Category Archives: TRF235.1

Disney

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by JACK ROSE, AUDREY LEW, and BRITTANY ORTIZ
The Walt Disney Company

Disney Logo [1]

Background

Disney is a leading producer, owner, and distributor of media that owns, among many other things, broadcast network ABC; movie studios Pixar, Walt Disney Animation, Marvel, and Lucasfilm; Walt Disney Parks and Resorts that attracted nearly 150 million people in 2015 [2]; and cable sports network ESPN [3]. Between ABC, its affiliates, and ESPN, Disney operates more than 300 channels worldwide, while its movie studios own the rights to The Avengers family and Star Wars [4]. The last Star Wars release became the highest grossing domestic film earlier this year and with another releasing this December, the company’s film division remains strong [5]. However, fluctuating results on the television side have led Disney to invest in new technologies and a desire to expand international reach birthed a new theme park in China, which opened earlier this year.

Corporate Structure

Bob Iger

CEO Bob Iger [1]

Disney’s Chief Executive since 2005, Bob Iger helmed the acquisitions of Pixar, Marvel, and Lucasfilm. Since Iger’s promotion from Chief Operating Officer, Disney’s stock price has risen more than $70 while it’s TV division has come to account for half of the company’s profit [6]. Nearing the end of his career, Iger has repeatedly delayed his retirement and most recently set 2018 as the expiration date for his own tenure. His last task will be selecting his successor, after a recent candidate failed to last as heir.

Disney Organizational Chart

Disney’s Organizational Chart [7]

Beyond Iger, various chairmen run each of Disney’s major compartments and the company’s board of directors is comprised of 11 members. However, it is this organizational chart, distributed by Walt Disney Studios in 1943, that largely explains Disney’s management philosophy [7]. Rather than the typical hierarchy, the chart displays an interlocking web of managers, producers, and creators that are needed to produce a film. This organization is intended to encourage creativity and teamwork by emphasizing collaboration rather than chain of command. Each role supports, instead of merely instructing, another.

Financials

Annual revenue, profit, and net income have increased yearly since at least 2013, as has Disney’s valuation of its assets and balance sheet as whole. Disney’s revenue dwarfs that of most of its competitors in media, exceeded only by Sony and other conglomerates that produce and own as much content as Sony and Disney. Disney’s stock price is similarly higher than most competitors, currently hovering around $100 [8]. The company’s price per share seems to be inextricably linked to the success of ESPN, which is struggling with subscriber losses and adapting to the future (see “Investments in Technology” section below).

Disney Stock

Disney’s Stock Price for last two years [8]

Investments in Technology

mlbam_fb_logo

MLB Advanced Media Logo [11]

Disney’s future focus is in technology as it attempts to revitalize ESPN and stay on the cutting edge of content creation and media. Primarily, in August the company invested $1 billion for a 33% stake in Major League Baseball’s BAMTech, a leading television streaming company. The deal included an option for Disney to take a majority stake in the company down the road. The first collaboration between the two will be BAMTech’s creation of a standalone streaming service for ESPN, which Disney hopes will help ease the network’s subscriber losses and struggling ratings. BAMTech adds 7.5 million paid subscribers across a multitude of streaming platforms to Disney’s already massive user base [9]. The investment in BAMTech isn’t completely black and white, however. Television’s trend toward skinny bundles complicates the relationship between every content producer and cable provider, with Sling, DirecTV, Hulu, and more getting into the live over-the-top business. Disney’s BAMTech investment suggests a possibility that Disney itself could run a direct-to-consumer cable distributor itself [10].

Throughout this year, rumors swirled about the possibility of Disney purchasing Snapchat, Twitter, and/or Netflix, though analysts agree: none of these are likely. Twitter’s struggle to remain profitable and stabilize its stock price creates nonstop purchase rumors, but it seems that Disney doesn’t stand to benefit much from a Twitter acquisition [11]. Snapchat has proved to be a unique outlet for Disney’s content, but doesn’t seem to be a likely purchase for the social media company [12]. Though the investment in BAMTech signifies Disney’s interest in streaming, Netflix doesn’t appear to be a perfect partner, either. Netflix’s dominance in the streaming market has waned as challengers such as Amazon and Apple have stolen subscribers [13].

Box Office

Moana

Star Wars  Moana banner [17]

After the November 23 release of Moana, Disney is nearing $2.5B in total domestic box office gross for 2016 [14]. With the top four grossing films of 2016 thus far (Finding Dory, Captain America: Civil War, The Jungle Book, and Zootopia), the company topped $6B in worldwide box office gross for the first time in its history [15]. This new record will only increase as Moana and Doctor Strange continue to screen and Disney’s final 2016 film releases: the newest film, Rogue One. Beyond the box office, movies like Star Wars, Finding Dory, and Moana provide massive profits in merchandising, both in America and abroad. In 2013, Disney merchandise sales brought in over $40B.

Theme Parks

On June 16, Disney’s fourth international theme park opened in Shanghai, with the tagline “authentically Disney, distinctly Chinese” [16]. The company avoided western branding and symbols by changing street names within the park and by filling the concessions with 70% Chinese food. Traditional Disney characters can be seen wearing traditionally Chinese silk costumes and speaking the native language. The Shanghai Disney Resort seeks to take advantage of the massive potential offered by China and the wider Asian market.

Shanghai Disney

Shanghai Disney Resort [18]

Conclusion

Despite Disney’s losses in television, its massive successes at the box office in 2016 have made up for it. The control of Star Wars, Marvel, and Pixar promises success in the motion pictures department nearly every year. Further, Disney’s land holdings of theme parks underscore the company’s finances with physical propoerty–while most media conglomerates own intellectual property, Disney holds more tangible assets as well. The company’s investments in technology put it in a good place for the future–its theme parks’ MagicBands have already proven successful. But while the company must hope these investments pay off, it also faces the uncertain future of navigating an evolving marketplace with a new CEO. Iger’s selection of his successor is by far the most important storyline to follow within the massive world of Disney.

Sources

  1. About The Walt Disney Company. Retrieved November 25, 2016. https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/about/
  2. The Data Team. June 16, 2016. The Economist. A New Disney Theme Park Opens in China. Retrieved November 25, 2016. http://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2016/06/daily-chart-11
  3. Johnson, Madeleine. June 16, 2016. Zacks. Your Complete Guide to All the Things Owned by Disney. Retrieved November 25, 2016. https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/220682/your-complete-guide-to-all-the-things-owned-by-disney
  4. Carpenter, J. William. October 29, 2015. Investopedia. Top 5 Companies Owned by Disney. Retrieved November 25, 2016. http://www.investopedia.com/articles/markets/102915/top-5-companies-owned-disney.asp
  5. Brevet, Brad. January 7, 2016. Box Office Mojo. ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Becomes Highest Grossing Domestic Release of All-Time. Retrieved November 25, 2016. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=4142&p=.htm
  6. Belloni, Matthew. June 22, 2016. The Hollywood Reporter. In-Depth With Disney CEO Bob Iger on China Growth, ‘Star Wars’ Reshoots and Political Plans: “A Lot of People Have Urged Me to [Run]”. Retrieved November 25, 2016. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/bob-iger-interview-star-wars-905320
  7. Hirasuna, Delphine. August 7, 2009. At Issue Journal. Walt Disney’s Creative Organization Chart. Retrieved November 25, 2016. http://www.atissuejournal.com/2009/08/07/walt-disney%E2%80%99s-creative-organization-chart/
  8. Yahoo! Finance. The Walt Disney Company (DIS). Retrieved November 25, 2016. https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/DIS/financials?p=DIS
  9. Brown, Maury. August 9, 2016. Forbes. Disney Buys $1B Stake In MLB’s BAMTech, To Launch ESPN Streaming Service. Retrieved November 25, 2016. http://www.forbes.com/sites/maurybrown/2016/08/09/disney-co-makes-1-billion-investment-becomes-minority-stakeholder-in-mlbams-bamtech/#1f44b1915972
  10. Markman, Jon. August 23, 2016. Forbes. Disney Streaming Into A Perilous Future. Retrieved November 25, 2016. http://www.forbes.com/sites/jonmarkman/2016/08/23/disney-streaming-into-a-perilous-future/#4f34784210f7
  11. Kafka, Peter. September 26, 2016. Recode. Why Disney won’t buy Twitter. Retrieved November 25, 2016. http://www.recode.net/2016/9/26/13062276/disney-won-t-buy-twitter
  12. Munarriz, Rick. April 9, 2016. The Motley Fool. Disney Isn’t Buying Netflix or Snapchat. Retrieved November 25, 2016. http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2016/04/09/disney-isnt-buying-netflix-or-snapchat.aspx
  13. Cohan, Peter. October 5, 2016. Forbes. Why Walt Disney Should Not Buy Netflix. Retrieved November 25, 2016. http://www.forbes.com/sites/petercohan/2016/10/05/why-walt-disney-should-not-buy-netflix/#710bdc20395d
  14. Box Office Mojo. Studio Market Share. Retrieved November 28, 2016. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/studio/?view2=yearly&view=parent&p=.htm
  15. Tartaglione, Nancy. November 6, 2016. Deadline Hollywood. Disney Crosses $6B At Global Box Office; First Time In Studio’s History. Retrieved November 28, 2016. http://deadline.com/2016/11/disney-crosses-six-billion-dollars-global-box-office-studio-record-doctor-strange-finding-dory-zootopia-captain-america-1201849749/
  16. Gardner, Hannah. June 16, 2016. USA Today. Disney’s new Shanghai park is supersized. Retrieved November 28, 2016. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2016/06/15/disneys-new-shanghai-park-supersized/85920926/
  17. Disney. Moana. Retrieved November 28, 2016. http://movies.disney.com/moana

Hulu

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by Daniel Bayliss

Hulu Logo. Courtesy of thenextweb.com [1]

Hulu Headquarters

12312 West Olympic Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90064 [2]

Phone: 1-(310) 571-4700 Website: www.hulu.com

Twitter: @hulu

Key Executives [3]

Mike Hopkins, CEO

Mike Hopkins, CEO

Craig Erwich, Senior Vice President & Head of Content

Craig Erwich, Senior Vice President & Head of Content

Tian Lim, Chief Technology Officer

Tian Lim, Chief Technology Officer

Elaine Paul, Chief Financial Officer

Elaine Paul, Chief Financial Officer

What is Hulu?

Created in 2007, Hulu is a premium, over-the-top service that distributes content to millions of users that stream its  programming. The Hulu destination website hulu.com was created in 2008.

