Investors call on Hipgnosis to sell songs as share price dwindles July 12, 2023 Investors in Hipgnosis Song Management, which owns songs by Rihanna, Nirvana and Justin Bieber, have called on the company to sell some of its holdings as the firm’s share price flounders. Hipgnosis’ share price – which trades as Hipgnosis Songs Fund on the FTSE 250 – has fallen around 30 per cent over the last [...]
CMA agrees pause on Microsoft appeal after US court waves through Activision deal July 12, 2023 The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has said it is willing to work with Microsoft over its planned acquisition of video game company Activision Blizzard, which could help end its legal battle with the firms over the deal. It comes after a US judge yesterday handed Microsoft a victory by saying it would not [...]
BT successor has their work cut out, say analysts July 10, 2023 The successor of outgoing BT boss Philip Jansen faces a tough job ahead as the company battles poor earnings amid the pressure to rollout 5G, analysts have warned. It comes as BT confirmed today Jansen will step down “at an appropriate moment” within the next year. “Whoever takes the hot seat at BT will be [...]
Meta Threads rivalry with Twitter intensifies as lawsuit looms July 10, 2023 Meta and Twitter’s rivalry has escalated with the successful launch of Threads and the threat of a lawsuit, but analysts suggest that Twitter still has fight left. Threads, Meta’s highly anticipated app, amassed over 70m subscribers within days of its recent launch. The app’s availability caused a staggering 455 per cent surge in Meta’s stock, [...]
Taylor Swift Eras tour set to break records as tickets go on pre-sale July 10, 2023 TICKETS for Taylor Swift’s European tour are set to go on sale this week, with predictions of sky-high prices on the secondary market. The star’s highly anticipated “Eras Tour” is expected to make a significant impact as it heads to Europe, with projections it will become the highest-grossing tour of all time, surpassing $1.5bn (£1.17bn) [...]
FT undergoes B2B subscription rebrand in growth drive July 10, 2023 The Financial Times (FT) has given its B2B service a makeover in a bid to attract more subscribers and boost revenue. Rebranded as ‘FT Professional’, the British broadsheet has freshened up its infamous pink palette with a splash of mint green. Catering to over 8,000 businesses, governments and educational institutions worldwide, FT Professional aims to [...]
YouTube stars including KSI and Sidemen invest £1.5m in emerging video-podcast studio July 6, 2023 The Fellas Studios, a production company owned by popular YouTubers Callum Airey and Joshua Larkin, has received £1.5m in investment as the brand is set to put ‘video podcasting’ on the map. The burgeoning studio has said it is the “fastest-growing” video podcast house in the UK after it gained significant financial support from YouTube [...]
Taylor Swift fans warned Eras tour tickets ‘highly attractive target for criminals’ July 6, 2023 Taylor Swift fans keen to secure tickets for her 2024 Eras Tour have been urged to be alert to fraudsters taking advantage of “phenomenal demand” for the shows. Fans who registered last week were to have learned on July 5 if they had been randomly selected to receive a highly sought-after pre-sale code giving them [...]
End of an era: Majority of jobs axed as TV shopping channel Ideal World collapses July 6, 2023 TV shopping channel Ideal World has hired administrators and made the “majority” of its workforce redundant. The Peterborough-based company employed around 275 people at its head office but hired insolvency experts from advisory firm Kroll on Wednesday after it was hit by weaker consumer spending habits. Administrators said overall trading was “not strong enough” for [...]
STV buys Greenbird Media for £21.4m and gains hit series in growth push July 6, 2023 STV has acquired Greenbird Media, an unscripted television production network, for £24.1m today in a “transformative” drive for greater growth across the UK and globally. The Scottish broadcaster, which has brought popular dramas like Antiques Road Trip, Celebrity Catchphrase and Blue Lights to UK television screens, is bolstering its STV Studios production division with the [...]