Commercial radio giant Global shuffles management playlist August 6, 2023 Global, the owner of LBC, Heart and a host of commercial radio stations, has reshuffled its management deck despite maintaining its spot as the number one commercial radio company Both the finance and marketing chiefs of the UK’s largest commercial radio group have bid farewell to the company in recent weeks, according to Companies House [...]
WPP profits tumble 51 per cent as advertising giant shifts focus to AI plans August 4, 2023 The world’s biggest advertising firm WPP reported a “resilient” performance in the first half of the year despite plunging profits as they start to build out AI plans. WPP reported profit before tax for the first half of 2023 dropped 51 per cent to £204m, compared to £419m compared to the first half of 2022. [...]
Do viewers prefer the news or Netflix? Ofcom’s latest report reveals state of the nation August 3, 2023 Traditional news channels have beaten Netflix to secure the top spots on the nation’s television appetite as audiences increasingly drift to different media outlets, according to Ofcom’s latest annual Media Nations report. BBC One emerged as the viewers’ first port of call when switching on the TV last year, capturing 20 per cent of the [...]
What is the Wrexham effect and how is it impacting sports betting? August 3, 2023 Wrexham AFC’s meteoric rise to fame, thanks to the docuseries ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ has caused sports betting to skyrocket in a phenomenon that has been dubbed the ‘Wrexham Effect’. Gambling giant Entain’s UK sportsbook reported a nearly 60 per cent surge in bets during the National League’s 2021-22 season compared to 2017-18 – the 2019-20 [...]
BT: Social media is top sales driver for over a quarter of UK businesses August 2, 2023 Social media is the number one force helping businesses in the UK turn a profit according to new research from BT. A survey by the British telecoms firm has discovered 28 per cent of small businesses say they generate more sales through social platforms than from e-commerce or physical stores. Facebook was crowned as the [...]
A whole new Cineworld: Cinema chain back from bankruptcy with ex-WarnerMedia boss on board August 1, 2023 Cineworld has emerged from bankruptcy and added Ann Sarnoff, the former boss of WarnerMedia Studios, to its board. After filing for bankruptcy in the US last September, the embattled cinema chain has come out the other side having slashed its debt pile. The firm said today that the ‘New Cineworld’ has cut its debt by [...]
CMA aims for decision on £55bn Microsoft-Activision deal by 29 August July 31, 2023 The UK’s competition watchdog has opened up its inquiry into Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard deal for comments, as it aims for a final decision by Aug. 29 on a £55bn takeover it had previously blocked in April. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) also on Monday published Microsoft’s arguments explaining why the deal should be re-evaluated, as the [...]
Telegraph and Spectator appoint Goldman Sachs to run sale July 28, 2023 The boards of the Telegraph and The Spectator have appointed investment bank Goldman Sachs and law firm Linklaters to advise on their sale, they said in a statement on Friday. Lender Lloyds Banking Group seized control of the centre-right Daily and Sunday Telegraph and the politics-led Spectator last month after their ultimate owners, the Barclay family, failed to [...]
ITV earnings plunge over 50 per cent amid ‘challenging’ ad market July 27, 2023 British broadcaster ITV reported a steep drop earnings today as it grapples with the downturn in the advertising market. The streaming giant said their group adjusted EBITA plummeted to 52 per cent to £152m in the six months ending June 30, down from £318m in the first half of 2022. ITV said this reflected “the challenging advertising [...]
BT: Departing Jansen’s investment in fibre and Openreach pays off with revenue jump July 27, 2023 Telecoms giant BT has today reported a notch up in revenue after continued successful roll out of their Openreach full fibre broadband. The British mobile network operator’s revenue grew to nearly £5.2m in the first quarter this year, up four per cent from the same period in 2022. This was mainly driven by revenue from [...]