Users can stream TV shows like Modern Family, Grey’s Anatomy, and Glee. That list is much more expansive, as Hulu offers programming from NBC, FOX, ABC, etc. In addition, Hulu offers numerous movies, documentaries [4], clips, its own original content, and more.

In addition to the free Hulu service, there’s also a paid subscription service called Hulu Plus. For $7.99 per month, subscribers can watch from a library of streamed shows, movies, clips, etc. that is significantly larger than the selection offered by the free service. There are also a number of electronic devices, like XBox, tablets, and phones that have the ability to stream Hulu Plus.

Photo courtesy of app advice.com. This picture shows just several devices that you can use to access Hulu Plus.

Photo courtesy of app advice.com. This picture shows just several devices that you can use to access Hulu Plus.

Hulu’s original programming also brings their own advertising and sponsorship opportunities into the mix [5]. Hulu also works with websites like Facebook, Yahoo!, MSN, and others to provide web syndication abilities.

 Financials

Due to Hulu being a privately held company [6], the only public monetary updates come from within the company.

The year 2012 was significant for Hulu financially. According to former CEO Jason Kilar, the company brought in approximately $695 million in revenue [7], which was a 65% increase from 2011’s revenue totals.

Hulu Plus Graph

Photo courtesy of Hulu.com. This graph shows a consistent increase between the fourth quarter of 2010 to the fourth quarter of 2012, a factual example of Hulu Plus’ increasing popularity.

The revenue increase also brought about an increase in Hulu Plus subscriber totals, bumping the total up from 1.5 million subscribers in 2011 to 3 million subscribers in 2012. These totals are the result of Hulu investing upwards of $500 million in content in 2012, in addition to the running total of $1 billion that has been paid to the content owners since Hulu’s launch back in 2007 [8]. Hulu also served over 1,000 advertisers in 2012, which was 28% more than in 2011 [7].

Hulu experienced more financial success in 2013 [9]. Their revenue and subscription totals rose to $1 billion and 5 million paying subscribers, respectively [10]. And under the assumption that it holds onto its subscribers for a year, Hulu is set to make $479 million just in subscription revenues.

In July 2013, the three companies that own Hulu — Fox Entertainment Group, NBCUniversal and Disney — invested $750 million in Hulu for its future endeavors and investments. As of September 28, 2013, Hulu had collected a total of $380 million of that number [11]. This investment came on the heels of the three companies deciding against a sale of Hulu.

Within the Company 

A huge part of Hulu’s success is due to all their advertising efforts, which includes branded content like the Ford–sponsored show Escape My Life and Subway-sponsored The 4 to 9ers. While branded content is an increasingly popular trend, one that Hulu has taken advantage of in the past [12], November’s departure of Bryan Thoensen, the head of branded content at Hulu, from the company has caused Hulu to change its efforts. Hulu’s new plan will revolve around sponsorships sold for the their self-produced content [13]. This is different from the past when Hulu would also bring along shows and combine them with brands from the start.

Photo courtesy of adage.com. This screenshot of Hulu's NewFronts portion of their website shows some of its brand content work for 2014.

Photo courtesy of adage.com. This screenshot of Hulu’s NewFronts portion of their website shows some of its brand content work for 2014 [13].

 Back in October it was reported that CEO Mike Hopkins was considering reducing the amount of advertisements that pop up on Hulu Plus [14]. No definitive answer has been issued as to whether or not this will happen. Some executives within the company encouraged the idea due to statistical data suggesting the company’s heavy ad usage. In a study conducted by  Comscore in December 2013, Hulu showed users 82 ads per month, while YouTube monthly total for ads seen by users was about 32 [15].

Photo courtesy of app advice.com. This picture shows the Hulu app on an iPhone. There's a "free" selection of videos as well as the possibility of upgrading to Hulu Plus, as seen in the upper-left hand corner.

Photo courtesy of app advice.com. This picture shows the Hulu app on an iPhone. There’s a “free” selection of videos as well as the possibility of upgrading to Hulu Plus, as seen in the upper-left hand corner.

Apple‘s decision back in 2011 to receive 30 percent of each Hulu Plus subscriber’s monthly bill was finally justified this year. In early October it was confirmed that Hulu’s most recent update made it compatible with iOS 8 and on the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. The Hulu in-app update also gives users the ability to subscribe to the Hulu Plus service as soon as they open the app [16]. which means that Apple takes over the billing relationship for those customers.

Hulu also confirmed in late October that it has renewed its distribution deal with Viacom. In the newest deal was the agreement to continue streaming shows like Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” and “Workaholics,” MTV scripted shows “Awkward” and “Happyland,” and numerous Nickelodeon shows due to the desire for a more expansive selection for kids [17].

More Content Updates

After they were cancelled by ABC, comedy shows Selfie and Manhattan Love Story have been picked up by Hulu [18]. Selfie’s creator Emily Kapnek tweeted the news out on November 20. Kapnek also said that the show’s six remaining un-aired episodes would also immediately be made available on Hulu.

Photo courtesy of guardianlv.com. This photo shows the main cast of the show, which is now available on Hulu.

Photo courtesy of guardianlv.com.

Hulu will also now stream “HuffPost Live Conversations” as agreed upon between Hulu and the Huffington Post’s digital video branch last month [19]. The deal, which Hulu hopes will increase its informative news display, will span three years.

Original Content Updates

Photo courtesy of liljas-library.com

Photo courtesy of liljas-library.com

Among the many items offered on Hulu are some shows created originally for Hulu. Hulu’s original content selection received a huge boost when the company issued a straight-to-series order for a show based on a Stephen King novel. J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot Productions will produce 11/22/63, which was originally written by King in 2011 [20]. The intense, thriller will revolve around a teacher that has to travel back to 1963 to stop Lee Harvey Oswald from assassinating then-president John F. Kennedy.

Photo courtesy of imdb.com

Photo courtesy of imdb.com

Due to its increasing popularity, the company has decided to bring back Hulu Original “The Wrong Mans” for a second season [21]. A joint venture between Hulu and BBC Comedy, the show will return with four brand-new episodes that pick up with characters Phil Bourne (James Corden) and Sam Pinkett (Matthew Baynton), who were assumed to be dead, coming back and venturing off on some journey across the world. The season premieres on December 24.

Hulu has also started planning for 2015 with news of another original content piece [22]. The company ordered a new TV show called Difficult People to begin production early on next year. The show comes with executive producers Amy Poehler and Dave Becky, and Billy Eichner and Julie Klausner will star in Difficult People [23].

Sources

[1] Hulu Company Logo, thenextweb.com, RT: 11/29/2014

[2] Hulu Company Description, Bloomberg Businessweek, RT: 11/29/2014

[3] Hulu Executives, Hulu.com, RT: 11/29/2014

[4] Hulu Documentaries, Hulu.com, RT: 11/29/2014

[5] Hulu Original Programming, Hulu.com, RT: 11/29/2014

[6] Hulu: The IPO That Never Happened, Inside Business 360, RT: 11/29/2014

[7] A Big 2012, Hulu.com Blogs, RT: 11/29/2014

[8] Hulu 2012 Breakdown, Gigaom, RT: 11/29/2014

[9] Hulu 2013 Breakdown, Subscriptioncontent.net, RT: 11/29/2014

[10] Hulu 2013 Sales, Bloomberg, RT: 11/29/2014

[11] Walt Disney’s 2013 Fiscal Year, Walt Disney’s 2013 Annual Fiscal Report, RT: 11/29/2014

[12] Farmed and Dangerous, Tubefilter, RT: 11/29/2014

[13] Hulu Restructures Branded Content Plan, adage.com, RT: 11/29/2014

[14] Hulu CEO Mulls Cutting Number of Ads, NYPost, RT: 11/29/2014

[15] Hulu Plus May Cut Back Ads, Cynopsis Media, RT: 11/29/2014

[16] Hulu Makes Peace With Apple’s 30 Percent Cut, Gigaom, RT: 11/29/2014

[17] Hulu-Viacom, Variety, RT: 11/29/2014

[18] Hulu Picks Up ABC-Cancelled Shows, Deadline, RT: 11/29/2014

[19] Hulu Adds HuffPost Live Videos, Huffington Post, RT: 11/29/2014

[20] Hulu Orders New Show Based on King Novel, Hollywood Reporter, RT: 11/29/2014

[21] The Wrong Mans Back on Hulu, The Futon Critic, RT: 11/29/2014

[22] Hulu Picks Up Difficult People, comingsoon.net, RT: 11/29/2014

[23] Hulu Orders New Show, TV Series Finale, RT: 11/29/2014

Disney/ABC– (TV broadcast & cable properties only)

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Disney/ABC Television Group Logo

[1] Disney/ABC Television Group Logo

by Alex Alomar

 ABOUT DISNEY/ABC TELEVISION GROUP

Disney/ABC Television Group, through its many businesses is involved in the production and distribution of entertainment and news to the public. It is a premier entertainment media company. Disney/ABC regulates all of The Walt Disney television properties. [2] This includes properties such as ABC Television Network, ABC Entertainment Group, Disney Channels Worldwide, ABC Family, ABC News and more. [3]

Television Properties

ABC Family Logo

[4] ABC Family Logo

Disney/ABC Television provides the world with a diverse composition of entertainment. One of its properties is ABC Family., which is one of the cable’s top 10 networks. [6] The network’s programming includes original series and movies. Pretty Little Liars (the No. 1 scripted show for females between the age of 12-34 in the year 2012) and Melissa & Joey (cable’s No. 1 program at 8 P.M. on Wednesdays) are both original ABC Family programs that contribute to its great success. ABC Family has a long list of original movies including Labor Pains, which features American actress and recording singer Lindsay Lohan.[6]

Disney XD Logo

[5] Disney XD Logo

Another popular property that lies under Disney/ABC Television group is Disney XD. The cable channel was created by Disney for a rare outcome that had been yet to be distributed to cable. It provides a flashy series that include both animated and live-action original programming, including movies and series. It reaches an audience of those who are 6-14 and more specifically, boys in that age range (females still included). Disney XD programming pushes children on their chase for sports (Disney, adventure and humor.) [7] To achieve their goals, Disney XD joined ESPN in creating an original series titles Disney XD ESPN Sport Science. The program features two hosts who talk about myths in sports. The program has guest appearances from both celebrities and professional sports athletes. [8]

These are only two of many properties that are owned by fall under Disney/ABC Television Group. All programming from Disney/ABC Television Group properties reach a different fragment of the general audience. The company is able to attract the views from crowds that are female or male, young or old etc.

