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☆ DC Studios' future begins with Marvel's 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +15 min

And, for once, the success of a Marvel film could bode well for the future of its longtime adversary. On the theatrical side, DC Studios has announced five new projects that will roll out starting in 2025 with Gunn's own "Superman: Legacy." "And I think Marvel Studios, sooner rather than later, needs to tell us what's going on with Spider-Man." He sees this as the result of predictable plotlines within the genre that are repeated across both studios' films. Marvel Studios

☆ Fintech Finix is now a payments processor. The startup's CEO details how it wants to upend the industry and take on industry giants like Fiserv and FIS.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Paige Hagy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Finix is now a payments processor, Insider has learned. The financial-technology startup is now a payments processor in addition to being a payments facilitator, Insider has learned. By becoming a payments processor, Finix is reducing the number of third-parties in a given transaction as it looks to compete against legacy processors such as Fiserv and FIS. As a processor, Finix can own yet another portion of the payments' lifecycle. And while a legacy processor can take up to 24 hours to test new code, Finix takes 30 minutes.

☆ FIFA President Threatens Not to Broadcast Women’s World Cup in Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Rachel Bachman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

‘To be very clear, it is our moral and legal obligation not to undersell the FIFA Women’s World Cup,’ FIFA president Gianni Infantino said. Photo: fabrice coffrini/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesFor much of the 32-year existence of the Women’s World Cup, FIFA distributed the broadcast rights to the event like a “buy one, get one free” promotion: If broadcasters bought the rights for the men’s World Cup, they also got the rights to the Women’s World Cup. After the 2019 Women’s World Cup drew more than 1 billion global viewers, FIFA began a years-long transition to charging broadcasters a separate fee for the women’s tournament, in line with the event’s audiences.

☆ Fintech Finix just became a payments processor as the startup looks to compete with industry giants like Fiserv and FIS
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Paige Hagy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

☆ ‘Super Mario Bros. Movie’ set to become 10th animated film to cross $1 billion at the global box office
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Alli Rosenbloom | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Nearly one month after “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” premiered with an impressive opening weekend at the box office, the animated film is expected to hit another major milestone. The movie is set to cross $1 billion at the global box office on Sunday, according to a news release from Universal, continuing to break box office records as it remains in the No. “Super Mario Bros.” will become the 10th animated film in history to cross $1 billion, making it the 10th biggest animated movie of all time globally, beating out the $942.5 million that “Minions: The Rise of the Gru” grossed in 2019. “Super Mario Bros.” surpassed Marvel’s “Ant Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” at the time, which brought in $225.3 million globally during its February opening. “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” follows Brooklyn plumbers Mario and Luigi as they’re transported down a mysterious pipe while working underground to fix a water main.

☆ Premarket stocks: ESG investing is dead. That's not a bad thing.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

A new, more efficient system is taking shape that incorporates ESG standards into the bedrock of stock valuations, he said. ESG investing as a separate entity could be on its way out, but the approach was wrong to begin with, said Jenkins. Instead, a confluence of political, geopolitical and market events has severely damaged interest in ESG investing. Increased scrutiny also played into political differences around ESG investing and opened the door to vocal critics. Responsible investing funds also came up against mighty economic headwinds last year.

☆ Benioff vs. Benioff
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Ashley Stewart | Ellen Thomas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +29 min

Within Salesforce, Benioff riffs are at times met with backlash from an angry workforce. "You're not going to fire your family during times of need," a former Salesforce executive told Insider. "I don't think they understand Ohana," Benioff told Insider. "Look, we have to be the example of stakeholder capitalism," Benioff told Insider. A 'New Day' at Salesforce"I use the Japanese principle of shoshin, beginner's mind," Benioff told Insider in a phone interview in March.

☆ Despite tough talk, Ron DeSantis can’t shake Disney’s grip on Florida
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Although Disney has thwarted the state’s most aggressive efforts against it, Ron DeSantis has repeatedly promised he will win out in the end. In the governor’s effort to wrest control of Disney’s Orlando-area theme parks, he found that Disney’s corporate lawyers have routinely outmaneuvered him. “The question is, how much are you willing to hurt everybody else?”Legally, he says, DeSantis can’t single out Disney explicitly because retaliation against a single company is unconstitutional. To be sure, Disney’s parks division is a huge part of its business. In other words: Florida needs Disney more than Disney needs Florida.

☆ NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell exits after an 'inappropriate relationship,' shocking insiders, and Comcast won't rush to replace him as corporate exec Mike Cavanagh steps up
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell's exit shocked company insiders and all of Hollywood. NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell's bombshell departure on Sunday night was a surprise to the well-regarded executive and also to his closest colleagues. Deadline reported that Shell's relationship was with CNBC's senior international correspondent, Hadley Gamble, which lasted 11 years but had ended a couple of years ago. "Comcast is as buttoned-up and straight as ever — this is a black eye for Brian Roberts," the Comcast CEO. A second company insider, however, said that Cavanagh is expected to remain in the role for some time.

