Broadcast & PayTV

Splitting the Difference: Why Warner Bros. and Comcast Are Carving Up Their Empires

Warner Bros. Discovery and Comcast are restructuring to separate their declining linear TV networks from streaming divisions, signaling the end of linear television’s dominance. This strategy, framed as a means to enhance value, highlights the sector’s collapse as advertisers and viewers shift to digital platforms. Mergers or sell-offs are imminent.

Distribution

Content Spending Slumps in the Post-Peak Television Era

After reaching unprecedented heights, the film and television market is now charting a more cautious path in the post-peak television era. Several recent forecasts shed light on the slowdown in television content spending, emphasizing the shift in priorities and austerity for major media companies.

Streaming

Navigating the Siren Song of Streaming as Studios Get Caught in the Undertow

Hollywood’s approach to thriving in streaming has taken a sharply negative turn in the past few years. Initially, the strategy involved pouring resources into content to lure subscribers and ending profitable licensing agreements with aggregators like Netflix, banking on eventual profitability.

Broadcast & PayTV

The Future Will Have Ads

In a recent survey of over 5,000 active online subscribers in the United States and Canada, 81% of respondents wished that paid streaming services like Netflix or Amazon Prime Video offered a free, ad-supported option.

Streaming

The Paradox of Choice

The major studios sabotaged the dream of a la carte programming and are now attempting to transform streaming into cable television via an ethernet connection instead of coaxial.

Streaming

AVOD Market Heats Up

Several media companies are holding discussions to acquire advertising-supported video streaming services. Fox Corp is in talks with Tubi, and NBCUniversal is considering Vudu.

Broadcast & PayTV

Cord-Cutting Gains Momentum

In the fourth quarter, two million US subscribers cut the cord on traditional television packages from AT&T, Comcast, Charter, and Verizon, up from 1.7 million in the third quarter.

Streaming

Disney Aims At Netflix

Disney+ nearly triples its subscriber base since launching in November. Through January, the streaming service has 28.6 million subscribers, up from 10 million weeks after it debuted.

Distribution

Follow The Leader

NBCUniversal, who competed against Disney for Fox, is planning to follow Disney’s lead in India with the purchase of Zee Entertainment.

Netflix Overtakes Sky
Distribution

Netflix Overtakes Sky

Sky’s new owners, Comcast, will more than double its investment in European original programming for the new venture – Sky Studios.

Distribution

AT&T Mistimes Market

AT&T’s decision to acquire a declining DirecTV and a sputtering Time Warner is materializing into a massive miscalculation.