Disney’s decision to bring back long-time CEO Bob Iger to replace beleaguered Bob Chapek on Nov. 20, 2022 sent shock waves through Hollywood. The stock closed that week at $98.87 amid hopes he could right a struggling ship.
On Nov. 28 last year, Iger used a town hall meeting to outline first priorities and told staff that he did not expect the company to make any significant acquisitions during his second run as CEO. “We have a great set of assets here,” he said. “Nothing is forever, but I am very, very comfortable with each of the assets that we have.”
Fast-forward exactly a year, and some things have changed for the better for Disney, with Iger having focused on cost-cutting (putting Disney on track to achieve roughly $7.5 billion in cost reductions, up from the previously targeted $5.5. billion), streamlining and optimizing the company via restructuring moves.
But the conglomerate’s stock has remained under pressure,...
On Nov. 28 last year, Iger used a town hall meeting to outline first priorities and told staff that he did not expect the company to make any significant acquisitions during his second run as CEO. “We have a great set of assets here,” he said. “Nothing is forever, but I am very, very comfortable with each of the assets that we have.”
Fast-forward exactly a year, and some things have changed for the better for Disney, with Iger having focused on cost-cutting (putting Disney on track to achieve roughly $7.5 billion in cost reductions, up from the previously targeted $5.5. billion), streamlining and optimizing the company via restructuring moves.
But the conglomerate’s stock has remained under pressure,...
- 11/27/2023
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
After the Writers Guild of America and Hollywood studios late Sunday unveiled a tentative deal for a new contract, Wall Street analysts weighed in on what it means for stocks and businesses.
While the terms of the tentative three-year deal have not been released yet, and the pact still needs to be ratified by the WGA members, leadership of the guild stated on Sept. 24 that “meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of the membership” were made. In the meantime, analysts offered their first reactions to the tentative WGA deal.
B. Riley analyst Eric Wold says “we have been optimistic that an agreement would be reached sooner rather than later (acknowledging the strike length put it more on the later side) and view Sunday’s news as bolstering our positive view on the exhibition space.”
But a pact with the actors union is also key, he highlighted. “Given...
While the terms of the tentative three-year deal have not been released yet, and the pact still needs to be ratified by the WGA members, leadership of the guild stated on Sept. 24 that “meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of the membership” were made. In the meantime, analysts offered their first reactions to the tentative WGA deal.
B. Riley analyst Eric Wold says “we have been optimistic that an agreement would be reached sooner rather than later (acknowledging the strike length put it more on the later side) and view Sunday’s news as bolstering our positive view on the exhibition space.”
But a pact with the actors union is also key, he highlighted. “Given...
- 9/25/2023
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The ruthless, decades-long sibling rivalry that inspired “Succession” is coming to a quiet close, as Rupert Murdoch hands the keys to Fox and News Corp to his eldest son Lachlan. But with the less-hands-on son taking over from the business and media legend, experts say this family saga is far from over.
Murdoch for decades was concerned about his successor, and long wanted one of his three children with his second wife — Elisabeth, Lachlan and James — to take over, at one point intentionally plunging them into a lengthy succession battle. Besides being the oldest son, Lachlan also had the advantage of sharing his father’s right-wing political ideology, and his heir-apparent status became clear in recent years as he ascended within Fox Corp.
But analysts suggest that Lachlan, 52, will struggle to fill his father’s legendary shoes, at a particularly challenging time for Fox News.
“Like father, like son? That...
Murdoch for decades was concerned about his successor, and long wanted one of his three children with his second wife — Elisabeth, Lachlan and James — to take over, at one point intentionally plunging them into a lengthy succession battle. Besides being the oldest son, Lachlan also had the advantage of sharing his father’s right-wing political ideology, and his heir-apparent status became clear in recent years as he ascended within Fox Corp.
But analysts suggest that Lachlan, 52, will struggle to fill his father’s legendary shoes, at a particularly challenging time for Fox News.
“Like father, like son? That...
