Relativity

Posted on April 17, 2015 by Nicholas Matarazzo

by Nicholas Matarazzo

[1] Relativity Media Logo

HISTORY

Relativity Studios, or simply Relativity, consists of the film and television divisions of Relativity Media LLC. Founded by Ryan Kavanaugh in 2004, the company has produced, distributed and structured financing for over 200 feature films garnering 60 Oscar® nominations. Led by President and Chairman Tucker Tooley and President of Production Robbie Brenner, Relativity has released No. 1 box office openers such as Immortals, which grossed $83 million domestically [2], and produced Academy Award Winning films such as the Internet biopic The Social Network (2010) and The Fighter (2010).

[2] "The Social Network" is one of Relativity's most critically acclaimed films, winning Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Film Editing at the 2011 Academy Awards.

[3] “The Social Network” is one of Relativity’s most critically acclaimed productions, winning Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Film Editing at the 2011 Academy Awards.

Relativity produces films for large audiences both foreign and domestic, which provide entertainment for a wide variety of target audiences and demographics. With genres ranging from heart-felt romantic dramas to action packed, adrenaline filled thrillers, Relativity strives to bring premium feature films to theaters all over the globe. Some of Relativity Studios’ most successful films include Limitless (2011), starring Bradley Cooper, and Mirror Mirror (2012), starring Julia Roberts.

In addition to film production Relativity also houses both financing and distribution divisions, equipping itself as a fully fledged vertically integrated company. The company has the resources to finance, produce and distribute a film from start to finish and has done so even more effectively since 2010 when the company absorbed the marketing and distribution holdings of Overture Films.

KEY EXECUTIVES

[4] Ryan Kavanaugh, CEO of Relativity Media

[5] Tucker Tooley, President and Chairman of Relativity Media

[6] Robbie Brenner, President of Production of Relativity Studios

FINANCIALS

Relativity ranks 9th in overall film distributor companies, owning 2.5% of the total market share as of April 12, 2015. The company’s total gross is $73.6 million with 4 films released thus far in 2015 [7]. Relativity has improved in market share from the previous year, ranking 9th with 1.8% market share and grossing $186.5 million with its 8 films that were released in 2014 [8]. Relativity saw a 22.7% decrease in gross between 2013 and 2014 due in large part to the lack of success of the McG action flick Three Days to Kill [9].

IN THEATERS

“Desert Dancer” (2015)

[10] “Desert Dancer” is biographical drama based on the cultural repression of Afshin Ghaffarian, an Iranian dancer.

The biographical story depicts the life of Afshin Ghaffarian, a dancer who fled Iran in 2009 due to cultural repression. The film originally debuted at the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France in May of 2012. In 2013, the distribution rights were acquired by Relativity at the American Film Market and the film was slated for release in the spring of 2015. In limited release, the film opened on April 10, 2015, in 23 theaters in the US. The film has a current domestic gross of just under $60,000, as of April 16th, 2015 and will move to expanded release on the 17th [11]. Andy Webster of the New York Times says “The fictionalized biopic “Desert Dancer” explores fascinating aspects of present-day Iran but suffers mightily from simplistic and sentimental tendencies” [12].

SPRING 2015 RELEASES

“Black or White” (2015)

Starring Academy Award Winners Kevin Costner and Octavia Spencer, "Black or White" follows a young girl caught in a custody battle, mixed within racial qualms of two seemingly different families.

[13] Starring Academy Award Winners Kevin Costner and Octavia Spencer, “Black or White” follows a young girl caught in a custody battle, mixed within racial qualms of two seemingly different families.

The heart felt drama was released on January 30, 2015, and saw a domestic gross of $21.5 million. In it’s opening weekend, Black or White ranked third among weekend releases, opening in 1,823 theaters, and averaged $3,408 per theater, attributed to 28.9% of the total domestic gross. Against a production budget of $9 million, the film failed to make budget in its first weekend with a $6.2 million weekend gross [14]. The film received mediocre acclaim for it’s simple and overly-stereotypical characters, and failed to live up to the promised look at the diverse world the audience is brought in to. With a 37% rating on the website Rotten Tomatoes (from 83 reviews) [15], and 45 out of 100 rating on Metacritic [16], it appears that the “inspired by true events” drama garnered average reviews at best. Says the critic consensus on Rotten Tomatoes “”Black or White” has more on its mind than your average family drama, but the film’s approach to its thought-provoking themes too often lives down to its title.” [17]

“The Lazarus Effect” (2015)

Released on February 27, 2015, this horror-thriller starring Olivia Wilde, opened at No. 5 on the weekend box office. The Lazarus Effect, opened in 2,666 theaters; the film averaged $3,827 per theater and grossed a weekend total of $10.2 million which made up 40.1% of the total gross [18]. Despite a strong weekend opening against a production budget of $3.3 million, the film’s success was short lived due to poor critic reviews. Critical consensus on the popular website Rotten Tomatoes said “”The Lazarus Effect” has a talented cast and the glimmer of an interesting idea, but wastes it all on insipid characters and dull, recycled plot points” which is no surprise given its 14% rating [19].

UPCOMING

“Masterminds” (2015)

Originally titled Loomis Fargo, and based on the true story of the 1997 Loomis Fargo robbery, in which a vault supervisor for the bank stole $17 million and fled to Mexico, Masterminds is the latest comedy from Napoleon Dynamite director Jared Hess. The film stars Zach Galifianakis, Owen Wilson, Kristen Wiig, Jason Sudeikis, Ken Marino, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones. Eastbound & Down producers Jody Hill and Danny McBride both worked on the script and executive-produced [20].

PROJECTIONS FOR RELATIVITY

With few releases slated for in the first half of 2015 and even fewer in the coming months Relativity is looking at yet another decrease in total gross. Looking forward, it appears that the amount of pressure on such upcoming summer releases as Masterminds, Big Game, and Jane Got a Gun is becoming more apparent. It’ll be interesting to see how the rest of the year pans out for Relativity, heading into a shaky second quarter, after a not so strong first.

SOURCES

[1] Relativity Media Logo Relativity Media Retrieved April 10 2015

[2} Box Office by Studio: Relativity Box Office Mojo Retrieved April 10 2015

[3] The Social Network Movie Poster IMP Awards Retrieved April 10 2015

[4] Ryan Kavanaugh Relativity Media Retrieved April 10 2015

[5] Tucker Tooley Relativity Media Retrieved April 10 2015

[6] Robbie Brenner Relativity Media Retrieved April 11 2015

[7] Studio Market Share: Yearly Comparison Box Office Mojo Retrieved April 11 2015

[8] Studio Market Share: 2014 Box Office Mojo Retrieved April 11 2015

[9] Studio Market Share: 2013 Box Office Mojo Retrieved April 11 2015

[10] Desert Dancer Movie Poster Movie Insider Retrieved April 11 2015

[11] Gross Domestic Box Office Results: Desert Dancer Box Office Mojo Retrieved April 12 2015

[12] Review: Desert Dancer New York Times Retrieved April 12 2015

[13] Black or White Movie Poster Mixed Nation Retrieved April 12 2015

[14] Total Gross Box Office Results: Black or White Box Office Mojo Retrieved April 12 2015

[15] Review: Black or White Rotten Tomatoes Retrieved April 12 2015

[16] Review: Black or White Metacritic Retrieved April 13 2015

[17] Review: Black or White Rotten Tomatoes Retrieved April 13 2015

[18] Total Gross Box Office Results: The Lazarus Effect Box Office Mojo Retrieved April 13 2015

[19] Review: The Lazarus Effect Rotten Tomatoes Retrieved April 13 2015

[20] 2015 Preview: Masterminds Rolling Stones Retrieved April 13 2015

Pandora Radio

Posted on November 21, 2013 by eamoomey

By Isaiah Mendez

Pandora Media, Inc.

2101 Webster Street
16th Floor
Oakland, CA 94612
510.451.4100

http://www.pandora.com/

About the Company [1]:

Pandora Internet Radio is an internet music streaming service that is only available in the United States, New Zealand and Austrailia. It provides both A major competitor with other internet radio providers such as Clear Channel Communications, SIRIUS XM Radio Inc. and CBS Radio Inc., Pandora is known for it’s Music Genome Project, which creates customized playlists for users by analyzing the musical characteristics of songs that they listen to. The internet service can be accessed using a free account or by purchasing a monthly subscription. Pandora Media Inc. was founded in Oakloand, California by Tim Westergren in the year 2000 at the same time as the the Music Genome Project. Pandora currently has additional corporate locations in Houston, TX and in New York City.

