Comcast/NBCU

Quote

Posted on February 18, 2016 by Conor Matthews

Conor Matthews

Comcast NBCUniversal logo featuring the iconic rainbow peackock

Since the invention of the radio, American families have gathered around the heath of the house daily, clamoring around an electric conduit of entertainment. History has developed the American hearth in time, from radio to television and film, and now, to the Internet. Since its inception, the American hearth’s form has changed, but one constant has remained—NBC. If the social, emotional, and cultural importance of Television, Radio, and Film are likened to a literal and metaphorical hearth, then NBCUniversal is the fortress in which this hearth was built.

The Construction of America’s TV Fortress

In 1926 David Sarnoff founded the National Broadcasting Company (NBC), making it America’s first permanent radio network. [1] NBC ruled the Golden Era of Radio in the 1930s, and Sarnoff was busy developing television for NBC.

Americans gather around the “American hearth” to watch TV

In 1939 at the World’s Far, Sarnoff presented regular television service on behalf of NBC. Meanwhile, Universal—founded by Carl Laemmle in 1912—was producing huge blockbusters that garnered Academy Awards. The two media companies would hold America’s attention independent of each other until their merger in 2004, at the hands of their parents General Electric and Vivendi.

The Acquisition of America’s TV Fortress

Comcast, however, bought the entire NBCUniversal assets from GE and Vivendi in March 2013. The merge augmented Comcast’s power to produce, and distribute media, a move critiqued by Susan Crawford as being too monopolistic. “‘Comcast [is] in a prime position to be the unchallenged provider of everything — all data, all information, all entertainment — flowing over the wires in its market areas’”.[2] Despite naysayers, the merge proved fruitful as NBC emerged as No. 1 in adults 18-49 for the Primetime Season 2013-14 year; the first time in over 10 years that NBC earned this superlative.[3]

The list of assets owned by NBCUniversal, and through extension Comcast, is expansive. NBC Cable boasts the names of well-known cable networks like Bravo, E!, USA, and Syfy; while NBCU has four broadcast assets—NBC, NBC News, NBC Sports, and Telemundu.

The Optimization of America’s TV Fortress

NBCU’s unwavering dominance in the TV industry has allowed the company to look inward at the current way their business operates, specifically their relationship to advertisers. No matter the client or project, however, NBCU remains focused on retaining the bold, and effective brand their audience knows well.

On February 24, 2016, NBCU announced a reworking of NBCUx, a development that allows programmatic buys for advertising clients on the company’s linear TV networks. NBCUx uses NBCU’s Advanced Targeting Platform to pinpoint correlations between the ad’s audience and the clients’ consumers.[4] NBCUx aids clients in understanding which ad slots are most cost efficient and worthwhile. Prior to the 2016 announcement of NBCUx, NBCUx was first used by a few select clients on NBCU’s digital platforms after the company’s 2015 Upfront. Since then, the success of NBCUx has been noted by Mike Farrell of Multichannel, who writes, “With ATP, NBCU has demonstrated that ads have a higher reach, and are more efficient as they are run across the entire portfolio”.[5] Khrishan Bhatia, EVP of Business Operations and Strategy, noted that last year NBCU’s digital growth was comprised of 40% video.[6] In turn, 40% of that 40% came from programmatic sources.

The 2016 expansion of NBCUx enables clients looking to buy ads on TV to forgo the traditional Nielsen model, which uses demographics ratings. NBCUx is pioneering programmatic buys in the TV world. Bhatia told reporters, “It’s the industry’s first national programmatic TV offering at scale”. NBCUx will be NBCU’s main talking point at their May 17, 2016 Upfront in New York City.[7]

NBCUx is working hard to pinpoint valuable customers and audiences of TV, something metadata and cookie mining is already helping many online platforms do. The advertisements on online platforms, however, lack what the television advertisements do possess —ads that make people want to get up and buy a product. On the subject of advertisements, Jim Bankoff, charmain and CEO of Vox Media details, “‘awareness creation, identity creation, brand building [are] the kind of things that television and magazines have been good at, creating that experience and telling marketers’ stories’”.[8] Understanding this dichotomy, NBCU is utilizing its 2015 $200million investment in the digital publisher, Vox Media, to reinvigorate the online ad-viewing experience.[9] The synthesis of this partnership is an inventory tool called Concert.

