Scripps Networks Interactive

Posted on November 2, 2013 by Alexa Sternschein

By Alexa Sternschein

This photo is curtesy of wkrb13 (1)

Scripps Network Interactive is a cable network that specializes in life-style oriented content. They’re main brands include HGTV, DIY Network, Food Network, Cooking Channel, Travel Channel, and Great American Country. They’re company is based on delivering content and products related to the home and food. The shows that are aired are all about inspiring their viewers to live a better lifestyle, whether it’s through home improvement or new recipes try to here and there. If you click on the image below, it will lead you to Scripps Networks Interactive’s 2013 upfront video. (2)

Key Executives (3)

Kenneth W. Lowe Joseph G. Necastro

Chairman of the Board, Chief Financial and

President and Chief Executive Officer Administrative Officer

Burton Jablon Henry Ahn

President, Executive Vice President

Scripps Network Corporate Controller and Emerging Business CFO

History

Scripps Network Interactive was founded in 1878 by Edward W. Scripps. It started as a newspaper publishing company after he founded The Penny Press in Cleveland. During the post-war era it started to build its reputation as a leading local television operator. HGTV was the first television network to be developed by Scripps Network Interactive. After that the Food Network, DIY Network, and Fine Living Network. Scripps also added Great American Country and the Travel Channel to its portfolio later on.

In 2007 the company split into two publicly traded companies. One side focused on the growing national television lifestyle brands and global Internet services. The other side focused on relevant, innovative and enduring local media business. (4)

Financials

Revenue: $594 Million

Operating Income: $219 Million

Costs of services before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization: $163 Million

The figures above are the 2013 first quarter results. The company is currently in its third quarter but the second quarter results have not been made public yet. Compared to 2012, there was a major increase for all three categories in the first quarter of 2013. Revenue increased 11% from $535 million in 2012 to $594 million in 2013. Operating income increased 2.4% from $214 million in 2012 to $219 million in 2013. Costs of services before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization unfortunately also increased by 18.8% from $137 million in 2012 to $167 million in 2013. Overall Scripps Networks Interactive is showing great improvement from 2012 to 2013. (5)

Networks

HGTV consists of home and lifestyle programming. It was the first brand to be part of the Scripps Networks Interactive portfolio and it was created in 1994.(6) Most of the shows on HGTV are about home decorating such as 24 Hour Design, 25 Biggest Renovating Mistakes, and Behind the Build: HGTV Dream Home. With the holidays around the corner, they are also doing a lot of holiday specials, such as Celebrity Holiday Homes and 25 Great Holiday Ideas.(7)

Food Network consists of new, interesting, and creative ways to approach food. It is not only “how to” cooking shows, there are also competitions and travel shows. It keeps food relevant. Food Network was introduced in 1997. (6) You can find shows such as Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives, Chopped, and 30 Minute Meals. (8)

DIY Network consists of Home Improvement shows. These are the shows you watch when you want to learn how to get your hands dirty and really improve your house yourself and not just decorate it. DIY Network was added to the Scripps Network Interactive portfolio in 1999. (6) Some of the shows that you will find on this channel are House Crashers and I Hate My Bath. (9)

The Cooking Channel is sort of an extension of Food Network. Food Network is a network that consists or television programming and websites. The Cooking Channel is the actual channel that provides the Food Network Programming. (6)

Great American Country celebrates American culture through music, food, family, home and travel. It was added to the Scripps Networks Interactive portfolio in 2004.(6) Some of it’s shows are Top 20 Country Countdown, Celebrity Motor Homes, and Made in America. (10)

The Travel Channel consists of programming exclusively devoted to travel entertainment. It helps people explore the world without leaving their couch, but it also helps them plan a trip if they want to get out there and explore. Scripps acquired the Travel Channel in 2009. (6) It consists of shows such as Bizarre Foods, Baggage Battles, and The Dead Files. (11)

What’s Happening Now

Scripps Networks Interactive has accomplished many things in 2013 and has a lot coming up in the year 2014. According to the CEO, Kenneth Lowe, the lifestyle programming that is offered by Scripps Networks Interactive is very similar to sports because it is usually viewed live. Scripps emphasizes immediacy and because of this most of the advertising is C3 advertising. However, lately there has been a large viewing through DVR on Sunday nights, so there might be a slight shift to C7 advertising. “So, I think it’s good for the industry … that we’re moving to C7 for sure,” said Lowe. (12)

In order to keep up with the large live viewership of the Scripps audience, Scripps Networks Interactive has recently released a new lifestyle video site and distribution platform called ulive. Ulive will provide videos from each Scripps brand along with over 70 original series. (13) Ulive is almost like another brand added to the Scripps portfolio that offers all the old existing shows along with new shows and series. Because of the holiday season, a lot of the new shows on ulive are holiday specials such as Holiday Hangups. (14)

