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☆ Inside the demise of Vice, from turning away a $3.5 billion Disney offer to a 'painful' downward spiral that has the media giant scrambling for a buyer
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +19 min

The talks fizzled, Disney backed off, and Smith set off for California to drum up other interest in Vice Media. Vice Media Group co-CEOs Bruce Dixon, left, and Hozefa Lokhandwala. Vice Media GroupOne former Vice insider familiar with the current situation told Insider that staffers were warning vendors they needed to threaten to stop work in order to get paid. Just a few months later, Rupert Murdoch tweeted, "Who's heard of Vice Media? Refinery29 quickly lost key staff and was not well integrated into Vice Media, the two former staffers said.

☆ 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.

☆ Richard Parsons Is Investing in People Who Are Overlooked
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Emily Bobrow | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

When Richard Parsons became chief executive of Time Warner Inc. in 2002, he assumed he was pioneering a new era of Black CEOs in American corporations. “I had envisioned that on the heels of the Great Society initiatives of the 1970s, there would be a wave of people who were ready,” he says. “But for a number of reasons, this didn’t happen.” Today, only six Fortune 500 companies are run by Black CEOs—a record high. After decades of leading companies as varied as Citigroup Inc. and the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers, Mr. Parsons, 74, felt moved to tackle this pipeline problem himself. Together with a team of venture investors, including Ronald Lauder and Kenneth Lerer , he launched the New York-based Equity Alliance fund in 2021 to “democratize capital” by backing venture funds and early-stage ventures led by women and people of color.

One of the really interesting questions here – this will be fascinating – the core of linear TV is sports rights. When you look at the size and scope of the linear TV business, it's huge. Patrick T. Fallon | Afp | Getty ImagesByron Allen, Entertainment Studios founder and CEO: I think linear TV will exist for a very, very long time. Simmons: I believe Apple, out of nowhere, will start making their own awesome televisions that have Apple TV embedded in them. We are witnessing early stages of this dynamic with deals like "NFL Sunday Ticket" on YouTube and the MLS deal with Apple TV.

☆ Great Fraud Reckoning Will Expose Scam Companies, Cause Stock Market Chaos
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Linette Lopez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Get ready for what will feel like an inescapable wave of corporate fraud. And as interest rates have risen, the stock market has fallen off — which makes it harder to get dollars by whipping up new investors or offering stock. Despite Scheck's assertion that the risk of a wave of corporate fraud has heightened, he didn't want to speak in historical analogies. Kreuger had managed to hide that he had stretched the company's finances beyond solvency by raising money on the US stock market while it was raging. That may have been enough when the stock market was on a heater and investors were winning, but it's not enough when the stock market is falling, the economy is slowing, and everyone from regulators to lawmakers to kids on TikTok want answers.

☆ Fraud Economy: How Current Economic Trends Lead to More Corporate Scams
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Linette Lopez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Get ready for what will feel like an inescapable wave of corporate fraud. And as interest rates have risen, the stock market has fallen off — which makes it harder to get dollars by whipping up new investors or offering stock. Despite Scheck's assertion that the risk of a wave of corporate fraud has heightened, he didn't want to speak in historical analogies. There be icebergsOf course, there's also fraud that goes undetected in times of easy money — companies where the very act of existing means stretching the truth. Kreuger had managed to hide that he had stretched the company's finances beyond solvency by raising money on the US stock market while it was raging.

☆ FuboTV insiders describe how its 'doomed' sportsbook collapsed in a year — and what it means for the future of the streaming company
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Colin Salao | Ashley Rodriguez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +22 min

But despite the MetLife lounge remaining open throughout the 2021-22 NFL season, the Fubo Sportsbook wouldn't launch in New Jersey until the following one, in September 2022. "It was doomed from the start," one former Fubo Gaming staffer told Insider. Meanwhile, Rattner — whom the first former Fubo gaming staffer described as a "good talker" — sustained the startup's more youthful culture. The Fubo Sportsbook launched in New Jersey on September 7, days before the first Jets home game. A promotional image from when the Fubo Sportsbook went live in New Jersey in September 2022.

☆ Nelson Peltz's attempt to join Disney's board could force much-needed accountability
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Paulina Likos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

If Nelson Peltz were to win his fight to join Walt Disney 's (DIS) board of directors, the activist investor could force a level of accountability at the company that's sorely needed. Disney's board made the decision to not endorse Peltz and swiftly announced Wednesday that they named Mark Parker, a director since 2016 and executive chairman at Nike (NKE), as chairman, succeeding Susan Arnold. Disney, Peltz explained, "is a lot more than a media company." Disney's streaming business lost nearly $1.5 billion last quarter. Given Disney's distressed balance sheet, Jim asked Peltz about streaming service Hulu.