Key Executives [2]:

Brian McAndrews – Chief Executive Officer, President & Chairman

Tim Westergren – Chief Strategy Officer & Founder

Tom Conrad – Chief Technology Officer & Executive Vice President of Product

Mike Herring – Chief Financial Officer

John Trimble – Chief Revenue Officer

Delida Costin – General Counsel

Simon Fleming-Wood – Chief Marketing Office

Financial Information [3]:

As of August 22nd, 2013, Pandora Media Inc reported a successful financial year. For the 2Q14 financial period, Pandora made a total revenue of $157.4, which is a $31.9 million increase from the previous fiscal quarter ($128.5 million). Their advertising revenue for the fiscal period was a whopping $33.5 million, which included a $4.7 million in revenue relating to their subscription return reserve.

News:

Insider Selling

The Executive VP of Pandora, Thomas Conrad sold 55,000 shares of the company’s stock for a total of $1,677,500.00 [4] in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 18th of 2013. After this transaction, the executive VP now owns 529,190 shares of the company’s stock. The disclosure of the sale is located in a document filed by the Securities & Exchange Commission [5]. In an official research note to investors on Tuesday, November 19th, analysts at Piper Jaffray Cos., reiterated an “overweight” rating on Pandora’s shares, making note of the price target of these shares from $27.00 to $37.00.

Pandora says iTunes Radio not affecting business…

Even if the numbers seem to report otherwise. According to an Apple Insider article from November 5th of this year, Pandora lost 1.8 million listeners to Itunes Radio shortly after it was first deployed [6]. At a recent iPad event that took place on October 22, chief executive Tim Cook noted that Apple’s iTunes Radio service had a total of 20 million users on it’s debut [7] , who played a collective 1 billion songs.

Initially, before iTunes Radio was launched, Mike Herring of Pandora called the service a “credible threat [8], while at the same time showing optimism about Pandora’s continued dominance in the internet radio business. Interestingly enough, Pandora listening hours actually grew by 9 percent during the same month that iTunes Radio launched, which explains why they do not view it as a threat to business.

For one, this is believed to be caused by Pandora’s continual growth as a station. The company says that it is looking to expand it’s operations beyond it’s current boundaries of the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand in the new future, and could use some of the close to $400 million riased in September stock offering for the proposed expansion.

Another reason Pandora is not considering iTunes a credible threat may be related to the fact that they had recently waived their 40-hour-listening-cap for free users as of September of this year [9], a very bold step the company took as a precautionary business measure before iTunes Radio was released.

Oakland Raiders get their own Pandora station

Oakland Raiders

According to an article from the San Jose Mercury News, The Oakland Raiders now how their own channel on Pandora Radio as of November 15th of this year [10]. The name of the new station is the Raider Nation Station, which plays a mix of Raiders-themed songs chosen by members of the football team themselves. As a part of the great endeavor, five Raiders team members spent time at Pandora headquarters, which is also located in Oakland, California, in order to get a behind the scenes look on how Pandora allows users to customize their own music experiences. The five players who took part in this– Tyvon Branch, Rashad Jennings, Marquette King, Rod Streater and Jared Veldheer- also recorded spots that are to be played on the Raider Nation Station.

Sources:

[1]: http://www.hoovers.com/company-information/cs/company-profile.Pandora_Media_Inc.2b1700451b5b52de.html

[2]: http://investor.pandora.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=227956&p=irol-govManage

[3]: http://investor.pandora.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=227956&p=quarterlyearnings

[4]: http://www.wkrb13.com/markets/230485/insider-selling-thomas-conrad-sells-55000-shares-of-pandora-media-stock-p/

[5]: http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1230276/000123027613000168/xslF345X01/edgar.xml

[6]: http://appleinsider.com/articles/13/11/05/pandora-says-itunes-radio-not-affecting-business-loses-nearly-2m-active-listeners

[7]: http://appleinsider.com/articles/13/10/22/apples-app-store-hits-1m-options-itunes-radio-users-play-1b-songs

[8]: http://appleinsider.com/articles/13/10/16/apples-itunes-radio-is-credible-threat-says-pandora-cfo

[9]: http://www.webpronews.com/pandora-lifts-40-hour-per-month-streaming-cap-2013-08

[10]: http://www.mercurynews.com/music/ci_24532234/oakland-raiders-get-own-pandora-station

SiriusXM Radio

Quote

Posted on November 20, 2013 by Aaron Liebman

By Aaron Liebman

Sirius XM Radio Inc.
1221 Avenue of the Americas
New York City, New York, U.S.

Phone: 1-866-528-7474
Website: http://www.siriusxm.com

Company Overview

Sirius XM Radio Inc. is a broadcasting corporation that provides satellite radio services in the United States and Canada. It is the largest radio broadcaster in terms of revenue and has over 25 million subscribers. The company is the result of the merger between Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio. [1]

SiriusXM produces and broadcasts a wide variety of commercial-free music; exclusive talk and entertainment; comedy and news; premier sports and live events; and the biggest selection of Latin music, talk, and sports programming in radio. SiriusXM offers an array of exclusive content that encompasses virtually all interests and genres including Bruce Springsteen, Eminem, Oprah Winfrey, Comedy Central, Howard Stern, and many more. Since most of its subscribers listen to the radio on the go, SiriusXM has partnerships with all major automakers to install satellite radio in their vehicles. [1] [2]

Key Executives:

James E. Meyer [4][a]

Chief Executive Officer, Sirius XM Radio Inc.

Scott Greenstein [4][b]

President and Chief Content Officer

Dara Altman [4][c]

Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer

Financial Information (3rd quarter)

Revenue: $961,509
Total Operating Expenses: $676,980
Net Income: $62,894
Top Competitors: Clear Channel Communications, Dial Global, Cumulus Media [5]

The third quarter revenue was up 10.85% from 2012’s third quarter revenue of $867,360. Since SiriusXM Radio has very little advertising, 87% of their total revenue is from subscription fees [2]. SiriusXM had a total revenue in 2012 of $3,402,040, a 13% increase from their 2011 revenue of 3,014,524. The increase in revenue can be attributed to a 9% increase in average number of subscribers, as well as an increase in subscriptions to premium services, including internet streaming and data services. As of January 17, 2013, Liberty Media Corporation owns 50% in shares of SiriusXM’s common stock. [3]

Automotive Distribution

Courtesy of marketplayground.com

[d]

On November 20th, Sirius XM purchased Agero Inc’s connected vehicle service unit for $530 million. This major purchase will dramatically help SiriusXM broaden their service along with their reach. Agero’s connected vehicle unit will not merely be a selling point to increase radio subscriptions. The purchase of this unit will allow SiriusXM to dominate the connected vehicle market while also broadening the company’s brand as more than simply an entertainment broadcast company. SiriusXM will become a leader in in-vehicle technology. While radio will remain the main focus of the company’s business, the company will move its attention towards providing a variety of car connectivity solutions. SiriusXM will become the in-vehicle source for navigation, radio, traffic alerts, weather updates, and emergency services while providing the company with a large amount of driver data which can be used to predict future user needs and alter product offerings. [6]

On August 21st 2013, SiriusXM launched its “Service Lane” program which offers customers a free 2-month subscription following visits to selected auto dealerships. [7] With the Service Lane program, new- and used- car owners who bring their car in for service at

Courtesy of autoremarketing.com

their local dealership are eligible to receive the temporary free subscription. Service Lane is being used by dealers as a way to build loyalty and show customer appreciation. [8]

[f]

In April of 2013, SiriusXM and BMW announced that BMW customers now receive a one year subscription to SiriusXM’s All Access Package with each new vehicle purchase. This provides customers with in car satellite radio as well as access to streaming content on Sirius XM Internet Radio. The All Access package also comes with a radio app that allows BMW customers to easily listen to their favorite programing at home or in the office on their smartphone or tablet. [9]

Courtesy of bimmerpost.com

[g]

Programming

To commemorate the 50th Anniversary of John F. Kennedy’s assassination, SiriusXM is launching “JFK: 50 Years Later” – a limited-run pop up channel that provides listeners with an opportunity to hear extensive JFK programming. [10] The channel offer multiple