KEY EXECUTIVES

Anne Sweeney

[9] Anne Sweeney

Ben Sherwood

[10] Ben Sherwood

Anne Sweeney is the current President of Disney/ABC Television Group as well as the Co-Chair of Disney Media Networks. She has been involved with the company since 1996. Sweeney is in charge of managing Disney’s entertainment and news television properties. [11]

Ben Sherwood became the President of ABC News in December 2010. [12] Sherwood has been named to succeed Anne Sweeney as President of Disney/ABC Television Group. He will become active as President on Feb 1st, 2015, but is currently involved in all decision making that involves Disney/ABC Television Group as a co-president. [13]

FINANCIALS

The Walt Disney Company, in its third quarterly report of the year, revealed that it has a revenue of $12.16 billion, and increase for its second quarterly report of $11.65 billion. [14] Disney’s cable businesses ended its fourth quarter with a 5% increase in revenue, ending with a total of $5.2 billion. [15]  A big contributor in the increase of revenue was ABC’s broadcasting of the FIFA World Cup, which concluded in a boost of advertisement revenue. [16]

DISNEY/ABC TELEVISION GROUP NEWS

New Deal with Streaming Company Shomi

Shomi Logo

 [18] Shomi Logo

Disney/ABC Television has signed a deal with Shomi. Shomi is a Canadian company that provides an online streaming service, much like Netflix and Hulu. It is a new company that was founded this past August and officially launched on November 4th. [17] The deal includes family and kid friendly content from Disney. Well known films such as 102 Dalmatians and Who Framed Roger Rabbit, will now be available to Shomi users. A big part of the deal is the programming Shomi is obtaining from ABC programming. Shame will be streaming shows from ABC, ABC Family as well as ABC Studios. This includes two of ABC’s extremely successful TV series, Scandal and Revenge. [19]

 Relaunch of WATCH Applications

WATCH Applications

[20] WATCH Applications

Disney/ABC Television Group has announced that it is relaunching its WATCH applications.  The WATCH applications include an a different application for multiple properties. There is an application for ABC, ABC Family, Disney Channel, Disney XD and Disney Junior. The new features for the ABC application include allowing the user to to post on Facebook or Twitter about the current show they are watching without having to close and leave the application. [20] Disney/ABC Television Group created Disney Junior en Español, which will now allow users to watch and experience the application in Spanish. You can now also access the WATCH applications on Android and Kindle Fire Devices. The last addition to the application was being able to listen to Radio Disney live. [21]

New Fall 2014 Series: How To Get Away with Murder

How to Get Away with Murder

[22] How to Get Away with Murder

ABC’s new original series How To Get Away with Murder, premiered this past fall on September 25th. The TV series is a drama produced by Shonda Rhimes, who is known for her with Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal. The show as been nothing but success for ABC. The show had the biggest new series premier of the Fall 2014 season. [23] It received 14.3 million views and a demo rating of 3.9. Although the number of viewers of the show has dropped, it is still pulling a strong audience. The show’s fall finale had 9.8 million viewers. [24]

SOURCES

[1] Disney/ABC Television Group Logo, RT 12/1/2014

[2] Disney/ABC Television Group Information, RT 12/1/2014

[3] The Walt Disney Company’s Properties, RT 12/1/2014

[4] ABC Family Logo, RT 12/1/2014

[5] Disney XD Logo, RT 12/1/2014

[6] ABC Family Programming Information, RT 12/1/2014

[7] Disney XD Programming Information, RT 12/1/2014

[8] Disney XD ESPN Sport Science, RT 12/1/2014

[9] Anne Sweeney, RT 12/1/2014

[10]  Ben Sherwood, RT 12/1/2014

[11] Anne Sweeney Biography, RT 12/1/2014

[12] Ben Sherwood Biography, RT 12/1/2014

[13] Ben Sherwood Becoming President, RT 12/1/2014

[14]  The Walt Disney Compnay Financials, RT 12/1/2014

[15]  Disney Broadcasting Financials, RT 12/1/2014

[16] ABC Financials, RT 12/1/2014

[17]  Shomi Launch Date, RT 12/1/2014

[18] Shomi Logo, RT 12/1/2014

[19] Disney/ABC and Shomi Deal, RT 12/1/2014

[20] WATCH Applications Information, RT 12/1/2014

[21] Disney Watch Applications’ Updates, RT 12/1/2014

[22] How To Get Away With Murder Image, RT 12/1/2014

[23] How To Get Away With Murder Season Premier, RT 12/1/2014

[24] How To Get Away With Murder Season Finale, RT 12/1/2014

DreamWorks Animation SKG

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by Gabriel Santana

DreamWorks Animation SKG

1000 Flower Street | Gendale, CA 91201

DreamWorks Animation SKG Logo [1]

DreamWorks Animation SKG Logo [1]

A Brief History

         DreamWorks Animation is the product of Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen [2]. Prior to being established, DreamWorks Animation operated as a business division under DreamWorks LLC, founded by Spielberg, Katzenberg and Geffen in 1994 [3]. DreamWorks LLC gained recognition for producing Academy Award-winning films such as Gladiator and American Beauty [4]. From such success, Jeffrey Katzenberg was able to lead DreamWorks Animation as a publicly-traded company on October 28th, 2004 [5].

Jeffrey Katzenberg CEO and Director

Jeffrey Katzenberg [6]
CEO and Director

Ann Daly President

Ann Daly [7]
President

Lew Coleman Vice-Chairman

Lew Coleman [8]
Vice-Chairman

Fazal Merchant Chief Financial Officer

Fazal Merchant [9]
Chief Financial Officer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Making A Name

        With a strong, creative team and a passion for story, DreamWorks Animation SKG has become the world’s largest animation studio with a total of 30 feature-length films in its repertoire [10]. It has produced some of the most unforgettable and highly entertaining animated films of all time, the likes of which include Shrek, Madagascar and Kung Fu Panda. Each of the films mentioned have met both commercial and critical acclaim, and have done so well to even produce sequels that continue their success.

Promotional Banner for Shrek

Promotional Banner for Shrek [11]

Finances

 

Money Talks

        In late September of 2014, DreamWorks Animation began acquisition talks with Softbank, one of Japan’s largest telecommunications and Internet providers, for an approximate amount of $3.3 billion dollars. Softbank holds a focus on mobile Internet and content specific to the medium. Talks of an acquisition then grew quiet as the company was said to not be necessarily interested in takeover as much as partnership in regards to content [ ].

              In early November of 2014,

Regaining Balance

 

Future Releases

         In television, DreamWorks Animation SKG will release another original series on Netflix, the leading internet television network. All Hail King Julien will debut on December 19th, 2014. The show will tell the story of the world’s favorite lemur partying it up in Madagascar prior to the arrival of Alex and the gang from New York [ ].

        In film, DreamWorks Animation SKG has a big year planned for 2015. Home, releasing on March 27th, 2015, is the story of a young girl named Tip who befriends Oh, an alien of the Boov race. The Boov’s have taken over planet Earth as their new home, while Tip and Oh journey in search as to why [ ]. B.O.O.: Bureau of Otherworldly Operations follows with a release on June 5th, and focuses on a ghost who must revise his approach to haunting by going back to ghost school [ ]. Closing out the year is Kung Fu Panda 3, with an approximate release date of December 23rd [ ]. In this third installment of the widely successful series, Po must confront a threat that hits home and another that’s supernatural [ ].

           Down the road, DreamWorks Animation SKG plans to release Boss Baby on March 18th, 2016, a comedy starring the voices of Kevin Spacey and Alec Baldwin.  The two renowned actors will play rival bosses, who are actually babies, battling it out for the World’s Best Boss title [ ].

       Marvel’s recent announcement of upcoming superhero films, which include The Avengers: Age of Ultron, and Pixar’s Inside Out conflicts with DreamWorks Animation’s release of B.O.O. [ ]. B.O.O. is the first and most likely film of the 2015 line-up that DreamWorks Animation may have to move [ ]. Regardless, both 2015 and 2016 look promising of commercial and critical success for DreamWorks Animation SKG.

Conclusion

        DreamWorks Animation SKG has had it’s fair share of ups and downs, like any company vying to remain prominent in the industry. The company has a solid track record and consistently produces content that pushes the boundaries of feature-length animated film with each release. Katzenberg and his team at DreamWorks Animation SKG are pressing forward, displaying perseverance as they continue to cater to the needs of both the film industry and audiences around the world.

Sources:

[1] Courtesy of DreamWorks Animation SKG Twitter Account

[2] DreamWorks Animation SKG | Investor Relations | FAQ

[3] DreamWorks Animation SKG | Investor Relations | FAQ

[4] DreamWorks Animation SKG | Jeffrey Katzenberg | Bio

[5] DreamWorks Animation SKG | Investor Relations | FAQ

[6] Courtesy of DreamWorks Animation SKG | Management Team

[7] Courtesy of DreamWorks Animation SKG | Management Team

[8] Courtesy of DreamWorks Animation SKG | Management Team

[9] Courtesy of DreamWorks Animation SKG | Management Team

[10] DreamWorks Animation SKG | Jeffrey Katzenberg | Bio

[11] Courtesy of DreamWorks Animation SKG | Movies | Shrek

[ ]

 

Focus Features

Posted on by 
by John Pflieger
[21] Focus Features Logo

[21] Focus Features Logo

Focus Features is a film production and distribution company that serves at the art house film department of the NBCUniversal brand.  Started in 2002, Focus Features is currently run by CEO Peter Schlessel, who took the helm in late 2013 after Focus and the FilmDistrict merged in 2013 [1].  Focus Features has had great success over the last 12 years with critically acclaimed releases like Brokeback Mountain, Dallas Buyers Club, and Lost in Translation just to name a few.  The former being the most successful Focus Feature production to date, grossing $83 million and receiving 3 Academy Awards and receive nominations for 5 more along with a slue of other awards [2][3].

Financials

Catering usually to more specific audiences then some of the major production house, Focus Features is currently ranked 12th for top grossing production companies in the 2014 year, with a total gross of $104 million, which puts them in control of 1.1% of the current market share [4].  Though falling short to its 5th ranked older brother Universal Pictures, the smaller production company has managed to sustain an average gross of $8.7 million per release over the course of its 11 releases in 2014 [4][5].  With award season approaching, Focus has the potential to see continued growth in revenue through the beginning of 2015.  With Oscar buzz surrounding actor Eddie Redmayne of Focus Features most recent release The Theory of Everything, a nomination for best actor has the potential to increase revenue by about $600,000, where a win in the category could yield nearly $6 million in increased revenue[6][7].  Though Focus is only responsible for a small portion of NBCUniversal’s $1.4 billion filmed entertainment revenue, the small production house continues to boast impressive figures[8].