Concert guarantees brands advertisements that are mutually beneficial for both parties, utilizing “data targeting and a large, fraud-free audience that results in performance that’s 12 times what the average banner ad delivers”. Bankoff elaborates, “…now marketers who are looking to build brand can take advantage of the capabilities but can have beautiful advertising that performs well for them that doesn’t irritate—and actually delights—the audience…”.[10] Between all of NBCU and Vox Media’s online properties, Concert will have an audience of over 170 million people, with a majority of that audience being an extremely valuable demographic—Millennials.

Bobby Moynihan of ‘Saturday Night Life’ stars in a Fiat commercial [11]

Continuing to optimize their relationship with advertisements, The NBCU Content Studio was created with brands in mind. Specifically, NBCU will utilize the celebrity brands they have, like Jimmy Fallon of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and Bobby Moynihan of Saturday Night Live to create content for companies looking to promote their own brand.[11] The NBCU Content Studio enables companies to fulfill the growing need to publish their own branded video content across multiple platforms like, Snapchat, Facebook, YouTube, and their own website. The clients will be able to utilize NBCU’s “creative talent, data, distribution and scale (including its partners BuzzFeed, Vox and AOL)”, while putting a representative of NBCU Television in front of the audience. The NBCU Content Studio is an example of NBCU’s understanding of the cogent convergence of brand and media.

The Future of America’s TV Fortress

Looking at the future of NBCUniversal indicates the same strong emphasis on online platforms as the company is doing currently. Specifically, in April 2016, NBCU and Amazon reached an agreement for the latter to carry SeeSo as part of their Amazon Prime bundle.[12] SeeSo is a comedy-only streaming service which features NBC sitcoms and other syndicated comedy programs. SeeSo’s potential success, or lack thereof, will help inform potential future endeavors of the company into OTP streaming services.

NBCUniversal’s May 17 upfront will be a critical moment to test the work the company has done on NBCUx, Concert, and The NBCU Content Studio. By buying into NBCU’s Upfront, clients will validate or invalidate NBCU’s efforts to optimize the workings of their company and brand. Furthermore, this coming year will serve as a test-run for the three projects. While some clients will leave NBCU’s Upfront with three more tools at their dispense, the work will continue after this year. NBCU’s relentless position at the top of the media industry inspires to make what works, really work.

[1] “Credo & History.” NBCUniversal Careers. NBCUniversal, n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2016.
<http://www.nbcunicareers.com/our-company/credo-history>.

[2] Gustin, Sam. “Comcast’s NBCUniversal Deal: As One Media Era Ends, Another
Begins.” TIME. N.p., 14 Feb. 2014. Web. 22 Apr. 2016.
<http://business.time.com/2013/02/14/
comcasts-nbcuniversal-deal-as-one-media-era-ends-another-begins/>.

[3]”NBC Finishes No. 1 In 18-49 Demo For 2013-14 Primetime Season.” The Deadline.
N.p., 14 Sept. 2014. Web. 24 Apr. 2016. <http://deadline.com/2014/09/
nbc-ratings-primetime-2013-2014-primetime-season-835093/>.

[4] LaFayette, Jon.”New Currencies Used in NBCU Ad Data Deals.” Broadcasting & Cable. N.p., 14 Apr. 2016. Web. 19 Apr. 2016. <http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/
currency/new-currencies-used-nbcu-ad-data-deals/155515>.

[5] Farrell, Mike. “#AdvancedAd 2016: Programmatic Expands Choice.” Multichannel
News. N.p., 5 Apr. 2016. Web. 19 Apr. 2016.
<http://www.multichannel.com/news/advanced-advertising/
advancedad-2016-programmatic-expands-choice/403878>.

[6] Lynch, Jason. “NBCUniversal Will Start Selling TV Advertising Programmatically This
Fall.” AdWeek. N.p., 24 Feb. 2016. Web. 21 Apr. 2016.
<http://www.adweek.com/news/television/
nbcuniversal-will-start-selling-tv-advertising-programmatically-fall-169850>.

[7] Andreeva, Nellie. “NBCUniversal Folds All Cable Networks Into NBC Upfront
Presentation.” The Deadline. N.p., 30 Mar. 2016. Web. 23 Apr. 2016.
<http://deadline.com/2016/03/
nbcuniversal-upfront-presentation-nbc-usa-syfy-msnbc-1201728552/>.

[8] Lynch, Jason. “NBCUniversal and Vox Team Up to Sell Cross-Platform, Premium
Digital Advertising.” AdWeek. N.p., 4 Apr. 2016. Web. 22 Apr. 2016.
<http://www.adweek.com/news/television/
nbcuniversal-and-vox-team-sell-cross-platform-premium-digital-advertising-170588>.

