Mirror and Express owner Reach bumps up trading expectations December 14, 2018 The publisher of the Mirror and Express newspapers saw its share price climb more than five per cent this morning after saying that trading for the year will finish “marginally ahead of market expectations”. Reach, the company name adopted by Trinity Mirror after it acquired Richard Desmond’s media portfolio in February for £127m, reported a rise [...]
Half of homes could boost their broadband Ofcom says December 14, 2018 Half of British homes could switch to a faster broadband service, Ofcom said today as it plans new rules to encourage people to get the best deal. The media regulator’s research showed that 94 per cent of UK homes and offices can now get superfast broadband but less than half have taken it up. It also [...]
BBC’s Eastenders set revamp goes £27m over budget December 13, 2018 The BBC’s project to rebuild and enlarge the Eastenders set will be £27m over budget and take an extra two-and-a-half years to complete. The cost estimate for the construction project has soared 45 per cent from £59.7m to £86.7m, the National Audit Office (NAO) said today. The expected completion date of the project, known as E20, [...]
The seven trends in the digital sport world to look out for in 2019 December 11, 2018 This has been a transformative year for the digital sport landscape, from tech giants Amazon and Facebook making major rights acquisitions to a rise in behind-the-scenes and self-authored content. Here, Charlie Beall of consultancy Seven League assesses the trends that dominated 2018 and look set to shape the next 12 months. 1. Athletes becoming media As [...]
Former GCHQ boss calls for greater regulation of Facebook December 7, 2018 Former GCHQ boss Robert Hannigan has attacked Facebook, claiming it is undermining democracy and demanding that the social media giant face greater regulation. Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Hannigan stated that Facebook “isn't a kind of fluffy charity providing free services". "It's is a very hard-headed international business and these big tech companies are essentially the [...]
Podcast platform Acast secures $33m funding amid rise in on-demand listening December 5, 2018 Podcast startup Acast has secured $33m (£25.9m) in Series C funding as it cashes in on the surging popularity of on-demand listening. Acast, which helps podcast makers distribute and monetise their content, said the funding will be put towards growth as the platform looks to expand internationally. “This has been the biggest year in our [...]
Sorrell strikes again with deal for US digital advertisers December 4, 2018 Sir Martin Sorrell will make his second acquisition since leaving advertising giant WPP as he takes over Mighty Hive, a day after his new outfit announced it was in advanced talks with the company. S4 Capital, which was set up by Sorrell after he left the world's biggest advertising firm earlier this year, said it will [...]
Sorrell’s S4 Capital says talks to buy ad firm Mightyhive are now ‘advanced’ December 3, 2018 Sir Martin Sorrell’s new company S4 Capital has confirmed it is now in advanced talks to buy Mightyhive, a programmatic advertising group based in San Francisco. S4 plans to integrate the firm as part of its drive to form a new business combining media and technology. It already confirmed talks were taking place last month, [...]
Netflix in advanced talks to make Pinewood Studios its UK production hub December 1, 2018 Netflix is in advanced talks to make Pinewood Studios its UK production hub following months of discussions over a long lease deal. The studios are based in Slough, just outside of London, and have a central role in UK film production as Netflix continue to expand their operation. The move will see Netflix use the same [...]
Software giant Adobe invests £63.5m in UK as creative sector booms November 29, 2018 Adobe will invest £63.5m in its UK operations and increase its workforce by over 20 per cent over the next three years, the company said today. The investment is the latest British expansion by the US-based software company, which has grown its UK workforce by 30 per cent in the last two years. The Department for [...]