DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ 2022 was tough for media stocks like Netflix and Disney, and 2023 doesn't look good, either
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

On top of that, companies are contending with lower ad revenue and more cord cutting. Tightening ad marketOn top of this, the ad market has worsened. Paramount missed third-quarter estimates after its ad revenue dropped, with its stock hitting a low in the following days. "We also anticipate that advertising streaming will become more important in the year to come," Solomon Partners' Boidman said. For media companies like Comcast and Charter Communications , lagging subscriber growth on the broadband front, rather than the pay-TV business, weighed more significantly on their stocks.

☆ Bob Iger's return as Disney CEO opens new possibilities for Hulu deal with Comcast
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Disney will write "a big check" for Comcast's 33% share of Hulu, said NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell. With Bob Iger returning as Disney's CEO, Comcast is hoping for a broader conversation to seal the deal. Comcast is eyeing assets such as ESPN, FX, and NatGeo in return for surrendering its stake in Hulu. Former Disney CEO Bob Chapek, who was unceremoniously fired on November 20, refused to hold any talks on the topic with Comcast CEO Brian Roberts, according to a Comcast insider and a high-level Hollywood executive familiar with thinking inside Disney. Representatives for Hulu, Disney, and Comcast had no comment.

Organizations: & $

Shares of Paramount Global fell Tuesday after CEO Robert Bakish warned that fourth-quarter advertising revenue would be lower than the company's sluggish third-quarter figures. Paramount's ad revenue declined 2% in the third quarter. Paramount isn't the only media company to say the ad market is rough. NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell said at the UBS conference Monday that it has steadily worsened over the last six to nine months. Programing note: Paramount CEO Robert Bakish will appear on CNBC's "Squawk on the Street" on Wednesday at 10 a.m.

☆ The former CEO of WarnerMedia predicts only 3 major entertainment companies will survive in the streaming space
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Media exec Jason Kilar predicts only 3 entertainment companies will survive the streaming war. In a piece for The Wall Street Journal, Kilar predicted that only three of the global entertainment companies, not including tech giants Amazon and Apple, will come out of the "streaming war" unscathed. But based on Kilar's threshold, Disney is well-positioned to survive, with 235 million global subscribers across its services, 164 million of which belong to Disney+. Kilar added that "two or three major mergers and/or acquisitions" in the entertainment industry would occur in the next two years because of shifts in the streaming space. Former Disney CEO Bob Chapek, who was ousted last month, hinted in September that he'd want to integrate Hulu into Disney+ once the deal is complete, though it's unclear what returning CEO Bob Iger's plans are.

☆ Peacock streaming service has over 18 mln global paid subscribers
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Helen Coster | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Dec 5 (Reuters) - Comcast Corp-owned (CMCSA.O) NBCUniversal's Peacock streaming service has over 18 million global paid subscribers, NBCUniversal Chief Executive Jeff Shell said while speaking at the UBS Global TMT Conference Monday. That number is up from the 15 million the company reported in October. Reporting by Helen CosterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ NBCUniversal layoffs are coming in January, with cuts expected mainly in broadcast and cable TV groups
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Layoffs will come in ad sales and marketing in the linear TV business but aren't expected to affect theme parks. NBCUniversal is the latest major media corporation to plan layoffs, according to two company insiders and a third person closely familiar with plans. The axe will fall mainly in ad sales, marketing, and back-end functions at the traditional broadcast and cable business units, but will come division by division, two people said. The company is looking for $1 billion in cuts across the TV networks, according to a Bloomberg report. Paramount Global also conducted layoffs last week, mainly in ad sales in New York and Los Angeles.

☆ NBCUniversal layoffs are coming in January
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Layoffs will come in ad sales and marketing in the linear television business but won't affect theme parks. NBCUniversal is the latest major media corporation to plan layoffs, according to two company insiders and a third person closely familiar with plans. The axe will fall mainly in ad sales, marketing, and back-end functions at the traditional broadcast and cable business units, but will come division by division, two people said. Paramount Global also conducted layoffs last week, mainly in ad sales in New York and Los Angeles. NBCUniversal was the first major media firm to conduct a corporate restructure of its business back in 2020.

☆ Comcast tops expectations as it squeezes out a small gain in broadband subscribers
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Comcast on Thursday reported third-quarter earnings that beat analyst estimates, despite seeing revenue slightly decline and continued softness in broadband customer growth. Still, it's a sign that cable broadband providers are facing increased competition from telecom and wireless internet companies. Meanwhile, Comcast's cable unit, which includes pay-TV, mobile and traditional phone services in addition to broadband, saw revenue increase 2.6% to $16.5 billion. The company said broadband revenue jumped 5.7% due to an increase in average rates and the number of its residential broadband customers. Peacock, the company's fledgling streaming service, surpassed 15 million paying customers, an increase of more than 70% year-to-date, the company Thursday.

☆ Hulu insiders are confused and frustrated about their future as Disney and Comcast battle it out for control of the streamer
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Lucia Moses | Elaine Low | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Sparring between Disney and Comcast CEOs over Hulu has stoked uncertainty among insiders about the streamer's future. Many wonder how Hulu will stay differentiated from Disney+ if Disney becomes Hulu's sole owner. Insiders and advertisers alike are also watching to see if Hulu will lose some of its distinctiveness as Disney invests more in Disney+. "That was a clear departure from Disney being family-focused and Hulu being general entertainment," said a second former Hulu exec. And as the CEOs posture, people inside the streamer are eager for leadership to tell them, as a third former company insider put it, "what Hulu means to the Walt Disney Company."

☆ NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell says movie business benefiting from new release model
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-04 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

CEO of NBC Jeff Shell arrives for the Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference on July 06, 2021 in Sun Valley, Idaho. NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell said Tuesday the company's movie business is performing well on the hybrid model of releasing some films simultaneously in theaters and on streaming services, while waiting to make others available for viewers at home. That changed when the Covid-19 pandemic shut down theaters, leading some companies to release films directly on streaming services for a period of time. "That construct of the windowing combined with the fact that streamers really want movies, movies are driving platforms, has in my opinion made the movie business economically better," Shell said. Some evaluated releasing movies directly on streaming services on a case-by-case basis, which Shell said NBCUniversal continues to do.

Gabby Jones | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesBenefits of bundlingFor consumers that buy many streaming services already, purchasing a bundle of them for a discount would be an instant money saver. For corporations, pushing together streaming services reduces the number of people who cancel each month, known in the industry as churn. But those companies also offer their own competing streaming services – The Roku Channel, Prime Video and Apple TV+, respectively – which could deter broader partnerships. Wireless companies already offer promotional pricing to streaming services as sign-up bonuses. From the standpoint of niche services, Peacock hasn't come to them with a coherent strategy, according to several people familiar with the talks.

☆ How Bryan Lourd became one of the most powerful people in the history of Hollywood
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-25 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +18 min

Lourd, 61, isn't a household name, but he wields a stunning amount of influence in Hollywood. Lourd's Hollywood clients aren't just A-listers, they're A+-listers: Brad Pitt. An old-fashioned talent agent who loves discussing old movies and doesn't mind pointing out the flaws in his own clients' work, Lourd has become arguably the most powerful person in Hollywood. "He's one of the most powerful people in the history of Hollywood," said Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos. But Lourd's clients are such bankable stars that it's equally important for Hollywood executives to be friendly with him as it is beneficial for Lourd and CAA.

Search resuls for: "Jeff Shell"

12 mentions found