Recent Releases 

“The Theory of Everything “

[22] The Theory of Everything Poster

[22] The Theory of Everything Poster

The biographical film chronicles the life of astrophysicist Stephen Hawking as he fell in love with his wife Jane, explored the science of universal time, and struggled with the debilitating neurological disease of ALS[9].  Eddie Redmayne, who plays Steven Hawking, has already been labeled by Variety as one of the main contenders for the Best Actor Academy Award[6].  The film, which opened November 7th in a limited release to 5 theaters grossed $208,763 and continued to succeed as it hit a wide release November 26th in 802 theaters and grossed slightly over $5 million in its wide release opening[10].  As of December 1st the film has grossed $9.6 million and has the potential to see continued success as the holidays and award season approaches[10].

“Kill The Messenger”

[23] Kill The Messenger Poster

[23] Kill The Messenger Poster

A political thriller starring Academy Award nominated actor Jeremy Renner, tells the story of journalist Gary Webb, who stumbles across a dark story that involves drugs and government cover-ups[11].  The film opened October 10th in 374 theaters and grossed $941,809 in its opening weekend.  At its widest relapse the film was only in 427 theaters and to date has only grossed $2.4 million, having been stifled by the Buena Vista release of “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day” which was release the same day and saw far greater success[12][13].

“The Boxtrolls”

[24] The Boxtrolls Poster

[24] The Boxtrolls Poster

This family film tells the tail of an adventure of a group of unique creatures as they raise an orphan and fight for their lives in an effort to thwart their local town villain[14].  This film has been the most successful release for Focus Features this year having grossed nearly $50 million.  The feature opened September 26th 3,464 theaters and gross $17.2 million, which accounted for 34.9% of the films total gross domestically[15].  The film went on to gross $56.2 million worldwide, making a total of $105.7 million, which is a huge success not only for Focus Films, but also for the small Oregon based stop-motion animation house Laika Studios, which carried out the animation for “The Boxtrolls.”[15][16]  The small animation studio also produced “ParaNorman” and “Coraline” for Focus Features, which are both in Focus Feature’s top 5 for most successful domestic grossing films[5].  Only days after the opening of “The Boxtrolls”, Focus Features signed an agreement with Laika to work with them on 3 more feature length films[17].  This agreement proves to be especially wise when looking at the fact that all three of the films that Laika and Focus have teamed up on have grossed over $100 million world wide, making them highly profitable[17].  There is still room for more success in the coming months, seeing that “The Boxtrolls” received 13 nominations in this years Annie Awards, and is only expected to receive more nods as award season get underway[18].

Upcoming

Focus Features consistently releases 10-12 films a year, making them a highly productive production house for the scale of their operation[5].  As of now, Focus has announced a few new projects that will be coming up in 2015 which will have the potential to make quite a splash in the market place in the upcoming year.

[25] 50 Shades of Grey Poster

[25] 50 Shades of Grey Poster

One of the more anticipated Focus Features releases of 2015 is the adaptation of the novel 50 Shades of Grey.  The popular 3 part book series will be treated as a trilogy by focus and will follow the saga of the novels quite closely.  The film is scheduled to be released on Valentines Day, offering an interesting option for holiday viewing[19].

[26] Black Sea Poster

[26] Black Sea Poster

Another highly anticipated 2015 Focus release is the upcoming release starring Jude Law, “Black Sea”.  The apparent action movie casts Law as a submarine captain who is working with a team of Russian and English crew members to salvage Nazi gold in a sunken U-boat.  The film is scheduled to be released January 23 of 2015[20].

Future of Focus Features

The future for Focus Features appears to be very bright.  With a recent 3 film deal with Laika Studios, this is a air of optimism, because with the success of the studio’s earlier films, we can only assume that with the proper marketing and distribution the next 3 should be just as successful.  Also with the “50 Shades of Grey” series on the horizon, there are multiple prospects for continued growth.  As we see the success of Comcast and NBCUniversal and their continued growth, the potential for the expansion of Focus Features is exponentially increased.

Citations:

1.     Focus Features Announces More Key Senior Hires, hollywoodreporter.com, RT; 12/01/14

2.    Brokeback Mountain, Boxofficemojo.com, RT: 12/01/14

3.   Brokeback Mountain Awards, imdb.com, RT: 12/01/14

4.   Studio Market Share, Boxofficemojo.com, RT: 12/01/14

5.   Focus Features, Boxofficemojo.com, RT: 12/01/14

6.   Contender: Lead Actor Preview, Variety.com, RT: 12/01/14

7.   How Oscar Nominations Affect the Box Office, Businessinsider.com, RT: 12/01/14

8.   Comcast Earnings Release, cmcsk.com, RT: 12/01/14

9.   The Theory of Everything, Rottentomatos.com, RT: 12/01/14

10. The Theory of Everything, Boxofficemojo.com, RT: 12/01/14

11. Kill the Messenger, Rottentomatos.com, RT: 12/01/14

12.  Kill the Messenger, Boxofficemojo.com, RT: 12/01/14

13.  Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, Boxofficemojo.com, RT: 12/01/14

14.  The Boxtrolls, Rottentomatos.com, RT: 12/01/14

15. The Boxtrolls, Boxofficemojo.com, RT: 12/01/14

16.  Laika Studios, Laikastudios.com, RT: 12/01/14

17. Focus Features, Laika Ink Three-Film Pact, hollywoodreporter.com, RT; 12/01/14

18.  Boxtrolls leads Annie Award nominations, bbc.com, RT; 12/01/14

19. 50 Shades of Grey, fiftyshadesmovie.com, RT; 12/01/14

20. Black Sea, focusfeatures.com, RT; 12/01/14

21. Focus Features Logo, thewrap.com, RT; 12/01/14

22. The Theory of Everything Poster, imdb.com, RT; 12/01/14

23. Kill the Messenger Poster, imdb.com, RT; 12/01/14

24. The Boxtrolls Poster, imdb.com, RT; 12/01/14

25. 50 Shades of Grey Poster, imdb.com, RT; 12/01/14

26. Black Sea Poster, imdb.com, RT; 12/01/14

Netflix

Posted on by 
by Paul Haramis

Netflix Logo – Courtesy of pr.netflix.com [1]

Corporate Headquarters [2]

100 Winchester Circle, Los Gatos, CA 95032

Phone: +1 (408) 540-3700

www.netflix.com

Key Executives [3]:

Reed Hastings

Reed Hastings,  Founder and CEO

David Wells

David Wells,  Chief Financial Officer

Ted Sarandos

Ted Sarandos, Chief Content Officer

Neil Hunt

Neil Hunt, Chief Product Officer

Greg Peters

Greg Peters, Chief Streaming and Partnerships Officer

Tawni Cranz

Tawni Cranz, Chief Talent Officer

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                      

History [4]:

http://www.qualitylogoproducts.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/netflix-envelope-e1329161999677.jpg

Netflix didn’t offer streaming services until 2007 – Photo courtesy of qualitylogoproducts.com

Reed Hastings founded Netflix in 1997 with Marc Randolph [4]. The company was initially founded to offer online movie rentals. Customers would select a movie from the database and have it shipped directly to their home. In 1999, the company introduced monthly subscriptions, a format that the company still uses today. In 2002, Netflix first became available to the public on the NASDAQ. In 2007, Netflix began its streaming service, which has allowed the company to see exponential growth. Today there are more than 53 million members of Netflix, all of whom are scattered around the globe.

 Financials [5]:

netflix 3 month stock

Courtesy of Google Finance

The third quarter was disappointing for Netflix as it fell short of its internal projections. They believed they would make around $1.41 billion dollars, but instead made around $1.22 billion dollars [4]. This is largely due to new subscriptions coming in at 980,000 as compared to the 1.3 million they projected. One of the biggest factors for the lower than anticipated new subscribers is believed to be the rise in price for a monthly subscription. The price rose from $7.99 a month to $8.99 a month. As part of their damage control, Netflix said that sometimes they over-predict their growth and sometimes they undersell it. This was to much avail as Netflix saw a 25% decrease in their stock after their third quarter earnings were released [6]. Some entrepreneurs saw this as an unbelievable opportunity. Netflix addressed fears that this was due to competition by saying, “Since our per-member viewing and retention in the US are as strong as ever, we don’t think increased competition from piracy, TV Everywhere, Amazon Prime Instant Video, Hulu, etc., is a major factor” [5]. This still didn’t prevent stock from dropping another 4% when HBO announced that HBO Go will be offered as a stand-alone streaming service and users won’t need an HBO cable subscription [5]. Netflix has been predicting this since 2011 and believes that since the content available on both is different, that both companies can continue to grow moving forward [5].

Original Content:

Netflix’s original content continues to be extremely strong and Netflix responded by creating additional new content as well as renewing current shows. In the third quarter, Netflix released an adult animated show “BoJack Horseman” as well as two new seasons of their hit shows “Orange is the New Black” and “The Killing” [5]. In addition, today Netflix announced that season 3 of the hit-show House of Cards, will be premiering on February 27, 2015 [7].

According to a Centris survey, 72% of domestic subscribers have watched some type of Netflix original programming [8]. This is up 15% from the first quarter of 2014 and is a great sign for Netflix that their subscribers are at least sampling their original programming. In another survey conducted for Netflix, 57% of subscribers stated that “original content was ‘extremely important,’ ‘quite important,’ or ‘moderately important” [8]. This information has pushed Netflix to churn out more original programming as they have a new show, “Marco Polo” set to release on December 12th. Netflix has reportedly spent $90 million dollars on the production of the show, which is expected to rival HBO’s hit show, “Game of Thrones” [9].

Netflix also recently announced that they will be creating an original series based on Lemony Snicket’s, “A Series of Unfortunate Events.” The books were international best sellers and the move allows Netflix to broaden its content reach with original programming [10].

Innovation

Netflix continues to innovate to make their product better and more expansive. This past quarter, Netflix has taken a number of big steps. The first was the completion of a four-year long project to switch over to HTML5 streaming [11]. The move should increase their streaming services as they will prevent users from having to download Microsoft Silverlight to stream Netflix. One of the most important tools for Netflix is their personal recommendations tool. This suggests new shows to users based on their previous shows and allows subscribers to keep watching new content. Netflix is continually testing new algorithms to improve this service and recently introduced a new feature that recommends shows based on characters from their original programming [12]. For example, subscribers can see programs recommended by Claire Underwood.

