Disney closes $71bn takeover of 21st Century Fox as it puts Netflix in its sights March 20, 2019 Disney has completed its mammoth $71bn (£54bn) takeover of 21st Century Fox in a deal that transforms the media landscape and puts Netflix’s domination at risk. The deal, which went through shortly after midnight in New York, sees Disney take control of Rupert Murdoch’s film and TV business, as well as National Geographic and a controlling [...]
Can Beto O’Rourke lead the Democrats to victory against Donald Trump? March 20, 2019 Beto O’Rourke lit up the 2020 US presidential election race last week by throwing his hat into the ring. The Democrat shot to fame last year when he ran for the US Senate and only narrowly lost out to his rival in the deeply Republican state of Texas. His failure in that election was counter-intuitively his [...]
Brexit: With ten days to go, what is going to happen? March 19, 2019 In a process where the phrase ‘dumpster fire’ is already probably more accurate than anything normally used to describe political process, speaker John Bercow threw a grenade into the mix by refusing to allow a third meaningful vote on Theresa May’s withdrawal agreement. It was a move that surprised many – when we thought the [...]
Is the proposed ban on TV junk food ads before 9pm just another example of nanny state regulation? March 19, 2019 Is the proposed ban on TV junk food ads before 9pm just another example of nanny state regulation? Daniel Pryor, head of programmes at the Adam Smith Institute, says YES. When the government wants to treat TV ads for fruit juice like soft porn, you know something has gone horribly wrong. There’s no legal definition of [...]
We don’t need to break up big tech to make a better internet – we just need more competition March 19, 2019 Last week saw the release of the government-commissioned Furman Review into digital competition. The commission, chaired by former Obama administration chief economic adviser Jason Furman, found that Google, Amazon, and Facebook don’t face enough competition. This shouldn’t come as a surprise, given the recent attention on tech giants’ business models by governments across the world. [...]
Andover fire burns revenue at Ocado March 19, 2019 Ocado’s Andover factory fire will hurt first quarter sales, the retailer warned today, adding that it will continue to impact sales in the months to come. The three-day blaze destroyed one of Ocado’s flagship robotic distribution centres and sent shares down 12 per cent in early February. Today the firm revealed revenue grew 11.2 per [...]
No, you’re not ‘innovative’ – you’re lazy March 19, 2019 Companies are engaged today in what can only be described as the wholesale destruction of meaning. They overwhelm us with dreary, overused platitudes that serve only to obscure the messages that they are trying to communicate. So why is it that companies continue to hark on endlessly about their innovative solutions, unique insights, enhanced experiences, [...]
International Swimming League: Adam Peaty on the ambitious new breakaway which aims to revolutionise the sport March 18, 2019 Swimming is about to change for good. For so long the preserve of the Olympics and World Championships, the sport is finally branching out. The International Swimming League is nothing if not ambitious. The idea is to take a pastime that 300m people regularly take part in and enjoy every four years and turn it [...]
News UK launches new influencer marketing agency The Fifth March 18, 2019 Media giant News UK today said it has launched The Fifth, an independent full-service influencer marketing agency. The Fifth, which will be led by News UK’s former director of digital strategy and partnerships Oliver Lewis, will work with both established stars and emerging talent in a bid to deliver brand campaign across social media channels. [...]
Advertising Week Europe begins today, so let’s remember that the creative industries are the unsung heroes of the UK economy March 18, 2019 When people think about television, they probably think of the BBC and UK programmes with global appeal, like Downton Abbey and Killing Eve. And even in literature and film, British characters are at the top of any list of the most memorable and loved creations – from James Bond to Harry Potter. Past and present, [...]