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☆ DC's slate for its new movie and TV universe is bizarre, risky, and a bit confusing — but still promising
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

DC Studios announced the first wave of movies and TV shows for the new DC universe. There are also aspects of the old DC movie universe — but it still shows promise. The slate, titled "Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters," is, to put it plainly, bizarre — and even a bit risky. If anything, it's still a bit of the old DC Extended Universe. If Gunn and Safran wanted to keep any aspects of the old DC movie universe, they picked the right ones.

“It was gorgeous, and I was so not expecting it,” said Darion Lowenstein, 41, a video game consultant, who is gay. Though Bill’s role in the game is small, and his mention of being gay brief, it did not go unnoticed by LGBTQ gamers like Bonatsakis. Roughly 10% of gamers are LGBTQ, according to a 2020 survey by Nielsen. And for many of these queer gamers, Durkee said, video games are a lifeline. She said character customization in games such as “The Sims” and “World of Warcraft” can empower queer gamers to express their identity in ways that traditional media cannot.

☆ Warner Bros. Discovery is laying off workers and making some train their foreign replacements, with about 175 hires planned in Mexico
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. All of Warner Bros. The cuts have varied by business unit: CNN eliminated 400 jobs, or about 10%, while Warner Bros. In 2008, Warner Bros. Entertainment struck a deal with Capgemini to outsource back-office operations.

☆ After laying off scores of workers, Warner Bros. Discovery is rehiring — in Mexico
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Discovery is shifting some work to Mexico after laying off scores of people in the US post-merger. The cuts have varied by business unit: CNN eliminated 400 jobs, or about 10%, while Warner Bros. In 2008, Warner Bros. Entertainment struck a deal with Capgemini to outsource back-office operations.

☆ Apple is looking for a top sales executive to spearhead a giant advertising push in sports and streaming. Here are 16 execs who could score the job.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Claire Atkinson | Lucia Moses | Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

Netflix also conducted a search before hiring two Snap executives, Jeremi Gorman and Peter Naylor, to lead its new ads business. XandrLesser, a longtime digital ad executive, has extensive experience working on issues around the future of digital marketing. McDonald has a ton of other digital ad sales and publishing experience. She helped launch Modi Media, ad buying giant GroupM's addressable TV business, before joining TV adtech startup Cadent. UnivisionValentino runs Disney's digital ad business as EVP, client and brand solutions.

Discovery CEO David Zaslav has assembled a Discovery-heavy leadership team to transform the company. Here are the 20 corporate, creative, and business execs charged with helping him pull it off. Discovery merger, CEO David Zaslav faces massive challenges as he tries to pump out cash to pay down debt while slashing billions in costs. Many of the corporate and business leaders Zaslav has assembled are Discovery execs he's worked with closely for years and who were given bigger roles after the merger. These 20 execs, listed alphabetically, are the power players Zaslav has put in place to help him get there.

☆ How Warner Bros. Discovery layoffs, content cuts, and reorganization shocked Hollywood and fired up Wall Street
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Lucia Moses | Elaine Low | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

David Zaslav has been enjoying a stock runup after Wall Street analysts expressed increased optimism about Warner Bros. Discovery, with much cost-cutting behind it and growth ahead as it plans to launch a new streaming service. AT&T's WarnerMedia merged with Discovery in 2022 in a $43 billion deal, creating a content behemoth combining Warner's HBO, CNN, and famed Warner Bros. film studio with Discovery's lifestyle and reality fare. Read more:A new content strategy that could tarnish crown jewel HBOWBD also looked for savings and revenue by shifting its content strategy ahead of combining HBO Max and Discovery+ into a mega streaming service to launch this spring. WBD shocked entertainment insiders by canceling high-profile projects like "Batgirl" and yanking episodes of shows including "Sesame Street" from HBO Max, and it has made other moves that concerned Hollywood creatives.

☆ 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.

☆ Disney board exposed itself to activist intervention, but Peltz may be overreaching
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Disney's share price spike in 2021 was caused by the same phenomenon — investors charging into streaming services with significant subscriber growth. Activist investor Nelson Peltz spent about 30 minutes Thursday morning speaking with CNBC's Jim Cramer and David Faber in a wide-ranging interview about why he wants a Disney board seat. Now Iger's back, and the Disney board has tasked him with finding a successor in the next two years. It's a far easier case to be made that Disney's board and Iger have consistently bungled succession planning. As Trian noted in its presentation (on Slide 28), the Disney board extended Iger's retirement date five different times between October 2011 and December 2017.

