Scarlett Johansson sues Disney over Black Widow streaming release July 30, 2021 Scarlett Johansson is suing Disney over its decision to release new superhero blockbuster Black Widow on its streaming platform. The actor, who stars in the new Marvel thriller, alleges that the media giant breached her contract when it offered the film on Disney Plus at the same time as in cinemas. Disney said there was [...]
Pearson hikes dividend as it swings back to profit July 30, 2021 Education giant Pearson has hiked its dividend for the first half of the year as it swung back to a profit following a torrid pandemic year. The FTSE 100 firm today reported an adjusted operating profit of £127m for the six months to the end of June, compared to a loss of £23m in the [...]
Cineworld secures $200m loan boost as it gears up for bumper film slate July 30, 2021 Cineworld today said it had secured $200m (£143m) in incremental loans to help shore up its finances as the chain prepared for a bumper schedule of film releases later this year. The loan facility, which matures in May 2024, was secured from a group of Cineworld’s existing lenders. The company said it did not have [...]
Screenshot: Will the digital advertising boom ever end? July 30, 2021 This week **Media Moment of the Week: You are what you tweet **Will the digital advertising boom ever end? **Esports: Britain’s next big thing? Media Moment of the Week: You are what you tweet You know the scenario: someone says something you don’t like on Twitter and you have an overwhelming urge to rise to [...]
Inmarsat takes on Elon Musk and Oneweb with satellite network launch July 29, 2021 British satellite giant Inmarsat is launching a new network of satellites to offer global broadband and 5G services, joining an escalating space race alongside rivals Elon Musk and Oneweb. The project, dubbed Orchestra, will bring together the company’s existing geosynchronous satellites (Geo) with low-earth orbit satellites (Leo) and land-based 5G services to create a single [...]
Netflix, Google and Facebook to require jabs for return to office July 29, 2021 Netflix, Google and Facebook will require all US employees to be vaccinated against Covid-19 before they can return to work. In an email to staff Google boss Sundar Pichai said the tech giant was pushing back its return to the office from September to mid-October. He added that vaccinations will be compulsory for US staff, [...]
Guinness owner Diageo sales jump as it toasts reopening July 29, 2021 Spirits group Diageo has beaten expectations for full-year sales as it gears up the reopening of bars and nightclubs across Europe. The booze business, which owns brands such as Guinness, Johnnie Walker and Smirnoff, reported net sales of £12.7bn in the year to the end of June, up 8.3 per cent on the previous year. [...]
BT ‘on path to growth’ despite first-quarter revenue slip July 29, 2021 BT today issued a bullish forecast for its prospects for the rest of the year despite posting a decline in revenue and pre-tax profit in the first quarter. The FTSE 100 firm reported a three per cent slip in revenue to just over £5bn due to the continued impact of the pandemic. This was offset [...]
Robinhood valued at $32bn as it prices shares ahead of IPO July 29, 2021 Popular trading platform Robinhood has been valued at $32bn (£23bn) after pricing its shares at the lower end of the guidance range ahead of its stock market debut. Robinhood priced its shares at $38 each — the bottom end of its $38 to $42 range — as it gears up for an eagerly-anticipated initial public [...]
Informa hikes revenue forecasts on hopes of trade show return July 29, 2021 Informa has increased its revenue forecasts for the full year as the exhibitions group struck an optimistic tone over the return of in-person events. The FTSE 100 company said it now expects to pull in revenue of £1.8bn in 2021, up from previous guidance of £1.7bn. This reflected a “progressive return” of physical events in [...]