Courtesy of boston.com

perspectives from hosts including Oliver Stone, Chris Matthews, Sarah Palin, Dan Rather and former Secret Service agent Clint Hill. The show will feature guests who will offer their personal reflections about the assassination as well as eyewitness insight. The show debuts at 6:00 am, November 22. [11]

[h]

SiriusXM subscribers get exclusive listening access to concert premiers from Pearl Jam’s new “Lightning Bolt” tour on “Peal Jam Radio” – channel 22. The channel will broadcast a different show from the tour every Friday at 6pm starting November 18th and will rebroadcast on Saturdays at 7pm. Pearl Jam sat down with Brendan O’Brien, who

Courtesy of guerrillacandy.com

[i]
produced their latest album, for SiriusXM’s “Town Hall” series – an intimate gathering of iconic musicians and entertainers in front of a studio audience of SiriusXM listeners. Pearl Jam Radio features concerts, interviews, greatest hits as well as hidden gems from the band’s celebrated 20-year career. [12]

With the holiday season quickly approaching, SiriusXM launched its holiday music channels on November 4th. With seven commercial free holiday channels, spanning multiple genres and decades of music, SiriusXM provides listeners with the most comprehensive lineup of holiday music on the radio. “Holiday Traditions” on channel 4 will feature classic holiday music from the 40’s through the 60’s. “Holly” on channel 17 will

Courtesy of siriusbuzz.com

feature contemporary holiday tunes from artists such as Kelly Clarkson, Josh Groban, Michael Buble, Miriah Carey and many more. “Navidad” on channel 756 will offer contemporary Latin holidy music with artists such as Gloria Estefan, Marco Antonio, and Jose Feliciano. These are a few examples of the variety of holiday music that is offered on SiriusXM radio. The seven temporary channels will also be available through online streaming at siriusxm.com as well as on the SiriusXM Internet Radio App for smartphones. [13][j]

MySMX

MySMX is new way for subscribers to personalize their SiriusXM Radio Experience. Users can personalize there preferences for over 50 channels to better fit their tastes.

Courtesy of billboard.com

[k]
Users can fine tune their preferences to discover new music and increase the library size of the song selection for a given channel, allowing users to create hundreds of variations. [14]

Sources

Written

[1] http://www.siriusxm.com/corporate
[2] http://investor.siriusxm.com/annuals.cfm
[3] http://investor.siriusxm.com/sec.cfm [4] http://www.siriusxm.com/bios
[5] http://www.hoovers.com/company-information/cs/competition.SIRIUS_XM_Radio_Inc.b9d4eb02dddf9714.html
[6] http://seekingalpha.com/article/1851611-sirius-xm-telematics-worth-billions?source=google_news
[7] http://investor.siriusxm.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=786566
[8] http://www.autonews.com/article/20130617/OEM06/306179941#axzz2lBJEZiLH
[9] http://www.bimmerfile.com/2013/04/18/bmw-customers-now-get-one-year-subscription-to-siriusxms-all-access-package-with-new-vehicle-purchase/
[10] http://investor.siriusxm.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=808660
[11] http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/jfk-50-years-later-launches-on-siriusxm-to-commemorate-the-50th-anniversary-of-president-john-f-kennedy-assassination-232663961.htm
[12] http://investor.siriusxm.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=807714
[13] http://investor.siriusxm.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=804094
[14] http://investor.siriusxm.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=756498

Images

[a] http://satelliteradioplayground.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/James-E.-Meyer-Sirius-XM-Radio-CEO.jpeg [b] http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BODkyOTYxMjA1N15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwMTI0OTIz._V1._SX294_SY400_.jpg
[c] http://files.shareholder.com/downloads/SIRI/0x0x243733/D3586288-7197-4615-9A67-50C63C015110/daraaltman_resized.jpg
[d] http://marketplayground.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Sirius-XM-Edge-car.jpg
[e] http://assets.dice.com/external/images/empLogos/b7f60971888e91049eb24431b956cea5.gif
[f] http://www.autoremarketing.com/sites/default/files/sirius-xm_1_0.jpg?1377113777
[g] http://www.bimmerpost.com/wp-content/themes/next/mythumb.php?src=http://www.bimmerpost.com/storyimages/4c59d569-9676-1850.jpg&h=736&w=1140&zc=1&s=1
[h] http://inapcache.boston.com/universal/site_graphics/blogs/bigpicture/JFK50_11_21/k01_STA45161.jpg [i] http://www.guerrillacandy.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/CUB_3537_1-2.jpg
[j] http://siriusbuzz.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/mongo-christmas.gif
[k] http://www.billboard.com/files/styles/promo_650/public/media/mysxm_siriusxm_650.jpg

Hulu

Link

by Sarah Thaler

Hulu LLC
12312 West Olympic Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90064
Phone: (310)-571-4700
Fax: (310)-571-4701
www.hulu.com

Company Overview
Both a website and over-the-top subscription service, Hulu provides online video streaming of a wide variety of video that range anywhere from current hit television series, movies, and webisodes to behind the scenes footage and movie trailers from an array of networks. In it’s current standing, Hulu is only offered to residents of the United States and Japan; regions outside of these countries are blocked by an IP address location. The Hulu platform allows users to access content through internet-receiving devices such as popular gaming consoles like the “Wii” and “Xbox”. Internet-viable televisions, set-top boxes, tablets, and of course, the PC are also used to transmit content instantly. Hulu’s display presents content in a flash video format to ensure speedy streaming and high-quality resolution; selected media can be streamed in HD depending on the network providing the syndicated content. Web syndication services are also provided by Hulu to companies like Facebook, AOL and Comcast to keep users within reach of supported affiliates. Hulu was created in 2008 initially by Beth Comstock as a joint venture of NBCUniversal Television Group (Comcast), Fox Broadcasting Company (21st Century Fox) and Disney–ABC Television Group (The Walt Disney Company), and was partially funded by Providence Equity Partners. However, in October of 2012, Providence Equity Partners sold it’s ten-percent share of Hulu LLC and is no longer a part of its holdings. [1] [2]

Key Executives: [2]

Mike Hopkins [a]

Chief Executive Officer

Chadwick Ho [b]

Senior Vice President and General Counsel

Elaine Paul [c]

Chief Financial Officer

Jean-Paul Colaco [d]

Senior Vice President and General Manager of Advertising

Financials

Hulu’s ad-supported business model is portion of it’s revenue along with customer purchases of subscriptions to Hulu plus. Because Hulu is a private holding, quarterly financials are not reported or disclosed to the general public. However, former CEO Jason Kilar revealed the 2012 figures, along with the numbers Hulu has achieved in the past five years in a blog post that wrapped up the fiscal year to perhaps illustrate the stark progression in the company’s net value. In 2012, Hulu broke records generating a 65% increase from their 2011 numbers and grossing $695 million in revenue, an all-time high for the company. [3] [4]
[e]

The Hollywood Insider briefed Hulu’s 2012 financials as well and reported that:

“The Hulu Plus subscription product, which launched in November 2010, boasts 3 million paying subscribers today, more than twice what they were at the end of 2011.The service increased title offerings by 40 percent in 2012 to 60,000 TV episodes, 2,300 TV series and 50,000 hours of video on Hulu and Hulu Plus. Kilar also said Hulu spent more than $500 million to acquire content this year.”

Viewership and Programming
[e]

Viewership numbers of Hulu users are measured through the same rating companies that track other media-viewing platforms such as Neilson, Quantcast, and ComScore. According to their findings, viewership numbers are steadily decreasing despite their impressive revenue for the 2012 fiscal year dropping from 19 million viewers in December 2011 to 12 million in August 2012.

[f]

Hulu’s current content partners (NBC, ABC, Fox, Current TV, ION Television, USA Network, Bravo, Fuel TV, FX, NFL Network, Speed, Big Ten Network, Syfy, Sundance, E!, G4, Versus, A&E, Oxygen and online comedy sources such as Onion News Network) allow the company to distribute their content on the Hulu website while Hulu reaps (on average) thirty to fifty percent of the advertising revenue generated by the shows it distributes.

Watch Battlefield trailer here

Hulu does have a few of their own original content segments that air exclusively on their webisode-style platform. In 2011, the launch of their first series “The Morning After“, a satirical, comedic news show, on Hulu plus. This marked a moment in the company’s transition from a strictly content-distributing-only business model to one of both content distributing and producing. In January 2012, Hulu announced the release of their first scripted program “Battleground”, a political drama series shot in through a documentary style lens to air on the free Hulu platform to appeal to wider audience numbers. Also included in Hulu’s repertoire of original content are “The Fashion Fund”, a female-audience geared reality series where the winner of the show will receive $300,000 to start their career in the fashion industry, “Up To Speed” a historical travel series, and “A Day In the Life”a documentary series that follows a musician and producer.