- 9/22/2023
- by Natalie Korach
- The Wrap
Executive retirements at age 92 don’t typically come as much of a surprise — unless the person stepping aside is a media mogul called Rupert Murdoch.
After Fox Corp. and News Corp. said on Thursday that Murdoch would step aside as chairman of both his companies, effective as of the annual meetings for both firms in November, Wall Street analysts started dissecting the move, its timing and its impact. Son Lachlan Murdoch will keep leading both companies, which only fuels Succession-esque speculation about how the transition will truly play out.
“While Rupert Murdoch is a one-of-a-kind global visionary, Lachlan Murdoch has been running the company for the last five to 10 years,” Bank of America analyst Jessica Reif Ehrlich tells The Hollywood Reporter about the impact on Fox. “The company is uniquely positioned with a great balance sheet and very interesting set of assets. It is unlikely to change strategic direction in the foreseeable future.
After Fox Corp. and News Corp. said on Thursday that Murdoch would step aside as chairman of both his companies, effective as of the annual meetings for both firms in November, Wall Street analysts started dissecting the move, its timing and its impact. Son Lachlan Murdoch will keep leading both companies, which only fuels Succession-esque speculation about how the transition will truly play out.
“While Rupert Murdoch is a one-of-a-kind global visionary, Lachlan Murdoch has been running the company for the last five to 10 years,” Bank of America analyst Jessica Reif Ehrlich tells The Hollywood Reporter about the impact on Fox. “The company is uniquely positioned with a great balance sheet and very interesting set of assets. It is unlikely to change strategic direction in the foreseeable future.
- 9/21/2023
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Charter and Disney’s heated carriage dispute reached a resolution just in time for Monday Night Football.
It could have gotten ugly if fans missed the Buffalo Bills taking on the New York Jets on ABC and ESPN, with Charter CEO Chris Winfrey saying he was prepared to move on if Disney wouldn’t play ball. But this is merely the first quarter in an increasingly rough game that will play out in the months and years to come, as media companies and their cable and satellite contributors grapple with the slow unwinding of a once-lucrative business.
The deal the companies struck would help “stabilize the linear video ecosystem and provide a glide path that gets us to the new direct to consumer environment,” Charter chief financial officer Jessica Fischer told an investor conference hosted by Bank of America Wednesday.
“I think it’s a win for everyone,” Fischer added.
It could have gotten ugly if fans missed the Buffalo Bills taking on the New York Jets on ABC and ESPN, with Charter CEO Chris Winfrey saying he was prepared to move on if Disney wouldn’t play ball. But this is merely the first quarter in an increasingly rough game that will play out in the months and years to come, as media companies and their cable and satellite contributors grapple with the slow unwinding of a once-lucrative business.
The deal the companies struck would help “stabilize the linear video ecosystem and provide a glide path that gets us to the new direct to consumer environment,” Charter chief financial officer Jessica Fischer told an investor conference hosted by Bank of America Wednesday.
“I think it’s a win for everyone,” Fischer added.
- 9/15/2023
- by Lucas Manfredi
- The Wrap
In Warner Bros.’ summer hit “Barbie,” Ryan Gosling’s Ken has a breakthrough when he realizes he can find meaning without the titular doll played by Margot Robbie. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav will have to do the same on Thursday, demonstrating to Wall Street that there is more to the company’s growth story beyond the film’s recent success.
“Barbie” is an undeniable hit, on pace to reach $1 billion in global box office by Sunday. But it’s unlikely to do more than balance out some recent superhero flops. And Warner Bros. Discovery still has a heavy debt load that it’s struggling to shed, which is where analysts will likely focus their questioning on the company’s second-quarter earnings call.
“Going into earnings this week, Warner Bros Discovery will likely tout the recent box office brilliance of ‘Barbie’ and hope less attention is paid to some recent swings and misses,...
“Barbie” is an undeniable hit, on pace to reach $1 billion in global box office by Sunday. But it’s unlikely to do more than balance out some recent superhero flops. And Warner Bros. Discovery still has a heavy debt load that it’s struggling to shed, which is where analysts will likely focus their questioning on the company’s second-quarter earnings call.