(14)

In other news, Scripps Networks Interactive was recently in the midst of making a deal with Chellomedia BV. The two parties unfortunately could not agree on a deal and Chellomedia was sold to AMC Inc instead. The thought process behind this attempted deal was that Scripps is trying to “bring in the minority interests of both Food Network and Travel Channel.” The company is still in the process of deciding what to do with its cash reserves for now. (15)

Expanding Their Borders

Scripps Networks International has just recently launched Food Network and the Travel channel in Croatia. Programming will be available through two channels owned by Vipnet. The two channels will be available in standard definition. Travel Channel is fully localized and Food Network will be fully localized by 2014. (16) Scripps Networks International is currently available in 170 countries around the globe. Scripps also owns 50% interest in UKTV. (17)

New President

Scripps Networks Interactive’s president of it’s operating division, John Lansing, is retiring. After nine years with the company, Lansing is finally stepping down and Burton Jablin, the president of the home category division, will be stepping up and taking his place. Alongside him will be Kathleen Finch, senior vice president and general manager of HGTV and DIY Network. Finch and Jablin will be splitting Lansing’s original role in the company. (18)

Post-Thanksgiving Live!

With Thanksgiving around the corner, all of the Scripps networks are doing holiday specials. Food Network in particular is taking part in holiday fun. Food Network is conducting a Google+ Hangout on Saturday, November 23rd at 2pm. It will be an interactive, Thanksgiving themed “hangout” with chefs such as Bobby Flay, Giada De Laurentiis, Alton Brown, and Ina Garten and they will discuss post-Thanksgiving leftovers and food advice. It can be viewed at FoodNetwork.com/ThanksgivingHangout. (19)

Sources

WKRB13
Scripps Networks Interactive Company
Scripps Networks Interactive Leaders
Scripps Networks Interactive History
Financials
Scripps Networks Interactive Our Brands
HGTV
Food Network
DIY Network
Great American Country
Travel Channel
James, S. B. (n.d.). Scripps CEO: Like sports, lifestyle programming best watched live.
Cabanilla, I. R. (n.d.). Scripps Networks unveils online video site. SNL Kagan.Ulive
Ulive
James, S. B. (n.d.). Scripps CFO: We would not pay what Chellomedia was asking. SNL Kagan.
Cabanilla, I. R. (n.d.). Scripps launches Food Network, Travel Channel in Croatia. SNL Kagan.
http://scfp.mobmedia.com/category2.aspx?code=04
Ilas, M. (n.d.). Scripps Networks television unit loses president, names replacement. SNL Kagan.
Food Network Thanksgiving Live
Scripps Networks Interactive

Buenavista/Disney Pictures

Posted on October 28, 2013 by Gregory Fenton

By Greg Fenton

Photo courtesy of www.thewaltdisneycompany.com

History

Founded in 1923 under the name “The Disney Brothers Studio”,The Walt Disney Studios began as a humble cartoon studio, producing classics such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, Fantasia, Mary Poppins, and The Lion King. Today, The Walt Disney Studios, also known as Disney/Buena Vista, has become one of the largest film companies in the world, churning out internationally successful live-action and animated films aimed at entertaining the whole family. The Walt Disney Studios umbrella encompasses several studios owned and operated by The Walt Disney Studios, including Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Touchstone Pictures, Pixar Animation Studios, Disneynature, and Marvel Studios. Disney also acquired Lucasfilm Ltd. in late 2012 for $4 billion. [1] [2] [3]

Key Executives

Robert A. Iger– Chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company

Photo courtesy www.thewaltdisneycompany.com

Alan Horn– Chairman of The Walt Disney Studios

Photo courtesy of www.waltdisneystudios.com

Andy Bird– Chairman of Walt Disney International

Photo courtesy of www.thewaltdisneycompany.com

Alan Bergman– President of The Walt Disney Studios

Photo courtesy of www.waltdisneystudios.com

Financials

In 2013, The Walt Disney Company brought in $45.0 billion of revenue ($9.4 billion gross profit), up from $42.3 billion in 2012 ($8.9 billion gross profit) , and $38.0 billion in 2010 ($6.7 billion gross profit). As of this writing (11/18/2013), Disney stock sits at an even $70.00 per share, a significant increase from $47.45 a year ago (11/19/2013).[4] Through November 14th, 2013 Disney/Buena Vista commands 13.1% of the studio market share, trailing Warner Bros. (17.8%) and Universal (14.6%).[5] Disney/Buena Vista thrives on the blockbuster, with four films grossing over $100 million domestically in 2013 and 2012. Of these eight films, three of them are part of Marvel Studio’s “Avengers” franchise, which shows the enormous financial returns on Disney’s $4 billion investment to purchase Marvel Entertainment in 2009.[6] [7] In early November 2013, Disney/Buena Vista broke its all-time global box office record of $3.79 billion, set in 2010, with over six weeks and three major releases left to go in 2013, setting Disney/Buena Vista up for a year of eye-popping numbers. [17]