^{In April of 2012, Hulu added four more shows to their list that they have promised to air in the next few years if funds and viewing numbers permit; We Got Next, The Awesomes, Don’t Quit Your Daydream, and Flow. Today, Hulu has joined forces with BBC to create a series that satisfies consumer craving for British humor and comedic thrill; “The Wrong Man” [5] [6]}

^{Watch The Wrong Man trailer here}

What’s Next?

[g]
Hulu continues to grapple with possible methods of surpassing it’s big-name competitors such as Netflix, Youtube, iTunes, and Amazon. To separate themselves from the rest, Hulu aims to keep their content on the cutting-edge and easily streamable for its users.

pay-TV bundles: The Wall Street Journal on November 12th 2013 posted an article discussing Hulu’s interest in offering subscribers pay-TV bundles. Hulu has recognized that binge watching has become a shameless trend in viewership. According to the journal article companies willing to participate and partner with Hulu in the projected route to pay-TV are Comcast Corp., Time Warner Cable Inc., Cox Communications Inc., AT&T Inc.,and Verizon Communications Inc. Hulu has also discussed arrangements with AT&T to bundle its Hulu Plus subscription service with their wireless broadband offerings. [7]
HuluPlus integration with iOs and Chromecast: On October 21st, 2013 Hulu announced on it’s official blog that HuluPlus will be adding iOS support for Google’s popular Chromecast device, which plugs into any HDTV to let users watch online videos from tablets, smartphones or computers. HuluPlus first came to Chromecast on iPad and Android. The HuluPlus app also allows users to browse content, pause shows and add episodes to a queue, while simultaneously “casting” it to a TV. The Hulu Plus integration with Chromecast will convert the app into a custom remote letting users control video on their Chromecast connected TVs, while allowing them to browse the Hulu Plus app directly from their iPhones as well. [8] [9]
[h]

Sources (written content)

[1] http://www.hulu.com/about

[2] http://www.crunchbase.com/company/hulu

[3] http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/hulu-ceo-jason-kilar-exit-408664

[4] http://blog.hulu.com/2013/01/04/some-news-to-share/

[5] http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-07-31/hulu-targets-binge-viewers-with-full-release-of-original-series.html

[6] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/21/hulu-expands-original-content_n_1532718.html

[7] http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304644104579193833342811814

[8] http://blog.hulu.com/2013/10/21/hulu-plus-for-chromecast-live-on-iphone/

[9] gizmodo.com/hulu-is-coming-to-chromecast-987997861

Image Sourcing

[a] http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQe3GtayDsc6qVZlMRUZy4cFGzZKOGrU4teP0iXXbmnJp5bvt05YA

[b] http://www.crunchbase.com/person/chadwick-ho&h=250&w=166&sz=49&tbnid=lxWCbqjcOdKFdM:&tbnh=142&tbnw=94&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dchadwick%2Bho%2Bimage%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=chadwick+ho+image&usg=__UcaWScc1ANZNgcTUZ8ZL3GOKLNQ=&docid=5D_TNAiT1nLo6M&sa=X&ei=EBWNUo-SH8W14AO31oHQDg&ved=0CC0Q9QEwAA

[c] http://www.thewrap.com/hulu-disney-elaine-paul-cfo

[d] http://adage.com/article/digital/hulu-ad-chief-jp-colaco-latest-depart-video-service/244501/

[e] http://blog.hulu.com/2013/01/04/some-news-to-share/

[f] http://appadvice.com/appnn/2012/05/hulu-rumor-what-is-this-1985

[g] http://www.huluvsnetflix.net/tag/netflix-vs-amazon-vs-hulu-plus/

[h] http://gizmodo.com/hulu-is-coming-to-chromecast-987997861

Zynga

Posted on November 20, 2013 by Caroline Mahony

Zynga, Inc.
699 Eighth St
San Francisco, CA 94103

Phone Number: (855) 449-9642
Fax Number: (302) 636-5454
Website: http://www.zynga.com

Zynga, Inc. was founded with the mission of “connecting the world through games” It is a leading provider of social game services for the web and mobile worlds, and it boasts franchises such as FarmVille, Words With Friends, and Zynga Poker. As of September 30, 2013, the company had 133 million monthly active users enjoying its games. Zynga games are available on Facebook, Zynga.com, Apple iOS, and Google Android. [1]

Zynga was founded in 2007 in San Francisco, California by Mark Pincus, Eric Schiermeyer, Michael Luxton, Justin Waldron, Kyle Stewart, Scott Dale, Steve Schoettler, and Andrew Trader. Mark Pincus’ American bulldog Zinga serves as the inspiration behind the name and logo of the company. [2]

As of July 1, 2013, Don Mattrick is the current CEO as well as the member of its board of directors, after serving as President of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. Also on the board of directors are L. John Doerr, who also serves on the board of Directors for Google, Inc.; William “Bing” Gordon, who has a background in venture capitalism; Reid Hoffman, who served as Chairman of the Board of LinkedIn Corporation; Jeffrey Katzenberg, who also serves as Chief Executive Officer and a member of the board of directors of DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc; Stanley J. Meresman, who has directed several private and public companies, Sunil Paul, who also has a background in venture capitalism; and Ellen Siminoff, President and CEO of Shmoop University, Inc. Board members contribute to the company with fresh and diverse experiences, having been appointed as recently as April of 2013. [2]

Zynga also has an impressive leadership team that works on projects for social good. For example, since 2009, Zynga has raised over $15 million dollars for non-profits by connecting their over 1 million players with fifty different organizations. In 2013, Zynga partnered with NewSchools Venture Fund to improve the quality and radius of learning games and mobile applications by creating an education technology accelerator. [3]

On October 24, 2013, Zynga announced its Third Quarter Financial Results for the quarter that ended on September 30. Zynga saw revenue of $203 million, which was down 36% year-over-year. It also saw bookings of $152 million, down 40% year-over-year. The company experienced a net loss of $68 thousand dollars, and, before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization, saw earnings of $7 million. In response, CEO Don Mattrick seemed confident:

Our teams are working hard to compete more aggressively on the web, move to mobile and develop new hits, and I am happy with the early progress we have made…I am confident that Zynga is rewiring itself in a meaningful way that will strengthen the core of our business and put us back on track to achieve significant long term growth and profits.

Mattrick seemed confident, despite the fact that his companies “rewiring,” or restructuring, cost them $17 million dollars in office closures and acquisitions impairments. [4]

Zynga did take some hits this past year. Their results also showed a general decrease in usership from the third quarter of 2012 to the third quarter in 2013. Daily active users decreased 49% to 30 million users, monthly active users decreased 57% to 133 million, monthly unique users decreased 45% to 97 million, and monthly unique players decreased 46% to 1.6 million. On the bright side, average daily bookings per average daily active user increased 17% to $0.055. [4]

During the third quarter of 2013 alone, Zynga launched Fairy Tale Twist, Ninja Kingdom, and Hit it Rich on web platforms. [5]

For mobile platforms, in the third quarter of 2013, it launched 1 Word (KiK Messenger App) and CastleVille Legends. New Scramble with Friends, Baseball Slam (3P), and CityVille KRE-O are also new hits that Zynga released. As of the end of the third quarter of 2013, Zynga had 3 of the top 10 games on Facebook, the ever-popular FarmVille 2, Zynga Poker, and Words With Friends. These results are based on the daily active user count reported by Facebook Application Programming Interface. [5]

Zynga is a company publically traded on the New York Stock Exchange. As of November 20, the stocks are priced at $4.11 a share [6], and have been impressively strong lately, due to themes/events of the past month that drew momentum behind the company. Under Don Mattrick, the new CEO, Zynga has shifted its focus. Originally, the company wrestled with the idea of real money games to create a loyal and ever-growing user base, as well as a chunky revenue stream, but after licensing problems, they ditched the idea. Instead, Zynga is focusing its attention on the mobile gaming market in order to decrease their dependence on the social market [7]. For example, Zynga originally earned 90% of their bookings from Facebook, but that has decreased to 76%. This can be partially attributed to Facebook charging a 30% revenue share agreement. Perhaps if online gambling becomes legal, Zynga may decide to reshift their focus once again.

