The comeback kid: HMV tops Amazon in UK physical sales October 29, 2018 British entertainment retailer HMV has staged a comeback in the face of Amazon’s increased dominance to become the largest physical music retailer in the UK. In the 12 weeks to 23 September, HMV experienced market share growth for the second consecutive quarter to a total of 28 per cent, according to data published today by [...]
Netflix issues $2bn in bonds to fund original content October 22, 2018 Netflix plans to issue $2bn (£1.5bn) in bonds in a bid to fund its drive towards producing more original content, the company announced today. The streaming service will use the proceeds of the dollar and euro dominated junk bonds for general corporate purposes including content acquisitions and production and development. Read more: Subscribers have surged, but are we nearing ‘peak Netflix’? Netflix [...]
DEBATE: Subscribers have surged, but are we nearing ‘peak Netflix’? October 18, 2018 Subscribers have surged, but are we nearing ‘peak Netflix’? Jon Tipple, chief strategy officer at FutureBrand, says YES. Netflix is an amazing success story. Its content, valuation, and subscriber numbers all say so, especially after Tuesday’s results. Our FutureBrand Index also confirmed it last week – we reorder the PwC Global Top 100 firms to [...]
Netflix can chill: Shares surge as site smashes new users predictions, after disappointing second quarter October 16, 2018 The house of cards stood firm last night as Netflix shares soared 18 per cent on the news it had smashed its own predictions on new subscribers, reversing its second-quarter fortunes. The streaming service, known for shows like House of Cards and Orange is the New Black, added nearly 7m new customers, 2m more than [...]
It’s Google versus Facebook in the fight for video dominance October 15, 2018 There’s a battle brewing online. In search of more views, users, and lucrative ad money, Facebook wants to take on Google and steal YouTube’s crown as the dominant video platform. The social media giant is fighting on two fronts. It launched its first assault last year with Facebook Watch, a platform effectively identical to [...]
FAANGs out: Tech stocks set to continue slide after losing $172bn in a single day October 11, 2018 Yesterday's $172bn (£130bn) tech stocks slide is set to worsen today, as pre-market trading indicates each of the so-called FAANG companies could stand to lose further value. Amazon was the worst hit overnight, losing an additional 2.24 per cent on top of yesterday's 6.15 per cent slide which wiped around $56bn off its market capitalisation. Apple [...]
Screen industries bring £7.9bn into UK economy as tax relief drives TV and film production October 9, 2018 Tax relief in the UK creative industries has driven a spend of £7.9bn a year into the British economy, research out today has shown. The British Film Institute (BFI) said tax relief across industries such as film, high-end TV and video games led to the huge spend in 2016, rising from £2.7bn the year before and [...]
Sky’s the limit: Dramatic auction between Comcast and Fox nears its conclusion September 22, 2018 The dramatic fate of Sky is nearing its finale, as a £26bn head-to-head auction between two of the world’s most powerful media companies enters into its final few hours. Comcast is battling it out with Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox and its powerful soon-to-be owner Disney in a rare auction, which includes up to three [...]
Sky adds Netflix to its streaming platform in bid to lure in more viewers September 19, 2018 UK media giant Sky will bundle Netflix into its subscription for the first time in November in an effort to step up user engagement with its own programming. The Ultimate on Demand package will give users access to Netflix and Sky Box Sets on its Sky Q platform, making it easier for customers to browse TV [...]
Tech stocks hit as Trump mulls fresh $200bn tariffs on China September 18, 2018 The Trump administration late last night ratcheted up its trade war with China by imposing tariffs on $200bn (£152bn) more of the world’s second largest economy’s goods starting next week. The tariffs will start at 10 per cent, rising to 25 per cent on 1 January, allowing US companies some time to adjust their supply [...]