Time Warner Inc.

Posted on October 16, 2016 by Barbara

By: Nubia Dandridge, John Rattazzi, Johnny Pierce

Time Warner [1]

Company

Time Warner Inc (headquartered in New York City) is an international media and entertainment conglomerate. The conglomerate is segmented into three divisions: Turner is the branch of the company consisting of cable networks and digital media. Home Box Office (HBO) is the company’s domestic premium television and streaming service which includes international premium pay. Warner Bros is the segment of the company primarily responsible for the company’s role in entertainment for television, feature length films, video-games and home video production and distribution [1].

Background

Time Warner Inc. was originally founded in 1923, under the name Warner Brother Pictures Inc. Under the direction of Polish immigrant brothers Harry, Albert, Sam, and Jack Warner, Time Warner Inc. has gone from being a nickelodeon in Pennsylvania, to one of the largest media conglomerates in the world by partnering with Home Box Office Inc. and Turner Broadcasting [2].

Television Success

One of Time Warner Inc.’s most valuable assets is HBO. The premium television service is widely recognized today for its show Game Of Thrones, but their fall series premiere of Westworld has taken viewers by storm. The series premiere telecast drew 3.3 million viewers across multiple platforms by the following morning. This opening was 1.1 million viewers greater than the first day Game Of Thrones was released back in 2011 [3]. Westworld has been approved for a second season [4] due to increased viewership from streaming services HBO Go and HBO Now, which allows viewers access to HBO programming without a subscription to the traditional HBO television service.

Film Success

In September 2016 Time Warner acquired the commercial and tv rights to the “Star Wars” collection, (valued at $250 million) including “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” and “Star Wars: A Force Awakens.” The deal makes TBS and TNT the only networks with legal rights over the series. Time Warner made a strategic move during a volatile in which networks are hustling to lock up as much content that already has a formidable audience attached to it. The DC subsidiary of Warner Bros. is sufficiently lucrative for the entire company. In relation to the 10 DC series on air this season, total revenues for the line up have surpassed $1 billion. The CW, the joint television station owned by Warner Bros. and CBS Corp. is home to half of those series.

Warner Brothers has seen its share of success since September. With movies such as Suicide Squad earning a total gross of $325.1 million [5] and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them earning a total gross of $158.1 million [6] in just two weeks has earned Warner Brothers a total gross income of roughly $806 million since the beginning of September.

Company Fallbacks

Since September, a negative mark against Time Warner Inc’s overall performance is due to low ratings for Turner Broadcasting. Turner is most known for it’s networks like TNT, TBS, CNN, Adult Swim, HLN, and Cartoon Network. ratings are down 14% across all networks as younger demographics are opting more for streaming services like Netflix and Hulu. As of more recently, quarter three of 2016 came in with numbers 8% lower than they were this time last year [7].

The other recent flaw for Time Warner Inc. has been Warner Brothers. Asides from three recently released movies, every other movie released after August has struggled to even reach its budget. If Suicide Squad, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and Sully, weren’t counted in the total gross, Warner Brothers would not have made enough money domestically to fund the movies. While this is upsetting for Time Warner Inc. they cannot be too disappointed because this is the best year [8] that Warner Bros has had since 2009 thanks to releases earlier in the year.

The financial success of the studio does not come without its qualms. In October 2016, Director Rick Famuyiwa walked away from directing The Flash with mention of creative differences between himself and the studio as the reason for his departure [9]. Before Famuyiwa, Seth Grahame-Smith stepped down from his role as director of the same film. Analysts claim that the tension between the creative vision directors are hired to develop and the executive oversight Warner Bros exercises over such projects could impact the studio’s ability to hire directors in the future, not just for their DC projects.

AT&T and Time Warner Inc.

Time Warner’s market value currently hovers at approximately $62 billion with AT&T in position to buy the company for $85.4 billion (as of October 22nd). In September and October 2016, senior executives from both AT&T and Time Warner met informally to discuss business strategies as well as a potential merger [10] of the two conglomerates. Acquiring Time Warner would allow AT&T to control one of the world’s major providers of pay-TV and one of the nation’s largest wireless and home internet providers. AT&T would also stand to inherit an extensive collection of content and programming from HBO to CNN as well as Cartoon Network and NBA basketball programming. If the deal is approved, Jeff Bewkes will resign from his position as CEO of Time Warner Inc after the transitional phase. President Elect, Donald Trump, however has spoken against the merger having said that his administration “will not approve [the deal]…because it’s too much concentration of power in the hands of too few.”