Photo courtesy of zap2it.com

This is a new way that Netflix believes it can keep pushing content on subscribers and keep their strong retention rate. The biggest innovation that Netflix made in the third quarter was their announcement of Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon 2 straight to Netflix and select IMAX theaters [13]. This has several theater chains up in arms as they wonder about the potential future repercussions. Netflix also struck a deal with Adam Sandler and Happy Madison Productions to produce four movies released straight to Netflix [14]. It will be interesting to see if this causes a rise in subscriptions to view content that is exclusive to Netflix. It will also be interesting to see how many viewers the films get as Nielsen recently announced they will begin to track online viewing [15]. Netflix has refused to show viewership in the past as a way to alleviate pressure from its programming. It will be interesting to see how the new Nielsen ratings will effect the recent proclamation made by CEO, Reed Hastings this past weekend [16].

Global Expansion

The ultimate end goal for Netflix is to be a wide spread global company. In this past quarter, Netflix has made big strides in achieving that goal.

Photo courtesy of static.amigobulls.com

Earlier in the quarter, Netflix officially launched in six new European countries: France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, and Luxembourg [17]. This launch opened up Netflix to 63 million potential new households [17]. To accommodate the new European countries, many local and European content have been added to the database, as well as the addition of subtitles or dubbing European language over some current American content [17]. In the past two weeks, Netflix announced they will be launching in Australia and New Zealand in March 2015 [18]. The move pushes the number of countries and territories that Netflix is in over 50 [18]. Netflix will continue to grow that number as they expand globally.

Overview and Moving Forward:

Overall, despite failing to reach their projections, this has been an extremely successful quarter for Netflix as they continue to expand in both subscriptions and capabilities. It will be extremely exciting to tract their growth in the new year!

Sources:

[1] Netflix Logo, Netflix Media Center, Retrieved: November 29, 2014

[2] Company Overview, Netflix Media Center, Retrieved November 29, 2014

[3] Netflix: Officers & Directors, Officers & Directors, Retrieved: November 29, 2014

[4] Company Timeline, Netflix Media Center, Retrieved: November 29, 2014

[5] Letter to Shareholders, Quarterly Earnings, Retrieved: November 29, 2014

[6] Netflix Stock is Down 25% on This One Key Number in Earnings, MoneyMorning.com, Retrieved: November 29, 2014

[7] Netflix Announces ‘House of Cards’ Season 3 Premiere Date, Entertainment Weekly, Retrieved: December 1, 2014

[8] Netflix U.S. Viewership of Original Series Surges in Q3: Study, Variety, Retrieved: November 30, 2014

[9] Netflix is Creating One of the Most Expensive TV Shows in the World – Here’s Why It’s So Important, Business Insider, Retrieved: November 30, 2014

[10] Netflix to Adapt Lemony Snicket’s ‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’ into an Original Series, Netflix Media Center, Retrieved: November 30, 2014

[11] Netflix Goes HTML5 for Laptop Streaming, ZDNet, Retrieved: November 30, 2014

[12] Netflix Uses its Fictional Characters for Recommendations, Netflix Life, Retrieved: November 30, 2014

[13] Netflix Announces First Original Movie, Netflix Media Center, Retrieved: November 30, 2014

[14] O’Doyle Rules! Adam Sandler Heads to Netflix, Netflix Media Center, Retrieved: November 30, 2014

[15] Nielsen Plans to Track Netflix, Amazon — And It’s a Big Deal, Forbes, Retrieved: November 30, 2014

[16] Netflix CEO Reed Hastings says Cable TV Will be Dead by 2030, MSN, Retrieved: December 1, 2014

[17] Netflix Now in France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, and Luxembourg, Netflix Media Center, Retrieved: November 30, 2014

[18] Netflix, Inc. Heads to the Land Down Under, Nasdaq, Retrieved: November 30, 2014

Viacom

Posted on by 
by Timothy Chew
Viacom Brands

[1] Viacom Logo

About Viacom

Viacom is an American mass media company that specialises in entertainment content in over 160 countries across television, film, mobile and online platforms. Viacom is the parent company to many of the world’s most elite entertainment brands including MTV Networks, Nickelodeon, VH1, BET Networks, Comedy Central, SPIKE, TV Land, CMT, Paramount Pictures and many more [2]. 

Reaching approximately 700 million global subscribers, Viacom’s media networks have become one of the largest media conglomerates in the world [3].

Television Networks

[4] Viacom’s Media Network Brands

Viacom is home to a wide variety of television networks and has successfully developed original entertainment content that has reached a diverse audience [4]. MTV is best known for producing the MTV Video Music Awards, Nickelodeon is one of the most influential television channels in children’s entertainment and Comedy Central is America’s number one comedy channel. Viacom has produced many popular television shows including MTV’s Awkward and Teen Wolf, Comedy Central’s The Daily Show, Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants and many more [4].

Film

paramount-logo

[5]  Paramount Pictures Logo

Paramount Pictures Corporation is a film production and distribution studio that is also a subsidiary of Viacom. Paramount is the distributor for DreamWorks Animation, Marvel, MTV Films, Nickelodeon Movies, Paramount Pictures, Paramount Classics and Paramount Vantage [4]. In 2014, Paramount grossed $953.6 million, becoming the sixth highest grossing film studio in the box office [6]. Paramount has produced many major blockbusters films including “Titanic“, “Transformers“, “Forrest Gump“, “Shrek” and “Iron Man” [7].

Financials

Viacom has remained well positioned financially this year. In the fourth quarter of 2014, Viacom’s revenue has increased 9% from $3.6 billion to $3.9 billion [8]. Viacom’s Media Networks annual year-end revenue has rose significantly from $9.6 billion to 10.1 billion [8]. However, Viacom’s film entertainment’s suffered a decrease in annual year-end revenue dropping from $4.2 billion to $3.7 billion [8]. Viacom’s year-end operating income has rose to 5% to a record breaking $4.13 billion from $3.9 billion in 2013 [8].

Key Executives

Philippe Dauman

[9] Philippe Dauman, President and Chief Executive Officer

TomDooley

[10] Thomas E. Dooley, Chief Operating Officer

WadeDavis

[11] Wade Davis, Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President, Strategy & Corporate Development

Recent News

1+May+Viacom+acquires+Channel+5

[12] Viacom Acquires Channel 5

Viacom Closes Acquisition of UK’s Channel 5

After announcing a deal on May 1st, Viacom has closed acquisition of British’s broadcaster Channel 5 for $725 million on September 10th [12]. This deal was made to expand Viacom’s investment in its entertainment content produced in the UK. In addition, Nickelodeon will be partnering with Channel 5’s pre-school program, Milkshake. Viacom and Channel 5 will collaborate to produce a new animated series called “Nella the Knight“, their first co-production which is under Viacom’s wing [12]. Viacom and Channel 5 will co-fund “Nella the Knight“, which will be produced in the UK. Channel 5 will also air episodes of SpongeBob SquarePants and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles [12]. Besides that, MTV UK and Channel 5 are partnering to commission a new series called 10,000 BC. In 10,000 BC, 20 participants leave the comforts of their modern life and travel back to the Stone Age. This 10 episode series is set to premiere on Channel 5 in 2015 [12].

sony-viacom-logos

[13] Viacom and Sony Partnership

Viacom and Sony Inks Internet Distribution Deal

Viacom announced a major programming deal with Sony to license live and on demand programming for at least 22 Viacom cable networks including Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, SPIKE, and VH1 for Sony’s cloud-based TV service [13]. This agreement marks Viacom’s first deal to provide its networks for an Internet based live TV and Video On Demand service. Sony’s new cloud-based TV service will integrate live TV content with a dynamic experience people are accustomed to look for form their network. This new service will provide access to hundreds of hours of Viacom programming to over 75 million Internet-enabled Sony devices in the U.S [14].

Releases

TMNT35

[15] Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, directed by Jonathan Liebasman

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles


“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” is an action comedy film that made tremendous success in the box office this summer. The film was produced by highly acclaimed “Transformers” producer Michael Bay and directed by Jonathan Liebasman. “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” was a recreation of the original comic series. On its opening weekend, this summer blockbuster locked in a staggering $65 million [16]. Since its release, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” has made $191 million in the US and $286 million in the international market. This film surprisingly remained number 1 in the box office on its first two weeks of release [16].Unlike many films released this summer, this film managed to surpass its budget within 3 weeks of its release, proving to be a major success [16].

interstellar

[17] Interstellar, directed by Christopher Nolan

Interstellar

“Interstellar” is a Sci-Fi thriller starring Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway. The film is based on a team of explorers who travel to space on an adventure to search for a habitable planet that could potentially save the human race [17 . The film was director by Christopher Nolan.  Unfortunately, “Interstellar” failed to reach its predicted $50 million on its opening weekend, and only made $47.5 million instead [18]. Although, “Interstellar” has not done quite as well domestically by only making $138 million since its premiere, it has been a major success in the foreign market making a whopping $331 million, surpassing its $165 million budget. Since its opening weekend, the film has made over $468 million worldwide proving to be a global success [19].

Upcoming Releases

eye_candy_key_art_mtv_a_p

[20] Eye Candy, MTV’s New Thriller

MTV Announces New Scripted Thriller

MTV announced a new scripted thriller series called “Eye Candy.” The new series is based on R.L Stine’s popular novel “Eye Candy.” The series is produced by Jason Blum and Catherine Hardwicke. “Eye Candy” revolves around tech genius, Lindy who is played by Victoria Justice [21]. Lindy begins online dating and suspects one of her strange suitors to be a potential serial killer. Lindy then partners with a team of hackers to solve these mysterious murders on the streets of New York. “Eye Candy” is an 10-episode, hour-long thriller that is set to premiere on January 12, 2015 [21].

Trailer [22].

Mission-Impossible-5-starring-Tome-Cruise

[23] Mission Impossible 5, directed by Christopher McQuarrie

Mission Impossible To Release Fifth Film

The fifth instalment of the Mission Impossible franchise is hitting theatres next winter. The film is directed by Christopher McQuarrie and written by Drew Pearce. “Mission Impossible 5” is produced by Paramount and J.J Abrams’ Production Company, Bad Robot. In “Mission Impossible 5“, Tom Cruise will be returning to his role of Ethan Hunt. The previous film, “Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol” set the record very high after grossing a staggering $695 million globally [24]. Mission Impossible 5 is set to release on December 25th, 2015. The film’s trailer has not been released [25].

