CBS Corp.

Posted on October 16, 2016 by mnreardo

CBS Corporation

By: Marlowe Reardon, Justin Rivera, and Francesca Sostar

[2] CBS Corporations Logo

Overview

Columbia Broadcasting System, known as CBS Corporation, was founded in 1927 as competition to the National Broadcasting Company (NBC). CBS began as a major contributor in the radio business, then moved into television as that transition of medium was occurring [1].

Divisions of the Company

CBS Corporation branches out to all sorts of media, including radio, television, film, cable, as well as interactive media. The company owns a wide variety of operations such as its own television distribution, consumer products, television studios, home entertainment, and sports networks. CBS also has joint ventures with major companies such as Lionsgate and Warner Bros. Entertainment. Their deal with Warner Bros. allowed them to create the CW, a television network that has produced successful shows such as “Arrow” and “The Vampire Diaries” [3]. The partnership between Lionsgate and CBS led the the development of “Pop”, which combines both major companies talents in programming, production, and distribution.

[13] “Pop” Logo, CBS and Lionsgate joint venture

[14] The CW logo, CBS and Warner Bros Entertainment joint venture

Key Executives

NEW YORK, NY - MAY 15: President & CEO of CBS Corp. Les Moonves attends CBS 2013 Upfront Presentation at The Tent at Lincoln Center on May 15, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Ben Gabbe/Getty Images)

[4] Leslie Moonves, CEO, Chairman of the Board, and President

[6] Shari E. Redstone, Vice Chairman

[7] Jim Lanzone, Chief Digital Officer

[8] Armando Nuñez, President & CEO-CBS Global Distribution Group

[5] Sumner Redstone, Chairman Emeritus

Finances

CBS is a publicly traded company in the New York Stock Exchange, listed as CBS.A and CBS. Their stock has seen a steady increase over the past year, currently sitting at $60 per share, as opposed to $50 per share a year ago [9]. CBS had a successful third quarter this year, with revenues increasing 4 percent to $3.4 billion. Revenue is up from $3.26 billion at the same time last year. This was due to an increase in revenues and fees from CBS affiliate stations and a growth in their digital distribution platforms. There was also a negative impact in advertising revenue from the Republican and Democratic National Conventions, the first Presidential debate, and the 2016 Summer Olympics [10].

[11] CBS NYSE Closing Bell, 12/9/15.

Some of the largest contributors to CBS’s success are its cable networks, such as Showtime Networks and CBS Sports Network. Their revenue increased 14% to $598 million in this third quarter, growing from $526 million in last year’s third quarter. This aspect of the company will continue to prosper, with the growth in over-the-top (OTT) streaming services across media [12].

Current Projects

Right now, CBS Corporation is attempting to close a deal in which Viacom will merge with CBS. Both Sumner and Shari Redstone, Chairman and Vice Chairman of CBS, are large supporters of the deal. However, what is halting the deal is both companies board of directors have obligations to their shareholders. These shareholders are still exploring the potential problems that could happen if the deal were to be made. Some of these issues include pricing and structure after the merger is made. Even though the deal is still in talks, it is likely that it will happen because a single family, the Redstone’s, own 80 percent of both companies [13].

With the emergence of AT&T’s aggressively priced DirectTV Now (merging internet and television like never before), CBS is left to wonder one question: Why? A deal of this magnitude essentially leaves CBS yearning to somehow affiliate itself with this mega-deal. CBS has already taken the initiative to converge with other prosperous companies, inking a small deal with Google that involves a “skinny bundle” of TV networks to be called YouTube Unplugged. The drive CBS has to concern itself with as many large companies as possible depicts its drive to remain a powerful media conglomerate [14].

[15] Youtube Logo

CBS has been in the preproduction process of a new Star Trek series titled Star Trek: Discovery. This series will only be available on CBS’s online streaming service CBS All Access, after premiering on CBS. The decision to stream the show was made because science fiction shows have historically done poorly on broadcast television. CBS believes that a majority of Star Trek fans will pay for the services of CBS All Access so they will not miss out on the new series. Star Trek: Discovery is said to have a diverse and better represented cast, with a female lead and at least one gay character [16]. The company is hoping that this new series will also bring more viewers to this service, with about 1 million subscribers already. A commercial-free option of CBS All Access is now available, which costs $9.99 a month, as opposed to the ad-supported service costing $5.99 a month [17].

[19] CBS All Access Logo

[18] Star Trek: Discovery Logo

CBS is starting to take similar approaches to that of Netflix. Leslie Moonves stated that he is a big fan of Netflix and is taking some strategies that will help with CBS All Access. Rather than just displaying old shows on All Access, CBS has decided to take the same approach as Netflix by creating its own original shows. They use this strategy in order for their viewers to keep interest in All Access and not cancel their memberships. Previously, there would only be two or three buyers to get content from CBS. Now, streaming services are benefitting CBS Corporation because they can sell their syndicated content to Netflix, as opposed to these two or three buyers.

There has also been continuing success with CBS’s subsidiary, Showtime. Showtime is another over-the-top streaming site, similar to All Access. Moonves is going to make a continual amount of original programming, aiming for once a month released series or seasons. He also wants there to be an increase from about one million to four million subscribers in the next few years [20].

CBS has added six new shows this fall season to their primetime lineup, three comedies and three dramas. The three comedies are Kevin Can Wait, Man With a Plan, and The Great Indoors. These shows have big-name stars, such as Kevin James, Matt LeBlanc, and Joel McHale. The new dramas, Bull, MacGyver, and Pure Genius attract a wide range of audiences due to the differences of the casts. These shows are doing well so far, but time will tell which ones remain on the network and which will not make the cut [21].

mv5bmjiyndgyndy4nl5bml5banbnxkftztgwmdg4ndqwmdi-_v1_ux182_cr00182268_al_

[22] Kevin Can Wait poster

mv5bmtgxmdm0ndaxml5bml5banbnxkftztgwmda5ndqwmdi-_v1_ux182_cr00182268_al_

[23] Pure Genius poster

Future Endeavors

It was announced November 28th that CBS CEO and Chairman Leslie Moonves will be attending the UBS 44th Annual Global Media and Communications Conference in New York City on December 5th for a question-and-answer session [24]. This is a conference where companies join to meet and host formal presentations over a three day period [25].

Two new shows are set to premiere later in the 2016-2017 season on CBS. Training Day and Doubt are both dramas that revolve around crime and the legal system. This will hopefully help the ratings of the other dramas already showing on CBS [26]. The future of CBS Corporation looks very bright, and many changes are set for the upcoming months and years.

SOURCES

[1] https://www.britannica.com/topic/CBS-Corporation,. (2016). CBS Corporation. Retrieved 24 November 2016.

[2] http://logok.org/cbs-logo/,. (2016). CBS Logo. Retrieved 25 November 2016.

[3] https://www.cbscorporation.com/about-cbs/,. (2016). About CBS Corporation. Retrieved 25 November 2016.

[4] http://cdn5.thr.com/sites,. (2016). Leslie Moonves. Retrieved 25 November 2016.

[5] http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/4f4f62b1d3b58aebf110dff9a65dfa9cb9aa49b4/c=0-171-1994-2830&r=537&c=0-0-534-712/local/-/media/2015/04/16/USATODAY/USATODAY/635647883968561121-Sumner-Redstone.jpg,. (2016). Sumner Redstone Picture. Retrieved 25 November 2016

[6] http://www.zimbio.com/photos/Shari+E.+Redstone,. (2016). Shari E. Redstone Photo Stream. Retrieved 25 November 2016.

[7] http://www.cbscorporation.com/2016/06/jim-lanzone-named-chief-digital-officer-of-cbs-corporation/,. (2016). Jim Lanzone named Chief Digital Officer of CBS Corporation. Retrieved 25 November 2016.

[8] https://www.cbspressexpress.com/cbs-studios-international/executives/view?id=241,. (2016). Armando Nunez. Executives. Retrieved 25 November 2016.

[9] https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/CBS?p=CBS,. (2016). CBS Corporation Finances. Retrieved 26 November 2016.

[10] http://phx.corporate-ir.net/External.File?item=UGFyZW50SUQ9MzU3MzQyfENoaWxkSUQ9LTF8VHlwZT0z&t=1&cb=63613799985568029,. (2016). CBS Annual Results. Retrieved 26 November 2016.

[11] http://www.gettyimages.com/event/the-talk-rings-the-closing-bell-at-the-new-york-stock-exchange-595510127?#sheryl-underwood-sara-gilbert-shahttps://youtu.be/bqm9HSYbf0oron-osbourne-aisha-tyler-and-julie-picture-id500711866,. (2016). CBS’ “The Talk” Rings The Closing Bell At The New York Stock Exchange. Retrieved 26 November 2016.

[12] http://phx.corporate-ir.net/External.File?item=UGFyZW50SUQ9MzU3MzQyfENoaWxkSUQ9LTF8VHlwZT0z&t=1&cb=636137999855680291,. (2016). CBS Annual Results. Retrieved 26 November 2016.

[13] http://www.investopedia.com/stock-analysis/111716/heres-whats-holding-viacomcbs-merger-cbs-viab.aspx,. (2016). Here’s What’s Holding Up the Viacom-CBS Merger. Retrieved 26 November 2016.

[14] http://variety.com/2016/digital/news/cbs-directv-now-launch-att-1201925053/,. (2016). CBS Won’t Be in DirecTV Now at Launch, but Talks With AT&T Continue. Retrieved 25 November 2016.

[15] https://www.youtube.com/yt/brand/downloads.html,. (2016). Youtube Logo. Retrieved 26 November 2016.

[16] http://www.avclub.com/article/cbs-admits-star-trek-discovery-wouldnt-cut-it-netw-245919,. (2016). CBS admits Star Trek: Discovery wouldn’t cut it on broadcast TV. Retrieved 26 November 2016.