[11]

Time Warner Finances Going Forward

The news of a merger is coming off of a strong third quarter showing from Time Warner Inc. Coming less than two weeks after the announcement of the AT&T merger, Time Warner reported a third quarter earnings of $1.83 per share on a revenue of $7.2 billion, which was a 9% increase from the expected earnings of $1.37 per share on a revenue of $6.98 billion. These impressive third quarter earnings are a result of many recent successes in content produced by Time Warner, including HBO. Home Box Office saw a 4% increase in revenue to $59 million. Yet, in 2016 while content proved to be king, HBO also saw its content library decrease. With a potential influx of cash due to the potential AT&T merger, HBO can see itself become more like Netflix faster than Netflix can become HBO, contrary to the quote [12] of Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos. Due to the $85 billion dollar pay day Time Warner would receive for the merger, HBO could see its budget for original content increase from $2.2 billion, just a third of what Netflix spends on content. The merger could also result in an affirmation of Jeff Bewkes proposal for “TV Everywhere”[13]. Although the idea has not been a success, AT&T could make it a reality with their wireless subscription package. This idea of Time Warner putting their content “everywhere” will allow for shows like Game of Thrones or Westworld to vastly increase their audience.

Overview

Although many changes are likely coming to Time Warner, no immediate changes will be apparent in the near future. The focus for this next quarter, as well as the new year, will be on accelerating user subscriptions [14] for HBO Now, which could increase in the merger with a bundle package offered with AT&T services.

Sources

Sources:

Top 3 Companies Owned By Time Warner (TWX). Retrieved November 19, 2016. http://www.investopedia.com/articles/markets/102215/top-3-companies-owned-time-warner.asp.
Time Warner Inc. Retrieved November 20, 2016. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Time-Warner-Inc
Westworld’s Shaping Up to Be an Early Ratings Success for HBO. Retrieved October 16, 2016. http://www.vulture.com/2016/10/westworld-premiere-ratings-early-success-for-hbo.html
Westworld: Season One Ratings. Retrieved November 30, 2016. http://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/westworld-season-one-ratings/
Suicide Squad. Retrieved November 26, 2016. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=dc2016.htm
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Retrieved November 29, 2016. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=fantasticbeasts.htm
Turner Lacking Script For Success. Retrieved November 25, 2016. http://www.broadcastingcable.com/content/turner-lacking-script-success/153449
Warner Bros. Retrieved November 20. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/studio/chart/?studio=warnerbros.htm
‘The Flash’ Movie Loses ‘Dope’ Rich Famuyiwa (Exclusive). Retrieved on November 2, 2016. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/flash-movie-loses-dope-director-rick-famuyiwa-942604
AT&T Discussed Idea of Takeover in Time Warner Meetings. Retrieved October 21, 2016. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-10-20/at-t-said-to-discuss-idea-of-takeover-in-time-warner-meetings
What does AT&T, Time Warner Merger mean? Retrieved October 28, 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOt1ZJjLxdo
What the AT&T-Time Warner merger means for HBO. Retrieved October 27, 2016. http://qz.com/818603/what-the-att-time-warner-twx-merger-means-for-hbo/
AT&T’s Time Warner Purchase Acknowledges TV Everywhere’s Failure. Retrieved October 25, 2016. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-10-24/at-t-s-time-warner-purchase-acknowledges-tv-everywhere-s-failure
Time Warner’s Turner Inks Deal for DC Movies. Retrieved November 2, 2016. http://variety.com/2016/biz/news/turner-dc-movies-rights-1201906942/

Time Warner

Posted on October 16, 2016 by emmichae

Lizzie Michael and Andrew Maercklein

Time Warner, Inc. logo [1]

Time Warner, Inc.

One Time Warner Center
New York, NY 10019-8016
212-484-8000

Company

Time Warner, Inc. is an entertainment and media conglomerate whose works and influence reaches all over the world. First created in 1989 in a $14 billion merger between Time, Inc. and Warner Communications, Time Warner now owns magazines such as Time, People, and Sports Illustrated; HBO, The CW, and Cinemax, as well as the Turner Broadcasting System, which in turn holds networks such as TBS, CNN and Cartoon Network; DC Comics; and one of the world’s largest production companies, Warner Brothers Entertainment. [2] [3].