☆ Apple's VP services Stern to depart - Insider
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 9 (Reuters) - Apple Inc's (AAPL.O) vice president of services, Peter Stern, has informed colleagues that he is leaving the company, the Insider reported on Monday, citing a source close to the executive. Stern, who joined the iPhone maker from Time Warner Cable in 2016, will leave at the end of the month, according to the report. A prominent media executive, Stern oversaw an expansion of Apple's paid subscription businesses, particularly its television offering, Apple TV+. The services business features News+, Fitness+ and iCloud+, among other subscription services, a key focus for Apple as it looks to diversify revenue away from gadget sales. The Insider report said Apple is reorganizing its services unit and Stern's responsibilities will be split into three separate divisions.

☆ A top Apple subscriptions executive, VP Services Peter Stern, is leaving the company
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Peter Stern, one of Apple's top subscriptions executives, is exiting the company. In six years at Apple, Stern helped build Apple TV+'s business operations and the company's sports portfolio. Apple is reorganizing its Services unit and Stern's responsibilities will be split into three separate divisions, according to two people familiar with internal conversations at Apple. During his six-year tenure at Apple, Stern helped build subscription products such as Arcade, Books, and Apple One, News+, Fitness+, iCloud+. Apple's Services unit revenue continues to grow, as do its total subscriptions.

☆ How Anti-Abortion Activists Bought Access to the Supreme Court
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( Katherine Long | Jack Newsham | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +29 min

In exchange for as little as a few thousand dollars in contributions to the nonprofit, these people received easy access to events where Supreme Court justices would be. Supreme Court Historical society trustee Jay Sekulow, center, represented President Trump during the latter's impeachment trial in 2020. Anti-abortion advocates cheer in front of the Supreme Court after the decision in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores was announced in 2014. Alito did not respond to a request for comment on his involvement in the Supreme Court Historical Society. Supreme Court justices, though, aren't even required to stay within those weak guardrails because no code of ethics governs justices' behavior.

☆ The Microsoft-Activision deal gives Lina Khan a $69 billion problem in 2023. Defeating it will set the tone on Big Tech deals for years to come.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The FTC has a $69 billion headache to deal with in 2023 in the form of Microsoft's Activision buyout. Chair Lina Khan wants to rein in Big Tech but will be tested by one a Silicon Valley veteran. The outcome of the deal will have ramifications beyond Microsoft: the rest of Silicon Valley lies in wait before making their next big moves, as any decision will set the tone for Big Tech deals in years to come. That said, Microsoft's acquisition of Activision will prove even tougher to tackle than anything Amazon has thrown up for the FTC chief to date. Failure will likely embolden Big Tech to test the waters further.

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☆ Recession fears could trigger a 'lipstick' effect on deal activity next year
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Sheila Chiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

For the first time in over three years, there were no mega deals valued over $10 billion during the third quarter, according to the latest M&A report by Willis Towers Watson . There were only 49 large deals valued over $1 billion during the quarter, as compared with 67 large deals closed in the same period a year ago. Despite global recession fears, geopolitical tensions and expectations for inflation and interest rates to keep rising in 2023, WTW predicts dealmaking activity will continue. "An unprecedented number of disruptive forces have created headwinds for dealmakers, but they are also generating opportunities," said Massimo Borghello, head of human capital M&A consulting, Asia Pacific at WTW. "The fundamentals that drive dealmaking are still in place and, with valuations moderating after the historic levels reached in 2021, strategic and financial buyers alike will take advantage of better-priced opportunities for growth."

"The legal precedent is not on the side of the FTC," said Andre Barlow, an antitrust lawyer at Doyle, Barlow & Mazard PLLC. Barlow pointed to three recent mergers challenged by the FTC or Justice Department that were ultimately allowed to proceed. Those cases share something else in common with the proposed Microsoft deal: in each instance, a company would merge with a supplier in a so-called "vertical" merger. "Vertical merger challenges are really difficult to win so it will be an uphill battle for the FTC," said Roger Alford, who teaches law at the University of Notre Dame. Reuters reported last month that Microsoft was expected to offer remedies to EU antitrust regulators in the coming weeks to stave off formal objections to the deal.

☆ Outgoing Charter CEO Tom Rutledge says in an exclusive CNBC interview that there's 'pain to come' as linear TV gives way to streaming
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +33 min

The biggest cable company in the industry at that time had about a million customers. And the second question is, very much related to that, for years now, the bull investor thesis has been broadband growth. So does that mean that broadband growth is no longer the big growth story it once was? No, I think there's plenty of broadband growth to get for us and there's continued broadband adoption to get for the whole industry. And I think there's some value in scale which can translate into consumer value as well.

☆ Netflix CEO once handed out army berets to his execs in response to an insult from the former Time Warner boss, and it shows the rivalry between Netflix and HBO stretches over a decade
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Former Time Warner CEO Jeffrey Bewkes implied Netflix was overrated in a 2010 interview. A new book about HBO reveals that Netflix CEO Reed Hastings took the comments in stride. "We didn't have the financial flexibility to make that commitment," former HBO CEO Richard Plepler told the book's authors, Gillette and Koblin. In other words, Netflix wanted to be more like HBO and HBO's corporate overlords wanted it to be more like Netflix. HBO's content chief, Casey Bloys, was recently elevated to CEO of HBO, HBO Max, and HBO Content.

