Youtube to ban dangerous prank videos inspired by Netflix’s Bird Box January 16, 2019 Youtube has said it will ban videos that contain dangerous or emotionally distressing "pranks", after a person crashed his car attempting to complete an online challenge inspired by Netflix's Bird Box. In an update posted to its support site, Youtube said it had updated its external guidelines "to make it clear that challenges like the [...]
Snap loses its second finance chief in less than a year, following a string of executive exits January 16, 2019 The chief financial officer of Snap is to resign after spending less than 12 months in the role, sending the social media platform's share price down more than eight per cent in after-hours trading. Tim Stone, who joined Snap from Amazon in May, is only the latest executive to leave the parent company of photo-sharing [...]
Pearson sees shares hit by declining US revenues as profits remain on track January 16, 2019 Publisher Pearson saw its share price fall this morning after reporting a decline in its US business, despite cost savings keeping profits on track. The education group said it expects operating profit of £540m to £545m, within its guidance of £520m to £560m, and an increase in profits from the year before. Read more: Murdoch's media empire [...]
Netflix shares rise as subscribers face an 18 per cent price hike January 15, 2019 Netflix has said it will be raising the prices of its streaming services for US subscribers by as much as 18 per cent, as the tech giant seeks to cover the costs of ploughing heavy investment into its original content. Prices for its most popular standard viewing plan, which allows users to stream content on [...]
South Korean broadcasters team up to create streaming service rival to Netflix January 15, 2019 South Korea’s largest broadcasters are teaming up to create a streaming service to rival Netflix as the race to create on-demand platforms shows no signs of slowing. Broadcasting firms Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS), Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) and Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) have joined with SK Telecom to set up the new venture this year. [...]
The rise of digital tech innovation will drive sports revenue boom, report states January 15, 2019 The global sports industry is on the brink of “unprecedented commercial growth” as digital technology innovation kicks in, according to a new report. Broadcasters, rights holders and sports organisations are set to see a huge boost in revenues thanks to the rise of new tech such as streaming platforms, esports and virtual reality (VR), a [...]
Facebook to invest $300m into local news around the world January 15, 2019 Facebook has said it will commit a further $300m (£233.5m) in funding for local news publishers globally over the next three years, with the first round destined for a selection of US organisations. The investment will be separated into two broad segments – supporting journalists and publishers in gathering news, and helping those newsrooms to [...]
Unlimited Group unveils alliance with German and Japanese agencies January 15, 2019 Digital marketing firm Unlimited Group today unveiled a new strategic alliance with international agencies in a bid to provide a global offering for its clients. UK-based Unlimited has signed an alliance with German ad giant Serviceplan and Japanese firm Hakuhodo to build joint teams offering a presence in all major markets. Read more: Brexit, ad fraud and [...]
World Federation of Advertisers sets up digital media taskforce to tackle fraud January 14, 2019 The World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) has created a global taskforce to tackle the growing problem of ad fraud and improve data transparency. The WFA today said it has assembled a team of top marketing executives tasked with addressing the key challenges facing digital media. Read more: Brexit, ad fraud and #MeToo – what does the [...]
Disney’s CEO Robert Iger earns stock award worth $149.6m in 2018 January 12, 2019 Walt Disney CEO Robert Iger earned $149.6m (£116.4m) worth of stock grants in 2018 after a successful year for the company. It includes awards related to Disney’s acquisition of TV and film assets from Twenty-First Century Fox, according to a regulatory filing released on Friday. Disney revealed that Iger’s remuneration package had risen 80.9 per [...]