Sources

[1] Viacom’s Logo, Variety.com, RT: 11/30/2014

[2] About Viacom, Viacom.com, RT: 11/30/2014

[3] “Advertising Revenue Drive Media Networks Business“, Marketrealist.com, RT: 11/30/2014

[4] Viacom Brands, Viacom.com, RT: 11/30/2014

[5] Paramount Pictures’s Logo, Paramountguilds.com, RT: 11/30/2014

[6] Studio Market Share, Boxofficemojo.com, RT: 11/30/2014

[7] Paramount’s All Time Box Office Results, Boxofficemojo.com, RT: 11/30/2014

[8] Viacom’s Fiscal Report 2014, Viacom.com, RT: 11/30/2014

[9] Philippe Dauman, Viacom.com, RT: 11/30/2014

[10] Thomas E. Dooley, Viacom.com, RT: 11/30/2014

[11] Wade Davis,Viacom.com, RT: 11/30/2014

[12] Viacom Closes Acquisition of Channel 5, Viacom.com, RT: 11/30/2014

[13] Viacom and Sony Partnership,Viacom.com, RT: 11/30/2014

[14] Viacom Inks Pact with Sony, Variety.com, 9/10/2014, RT: 11/30/2014

[15] Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Poster, Teenagemutantninjaturtlesmovie.com, RT: 11/30/2014

[16] Box Office Results, Boxofficemojo.com, RT: 11/30/2014

[17] Interstellar Poster, Interstellar-movie.com, RT: 11/30/2014

[18] “Interstellar Final Box Office Fails to Hit $50 Million Estimates”, Variety.com, 11/10/2014, RT: 11/30/2014

[19] Box Office Results, Boxofficemojo.com, RT: 11/30/2014

[20] Eye Candy Poster, Hollywoordreporter.com, 11/02/2014, RT: 11/30/2014

[21] MTV’s New Scripted Thriller, Viacom.com, RT: 11/30/2014

[22] Eye Candy Trailer, Youtube.com, RT: 11/30/2014

[23] Mission Impossible 5 Poster, Screenrant.com, RT: 11/30/2014

[24] Box Office Results, Boxofficemojo.com, RT: 11/30/2014

[25] “Mission: Impossible 5 to Hit Theaters in December 2015”, Hollywoodreporter.com, 11/13/2014, RT: 11/30/2014

AMC Networks

Posted on by 
by Griffin Morrow
AMC Networks and their cable family.

AMC Networks and their cable family. [31]

Profile

AMC Networks Inc., operating under the title of Rainbow Media Holdings for decades, is a former subsidiary of Cablevison that was spun off in the Summer of 2011 as a publicly traded company [1]. The New York based organization owns and operates cable channels AMC, IFC, WE tv, and SundanceTV and recently acquired a stake in BBC America [2]. AMC, the obvious bell-cow of the cable bundle, has birthed dramas such as Mad Men and Breaking Bad that helped catalyze the so called “golden age” in cable television from 2007 onwards. This stretch of critical acclaim has scored AMC 207 Emmy nominations along with 33 wins [3], including five of the last six Emmys for Outstanding Drama Series [4].

Key Executives

Joshua Sapan - President and Chief Executive Officer

Joshua Sapan – President and Chief Executive Officer (photos curtesy of AMC Networks [37])

Charles F. Dolan - Executive Chairman

Charles F. Dolan – Executive Chairman

Edward A. Carroll - Chief Operating Officer

Edward A. Carroll – Chief Operating Officer

Sean S. Sullivan - Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Sean S. Sullivan – Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Programming Reach

Ranking as the 14th most watched network among the coveted 18-49 demo [5], AMC reaches 97 million American households. AMC Networks, however, finds itself in a unfortunate predicament. Other cable entities WE tv, IFC, and Sundance have failed to match the margins AMC has managed. Among the 18-49 demographic, WE tv ranks 39th, IFC stumbles into 58th, and Sundance checks in at a disappointing 88th [6].

Economics

Three year economic landscape since going public.

Three year economic landscape since going public [33].

To the blind eye, AMC Networks would seemingly be reveling in their cult-like headlining dramas they’ve found in Madison Avenue and meth making high school chemistry teachers. Since going public on June 21st of 2011 AMC Networks shares are up nearly $29 in price, an increase of almost 82% over three years [7]. Affiliate fees augmented from a 2007 margin of 22 cents per customer per month to 33 cents in 2013 [8]. The recent 3Q report stated a stout 31% increase in net revenue from levels a year ago to $514.2 million [9]. So what’s not to like for AMC Networks? Ad revenues have slipped by 6% in this recent quarter with a 19% drop in audiences [10]. Operating income this quarter was $12 million short of last years. Shares hit a 52-week low on October 13th when prices fell to $52.75. Moreover, AMCX stock has tumbled by approximately 18% in the last year.

Life After Mad and Bad

Dramatic successes that once stoked the AMC flame have begun to fade. Viewers said goodbye to Breaking Bad last fall and will prepare to jettison Mad Men after it’s end next spring. Questions as to how the organization will survive such gigantic losses in programming have dominated industry conversations for some time. One common theme reigns supreme: if AMC plans on continuing on, they need something to replace their prior hits. And fast. The majority of the industry, AMC Networks investors in particular, are wondering if this is possible.

Zombies Devouring American Audiences 

Iconic Walking Dead season 1 poster art where protagonist Rick Grimes investigates a desolate Atlanta.

Protagonist Rick Grimes investigates a desolate Atlanta in the iconic season 1 poster. [32]

The most life in AMC Networks ironically resides within the cold clammy hands of the undead. A television adaption of Robert Kirkman’s zombie apocalypse graphic novel “The Walking Dead” has has wowed audiences suspenseful storytelling and heaps of zombie carnage. The Walking Dead premiered on Halloween night in 2010 with 5.35 million viewers, an AMC first [11]. The show has produced end over end increase since. The Walking Dead ended it’s 4th season with an average of 13.3 million viewers [12], a growth margin that prompted AMC to renew the show for a sixth season before the fifth season even aired [13].

A "Walker" enjoying a mid-afternoon snack.

A “Walker” enjoying a mid-afternoon snack. [34]

The infectious love for zombies has proved so strong that the first episode of season five shattered television viewing history. An audience of 17.3 million viewers for the season five premiere crowded The Walking Dead as the highest rated show in cable television history [14]. The October 12th premiere, with help from the 7% increase in viewership, managed to out muscle typical ratings power house Sunday Night Football [15]. Playing off of a dedicated following from the graphic novel has allowed the show to become the most popular program among the 18-49 demographic for two consecutive years [16].

Lightning Doesn’t Strike Twice…

All in all, AMC networks has whiffed when it comes to finding their next trademark show. Recently premiering series that AMC networks hoped would share the same prestigious stage as their predecessors have fallen significantly short. Rubicon, a conspiracy thriller set against the New York skyline, proved anything but thrilling for viewers and was cancelled three months after debuting due to subpar ratings [17].

The Walking Dead stifles the average viewership of the other AMC programming.

The Walking Dead stifles the average viewership of the other AMC programming. [35]

The Detroit based crime drama Low Winter Sun adapted from a two-part British mini-series of the same name lasted only ten episodes [18]. Even the more constant series such as Hell on Wheels, Halt and Catch Fire, and TURN have underperformed expectations.

there is importantnt text here that you can’t see

…or Does It?

While millions may have mourned the passing of anti-hero Walter White reign on television, they will not have to wait long to satisfy their Breaking Bad junkie addictions. Former show runner Vince Gilligan and AMC have partnered to produce a prequel to the former Emmy winning series [19]. Better Call Saul, airing this upcoming February, will star Bob Odenkirk and be set six years prior to the events of Breaking Bad. AMC has already renewed the spin off for a 13 episode second season despite a delayed production process [20]. AMC also green lit preliminary production on a companion series for current hit The Walking Dead earlier this year [21]. The show will be standalone from the current series, displaying a new set of characters in an entirely different region of the post-apocolyptic zombie world. Both spin offs are obvious attempts by AMC Networks to brandish new programming through past and present successes.

DirecTV and AMC Clash on Contract

AMC Networks warning message to DirecTV viewers about potential stoppages in content.

AMC Networks warning message earlier this month on website to DirecTV viewers about potential stoppages in content. [36]

DirecTV viewers may been in danger of losing AMC Networks‘ programming after this holiday season. AMC Networks went public with a contract dispute with the satellite provider during a November 2 episode of The Walking Dead [22]. They warned viewers that they were at risk of missing future content stating that DirecTV had not “engaged in meaning negotiations”. AMC Networks has gained a reputation of quarreling with service providers by often publicizing carrier contract disputes and using their viewer as meaningful leverage. Disputes have included Verizon FiOS [23], Suddenlink Communications [24], Rogers Communications [25], and AT&T U-Verse [26] over the past two years. The worst of the carrier disputes came when DISH dropped AMC Networks from their service for nearly four months [27]. The conflict, like the others, stemmed from AMC Networks aggressive price evaluation set in an attempt to profit from newfound success in dramatic programming.

International Distribution Taking Center Stage

AMC Networks rolled out programming in various international markets starting in November, an organizational first for a company that once prided itself on broadcasting classic American movies. AMC International started distribution in Europe with broadcasts in Spain on November 5th [28]. Broadcasts of the new international distribution arm furthered in Latin America a week later [29]. The company plans to continue it’s stretch across the globe with further rollouts. These recent investments into foreign markets can be linked to AMC Netoworks‘ $1.04 billion purchase of Liberty Global’s content division Chellomedia last year [30]. The array of TV networks will be distributed across an estimated 138 countries worldwide with access to more than 390 million foreign households.