Some of Time Warner’s assets. [4]

The company has undergone a few trouble spots in the past, including a $164 deal with AOL in the year 2000. [5]. The deal, which eventually proved to be misguided and led to major financial losses in 2002, was said to be “the biggest mistake in corporate history” by current CEO and Chairman Jeff Bewkes. [6]. That being said, Time Warner has since rebouded and is currently enjoying success from several of its assets, including HBO and Warner Brothers, and is looking forward to the completion of an acquisition, with a total transaction value of
$108.7 billion, with AT&T. [7].

Who are some key executives?

: Jeff Bewkes – Chairman of the Board and CEO, Time Warner Inc. [8]

: Howard M. Averill – Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer [8]

: Paul T. Cappuccio – Executive Vice President and General Counsel [8]

: Gary L. Ginsberg – Executive Vice President, Corporate Marketing and Communications [8]

: Karen Magee – Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer [8]

: Carol A. Melton – Executive Vice President, Global Public Policy [8]

: Olaf J. Olafsson – Executive Vice President, International and Corporate Strategy [8]

Financial information

Time Warner is a publicly traded company on the NYSE under the ticket TWX. As of 11/17/16, their current stock price is $93.20, as compared to one of their primary competitors, Walt Disney Co., who is at $98.82. [9]. On Oct. 27 the company announced cash dividends for Common Stock at $0.4025 per share, with a record date of Nov. 30. and a payment date of Dec. 15. [10] [11]. Thanks in part to the AT&T announcement, Time Warner’s stock has been on the upswing, having increased nearly 22.07% since April 2016; additionally, about 67% of analysts covering Warner’s stock rate this as a good time to buy. [11].

TW revenues and earnings per share [12]

In Warner’s 3rd quarter reports for 2016, total revenues for Turner, HBO, and Warner Broadcasting combined were at more than $7 billion, and there was an increase of $153 million in cash and cash equivalents. [13]. With the recently released Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and HBO’s Westworld recently having success, revenues from ticket sales and merchandising for Time Warner can be expected to increase in 2016’s 4th quarter, and should give the company a strong year-end yield. [14].

Warner Brothers

Warner Bros. Logo [15]

Warner Bros., which was founded in 1923 and notably produced the first “talkie” in 1927’s The Jazz Singer, is one of the largest production companies in the world, with both New Line Cinema and DC Films in its toolbox. [16]. In 2015, Warner Bros.’ worldwide box office receipts exceeded $3 billion for the ninth consecutive year ($3.71 billion worldwide), and saw both international and domestic reaching the billions. [17].

[18]

The company houses several major franchises, including the Matrix series, the Harry Potter Franchise, and the world of DC Comics. In 2016 alone, multiple films were released to massive success, including Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Sully, Suicide Squad, and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Suicide Squad was in theaters for an impressive 14 weeks and earned more than $700 million worldwide, while Fantastic Beasts has been open for less than two weeks and has already made nearly $500 million. [19] [20].

This success will likely carry into 2017, as Wonder Woman, Justice League, and two more animated Lego movies are all slated for wide release. [21].

Machinima’s logo [22]

In news besides its releases, Warner Bros. also recently announced it will acquire Machinima, a “global programming service and production company” with a focus on gamer culture. [23]. The deal, which was estimated to be just slightly under $100 million, will allow Machinima to be its own entity within the Warner Bros. Digital Networks. [24].

HBO

HBO logo [31]

Home Box Office, or HBO, is one of Time Warner’s most successful divisions. In terms of its financial performance, in the 2016 third quarter HBO’s revenues increased 4%, or $59 million, to $1.4 billion due to a 5% increase in subscription revenues. [12].

HBO’s content has gone over incredibly well with viewers. HBO took home 22 Primetime Emmys at the 2016 Emmy Awards, the most of any other network for the 15^th year in a row. [12] [29]. Shows such as Veep, Game of Thrones, and Last Night with John Oliver all have loyal fan bases, while newcomer Westworld premiered in October 2016 to more than 13 million viewers. [12].

