Investors Peppa Pig out on EOne shares as more takeover interest emerges August 15, 2016 Peppa Pig owner Entertainment One’s share price soared on Monday morning after more takeover interest in the company emerged over the weekend. Broadcaster ITV had a £1bn bid for EOne rejected last week, with the target company saying the offer “fundamentally undervalues” it. Read more: Competition emerges for ITV in pursuit of Peppa Pig owner [...]
Barter for a living: Astus co-founder Frances Dickens talks media barter, tackling China and risk aversion August 15, 2016 "I can't think of anything more stupid than setting up my own media barter company,” says Frances Dickens candidly. “But it has worked.” Since 2003, the Astus co-founder and her partner Paul Jackson have grown Astus into the largest barter company in the UK, Ireland and Australia, and with it, the size of the market [...]
Competition emerges for ITV in pursuit of Peppa Pig owner EOne August 14, 2016 Private equity giant KKR is said to be considering a bid for Peppa Pig owner Entertainment One. News of the interest comes after ITV had a £1bn bid for EOne rejected last week. Read more: Peppa Pig maker turns down £1bn takeover offer KKR held talks with EOne’s main shareholder, Canadian pension fund CPPIB, before ITV’s [...]
After the whistle: Premier League clubs have been busy monetising content this summer which Sky, BT Sport and the BBC would eagerly compete for August 12, 2016 In recent weeks, Sky Sports has had David Beckham running through the streets taking in 10 months of Premier League footballing drama. But the UK’s top flight tournament is no longer seasonal. Over the summer, fans have been assiduously following transfer news and international friendlies with a new level of fervour. And Premier League clubs [...]
Channel 4 and Sky invest in startup selling British TV content overseas August 11, 2016 Channel 4 and Sky have made a joint investment in an online startup service aiming to boost British TV sales abroad. Dial Square 86, the holding company for the RightsXchange (TRX), today announced the pair had invested in the company’s latest financing round, which will raise up to £5.2m. Read more: Peppa Pig maker turns down [...]
Arianna Huffington steps down as Huffpost editor-in-chief August 11, 2016 Arianna Huffington has announced she will step down as editor-in-chief as the Huffington Post, the online news outlet she founded. In a statement today she said she was stepping aside to focus her attentions on Thrive Global, the new health startup she unveiled in June. Read more: These are the 20 richest billionaires in tech "One [...]
Perform kicks off live sports streaming service in three European countries August 10, 2016 UK-based media company Perform has launched its live sports video streaming service in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. DAZN – inexplicably pronounced Da Zone – is described by Perform as the world’s first dedicated live sports streaming service and allows subscribers to watch games on demand. Football is expected to be the services' top draw with the English Premier League, Italy's Serie A, Frances' Ligue [...]
Ministry of Sound investment: Sony Music acquires London Grammar label August 10, 2016 Sony Music UK has announced the acquisition of label Ministry of Sound Recordings. Founded in 1993 as an extension to the South London nightclub Ministry of Sound, the label boasts a roster including London Grammar, DJ Fresh, Sigala, Jodie Abacus, Louis Berry, MIAMIGO and Moss Kena. Read more: Imogen Heap believes blockchain technology could save [...]
The BFG and Finding Dory boost Walt Disney results August 9, 2016 Walt Disney’s second quarter was boosted by the BFG, Jungle Book and Finding Dory. The figures Revenue for the three months to 2 July came in at $14.3bn (£11bn), up nine per cent year-on-year, and slightly ahead of Wall Street expectations. Diluted earnings per share, meanwhile, were up 10 per cent to $1.59, and net [...]
Facebook will stop users blocking adverts August 9, 2016 Facebook is the latest media company to fight the rise of ad blockers, by serving ads to those who use the software. It will force ads to appear on the desktop version of the social network even if they use the popular software, said Facebook executive Andrew Bosworth. It will also give users greater control over [...]