“Going into earnings this week, Warner Bros Discovery will likely tout the recent box office brilliance of ‘Barbie’ and hope less attention is paid to some recent swings and misses,...
- 8/2/2023
- by Lucas Manfredi
- The Wrap
With Hollywood’s writers and now actors on a “double strike” for the first time since 1960, Wall Street and other analysts have started assessing the fallout for entertainment industry conglomerates — with one expert estimating the cost of the contracts to studios.
SAG-AFTRA’s National Board officially called a strike against major film and TV companies July 13 as contract talks with studios and streamers broke down without a deal, with the work stoppage impacting 160,000 union members. The performers union released strike rules governing work its members can and cannot perform, prohibiting them from all principal on-camera work — including acting, singing, dancing and stunts — and off-camera work, such as voice acting and narration. Also barred is any promotional activity, such as interviews, awards shows, red carpets and podcasts. And the Street began to predict possible winners and losers, as well as where most of the pain will be felt.
Moody’s debt...
SAG-AFTRA’s National Board officially called a strike against major film and TV companies July 13 as contract talks with studios and streamers broke down without a deal, with the work stoppage impacting 160,000 union members. The performers union released strike rules governing work its members can and cannot perform, prohibiting them from all principal on-camera work — including acting, singing, dancing and stunts — and off-camera work, such as voice acting and narration. Also barred is any promotional activity, such as interviews, awards shows, red carpets and podcasts. And the Street began to predict possible winners and losers, as well as where most of the pain will be felt.
Moody’s debt...
- 7/17/2023
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Entertainment stocks struggled on Friday as actors hit the streets of New York and Los Angeles for SAG-AFTRA’s first day of picketing. Investors sold down the shares as Wall Street struggled to assess the impact of the widening strike on the companies’ revenue and costs.
Shares of Warner Bros. Discovery ended Friday’s trading session down more than 5%, while Paramount Global tumbled 4.6%, Disney slipped 2%, Netflix fell 1.8% and Comcast dipped 1.4%. On a year-to-date basis, Paramount has fallen 6% and Disney has fallen 0.3%, while Wbd, Netflix and Comcast are up 29.8%, 49.8% and 17.9%, respectively.
Major entertainment stocks, July 10-14, 2023 (Yahoo Finance)
Actors went on strike after the union was unable to reach a deal in contract negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the Writers Guild of America has been on strike since May 2.
Also Read:
‘A Once-in-a-Generation Reckoning': How the Actors’ Strike Changes the Game
The first...
Shares of Warner Bros. Discovery ended Friday’s trading session down more than 5%, while Paramount Global tumbled 4.6%, Disney slipped 2%, Netflix fell 1.8% and Comcast dipped 1.4%. On a year-to-date basis, Paramount has fallen 6% and Disney has fallen 0.3%, while Wbd, Netflix and Comcast are up 29.8%, 49.8% and 17.9%, respectively.
Major entertainment stocks, July 10-14, 2023 (Yahoo Finance)
Actors went on strike after the union was unable to reach a deal in contract negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the Writers Guild of America has been on strike since May 2.
Also Read:
‘A Once-in-a-Generation Reckoning': How the Actors’ Strike Changes the Game
The first...
- 7/14/2023
- by Lucas Manfredi
- The Wrap
For months, Wall Street has been consumed with one key question about Disney’s streaming strategy: What about Hulu?
Disney CEO Bob Iger has been dropping strong hints lately that he wants to keep the streaming service, in a major turnabout from the ambivalent attitude he showed toward Hulu and the general entertainment it carries earlier this year, when he declared that “everything was on the table” with respect to Disney’s two-thirds stake in the service.
“There seems to be real value in having general entertainment combined with Disney+,” Iger told analysts last week during the company’s second-quarter earnings call. “And if, ultimately, Hulu is that solution… we’re bullish about that.”
Also Read:
Comcast CEO Brian Roberts Says It’s ‘More Likely Than Not’ to Sell Remaining Hulu Stake to Disney
The most concrete step Iger took was announcing a plan to combine the Disney+ and Hulu apps,...
