan Taylor, Taylor, —, Jason Kempin, wasn't, Essence Communications Michelle Ebanks, Rich Dennis, Arturo Holmes, Margarita Corporan, Forbes, let's, Black, didn't, Sandra Okerulu, Michelle Ebanks, Luu, Moana, Rich Polk, Wears, Danielle Young, Julee Wilson, Candace Montgomery, Wilson, Montgomery, Martha, Martha Dennis, Rechelle, Sophia, Richelyna, Alan Lescht, bristled, Ebanks, Joy Collins Profet, Readers, Essence's, Collins Profet, Caroline Wanga, — it's, Wanga, unappreciated, Travis Montaque, cofounders, Lionel Hahn, Yesha Callahan, Rich, That's what's, Yoonji Han Organizations: Black, Essence Magazine, Time Inc, Vogue, Sports, Essence Communications, Entertainment, New York Times, Meredith Corporation, Brands, Ventures, Upfronts, Babson College, The, Depot, PepsiCo, Accenture, Unilever, Inc, Magazine, Magazine's, Penske Media, Getty, Essence Ventures, Afropunk, Vice Media, Black Entertainment Television, Digital, Sports Illustrated, Media, Fortress Investment, NASDAQ, Trace Media, texturism, Hamptons, Readers, Employees, Staff, BET, Culture, Democracy, Inkwell, Essence Locations: America, Black, Liberia, Queens, shea, Moana Luu, Martinique, France, Paris, Philippines, Hollywood, Industry City, Brooklyn, Cannes

☆ JPMorgan hikes Netflix price target, says password sharing crackdown can drive revenue growth
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

This comes after Netflix said at its Upfront presentation last month that the company's ad-supported tier and password sharing crackdown are gaining traction. The analyst forecasts total paid sharing revenue of $2.4 billion in 2024 and $3.5 billion in 2025. We now model GAAP EPS of $15.40 in 2024 & $18.89 in 2025, along [with free cash flow] of $6.0B in 2024 & $8.6B in 2025," Anmuth wrote. Netflix shares are trending higher this quarter, up more than 15%, while the S & P 500 climbed 4%. JPMorgan was not the only Wall Street firm to hike its price target on Netflix.

Persons: Doug Anmuth, Anmuth, Wells Fargo's Steven Cahall, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Netflix, JPMorgan Locations: Tuesday's

☆ TV’s Annual Upfronts Were Light on Stars, Heavy on Drama (and Not the Scripted Kind)
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Megan Graham | Patrick Coffee | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/tvs-annual-upfronts-were-light-on-stars-heavy-on-drama-and-not-the-scripted-kind-2a58ac60

☆ 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.

☆ 10 Things in Tech: Apple's upcoming 'Reality' headset, BookTok drives book sales, and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

AI startup cloud deals by Microsoft, Google, and Amazon are ringing "accounting alarm bells" across Silicon Valley over revenue "round-tripping." As Big Tech firms invest in AI startups in exchange for commitments to use their cloud services, some investors question whether those arrangements are artificially inflating cloud revenue growth. A former Apple marketing executive predicts the company's upcoming "Reality" headset risks being "one of the greatest tech flops of all time." How the BookTok phenomenon helped send book sales to an all-time high and reignite a love for reading. Read on to find out more about what you can use the AI app for.

☆ YouTube's subscription business is already a third the size of Netflix
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Ryan Joe | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

YouTube's subscription revenue is a third the size of Netflix's, according to asset management firm AllianceBernstein. Asset management firm AlliacneBernstein did the math and noticed that YouTube's last four quarters of ad revenue was $29 billion, which puts its subscriptions revenue at $11 billion. YouTube's ad revenue had declined for three consecutive quarters, dipping 2.6% to $6.7 billion in the last quarter. "We really want to be a platform for all things video," Mohan said. Bolstering the creator aspect around NFL Sunday Ticket will also help YouTube's ad business, Mohan said.

☆ Netflix stock jumps 10% on signs that its new ad-based subscription plan is booming
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Netflix told advertising executives that its new ad-based plan has 5 million active users. Sign up for our newsletter to get the inside scoop on what traders are talking about — delivered daily to your inbox. On Wednesday, the company presented advertising executives at the industry's so-called upfronts with the first insights into the new tier, disclosing that it had 5 million monthly active users. In March, Bloomberg reported that the $7-per-month ad option had 1 million monthly active users after its first two months. Because monthly active users can include several people using the same subscription, analysts at Evercore estimated that the 5 million MAUs Netflix reported translates to 2 million-3 million subscription accounts.

☆ YouTube's top exec Neal Mohan revealed its total revenues were $40 billion last year
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Ryan Joe | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

YouTube's revenue last year was $40 billion mostly from ads, its chief Neal Mohan said at a recent conference. Newly appointed YouTube chief Neal Mohan said the company's revenue was $40 billion in revenue over the last twelve months. He declined to split out YouTube's revenue between ads and subscription products, like YouTube TV, Premium, and Music. YouTube's ad revenue had declined for three consecutive quarters, dipping 2.6% to $6.7 billion in the last quarter. Bolstering the creator aspect around NFL Sunday Ticket will also help YouTube's ad business, Mohan said.

☆ Netflix ad tier now has nearly 5 million monthly active users
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LOS ANGELES, May 17 (Reuters) - Netflix Inc's (NFLX.O) recently launched tier that offers lower subscription fees but includes commercials on its programming now has nearly 5 million global monthly active users, a company executive said on Wednesday at a presentation to advertisers. The median age of those viewers is 34, said Jeremi Gorman, Netflix's president of worldwide advertising. Netflix launched a $7-per-month ad-supported tier in November in 12 markets. A Netflix subscription without advertising starts at $10 a month. Netflix had planned to make the presentation live in New York but switched to a virtual event to avoid protests from striking members of the Writers Guild of America.

