Viacom

Posted on December 1, 2014 by htfergus

by Timothy Chew

[1] Viacom Logo

About Viacom

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

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

Television Networks

[4] Viacom’s Media Network Brands

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

Film

[5] Paramount Pictures Logo

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

Financials

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

Key Executives

[9] Philippe Dauman, President and Chief Executive Officer

[10] Thomas E. Dooley, Chief Operating Officer

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

Recent News

[12] Viacom Acquires Channel 5

Viacom Closes Acquisition of UK’s Channel 5

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

[13] Viacom and Sony Partnership

Viacom and Sony Inks Internet Distribution Deal

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

Releases

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

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

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

[17] Interstellar, directed by Christopher Nolan

Interstellar

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

Upcoming Releases

[20] Eye Candy, MTV’s New Thriller

MTV Announces New Scripted Thriller

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

Trailer [22].

Mission-Impossible-5-starring-Tome-Cruise

[23] Mission Impossible 5, directed by Christopher McQuarrie

Mission Impossible To Release Fifth Film

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

Sources

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Warner Bros Pictures

Posted on September 18, 2012 by jdsaffre

by Jarrad Saffren

The Warner Bros Pictures logo, courtesy of WarnerBros.com.

A Brief History and Profile

Warner Bros Pictures is a major film studio that produces film, television, and music entertainment. Founded by the four Warner brothers, Albert, Harry, Sam, and Jack in 1918, Warner Bros Pictures has been a “Big Three” or “Big Six” American film studio since the development of the “major film studio” classification in the 1930s. Based on revenue and market share statistics from the 2011 fiscal year, Warner Bros Pictures is the most profitable entertainment subsidiary of the Time Warner conglomerate and the second most profitable major film studio behind only Paramount Pictures. It merges several divisions and brands including New Line Cinema, HBO Films, Castle Rock Entertainment, Warner Bros Animation, and DC Entertainment.

Financial Situation

On the strength of a lucrative summer performance at the box office that included the seventh highest grossing film of all-time (“The Dark Knight Rises”), Warner Bros Pictures had its strongest financial quarter in a year in terms of net income. Including the cost of revenue and after taxes, Warner Bros raised its net income from $430 million at the end of the second quarter of 2012 in June to $838 million at the end of the third quarter in September (1). This is the highest total for the company since it netted $822 million in the third quarter of 2011.

Unfortunately, Warner Bros’ net income is expected to drop slightly at the end of the fourth quarter. At the box office, the fall and early winter season has been a mixed bag for Warner Bros based on its two most prominent releases. Ben Affleck’s “Argo” is a smash hit that has grossed over $111 million and counting, surpassing its $44 million budget with flying colors (2). “Cloud Atlas,” on the other hand, has been a resounding box office failure in spite of critical acclaim. The film has grossed just $25 million against an estimated $100 million budget (3).

This mixed bag is not alarming because the fall movie season is typically less lucrative than the summer and holiday seasons that bookend it. As one of the most prominent film studios on the planet, Warner Bros has also finalized a steady stream of high profile releases featuring A-list stars coming out this holiday season and throughout 2013.

On a long-term scale, Warner Bros has raised its total shareholder equity this quarter to $30.02 billion, its highest total since the third quarter of 2011 (4). More people are investing in Warner Bros because the company has finally started to market its vast intellectual property holdings via alternative media sources like Flixster, a company-owned online streaming service.

Recent News

August 2012

Peter Jackson is teaming up with Warner Bros for another Hobbit trilogy beginning this December. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.org.

In a joint announcement on the last day of the month, Warner Bros Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures revealed that the final film in Peter Jackson’s trilogy adaptation of “The Hobbit” will be released worldwide on July 18, 2014. All three films are set in Middle-earth 60 years before “The Lord of the Rings,” which Jackson and his team adapted into an award winning trilogy of its own from 2001 to 2003. The first installment in the new trilogy “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” kicks off the holiday movie season next Friday and could provide an end-of-quarter financial boost for the company. The second “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” will be released on December 13, 2013. (5)

September 2012

In the first week of September, Jack Horner was named Executive Vice President, Theatrical Communications, Warner Bros Pictures Group. Sue Kroll, President, Worldwide Marketing, Warner Bros Pictures, created this new position. Horner will primarily handle corporate PR issues relating to the film division. He will work closely with the domestic and international publicity units of the film division as Warner Bros tries to expand its reach across multiple platforms and cultures. Horner most recently worked at News Corporation, where he was Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Corporate Communications. (6)