☆ Investment Ideas to Help the Earth in Crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | 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 EmailInvestment Ideas to Help the Earth in CrisisThe Inflation Reduction Act has accelerated new funding opportunities across America's clean energy sector. Where are the most actionable opportunities and solutions — environmentally, economically, and even politically? An in-depth analysis from Sadek Wahba, a member of President Biden's National Infrastructure Advisory Council (NIAC) and founder of I Squared Capital, a $45+ billion global infrastructure investment firm.

☆ ChatGPT and Retail: Reality, Hype, What's Next, and How to Prepare
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Insider Intelligence | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

ChatGPT, a language model developed by OpenAI, has fast become one of the biggest buzzwords in retail. The model, launched as a prototype in November 2022, is the latest iteration of the AI technology promising to revolutionize ecommerce. So where exactly will ChatGPT, and generative AI broadly, have the greatest impact in retail, and what are the most and least promising use cases for the technology? However, the not-so-promising use cases for generative AI in retail are in customer service and enhanced search. Want to delve into the future of generative AI and provide actionable steps for retailers and brands to prepare for its rise?

☆ Allianz picks acceptable time to quit N26
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, April 19 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Allianz (ALVG.DE) is striking a blow for forlorn investors of privately held startups. While that would be a 68% discount to N26’s $9 billion valuation as of October 2021, Allianz’s exit route looks agreeably straightforward. N26 has enough cash to finance its operations until the end of 2024, when it is expected to reach profitability. The fight between banks for consumer deposits will force N26 to offer better interest rates for its customers, limiting its profit margin going foward. More to the point, Allianz doesn’t have to inform N26 of an intention to sell.

☆ Netflix subscriber adds disappoint after delaying password sharing crackdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Netflix on Tuesday posted weaker-than-expected subscriber growth for the first three months of this year, causing its stock to fall as much as 8% in after-hours trading before rebounding somewhat. The disappointing subscriber growth came as Netflix delayed its plan to crack down on password sharing. Netflix (NFLX) reported revenue of around $8.2 billion for the quarter, up nearly 4% from the same period in the prior year and in line with analysts’ projections. Unlike its streaming rivals, Netflix had long been resistant to live streaming because of its high costs. But, facing steeper competition, Netflix has started to experiment with the format, one it apparently has not yet perfected.

Warner Bros. Discovery on Wednesday unveiled its new blended streaming service of HBO Max and Discovery+, called "Max." Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Discovery had more than 96 million global streaming subscribers, from either HBO Max, HBO or Discovery+, at the end of the fourth quarter.

☆ Warner Bros Discovery reveals pricing, promotion, and content details of its new streamer, Max, as it aims to take on Netflix and fire up Wall Street
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Called Max, the app will feature content from HBO Max and Discovery+. Discovery announced the details of its new streaming app on Wednesday, after much anticipation from Hollywood and Madison Avenue. The prices will stay the same for HBO Max subscribers, who will begin to be automatically ported over to the new service. Presenting the entire WBD content catalog on the combined streamer without diluting HBO's prestige factor was another challenge. HBO Max has greater recognition with younger consumers, according to a new Samba TV/HarrisX poll, which could help grow awareness for Discovery+.

☆ Warner Bros. Discovery unveils 'Max' super-streaming service
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The new service, announced by CEO David Zaslav at a press event Wednesday, will launch May 23 and give consumers access to a large library of programming across Warner Bros. Discovery’s sprawling portfolio: Warner Bros., HBO, HGTV, Food Network, Cartoon Network, TLC and others. The ad-free version will cost $15.99, the price of the company’s existing HBO Max service. Warner Bros. Discovery's forthcoming "Max" streaming service Courtesy of Max“We are a global leader in sports and we are a global leader in news,” Zaslav said. Warner Bros.

☆ 'The Super Mario Bros. Movie' smashes box office records with the biggest global opening for an animated film ever
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

"The Super Mario Bros. Movie" had the biggest opening for an animated film on record. The movie, based on Nintendo's video game, stars Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Jack Black. In the US the film took $31.7 million on Wednesday, $26 million on Thursday and a further $146.4 million Friday to Sunday. It's also the biggest opening of any film so far this year, beating "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania," according to The Hollywood Reporter. The Hollywood Reporter said "Super Mario" was set to be "the first all-audience blockbuster of 2023."

☆ Factbox: The developing countries facing a debt crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

The cocoa, gold and oil producer has already reached a deal to write down domestic debt and last week kicked off formal debt talks with international bondholders. A $1.9 billion IMF loan has been stalled for months as Tunisia's president has shown little sign of action on key reforms. SRI LANKASri Lanka defaulted on its international debt last year after economic mismanagement, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, sparked a political crisis and left it without dollars for even essential imports. UKRAINEUkraine just received the first $2.7 billion tranche under a four-year, $15.6 billion IMF loan program. Zambia's currency, the kwacha , has fallen more than 10% against the U.S. dollar this year, which the central bank has said is adding to inflation.