☆ This week's top performing stocks include one in media that could rally more than 80%
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

As the first week of 2023 comes to a close, some stocks are already outperforming. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and S & P 500 are on pace to add 0.8% and 0.5% this week. Discovery, about two out of every five analysts rate WDC a buy, with an average upside of 20.4%. Just about every other analyst rates the stock a buy, and the average analyst expects a 4.3% upside for the stock. More than 50% of analysts rate GE a buy, but the average price target shows it losing about 1% in the next 12 months.

☆ 21 top CNN execs who are on the market after Warner Bros. Discovery layoffs and the shutdown of CNN+ in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( Claire Atkinson | Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

After the Warner Bros. Discovery merger and shutdown of streamer CNN+, CNN lost a slew of top executives. Insider identified 21 accomplished pros from across the network who are on the market. It was a year of sweeping layoffs and organizational changes at CNN in 2022 as Warner Bros. Earlier in 2022, CNN cut 239 jobs following the abrupt closure of news streamer CNN+.

☆ How Netflix has changed the global entertainment industry
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( Ashley Rodriguez | Elaine Low | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Since Netflix began its worldwide expansion in 2016, the streaming service has rewritten the playbook for global entertainment — from TV to film, and, more recently, video games. Still, Netflix's impact on the global TV industry is undeniable. More on Netflix's effect on global TV:The streamer's executive team was rebuilt with a global focusIn recent years, Netflix reoriented its leadership around its new global model. Peters also hired a new talent chief with international experience, former PepsiCo executive Sergio Ezama, to lead Netflix's global workforce. More on Netflix's corporate structure:Netflix has seen its first wide layoffs, though it continues to growThe corporate restructuring hasn't been without obstacles.

☆ Warner Bros. Discovery salaries revealed: Pay data shows how much the company recently offered for jobs at HBO and more, despite waves of layoffs and cuts
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Ashley Rodriguez | Elaine Low | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +19 min

Insider analyzed new pay data from the entertainment companies, now merged as Warner Bros. Recent salaries ranged from $55 an hour to $300,000 a year for jobs at HBO and other units. The salaries ranged from $55 per hour to $300,000 per year, with a median annual salary of $143,000 to $170,000. For example, Discovery offered an ad sales account manager between $131,458 and $149,000 per year, according to the data. Associate Manager, Brand Marketing/Publishing: $92,518 to $130,011WarnerMedia DirectData Architect: $162,400 to $200,150 median; ranging from $159,800 to $205,000WarnerMedia Services

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☆ 20 top CNN execs who are on the market after Warner Bros. Discovery layoffs in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Claire Atkinson | Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

CNN lost a slew of top people after the Warner Bros. Discovery merger and shutdown of streamer CNN+. Insider identified 20 accomplished pros from across the network who are on the market. It's been a year of sweeping layoffs and organizational changes at CNN as Warner Bros. Earlier in the year, CNN cut 239 jobs following the abrupt closure of news streamer CNN+.

☆ The biggest media targets and buyers in 2023, as speculation swirls around Disney's next move under CEO Bob Iger and how Warner Bros. Discovery can shed debt
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Lucia Moses | Claire Atkinson | Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Continued pressure to get bigger has big media companies in Hollywood looking to scale up. Media bankers and investors predicted to Insider that dealmaking will rebound in 2023 as companies big and small size up their options for possible tie-ups. Pressure on big media companies to get bigger hasn't gone away. Apple: Could eye a big content prizeTim Cook. Paramount's library could help a streaming company bulk up its content; Netflix for one has explored Paramount's studio business before.

☆ 12 media executives anonymously predict 2023's biggest deals, trends and changes
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Candle Media has acquired intellectual property assets including Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine production company and Moonbug, which owns the animated kids series "CoComelon." Executive 3: Iger extends his contract There's been lots of speculation over who Iger will choose as his successor. History suggests he has a hard time leaving the role of Disney CEO. Christine M. McCarthy, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer The Walt Disney Company. "I love Shari [Redstone], but ViacomCBS is not long for this world as it stands today," said a media executive last year.

