In the first unsurprising development of 2023, Roku is finally launching its own smart TV. The question now is whether the company – whose stock is down 80% in the last year and faces myriad challenges – can leverage the news to reinvigorate its hardware business as it copes with an advertising slowdown challenging its …
It’s been a good few months for Comcast NBCUniversal’s Peacock streaming service, which continues to post impressive growth even though its overall subscriber numbers pale next to its big media peers. This week, NBCU CEO Jeff Shell told the UBS conference that the service has reached 18 million paid subscribers, up 20% in only the …
Cord cutting, the streaming wars, content cost inflation, and advertising pressure continue to swirl under the weight of Wall Street stock declines that have put everyone in a bad mood. It’s not the kind of environment that typically lures rich retirees back into the stress-inducing pressure cooker of the modern content business. But on Sunday …
“I believe we are well positioned for future long-term growth, and I am confident in the path forward.”– Disney CEO Bob Chapek Disney execs emanated positive vibes this week as they look to 2024 to bring profitability to their direct-to-consumer efforts, but Wall Street seems impatient with the idea that DTC subscribers can rise …
Netflix this week finally pulled back the curtain on its previously announced plans to launch an ad-supported tier, and the details suggest that the streamer has opted to move fast. No dancing around the edges to iron out kinks and build the business slowly. First of all, Netflix has opted to get aggressive on price, …
The prevalence of unfilled ad time at FAST providers is remarkable. Those unfilled spans amount to dead airtime, with some spans going on so long that they hearken back to television’s early days when broadcasts would cease at midnight and give way to static. One particularly lengthy example caught our eye in August. The UFC …
Disney CEO Bob Chapek indicates he’d like to buy out Comcast’s Hulu stake sooner rather than later.
Those of a certain age will recall American Express’ famous advertising campaign that touted the value of “membership.” You’re not a customer. You’re a “member” and part of an elite Illuminati with access to travel discounts and a personal concierge you’ll never use but like having on call just in case. Of course, membership doesn’t …
It’s no secret that sports TV rights are slowly melting into the streaming universe as well-funded companies like Apple, Amazon, and Alphabet’s Google bid for everything from NFL’s Thursday Night Football to much larger prizes like the NFL Sunday Ticket package. But this week’s college football deal around the Big Ten illustrates why any migration …
Comcast’s Q2 earnings report lays bare why well-diversified media companies tend to weather economic storms and business challenges better than others over the long term. Yes, Comcast’s stock ended Thursday down more than 9% and continued to decline into Friday morning. Yes, the company lost 497,000 video subs in the quarter, far worse than the …