☆ Gupta seeks extension to challenge freezing order in Trafigura case
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, April 5 (Reuters) - Prateek Gupta's lawyers are seeking an extension of a deadline to challenge a $625 million global freezing order imposed by a London Court on the Indian businessman and his firms until June, a spokesperson said on Wednesday. Freezing orders are injunctions granted by the English courts to restrain individuals or businesses from disposing of or dealing with assets on a worldwide basis. Gupta previously aimed to prepare "a robust response" to the allegations and file the application to remove the freezing order by April 6. A London court imposed the freezing order, dated Feb. 8, on bank accounts and other assets tied to Gupta and seven companies Trafigura said are controlled by him, including those in Britain, Singapore, Malaysia and Switzerland. Reporting by Pratima Desai, Eric Onstad and Polina Devitt; editing by Kirsten DonovanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Themed cruises are more popular than ever and it's leading to ships selling out in record time
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Brittany Chang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Norwegian Cruise Line's themed cruises have been selling out in record time and Holland America plans to grow its partnership with charter companies. The passionate fans help cruise lines fill up ships and are some of the most loyal in the industry. Will ByingtonThese repeat bookings are music to the cruise lines' ears — it's a mutually beneficial operation for both the themed cruise production companies and the cruise lines themselves. To pull off these festivals at sea, themed cruise providers charter full ships from various cruise lines. "I think the themed cruise industry is going to grow even faster [than the general cruise industry]," Hearing said.

☆ Studio A24 captures Oscar spotlight with big wins for best picture, acting
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Dawn Chmielewski | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

LOS ANGELES, March 13 (Reuters) - Independent studio A24 was the big winner at Sunday's Academy Awards, taking nine awards out of its 18 nominations, including best picture and all four acting prizes. The studio's "Everything Everywhere All at Once" won seven Oscars, the most of the evening, including best picture. However, Brendan Fraser took the best actor prize for A24's "The Whale," which also won for best makeup and hairstyling. Not since the heyday of Miramax in the 1990s has an independent studio garnered such attention, talent and box office success, entertainment industry insiders say. EVERYTHING EVERYWHEREThe first film A24 produced and financed, together with Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment, was “Moonlight,” which won the Oscar for best picture in 2017.

☆ India's rural women are 'bearing the brunt' of climate shocks
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Sumathi Bala | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

India's rural women are bearing the brunt of climate related shocks like severe drought and extreme weather events, Universal Images Group | Getty ImagesIndia's rural women are bearing the brunt of climate related shocks like severe drought and extreme weather events, which are drastically affecting their daily livelihoods. The climate fund will allow women and communities to fight climate change and help provide new livelihood resources and education, said Clinton. Having access to clean water makes a huge difference in tackling the overall health issues for rural women, she added. In the latest economic survey released in February, the government said rural women were increasingly participating in economic activity. Government schemes and policies have helped rural women, said Akanksha Khullar, a visiting fellow with the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi.

☆ ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ studio A24 captures Oscar spotlight
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Dawn Chmielewski | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

LOS ANGELES, March 10 (Reuters) - A24, the independent studio behind such films as “Everything Everywhere All at Once” and "The Whale," is poised to dominate this year’s Academy Awards, eclipsing Hollywood’s established studios and awards-hungry streamers that are spending millions on Oscar campaigns. Not since the heyday of Miramax in the 1990s has an independent studio garnered such attention, talent and box office success, entertainment industry insiders say. EVERYTHING EVERYWHEREThe first film A24 produced and financed, together with Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment, was “Moonlight,” which won the Oscar for best picture in 2017. The studio has garnered 53 Oscar nominations in less than a decade, including best picture nods for “Lady Bird, “Minari” and “Room.”A24's film slate has grown at the pace of its cash flow - starting with three movies in 2016 to 15 in 2022. This year, it’s on track to produce about 15 films for theatrical release, eight documentaries and 10 television shows.

☆ Here's an exclusive look at how startup HeadRace raised $6 million in seed funding from Greylock to help headhunters beat the hiring slowdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Stephanie Palazzolo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Marketplace startup HeadRace helps connect recruiters with employers looking to hire. The startup has raised $6 million in seed funding from Greylock, Susa Ventures, and Breyer Capital. After going through the exhausting process of hiring dozens of employees while at Uber and Flexport, Korsos was inspired to change the hiring system. Although hiring has slowed in large, public companies, it's actually accelerated in early-stage startups looking to fill a number of specialized roles, Korsos told Insider. Moving forward, the startup plans on using its seed funding to build out its technology offerings and improve its scalability, Korsos told Insider.

☆ Half of Sequoia Capital's VC funds since 2018 have posted losses for the University of California's endowment
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Ben Bergman | Darius Rafieyan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The University of California endowment has invested over $800 million in Sequoia funds since 2018. The returns show ten Sequoia funds across all stages and geographies are now underwater for the investor. The University of California's massive $28 billion endowment, a limited partner in 20 Sequoia Capital funds since 2018, is underwater on half those investments, according to documents obtained by Insider. Meanwhile ten of the Sequoia funds that UC Investments has invested in have been marked down in value on paper. One of UC Investment's largest commitments to Sequoia is $232 million earmarked for the 2022 Sequoia Capital Fund.

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