☆ Warner Bros. Discovery's new streamer could keep the name HBO Max as execs wrestle over pricing, timing, and content mix
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Discovery is considering the name "HBO Max" as well as "Max" for its forthcoming streamer. They're also debating how to effectively promote all the Discovery and HBO content on one platform. Discovery is still debating the name for its forthcoming streaming app that will combine Discovery+ and HBO Max. Execs are mindful that HBO Max ad-free subscribers are already paying at the top of the market while Discovery+ subscribers pay significantly less. WBD has been preparing for the new streamer launch by moving some Discovery+ content to HBO Max.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves premarket: Tesla, Warner Bros. Discovery, Lennar and more
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Peter Schacknow | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Check out the companies making headlines before the bell:Tesla (TSLA) – Tesla fell 1.2% in premarket trading after an SEC filing showed that Elon Musk sold another $3.6 billion in shares. Novavax (NVAX) – Novavax tumbled 9.2% in premarket trading after the drug maker announced a $125 million common stock offering and a $125 million offering of convertible debt. AT&T fell 1.4% in premarket trading. Snap (SNAP) – The social media company's stock was downgraded to hold from buy at Jefferies, which said Snap is facing intense competition and a worsening macroeconomic picture. Snap lost 2.1% in premarket trading.

☆ Warner Bros. Discovery is planning to run ads on HBO originals on HBO Max, a move that could be controversial in Hollywood
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Discovery is exploring running ads on HBO originals like "Game of Thrones." HBO Max launched its ad-supported tier in June 2021 for $10 a month versus the streamer's $15 ad-free version. HBO Max capped ads at four minutes per hour, limited how often users would see the same ad, and said no ads would run on original HBO programming. Since then, HBO Max parent WarnerMedia has been acquired by Discovery, and under new CEO David Zaslav, the merged entity Warner Bros. It's also unclear whether WBD will charge a premium for ads appearing in HBO originals — and if so, how much.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Netflix, Snap, Warner Bros. Discovery, AT&T, Novavax and more
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Netflix — Netflix tumbled more than 9% following a report from Digiday that said the streaming stock's early-stage advertising business is missing viewership targets. Verizon , AT&T — The communication technology stock added 1% after Morgan Stanely upgraded it to overweight from equal weight, saying its shares were attractive compared with historical levels. AT&T shares fell more than 2% following a separate downgrade from Morgan Stanley that cited the stock's recent outperformance. Madison Square Garden Entertainment — Shares rose more than 2% after Morgan Stanley upgraded the stock to equal weight from underweight. Lockheed Martin — Shares dropped 1.5% after Morgan Stanley downgraded the stock from overweight to equal weight, saying its outperformance should somewhat cool in 2023.

☆ 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.

☆ Warner Bros. Discovery Raises Restructuring-Cost Estimate by Up to $1 Billion
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Joe Flint | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. said it expects to face as much as $1 billion more in restructuring charges than it had forecast less than two months ago, as the company continues to cut costs and cancel programming commitments following the combination of Discovery Inc. and AT&T Inc.’s WarnerMedia unit. The company, whose holdings include movie and television studios, CNN and HBO, and Discovery channels such as Food Network and HGTV, said in a filing on Wednesday that it expects to incur pretax restructuring charges of as much as $5.3 billion through 2024. In late October, it had said it anticipated as much as $4.3 billion in restructuring charges.

☆ Here are Thursday's biggest analyst calls: Amazon, Chevron, Chipotle, Lowe's, Hershey, AT&T & more
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Here are Wall Street's biggest calls on Thursday: Bank of America reiterates Chevron as buy Bank of America said it's standing by its buy rating on the oil and gas giant after it announced its 2023 capital budget on Wednesday. JPMorgan upgrades Vulcan Materials to overweight from neutral JPMorgan said risks for the construction materials company are already priced in. UBS initiates Shopify as sell UBS said it's concerned about increasing competition. UBS upgrades Hershey to buy from neutral UBS said it's becoming bullish on the chocolate and candy maker's long-term growth. Bank of America reiterates Lowe's as buy Bank of America said shares of Lowe's remain attractive.

☆ Top media analyst from Bank of America names the best value stock in the sector
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Carmen Reinicke | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Warner Bros. Discovery is the best value stock in the media and entertainment sector, according to Bank of America. That implies that Warner Bros. Discovery has made a tremendous amount of operational and strategic changes since April, wrote analyst Jessica Reif Ehrlich. Warner Bros.

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