☆ Warner Bros. Discovery just made another round of layoffs in sports, after calling 2023 a 'rebuilding' year
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Discovery just laid off dozens of people across its sports division. WBD Sports has the rights to NBA, NHL, and MLB, plus streaming services and brands like Bleacher Report. Discovery isn't done with cuts after all — the media giant laid off dozens in its sports division on May 16. WBD CEO David Zaslav and other company leaders have been drumming the message that 2023 is a "rebuilding" year after the massive layoffs and cost cuts that followed the completion of the WarnerMedia and Discovery merger in spring 2022. Between layoffs and open positions that were not filled, the total cuts at WBD Sports represented about 10% of its workforce.

☆ Netflix ad tier has nearly 5 mln monthly active users
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Lisa Richwine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LOS ANGELES, May 17 (Reuters) - Netflix Inc's (NFLX.O) recently launched ad-supported tier reaches nearly 5 million active users per month, executives said on Wednesday in a pitch that emphasized the breadth of its programming to potential advertisers. On Wednesday, Netflix made its first presentation to advertisers at the annual ritual known as the upfronts, where networks aim to lock in ad commitments for upcoming shows. Jeremi Gorman, Netflix's president of worldwide advertising, said that global monthly active users had reached 5 million. Monthly active users count all adult profiles used on one account with ads. Netflix reported 232.5 million paying subscribers around the world as of the end of March.

☆ These 18 top Netflix execs are driving its advertising push under head Jeremi Gorman as the company makes its first big TV upfronts pitch
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Peter Naylor, VP of global advertising salesPeter Naylor, VP, global advertising sales. Netflix has also brought on several directors and other roles in ad sales who've worked at Hulu, Snap, and elsewhere. They are Kinsey Osberg Tamberrino, who is Publicis' main point of contact, and who spent eight years at Hulu, rising to director of advertising sales. Chad Rumminger, who focuses on automotive accounts, from automotive ad sales at Twitter. Julie Taylor Green is head of US vertical ad sales; she was TikTok's director of global business solutions before that.

☆ Warner Bros. Discovery's ad sales chief is battling for market share at the TV upfronts. Meet his 8 deputies driving the strategy.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Discovery's Jon Steinlauf is working to help the company rebuild amid a soft ad market. The task of grabbing a greater share of that ad market falls to chief US advertising sales officer Jon Steinlauf. He'd led its ad sales since 2018, having joined Discovery through its acquisition of Scripps Networks. He also has Warner experience, having served as VP of ad sales for Turner Broadcasting's TBS and TNT networks in the '90s. And it shared with Insider that four of Steinlauf's eight direct reports are women and that 56% of the ad sales leadership team are women.

☆ Watch CNBC’s full interview with Lightshed's Rich Greenfield on media industry's upfront season
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | 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 Lightshed's Rich Greenfield on media industry's upfront seasonRich Greenfield, LightShed Partners co-founder, joins 'Squawk Box' to preview what to expect from media upfronts this season, the impact of writers' strike, the state of streaming wars, and more.

☆ Warner Bros. Discovery's ad sales chief reveals how he'll tout flexible offerings and 6 new measurement deals to grab brand dollars from TV rivals
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Discovery ad sales chief Jon Steinlauf has a strategy to grab market share at the TV upfronts. WBD left money on the table at the 2022 upfront, Steinlauf said, and faces a soft 2023 ad market. Discovery's pitch to advertisers was all about the breadth of its newly merged portfolio of news, sports, and lifestyle entertainment. When it comes to WBD's Premiere package of top ad inventory, for example, ad sales chief Jon Steinlauf emphasized how advertisers could customize the mix of programming to meet their wants. Discovery debuted at an inopportune time, just a few weeks ahead of the biggest TV sales event of the year.

Fox Corp. , Disney , Warner Bros. Media executives' messaging to advertisers could center around value this year, particularly as companies continue to offer more content on their streaming services. Cost cuttingWhile media executives will try to convince advertisers to maximize their spending, they'll be pushing that narrative while making fewer shows. The logo of the streaming service Paramount+ on a logo wall at the Paramount+ launch event. Jörg Carstensen | Picture Alliance | Getty ImagesParamount, in particular, has seen a big reliance on franchises, especially for its Paramount+ streaming service.

☆ More and more streaming companies jumping into advertising pool, says LightShed’s Rich Greenfield
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | 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 EmailMore and more streaming companies jumping into advertising pool, says LightShed’s Rich GreenfieldRich Greenfield, LightShed Partners co-founder, joins 'Squawk Box' to preview what to expect from media upfronts this season, the impact of writers' strike, the state of streaming wars, and more.

☆ Let the guessing game begin! Elon Musk's cryptic Twitter CEO tweet drives speculation — and plenty of joke theories
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Sindhu Sundar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Elon Musk offered few clues about Twitter's next CEO, besides that "she" will take over in weeks. The cryptic post drove plenty of people on Musk's platform to suggest possible contenders. One serious guess came from tech journalist Kara Swisher, who laid out her case and observations in a Twitter thread. An NBCUniversal spokesperson told Insider that Yaccarino was preparing for the Upfronts, an event where media companies pitch advertisers. Guesses included famous tech names, some quickly debunkedYou didn't have to look far on Twitter to see some famous tech names like Sheryl Sandberg, Marissa Mayer, or Susan Wojcicki being floated.

Search resuls for: "Upfronts"

25 mentions found