Disney CEO Bob Iger has been dropping strong hints lately that he wants to keep the streaming service, in a major turnabout from the ambivalent attitude he showed toward Hulu and the general entertainment it carries earlier this year, when he declared that “everything was on the table” with respect to Disney’s two-thirds stake in the service.
“There seems to be real value in having general entertainment combined with Disney+,” Iger told analysts last week during the company’s second-quarter earnings call. “And if, ultimately, Hulu is that solution… we’re bullish about that.”
Also Read:
Comcast CEO Brian Roberts Says It’s ‘More Likely Than Not’ to Sell Remaining Hulu Stake to Disney
The most concrete step Iger took was announcing a plan to combine the Disney+ and Hulu apps,...
- 5/18/2023
- by Lucas Manfredi
- The Wrap
Warner Bros. Discovery posted a first-quarter loss, buffeted not only by the dynamics of streaming video that are eroding traditional media-industry economics, but also by charges related to the 2022 merger that created the company out of the former WarnerMedia and Discovery Inc.
The owner of HBO, TNT and the Discovery Channel said its loss of $1.069 billion included $1.81 billion of “acquisition-related intangible assets and $95 million of pre-tax restructuring expenses.” The company also indicated that the debt it took on to finance the merger was affecting its financials. Warner Bros. Discovery had $836 million of “semi-annual interest payments largely attributable to merger-related debt that overwhelmed its cash flow.
The company reported a loss of $1.07 billion, compared with profit of $456 million in the year-earlier period. Executives took pride in the company’s ability to reverse losses in its streaming operations.
“We’ve come through some major restructurings and have repositioned our businesses with greater precision and focus.
The owner of HBO, TNT and the Discovery Channel said its loss of $1.069 billion included $1.81 billion of “acquisition-related intangible assets and $95 million of pre-tax restructuring expenses.” The company also indicated that the debt it took on to finance the merger was affecting its financials. Warner Bros. Discovery had $836 million of “semi-annual interest payments largely attributable to merger-related debt that overwhelmed its cash flow.
The company reported a loss of $1.07 billion, compared with profit of $456 million in the year-earlier period. Executives took pride in the company’s ability to reverse losses in its streaming operations.
“We’ve come through some major restructurings and have repositioned our businesses with greater precision and focus.
- 5/5/2023
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
Money first, product later: David Zaslav and the rest of Warner Bros. Discovery’s leadership team will address Wall Street on Friday as the company is preparing to launch its controversial Max rebrand on May 23. Analysts are already impatient to see if the megadeal Zaslav architected is paying off as it reports first-quarter earnings.
“It’s been over a year since the Warner Bros. Discovery merger and the big question is whether the combined company is starting to fire on all cylinders,” Third Bridge analyst Jamie Lumley told TheWrap. “After a tumultuous 2022, Warner Bros. Discovery is anxious to see results from its cost-cutting measures and build some momentum as it launches Max later this month.”
That momentum just hit a speed bump: The Writers Guild of America is on strike, with some picketers naming Zaslav on their signs and the union calling out his compensation package along with other studio heads.
“It’s been over a year since the Warner Bros. Discovery merger and the big question is whether the combined company is starting to fire on all cylinders,” Third Bridge analyst Jamie Lumley told TheWrap. “After a tumultuous 2022, Warner Bros. Discovery is anxious to see results from its cost-cutting measures and build some momentum as it launches Max later this month.”
That momentum just hit a speed bump: The Writers Guild of America is on strike, with some picketers naming Zaslav on their signs and the union calling out his compensation package along with other studio heads.
- 5/4/2023
- by Lucas Manfredi
- The Wrap
Netflix has a way of pushing the entertainment industry in new directions, first reluctantly and then inexorably. Alarmed by its ballooning production budget, the studios barreled into big losses in streaming, even as Netflix started reporting billions in profits. Now, the streaming giant may pull the competition in a different direction, as it teased an eye-popping statistic about its still-nascent advertising business this week.