In other news, HBO just recently launched a new video streaming service in Spain, HBO España, that is expected to very well. The service offers both original HBO content, as well as films and programming from other networks as well, like Disney, Nickelodeon, and other Spanish programming. [30].

AT&T Merger

Click here for AT&T and Time Warner Merger (Video): http://nyti.ms/2exY5SK [27]

AT&T is looking to purchase Time Warner, Inc. in a $85 billion deal, and despite many setbacks, AT&T is confident the deal will go through. [25]. Were the FCC to oversee this deal, the time frame would have been elongated and the deal itself would be much less likely to go into effect. However, it is likely the deal will not be subject to the tight restrictions set by the FCC, as the FCC may be excluded from the process and the decision will be made by the Department of Justice. Randall L. Stephenson, the CEO of AT&T, is very optimistic regarding this scenario and said this deal will satisfy not only those looking for earnings growth, but also investors that are simply searching for income. [27]. However, this deal will cause AT&T to push its debt upwards of $190 billion. [27]. The average user of DirecTV Now will pay $35 per month, which translates to $1.32 gross margin, and despite an apparent lack of funding, there are expected to be approximately 15 million paid subscribers by 2020. [26].

AT&T logo [28]

Many investors are skeptical of the deal and doubt the level of success predicted by AT&T. AT&T, being the only company of its competitors to move in this direction, will be able to corner a large section of the market before anyone else. Through securing customers with a low price now, AT&T hopes to attract many more consumers in the future while still being able to raise the price of service as necessary. [26]. Furthermore, AT&T wants to boost their wireless business in an attempt to take back some of the market from other wireless companies. They plan to do this by allowing wireless users to watch DirecTV without using data. This is known as zero-rating and it’s frowned upon by the FCC because it would allow for AT&T to reduce competition, especially among its own assets. [25]. Between the low prices as well as other incentives to switch, AT&T is focused on increasing its consumer following as opposed to generating revenue. Revenue will theoretically be the focus after AT&T has accrued a mass following. In addition, it’s predicted there will be less subscription cancellations as well as a large boost in advertising revenue. [25]. Should the deal be successful, it will be one of the largest to date and will push AT&T further ahead of competitors. Should the deal not be approved, or even fail, AT&T will have to tread very carefully to avoid serious damage to the company’s finances, as well as the integrity of the company.

[27]

Resources

[1] Time Warner Cables Customer Service Phone Number, Office Address, Toll Free Helpline Support. Retrieved November 27, 2016. http://www.officeaddresshelplinenumber.com/time-warner-cables-customer-service-phone-number-office-address-toll-free-helpline-support/

[2] The Creator of Time Warner, Steven J. Ross, Is Dead at 65. Retrieved November 27, 2016. http://www.nytimes.com/1992/12/21/obituaries/the-creator-of-time-warner-steven-j-ross-is-dead-at-65.html

[3] Top 3 Companies Owned By Time Warner (TWX). Retrieved November 27, 2016. http://www.investopedia.com/articles/markets/102215/top-3-companies-owned-time-warner.asp

[4] Company Profile. Retrieved November 27, 2016. http://www.timewarner.com/company

[5] Statistics on Mergers. Retrieved November 27, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20120106045040/http://www.imaa-institute.org/statistics-mergers-acquisitions.html

[6] AOL merger was ‘the biggest mistake in corporate history’, believes Time Warner chief Jeff Bewkes. Retrieved November 27, 2016. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/media/8031227/AOL-merger-was-the-biggest-mistake-in-corporate-history-believes-Time-Warner-chief-Jeff-Bewkes.html

[7] AT&T to Acquire Time Warner. Retrieved November 27, 2016. http://about.att.com/story/att_to_acquire_time_warner.html

[8] Senior Corporate Executives. Retrieved November 27, 2016. http://www.timewarner.com/company/management/senior-corporate-executives

[9] TWX: NY. Retrieved November 27, 2016. https://www.bloomberg.com/quote/TWX:US

[10] Time Warner Declares Regular Quarterly Cash Dividend. Retrieved November 27, 2016. http://www.timewarner.com/newsroom/press-releases/2016/10/27/time-warner-declares-regular-quarterly-cash-dividend