[9] Baysinger, Tim. “Why NBCU Invested $200 Million in Vox.” AdWeek. N.p., 13 Aug.
2015. Web. 23 Apr. 2016. <http://www.adweek.com/news/television/
why-nbcu-invested-200-million-vox-166368>.

[10]Lafayette, Jon. “NBCU, Vox Harmonize in Digital Ad ‘Concert’.”
Broadcasting & Cable. N.p., 4 Apr. 2016. Web. 23 Apr. 2016.
<http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/currency/
nbcu-vox-harmonize-digital-ad-concert/155173>.

[11] Lynch, Jason. “NBCU’s New Studio Is Creating Branded Content for Viewers Beyond Its Own Platforms.” AdWeek. N.p., 20 Mar. 2016. Web. 22 Apr. 2016.
<http://www.adweek.com/news/television/
nbcus-new-studio-creating-branded-content-viewers-beyond-its-own-platforms-170264>.

[12] Would, Kristofer. “NBCUniversal’s comedy streaming service to allow
subscriptions via Amazon Read more: http://www.digitaltrends.com/movies/
nbcu-seeso-amazon-subscription/#ixzz46relKHHk Follow us: @digitaltrends on
Twitter | digitaltrendsftw on Facebook.” Digital Trends. N.p., 20 Apr.
2016. Web. 22 Apr. 2016. <http://www.digitaltrends.com/movies/
nbcu-seeso-amazon-subscription/>.

Hulu

Link

by Sarah Thaler

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

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

Key Executives: [2]

Mike Hopkins [a]

Chief Executive Officer

Chadwick Ho [b]

Senior Vice President and General Counsel

Elaine Paul [c]

Chief Financial Officer

Jean-Paul Colaco [d]

Senior Vice President and General Manager of Advertising

Financials

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

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

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

Viewership and Programming
[e]

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

[f]

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

Watch Battlefield trailer here

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

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

^{Watch The Wrong Man trailer here}

What’s Next?

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

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

Sources (written content)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Image Sourcing

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Comcast – NBC Universal

Posted on October 31, 2013 by Angela Saggiomo

By Angela Saggiomo

30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, NY 10112
212-664-4444
www.nbcuni.com

Key Executives [1]

-courtesy of nbcuni.com

Stephen Burke
CEO, NBCUniversal

-courtesy of stopthecap.com

Brian Roberts
Chairman and CEO, Comcast Corporation

-courtesy of nbcuni.com

Stuart Epstein
Executive VP and CFO, NBCUniversal

-courtesy of nbcuni.com

Robert Greenblatt
Chairman, NBC Entertainment

About the Company [2]

This picture provides a detailed list of holdings under the NBCU umbrella for each platform. (courtesy of williamsager.com)

NBCUniversal is a major American media company that owns and operates content across multiple platforms. NBCU distributes content through broadcast and cable television, film, and digital media. The company is owned by the Philadelphia based Comcast Corporation.

History [3]

-courtesy of toobtalk.com

In 2004 NBC and Universal merged to form NBCUniversal, a company jointly owed by General Electric and Vivendi. In 2009 the Comcast Corporation announced intentions of acquiring NBCU and the venture was completed in January of 2011 when Comcast became majority stockholders. In 2013 Comcast gained full ownership of the media conglomerate after purchasing GE’s minority stake for $16.7 billion.

Financials* [4]

NBCUniversal had a very successful third quarter in 2013. Overall revenue increased 3.9% to $5.9 billion. For the cable networks revenue is up 4% to over $2 billion, increasing 5.4% and 4.6% in distribution and advertising respectively. Broadcast also saw an increase in revenue, up 2.6% due to an increase in retransmission fees. This is an important increase because it is a fairly new revenue stream for the company.

*all financials are compared to third quarter results of 2012 excluding extra revenue generated by the 2012 Olympics which were broadcast by NBCUniversal during that period

In the News

The Esquire Network

-courtesy of g4tv.com

In early 2013 NBCUniversal announced plans to launch the Esquire Network on the low performing G4 [6]. However after examining network brands, and with less than a month before its unveiling, it was announced that it would instead replace the female skewing Style Network. With channels like Bravo, E! and Oxygen which tend to perform better with females, NBCU saw the launch of this network as a chance to appeal to a more male audience.

Since its debut in late September, Esquire has premiered original programming as well as aired rebroadcasts of NBC favorites such as Parks and Recreation and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. The new network appeals to a male audience but differs greatly from its direct competition Spike and FX. The target audience is of the more sophisticated male population with many new shows about travel and cooking [7]. Esquire joins the ranks of NBCUniversal owned networks that are programmed around a very distinct brand, allowing them to better target specific audiences for advertisers.

