Netflix signs Pinewood Studios deal as it ramps up investment in British shows May 19, 2019 Netflix has reportedly signed a deal to lease a third of the space at Pinewood Studios as it looks to ramp up its investment in British TV shows. The US streaming giant is set to take roughly 150,000 square feet of space at the famous film studios in Buckinghamshire, the Sunday Telegraph reported, citing sources. [...]
Commercial radio pulls in record audience as stations snap up top presenters May 16, 2019 Commercial radio stations across the UK reported their highest-ever listener numbers in the first quarter, as they continue to snap up top talent. At least 36.1m people tuned in to commercial radio stations in the first three months of the year, according to new figures from industry body Rajar. Read more: Netflix teams up with [...]
MPs launch probe into reality TV following Jeremy Kyle Show death May 15, 2019 MPs have launched an inquiry into reality TV shows just hours after ITV axed The Jeremy Kyle Show following the death of a guest. The DCMS Committee said it will probe production companies’ duty of care to participants and ask whether enough support is offered both during and after filming. Read more: ITV revenues slip [...]
UK average broadband speeds rise by a fifth to hit superfast level May 8, 2019 Average broadband speeds in UK households have jumped 20 per cent over the last year, according to new figures from Ofcom. The regulator said average speeds have passed the 50Mbps mark – one of the most commonly-available levels of superfast broadband – for the first time, after an 18 per cent surge to 54.2Mbps. Read [...]
ITV revenues slip ahead of Britbox launch as strain on advertising continues May 8, 2019 Shares in ITV fell more than five per cent after it posted a slip in revenues for the first quarter, as economic uncertainty and lower demand for advertising continue to take their toll. Read more: ITV and BBC announce online streaming service to rival Netflix The figures Total external revenue fell four per cent to [...]
Amazon boss Jeff Bezos tops list of Silicon Valley’s best performing tech CEOs April 30, 2019 Amazon’s share price has risen by 83 per cent year-on-year, making boss Jeff Bezos the US’s best performing tech chief executive. The online shopping platform’s share price has jumped $69.53 on average per year during Bezos’ 22-year reign as Amazon’s chief executive. Read more: Investigator accuses Saudi Arabia of hacking Jeff Bezos's phone In 1997, which [...]
Protecting the UK’s creative treasures by bringing the digital pirates down a peg leg or two April 26, 2019 The gathering storm of state-backed piracy is high on the agenda, as leaders from creative industries gather for World Intellectual Property Day today. As you read this, a pirate media empire is illegally broadcasting 10 channels of live sport – including one of Britain’s most valuable exports, the English Premier League – to a region [...]
Comcast beats profit estimates but streaming rivals eat into revenue April 25, 2019 US media giant Comcast has beaten Wall Street estimates to post strong first-quarter profit, but fell short on revenue. The figures Comcast posted a 17.9 per cent increase in revenues to $26.9bn (£21bn). Net profit rose 14 per cent to $3.6bn. Adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation increased 18.1 per cent to $8.6bn. [...]
Netflix to sell $2bn worth of bonds amid competition with streaming rivals April 23, 2019 Netflix will issue $2bn (£1.5bn) worth of bonds, denominated in both dollars and euros, to raise money as the battle over TV and film streaming intensifies. Read more: Netflix predicts slowed subscriber growth as price hikes begin to hurt The online media giant said the interest rate, maturity date, and other terms of the bonds [...]
Netflix predicts slowed subscriber growth as price hikes begin to hurt April 17, 2019 Netflix expects its subscriber growth rate to weaken in the coming months, as upcoming US price rises for its TV streaming site dampen the attraction of new users. The firm said it had gained a record number of 9.6m paid subscribers in the three months to March, taking its total up to 148.9m and ahead of [...]