It isn’t clear yet who will succeed Mr. Segal as CFO. Twitter and Mr. Musk on Friday didn’t respond to requests for comment. Mr. Segal on Friday tweeted that “the work isn’t complete,” referring to Twitter’s ambition to build “the world’s townsquare.” Mr. Segal didn’t respond to a request for additional comment. Mr. Musk has said buying Twitter would accelerate his creation of an app that combines the capabilities of several apps in one. The future executives that Mr. Musk installs will have to share his vision for Twitter, Mr. Ives said, and prepare to support growth initiatives that will take years to build.

☆ Meet the 'stone-cold-brilliant' Apple exec heading up Apple TV+, Sports, gaming and more, who insiders think could succeed Eddy Cue
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

The former Time Warner Cable exec is driving Apple's subscription businesses including TV+, Sports, and Apple One. But inside and outside the tech giant, people are eyeing one cable TV alum who is being positioned for bigger things under Eddy Cue, the company's longtime Services SVP. As VP, Services, Stern is responsible for running strategy and operations for multiple growth businesses inside Apple. Here's how Stern ascended from cable TV to the top of the tech giant, and what his moves mean for the future of Apple Services. He appeared on stage in 2019 as the frontman for the Apple TV app, in a pair of dark-wash jeans and an untucked gray button-down.

☆ Meet the under-the-radar Apple executive who heads Apple TV+, gaming, and sports, and drives more than 860 million paid subscriptions
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

The former Time Warner Cable exec is driving Apple's subscription businesses including TV+, Sports, and Apple One. As VP, Services, Stern is responsible for running strategy and operations for multiple growth businesses inside Apple. Here's how Stern ascended from cable TV to the top of the tech giant, and what his moves mean for the future of Apple Services. A third former high-placed Time Warner Cable alum also recalled this exchange. He appeared on stage in 2019 as the frontman for the Apple TV app, in a pair of dark-wash jeans and an untucked gray button-down.

☆ Meet 9 top media bankers transforming the M&A landscape and driving deals for Warner Bros. Discovery, Legendary, Amazon, and more
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

2022 kicked off with some huge transactions, from AT&T's WarnerMedia spin-off to private equity scooping up content players. Brad Pitt's production company, Plan B, and Diamond Sports Group both recently tapped big banks to explore their options. Not surprisingly, WarnerMedia was at the heart of the richest transaction fee waterfall for big banks in 2022. Moelis and LionTree were just tapped to help figure out what's next for Sinclair's Regional Sports Networks, Diamond Sports Group, while Brad Pitt's production company, Plan B, also hired Moelis to shop the production company, according to Variety. There's lots of dry powder still in private equity, Navid Mahmoodzadegan, co-founder and co-president at investment bank Moelis, told Insider.

☆ Bill Nygren is looking to stocks with 'unsustainably low' price-earnings ratios. Here are his picks
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The volatile market is pushing some cyclical stocks' price-earnings ratios to levels that Bill Nygren, portfolio manager at Oakmark Funds, sees as "unsustainably low." "When the markets are really volatile like they have been, that tends to lead to an increase in the distribution of P/E ratios," Nygren said on CNBC's "Squawk on the Street." Nygren said that recession fears are driving down companies' P/E ratios. This number is what you get when you divide a stock's price by the annual earnings per share. Nygren said stocks that are currently selling at lower-than-typical P/E ratios have long-term value for investors who can wait out current pressures on company earnings and share values.

"It is definitely a business school case study. Musk's attempt to take over Twitter is "a gift to professors and students", said Joshua White, a professor at Vanderbilt University, calling the situation "unprecedented". While the messages reflect his unusual approach to running a business, taking control of Twitter will mean managing it, at least initially. "What is to come is unclear," said Donna Hitscherich, a Columbia Business School professor. Success or failure, it will be an instant business school classroom staple, experts say.

☆ Meet 9 top media bankers transforming the M&A landscape as streaming video reshapes entertainment
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

2022 kicked off with some huge transactions, from AT&T's WarnerMedia spin-off to private equity scooping up content players. Company valuations are set to fall back to earth in 2023, and private equity and strategics are lying in wait. Not surprisingly, WarnerMedia was at the heart of the richest transaction fee waterfall for big banks in 2022. Joshua Grode's Legendary Entertainment, backed by Dalian Wanda and now Apollo Group, which took a stake in the studio in January. There's lots of dry powder still in private equity, Navid Mahmoodzadegan, co-founder and co-president at investment bank Moelis, told Insider.

☆ Tom Rutledge, who turned Charter into a cable powerhouse, to step down as CEO
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Chairman and CEO of Charter Communications Tom Rutledge speaks at The New York Times DealBook Conference at Jazz at Lincoln Center on November 10, 2016 in New York City. Charter Communications Chief Executive Tom Rutledge will step down on Dec. 1 after a decade at the helm and half a century in the cable industry. Rutledge turned Charter from a relatively small regional cable company into the No. 2 provider in the U.S. by orchestrating an audacious takeover of Time Warner Cable, announced in 2015, for nearly $79 billion including debt. WATCH: Charter CEO Tom Rutledge to step down, will remain exec.

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