[17] http://variety.com/2016/tv/news/star-trek-discovery-good-wife-spinoff-cbs-all-access-premiere-date-1201860613/,. (2016). ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Delayed on CBS All Access Until May, ‘Good Wife’ Spinoff Moved Up. Retrieved 26 November 2016.https://youtu.be/bqm9HSYbf0o

[18] http://www.cheatsheet.com/,. (2016). Star Trek: Discovery Logo. Retrieved 27 November 2016.

[19] https://wwwimage-secure.cbsstatic.com,. (2016). CBS All Access Logo. Retrieved 27 November 2016.

[20] http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/10/01/why-cbs-corporation-is-a-big-fan-of-netflix.aspx,. (2016). Why CBS Corporation Is a Big Fan of Netflix. Retrieved 27 November 2016.

[21] http://www.cbs.com/shows/cbs-fall-premieres-2016/news/1005234/get-a-first-look-at-the-2016-2017-cbs-primetime-lineup/,. (2016). Get a first look at the 2016 2017 cbs primetime line up. Retrieved 28 November 2016.

[22] https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjIyNDgyNDY4Nl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwMDg4NDQwMDI@._V1_UX182_CR0,0,182,268_AL_.jpg,. (2016). Kevin Can’t Wait Poster. Retrieved 28 November 2016.

[23] https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTgxMDM0NDAxMl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwMDA5NDQwMDI@._V1_UX182_CR0,0,182,268_AL_.jpg,. (2016). Pure Genius Poster. Retrieved 28 November 2016.

[24] http://www.cbscorporation.com/2016/11/cbs-corporation-chairman-and-chief-executive-officer-leslie-moonves-to-participate-in-the-ubs-44th-annual-global-media-and-communications-conference/,. (2016). CBS Corporation and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Leslie Moonves to Participate in the 44th Annual UBS Global Media and Communications Conference. Retriever 28 November 2016.

[25] https://www.ubs.com/global/en/investment-bank/key-investor-conferences/global.html,. (2016). Global 2016 Conferences. Retrieved 28 November 2016.

[26] http://www.cbs.com/shows/cbs-fall-premieres-2016/news/1005234/get-a-first-look-at-the-2016-2017-cbs-primetime-lineup/,. (2016). CBS Fall Lineup. Retrieved 28 November 2016.

YouTube

Link

Emma Lux

Source: YouTube, YouTube logo [1]

HISTORY

YouTube is a video streaming company that was launched in May of 2005 [2]. The company is a website that allows people all around the world to watch and share videos. They have sports videos, music videos, gaming videos, live streaming, and so much more [3]. YouTube has been utilized by individuals and by large companies as a platform to distribute content. YouTube currently has more than 1 billion users and 300 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute. Until recently, YouTube made a majority of its money through advertising before and during the videos on the site. In 2006, Google bought YouTube for 1.65 billion dollars [4]. Under the deal, YouTube was able to remain an independently operated entity and a separate brand. The original founders of YouTube were Chad Hurley, Steve Chen and Jawed Karim who were all early employees of PayPal [2]. The current CEO of YouTube is Susan Wojcicki, but Chad Hurley, one of the original founders, still serves as an advisor [5]. YouTube has opened up channels of communication and allowed for an easier way to distribute media more directly to the public.

KEY EXECUTIVES

Source: Susan Wojcicki Twitter, Susan Wojcicki – CEO, YouTube [6]

Source: Robert Kyncl Twitter, Robert Kyncl – Chief Business Officer, YouTube [7]

Source: Politic365, Chad Hurley – Founder and Advisor, YouTube [8]

FINANCIALS

Source: Behance, Google Logo 2015 [11]

As a company, YouTube’s financials have been protected by their parent company, Google. There has been wide speculation about whether YouTube actually makes a profit. In 2014 an anonymous Wall Street Journal source reported YouTube’s revenue for the year at roughly $4 billion and profit at break even [9]. YouTube was a large investment for Google. It has been estimated that it won’t be long before YouTube makes up to 10% of Google’s total revenues [10]. During Google’s Q2 2015 conference call, the new CFO, Ruth Porat, was evasive regarding questions to clarify YouTube’s financials. Porat did not share YouTube’s financials because she felt it could put the company at a competitive disadvantage. Colin Gillis, an analyst for BGC Partners, believes that Google is now in the stages of refining and preparing YouTube’s financial performance so when they do finally reveal those numbers, Wall Street will be pleasantly surprised [9].

YOUTUBE RED

Source: The Wrap, YouTube Red Logo [13]

On October 28th, 2015 YouTube launched its long-discussed paid subscription service, YouTube Red. The service will cost $9.99 a month and have ad-free versions of YouTube videos. There has been speculation about a service like this coming for a long time because of the financial issues that YouTube is faced with. YouTube has all the factors for success, but reportedly only breaks even with their revenue. This new service will allow subscribers of YouTube Red to save YouTube videos for offline play, listen to videos in the background while browsing other mobile apps and watch all YouTube videos without ads. YouTube stars like PewDiePie, Lilly Singh and the Fine Brothers will be creating videos that are exclusive to this new program. Music is also a large component of YouTube Red.

Source: Connect Socialyte, Collage of YouTube’s Top Creators [14]

The service will be providing access to Google Play Music and a new app called YouTube Music, which offers a personalized playlist based on a starting song or artist, this style is very similar to Pandora. YouTube Red is charging prices very similar to potential competitors like Netflix, Amazon Prime Instant Video and Hulu [12]. YouTube also announced that they would be shutting down their Music Key beta, just a year after launching. Music Key was YouTube’s first attempt at a subscription service and offered users full album streams and offline listening for $7.99 a month. The service also included access to Google Play Music. Music Key was not successful, and never made its way out of beta. YouTube Red is the company’s second attempt to overcome the issues that were evident in Music Key’s model and break through any streaming service barriers [15].

Source: TechCrunch, ESPN Pulling Videos From YouTube due to Red [16]

YouTube Red contains a large amount of promise to fix YouTube’s financial woes, but there has been controversy over how YouTube has gotten creators to agree to be a part of the service. YouTube has stated that 99% of creators have signed on with the Red deal but has also been accused of giving creators no choice, either getting on board with the service or having their videos removed from the site. ESPN has had the most public battle with YouTube over the service. With rights issues surrounding their content, ESPN had to pull almost all of their videos from YouTube. Eleven of ESPN’s thirteen YouTube Channels were impacted and had their content pulled from the site [16].

YOUTUBE’S MOMENTUM & FUTURE

Even with the issues facing YouTube and the fallout coming from YouTube Red, the company’s future seems bright. YouTube now reaches more 18-49 year olds than any

Source: BN1 Magazine, Vevo Logo 2015 [18]

single U.S. cable network and the average YouTube mobile session is 40 minutes. The number of hours people spend watching videos is also up 60%, which the fastest growth YouTube has experienced in 2 years [17]. Ever since YouTube officially became “mainstream” in 2009 with Congress and The Vatican launching their respective YouTube channels, the momentum in pop culture has only increased. YouTube launched Vevo, a music video channel, then announced that movies could be rented from YouTube starting in January 2010. As YouTube gained notoriety projects were launched on the site such as the It Gets Better project and Kony 2012. YouTube has pushed the importance of

Source: It Gets Better Project, It Gets Better Project Logo [19]

original content and been revolutionary in the likes of live-streaming. YouTube was the first company to show a live-stream of the 2012 Olympics. YouTube has pushed the boundaries and the strides can only point to a successful future [2]. YouTube has big plans to stay ahead of everyone else in the field, and to turn their large audience numbers into real, tangible profit i.e. YouTube Red. One of YouTube’s other big projects for the future is to provide YouTube access to anyone, anywhere. No matter what kind of connection, they want YouTube and its content to be streamed everywhere. YouTube has worked very hard to improve their tech. To continue improving it, YouTube has built new codecs, participated in developing new versions of HTML, and

Source: Buzzfeed, YouTube Rainbow Logo Celebrating Marriage Equality [20]

worked narrowly and closely with internet providers to make sure people are getting the best picture possible. These upgrades will never stop for YouTube, because this is what it takes to stay ahead and that has always been one of their biggest priorities. One of YouTube’s other resolutions as it moves to the future is a greater focus on “creators” rather than the one hit viral wonders that helped give YouTube its notoriety. These creators have built large fan bases and are in large part to thank for the increased viewership and subscriptions which is what is making YouTube so successful. These creators are also crucial to make sure that YouTube Red is successful, exclusive content on the service from these creators will only draw more fans to pay for the service [21].

SOURCES

[1] YouTube Logo. YouTube. Retrieved: November 29th 2015.

[2] Dickey, Megan. (February 15th, 2013). The 22 Key Turning Points In The History Of YouTube. Business Insider. Retrieved: December 1st 2015.

[3] YouTube Channels. YouTube. Retrieved: November 29th 2015.

[4] La Monica, Paul. (October 9th 2006). Google to buy YouTube for $1.65 billion. CNN Money. Retrieved: November 29th 2015.

[5] Kioskea. (October 29th 2010). Hurley stepping down as YouTube chief executive. CCM. Retrieved: November 29th 2015.

[6] Susan Wojcicki. Twitter. Retrieved: November 29th 2015.

[7] Robert Kyncl. Twitter. Retrieved: December 1st 2015.

[8] Barnette, E.R. (2015). Chad Hurley. Politic365. Retrieved: November 29th 2015.

[9] Oreskovic, Alexei. (July 16th 2015). How much money does YouTube make? Don’t ask the new CFO. Business Insider. Retrieved: December 1st 2015.

[10] Brugger, Tim. (September 9th 2014). Alright Google, Inc, What’s YouTube Really Worth? The Motley Fool. Retrieved: December 1st 2015.

[11] Google Logo. Google. Retrieved: December 1st 2015.

[12] Luckerson, Victor. (October 21st 2015). You Can Now Pay to Watch YouTube Without Ads. Time. Retrieved: October 25th 2015.

[13] YouTube Red Logo. The Wrap. Retrieved: December 1st 2015.

[14] YouTube Creator Collage. Connect Socialyte. Retrieved: December 1st 2015.