Welcome to the Family! [5]

-courtesy of kidscreen.com

On November 13^th Comcast NBCUniversal announced the acquisition of the popular children’s cable network PBS Kids Sprout. NBCU already owned 40 percent of the network, buying the rest from PBS and HIT Television Ventures. The company first acquired management of the children’s network in 2011 during the merge with the Comcast Corporation.

The new ownership signals a significant change for the network, which will drop PBS from its title. NBCU plans to create much more original programming and mobile content for the network in order to better compete with rival networks such as Nick Jr. and Disney Jr. Overall NBCU has had trouble keeping up with social media content and this acquisition shows a step towards increasing their presence online [12]. By creating original shows for the network NBCU will own all rights and therefore be able to create much more digital content at a much lower cost.

On the heels of this announcement NBCUniversal also revealed that they would be shutting down KidsCo in early 2014. The network, co-owned by Corus Entertainment, could not find footing among the wide variety of children’s programing available in today’s market. Rather than splitting original children’s programming across multiple networks NBCU has decided to focus on one channel, allowing them to better distribute the content across multiple platforms. [8]

Ad Sales Overhaul

-courtesy of bloomberg.com

Following a successful season in upfront ad sales NBCUniversal has decided to revamp its Advertisement Sales Department [10]. Previously, the company would sell ad inventory on a single network. Rather, they plan to sell ad time based on “demographic and thematic lines” [9]. This way ad reps can offer sponsors distinct audience groups for a more targeted sales approach. Because NBCUniversal has so many cable channels with such defined brands they can use this new sales structure to capitalize on this strength.

Networks will be split into two major groups: mass-entertainment programming and lifestyle cable channels. The mass-entertainment channels will include NBC, USA and Syfy while the lifestyle group includes networks like E!, Bravo and Esquire [11]. The department also saw a great amount of layoffs as a result of the restructuring because many of the channels are being packaged together for ad sales.

On the Horizon

2014 Winter Olympics

-courtesy of www.mcwade.com

NBCUniversal will air the 2014 Winter Games this February, which will take place in Sochi, Russia. NBCU has been a long time broadcaster of the Olympic games, a deal that has proven very lucrative for the company in the past. Comcast NBCUniversal made a deal to pay $4.38 billion for the exclusive rights to the next four Olympic games. The deal also stated that NBCUniversal would air all the events live for the first time. This is a decision made after the results of the events at the 2012 London Summer Olympics were revealed through social media prior to their primetime broadcast [14].

This year’s winter games will involve six new events: the ski halfpipe, women’s ski jumping, biathlon mixed relay, a figure skating team event, and luge team relays [15]. However, the games have already received a great deal of bad press as a result of strict anti-gay laws put in place by Russian President Vladimir Putin. The politician enacted a national law that bans all homosexual activity and even support [16]. While the International Olympic Committee has ensured that this will not affect the games, many have chosen to boycott the events. It is still unclear as to how this will affect the NBCUniversal coverage of the games.

To Infinity and Beyond [13]

-courtesy of chatter-fest.com

NBCUniversal has made a deal with Virgin Galactic to broadcast the eccentric billionaire Richard Branson’s first commercial flight to space. Multiple networks within the NBCUniversal family will cover the flight, which takes off next year. It will begin with a primetime special of the take off followed by interviews conducted next day on the Today Show.

This deal signals a “continued push for live event programming from entertainment channels and news organizations,” an idea that was previously unpopular because of its lack of rebroadcast opportunity[13]. However with the emergence of new media, live broadcast such as this can be very lucrative because it can air across multiple platforms at the same time. This allows companies like NBCU to maximize their reach for a single broadcast.