In November of 2013, Zynga won a high profile lawsuit against Mattel’s Scrabble. Scrabble sued Zynga for using the name “Scramble with Friends,” which they claimed was too similar to its own trademark. [8]

High Court Justice Peter Smith dismissed the claim that the name was too similar, but motioned that Zynga change the way it displayed the name. More specifically, of one the “M”s in “Scramble” is displayed in a corkscrew style, which the judge ruled “gives the impression that the word is Scrabble when one looks at it quickly and has the propensity to confuse.” Once the logo is changed, Zynga is good to go, and will continue distributing the game in the United Kingdom. [8]

Zynga has caught the eyes of technology buffs, stock market observers, mobile app designers, and game players alike. Within the past year, the company has reported revenue losses and the loss of two top executives. However, with new CEO Don Mattrick, the company is exploring new and innovative ways to continue the success it has seen even in such infancy. Projected revenue for the final quarter of 2103 is between $175 million and $185 million, with net loss estimated between $21 billion and $31 million. The future of the company looks bright, but only time will tell.

Sources

[1] Zynga background information

[2] Zynga’s key players

[3] Zynga leadership team

[4] Zynga Third Quarter Financial Results

[5] New Zynga games

[6] Zynga stock information

[7] Zynga’s new mobile strategy

[8] Scramble with Friends vs. Scrabble

Twitter

Posted on November 20, 2013 by Sona Kim

By Sona Kim

Twitter Logo [1]

1355 Market Street
Suite 900
San Francisco, CA 94103

Executives:

Dick Costolo – CEO [2]

Ali Rowghani – COO [3]

Mike Gupta – CFO [4]

Adam Bain – President of Global Revenue [5]

Company Profile

Twitter is a micro blogging and social networking platform where users can read and send tweets limited to 140 characters. It is currently the tenth most popular website worldwide and boasted 232 million users in this quarter alone. Over 500 million Tweets are sent everyday and 76% of active users are on mobile. [6] Looking at a US demographic, 16% of US adults use Twitter and one in ten adults get their news from Twitter. [7]

Twitter Demographics [19]

History

Twitter was initially part of a podcasting firm called Odeo and became its own company in 2007. The company expanded its user base immensely during the 2007 SXSW Conference after successfully placing two plasma screens that streamed Twitter messages. [8] In 2010, Twitter announced that they would offer paid advertising, or “promoted tweets” which has become a major revenue stream for the company.

CBS Radio

Posted on November 20, 2013 by Drew Brown Brown

CBS Radio- Courtesy of www.cbsradio.com[1]

By: Drew Brown

1271 Avenue of the Americas FL 44 New York, NY 10020 (212) 649-9600 www.cbsradio.com

CBS Corporation

CBS, Columbia Broadcasting System, Corporation is a mass media company that creates and distributes industry leading content across a variety of platforms to audiences around the world. The Company has businesses with origins that date back to the dawn of the broadcasting age as well as new ventures that operate on the leading edge of media.[2]

History

CBS Radio is one of the oldest units within CBS Corporation, and has been around since 1928, founded by William Paley.

With 126 radio stations in 27 markets, including all of the Top 10, and an extensive array of digital assets, CBS RADIO interacts with more than 65 million consumers nationwide each week with the latest in news, sports and entertainment. CBS RADIO distributes its programming via AM, FM and HD Radio stations, Radio.com, and CBS Local Digital Media apps, making engaging with audiences easier than ever before.[3] CBS prides itself on hiring the best on-air personalities, to creating a more personal listening experience for the people. Having frequent promotions and prizes for daily listeners, this is one of the many reasons CBS is a powerhouse in entertainment and broadcasting industry.

Executives [4][5][6][7][8]

: Dan Mason, President & CEO [4]

: Scott Herman, EVP Operations [5]

: Chris Oliviero, EVP Programming[6]

: Jo Ann Haller, Sr. Vice President & General Counsel [7]

: Micheal Weiss, President, Sales [8]

Company Dominance

CBS Radio stations thrive in all 27 different major markets. Made available in the CBS Corporation 3rd Quarter 2013 investors newsletter, CBS Radio stations continue to dominate in generating revenue. The list below shows CBS Radio stations revenue standings in the top 10 markets.[9]

[9]

CBS Radio stations set the bar high and continue to excel over both music and talk formated stations. This year, CBS Radio stations won five NAB Marconi Radio Awards, which is considered to be a top honor in radio. [10]

WBBM-AM/FM (Chicago): The Legendary Station Award
WBZ-AM (Boston): News and Talk station of the Year
WZLX-FM (Boston): Rock station of the Year
KLOL-FM (Houston): Spanish station of the Year
WVEE-FM (Atlanta): Urban station of the Year

Financials- Third Quarter 2013 Results

CBS company has received its best numbers to date for the 3rd quarter. The company has seen an increase in revenue, operating income before depreciation and amortization, operating income, and diluted earnings per share.

[11]

Sumner Redstone, CBS Executive Chairmen, had this to say about the company, “CBS’s third quarter proves once again why content is king.”[12] CBS prides itself on producing content for the viewer/listener. “Our programming is becoming more valuable all the time as we continue to take advantage of the ever-expanding multiplatform world, I know that CBS is poised for continued success for many years to come.”[13] At the close of the New York Stock Exchange on November 19th, 2013 CBS Corporation was trading at $59.60 a share. [14]

CBS Corp. Stock – Courtesy of www.marketwatch.com [14]

Recent Activity

CBS Radio company have been pioneers in the entertainment industry, always creating new ways to produce and distribute content to reach as listeners as possible. CBS radio has collaborated with with sports teams, audio companies, and has created online platforms to reach their millions of listeners.

September 2013

Launch of Fierro

Fierro Logo – Courtesy of www.radiosyndicationtalk.com [14.5]

This past September, CBS Radio teamed up with WestwoodOne to launch a new 24/7 program of regional Mexican music available to radio stations nationwide called Fierro. Jimmy Gonzalez, Vice President, Spanish Programming, for CBS RADIO stated, “Fierro’s strength lies in teaming the hottest Regional Mexican hits with some of the very best radio talent in any format” [15] This partnership with CBS Radio and WestwoodOne will benefit both companies as they continue to help promote the Spanish-language radio space. CBS Radio hope to reach more spanish speaking listeners and create niche for those listeners.

CBS & Brooklyn

Barclays Center – Courtesy of www.netsdaily.com [15.5]

CBS Radio has joined forces with the Brooklyn Nets and Barclays Center to not only gain Nets’ radio rights, but will also carry any other event that goes on in the Barclays center. This deal is valuable for both companies, more people will gain knowledge about what is happening in the Barclays Center when basketball games are not going on. Dan Mason stated, “We’re a marketing machine for them to put on more events, and we both share the success of that.” [16]

October 2013

Audio AdCenter

Audio AdCenter Logo – Courtesy of www.audioadcenter.com [16.5]

This past October CBS announced the launch of Audio AdCenter, a new means for companies to buy online audio advertisement. This deal makes it easier than ever for local companies to advertise over CBS Radio’s 125 online streams from stations in top markets. [17]

Shown below are the steps taken to create audio ad:

[18]

November 2013

Amy Stevens

Amy Stevens – Courtesy of www.allaccess.com [18.5]

CBS Radio created a new position for Amy Stevens, Senior Vice President of Strategic events and Partnerships. As a leader in local broadcasting Stevens will report to Dan Mason with ideas of new concerts and live experiences that appeal to new audiences and advertisers. Stevens has much experience in this industry as she use to work Madison Square Garden entertainment running their marketing concerts and media integration.[19] Dan Mason had this to say about Stevens and how her role will help the company flourish, “Her combination of expertise in radio promotion and close ties to the record labels and artist management will bolster our endeavors as we establish additional opportunities locally and nationally to engage with marketers and our audiences.”[20]

Building the Perfect Company

CBS Radio has and will continue to break new ground in the entertainment and Broadcasting industry. CBS Radio has shown that they are not afraid to cross media boundaries if it will overall benefit the listeners experience and also gain new listeners. CBS not only is a major force in radio but is a leader in Television. Be on the look out for what CBS Radio and Corporation has planned next, the company never fails when it comes to groundbreaking mass media ventures.