Source:

[1] AMC Networks Becomes a Public and Separate Company AMC Networks RT: 11/24/14

[2] AMC close to $200 deal for stake in BBC America New York Times RT: 11/24/14

[3] Budget Squeezing, Producer “Bake-Offs” and Post-‘Breaking Bad’ Challenges The Hollywood Reporter RT: 11/24/14

[4] Emmy Nominee/Winner Database Television Academy RT: 11/24/14

[5] ‘The Walking Dead’ Is A Huge Hit. So Why Is AMC’s Stock Trading So Low? Forbes RT: 11/24/14

[6] ‘Dead’ Breathes Life into AMC Networks Adweek RT: 11/24/14

[7] Financials: AMC Networks Inc (AMCX.OQ) Reuters RT: 12/1/14

[8] AMC is Thriving by Breaking the Rules of Legacy TV The Atlantic RT: 11/24/14

[9] AMC Networks tops 3Q net income and revenue expectations Associated Press RT: 11/24/14

[10] Media Companies miss ad dollars after signing streaming deals NYPost RT: 11/24/14

[11] ‘The Walking Dead’ Snags AMC Highest Premiere Ratings of 2010 Time RT: 11/24/14

[12] The Walking Dead Season 4 Finale Breaks Finale Record With 15.7 Million Viewers AMC blog RT: 11/24/14

[13] ‘The Walking Dead’ Renewed for Season 6 Variety RT: 11/24/14

[14] Walking Dead breaking US cable TV record BBC News RT: 11/24/14

[15] ‘The Walking Dead’ Season 5 Premiere Hits Series High Ratings, Delivering 11 Million Adults 18.49 & 17.3 Million Viewers TVbytheNumbers RT: 11/24/14

[16] ‘Walking Dead’ Renewed For Season 6 By AMC Deadline Hollywood RT: 11/24/14

[17] ‘Rubicon’ is Cancelled by AMC Entertainment Weekly RT: 12/1/14

[18] ‘Low Winter Sun’ Cancelled by AMC Variety RT: 11/24/14

[19] ‘Better Call Saul,’ a prequel spinoff series from ‘Breaking Bad,’ greenlit by AMC NY Daily News RT: 11/24/14

[20] ‘Better Call Saul’ Renewed for Second Season, Delayed Until 2015 Rollingstone RT: 11/24/14

[21] ‘The Walking Dead’ companion series gets pilot greenlight Entertainment Weekly RT: 11/24/14

[22] AMC Uses ‘Walking Dead’ Fans as Weapon in DirecTV Talks Bloomberg RT: 11/24/14

[23] AMC Networks Warns Verizon FiOS Customers That Channels Could Go Dark Deadline Hollywood RT: 11/24/14

[24] AMC Networks, Suddenlink in License Fee Dispute Broadcasting and Cable RT: 11/24/14

[25] Rogers and AMC Networks End Carriage Dispute With Multi-Year Canadian Deal The Hollywood Reporter RT: 11/24/14

[26] AT&T Statement on AMC Networks Programming Agreement AT&T press release RT: 11/24/14

[27] Dish Network Says It Will Drop AMC Networks Due To Price, Not VOOM Deadline Hollywood RT: 11/24/14

[28] AMC TV channel launches in Spain telecompaper RT: 11/24/14

[29]  AMC Networks International Announces Major Expansion of Sundance Channel Global in Latin America With First-Ever Launches in Six Territories AMC International press release RT: 11/24/14

[30] AMC to Buy Liberty Global’s Chellomedia for $1.04 Billion Bloomberg RT: 11/24/14

[31] AMC Networks logo AMC Networks Website RT: 12/1/14

[32] Walking Dead season 1 poster IMDb image search RT: 12/1/14

[33] AMCX stock three year chart GoogleFinance RT: 12/1/14

[34] Zombie eating an arm Walking Dead fan page RT: 12/1/14

[35] AMC programming averages TV by the Numbers RT: 12/1/14

[36] AMC Networks warning page AMC Networks website RT: 12/1/14

[37] Executive Officers AMC Networks Websites RT: 12/1/14

MGM Studios

Posted on by 
by Abby Schwartz

[1] MGM‘s iconic logo and mascot Leo the Lion

History

MGM Studios was founded in 1924 through the merger of three pre-existing studios: Metro Pictures Corp., Goldwyn Pictures, and Louis B. Mayer Productions. This leading entertainment company is involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs.  Some of the studio’s early work include successful classics such as Gone with the Wind and The Wizard of Oz [2]. Once a major player in the industry, MGM filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in 2010 but emerged shortly thereafter, leaving Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum of Spyglass Entertainment as heads on the company [3]. A mere two years later however, Birnbaum left MGM to return to producing, making Barber the sole CEO and Chairman of the company [4]. 2014 marks the 90th Anniversary of the studio. In celebration, movies will be re-released on Blu-ray and a special trailer will be played throughout theaters giving the viewers a glimpse into the rich history of the company [5].

Key Executives

 

[6] Gary Barber (L)- Chairman and CEO

[7] Jonathan Glickman  (R)- President, Motion Picture Group

 

Screen Shot 2014-11-30 at 3.26.17 PM

 

[8] Roma Khanna (L)- President, Television Group and Digital

[9] Dene B. Stratton (R)- CFO

 

 

Finances

Although still partially privately held by MGM Holdings Inc. MGM has been publicly releasing its finances since its bankruptcy in 2010 and IPO for MGMB was offered in 2012. In its most recent quarterly report (Q3), the company announced net income of $28.5 million, up from 16.5 in the same quarter last year. The revenue however, came in about $9 million lower in comparison to the same quarter in 2013 [10]. This drop was expected since 2013 generated significant revenue thanks to the “theatrical explosion” of Skyfall, the 23rd installment in the successful James Bond franchise, in late 2012 [11].

MGM also revealed in its report that it had paid $343 million for a 55% stake in a joint venture with Mark Burnett, Roma Downey, and Hearst Entertainment Productions [12]. All of the interests will be consolidated in United Artists Media Group – a new media venture. This venture gives MGM a stake in successful television shows such as Survivor, The Voice, Shark Tank, and the upcoming miniseries A.D. [13].

Upcoming Projects

The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies (12/17/14)

[14] The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies Trailer

The Hobbit: Battle of Five is the final installment in Peter Jackson’s Hobbit trilogy based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy novel of the same name.  It is a co-production with New Line Cinema, WingNut Films, and Warner Bros. who also is the film distributor.  According to Jackson, the movie is not so much about this final battle per se, but rather about what will happen to beloved characters. The film stars franchise favorites Ian McKellen and Martin Freeman [15]. This past week, according to iSpot.tv, The Hobbit spent the most money in television advertising, having twelve variations of the ad play on 47 networks [16].

Max (01/30/15)

Not much is known about this co-production with Warner Bros. due out this January. Directed by Boaz Yakin, the film tells the story of Max, a service dog who returns to the U.S. after his handler’s traumatizing death. Once stateside, he is adopted by the man’s grieving family and helps them heal, moving past their tragedy [17].

Hot Tub Time Machine 2 (02/20/15)

[18] Hot Tub Time Machine 2 Trailer (NSFW)

This comedic farce is the sequel to the 2010 film Hot Tub Time Machine and stars funny men Craig Robinson, Rob Corddry, and Clark Duke who are all reprising their characters introduced in the first film. Joining them will be Parks and Recreation’s Adam Scott, who fill the spot left opened by John Cusack.  Originally due out Christmas Day, it was announced in October that the film was being pushed back until February, thus avoiding direct competition with Sony’s fellow buddy film The Interview which stars comedy duo James Franco and Seth Rogan [19]. MGM will distribute and co-produce the film with Paramount Pictures.

Don’t Mess With Texas (05/08/15)

[22] Vergara and Witherspoon pose for a photo on set

Bringing together Reese Witherspoon and Sofía Vergara, the female centric comedy set for a spring release is about a cop (Witherspoon) who goes on the run with a prisoner (Vergara), who is the wife of a drug dealer [20]. Co-produced with Warner Bro. and Newline Cinema, the action-comedy is being directed by Anne Fletcher known for popular films such as The Proposal and more recently Guilt Trip [21].

Poltergeist (07/24/15)

The 80s film about a Californian family haunted by supernatural forces and was also produced by MGM, is getting an update. This remake of the horror film is written by Pulitzer Prize Winner David Lindsay-Abaire and being produced by The Evil Dead‘s Sam Raimi [23]. Initially, the film – based on the original, considered by many to be the scariest film of all time – received an R rating from the MPAA, but producer Steven Spielberg successfully lobbied for the film to receive a PG-13 rating [24]. Rosemarie DeWitt, who plays mom Amy Bowen, revealed that the iconic line from the original “They’re Here” will be featured in the film which will also have lots of modern tech gadgets like iPads to reflect on the current times [25].

Bond 24 (11/06/15)

The currently working-titled film will be the 24th installment in the successful franchise.

Daniel Craig as James Bond in a movie poster for Skyfall (2012)

Daniel Craig and Sam Mendes will reprise their roles as 007 and director respectively [26]. Additionally, Academy Award Winner Christoph Waltz has been tapped to play iconic villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld, who has not been featured in a Bond film since 1981 [27]. Hilary Swank has recently been rumored to be the next Bond Girl, making her the oldest one in the history of the franchise, but many believe this to be just talk and that the coveted role will go to French actress Léa Syedoux [28]. In legal news, MGM continues a copyright infringement case against Universal over Bond, claiming that their upcoming film ‘Section 6’ is a rip-off of the spy franchise. Universal has been trying to get the case dismissed since its filing in May claiming that MGM is afraid of any possible competitors [29].

Ben Hur (02/26/16)

Though not premiering for over a year, this remake of the 1959 film based on Lew Wallace’s 1880 novel is already creating significant buzz. The film marks the first known collaboration between MGM and Burnett/Downey and tells the epic story of a falsely accused prince (Ben Hur) who manages to survive years of slavery and vows to take vengeance on his friend Messala who betrayed him. Boardwalk Empire star Jack Huston is confirmed to play the title role. He joins the previously cast Morgan Freeman who is slated to play Ben Hur’s mentor Ildarin [30]. Toby Kebbell, Ayelet Zurer and Olivia Cooke are slated to star as Massala, Naomi (Ben Hur’s mother), and Tirzah (Ben Hur’s sister) respectively [31].

———————————————————————————————————

Sources

[1] Leo The Lion GIF. (n.d.). Retrieved November 19, 2014.

[2] MGM HomePage. (n.d.). Retrieved November 19, 2014.

[3] McNary, D. (2010, November 4). Judge OKs MGM Bankruptcy Motions. Retrieved November 19,  2014.

[4] Finke, N. (2012, October 3). MGM’s Roger Birnbaum Steps Down To Return To Producing; Gary Barber Now Revived Studio’s Sole Chairman & CEO. Retrieved November 19, 2014.

[5] METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER CELEBRATES 90 YEARS OF EXTRAORDINARY FILMMAKING. (2014, January 22). Retrieved November 11, 2014.

[6] Gary Barber Photo. (n.d.). Retrieved November 21, 2014.

[7] Jonathan Glickman Photo (n.d.). Retrieved November 21, 2014.

[8] Roma Khanna Photo (n.d.). Retrieved November 21, 2014.

[9] Dene B. Stratton Photo (n.d.). Retrieved November 21, 2014.

[10] Wanvari, T. (2014, November 18). MGM Holdings revenue down, income up in Q3-2014. Retrieved November 22, 2014.

[11] MGM HOLDINGS INC. For the quarter ended September 30, 2014. (2014, November). Retrieved November 22, 2014.

[12] Lang, B. (2014, November 13). MGM Spent $343 Million for Mark Burnett/Roma Downey Joint Venture. Retrieved November 22, 2014.

[13] Fleming, M., & Busch, A. (2014, September 22). MGM Buys 55% Of Roma Downey And Mark Burnett’s Empire; Relaunches United Artists. Retrieved November 22, 2014.

[14] The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies – Official Main Trailer [HD]. (2014, November 6). Retrieved November 23, 2014.