Sources

[1] – List of Executives – NBCUniversal

[2] – About NBCUniversal – NBCUniversal

[3] – History of NBCUniversal – NBCUniversal

[4] – NBCUniversal Financials – Comcast Corporation

[5] – NBCUniversal Acquisition of Sprout – NYTimes

[6] – Esquire Network Takes over Style – The Hollywood Reporter

[7] – Review of Esquire Network – slate.com

[8] – KidsCo Shutting Down – The Hollywood Reporter

[9] – NBCU Ad Sales Revamp – Variety

[10] – NBCU Upfront Success – Variety

[11] – NBCU Layoffs – Variety

[12] – NBCU Social Media Footprint – Forbes

[13] – NBCU to Air First Virgin Space Flight – Capital New York

[14] – NBCU Olympic Deal – NYTimes

[15] – Six New Olympic Games – NBC Bay Area

[16] – Olympic Boycott – PRNewser

Comcast/NBCUniversal

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Zachary Eisen

by Zach Eisen

NBCUniversal Media, LLC

30 Rockefeller Plaza

New York, NY 10112

212.664.4444

www.nbcuni.com

About the Company [1]:

A snapshot of what NBCU owns

NBCUniversal is a major media company owned by the Comcast Corporation. With headquarters in world-famous Rockefeller Center, NBCU owns and operates a variety of media outlets across many different platforms, including broadcast and cable television, film, and digital media. NBCU’s content is distributed around the world.

Television

NBCUniversal has a variety of holdings in both broadcast and cable television. It owns the NBC broadcast network and the Telemundo network, airing popular programs such as NBC Nightly News, Today, Saturday Night Live, and The Office. NBC also owns and operates TV stations in some of the largest markets in the country, including New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. NBCU’s cable holdings include the NBC Sports Network, MSNBC, CNBC, USA, E!, Bravo, and The Weather Channel. NBC also owns the broadcast rights to the Olympics, NHL and NFL games, and many other major sporting events.

Film

NBCU owns Universal Pictures, one of the Big Six major film companies. Universal is famous for movies such as E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, Jurassic Park, Jaws, and the Bourne series [2]. The company also owns Focus Features, which is Universal’s art, foreign, and independent film division. NBCU also owns Universal Parks and Resorts, with full ownership of the parks in Los Angeles and Orlando and part ownership of locations in Japan and Singapore.

Online

NBCUniversal owns multiple digital and online companies, including NBC.com, Fandango, and iVillage. It also is part of a joint-venture in Hulu, the online streaming service.

Key Executives [3]:

Stephen B. Burke – CEO, NBCUniversal

Stephen B. Burke

Stuart J. Epstein – Executive VP and CFO, NBCUniversal

Stuart J. Epstein

Robert Greenblatt – Chairman, NBC Entertainment

Robert Greenblatt

Brian Roberts – Chairman and CEO, Comcast Corporation

Brian Roberts

For more information on NBCUniversal’s executives, click here.

Competitors:

In the broadcast television market, NBC’s main competitors are the other Big Four major networks, which are ABC, CBS, and FOX. However, cable viewership is quickly growing, which means NBC also competes with basically every television station for viewers and advertising dollars.

Ownership History [4]:

NBCUniversal was officially founded in 2004, when NBC and Universal merged into one company. At the time of the merger, Vivendi and GE shared ownership of the company. In 2009, GE and Comcast announced plans to create a joint venture out of NBCUniversal’s companies and Comcast’s cable holdings. The plan was finalized in early 2011, with Comcast taking a majority stake in the company. In early 2013, Comcast announced it would buy GE’s 49% minority stake, a $16.7 billion deal which allowed them to assume 100% ownership of NBCUniversal [5].

Financial Information [6]:

2012 was a successful year for NBCUniversal across the board. The company earned $23.8 billion in total revenue, an increase of nearly $2.7 billion, or 12.7%, from 2011. NBCU’s revenue in all four of its divisions (Broadcast Networks, Cable Networks, Film, and Theme Parks) saw increases in 2012.

The largest gains were made in the Broadcast Television division, which jumped 27.4% from the previous year. The broadcast numbers were aided by the network’s airing of the 2012 London Olympics and Super Bowl XLVI. Excluding these events from the numbers, the Broadcast division’s revenue still saw a 4.8% increase, driven by political advertisements on its Owned & Operated stations. The increased revenue from the political ads also helps explain the Broadcast division’s 7.9% increase in the fourth quarter of 2012 from the same period in 2011.

NBCU’s Cable Networks division accounted for the company’s smallest increases in 2012 (3.3%), but generated the most revenue for the company ($8.8 billion). The NHL lockout hurt ratings for the NBC Sports Network during that time, which boasts NHL coverage as its key selling point. However, ratings for that network reached all-time highs once hockey returned [15]. Advertising revenue decreased by 1.5% in the fourth quarter for NBC’s cable networks.