[11] Dividend Action: Time Warner Inc. (NYSE:TWX) advises to “Mark your calendars” for Dec 15, 2016; dividends expected to reach $0.40. Retrieved November 27, 2016. http://friscofastball.com/2016/11/27/dividend-action-time-warner-inc-nysetwx-advises-to-mark-your-calendars-for-dec-15-2016-dividends-expected-to-reach-0-40/

[12] Time Warner Inc. Revenue & Earnings Per Share (EPS). Retrieved November 27, 2016. http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/twx/revenue-eps

[13] Earnings Releases & Related Materials. Retrieved November 27, 2016. http://ir.timewarner.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=70972&p=quarterlyearnings

[14] Weekend Box Office: November 25-27, 2016. Retrieved November 27, 2016. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/

[15] Warner Bros. Logo Design Evolution. Retrieved November 28, 2016. http://annyas.com/screenshots/warner-bros-logo/

[16] Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Retrieved November 28, 2016. http://www.warnerbros.com/studio/divisions/warner-bros-entertainment-inc

[17] Warner Bros. Pictures. Retrieved November 28, 2016. http://www.warnerbros.com/studio/divisions/warner-bros-pictures

[18] Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them – Final Trailer [HD]. Retrieved November 28, 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vso5o11LuGU

[19] Box Office Mojo: Suicide Squad. Retrieved November 28, 2016. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=dc2016.htm

[20] Box Office Mojo: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Retrieved November 28, 2016. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=fantasticbeasts.htm

[21] Warner Bros., Quietly Thriving, Recasts Its Own Story. Retrieved November 28, 2016. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/08/business/media/warner-bros-quietly-thriving-recasts-its-own-story.html

[22] Machinima. Retrieved November 28, 2016. http://www.machinima.com/

[23] Warner Bros. Entertainment to Acquire Machinima. Retrieved November 28, 2016. http://www.warnerbros.com/studio/news/warner-bros-entertainment-acquire-machinima

[24] Warner Bros. Acquires Full Control of Machinima. Retrieved November 28, 2016. http://variety.com/2016/digital/news/warner-bros-acquires-machinima-1201920793/

[25] McAlone, Nathan. “Here’s Why AT&T Is Buying Time Warner, and Why It Thinks the Government Can’t Stop the Sale.” Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 15 Nov. 2016. Web. 28 Nov. 2016. http://www.businessinsider.com/att-time-warner-merger-government-regulation-2016-11

[26] Molla, Rani, and Shira Ovide. “AT&T Plays It Forward.” Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg, 23 Nov. 2016. Web. 28 Nov. 2016. https://www.bloomberg.com/gadfly/articles/2016-11-23/at-t-wants-digital-video-share-with-direct-tv-now

[27] Morgenson, Gretchen. “The AT&T-Time Warner Merger: A Match Built on Hope.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 28 Oct. 2016. Web. 28 Nov. 2016. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/30/business/the-att-time-warner-merger-a-match-built-on-hope.html?_r=0

[28] LLC, UnderConsideration. “Reviewed.” Brand New: New Logo and Identity for AT&T by Interbrand. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2016. http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/archives/new_logo_and_identity_for_att_by_interbrand.php#.WDyz-6IrL_Q

[29] How FX Broke HBO’s Grip on the Emmy Awards. Retrieved November 28, 2016. http://fortune.com/2016/09/19/emmy-awards-2016-hbo-fx/

[30] HBO Launches in Spain, Adds Content from Disney, Nickelodeon. Retrieved November 28, 2016. http://variety.com/2016/biz/global/hbo-espana-spain-disney-nickelodeon1201927778-1201927778/

[31] HBO Logos. Retrieved November 28, 2016. https://www.homeboxoffice.com/lodging/cmp/logos.html

Time Warner

Posted on November 7, 2013 by Isabel Sherman

By Isabel Sherman

Time Warner Logo [1]

Time Warner Inc.
One Time Warner Center
New York, NY 10019-8016
Phone Number: 212-484-8000
www.timewarner.com

Key Executives:

Jeff Bewkes- Chairman of the Board and CEO, Time Warner Inc. [1]

John K. Martin-
Chief Financial and Administrative Officer, Time Warner Inc. [1]

Howard M. Averill- Senior Vice President and Deputy Chief Financial Officer of Time Warner Inc. [1]

Paul T. Cappuccio- Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Time Warner Inc. [1]

Gary L. Ginsberg- Executive Vice President of Corporate Marketing and Communications at Time Warner Inc. [1]

For more information on executives click here.