[15] Connolly, Amanda. (October 24th 2015). YouTube’s Music Key beta will end next month, leaving non-US users in the lurch. The Next Web. Retrieved: October 25th 2015.

[16] Perez, Sarah. (October 23rd 2015). YouTube Red Deal Forces ESPN To Pull Its Videos From YouTube. TechCrunch. Retrieved: October 25th 2015.

[17] YouTube Statistics. YouTube. Retrieved: December 1st, 2015.

[18] Vevo Logo. BN1 Magazine. Retrieved: December 1st, 2015.

[19] It Gets Better Project Logo. It Gets Better. Retrieved: December 1st, 2015.

[20] YouTube Rainbow Logo. BuzzFeed. Retrieved: December 1st, 2015.

[21] Pierce, David. (May 12th 2015). YouTube’s Plans for 10 More Years of Video Domination. Wired. Retrieved: December 1st, 2015.

Yahoo!

Posted on September 30, 2015 by Rebecca Baruch

Rebecca Baruch

: Source: Bizjournals, Yahoo! Logo [20]

“We make the
world’s daily habits inspiring
and entertaining”

– Yahoo! Inc. [26]

Source: Yahoo!, CEO, Marissa Mayer [21]

YAHOO! INC.~ WHO WE ARE

Yahoo! Inc. is a technology company that provides a variety of services for its online users. It was founded by Stanford University graduates and classmates, Jerry Yang and David Filo in 1994. It became incorporated later in 1995. A year later, in April 1996, it became a publicly traded company [1]. Since then Filo has stayed on as one of the company’s key executives, returning to its Board of Directors in 2014 [2].

Its current CEO, Marissa Mayer, who stepped into the position in 2012, worked previously at Google as one of its executives and helped develop many of its popular services like Google Maps and Gmail. She is the sixth person to take over the position of Yahoo! Inc.’s CEO since 2007 [3].

A majority of Yahoo! Inc.’s profits are gained not through subscriptions or payments from its users but rather through selling advertisement space on its various websites [4].

Source: Youtube, Yahoo! Commercial [29]

Yahoo! Inc.’s international presence reaches users in over fifty countries worldwide. Some of their main services include Yahoo! Search, an Internet search engine to help navigate users through online data and websites. It also has original and partnered content on services like Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Finance and Yahoo! TV [5].

Source: Flickr, Flickr Logo [22] Source: Tumblr, Tumblr Logo [23]

It also acquires smaller online enterprises in order to boost their research and reach on the ever-growing web. Back in June 2013 the company bought the popular blog website, Tumblr for $1.1 billion [6]. Yahoo! Inc. also has had, Flickr, the popular photo-managing site since 2005 [7]. These types of acquisitions were not only meant to increase profits, but to also understand the mindset and lifestyle of their users [6].

YAHOO! INC.~ Financials

This past third-quarter revealed that Yahoo! Inc.’s revenue was $1.23 billion. Last year’s quarter the company accumulated $1.15 billion in revenue [8]. Despite the increase in revenue, the company did not reach expected targets as they were predicted to make $1.26 billion in revenue this quarter. As well, rather than reaching $0.17 per share, the company ended up being valued at less than $0.10 per share. Yahoo! Inc.’s underperformance this quarter is disappointing to its potential investors and current stakeholders [9].

Source: Alibaba, Alibaba Logo [24]

Yahoo! Inc. holds a 15% stake in Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., which is an e-commerce company that provides services such as an online shopping search engine and electronic payments for businesses and customers. Alilbaba Group Holding Ltd.’s stock value has dropped 38.7% this past year. Yahoo! Inc. came up with a recovery plan to sell shares from their investment, but that will unlikely be implemented. Recently, the IRS rejected a deal Yahoo! Inc. was planning on making that would spin-off 384 million shares [10].

Source: Google, Google Logo [25]

Yahoo! Inc. struck up a deal with Google this past October that will last until 2018. Google will be providing Yahoo! Inc. with search advertisements. Google will then give Yahoo! Inc. a percentage of the revenue earned. Google will also disclose web search results and other data from users to Yahoo! Inc. to benefit its market research [11]. This information can be accessed from a variety of devices including, but not limited to, tablets, laptops and desktop computers. This non-exclusive deal still allows Yahoo! Inc. to work with other companies such as Microsoft, who they have worked with in the past. This deal will hopefully boost the company’s profits and help it have a greater understanding of its users [12].

YAHOO! INC.~ Leadership

Source: Business Insider, Marissa Mayer [27]

Much of Yahoo! Inc.’s financial difficulties have been attributed to the leadership style of the company. Its latest CEO, Marissa Mayer, has been suffering from a lot of criticism. This new CEO came aboard, knowing that she would have to fix a company that was dealing with a problematic system. She is seen as an inspirational figure for women in a predominately male dominated industry [13]. Over the years Mayer has come under fire for controversial policies and personal decisions. Overall, she uses her knowledge of the business, is the youngest CEO in history to run a Fortune 500 company and has a youthful perspective she uses to try and turn around Yahoo! Inc. in all of its failing sectors [14].

Source: CNN, Marissa Mayer [14]

Mayer’s decisions have not benefited Yahoo! Inc. in the way that she intentioned them to. With Tumblr, Flicker and other acquisitions not making the promising profits that they were thought to have and the Alibaba deal being halted by the IRS, bringing Yahoo! Inc. out from its financial distress, does not seem to be a reality [15].

Although the deal with Google has potential to bring both greater profits and user data to Yahoo! Inc. the benefits of that deal will not be seen for many years to come. Investors are asking for Mayer to either resign or to be ousted from the company altogether. In her near four years as CEO, Mayer has spent around $7 billion in acquisitions and has been unable to turn a profit from those investments. For this reason and others many question her leadership skills and whether she can bring the company together. Mayer may soon be fired by Yahoo! Inc.’s Board of Directors [15].

Mayer herself disagrees with the investors’ and the public’s view of a failing company. Mayer believes that the new initiatives she has put in place will soon pay off and bring the company back to its original days of success. Mayer is only one of half a dozen CEOs who have come and gone in the past decade at Yahoo! Inc. [15]. The company has also had executives leave as well, like the loss of their Marketing Chief to STX Entertainment, so it would be no surprise to see Mayer take her exit [16]. This type of shake up in the hierarchal system may be one of the reasons that Yahoo! Inc. is having issues with its services and ability to make a profit, because of its lack of strong and consistent leadership.

YAHOO! INC.~ The future

Source: Vserv, Yahoo! Logo [28]

Overall, Yahoo! Inc. has gone from a search engine focused company to one focusing on its media presence. This has been done unsuccessfully and for this reason its board will be meeting several times the first week of December of 2015 in order to make some executive decisions about leadership and what the future of Yahoo! Inc. looks like as a company [17].

Yahoo! Inc.’s constant replacement of CEOs has rocked the company’s structure and efficiency. It needs a new strategic business plan in order to stay competitive in its markets. Since the Alibaba deal went south, there is going to be a last effort to boost stock value of Yahoo! Inc. by potentially selling the company’s core assets. Considering that Yahoo! Inc. shares have gone down 35%, this seems like a strategically intelligent move [18].

After rumors of this potential sale circulated through investors and outside parties, Yahoo! Inc.’s stock value boosted by 5.6%, showing that the public views this sale as a potential solution to the company’s problems [19].

The future of Yahoo! Inc. is unclear, both in leadership and in its financial state. Despite this, it is not a lost cause, it has the potential for growth and greater success.

Sources

[1] Yahoo! Inc. Success Story. Success Story. Retrieved: November 28th 2015.

[2] Musil, Steven. (April 16th 2014). Yahoo co-founder David Filo nominated to return to board. CNET. Retrieved: November 29th 2015.

[3] Efrati, Amir & Letzing John. (July 17th 2012). Google’s Mayer Takes Over as Yahoo Chief. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved: November 28th 2015.

[4] Peterson, Tim. (October 21st 2014). Yahoo Now Makes More Money From Search Ads Than Banners. Adage. Retrieved: December 1st 2015.

[5] Products and Services. Yahoo!. Retrieved: November 12th 2015.

[6] Isidore, Chris. (May 20th 2013). Yahoo buys Tumblr, promises to not ‘screw it up’. CNN Money. Retrieved: November 29th 2015.

[7] Geron, Tomio. (August 2013). A Look Back At Yahoo’s Flickr Acquisition For Lessons Today. Tech Crunch. Retrieved: November 29th 2015.

[8] (October 20th 2015). Investor Relations. Yahoo!. Retrieved: October 22nd 2015.

[9] Pramuk, Jacob. (October 20th 2015). Yahoo cuts Q4 guidance after earnings miss. CNBC. Retrieved: October 22nd 2015.

[10] Cornell, Joe. (October 1st 2015). Yahoo’s Alibaba Spin-Off On Track. Forbes. Retrieved: November 29th 2015.

[11] Riley, Duncan. (October 21st 2015). Back to the future: Yahoo returns to Google’s loving embrace with new search and ad deal. Silicon Angle. Retrieved: December 1st 2015.

[12] Rosoff, Matt. (October 20th 2015). Yahoo has signed a deal with Google to provide search ads. Business Insider. Retrieved: November 29th 2015.

[13] Gustin, Sam. (July 18th 2012). The Ten Most Influential Women in Technology. Time. Retrieved: December 1st 2015.

[14] La Monica, Paul R. (October 21st 2015). Marissa Mayer STILL hasn’t fixed Yahoo. CNN Money. Retrieved: December 1st 2015.

[15] (November 27th 2015). For Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer, the clock is ticking. CBS Money Watch. Retrieved: November 28th 2015.

[16] Jones, Dow. (September 11 2015). Yahoo Marketing Chief to Join STX Entertainment. Nasdaq. Retrieved: November 29th 2015.

[17] Poletti, Therese. (December 1st 2015). Selling Yahoo’s core business would be complicated. Market Watch. Retrieved: December 1st 2015.

[18] Goldman, David. (December 1st 2015). Yahoo could be looking for a buyer. CNN Money. Retrieved: December 1st 2015.