News:

• GOODBYE, GE

On March 19, Comcast completed its purchase of GE’s 49% stake in NBCUniversal [7]. The $16.7 billion deal also included the sale of GE’s headquarters at the famous 30 Rockefeller Plaza building to Comcast. The deal brings to an end GE’s involvement with NBC, which began in 1919 when the company helped found the Radio Corporation of America, which started the National Broadcasting Company in 1926 [8]. Since then, NBC has been owned by GE, RCA, Westinghouse, Vivendi and now Comcast. Watch Wall Street Journal Live’s analysis of the deal below (video courtesy of YouTube).

• ADIÓS, NBC

For the first time ever, NBC fell out of the top four networks during a sweeps period conducted by Nielsen [9]. Univision, the Spanish language network, moved ahead of NBC as the fourth most watched network among adults ages 18-49 during the month of February. NBC struggled during that month, as its new show Do No Harm was cancelled after just two episodes, and the new comedy 1600 Penn struggled as well [10].

• THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH…

Jimmy Fallon (right) will take over for Jay Leno (left) as host of “The Tonight Show”.

…Jimmy Fallon? NBC announced in April that the Late Night host will replace Jay Leno on The Tonight Show starting in 2014 [11]. Leno, who has hosted The Tonight Show for 22 years, took over for Johnny Carson in 1992. Leno was replaced by Conan O’Brien in 2009 [12], but returned only seven months later [13] after a feud with the network over a time for his new show. It is being rumored that Saturday Night Live head writer and “Weekend Update” host Seth Meyers will replace Fallon as host of Late Night.

• USA! USA!

NBCU’s USA Network earned the best primetime ratings for a cable network in the first quarter of 2013, its eighth year in a row earning that honor [14]. Popular programs such as Suits and WWE Raw helped the network win the quarter, defeating rivals with popular programs such as AMC and its hit The Walking Dead. USA averaged over 3 million viewers during the primetime slots. Another NBCU network, Bravo, also improved, making the top ten networks among viewers ages 25-54.

• NHL COVERAGE SCORES FOR NBC SPORTS NETWORK

The NBC Sports Network is posting record numbers this year for its NHL coverage [15]. The network, formerly Comcast’s Versus, is averaging 448,000 viewers per game, up from its previous high of 348,000 viewers. The numbers may have gotten a boost because of the lockout that cut the season down to 48 games. National games airing on NBC’s broadcast network are also doing better, averaging 1.7 million viewers,just ahead of its previous tally of 1.6 million.

• ‘THE VOICE’ NEARS IN ON ‘IDOL’

The popular singing competition show, The Voice, has returned to NBC’s lineup, and has outperformed FOX’s American Idol so far [16]. Although Idol‘s first two episodes earned stronger ratings than The Voice‘s, NBC’s program is gaining momentum, while FOX’s is seeing its lowest ratings in the 12-year history of the show. The show’s performance in the ratings for the remainder of the season may tell whether it will replace Idol as America’s favorite singing show.

• USING THE SECOND SCREEN

In March, USA allowed fans of its series Psych to choose the ending of the show’s 100th episode [17]. The vote was part of a new online and mobile feature called USA Sync, an attempt by the network to use new media to add interactivity to its programming [18]. The program allows fans to post about the shows, connect with each other, and play interactive games. On the mobile platform, the service is available as an app that gives users access to more content through other applications.

• A DELICIOUS PREMIERE

The much anticipated new series Hannibal premiered on NBC on April 4. The series, about fictional evil genius Hannibal Lecter, serves as a prequel to the 1991 classic film The Silence of the Lambs. The show earned praise from Internet critics, with some calling it “riveting” [19], and others saying it was “beautifully shot and…surprisingly thoughtful” [20]. Watch a promo for Hannibal below (video courtesy of YouTube).

• FOR E!, OLDE IS NEW

Jeff Olde

In March, E! named former VH1 executive Jeff Olde head of its programming [21]. Olde will be in charge of the development of E!’s shows, including Keeping Up With The Kardashians, The Soup, and Chelsea Lately. Olde will begin his new job this summer.

Sources:

[1]: http://www.nbcuni.com/corporate/about-us/

[2]: http://www.boxofficemojo.com/studio/chart/?studio=universal.htm

[3]: http://www.nbcuni.com/corporate/management/

[4]:http://www.nbcuni.com/corporate/about-us/history/

[5]: http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/12/comcast-buying-g-e-s-stake-in-nbcuniversal-for-16-7-billion/

[6]: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/comcast-reports-4th-quarter-and-year-end-2012-results-2013-02-12

[7]: http://www.deadline.com/2013/03/comcast-completes-acquisition-nbcuniversal/

[8]: http://www.gereports.com/its-a-wrap/

[9]: http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/02/27/univision-sets-milestone-as-no-4-network-in-february-sweeps-ahead-of-nbc-in-key-demos/171192/