About Time Warner Inc.:

[1]

[1]

[1]

Time Warner Inc. is a multinational media corporation that provides high-quality media and entertainment content through varied outlets. It is one of the largest media conglomerates in the world. [16] It has businesses in television networks, film and television shows, and publishing. The company’s four operating divisions are Home Box Office (HBO), Time Inc., Turner Broadcasting System and Warner Bros. Entertainment. [1]

[31] Visual representation of Time Warner’s TV assets

Time Inc. runs consumer titles including People, Time, and Fortune. [16]

Warner Bros Entertainment runs Warner Bros. Pictures, New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. Television Group, and DC Entertainment. [1]

[37] Turner Broadcasting’s Brands

Turner Broadcasting operates some of the leading cable TV networks CNN, HLN, TNT, TBS, AdultSwim, Turner Sports, TCM, truTV, and Cartoon Network. Cartoon Network is a go-to channel for kids. CNN is the original 24-hour news network and delivers news to global audiences across all platforms. [1]

HBO is the most successful TV-service in the world. In 2012 it was the number one domestic premium pay television service in primetime and total day ratings. As of 2013, there are approximately 114 million HBO and Cinemax cable subscribers worldwide. There are 8.5 million registered users on HBO GO, which is an unlimited access online/tablet/smart-phone service to watch HBO shows and movies that comes free with an HBO subscription. [1] Current popular HBO shows include The Newsroom, Girls, Veep, True Blood and Game of Thrones. [4]

[18] Girls – A show about 20-something girls in New York created by Lena Dunham is currently filming it’s third season, set to air in January

[33] The Newsroom – A political drama series created by Aaron Sorkin just finished its second season on HBO

Competitors:

Major competitors to Time Warner Inc. include NBC Universal, 21st Century Fox, and The Walt Disney Company. [16]

A Brief History Starting with the Warner Brothers in 1923……

[36] A graphic representing the unsuccessful merger of Time Warner and AOL that led to its split in 2009

In 1923, Polish immigrant brothers, the Warners, created the film company Warner Brothers Pictures Inc. in Los Angelos. [2] In 1972, Kinney National Company bought Warner Bros. and established Warner Communications (WCI). [2] In 1989, Time Inc., which was at the time, the third largest cable operator in the country, merged with WCI and Time Warner was formed. [3] The company purchased Turner Broadcasting System in 1996. [3] In January 2001, a $106 billion merger between AOL and Time Warner was approved. [2] The company was called AOL Time Warner, but in 2003 it became just Time Warner. [3] In 2009, Time Warner split with AOL. [2]

Financials:

Time Warner is publicly traded under the NYSE with the symbol TWX.

Chart over the last three months (Sept. 18-Nov. 18) Visible upward trend [38]

The third quarter for the company ended September 30, 2013. [6]

IMPORTANT STATS FROM 3RD QUARTER:

44 percent increase in earnings from $822 million for the same quarter a year ago to $1.18 billion for the third quarter of 2013 [5]
HBO and Turner’s channels provided the biggest increase for Time Warner in the quarter, revenue rose by $182 million to $3.5 billion, increasing 5% [5]
Adjusted Operating Income increased 8% to $1.7 billion [6]
Adjusted Operating Income margins increased year-over-year for the eighth time in the last nine  quarters [6]

OTHER RECENT STATS:

TBS Logo [20]

At Turner, as of September, TBS was the #2 ad-supported cable network in primetime for adults 18-34 and 18-49 [6]

TNT Logo [21]

CNN Logo [22]

TNT finished the quarter (in September) as the #2 network among adults 25-54 in total day time ratings [6]

Total day ratings for CNN in its key demographic increased by 15% (September) [6]

[25]

[32] Boardwalk Empire took home 5 Emmys on September 22

September 22, 2013: HBO received 27 Primetime Emmy Awards, for series including Veep, The Newsroom, 5 for Boardwalk Empire and 11 for the HBO movie Behind the Candelabra. [25] This is the 12th year in the row that HBO has the highest number of Emmy Awards than other station) [6]