[19] (December 1st 2015). Yahoo shares spike on report company may sell core assets. CNBC. Retrieved: December 1st 2015.

[20] Yahoo! Logo. Biz Journal. Retrieved: December 1st 2015.

[21] Yahoo! Executive Team. Yahoo!. Retrieved: December 1st 2015.

[22] Flickr Logo. Flickr. Retrieved: December 1st 2015.

[23] Tumblr Logo. Tumblr. Retrieved: December 1st 2015.

[24] Alibaba Logo. Alibaba. Retrieved: December 1st 2015.

[25] Google Logo. Google. Retrieved: December 1st 2015.

[26] Yahoo! Quote. Yahoo!. Retrieved: November 29th 2015.

[27] Marissa Mayer Photo. Business Insider. Retrieved: December 1st 2015.

[28] Yahoo! Logo. Vserv. Retrieved: December 1st 2015.

[29] Yahoo! Commercial. Youtube. Retrieved: December 1st 2015.

IAC

Posted on December 1, 2014 by jypirogo

by Jacob Pirogovsky

IAC began in 1986 and was originally called the Silver King Broadcasting Company and was owned by the Home Shopping Network. Later in 1992, it became its own publicly traded company. The company went through a series of name changes from USA Networks, Inc. to USA Interactive, before finally changing it to IAC/InterActiveCorp in July of 2004. Since that time IAC/InterActiveCrop has been acquiring a variety of companies in a very wide array of different fields. They divide their holdings into four main groups: Search and Applications, The Match Group, Media, and eCommerce. Each of these groups has a plethora of companies, as seen in the image below, all of which influence the decisions and finances of InterActiveCorp as a whole.

All 4 segments broken up, with revenue information. SOURCE: Berkeley Investment Group

This period* has seen a lot of changes for IAC, as well as its subsidiaries. One major one was that Bonnie Hammer, the chairman for NBCUniversal Cable was appointed to the board of IAC in September by IAC’s CEO Barry Diller, who says “She’s a superb businesswoman, programmer and brand builder.” With her expertise in the television industry, she will be able to give the company insight into growing audiences and as a very influential social activist she will be able to attract some positive press for IAC, especially in light of the drama surrounding Tinder’s executives.

In early September a court case was settled between one of Tinder’s co-founders, Justin Mateen, and an early employee, Whitney Wolfe, who accused Mateen of sexual harassment. IAC reached a settlement with Wolfe so that it wouldn’t go to trial, but

2 of Tinder’s Co-Founder’s – Sean Rad (left) and Justin Mateen (right). SOURCE: Forbes

everything was deemed confidential so much of what happened is unknown to the public. Mateen left the company after being suspended in July. Now, in November Tinder’s co-founder and CEO Sean Rad has been forced to step down by IAC. The news came to him while he was at the Forbes 30 Under 30 Summit in October, where he was about to announce that Tinder was going to monetize. Both of these things have big implications for Tinder and IAC. The app has grown 600% in the last year and has 30 million users who collectively check out 1.2 billion other users. With the new premium model, revenue predictions for 2015 are about $150 million. Rad, who will remain on the board of Tinder, is working with Matt Cohler, a partner at Benchmark and a newcomer to the Tinder board, to find a new CEO for the company.

SOURCE: Forbes

In terms of other finances, IAC released a third quarter earnings report for 2014 at the end of October. According to Yahoo! Finance, the company earned about $30 million more than analysts had predicted for this quarter. Overall, it has had 3% growth in the last year. In The Match Group, revenue increased by 12% and in the eCommerce segment, HomeAdvisor’s revenue grew 20%, with an overall growth of 14% in the segment. In the third quarter Search & Applications decreased 3% in the last year. Meanwhile, in the Media segment of IAC, Vimeo revenue increased by 30% and now has more than 530,000 subscribers; however, overall the Media revenue went down 1% in the last year.

IAC’s stock over the past year on the NASDAQ. SOURCE: Bloomberg Markets

Very recently in early November, Mindspark (an IAC subsidiary) acquired Apalon, a company that develops applications for Apple and Google Play, and whose apps have had more than 100 million downloads in the past year. “The combination of Apalon’s world-class mobile app development skills with Mindspark’s proven ability to distribute digital applications at scale is a huge differentiator and strategic advantage in the marketplace,” said Eric Esterlis, co-president of Mindspark. The two companies will complement each other and will help fight the decrease in revenue in the Search and Application segment of IAC.

SOURCE: About.com

Another revenue booster for that segment is the redesign of About.com’s website. The site hadn’t been redesigned since 2007, so the re-launch of the site in September has had some profound effects on users. On average they stayed on the site 24% longer and viewed 18% more articles than before the redesign. Additionally, the previous design was built to come up higher in Google searches to increase cost-per-click ad revenue; however, because Google’s algorithm is always changing and to decrease dependency on this type of ad, the site is now making more deals with advertisers to sponsor different sections of the site.

In the eCommerce segment, the EVP and CFO of Shoebuy.com, John Foristall was selected as an honoree “40 Under 40” award, which is given out annually by the Boston Business Journal to people who have made a major impact in their field. In addition, the company partnered with Rodgers and Hamerstein’s Cinderella to launch a limited collection of special occasion footwear inspired by the show. The cooperation helped increase the overall revenue of the segment.

In the media segment, Aereo, an online streaming service that offered live and recorded programs, filed for bankruptcy protection in November, after losing a major court case. The company was said to have violated programming copyright protections, according to a Supreme Court decision. The startup was beginning to revolutionize broadcast TV viewing, and even though it ended up failing, it will most likely lead to future attempts of a similar service.

SOURCE: Bloomberg WEST

Up until the past few years, Vimeo, another one of IAC’s media holdings, was having a hard time figuring out how to monetize, other than through subscription users. Now through Vimeo On Demand, their on demand platform, they have an additional revenue stream. In October, they made deals with two big YouTube producers, Phil DeFranco and the Orchard online network, which put their content onto Vimeo as well. Additionally, Vimeo just had their first original series, “High Maintenance,” premiere in November. According to Indiewire, the show is the future for web series and indie television. The series directors were in ongoing talks with FX to bring the show to cable, but ended up cancelling because they didn’t want to lose creative control. In light of that they made a deal with Vimeo for the financing. As Vimeo caters more towards industry professionals, the high production value show has found the perfect home and will bring more revenue to the site. Even though the show has always been on Vimeo, they are now promoting it; and they have given the series it’s own channel and have begun charging 1.99 per episode. This doesn’t seem to be a deterrent because according to Vimeo CEO Kerry Trainor, “High Maintenance” made more money in the first two days after it released and charged for episodes than it would have made with YouTube ad sales over the past two years.

High Maintenance // Stevie from Janky Clown Productions on Vimeo.

Overall, IAC/InterActiveCorp has had a very busy semester with lots of acquisitions and new deals being made to stay up to date in today’s ever changing fast-paced media driven world. As the year comes to an end, Ask.com recently released the top searches of 2014, marking a comeback in the struggling site. Looking ahead, in all four sectors of the company, IAC plans to maintain and increase its status as the 13th largest network in the world.

*a period from August 25th – December 1st 2014

KEY EXECUTIVES:
Barry Diller – Chairman & Senior Executive
Victor Kaufman – Vice Chairman
Jeff Kip – Executive VP & CFO
Greg Blatt – Chairman, The Match Group

Address:
555 West 18th Street
New York, NY 10011
Phone: 1-212-314-7300
Company URL: iac.com

Sources:

Forbes.com: Tinder harassment settlement, Tinder monetizing/new CEO
Variety.com: Bonnie Hammer story
Tvbythenumbers: Hammer’s social activism information
IAC.com: Q3 report, Brand homepages, executives, Press Releases
Yahoo! Finance: IAC financial information
Bloomberg.com: Aereo story, Vimeo’s new content
IndieWire.com: High Maintenance information
The Hollywood Reporter.com: Vimeo On Demand information
Fastcompany.com: About.com redesign

Images/Video:

-Forbes.com: Tinder Co-Founders, Sean Rad Interview
-Bloomberg.com: Aereo Interview, IAC Stock Chart
-Berkeley Investment Group: IAC breakdown chart
-About.com: Website redesign
-Vimeo.com: High Maintenance episode

DreamWorks Studios

Posted on October 5, 2014 by apwestfa

by Alex Westfall

Courtesy of wholemovieinfo.com (a)

DreamWorks Studios
100 Universal City Plaza Dr., Bldg. 5121
Universal City, CA 91608
P: (818) 733-9300
http://www.dreamworksstudios.com/

Key Executives

Steven Spielberg, Principle Partner (b)

Michael Wright, Chief Executive Officer (c)

Lyndsay Harding, Chief Financial Officer (d)

Jeff Small, President & Chief Operating Officer (e)

Company Overview

DreamWorks Studios is an American film company originally founded in 1994 by partners Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and David Geffen. In its early years, the studio worked with several different film companies such as Universal, Sony, and 20^th Century Fox. These collaborations saw much success by cranking out multiple critically acclaimed films such as the Academy Award winning American Beauty, Gladiator, and A Beautiful Mind. In 2005, Viacom, the parent company of Paramount Pictures, purchased DreamWorks for $1.6 billion. However, in 2008, DreamWorks decided it would end its deal with Paramount and signed on to a partnership with Indian investment firm Reliance ADA Group to produce its films. In addition to working with Reliance, DreamWorks also maintains a deal with the Walt Disney Company, who markets and distributes its films. [1] [2]

Financials

Because DreamWorks Studios is a private company, specific financial information is not exactly attainable. However, by analyzing the budgets and revenue from the studio’s recent films, one can have a good idea about how the company is doing. At the time of it’s deal with Reliance, it was a known fact that DreamWorks had quite the amount of debt, and the $600 million invested by the firm arguably saved the film company from going under. With the creation of it’s subsequent movies, DreamWorks was once again beginning to see success. In 2014, the studio released two films- Need for Speed and the One Hundred Foot Journey.