[10]: http://www.deadline.com/2013/02/nbc-sweeps-ratings-lastloses-to-univision/

[11]: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/04/02/source-jimmy-fallon-to-take-reins-of-tonight-show-from-jay-leno.html

[12]: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/30/arts/television/30leno.html?em&_r=0

[13]: http://www.accesshollywood.com/jay-leno-heading-back-to-late-night-conan-obrien-weighing-options_article_27490

[14]: http://variety.com/2013/tv/news/usa-suits-ratings-amc-walking-dead-1200332772/

[15]: http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Issues/2013/03/19/Media/NHL-Ratings.aspx

[16]: http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/29/in-ratings-race-the-voice-gains-on-idol/

[17]: http://www.nbcbayarea.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/NATL-Viewers-to-Choose-Psych-Ending–200075821.html

[18]: http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2013/04/01/usa-network-launches-the-next-phase-of-usa-sync-first-live-second-screen-content-syndication-platform-625513/20130401usa01/

[19]: http://www.hitfix.com/whats-alan-watching/review-nbcs-hannibal-a-riveting-silence-of-the-lambs-prequel

[20]: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/hannibal-tv-review-433109

[21]: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/jeff-olde-named-es-head-431347

Comcast/NBCUniversal

Posted on April 3, 2013 by Montana McBirney

By Montana McBirney

Comcast/NBCUniversal Logo [1]

What is Comcast/NBCUniversal?

Comcast/NBCUniversal is one of the leading companies in the fields of media, entertainment, and technology. It is under the Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK). This company owns and operates television networks, theme parks, film companies, a sports firm, television stations, and a video, Internet, and phone provider to residential customers and business [2]. The company is essentially split up into two businesses: Comcast Corporation and NBCUniversal.

NBCUniversal Logo [9]

NBCUniversal owns NBC cable networks like Bravo, E!, and MSNBC. NBC Broadcast television has NBC entertainment, news, and sports. NBC Universal also owns television stations in New York, Philadelphia, Washington, and many other markets. Telemundo is also under the umbrella of NBCUniversal, along with Universal Television [3].

How did Comcast/NBCUniversal Come Together?

In 1926, the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) formed NBC. At the New York World’s Fair in 1939, NBC unveiled the television and broadcasts [4]. After General Electric became it’s parent company in 1986, NBC had many successful years critically. In 2002, they bought the Spanish language broadcaster Telemundo and Bravo and a year later NBC merged with Vivendi Universal Entertainment to become NBCUniversal [5]. In 2011, Comcast purchased the controlling 51% of NBCUniversal from General Electric for $13.8 billion.

Who are the Faces of Comcast/NBCUniversal?

CEO NBCUniversal Stephen B. Burke [7]
CEO Comcast Corporation Brian L. Roberts [8]

What Does Comcast/NBCUniversal Own?

The picture above [10] illustrates the cable and broadcast channels that Comcast/NBCUniversal owns, along with the digital, film, and park entities that it owns. Evidenced by the many cable channels it owns, the company is focused it’s efforts on the surging cable industry. In a visit to Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, CEO Brian Roberts said that, “the world is changing,” and that, “in terms of profit, cable makes more money.” He did say however that NBC is still the engine for their company and it just as much of a focus as the cable channels are [11]. NBC also owns ten stations across the United States in places like New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. They also own 14 Telemundo stations in places like Miami, Houston, and San Antonio [21].

What is Comcast/NBCUniversal Doing Today?

In the ratings game, NBC won November sweeps for the first time in nine years. However, in February, NBC hit a new low, coming in fifth place in sweeps. Averaging a 1.2 rating among adults 18-49 put them behind Univision‘s 1.5 rating [23]. With shows like “Do No Harm” [34] preforming with dismal numbers (0.9/3), NBC started off badly. They cancelled the show after airing only two episodes [24].

30-rock-series-finale-airs-tonight-tracy-morgan-baby-news

[28]

NBC’s critically acclaimed comedy “30 Rock,” ended its seventh and final season on January 31st this year. Over the many season, “30 Rock” received a whopping 90 Emmy nominations [22]. Often on the show, Tina Fey and her fellow writers wrote what was exactly happening in their life into the show. General Electric employees and “KableTown” executives frequently appeared.

In February, Comcast also made a huge deal with General Electric to buy the remaining half of NBCUniversal earlier than intended. For $16.7 billion, Comcast now has entire control over NBCUniversal. This shows Comcast’s newly energized commitment to cable and broadcast television [25].