Resources:

[1]:www.cbsradio.com

[2]:http://www.cbscorporation.com/ourcompany.php?id=11

[3]: http://www.cbsradio.com/profile

[4]:http://www.cbsradio.com/executives?bio=dan-mason

[5]:http://www.cbsradio.com/executives?bio=scott-herman

[6]:http://www.cbsradio.com/executives?bio=chris-oliviero

[7]:http://www.cbsradio.com/executives?bio=jo-ann-haller

[8]:http://www.cbsradio.com/executives?bio=michael-weiss

[9]:http://phx.corporate-ir.net/External.File?item=UGFyZW50SUQ9MjA5OTM5fENoaWxkSUQ9LTF8VHlwZT0z&t=1

[10]:http://phx.corporate-ir.net/External.File?item=UGFyZW50SUQ9MjA5OTM5fENoaWxkSUQ9LTF8VHlwZT0z&t=1

[11]:http://finance.yahoo.com/news/cbs-corporation-reports-third-quarter-210100716.html

[12]:http://finance.yahoo.com/news/cbs-corporation-reports-third-quarter-210100716.html

[13]:http://finance.yahoo.com/news/cbs-corporation-reports-third-quarter-210100716.html

[14]:http://www.marketwatch.com/investing/stock/cbs/financials

[14.5]: www.radiosyndicationtalk.com

[15]:http://www.westwoodone.com/index.php/main-menu/press-releases/426-cbs-radio-and-westwoodone-launch-fierro

[15.5]: www.netsdaily.com

[16]:http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2013/09/23/Media/CBS-Radio-Nets.aspx

[16.5]: www.audioadcenter.com

[17]:http://www.cbsradio.com/single-press/2265?filter=2013

[18]:http://www.cbsradio.com/single-press/2265?filter=2013

[18.5]: http://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/124234/cbs-radio-names-amy-stevens-svp-strategic-events-a?ref=search

[19]:http://www.cbsradio.com/single-press/2303?filter=2013

[20]:http://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/124234/cbs-radio-names-amy-stevens-svp-strategic-events-a

CBS Films

Posted on November 20, 2013 by eamoomey

By Michael Sunderlin

CBS FILMS

– The CBS Films Company Logo
Image coutesy of ramascreen.com

Contact:

100 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025

(310)575-7000

http://www.cbsfilms.com

A Brief Overview

A division of CBS corporation, CBS films is a studio based in Los Angeles, California, that handles all stages of the creation of a film including production, development, marketing, and distribution. Established in 2007, CBS films has become famous for the release of nine total nine motion pictures spanning across all genres. Popular titles credited to the studio include “Extraordinary Measures”, “The Back-up Plan”, and “The Women in Black”. [1]

Key Executives

Wolfgang Hammer Co – President

-Wolfgang Hammer
Image courtesy of cbspressexpress.com

Wolfgang Hammer’s prior experience involves serving as the executive Vice President of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group. Hammer’s career at CBS Films began as the COO during which period he oversaw the attainment of “Salmon Fishing in Yemen”, as well as handling several financial deals for films such as “Seven Psychopaths”. Currently, he handles much of the company’s logistical affairs, such as business, finance, law, and acquiring new films. [1]

Terry Press – Co-President

– Terry Press
Image courtesy of cbspressexpress.com

Terry Press, before involved with CBS films, was responsible for the campaigns of “Shrek”, “Gladiator”, and “Saving Private Ryan” as the Head of Marketing for DreamWorks Studios. Accordingly, her responsibilities now, as the Co-President of CBS films, include supervising the distribution and marketing of the company’s current films, as well as overseeing the company’s creative affairs and physical production. [1]

Financials

CBS Films is currently ranked 15th overall in total market share, holding approximately .7%. Through three quarters of 2013, CBS films has grossed a total of 66.5 million dollars. This value is already 34.2% higher than the total gross of 2010, and 15.8% higher than that of 2011. However, this value is 25.5% less than the total gross of 2012. Still, the total gross of the fourth quarter, including the money collected through the release of “Last Vegas”, has yet to be counted. In addition, the studio is predicted to gross more through the anticipated release of “Inside Llewyn Davis”, set to release of December 6th of this year. The profits from these films could raise the total yearly gross higher than its ever been since the company’s origination. [2] [3]

Recent and Upcoming Film Releases (September – December 2013)

“Last Vegas”

– (Left to Right) The stars of “Last Vegas”: Kevin Kline, Morgan Freeman, Robert De Niro, and Michael Douglas as Sam, Archie, Paddy, and Billy respectively
Image courtesy of static.rogerebert.com

On November 1st, CBS Films released the comedy “Last Vegas”, a film they themselves produced and distributed. Directed by Jon Turtletaub, the film boasts an all-star cast of Michael Douglas, Morgan Freedman, Robert De Niro, and Kevin Kline – all of whom are Oscar Winners. The story follows of four elderly men who have been friends since their childhoods. Billy, played by Michael Douglas, announces to his friends that he, in his 60’s, is marrying his girlfriend who is only 32 years old. Consequentially, the group travels to Las Vegas to attend Billy’s Bachelor party, excited to relive the olden days the group once spent in the city. [4] [5] [6]

During its time in the box office, the film has gained much media attention for its appeal to older audiences, a demographic largely neglected by Hollywood. As such, many sources mark this movie’s release as an admittance to the fact that the boomer generation still watches movies. As reported by the Huffington Post, the older generations currently make up a quarter of all movie-goers. Concurrently, the film is said to appeal to younger generations as well, doing so through its universal theme of friendship. [4] [5] [7]

The film has shown mostly positive signs in the box office, grossing over 16 million in its first weekend and over 46 million by its third weekend. If the box office success continues, “Last Vegas” may overtake “The Women in Black”, which grossed 54.3 million, as the number one grosser for CBS Films – either way, CBS films will have had its two largest grossers in the past two years. [8] [9]

“Inside Llewyn Davis”

– Oscar Isaac (Left) and Justin Timberlake (Right) as Llewyn Davis and Jim in “Inside Llywyn Davis”
Image courtesy of collider.com

Upcoming December 6th of this year, CBS films is scheduled to release “Inside Llewyn Davis”, a film directed by Joel and Ethan Coen (Academy Award Winners) and produced by T. Bone Burnett (Grammy and Academy Award Winner) – the same team responsible films such as “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”. Set in the 1960’s, the film captures the story of Llewyn Davis (Oscar Isaac), a wayward folk musician struggling to overcome financial and personal hardships. As with “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”, the music was produced specifically for the purpose of the film. With each song tailored to fit the point of the story in which it appears, the film’s soundtrack takes on an imitative style of folk music featuring popular artists such as Justin Timberlake and Carey Mulligan, who both star in the film as well, in addition to artists such as Marcus Mumford and The Punch Brothers. Receiving the Grand Prix at its premiere during the Cannes Film Festival, this film looks to award CBS with its first Oscar relative to the studio’s services. [10] [11] [12] [13]

– Marcus Mumford (Left) and Oscar Isaac (Right) play together at the “Another Time, Another Place” concert in NYC
Image courtesy of The Daily News

The promotion of the film was invested most notably within the concert entitled “Another Place, Another Time”, held in New York City. This charity concert featured the music of the film, sung by performers from the film such as Macus Mumford, as well as outside acts such as The Avett Brothers and Elvis Costello. Tickets for the concert sold out in 12 minutes. Such success prompted CBS Films to repeat the concert in Los Angeles, where an equally excited crowd was attracted and celebrities such as Steve Martin, Ed Helms, and Barbra Streisand all came to celebrate along with the rest of those in attendance. [12] [14]

Future Films (2014 and Beyond)

– Director Derek Lee as Derek in “Afflicted”
Image courtesy of Hollywood Reporter

Daniel Radcliffe and Zoe Kazan as Wallace and Chantry in “The F Word”
– Image courtesy of Hollywood Reporter

Films such as “Afflicted” and “The F Word”, both of which acquired by CBS films, have shown positive signs in their reception at the Toronto International Film Festival. “Afflicted” takes on the format of found-footage format, telling the story of two friends who travel through Europe, one of whom becomes sick after being bitten by a vampire. Directed by Derek Lee and Clif Prowse, the film looks to attract crowds of similar films such as “Paranormal Activity” and “Chronicle”. [15] [16]

CBS Films acquired he distribution rights for “The F Word” for approximately 3 million dollars. The film stars Daniel Radcliffe and Zoe Kazan who play two tentative young lovers – Kazan’s character has a boyfriend. The film tracks how the two characters deal with their relationship merely as a friendship. The film is directed by Michael Dowse. [17]