With a budget of $66 million, Need for Speed ended up bringing in $203.3 million in revenue- thanks to it being highly popular in foreign markets such as China and Russia. Clearly by making back more than three times it’s budget, the movie can be hailed as a

Need for Speed movie poster, courtesy of wikipedia.org

“Need for Speed” movie poster, courtesy of industrialcolor.com (f)

financial success for the studio. Despite garnering negative reviews, Need for Speed most likely drew all of its audience due to the internationally popular video game it was based off of. The movie’s action packed plot and showcase of fast cars was definitely aimed at a male audience ranging from 15-35, which is the exact demographic that plays the video game around the world. Seeing as the game has this existing wide audience, it makes sense that they flocked to see the film and brought in so much revenue.

Sticking with the trend, the One Hundred Foot Journey made a total of $88.8 million- which is

Hundred Foot Journey poster, courtesy of imdb.com (h)

“The Hundred Foot Journey” poster, courtesy of imdb.com (g)

four times it’s budget of $22 million. This success was most likely garnered by the film’s feel-good plot that is about something everyone can relate to- food. Additionally, it was produced by Oprah Winfrey and her company Harpo Productions. Seeing as Winfrey is so popular already (especially with women ages 25-64), she was probably able to draw in an even larger audience for the film by promoting it on her show, television network, etc.

Financially successful films such as these two are what has helped DreamWorks Studios escape from it’s initial early 2010s box office blunders such as Cowboys & Aliens and Fright Night– which just barely made back their budgets. [3] [4] [5] [6]

What’s Happening Now

As of Fall 2014, DreamWorks Studios has seen some huge changes with studio management and personnel. After seven years of acting as Chief Executive Officer and

: Michael Wright, courtesy of online.wsj.com (h)

Co-Principal Partner to Steven Spielberg, Stacey Snider left the company and was replaced by Michael Wright. Wright, who was formerly Head of Programming for TNT,TBS, and TCM, will begin his position as the new CEO starting on January 1st, 2015. He will report directly to Spielberg and will be in charge of all the creative aspects for the film side of the business. Although some are a bit weary that Wright’s television background will not translate well to the motion picture industry, Spielberg himself believes quite the contrary:

“He has a keen understanding of storytelling and how to deliver those stories in every shape and size, regardless of platform. I am delighted to welcome him.”

One thing is for sure, Wright’s background with edgier shows for TNT such as Major Crimes and the Last Ship is a likely indicator of what is in store for DreamWorks: more thrilling and grittier, adult-type content. Hopefully this new type of material will prove to even further revive the studio and bring in even more revenue.

Along with Wright, DreamWorks has also hired a new CFO- Lyndsay Harding from Evergreen Studios. Prior to working in the media and entertainment industry, Harding worked on Wall Street dealing with mergers and acquisitions for Goldman Sachs, and then in private equity for JPMorgan Chase. Her high business acumen will surely prove useful to the studio, as she will be able to tighten up budgets and continue decreasing debt. [7] [8]

For the Future

Within the next two years, DreamWorks is only planning on releasing two films: St. James Place and the BFG. Both films are currently in the early stages of production and are slated for releases in October 2015 and July 2016, respectively.

Hanks and Spielberg on set of St. James Place, courtesy of brooklyndaily.com (i)

St. James Place will be directed by Spielberg with a screenplay written by Matt Charman- revised by the famed Joel and Ethan Coen. It is a cold war era spy thriller, based on the 1960 U-2 Incident, and will star Tom Hanks, Amy Ryan, and Alan Alda. Based on this lineup, the film appears as though it will do well, seeing as the brands that are often attached to Spielberg, the Coen brothers, and Tom Hanks are positive and successful. The sole fact that their names are headlining will be enough to draw in a large audience of adults 17-60, even if the movie itself turns out to be sub-par.

In addition to St. James Place, DreamWorks is also working on the BFG, a film that will

The BFG novel, courtesy of barnesandnoble.com (j)

be based on the popular children’s book of the same name by Roald Dahl. The story follows a young girl and a friendly giant who go on a journey to vanquish evil giants who are threatening the human world. As of October, Mark Rylance, a three time Tony Award winner, has been cast to play the titular character. Because the book and its author are already so popular, the film will be sure to draw in mass audiences of children and their families. Its summer release is also a prime time, seeing as children will be out of school and more able to see the film in theaters. [9] [10] [11] [12]

Sources

[1] DreamWorks Studios – History, dreamworksstudios.com, RT: 11/29/14

[2] DreamWorks Studios – FAQ, dreamworksstudios.com, RT: 11/29/14

[3] Reliance Big in Talks with Spielberg’s DreamWorks, business-standard.com, RT: 11/29/14

[4] Box Office Mojo- Need for Speed, boxofficemojo.com, RT: 11/29/14

[5] Videogame ‘Need for Speed’ to be Turned into ‘Fast & Furious’-Style Franchise, indiewire.com, RT: 11/29/14

[6] Box Office Mojo- One Hundred Foot Journey, boxofficemojo.com, RT: 11/29/14

[7] Michael Wright to Replace Stacey Snider at DreamWorks as CEO, variety.com, RT: 11/29/14

[8] DreamWorks Taps Lyndsay Harding as CFO, variety.com, RT: 11/29/14

[9] Four Cast in Steven Spielberg’s Untitled Cold War Spy Thriller, dreamworksstudios.com, RT: 11/29/14

[10] Novice Screenwriter on Selling His First Script to Steven Spielberg, hollywoodreporter.com, RT: 11/29/14

[11] Steven Spielberg’s The BFG to be Released in 2016, telegraph.co.uk, RT: 11/29/14

[12] Mark Rylance Starring as ‘The BFG’ for Steve Spielberg, variety.com, RT: 11/29/14

Multimedia Sources

(a) DreamWorks Studios Logo, wholemovieinfo.com, RT: 11/29/14

(b) Steven Spielberg Photo & Info, dreamworksstudios.com, RT: 11/29/14

(d) Lyndsey Harding Photo & Info , dreamworksstudios.com, RT: 11/2914

(e) Jeff Small Photo & Info, dreamworksstudios.com, RT: 11/29/14

(f) Need for Speed movie poster, industrialcolor.com, RT: 11/29/14

(g) the Hundred Foot Journey movie poster, imdb.com, RT: 11/29/14

(h) Michael Wright, wsj.com, RT: 11/29/14

(i) St. James Set, brooklyndaily.com, RT: 11/29/14

(j) the BFG, barnesandnoble.com, RT: 11/29/14

Univision

Posted on October 5, 2014 by veortiz

by Veronica Ortiz

[1] Univision Logo

ABOUT UNIVISION

Univision, owned by Univision Communications Inc. (UCI), is the largest Spanish language broadcast television network in the country, catering almost exclusively to Hispanic audiences living in the United States and Puerto Rico. It boasts a reach of 97% of Hispanic households in America, being carried by more than 1,400 broadcast and cable affiliates. [2] [3] Supported by UCI, Univision’s Hispanic market research is unparalleled to any other network and, with an ever growing Hispanic community in the US, Univision expects an exponential growth for all of its properties. [4]

KEY EXECUTIVES

Randy Falco, President and CEO [5]

Alberto Ciurana, President, Programming and Content, Univision Communications Inc. [6]

FINANCES

As of October 2014, Univision Communications holds a revenue of $2.63 billion. Its third-quarter financials have seen an improvement from last year’s, mostly due to the World Cup adding $54.1 million in net advertising revenue. A year ago, Univision faced a loss of $15.9 million, but this year the earnings rose to $42.8 million. TV and digital properties lead the 5.2% increase to $728.9 million. Univision Communication’s TV unit increased 5.7% to $613.9 million in this third quarter. In conclusion, it has been a strong year for Univision overall, helped heftily by the World Cup and retransmission fees, but weighed down by a slightly down core advertising revenue and radio revenue. [7] [8]

POPULAR FRANCHISES AND PROGRAMMING

The great majority of Univision’s programming consists of telenovelas produced by Mexican mass media company Televisa. Sitcoms have a weaker presence in Univision’s programming, but it still produces a moderate amount of original programming.

NUESTRA BELLEZA LATINA

Nuestra Belleza Latina Logo [10]

Nuestra Belleza Latina is a beauty show and reality contest where twelve women compete for a one year talent contract with Univision and for cash prizes. The show offers impressive ratings, and this year it made social media headlines by becoming the first show in English or Spanish to top the weekly buzz rankings on Facebook. [9]

THE LATIN GRAMMY

Latin Grammy Awards [11]

The Latin Grammy Awards is an annual awards show where the Latin Recording Academy recognizes outstanding Latin musical artists from around the world. The awards are broadcast in the U.S. by Univision. [11] The 15th Annual Latin Grammy Awards reached viewership of nearly ten million, with exemplary audience growth among the much coveted 18-34 demographic. Univision ranked as the No. 2 broadcast network for the evening of the Latin Grammy Awards, outperforming CBS, FOX and NBC. [12] [24]

SÁBADO GIGANTE

Sabado Gigante [13]

Sábado Gigante, a variety series, is Univision’s longest running program and the world’s longest running variety television show. It has been broadcast every Saturday evening and hosted by Mario Kreutzberger, better known as Don Francisco, since August, 1962. [13] A new three-hour episode is premiered each Saturday at 8pm with no reruns, really. [14] The show is known throughout every Hispanic household and has become a token of Hispanic culture. In 2012, Sabado Gigante celebrated its 50 years of uninterrupted broadcasting. Below is a compilation of clips from Sabado Gigante, put together by Univision to celebrate the show’s 50 years. [15] [16]

NEW CROSS-PLATFORM CONTENT

Even with old, but reliable hits such as Sábado Gigante, Univision still looks to expand to services that will also target millenials. The company recently struck a deal with DirecTV to provide content for their Internet-delivered service targeted towards Hispanic audiences. [17] This year, Univision also launched their own English-language over-the-top service called The Flama. [18] Full episodes for some of Univision’s programming can be found in their portal UVideos. Heavy hitters ratings-wise for this season include:

MI CORAZÓN ES TUYO (MY HEART IS YOURS)