Recent Film Releases

Photo courtesy games.disney.com

Planes– DisneyToon Studios’ Planes follows a crop-dusting plane named Dusty Crophopper with big dreams of being a racer and a fear of heights. After training under veteran fighter, Skipper, Dusty qualifies for the prestigious Wings Across the World race. There, as an underdog, he meets friend and foe, but, more importantly, learns to break down his physical and mental barriers.[8]

As a DisneyToon production, Planes was initially meant for a straight-to-DVD release and cost Disney a relatively cheap $50 million to make, yet opened with a robust $22 million weekend opposite Sony’s Elysium in early August, eventually pulling in $89 million domestically in over 3,700 theaters. [9] [10] [6]

The film received a Metascore of just 32 from review-aggregator site Metacritic.com with some reviewers appreciating the modesty of the film, while others docked the film for lacking the quality of other animated Disney films and an overly simplistic plot. [11]

Photo courtesy www.imdb.com

Thor: The Dark World– Thor: The Dark World is a sequel to 2011’s Thor.That movie, distributed by Paramount as part of The Avengers franchise, raked in over $181 million at the domestic box office. Disney bought the distribution rights for Marvel’s the Avengers (2012) and Iron Man 3 (2013) in 2010 and finalized a deal for the distribution rights for Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Thor, and Captain America: The First Avenger in summer 2013. [12] [13] [14]

Thor: The Dark World takes place two years after the events of Thor, focusing on Thor’s quest for peace in the nine realms of Asgard. Thor misses Earth and his love-interest Dr. Jane Foster, but is prevented from traveling back to her by Odin, Thor’s father. However, when Foster travels through a wormhole, uncovering an ancient weapon called Aether that threatens the fate of Asgard and Earth. Thor then decides to team up with Foster and his half-brother, and villain of the Thor and Marvel’s The Avengers films, Loki, to destroy the Aether and save Asgard from the wrath of the dark elf Malekith. [12]

At the time of this writing Thor:The Dark World has earned over $145 million at the domestic box office just two weekends after its November 8th release in over 3,800 theaters, and should recoup its $170 million budget in the very near future. The Dark World has also thrived overseas, pulling in just under $333 million worldwide. The real test will be to see how the film performs after Lionsgate releases The Hunger Games: Catching Fire on November 22nd which some believe will open with a $150 million weekend. Nevertheless, The Dark World is already a financial success for Disney and should continue to put up strong numbers at the box office for several weeks as the holiday movie-going season kicks off. Click here to watch the trailer for Thor:The Dark World [12] [15]

Upcoming Film Releases

Photo courtesy of wikia.disney.com

Frozen– Frozen is the latest effort from the wildly successful Walt Disney Animation Studios, opening the day before Thanksgiving on November 27th, 2013. Based on the fairy tale written by Danish Author Hans Christian Andersen, “The Snow Queen,” Frozen revolves around the story of two sisters, Anna and Elsa, the latter of which has the supernatural ability to control ice and snow. When Elsa accidentally uses these powers in public, she flees, plunging the kingdom into eternal winter. Determined to end the cold snap, Anna enlists the help of the mountain man Kristoff and the animated snow man Olaf. [16]

Opening up the day before Thanksgiving should give Frozen ample time to marinate in the holiday climate before more major titles are released before for Christmas. As with Thor:The Dark World, Frozen will have to compete with The Hunger Games: Catching Fire for attention, but the film keeps a significant advantage in its subject matter as a children’s musical adventure in the midst of several films that touch more serious topics. Frozen will also benefit from being released in 3D, which will provide a major boost to its numbers at the box office. On the other side of the spectrum of success, Frozen could garner some looks as the Academy Awards approach in a relatively weak year for animated movies that included a sequel (Despicable Me 2) and a prequel (Monsters University) as the highest earners at the box office in the animated category. [16]

Other Upcoming Releases

Delivery Man– November 22nd, 2013

Saving Mr. Banks– December 13th, 2013

The Wind Rises– February 14th, 2014 [17]

Sources:

[1] The History of Disney

[2] Studios Under the Walt Disney Studios Umbrella

[3] Disney Buys Lucasfilm LTD

[4] Disney Financial Profile

[5] Disney Market Share

[6] Buena Vista Box Office-2012

[7] Disney Buys Marvel