Ericsson and Samsung ink deal to end global patent dispute May 7, 2021 Ericsson and Samsung have signed a multi-year agreement on global patent licences between the two companies, ending a legal battle that hit the Swedish firm’s first-quarter revenue. In a statement this morning Ericsson said the cross-licence agreement covers sale of network infrastructure and handsets from the beginning of this year. The two tech firms have [...]
Taxman chasing Gary Lineker for £5m over IR35 dispute May 6, 2021 The taxman is pursuing Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker over a tax bill of £4.9m, linked with IR35 legislation. Lineker, who is self-employed, set up a partnership with his former wife in 2012, which he used to channel his earnings from BT Spot and the BBC. According to tax tribunal documents, published last [...]
ITV begins ‘cautiously optimistic’ recovery from production hit during pandemic May 5, 2021 British broadcaster ITV has begun to recover from stalled production during the pandemic, with advertising revenue rebounding 68 per cent this month. In a trading update this morning, ITV said it expected total ad revenue for the first half of the year to rise around 26 per cent compared to 2020, despite pandemic restrictions being [...]
Ocean Outdoor ‘optimistic’ about ad recovery despite hefty pandemic loss May 4, 2021 Ocean Outdoor today said it was “optimistic” about a recovery in the advertising market this year after the company crashed to a hefty loss during the pandemic. Ocean, which operates major sites including Piccadilly Lights, reported a pre-tax loss of £182m last year, compared to a loss of £6.2m in 2019. Revenue for the year [...]
Oneweb in talks to play role in new navigation system to rival GPS May 4, 2021 The government-backed satellite network Oneweb is reportedly in talks to build a UK navigation system in a bid to rival GPS. UK space officials are currently reviewing options for investment in position, navigation and timing (PNT) technology. The UK was forced out of the European Galileo satellite programme during Brexit negotiations so a new programme [...]
Premier League introduces new Owners’ Charter in wake of European Super League saga May 3, 2021 The Premier League will require all clubs to sign up to a new Owners’ Charter, committing them to the principles of football. The Premier League has taken action to prevent a repeat of its clubs threatening to breakaway in response to the Super League fallout. Six top-flight teams, including Manchester United and Liverpool, announced late [...]
London IPO: Darktrace shares surge 40 per cent on market debut April 30, 2021 Shares in UK tech darling Darktrace soared on their London debut, jumping as much as 42 per cent higher than their initial listing price, in an IPO that valued the company at £1.7bn. Darktrace this morning said shares were priced at 250p in its London IPO, the midpoint of the range. Upon the opening bell shares traded [...]
Darktrace races out of the blocks: A boost for London’s IPO market after Deliveroo’s flop April 30, 2021 In a welcome boost for the London IPO market after the Deliveroo flop, UK cybersecurity company Darktrace launched this morning well above its initial price of 250p per share, jumping sharply to 350p in opening trade. There were early indications that the initial valuation might be higher than this, at around £3bn, however it appears that [...]
Screenshot: Will GB News’ traditional TV bet pay off? April 30, 2021 This week **Media Moment of the Week: Blair’s hair mare **Will GB News’ traditional TV bet pay off? **BT puts sport on the sideline Media Moment of the Week: Blair’s hair mare With allegations of sleaze, rows over John Lewis and Kevin Keegan-esque outbursts, it’s fair to say that all the attention has been on [...]
BT confirms talks to offload stake in TV arm in broadband push April 30, 2021 BT has confirmed that it is in talks with major streaming platforms to offload a stake in its television arm as it focuses on its broadband division. BT Sport launched in 2012 in a bid to take out rival Sky which has accrued somewhat of a monopoly on Premier League television rights. It confirmed this [...]