Ana, a dancer, becomes a nanny after meeting a wealthy widower, Fernando, with seven kids. [19]

Mi Corazon Es Tuyo stars Silvia Navarro and Jorge Salinas [19]

The telenovela airs Monday through Friday on the 8pm-9pm time slot with strong ratings. It averaged 3.7 million viewers in the week of November 17-25, 2014, outperforming FOX in each demographic. [20]

HASTA EL FIN DEL MUNDO (UNTIL THE END OF THE WORLD)

Sofia takes the helm of her family’s successful chocolate manufacturing business after her father’s death. Even though she is engaged, she falls for her chauffeur, Salvador, who is also a race-car driver. [19]

Hasta El Fin Del Mundo stars Marjorie de Sousa [19]

Hasta El Fin Del Mundo is a Mexican telenovela based on the Argentinian telenovela Dulce amor. In the 9pm-10pm slot, Hasta El Fin Del Mundo had 3.5 million viewers in the November 17-25, 2014 week. [20]

LA MALQUERIDA (THE BAD MISTRESS)

After the death of her husband, Cristina’s hacienda falls into disarray until a handsome man, Esteban, offers to help her. They quickly fall in love, much to the distaste of Cristina’s daughter Acacia, who leaves the hacienda, but returns twelve years later, now a beautiful young woman. The return of Acacia makes Esteban develop a secret passion for her. [19]

La Malquerida stars (left to right) Ariadne Diaz, Christian Meier and Victoria Ruffo. [19]

La Malquerida helped put Univision on No. 3 Monday-Friday on the 10pm-11pm time slot, outperforming CBS for the week of November 17-25, 2014.The telenovela brought 2.4 million viewers adults 18-49. [20]

IN THE NEWS

MASSIVE LAYOFFS FOR UNIVISION EMPLOYEES IN PUERTO RICO

After massive layoffs in Univision Puerto Rico, residents of the island formed a Facebook page calling for the boycott of Univision. Over 30,000 users have joined it. [23]

On Friday October 17, 2014, Univision gutted its news operations on the island of Puerto Rico, scrapping most of the programs produced locally and dealing a huge blow to the already poor state of media and journalism on the island. [21]

Malule González was among those laid off and was replaced by Jaime Bauza. Promoted to senior vice president and general manager, Bauza will oversee Univision Puerto Rico, which includes Univision Canal 11, Tele Isla Canal 7 and the company’s radio properties. The reason why these layoffs happened has not yet been revealed, but some speculate that it is part of a strategy by Univision in the U.S. to make the company more appealing for sale. A positive note to this story has been Univision’s announcement of a request of proposals for new programming produced locally for 2015. [22]

SHORT-FORM TELENOVELAS

Novelas Xpress on UVideos [25]

Novelas Xpress is Univision’s newest online service which will present 17 different abridged versions of popular telenovelas. Nine of these will be available on Hulu, while the rest will be distributed on UVideos.

The reason for this move could be attributed to the Hispanic audience’s propensity to consume content on mobile devices. According to the director of content acquisition at Hulu, Rodrigo Mazon, “The Latino audience on Hulu is approximately 40 percent more likely to consume video on mobile.” [24] In addition to providing content to their audiences in a format they want, they will also benefit heftily from ad revenues. According to Mazon, the popularity of Korean dramas on Hulu might also indicate American audience’s desire to consume non-american content. To this end, Novelas Xpress will also feature English subtitles for some of their telenovelas. [25]

SOURCES

[1] Univision.com – Últimas Noticias, Farándula, Novelas, Fútbol, Radio. (n.d.). Retrieved November 30, 2014.

[2] Forbes.com. Univision Communications. (n.d.). Retrieved November 30, 2014.

[3] Hoovers.com. (n.d.). Univision Communications Inc.Company Information. Retrieved November 30, 2014.

[4] Corporate Univision. (n.d.). Explore Hispanic Marketing Insights and Hispanic Research. Retrieved December 1, 2014.

[5] Randy Falco – Univision. (n.d.). Retrieved November 30, 2014.

[6] Alberto Ciurana – Univision. (n.d.). Retrieved November 30, 2014.

[7] Univision Communications Third-Quarter Financials Improve, CEO Talks Streaming – Hollywood Reporter. (n.d.). Retrieved December 1, 2014.

[8] Mahler, J. (2014, July 12). Biggest Scorer in World Cup? Maybe Univision (The New York Times) . Retrieved December 1, 2014.

[9] Flomenbaum, A. (2014, March 31). ‘Nuestra Belleza Latina’ Becomes First Show to Top Facebook’s Weekly Buzz Ratings. Retrieved December 1, 2014.

[10] Nuestra Belleza Latina. (n.d.). Retrieved December 1, 2014.

[11] Latin Grammy. (n.d.). Retrieved December 1, 2014.

[12] Kondolojy, A. (2014, November 21). 15th Annual Latin Grammy Awards Reaches Nearly 10 Million Viewers With Double-Digit Growth Among Adults 18-49 and Adults 18-34. Retrieved December 1, 2014.

[13] Sabado Gigante. (n.d.). Retrieved December 1, 2014.

[14] Longest Running TV Variety Show. (n.d.). Retrieved December 1, 2014.

[15] Luzardo, H. (2012, July 7). Don Francisco sobre ‘Sábado Gigante’: ‘No creo en sucesores’ Retrieved December 1, 2014.

[16] Univision News – Sabado Gigante Turns 50! Take a Ride Down Memory Lane. (2012, October 25). Retrieved December 1, 2014.

[17] Grover, R., & Baker, L. (2014, September 11). Exclusive : Univision to provide content for DirecTV online service by year end. Retrieved December 1, 2014.

[18] Jarvey, N. (2014, April 17). Univision Launches Over-the-Top Network The Flama – Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 1, 2014.

[19] Univision Media Kit. (n.d.). Retrieved December 1, 2014.

[20] Bibel, S. (2014, November 25). Univision Beat One or More English-Language Network on 92 Percent of Nights Among Adults 18-34 in November Sweeps to Date. Retrieved December 1, 2014.

[21] Online Staff. (2014, October 17). Univision Guts PR News Operation – Caribbean Business. Retrieved December 1, 2014.

[22] Univision PR. (2014, October 17). Univision Puerto Rico Announces Executive Leadership & Programming Changes – Univision. Retrieved December 1, 2014.

[23] Worley-Lopez, F. (2014, October 21). Univision Layoffs Bury the Real Story in Puerto Rico. Retrieved December 1, 2014.

[24] Kuchinkas, S. (2014, June 12). Hulu Goes Big for Latino Content. Retrieved December 1, 2014.

[25] Univision PR. (2014, November 20). Univision Launches Novelas Xpress, New Short-Form Telenovela Format – Univision. Retrieved December 1, 2014.

DirectTV

Posted on October 5, 2014 by Nicholas Sabatino

by Nick Sabatino

Photo courtesy of www.interpretllc.com [1]

Contact Information

Headquarters: 2230 E. Imperial Hwy, El Segundo, CA 90245 Phone: (310) 964-5000 [2] Facebook: DirecTV Twitter: @DirecTV

Executives

President and CEO: Michael White Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer: Patrick T. Doyle Executive Vice President and President, DirecTV Latin America: Bruce B. Churchill [3]

President and CEO, Michael White
Photo courtesy of investor.directv.com [4]

About

DirecTV was founded in 1990 and was one of the country’s first satellite-cable providers. DirecTV offers quality television with a variety of channels, including many high definition (HD) channels. There are hundreds of channels on DirecTV and the number of channels a customer receives depends on the package that the customer buys. However, not only does DirecTV provide cable, they also provide On-Demand services, HD DVR products(recording devices) called Genie [5], and “TV Everywhere” applications so that you can enjoy your television shows or movies when you want, where you want, and on what device you choose.

DirecTV’s Genie: HD DVR
Photo courtesy of www.directv.com [6]

DirecTV is a satellite-cable provider, this means that instead of just having a cable box attached to your television inside of your home, DirecTV puts a satellite dish on top of your home. Appearance is mostly the only major difference. However, DirecTV has benefits over other cable providers. DirecTV is rated #1 in overall customer satisfaction, and has been ahead of cable for the past 14 years [7].

Financials

DirecTV offers its services in the United States and in Latin America. The company currently has over 37 million subscribers in these areas, and their revenues totaled about $30 billion dollars in 2013 [8]. DirecTV is a multi-billion dollar company traded publicly on the NASDAQ with the ticker symbol DTV. Their stock currently has a volume of 899,268 and it is being traded at $87.71 per share [9]. Over the past four years DirecTV has seen a substantial increase in subscribers. With that, came an increase in their stock value. Since 2010, DirecTV’s stock has rose about 60 points and it keeps steadily going up over time. These numbers are very good for DirecTV and proves that they are becoming more successful as a company and more people are choosing their product over others.

DirecTV stock over the last four years Photo courtesy of investor.directv.com

DirecTV’s stock price over the last four years
Photo courtesy of investor.directv.com [10]

AT&T Merger

In May of 2014, DirecTV proposed a deal to AT&T to join companies and create a merger. With this merger, AT&T could improve the services that DirecTV already has. AT&T would focus on improving the Internet quality in many areas of the country that DirecTV does business [11]. With improved Internet, customers would be able to get better access to On-Demand and Pay-Per-View options that DirecTV offers. It would also better allow for the DirecTV app to be on products such as iPads and iPhones that are contracted under AT&T service, so that DirecTV can be at your fingertips wherever, and whenever you want it to be. This is the concept of “TV Everywhere.”

Over the past few months, the merger has been overseen by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Justice Department over the legality of this merger. On November 20, 2014, DirecTV’s CEO, Michael White, said the deal should be approved next year. With this approved merger it is uncertain if DirecTV’s sales will go up. In a perfect market, the merger would cause an increase in the stock price of both AT&T and DirecTV. However, if one of the two company’s stock price starts to fall, being that both companies are in a merger, investors will sell their stock from the attached company and then both companies will have a decrease in stock price. This results in a loss of money for both AT&T and DirecTV [12].

