Sticks and stones may break my bones June 14, 2019 We live in a world which is becoming ever more difficult to satirise. Reality now far outstrips parody for overblown farce and exaggerated absurdity. Back in 2000, The Simpsons featured a flash-forward episode which foresaw a ridiculous future in which property mogul and vapid celebrity Donald Trump had become President of the United States. Switch [...]
Video streaming to fuel £10bn growth in UK media sector by 2023 June 6, 2019 The surging demand for video streaming services will drive a £10bn growth in the UK’s entertainment and media sector over the next five years, according to a report published today. The booming industry is set to be worth £80bn in 2023, up from the £70bn projected for this year, according to professional services firm PwC. [...]
Global video-on-demand subscriptions set to near 1bn by 2024 June 3, 2019 Global subscriptions of on-demand video platforms are set to surge towards 1bn over the next five years, new figures have revealed. The total number of subscriptions will soar 86 per cent from 439m last year to 947m in 2024, according to London-based firm Digital TV Research. Read more: Live TV still holds top spot despite [...]
Netflix raises prices by 20 per cent as it blames $15bn production budget May 30, 2019 Netflix is raising the prices of some of its subscriptions by as much as 20 per cent as it prepares to ramp up investment in new TV shows and films. The streaming service is increasing the cost of its standard plan, which allows users to watch on two screens, by £1 to £8.99, while the [...]
Netflix and Amazon cash in on British streaming market with double the revenue of UK services May 29, 2019 Netflix and Amazon’s revenues from UK streaming customers last year was £1.1bn, twice the amount the Britain’s biggest broadcasters made from their own streaming platforms. Netflix made around £693m in revenues from its UK subscriber base of 10m people last year, while Amazon generated £400m from 7.7m subscribers to its Prime Video platform. The figures, [...]
BBC calls on top presenters for Tory leadership race debates May 28, 2019 The BBC has confirmed it will host a series of TV debates and interviews as Tory leadership hopefuls battle it out to become the next Prime Minister. BBC News will put on a series of special programmes, including a debate between all the candidates in the leadership race in mid-June, moderated by Newsnight presenter Emily Maitlis. [...]
Live TV still the top choice for Brits despite rise of on-demand viewing May 28, 2019 Broadcast live TV is still the go-to option for Brits when deciding what to watch, despite the surge in popularity of on-demand services, a new survey has revealed. More than two-fifths of the UK population still always turn to live TV in the first instance, making traditional broadcasters the most popular choice, according to research [...]
China warns of trade repercussions after Huawei ban May 23, 2019 Top Chinese officials today ramped up the rhetoric against Western governments amid a raging dispute over Huawei, warning attempts to block trade with the tech giant could backfire. A senior Chinese diplomat warned there could be “substantial” repercussions on the country’s investment in the UK if the government decided to ban Huawei from 5G networks. [...]
Sir Philip Green ‘grabbed breasts’ of female workers, Labour peer claims May 23, 2019 Topshop tycoon Sir Philip Green repeatedly groped his female employees, a Labour peer has claimed. Lord Hain used parliamentary privilege to reveal a list of accusations of inappropriate behaviour by the retail magnate, who has strongly denied allegations of harassment. Read more: Sir Philip Green loses his billionaire status It is the second time Hain [...]
Theresa May slaps down Michael Gove by insisting new Brexit vote will go ahead as planned May 22, 2019 Theresa May has vowed to put her derided Brexit deal to to MPs just hours after a leading Cabinet Minster suggested it could be pulled. Appearing on BBC Radio 4 Today programme on Wednesday morning, environment secretary Michael Gove was asked if the Withdrawal Agreement Bill would still be put to MPs in early June [...]