Wall Street wasn’t impressed with Tuesday’s business-as-usual, slow-growth earnings report: The stock dropped 3% Wednesday. But some investors seized on a buried tidbit of information promising revenue acceleration ahead: Netflix said it was making more money in advertising from its new, cheaper plan with commercial breaks than it was losing on the lower monthly price. That suggests Netflix might be making at least $8.50 a month in ads per member on the plan — more than the $6.99 a month it collects in subscription fees.
Netflix’s ad-based...
Wall Street wasn’t impressed with Tuesday’s business-as-usual, slow-growth earnings report: The stock dropped 3% Wednesday. But some investors seized on a buried tidbit of information promising revenue acceleration ahead: Netflix said it was making more money in advertising from its new, cheaper plan with commercial breaks than it was losing on the lower monthly price. That suggests Netflix might be making at least $8.50 a month in ads per member on the plan — more than the $6.99 a month it collects in subscription fees.
Netflix’s ad-based...
- 4/20/2023
- by Scott Mendelson and Lucas Manfredi
- The Wrap
David Zaslav sounds tired of taking lumps.
After months of cost cutting, write-downs, and getting pilloried among Hollywood natives for killing projects, the Warner Bros. Discovery chief showed off some new truculence, making the case that while his newly-merged company has been having a tough time, so too were others.
“‘Last year was a year of restructuring,” said Zaslav, during a call with investors Thursday. “This year will be a year of building.”
Over the course of an hour, Zasalv and Gunnar Wiedenfels, Warner’s chief financial officer, made the case that their company was just as well-equipped as any of its rivals — perhaps even more so — to withstand a stormy era during which media companies are pressed to grow their streaming operations but maintain profitability. Zaslav elbowed Netflix for releasing all of the episodes for a program’s cycle all at once; suggested that a move to launch new...
After months of cost cutting, write-downs, and getting pilloried among Hollywood natives for killing projects, the Warner Bros. Discovery chief showed off some new truculence, making the case that while his newly-merged company has been having a tough time, so too were others.
“‘Last year was a year of restructuring,” said Zaslav, during a call with investors Thursday. “This year will be a year of building.”
Over the course of an hour, Zasalv and Gunnar Wiedenfels, Warner’s chief financial officer, made the case that their company was just as well-equipped as any of its rivals — perhaps even more so — to withstand a stormy era during which media companies are pressed to grow their streaming operations but maintain profitability. Zaslav elbowed Netflix for releasing all of the episodes for a program’s cycle all at once; suggested that a move to launch new...
- 2/23/2023
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
David Zaslav used to charm Wall Street. Now he’s running a debt-laden media company that one observer described as a “dumpster fire.” Just how hot things are getting for the Warner Bros. Discovery CEO will become clear after it reports fourth-quarter earnings Thursday — Zaslav’s third outing as the combined company’s chief.
The competitive pressure to scale up and compete with Netflix’s ballooning content budget drove AT&T to spin off WarnerMedia and combine it with Discovery, creating a film and TV giant with a bulked-up streaming library. But even as the deal got done last year investors were already changing their tune. Profitability, not growth or scale, is the watchword now.
Zaslav’s key priority on Thursday’s earnings call should be laying out the debt-laden entertainment giant’s “road to profitability,” Omdia media analyst Sarah Henschel told TheWrap.
“All of these newer streaming services have yet...
The competitive pressure to scale up and compete with Netflix’s ballooning content budget drove AT&T to spin off WarnerMedia and combine it with Discovery, creating a film and TV giant with a bulked-up streaming library. But even as the deal got done last year investors were already changing their tune. Profitability, not growth or scale, is the watchword now.
Zaslav’s key priority on Thursday’s earnings call should be laying out the debt-laden entertainment giant’s “road to profitability,” Omdia media analyst Sarah Henschel told TheWrap.
“All of these newer streaming services have yet...
- 2/23/2023
- by Lucas Manfredi
- The Wrap
Reed Hastings — one of Netflix’s founders over 25 years ago who ushered the company from mail-order DVD service to the world’s first streaming network — signaled the end of an era on Thursday after revealing he would transition into the role of executive chairman and hand off Netflix’s co-ceo reins to chief operating officer Greg Peters.