AT&T and DirecTV Merger
Photo courtesy of www.accessnorthga.com [13]

International Expansion

In 2006, DirecTV gained 100% ownership of DirecTV Latin America [14]. With the expansion into new countries, DirecTV has asserted itself as more of a global brand. As of 2013, the number of subscribers that are from Latin America is about 18 million, which is an increase of about 9 million subscribers compared to the year 2010 [15]. With the success of expansion into Latin America, it is probable that DirecTV will expand into other markets as well and become even larger of a company. In the end of the day, it is all about getting your product to as many people as possible and making as much money as possible.

The DirecTV satellite dish portrayed as being on top of the Latin American countries where DirecTV is in. Photo courtesy of www.gigaom.com

DirecTV has expanded to Latin America.
Photo courtesy of www.gigaom.com [16]

Raycom Media

Back in September of 2014 there was a dispute between DirecTV and a broadcasting company called Raycom Media [17]. The dispute was over the broadcasting of Raycom Media’s channels through the means of DirecTV. The two companies did not come to a financial agreement by September 1st (the deadline) so for customers that had DirecTV they were unable to watch any Raycom Media channels for several days. Raycom Media is in 37 markets and 18 states, and they provide many different forms of television [18]. A major concern among people who had DirecTV and were in a Raycom Media market was the fact that they would not be able to watch some of the opening day NFL games on September 7th. Raycom and DirecTV made sure that this did not happen because of the potential financial loss that could have come from it. Agreements were made, and on September 7th customers were reinstated with their television channels.

Original Programming and What to Expect in the Future

Over the past few years DirecTV has entered into the world that Netflix and Hulu are also in. It’s the world of original programming, and it is the key to gaining more viewership, and in the case of DirecTV, more subscribers [19]. DirecTV’s goal is to have shows that viewers cannot get anywhere else. If this happens, then people may substitute the cable provider that they already have for DirecTV. DirecTV has their own channel called “Audience” that is only on DirecTV. On this channel is their newest show called Kingdom, and it came out in Fall of 2014. It stars Nick Jonas as a mixed martial arts fighter [20]. There is also a crime drama starring Thandie Newton called Rogue.

Click photo for Kingdom trailer courtesy of Youtube. Photo courtesy of www.directv.com

Click photo for Kingdom trailer, courtesy of www.youtube.com
Photo courtesy of www.directv.com [21]

There is even a special channel called “DogTV,” which is a channel specifically made for your dog to watch.

DogTV Trailer Photo courtesy of www.directv.com Commercial courtesy of www.youtube.com

Click photo for DogTV Commercial
Photo courtesy of www.directv.com
Commercial courtesy of www.youtube.com [22]

DirecTV also prides itself on its sports channels and packages. They have many packages, but their most popular one is the NFL Sunday Ticket. Every Fall if you are a customer that has NFL Sunday Ticket you can watch every NFL game that airs every Sunday [23]. New this Fall too is the introduction of NFL Fantasy Zone, a show which is all geared towards Fantasy Football. Expect growth in this department over the next few years.

There is also an ongoing dispute currently taking place between DirecTV and AMC. AMC is threatening to take away all of their channels (AMC, We TV, IFC, and Sundance) because they are claiming that DirecTV violated the existing deal that they had with them [24]. AMC is running campaigns during its show The Walking Dead, and DirecTV has an online petition[25]. DirecTV says that AMC is issuing a false alarm and nothing will happen. This is a developing story that needs to be kept a close eye on in the coming months.

In the near future, expect DirecTV to come up with more original content, renewal of their successful shows, expansion into new countries, and new and better deals to lure new customers to their services.

Sources

[1] DirecTV Logo. Interpret. RT: 4/30/14

[2] DirecTV Headquarters. eCorporateOffices.com. RT: 4/30/14

[3] Corporate Governance: Elected Officers. Investor.directv.com. RT: 4/30/14

[4] Michael White. Investor.directv.com. RT: 4/30/14

[5] DirecTV Genie. DirecTV.com. RT: 4/30/14

[6] DirecTV Genie. DirecTV.com. RT: 4/30/14

[7] DirecTV vs. Cable. DirecTV.com. RT: 4/30/14

[8] DirecTV 2013 Annual Report. Investor.directv.com. RT: 4/30/14

[9] Stock Quote and Chart. Investor.directv.com. RT: 4/30/14

[10] Stock Quote and Chart. Investor.directv.com. RT: 4/30/14

[11] “DirecTV CEO Expects Feds to OK AT&T Merger”. BostonHerald.com. RT: 4/30/14

[12] “3 Reasons DirecTV’s Stock Could Fall”. Fool.com. RT: 4/30/14

[13] “AT&T Agrees to Buy DirecTV in $45.8B Deal”. AccessNorthGa.com. RT: 4/30/14

[14] Company Profile. DirecTV.com. RT: 4/30/14

[15] DirecTV 2013 Annual Report. Investor.directv.com. RT: 4/30/14

[16] “DirecTV Adds Another 600,000 Latin American Users in Q1”. Gigaom.com. RT: 4/30/14

[17] “Raycom Media Restores 43 Local Stations to DirecTV Homes”. News.directv.com. RT: 4/30/14

[18] “Raycom Media Reaches Agreement In Principle With DirecTV”. RaycomMedia.com. RT: 4/30/14

[19] “DirecTV tries to join Netflix, Hulu With New Original Series Kingdom: Can They Compete?”. SheKnows.com. RT: 4/30/14

[20] “Stepping Into the Cage with Kingdom‘s Jonathan Tucker”. News.directv.com. RT: 4/30/14

[21] Kingdom Poster. DirecTV.com. RT: 4/30/14

[22] “DogTV Commercial – Been There Done That – Part 2”. Youtube.com. RT: 4/30/14

[23] “How DirecTV is Capitalizing On Growth of Fantasy Football”. Forbes.com. RT: 4/30/14

[24] “AMC Sounds Alarm About DirecTV Tussle During ‘Walking Dead’ Episode”. Variety.com. RT: 4/30/14

[25] “Don’t Let AMC Scare You!”. directvpromise.com. RT: 4/30/14

DreamWorks Studios

Posted on March 15, 2014 by Jung Sir

By Kevin Sir

Courtesy of wholemovieinfo.com [a]

DreamWorks Studios
100 Universal City Plaza Dr., Bldg. 5121
Universal City, CA 91608
P: (818) 733-9300
http://www.dreamworksstudios.com/

Key Executives

Steven Spielberg (Principal Partner) [b]

Stacey Snider (Principal Partner / Co-Chairman / CEO) [c]

Jeff Small (President / Chief Operating Officer) [d]

Holly Bario (President of Production) [e]

Company Overview

In 2007, DreamWorks introduced Stacey Snider, who was a former Chairman of Universal Studios, as the current Co-Chair and CEO of DreamWorks. In 2008, a $1.5 billion dollar deal was made with an Indian investment firm, Reliance ADA Group enabling DreamWorks’ films to be distributed and promoted by The Walt Disney Studios. [1] [2]

Brief History

Formerly identified as DW II Distribution Company, LLC, DreamWorks Studios is now known as DreamWorks, LLC, DreamWorks SKG, DreamWorks Pictures, and/or DreamWorks. The emergence of DreamWorks took place on October 12, 1994 when Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and David Geffen decided to establish Hollywood a new studio. The “SKG” appearing on the bottom of the logo for both DreamWorks and DreamWorks Animation (DWA) was created based off of these founders’ last names. In 2004, DWA separated from DreamWorks to form two companies. The license for the “DreamWorks” name and logo are licensed through DWA. Viacom, who was the parent company of Paramount Pictures on December 11, 2005, bought DreamWorks, however in 2008, DreamWorks gained back its independence. [1] [2]

Financials

MV5BMTQ3ODY4NzYzOF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNjI3OTE4MDE@._V1_SX214_AL_

Need For Speed Poster,
Courtesy of IMDb [f]

Contrary to DreamWorks Animation, DreamWorks Studio’s financials are unattainable since the company still remains as a privately held company. However, monumental financial information about DreamWorks can be attained through deeper research. As mentioned in the Company Overview, the agreements made with both Viacom and Reliance ADA Group add up to be about $3 billion dollars and this has saved DreamWorks’ debt from the previous years’ loss. Also, the information and performance from past films can roughly estimate how the company is doing in terms of revenue. DreamWorks’ most recent film, “Need For Speed” released in March 14, 2014 has successfully made profit overall. To look at it closely, the domestic gross profit for “Need For Speed,” which is roughly $42 million dollars did not even nearly meet its production budget of $66 million dollars. However, the film was a success internationally considering it made $143 million dollars. “Need For Speed” was successful in making a total of $120 million dollars, and indeed, it was a much needed profit due to DreamWorks’ failure to make profit with its past films.

need-for-speed-trailer-starring-aaron-paul-looks-like-the-sixth-season-of-breaking-bad

Aaron Paul pictured, Courtesy of Business Insider [g]

There are several reasons for the success of “Need For Speed.” First, it was originally a very popular game that debuted back in 1994, which could have drawn the video gamer audience. Also, the film starred Aaron Paul, who plays Jesse Pinkman on Breaking Bad. Breaking Bad won 10 Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards, and the show’s buzz has turned Jesse Pinkman into a household name. For these reasons, this enabled the film to draw in a wider audience.

