Stranger Things vs Mickey Mouse: How the media old guard is adapting to disruption July 17, 2019 | City Talk As I discussed earlier this month, disruption is everywhere (see Five things every investor needs to know about disruption). Incumbent companies have a choice: they can either deny the changes are happening, or they can adapt to the new regime. Faced with the seemingly inexorable rise of streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, [...]
Ofcom calls for new laws to protect public service broadcasters July 4, 2019 Ofcom has urged the government to introduce new laws to support public service broadcasters amid rising competition from streaming giants. The media regulator has called for new legislation to ensure channels operated by the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 are displayed prominently on online platforms. Read more: Revamp media regulation to help broadcasters [...]
Netflix to open huge UK production hub at Shepperton Studios July 3, 2019 Netflix has signed a deal to set up a production hub in the iconic Shepperton Studios, marking a major expansion of the streaming giant’s UK presence. Netflix will take over 435,000 square feet of space in the Surrey studio complex, which boasts a rich history of productions including A Clockwork Orange, Gladiator and Gravity. Read [...]
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 [...]
Investors given second chance to buy a piece of Star Wars May 30, 2019 | City Talk By Rodney Hobson from interactive investor. This iconic brand has rewarded shareholders handsomely, and could do again, argues our overseas expert. Investors could be forgiven for thinking they had missed their chance to buy into The Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) when the shares shot up 10% one April day, and then went on to set new [...]
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, [...]
Netflix speaks out against Georgia’s anti-abortion law May 28, 2019 Netflix has pledged to work with activist organisations and politicians to fight the US state of Georgia’s recent anti-abortion legislation. The streaming giant’s chief content officer Ted Sarandos said the firm has many female employees in Georgia, which is a major hub for television and film production. “It’s why we will work with the American Civil [...]
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 [...]
With rail closures planned this weekend, here’s how we should revamp our chugging transport system May 24, 2019 This week, consumer watchdog Which revealed that rail passengers lost four million hours to train delays last year, with an average of 660 cancellations per day. It’s hardly surprising. Any regular commuter will have experienced a delay, cancellation or disruption recently – perhaps you’re experiencing one right now, in fact. Read more: Nearly 4m hours [...]