UK tycoons buy Twickenham Studios as they launch £500m film venture March 2, 2020 Two British tycoons have snapped up Twickenham Studios as part of a £500m project to develop studio space to meet surging demand for new films and TV shows. Piers Read, producer of The Inbetweeners and Peep Show, and Jeremy Rainbird, who launched Bafta-winning production company Merman, have bought the west London studio hub for £50m. [...]
Streaming firm Dazn looks to shake up sports market with UK launch March 2, 2020 Streaming platform Dazn is set to expand to more than 200 countries, including the UK, as it looks to break the stranglehold of traditional broadcasters over sports rights. London-based Dazn, dubbed the “Netflix of sports”, currently operates in nine countries but has yet to break into the UK market, which is dominated by Sky and [...]
Twitter shares jump as Elliott makes move to oust founder Jack Dorsey March 2, 2020 Shares in Twitter rose more than eight per cent in early trading in New York this afternoon after it emerged an activist investor has launched a bid to oust founder Jack Dorsey. Elliott Management has built up a stake in the social media firm and has nominated four directors to its board. The New York-based [...]
Twitter bans ‘non-critical’ business travel over coronavirus fears March 2, 2020 Twitter has rolled out a ban on all “non-critical” business travel and events as the social media firm ramps up its health precautions amid the coronavirus outbreak. In a blog post published yesterday, Twitter’s chief HR officer Jennifer Christie said the company had informed staff of the new measures at the end of last week. [...]
Tuning in: Has the City undervalued the podcast craze? March 1, 2020 With podcasts steadily shoring up their position as a mainstay of the modern media landscape, canny distributors have been biding their time. But now Aim-listed podcast platform Audioboom seems ready to cash in on the booming popularity of on-demand listening. Last month the Nicky Candy-backed audio firm, which distributes podcasts including nerdy QI favourite No [...]
Sky closes in on bumper £300m Six Nations broadcasting deal March 1, 2020 Sky is said to be closing in on a £300m deal for the broadcast rights to the Six Nations in a controversial move that could wipe the rugby tournament from terrestrial TV. The tender process for the new broadcasting contract is set to close when this year’s tournament wraps up on 14 March, with Sky [...]
Government launches review to protect future of radio February 27, 2020 The government today outlined plans for a review aimed at protecting the future of radio amid growing pressure from new technology and listening habits. The digital radio and audio review will address changing trends in the UK audio market, including the rise of smart speakers and streaming services. Its terms of reference, agreed with industry [...]
Netflix UK shows ‘not aligned to British taste’, say top media analysts February 27, 2020 Netflix’s UK shows are “not necessarily aligned to British taste” and cannot be compared to the BBC’s home-grown dramas, according to top media analysts. In a note issued today, Enders Analysis threw its weight behind the BBC’s value to the wider creative economy and blasted “naive” comparisons between the public service broadcaster and Silicon Valley [...]
Online harms laws will not harm free speech, vows Ofcom boss February 27, 2020 The rollout of new laws to tackle so-called online harms will not lead to censorship or damage free speech, a top Ofcom executive has said. Earlier this month the government said it would appoint Ofcom as Britain’s first internet watchdog, tasked with crackdown down on illegal and harmful material on social media sites. The beefed-up [...]
Chrysalis Records relaunches with Laura Marling deal February 26, 2020 Iconic record label Chrysalis Records today announced its relaunch as an active label, signing up British singer songwriter Laura Marling. Chrysalis, which was founded in 1968, pioneered some of the biggest artists in the 70s and 80s, including Billy Idol, Blondie and Sinead O’Connor. The relaunch marks the first time in more than two decades [...]