Sources

[1] About CBS Films

[2] Box Office Mojo – Total Market Share

[3] Box Office Mojo – Box Office by the Studio – CBS Films

[4] The Hollywood Reporter – ‘Last Vegas’ Premiere: Director, CBS Execs Say Elderly Comedy Is For Everyone

[5] AARP – The Stars of ‘Last Vegas’ Have Fun – Lots of Fun

[6] IMDb – Last Vegas

[7] Huffington Post – 7 of the Best Movies for Grownups

[8] Box Office Mojo – Last Vegas

[9] IndieWire – Weekend Top Ten: ‘Thor Bashes Box Office, ‘Ender’s game’ Collapses

[10] NPR – First Listen: Soundtrack, ‘Inside Llewyn Davis’

[11] Inside Llewyn Davis Website – Story

[12] The Hollywood Reporter – New York Film Fest: Weekend Highlighted by ‘Inside Llewyn Davis Primiere’, Star-Studded Charity Concert

[13] L.A. Times – An early look at Oscar best picture contenders

[14] The Hollywood Reporter – ‘Inside Llewyn Davis’ Caberet in Santa Monica Draws A-Listers and Oscar Voters

[15]Firstshowing.net – Favorite Films of the 2013 Toronto Film Festival + One Final Recap

[16] The Hollywood Reporter – Toronto: Audience Member Becomes ‘Afflicted’ at Midnight Madness Screening

[17] The Hollywood Reporter – Toronto: CBS Films’ Deal to Acquire ‘The F Word’ Nearing $3 Million

Buenavista/Disney Pictures

Posted on November 20, 2013 by David Soberman

By David Soberman

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Logo-

History

Originally known as The Disney Bros. Studio, the first Disney production (known as the Alice Comedies) debuted in 1923, since then Walt Disney Pictures has become a giant in the world of film production producing iconic films such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Beauty and the Beast, and The Lion King. More known for their animation successes rather than their live action successes, Walt Disney Studios has shown that they are still growing as a production company as the recent acquisition of Marvel and Lucasfilms have sparked Disney live action into a hole new age of film making. [1]

Key Executives

Robert A. Iger, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer-The Walt Disney Company [2]

As Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company, Robert A. Iger has shaped Disney Pictures in recent years by heading the acquisition of Pixar (2006), Marvel (2009), and Lucasfilm (2012). [2]

Allen F. Horn- Chairman, Walt Disney Pictures [3]

Chairman of The Walt Disney Studios, Allen F. Horn oversees worldwide operations for both Disney live action and Disney animation. This includes production, marketing and distribution for all films out of Walt Disney Pictures. [3]

Financials

Recently MSN Entertainment reported on November 12th that Walt Disney Pictures set a new all-time record with its global box office results in 2013. In 2013, Walt Disney Pictures/Buenavista distribution so far is third among film studios for the total market share of worldwide gross income. Of the entire market share (from January 1st to November 10th 2013), Walt Disney Pictures/Buenavista distribution generated an average of $1,256.1 million, accounting for 13.8% of the entire market share. Much of this financial success can be attributed to the recent release of the highly anticipated film Thor: The Dark World, which grossed $119,000,000 domestically through 2 weeks of it being released. Also the summer release of Iron Man 3 (another movie from the Marvel franchise) which grossed $409,013,994 domestically, and Monsters University (a production from Pixar animation) which grossed $268,227,670 domestically. Also recent financial transaction of $4.05 billion towards buying out well known and respected film production company and brand Lucasfilm LTD. is also expected to pay big dividends for Walt Disney Pictures in the long run. [4] [5] [6]

Recent Releases

Monsters University

Picture courtesy of IMDb [7]

A prequel to the extremely popular Disney Pixar film Monsters Inc. (directed by Pete Doctor and David Silverman), Monsters University (directed by Dan Scanlon) is the story of how two best friends Mike Wazowski (voiced by Billy Crystal) and James P. (Sully) Sullivan (voiced by John Goodman) meet in collage and how many different events (specifically the scare games) lead them form becoming worst enemies to best friends. [7]

Monsters University began its theatrical release on June 21st where it shown in 4,004 theaters grossing $82,429,469 in its opening weekend. By the end of its run, it would be shown in theaters for about 21 weeks (147 days). [8]

After being in theaters for 21 weeks, Monsters University generated a total gross $743,294,513 ($268,227,670 domestically and $475,066,843 worldwide). The Film also received an average rating of 65 out of 100 which is a bit low for a Pixar film, but since this film is more driven towards a family demographic it is not unexpected that the film would not be overly revered by critics.There has also been recent speculation that this could be the first year since Cars 2 (squeal to Cars) that Pixar will be completely shut out at the Academy Awards. [7] [8] [9]

Thor: The Dark World

Picture Courtesy of IMDb [10]

A squeal to the popular films (out of the Marvel Brand) Thor and The Avengers, Thor: The Dark World follows the story of Thor (the god of thunder, played by Chris Hemsworth) and his quest to save the world form his most intimidating enemy yet. Through this quest, Thor will be reunited with (once love interest) Jane Foster (played by Natalie Portman) and will have to trust his brother and once enemy Loki (played by Tom Hiddleston), but in order to save earth, he might just have to give up everything. [10]

Another huge success from the Marvel Brand, Thor: The Dark World made it’s wide release theatrical debut on November 9th 2013, generating $85,737,841 in 22,322 theaters, grabbing the number one spot on the weekend box office. So far, in about 2 weeks of being in theaters, the film has made $359,900,000 worldwide ($119,000,000 domestically and $240,900,000 worldwide) out of a production budget of $170 million. [11]

None of the Marvel films gathered much in the way of critical acclaim, and Thor: The Dark World was no exception gathering a rating average of only 54 out of 100. But, these films are rather popular with viewers as the film received a viewers rating of 7.7 out of 10. Since all of the Marvel films were extremely popular comic books before becoming films, it was no surprise to Walt Disney Pictures that the Marvel franchise would be so popular, making it an extremely good investment for them. [10] [11] [12]

Coming Soon

Picture Courtesy of IMDb [15]

Recently announced at the semi-annual D23 expo event in Anaheim California, Disney debuted plans for a multitude of projects coming in the near future. First up is Walt Disney Animation’s film Frozen set for theatrical release November 22nd, 2013. This film is the second film in a few years fir Walt Disney Animation as this film follows the success of last years Oscar Nominated film Wreck-It-Ralph. Also highly anticipated is the Disney live action film Maleficent staring Angelina Jolie, set for theatrical release May 30th, 2013. It seems that Walt Disney Pictures is starting to viewer interest for the film with the recent release for the first teaser trailer for the film. [13] [14] [15]

Also Coming soon to theaters is a follow up to Disney live action film The Muppets, Muppets Most Wanted is set for theatrical release March 21th, 2014. Known for their musical numbers and cameo appearances by popular celebrities, Muppets Most Wanted (directed by James Bobin) is set to feature appearances from Rickey Gervais, Tina Fey, and Ty Burrell. [16]

Early Oscar Contenders

Picture Courtesy of www.rottontomatos.com

Normally, Walt Disney Pictures does not gain much traction with regard to Oscar buzz and their films. But lately, the upcoming film Saving Mr.Banks (Out for theatrical release December 20th, 2013) is drawing some Oscar intrigue with performances from Tom Hanks (playing Walt Disney) and Emma Thompson (playing P.L. Travers). Specifically, Tom Hanks has been gaining Oscar buzz for his performance as Walt Disney. Even though critics say that it may be unlikely that he wins for this role, they do say that is does warrant a nomination. [17] [18]

Upcoming Projects

The Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) Poster

Picture Courtesy of IMDb [20]

Probably the most highly anticipated films yet to be released by Walt Disney Pictures is Star Wars: Episode Seven (official title yet to be released) and Avengers Age of Ultron, both set to release in 2015. For Star Wars Episode Seven, it has been rumored that the film will feature members of the original Star Wars cast (from episodes 4,5, and 6), but there has been very little disused publicly about the film as Walt Disney Pictures executives have kept a very tight lid about the details of the upcoming film. Things have been a little different for Avengers: Age of Ultron as Walt Disney Pictures and Marvel executives debuted the first teaser trailer for the film at the live action film portion of their D23 expo. [19] [20]

Sources

[1] History of The Walt Disney Company

[2] About Robert A. Iger

[3] About Allen F. Horn

[4] Box Office Mojo- 2013 Studio Box Office Rankings

[5] Box Office Mojo- 2013 Domestic Grosses

[6] Article- Disney to Acquire Lucasfilm LTD.