After a couple wobbly quarters in early 2022, the world’s No. 1 streamer has somewhat recovered. That gives Hastings an opportunity to move out of the co-chief job a hero (or pull an “Iger” as some have referred to it). But that leaves a ton of work for standing co-ceo Ted Sarandos and incoming Peters.
On Netflix’s earnings call, Hastings touted the company’s “good head start” over its streaming competitors, adding that the streamer continues to make “super progress.” In its fourth quarter of 2022, Netflix blew its 4.5 million subscriber projection out of...
After a couple wobbly quarters in early 2022, the world’s No. 1 streamer has somewhat recovered. That gives Hastings an opportunity to move out of the co-chief job a hero (or pull an “Iger” as some have referred to it). But that leaves a ton of work for standing co-ceo Ted Sarandos and incoming Peters.
On Netflix’s earnings call, Hastings touted the company’s “good head start” over its streaming competitors, adding that the streamer continues to make “super progress.” In its fourth quarter of 2022, Netflix blew its 4.5 million subscriber projection out of...
- 1/20/2023
- by Lucas Manfredi
- The Wrap
As Bob Iger returns to the helm of Disney for the next two years, he faces a corporate version of one of the Disney-owned streaming service Hulu’s biggest limited-series hits: “Little Fires Everywhere.”
And one of the fires he must face is what to do with Hulu, the hybrid subscription/ad-supported streamer in which Disney holds a controlling stake since completing its acquisition of 21st Century Fox three years ago. Under a 2019 agreement, Disney can buy out rival Comcast’s remaining 33 stake in Hulu as early as January 2024 (and Comcast can require that Disney do so).
But Iger has been mum on his plans for Hulu, even suggesting at a company town hall on Monday that he’s “very, very comfortable with the set of assets we have” and “there’s no sense of urgency or even interest right now in acquiring anything more.”
Still, it’s unclear if...
And one of the fires he must face is what to do with Hulu, the hybrid subscription/ad-supported streamer in which Disney holds a controlling stake since completing its acquisition of 21st Century Fox three years ago. Under a 2019 agreement, Disney can buy out rival Comcast’s remaining 33 stake in Hulu as early as January 2024 (and Comcast can require that Disney do so).
But Iger has been mum on his plans for Hulu, even suggesting at a company town hall on Monday that he’s “very, very comfortable with the set of assets we have” and “there’s no sense of urgency or even interest right now in acquiring anything more.”
Still, it’s unclear if...
- 12/1/2022
- by Lucas Manfredi
- The Wrap
Bob Iger has many things to address in his Disney return, including the inheritance of a 1.5 billion loss in direct-to-consumer business. However, he might want to focus more on the Disney streamer that actually turns a profit: Hulu.
Iger has long been a fan of the service; he’s the guy that bought Fox’s one-third as part of the studio’s mega-acquisition in early 2019, about a year before Bob Chapek succeeded Iger. One former Hulu insider told IndieWire that during his final months as CEO, Iger indicated the streaming service (a key part of the Disney Bundle alongside Disney+ and ESPN+) had his full support as a standalone entity. Experts we spoke to for this story do not see any reason for Iger’s opinion from early 2020 to have changed in late 2022.
“Hulu plays a key strategic role for Disney in being the home for adult-oriented content that doesn...
Iger has long been a fan of the service; he’s the guy that bought Fox’s one-third as part of the studio’s mega-acquisition in early 2019, about a year before Bob Chapek succeeded Iger. One former Hulu insider told IndieWire that during his final months as CEO, Iger indicated the streaming service (a key part of the Disney Bundle alongside Disney+ and ESPN+) had his full support as a standalone entity. Experts we spoke to for this story do not see any reason for Iger’s opinion from early 2020 to have changed in late 2022.
“Hulu plays a key strategic role for Disney in being the home for adult-oriented content that doesn...
