WPP share price rise leads FTSE 100 as results beat expectations August 9, 2019 Advertising giant WPP has outperformed market expectations in the first half of the year, as its turnaround strategy helped boost business with key clients like Ebay and L’Oreal. Read more: WPP sells 60 per cent stake in Kantar to value it at $4bn The figures Profit before tax sank 44.1 per cent year on year [...]
Youtube and Netflix among most-watched channels as streaming booms August 7, 2019 YouTube and Netflix are now the third and fourth most-watched video services in the UK, as streaming continues to eat away at traditional TV viewing. British adults watch on average 34 minutes of Youtube and 18 minutes of Netflix per day, overtaking both Channel 4 and BBC Two. Read more: The new King of the [...]
Sky Studios takes stake in UK natural history producer True to Nature August 7, 2019 Sky Studios today announced it has taken a stake in UK-based natural history production firm True to Nature (TTN), marking the first investment for the media group’s new content division. Sky Studios has secured a 24.9 per cent stake in TTN, which will create new wildlife programmes for distribution on Sky’s platform. Read more: Sky [...]
Hipgnosis bags rights to music catalogue of Ed Sheeran songwriter August 7, 2019 Music royalties investment firm Hipgnosis has acquired the music catalogue of Benny Blanco, the songwriter and producer behind top artists including Ed Sheeran. Read more: Hipgnosis snaps up rights to music catalogue of Eurythmics co-founder Dave Stewart Hipgnosis has secured 100 per cent copyright ownership over Blanco’s portfolio of songs, which includes 29 number ones [...]
The new King of the Jungle: Why Disney could be a spoiler for Netflix August 7, 2019 In 2017 Dana Brunetti, the producer behind hit Netflix series House of Cards, declared that appointment-viewing TV was dead. Gone were the days of scheduled programming, he said. On-demand binge-watching was here to stay. Brunetti’s show helped propel Netflix to the forefront of the streaming landscape and, two years later, on-demand TV is now the [...]
Cryin’ King: Disney investors tearful despite box office hits August 6, 2019 Record $8bn (£6.6bn) box office takings did not spare Disney investors from taking a hit last night as the company missed expectations. Shares dropped five per cent in after-hours trading as operating losses widened to $553m from $168 a year ago. It comes as the firm increased spending on ESPN Plus and built Disney Plus, [...]
New Media forms largest US newspaper group after $1.4bn Gannett takeover August 6, 2019 US local media giant New Media Investment Group has bought rival Gannett for $1.4bn (£1.1bn), forming the country’s largest newspaper owner. Virginia-based Gannett owns USA Today, as well as over 160 UK publishers including Newsquest and online marketing firm Reachlocal. Read more: Media group Future buys US publisher Smartbrief for up to $65m New Media [...]
Tencent in talks to buy stake in Universal Music Group August 6, 2019 The French media conglomerate behind Universal Music Group (UMG) is in talks to sell a chunk of the music company to Chinese tech giant Tencent. Vivendi said the deal, which would give Universal a total equity value of €30bn (£27.6bn), will help boost the firm’s presence in Asia. Read more: London firm to launch Spotify-style [...]
Ofcom clears Channel 4 News over Jon Snow’s ‘white people’ comment August 5, 2019 Ofcom has cleared Channel 4 News of wrongdoing after presenter Jon Snow remarked he had “never seen so many white people in one place” during a Brexit rally. The regulator received 2,600 complaints that Snow’s comment, made at the end of the programme, was racist and offensive. Read more: BBC gets Ofcom approval to stream [...]
BBC accused of ‘pulling a fast one’ on producers over Britbox plans August 4, 2019 The BBC has been accused of “pulling a fast one” on independent production companies over new rules that could give Britbox an advantage over streaming rivals. The broadcaster has proposed new regulations meaning producers can sell their rights to streaming services after 12 months, but only subject to conditions that would be tougher for competitors [...]