[7] IMDb- Monsters University

[8] Box Office Mojo- Monsters University

[9] Variety Article- Oscars’ Animation Race: Will Pixar Be Left Out This Year?

[10] IMDb- Thor: The Dark World

[11] Box Office Mojo- Thor: The Dark World

[12] Marvel.com

[13] IMDb- Frozen

[14] Box Office Mojo- Frozen

[15] IMDb- Maleficent

[16] IMDb- Muppets Most Wanted

[17] IMDb- Saving Mr. Banks

[18] Article- 5 Actors With More Than One Shot At Oscar This Year

[19] IMDb- Star Wars: Episode Seven

[20] IMDb- Avengers Age of Ultron

Discovery Communications

Posted on November 20, 2013 by Sebastian Dawson

By Sebastian Dawson

Discovery Communications – MediaWiki

courtesy FanPop.com

1 Discovery Place

Silver Spring, MD 20910

240.662.2000

Corporate.discovery.com

Fact Sheet

courtesy Corporate.Discovery.com

Highlights:

Cumulative Global Subscribers: 2.2 billion
Countries and Territories: 224
Languages: 45
Network Entertainment Brands: 50

Key Executives

courtesy Corporate.Discovery.com

John S. Hendricks

Founder of Discovery Communication

The driving force behind dramatic growth at Discovery Communications, Hendricks expanded the Discovery Channel from its core property to its current status as a global content provider. (2)

Courtesy Corporate.Discovery.com

David Zaslav

President and CEO

Prior to Discovery, Zaslav enjoyed a distinguished career at NBC Universal. He now sets strategy and oversees operation of Discovery Communications around the world. (3)

Courtesy Corporate.Discovery.com

Mark Hollinger

President and CEO

As President of Discovery Networks International, it is Hollinger’s job to deploy strategic development and daily operations in over 200 countries. Hollinger joined Discovery in 1991 as Vice President and Deputy General Council. (4)

Courtesy Commons.Wikimedia.org

Brief History

Discovery Communications, Inc. is the world’s premier nonfiction media company. It began as a single channel in 1985, but that single channel has evolved into a global media headquarters. Today, the company offers more than 100 programs in over 200 countries (6). DCI’s 28 network entertainment brands include:

Networks

Discovery Channel

Dedicated to nonfiction, informative content. Deadliest Catch, Mythbusters, and Planet Earth all appear on this channel (7).

Courtesy IMDB.com

Animal Planet

The only multi-platform entertainment brand that immerses viewers in the full range of the animal kingdom. AP has programming like Whale Wars, River Monsters, and Pit Bulls and Parolees (9).

Courtesy Animal Planet

The Military Channel

The Military tells real-world stories of heroism and history. Popular programming includes Future Weapons, and Science of the Elite Soldier (10).

Courtesy DesiRulez.net

The Learning Channel

TLC is a global brand that celebrates life’s special moments. TLC is a top 10 cable network in the United States female demographic, and features programming like Cake Boss, Sister Wives, and Extreme Couponing (8).

Courtesy TLC.com

Velocity

Velocity is a newer, high-octane cable network aimed at men. With more than 400 hours of premiere viewing time, shows like Inside West Coast Customs, Chasing Classic Cars, and How It’s Made: Dream Cars made their debut on Velocity (11).

Courtesy Discovery Programs

Financials

Discovery owes it to its investors to make smart and economically sound decisions throughout the year. Discovery has been successful in doing this, especially this quarter. Zaslav attributed the success to the “breadth and depth of our brands and the myriad of opportunities across our global distribution platform,” (12).

Courtesy Corporate.Discovery.com

Third Quarter 2013 Highlights:

Revenues increased 28% to $1.375 million, as compared to third quarter last year (12).
Net Income increased 24% to $255 million, as compared to $205 million for the third quarter of last year (12).

Exclusive

Shark Week!

Shark Week is an enormously popular special on the Discovery Channel every summer. This weeklong of programming dedicated to the killer of the seas is the longest running cable television event in history. Its popularity can be partially attributed to its ability to harness the power of social media (14). More than one and a quarter million* people follow Shark Week on Facebook and Twitter.

Courtesy Discovery Programs

Bear Grylls

Edward “Bear” Grylls is a UK survival expert who spent time in the special forces. His series Man vs. Wild on the Discovery Channel has been nominated for multiple awards, including an Emmy. This season, Bear returns to the DC in “Bear Grylls: Escape from Hell.” Each episode, Bear will put himself in dire situations, based on real acts of survival in history. Of the show, he said “I am super excited to be working with Discovery again – the channel where the… journey began,” (15).

Courtesy Discovery Programs

In the News

Interbrand’s “Best Global Brands” Report

Interbrand is the world’s leading brand consultancy. They have awarded the Discovery Channel their #70 spot (of 100). Their reasoning includes a record-breaking 2012 season, strong first-quarter results, and high levels of viewer engagement (17).

“Discovery Launches Fierce New Digital Network”

The Animalist is a compilation of fifteen original digital series exploring the connection between humans and their furry (some not so furry) friends. The show debuted online with nearly seven million monthly streams. In conjunction with additional distribution partners, the content can be accessed from mobile, YouTube, and even the Xbox gaming console (13).

Courtesy Animal.Discovery.com

Discovery Channel Rocks the Vote

For the twentieth year in a row, the Discovery Channel ranked #1 among total adults in its importance to the enjoyment of cable, as well as winning in both perceived value, and favorite basic cable channel. In a new study, the DC ranked #1 as a favorite channel and #1 in importance, among adults who would switch providers were their provider to stop supplying the Discovery Channel (13) (22).

Courtesy Images.BusinessWeek.com

Upcoming

The Challenger Disaster

Discovery Channel makes a foray into the unknown with this series chronicling the story of Dr. Feynman, a physicist who investigated the Challenger Disaster. The show debuted Saturday, November 16th to a large audience. Critics applaud for its fact-based approach, as well as for actor William Hurt who plays Dr. Feynman (16).

Courtesy Discovery Programs

Christmas

Discovery Unwrapped is one week of specialized holiday programming running from Dec. 8-15. The Channel plans to use its own programming to teach viewers the meaning of Christmas from two very different groups. Redneck Moonshiners will offer their opinion on Moonshiner’s Christmas Special, while the more reserved Amish lifestyle will present A Very Amish Christmas. The shows Naked and Afraid, Call of the Wildman, and Gold Rush will also have Christmas specials on Discovery Unwrapped (13).

Halloween

Discovery Channel aims to capitalize on every public event that it can, and this spooky season is no exception. On October 26, Hub Network held its first “Halloween Bash.” Hosted by Kenan Thompson, this two-hour, nationwide costume competition was judged by a panel of celebrity presenters, including Martha Stewart. All-new series Spooksville aired immediately following the “Bash,” (13).

Courtesy OurWeekly.com

Discovery Education

Discovery Education is a division of Discovery Communications aimed at delivering high-quality content that engages students beyond the classroom. Their services include Discovery Education Streaming Plus, where students can have lectures, speeches, information, etc. streamed directly to their computer. In addition to providing streaming services, Discovery Digital Textbook Replacement is working to give students an alternative to high-impact, expensive textbooks. Discovery also contributes to higher education programs (18).

Courtesy Discovery Education

Impact

Discovery has always been interested in a clean, pristine Earth. This is what they showcase in their programming. So it’s only natural that they use their popular programming to inspire change in communities (19).

The Planet Earth series captured rare and endangered species in their natural habitat. The DC partnered with the Nature Conservancy during its production, and aired PSAs during commercial breaks, to help preserve the stunning habitats featured in the program (19).

Shark Week often features PSAs regarding shark conservation and endangerment. Last year, during Shark Week, the DC partnered with organizations Oceana, and the Pew Charitable Trust to help spread those messages (19).

Courtesy Discovery Impact

Further

http://www.youtube.com/user/DiscoveryComms

Works Cited

Principles & Practices

Website by the students of TRF235

Category Archives: TRF235 Fall 2013

Pandora Radio

SiriusXM Radio

Quote

Hulu

Link

CBS Radio

CBS Films

Buenavista/Disney Pictures