[15] Truitt, B. (2014, November 6). ‘Five Armies’ closes the curtain on Middle-earth. Retrieved November 23, 2014.

[16] ‘The Hobbit’ Battles Its Way to Top TV Ad Spend Position. (2014, November 26). Retrieved November 29, 2014.

[17] Max. (n.d.). Retrieved November 26, 2014.

[18] Hot Tub Time Machine 2 – Red Band Trailer. (2014, July 24). Retrieved November 26, 2014.

[19] McClintock, P. (2014, October 14). Christmas Exodus Continues as ‘Hot Tub Time Machine 2’ Pushes Back Release – Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 26, 2014.

[20] Don’t Mess with Texas. (n.d.). Retrieved November 27, 2014, from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2967224/

[21] Anne Fletcher. (n.d.). Retrieved November 29, 2014.

[22] Sofia Vergara and Reese Witherspoon. (n.d.). Retrieved November 30, 2014.

[23] Poltergeist. (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2014.

[24] Marquina, S. (2014, October 17). Poltergeist Reboot Scores PG-13 Rating By the MPAA. Retrieved November 27, 2014.

[25] Malkin, M. (2014, October 5). Will Poltergeist Remake Include ”They’re Here”? Retrieved November 30, 2014.

[26] Bond 24. (n.d.). Retrieved November 25, 2014.

[27] London, C. (2014, November 23). You weren’t expecting this, 007. But…BLOFELD’S BACK! Bond will be having kittens as evil foe returns – with double Oscar winner Christoph Waltz tipped to play him . Retrieved November 26, 2014.

[28] Leston, R. (2014, November 29). Hilary Swank Linked With Bond 24. Retrieved December 1, 2014.

[29] Patten, D. (2014, October 7). Universal Hits Back At “Desperate” James Bond Lawsuit From MGM & 007 Producers. Retrieved November 23, 2014.

[30] Fleming, M. (2014, September 16). ‘Ben-Hur’ Remake: ‘Boardwalk Empire’s Jack Huston Lands Title Role. Retrieved November 28, 2014.

[31] Sneider, J. (2014, November 13). ‘Ouija’ Star Olivia Cooke May Play Jack Huston’s Sister in ‘Ben-Hur’ Remake (Exclusive) – TheWrap. Retrieved November 29, 2014.

 

 

NewsCorp/21st Century – Fox

Aside

 

by Lina Ortega

21st Century Fox

Image courtesy of: http://new.pentagram.com/2013/05/new-work-21st-century-fox/

 

[Image courtesy of: new.pentagram.com]

www.21cf.com

 Contact information

                                                         21st Century Fox                                                                                                         1211 Avenue of the Americas                                                                                                              44th floor                                                                 New York, NY 10036-8701

Key Executives

Rupert Murdoch

                              Rupert Murdoch: Chairman & Chief Executive Officer                               [Image courtesy of: thenation.com]

President and Chief Operating Officer

                              Chase Carrey: President and Chief Operating Officer                              [Image Courtesy of: stockspinoffs.com]

James Murdoch: Co-Chief Operating Officer

                                    James Murdoch: Co-Chief Operating Officer                                     [Image Courtesy of: mikeangryman.com]

About 21st Century Fox

What was once News Corporation since 1953 [I], is now comprised by “News Corp” and “21st Century Fox.” News Corp consists of a publishing group that includes several newspapers like Wall Street Journal, New York Post and Times of London. 21st Century Fox is a broadcasting and film company that includes the “Fox News channel”, “20th Century movie and television studios”, “Fox sports”, “FX”, “National Geographic” and “FOX broadcast network”. [II] This separation was intended to ensure that both companies were conducted under more a centered management, which makes both companies more valuable.

21st Century Fox is a global media company and was founded in June 28, 2013 [III]. It acquires market from four principal operating segments: 1- Cable network programming, which it’s mostly production and licensing content through cable, telecommunications providers, and broadcast satellite. 2- Television, which operates the company’s 28 full-power broadcast stations. 3- Film Entertainment, the operator of the company’s numerous film and television production studios. 4- Direct Broadcast Satellite Television, which provides programming to international markets. The company also holds a 39% of BSkyB, the British entertainment and communications provider. 21st Century Fox makes its revenue principally on affiliate subscriptions, broadcast  and advertising fees, content licensing and retransmission revenues to maintain the top line [IV]. Fox Broadcasting Company ended the year 2012 at number one in the key adult demographic for the eight consecutive year in America [V].

Financials

The Cable Network Programming segment surpassed $12 billion in revenue for the first time in its history, up 13% over their prior year.                                                             2014 21st Century Fox Annual Report:2014 21st Century Fox Annual Report

What’s Happening Now?

In cable programming, FX Networks has currently 25 successful shows on air [VI].

Photo courtesy of: The Christian Post

Image courtesy of: The Christian Post

American Horror Story is now on the 7th episode of its 4th season “Freak Show” and it is one of the most watched TV series of the FX Networks. The show presents an anthology of different narratives for each new season [VII]. With an 8.4 out of 10 by IMDB, the show went from 2.82 million viewers on its first season to 4.00 million viewers now [VIII].

 

In television, FOX has a great variety of very recognized shows that can range mostly in animation, comedy, and thriller.

Photo courtesy of: forbes.com

Image courtesy of: forbes.com

One of the FOX newest TV shows premiered recently on September 22, 2014 with 8.21 million viewers [IX]. Gotham explores the beginning tales of Commissioner Gordon.  While in the show he is still a detective, he has yet to meet Batman and the villains who made Gotham City so popular [X]. Gotham received two nominations in the TV divisions for the “American Society of Cinematographers 29th annual Outstanding Achievement Awards” . Additionally, the pilot was recognized in the category for a TV movie, miniseries or pilot [XI].

20th Century Fox is one of the most recognized film industries in the world. This year 2014, Fox released 13 feature films with a result of $1,539,266,539 in total gross [XII]. This includes: X-Men: Days of Future Past, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, How to Train your Dragon 2, Gone Girl and Rio 2, as in order of total ranking.

Photo courtesy of: msmagazine.com

Image courtesy of: msmagazine.com

Gone Girl was released in October 3, 2014 and it has a domestic total of $160,757,000 as of today November 30th, plus a $173,400,000 of foreign totals while the production budget was only 61 million. Currently in its 5th week, it is ranked number 8 [XIII]. Gone Girl has received many awards including  the “Hollywood Film Award” at the 2014 Hollywood Film Festival [XIV].

Penguins of Madagascar is an animated comedy distributed by 20th Century Fox and is its newest film on the market, released on November 26, 2014. This film takes the peculiar penguin characters of the previous Madagascar movies, whom must stop a villain doctor from destroying the world [XV]. As of its first weekend it is currently number two with a total gross of $36 million [XVI].

This has been one of the best years for Fox and they are not planning on backing down. On December 5, 2014 The Pyramid will be released. The Pyramid is about an archaeological team ventures to unlock the mysteries of a lost pyramid and instead find themselves hunted by an insidious creature [XVII].

As Europe’s leading entertainment company, Sky has 20 million consumers across five countries: Italy, Germany, Austria, the UK, and Ireland [XVIII].

Photo courtesy of: denofgeek.com

Image courtesy of: denofgeek.com

Penny Dreadful is a psychological thriller that brings together literature’s most terrifying classical characters, like Dr. Frankenstein and Dorian Gray [XIX]. It aired on May 11, 2014, and it won “Most Exciting New Series” at the Critics Choice Television Awards [XX]. Penny Dreadful is coming back with its new season for a 2015 debut on the channel [XXI].

In Other News

Photo courtesy of: The Independent

Image courtesy of: The Independent

Exodus: Gods and Kings has received criticism due to its lack of ethnic diversity, to which Rupert Murdoch decided to respond by tweeting the following: “Moses film attacked on Twitter for all white cast. Since when are Egyptians not white? All I know are.” [XXII]. Murdoch has not received too many good responses about this issue.

Photo courtesy of: realscreen.com

Image courtesy of: realscreen.com

On October 10, 2014, 21st Century Fox and Apollo made an agreement to create a leading company multi-platform content provider each of them owning 50 percent. Now Endemol, Shine Group, and Core Media will be a sole group in over 30 markets including digital, gaming and distribution operations [XXIII].

Up until 2018, Fox has 48 movies, including many sequels as well as prequels that are yet to come [XXIV].

[I] News Corporation Limited History     From 2002. Retrieved November 27, 2014             [II] NewsCorp Divides Into Two Companies     From June 28, 2013. Retrieved November 17, 2014                                                                                                                              [III] 21st Century Fox Company Details     Retrieved November 27, 2014                         [IV] 21st Century Fox Analysis     From November 24, 2014. Retrieved November 27, 2014.                                                                                                                                   [V] Fox Broadcasting Company     Retrieved November 29, 2014.                                        [VI] 21st Century Fox     Retrieved November 27, 2014.                                                       [VII] American Horror Story     Retrieved November 29, 2014                                               [VIII] American Horror Story Numbers     From October 13, 2014. Retrieved November 29, 2014                                                                                                                                   [IX] Monday Final Ratings     From September 23, 2014. Retrieved November 29, 2014     [X] Gotham TV Show     From September 22, 2014. Retrieved November 30, 2014           [XI] ASC Nominations for TV Cinematography     From November 19, 2014. Retrieved November 30, 2014.                                                                                                           [XII] 20th Century Fox Box Office Mojo     From November 23, 2014. Retrieved November 30, 2014.                                                                                                                             [XIII] Box Office Mojo     Retrieved November 30, 2014.                                                       [XIV] Gone Girl Tops Hollywood Film Awards     From November 14, 2014. Retrieved November 30, 2014.                                                                                                           [XV] The Penguins of Madagascar     Retrieved December 1, 2014                                 [XVI] Penguins of Madagascar Box Office Mojo     Retrieved December 1, 2014.               [XVII] The Pyramid     Retrieved November 30, 2014.                                                           [XVIII] Sky     Retrieved November 29, 2014.                                                                         [XIX] Penny Dreadful TV Series     Retrieved November 30, 2014.                                       [XX] Penny Dreadful Awards       Retrieved November 30, 2014.                                    [XXI] Penny Dreadful First Look     From November 21, 2014. Retrieved November 30, 2014.                                                                                                                                   [XXII] Rupert Murdoch’s Response     From November 30, 2014. Retrieved November 30, 2014.                                                                                                                                   [XXIII] 21st Century Fox and Apollo     From October 10, 2014. Retrieved November 29, 2014.                                                                                                                                   [XXIV] New Movie Releases     Retrieved November 30, 2014.