Need for Speed debuted in 1994, and over the course of the next two decades, the game would evolve under several studios such as Black Box and Criterion Games. The series has been a critical and commercial hit with gamers. [3] [4] [5] [6]

Right Here, Right Now

After researching and looking at the patterns, the DreamWorks Studio has dramatically decreased the amount of movie being released since the year 2012. In fact, in 2012 and 2013, only two movies were released each year, and following its pattern, DreamWorks is planning on releasing only two movies in 2014 as well. [7]

The Prey Poster,
Courtesy of IMDb [h]

On January 15^th, 2014, after attaining the rights from Brio Films, Studio Canal and Cohen Media Group, DreamWorks Studios plans to remake a French film called “La Proie” from 2011; the remake will be called “The Prey” Originally directed by Eric Valette, La Proie has an attention grabbing plot which centers around a crook who needs to escape out of jail to save his family from his former cellmate and confidante who is a serial killer. With its remake, the film has an advantage of potentially attracting French people who has already seen the movie and want to watch an American remake version. In addition, the international gross profit could even exceed the domestic’s. [8]

Pictured Producer Marc Platt (“The Girl on the Train”)
Courtesy of Variety [i]

On March 24, 2014, DreamWorks Studios obtained the rights from Paula Hawkins, the author of “The Girl on the Train” for Marc Platt to produce as a R-rated movie. The novel centers around a young woman who gets involved in a murder investigation as a witness. From this news, DreamWorks Studios is on a path of producing mainly thrillers in its upcoming years. [9]

“Eleanor & Park” Courtesy of p.gr-assets.com [j]

On April 2, 2014, DreamWorks Studios attained the rights from Rainbow Rowell to make her novel, “Eleanor & Park,” into a movie. The movie takes a place in year 1986 in high school in Omaha with two 16 year olds: Eleanor, an insecure girl, and Park, a half-Korean boy who attempt to find themselves. [10]

“Made In Sweden” Courtesy of cdn-s3.thewrap.com [k]

On April 7, 2014, DreamWorks Studios announced that Mark Sourian will produce a crime thriller from the Swedish novel called “Made in Sweden” by Anders Roslund and Stefan Thunberg. Along with the authors, Niclas Salomonsson will executive produce.The novel is about a bank robbery from Sweden’s history and a story about a band of brothers who were involved in it. The audience should be prepared for the upcoming works of DreamWorks Studios that are filled heavily with small budgeted chilling thriller movies. [11]

Coming Up

Manish Dayal Pictured, Courtesy of http://i1.cdnds.net/ [l]

DreamWorks will be releasing a new film on August 8th, 2014 called “The Hundred-Foot Journey.” Due to the fact that this movie is still in the early development stages, a trailer is not available yet. “The Hundred-Foot Journey” centers around an Indian family who moves to France, and then opens up a restaurant across the street from a Michelin-starred French restaurant. Hassan Kadam, who is played by Manish Dayal, is a phenomenal culinary cook and after being displaced from their native India, the Kadam family moves to a village of Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val located in the south of France. After opening up an Indian restaurant called the ‘Maison Mumbai,’ Madame Mallory, who is played by Helen Mirren, decides to protest against the new Indian restaurant. The rivalry between the restaurants come to an end as Madame Mallory admits and recognizes Hassan’s gift as a chef and takes him under her wing.

MV5BNzI1Mjg5MjAyNF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNjc2NDA0MDE@._V1_SY317_CR131,0,214,317_AL_

Oprah (Left)
Helen Mirren (Right)
Courtesy of IMDb [m]

DreamWorks is focused on improving profits due to its loss from the past few years. The budget for their upcoming movie “The Hundred-Foot Journey” is approximately $25 million dollars. Of course, this budget is by no means small; however, as compared to DreamWorks’ film previous budgets in the past, it is evident to acknowledge that DreamWorks is cutting budgets and focusing more on making a profit. Also, what is interesting about “The Hundred-Foot Journey” is that Oprah Winfrey is one of the producers. It is quite safe to conclude that having Oprah as a producer is one of the strategies that DreamWorks plans on employing in hopes of attracting wider audiences. Indeed, the “Oprah Effect.” In hopes of making a profit with DreamWorks’ new small budget strategy, this is a clever and strategic approach because Oprah can “suddenly turn a small, unprofitable business into a multimillion-dollar company.” In this case, hopefully these types of results are seen with this movie. [12] [13]

Sources:

[1] DreamWorks Studios – History, dreamworksstudios.com, RT: 4/16/14

[2] DreamWorks Studios – FAQ, dreamworksstudios.com, RT: 4/16/14

[3] 3 Reasons ‘Need for Speed’ Could Be the Next ‘Fast & Furious’, fool.com, Leo Sun, 2/17/14, RT: 4/16/14

[4] Aaron Paul Facts: 17 Things You (Probably) Don’t Know About the ‘Need for Speed’ Star, news.moviefone.com, Jonny Black, 3/14/14, RT: 4/16/14

[5] EA and DreamWorks Lift the Curtain on Need for Speed the Movie, investor.ea.com, 6/10/14, RT: 4/16/14

[6] Box Office Mojo – Need For Speed, boxofficemojo.com, RT: 4/16/14

[7] Movie Insider – DreamWorks Studios, movieinsider.com, RT: 4/16/14

[8] DreamWorks To Remake French Thriller ‘The Prey’, dreamworksstudios.com, Mike Fleming Jr., 1/15/14, RT: 4/16/14

[9] DreamWorks Acquires Novel ‘The Girl on the Train’ for Marc Platt, dreamworksstudios.com, Justin Kroll, 3/24/14, RT: 4/16/14

[10] ‘Eleanor & Park’: DreamWorks picks up film rights to Rainbow Rowell novel, dreamworksstudios.com, Anthony Breznican, 4/2/14, RT: 4/16/14

[11] DreamWorks Studios Options Crime Thriller Book “Made in Sweden”, dreamworksstudios.com, 4/7/14, RT: 4/16/14

[12] DreamWorks Studios – The Hundred-Foot Journey, dreamworksstudios.com, RT: 4/16/14

[13] Investopedia – Oprah Effect, investopedia.com, RT: 4/16/14

Multimedia Sources

[a] DreamWorks Studios Logo, wholemovieinfo.com, RT: 4/16/14

[b] Steven Spielberg Photo & Info, dreamworksstudios.com, RT: 4/16/14

[c] Stacey Snider Photo & Info, dreamworksstudios.com, RT: 4/16/14

[d] Jeff Small Photo & Info, dreamworksstudios.com, RT: 4/16/14

[e] Holly Bario Photo & Info, dreamworksstudios.com, RT: 4/16/14

[f] Need For Speed Poster – IMDb, IMDb.com, RT: 4/16/14

[g] Photo of Aaron Paul, static4.businessinsider.com, RT: 4/16/14

[h] The Prey Poster -IMDb, IMDb.com, RT: 4/16/14

[i] Photo of Marc Platt, variety.com, RT: 4/16/14

[j] Photo of Eleanor and Park, p.gr-assets.com, RT: 4/16/14

[k] Photo of ‘Made in Sweden’, cdn-s3.thewrap.com, RT: 4/16/14

[l] Photo of Manish Dayal, cdnds.net, RT: 4/16/14

[m] Photo of Oprah and Helen, IMDb.com, RT: 4/16/14

Twitter

Posted on November 20, 2013 by Sona Kim

By Sona Kim

Twitter Logo [1]

1355 Market Street
Suite 900
San Francisco, CA 94103

Executives:

Dick Costolo – CEO [2]

Ali Rowghani – COO [3]

Mike Gupta – CFO [4]

Adam Bain – President of Global Revenue [5]

Company Profile

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

Twitter Demographics [19]

History

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

Discovery Communications

Posted on November 20, 2013 by Sebastian Dawson

By Sebastian Dawson

Discovery Communications – MediaWiki

courtesy FanPop.com

1 Discovery Place

Silver Spring, MD 20910

240.662.2000

Corporate.discovery.com

Fact Sheet

courtesy Corporate.Discovery.com

Highlights:

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

Key Executives

courtesy Corporate.Discovery.com

John S. Hendricks

Founder of Discovery Communication

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

Courtesy Corporate.Discovery.com

David Zaslav

President and CEO

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

Courtesy Corporate.Discovery.com

Mark Hollinger

President and CEO

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

Courtesy Commons.Wikimedia.org

Brief History

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

Networks

Discovery Channel

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

Courtesy IMDB.com

Animal Planet

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

Courtesy Animal Planet

The Military Channel

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

Courtesy DesiRulez.net

The Learning Channel

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

Courtesy TLC.com

Velocity

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

Courtesy Discovery Programs

Financials

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

Courtesy Corporate.Discovery.com

Third Quarter 2013 Highlights:

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

Exclusive

Shark Week!

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

Courtesy Discovery Programs

Bear Grylls

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

Courtesy Discovery Programs

In the News

Interbrand’s “Best Global Brands” Report

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

“Discovery Launches Fierce New Digital Network”

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

Courtesy Animal.Discovery.com

Discovery Channel Rocks the Vote

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

Courtesy Images.BusinessWeek.com

Upcoming

The Challenger Disaster

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

Courtesy Discovery Programs

Christmas

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

Halloween

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

Courtesy OurWeekly.com

Discovery Education

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

Courtesy Discovery Education

Impact

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

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

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

Courtesy Discovery Impact

Further

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

Works Cited

CBS Corporation

Divisions of the Company

Key Executives

Current Projects

SOURCES

HISTORY

KEY EXECUTIVES

FINANCIALS

YOUTUBE RED

YOUTUBE’S MOMENTUM & FUTURE

SOURCES

“We make the world’s daily habits inspiring and entertaining”

– Yahoo! Inc. [26]

YAHOO! INC.~ WHO WE ARE

YAHOO! INC.~ Financials

YAHOO! INC.~ Leadership

YAHOO! INC.~ The future

Sources

ABOUT UNIVISION

KEY EXECUTIVES

FINANCES

POPULAR FRANCHISES AND PROGRAMMING

NUESTRA BELLEZA LATINA

THE LATIN GRAMMY

SÁBADO GIGANTE

NEW CROSS-PLATFORM CONTENT

MI CORAZÓN ES TUYO (MY HEART IS YOURS)

IN THE NEWS

MASSIVE LAYOFFS FOR UNIVISION EMPLOYEES IN PUERTO RICO

SHORT-FORM TELENOVELAS

SOURCES

Contact Information

Executives

About

Financials

AT&T Merger

International Expansion

Raycom Media

Original Programming and What to Expect in the Future

Sources

Key Executives

Financials

Right Here, Right Now

Coming Up

Sources:

Multimedia Sources

“We make the
world’s daily habits inspiring
and entertaining”