- 11/23/2022
- by Brian Welk and Tony Maglio
- Indiewire
F. Scott Fitzgerald once wrote that “there are no second acts in American lives.” By returning to the Walt Disney Company and resuming his former role as chief executive officer, Bob Iger will attempt to disprove that maxim.
But if Iger’s first stint at Disney was marked by growth and an exciting wave of transformative acquisitions, his comeback will require a different set of skills. Bob the Builder must become Bob the Manager. And that’s a whole lot less fun.
Take the situation that Disney and many other media companies find themselves in right now. Wall Street has soured on the idea of streaming subscription growth at all costs, preferring instead to focus on pesky things like profits. In this climate, the sheer expense of creating more and more premium content for Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ has imperiled the company’s stock price. In its most recent quarter,...
But if Iger’s first stint at Disney was marked by growth and an exciting wave of transformative acquisitions, his comeback will require a different set of skills. Bob the Builder must become Bob the Manager. And that’s a whole lot less fun.
Take the situation that Disney and many other media companies find themselves in right now. Wall Street has soured on the idea of streaming subscription growth at all costs, preferring instead to focus on pesky things like profits. In this climate, the sheer expense of creating more and more premium content for Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ has imperiled the company’s stock price. In its most recent quarter,...
- 11/22/2022
- by Brent Lang and Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Charlie Collier may be able to help Roku do more with less.
That appears to be the strategy, as the former Fox executive joins Roku in October to lead its advertising and content business. The mere fact of his hiring suggests the company is making a bigger push into the streaming space in order to help boost its ad revenue, but his experience may help cut down on the costs and risks associated with moving more into content.
Collier’s jump to Roku comes after decades in the entertainment space, most recently as CEO of Fox Entertainment and previously as president of AMC. His reputation at the two companies was that of a consummate and professional salesman, able to juggle the relatively modest budgets of each company with their bold ambitions.
At AMC, Collier spearheaded the cable channel’s foray into original programming...
Charlie Collier may be able to help Roku do more with less.
That appears to be the strategy, as the former Fox executive joins Roku in October to lead its advertising and content business. The mere fact of his hiring suggests the company is making a bigger push into the streaming space in order to help boost its ad revenue, but his experience may help cut down on the costs and risks associated with moving more into content.
Collier’s jump to Roku comes after decades in the entertainment space, most recently as CEO of Fox Entertainment and previously as president of AMC. His reputation at the two companies was that of a consummate and professional salesman, able to juggle the relatively modest budgets of each company with their bold ambitions.
At AMC, Collier spearheaded the cable channel’s foray into original programming...
- 9/27/2022
- by Caitlin Huston and Alex Weprin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
She's uniquely posh and 'as vain as a cat', but Joanna Lumley makes a formidable crusader, finds Simon Hattenstone
Joanna Lumley is angry. Make no mistake, she's spitting fury. Last year's golden girl has been hammered by politicians and the press over the past month, and now she has had enough.
It all started when reports emerged that veteran Gurkhas, who had moved to Britain after the actor helped them secure new settlement rights, were struggling in their new country. In the hatchet job from hell, the Daily Mail suggested that Lumley had misled the Gurkhas into leaving Nepal, promising them a life of riches. She didn't respond. Even worse, her critics alleged, she had directed them to a law firm for advice that should have been freely available. The implication was that Lumley, recently named Briton of the Year and Oldie of the Year, was somehow on the make.
Joanna Lumley is angry. Make no mistake, she's spitting fury. Last year's golden girl has been hammered by politicians and the press over the past month, and now she has had enough.
It all started when reports emerged that veteran Gurkhas, who had moved to Britain after the actor helped them secure new settlement rights, were struggling in their new country. In the hatchet job from hell, the Daily Mail suggested that Lumley had misled the Gurkhas into leaving Nepal, promising them a life of riches. She didn't respond. Even worse, her critics alleged, she had directed them to a law firm for advice that should have been freely available. The implication was that Lumley, recently named Briton of the Year and Oldie of the Year, was somehow on the make.
- 4/2/2010
- by Simon Hattenstone
- The Guardian - Film News
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