About a week after the Horner announcement, shooting began for “The Hangover Part III,” the third and final film in director Todd Phillips’ wildly popular comedy trilogy. The project is a team effort between Warner Bros Pictures and Legendary Pictures. Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, and Justin Bartha are back to star as the beloved “Wolfpack” foursome of Phil, Stu, Alan, and Doug. “The Hangover Part III” is scheduled for a worldwide release on May 24,2013. (7)

October 2012

Always staying proactive, in addition to “The Hangover,” Warner Bros Pictures announced a slate of four new films set for release during 2013. “The Incredible Burt Wonderstone” stars Steve Carell, Steve Buscemi, and Jim Carey as dueling magicians on the Las Vegas strip. It comes out on May 15^th. “The Conjuring” stars Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson as paranormal investigators who are forced to take on the most horrifying case of their careers in a secluded farmhouse. It hits theaters on July 19^th. “We’re the Millers” stars Jason Sudeikis as a small-time pot dealer forced to travel to great lengths to pay off a debt to his big-time supplier. It will premiere on August 9^th. “Prisoners” stars Hugh Jackman as a desperate father who abducts the man he suspects is behind the kidnapping of his eight-year-old daughter. It is set for release on September 20^th. (8)

“All You Need is Kill” is based on a 2004 Japanese sci-fi novel of the same name. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.org.

Looking even further into the future, Warner Bros Pictures, Legendary Pictures, and Village Roadshow Pictures announced jointly that “All You Need is Kill,” a sci-fi thriller starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt and based on the book of the same name, will be released on March 14, 2014. The film is a futuristic, society-on-the-brink drama where an alien race is swiftly destroying the human race. Cruise and Blunt star as the military lieutenant and Special Forces warrior tasked with destroying the alien invaders and saving the world. (9)

Such a bright future would not be possible without Warner Bros’ landmark past. This January, Warner Bros Pictures will pop the corks on a yearlong celebration of its 90^th anniversary. On the strength of the largest film library in the world–6,800 feature films including 22 Academy Award-winning Best Pictures–Warner Bros will be releasing seven new exclusive film collections to DVD and Blu-ray. 100 of the films will be on DVD, 50 on Blu-ray. Both will be the largest such collections of their formats in history to date. Several classics will also be released individually on Blu-ray for the first time including “The Jazz Singer” and “Driving Miss Daisy.” (10)

In addition to its innovative approach for bringing old classics onto newer formats, Warner Bros is also getting in on the newest media. In the last week of October, after announcing its anniversary celebration, Warner Bros revealed that it is teaming with Paramount Home Media Distribution to release more than 600 catalog titles from the Paramount film library via Flixster, the Warner Bros movie streaming and discovery service. Warner Bros will now have exclusive rights to Blu-ray and DVD distribution of those movies in the US and Canada, expanding the company’s massive reach into the pivotal Internet streaming sector. (11)

Finally, to conclude its busiest month of the third quarter and most progressive technological month of any quarter in recent memory, Warner Bros Home Entertainment agreed to a multiyear deal with Redbox, a DVD, Blu-ray, and video game distribution service owned by Coinstar, to bring Warner Bros titles to Redbox kiosks. All Warner Bros titles will be released to the kiosks just 28 days after their initial retail release dates. In addition, Redbox has agreed to promote Ultraviolet, Warner Bros innovative streaming service that would allow consumers to buy a title once and then access it anywhere on any device. (12)

November 2012

Warner Bros picked up in November right where they left off in October, continuing its mass effort to release content across multiple platforms. The new hobbit trilogy is not even out in theatres yet, but it is already hitting the mobile circuit. Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment has teamed up with Kabam, a leading producer of multiplayer games for electronic devices, to launch “The Hobbit: Kingdoms of Middle-earth” app for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Android devices. The game is based on collective strategy with other users and is free for all consumers of the aforementioned devices. (13)

In the midst of these new platforms, Warner Bros did not forgot about the one that made it a player in the first place: the big screen. In 2003, Warner Bros became one of the first film companies to partner with the IMAX Corporation. A few weeks before Thanksgiving, the two sides agreed on a new 20-picture deal over the next three years. Among the anticipated Warner Bros titles that will be showcased via the IMAX experience are “300: Rise of an Empire” (August 2, 2013) and “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” (December 13, 2013). (14)

References

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Viacom