Recently, NBC has been going through some shake ups with ratings and hosts. “Today” lost out on ratings to ABC’s “Good Morning America.” Matt Lauer has a contract expiring soon that is also up in the air [26]. The most recent problem has been how NBC handled the Jay Leno – Jimmy Fallon debacle (pictured right [29]). After months of rumors, NBC announced Jay Leno would retire in the spring of next year, with Jimmy Fallon resuming his spot as host of “The Tonight Show” [27].

Also, in February, it was announced that David Axelrod, previous chief strategist to President Barack Obama’s recent campaign, would join NBC News as a senior political analyst [35].

What is Next for Comcast/NBCUniversal?

Comcast/NBCUniversal is preparing for the end of a legendary show, for new summer shows to be released, and for the upcoming Fall 2013 pilot season.

[32]

NBC’s “The Office” will be ending it’s run on Thursday, May 16th at 9p.m. Since 2005, “The Office” has collected Emmy’s, Golden Globes and many other awards in its amazing 9 season run [13].

NBC is beginning it’s summer roll out with Bryan Fuller’s “Hannibal” which averaged a 1.6 rating/4share in adults 18-49 in its premiere on Thursday, April 4. The show got 4.3 million viewers overall, which are not great numbers but good enough considering it’s lead in was the comedy “Go On” [12]. The video below is a season preview for the new show [18].

On Tuesday, April 9th, “Ready for Love,” a relationship show with three bachelors will premiere, with Eva Longoria as Executive Producer [14] will premiere. “America’s Got Talent” will be premiering its 8th season on June 4, with new judges Mel B and Heidi Klum appearing on July 10th [15].

NBC is also scheduled to premiere their new dramedy “Camp” from creators Liz Heldens and Peter Elkoff, starring “Six Feet Under” actress Rachel Griffiths. It is about Little Hawk family Camp and the parents and kids that inhabit it [16]. “Crossing Lines” is another series scheduled for summer 2013 starring William Fichtner and Donald Sutherland [17].

Comcast/NBCUniversal’s cable networks are preparing for the future as well. The E! network is premiering a new reality show about US gold medalist swimmer Ryan Lochte called “What Would Ryan Lochte Do?”. It premieres April 21st at 10pm [19]. Bravo is premiering “Million Dollar Listing,” “Newlyweds The First Year,” and the ever so popular “Real Housewives of New Jersey,” all in the upcoming months [20].

MV5BMTcwMDM5ODUwOF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwMzEwOTI4._V1._SY314_CR12,0,214,314_

John Malkovich [33]

Over the past few months, NBC has been green lighting and shooting upcoming fall pilots for the 2013 season. With 24 pilots (15 comedies and 9 dramas) NBC has the most of any major network. Some of the most anticipated include “About A Boy” from “Parenthood” creator Jason Katims, “Untitled John Mulaney/Lorne Michaels” comedy from the two previously named, along with “The Office” vet Craig Robinson’s untitled comedy [30]. For drama, “Hatfields & McCoys,” starring Virginia Madsen, “Wonderland,” a modern set Alice and Wonderland, and “Crossbones,” which John Malkovich recently signed onto [31].

Works Cited

[1] NBC Peacock Spreads Wings Over Comcast. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324478304578171611450891682.html

[2] Comcast Corporate. http://corporate.comcast.com/news-information/company-overview

[3] NBCUniversal About Us. http://www.nbcuni.com/corporate/about-us/

[4] Museum of Broadcast Communications: NBC. http://www.museum.tv/eotvsection.php?entrycode=nationalbroa

[5] Timeline: NBC and Universal. http://www.reuters.com/article/2009/12/03/us-nbc-comcast-timeline-idUSTRE5B22SO20091203

[7] NBCUniversal’s Senior Executives. http://www.nbcuni.com/corporate/management/senior-corporate-executives/

[8] NBCUniversal’s Board of Directors. http://www.nbcuni.com/corporate/management/board-of-directors/

[9] NBCUniversal logo. https://twitter.com/NBCUniversal

[10] NBCUniversal’s ownership table. www.dailywireless.org/2010/01/04/top-ten-digital-broadcasting-stories-of-the-decade/

[11] Montana McBirney’s notes on Brian Roberts’ visit to Newhouse.

[12] Hannibal Ratings. http://variety.com/2013/tv/news/no-big-ratings-bite-for-hannibal-in-premiere-but-nbc-has-seen-worse-1200333622/