[1]Gravity was released October 4, 2013 and has made $234,279,000 so far. [29]

Alfonso Cuaron’s 3D space movie, Gravity, was the top October opening of all-time. It debuted to $55.8 million in North America. Sandra Bullock and George Clooney star in the movie. The movie contributes to Time Warner Inc.’s total revenue. [19]

RECENT NEWS:

Home Box Office:

September 2013: HBO is set to release a new series, Looking, which stars Jonathon Groff, best known for Glee and the broadway show, Spring Awakening. The series centers on the life of three gay friends living in San Francisco. The show is created by Andrew Haigh and is set to be released Sunday, January 19^th at 10:30 p.m. on HBO. It is currently filming in San Francisco. [9]

“Looking” Season 1 Trailer [8]

[23] Susan Lacy and her Emmy Awards for American Masters and Inventing David Geffen

September 2013: Susan Lacy is moving from PBS to HBO to produce and direct documentaries for HBO. She is best known as the creator and executive producer of American Masters, a television series that documents the history of icons of American culture. [17] As well as numerous Emmys for American Masters, Lacy has received an Emmy for “Outstanding Documentary or Non-Fiction series” for Inventing David Geffen. [17]

[24] Susan Lacy produced and directed under PBS before she signed the multiyear deal with HBO

[30] Poster for Valentine Road which premiered October 7th on HBO

October 2013: The documentary Valentine Road, directed by Marta Cunningham, premiered on HBO, based on an 2008 shooting at a junior high school in Oxnard, Calif. The movie premiered as a part of National Bullying Prevention Month. [11]

Read an interview with the director here:

Variety Article: Interview with Valentine Road Director

November 2013 – HBO signs John Oliver to star is a comedy series set to start in January 2014. The show will be weekly on Sunday nights and will take a satirical view on the news and current events. John Oliver will be leaving The Daily Show with John Stewart to join the HBO family. [10]

John Oliver [10] on the Daily Show

Turner Broadcasting System:

[28]

October 2013: Turner Broadcasting and Verizon announced a multi-year renewal agreement to provide Turner’s Networks, including CNN, TBS, TNT and Cartoon Network, to Verizon FiOS TV subscribers across a plethora of platforms. This is a long term distribution agreement that will give FiOS TV subscribers’ access to a large array of on-demand programming. [26]

[27]

October 2013: A disagreement over prices between Cable ONE and Turner Broadcasting led Turner to cut channels from Cable ONE on October 1, 2013. [13] A Cable ONE press release stated that Turner Broadcasting wanted an almost 50% increase in price for the channels. It was the largest recess of channels in the company’s history. [14] Cable ONE has 730,000 customers in 19 states and is the 10th largest cable company in the U.S. [14] On October 26, 2013 Cable ONE, according to The Anniston Star, “has reached an agreement with Turner Broadcasting System Inc. to restore Cable One’s carriage of Turner’s channels CNN, CNN en Espanol, HLN, Turner Classic Movies, TNT, TBS, Cartoon Network, truTV and Boomerang.” [13]

[35] Miami Heat opening night game

October 2013: TNT showed exclusive NBA coverage of the Miami Heat against the Chicago Bulls game on Tuesday, Oct. 29, at 8 p.m. ET. The game was the second highest-rated and most-viewed opening night game in network history with 5.4 million viewers and a 3.3 U.S. rating. [7]

[34] Jack Black guest-starring on Conan

November 2013 : Turner Broadcasting is being forced to pay a $25,000 fine by the Federal Communications Commission. [15] In April 2012, a promotional gag for TBS’ Conan used the emergency weather tones to gain attention for a commercial advertising the appearance of Jack Black on the show. The FCC has warned broadcasters not to air the real EAS tones for any reason other than airing a real alert or a test to avoid panicking the public. [15]

Sources:

[1] Time Warner Website

[2] Britannica: Time Warner Inc.

[3] History of Time Warner

[4] Time Warner: About HBO

[5] NY TImes: Time Warner Profits

[6] TWX_3Q13 Earnings Report

[7] TNT Chicago Bulls Vs. Miami Heat Press Release

[8] Looking Season 1 Trailer

[9] About the New HBO Series

[10] HBO- John Oliver

[11] NYTimes Valentine Road