BY BEN MUNSON September 07, 2018 | AT&T owns a significant SVOD product in HBO Now, with its $15-per-month price point and more than 5 million subscribers. But the company may be looking at bundling it with other direct-to-consumer products. John Stankey, head of WarnerMedia, gave that impression during a discussion at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Media and Entertainment conference this...
By Eriq Gardner August 30, 2018 | Disney has prevailed on its second attempt to stop Redbox from selling digital codes that consumers can redeem at online outlets to access copies of Black Panther and other movies. On Thursday, a California federal judge granted a motion for a preliminary injunction. The judge blessed the studio's revised licensing terms over "Combo Packs" which he concluded no...
By Scott Mendelson August 22, 2018 | If we judge a studio’s summer by the amount of new franchises it created, Warner Bros. may be the unofficial winner. Yes, Walt Disney ruled the roost with 42% of the overall market share, even if 22% of that came from just two movies (Avengers: Infinity War and Incredibles 2). And yes, Universal/Comcast Corp. had the year’s...
By Alex Weprin August 13, 2018 | In early 2016, NBCUniversal launched an ambitious direct-to-consumer streaming service called SeeSo. The service, which costs $3.99 per month, was filled with both original and acquired comedy content, and marked the company’s first major foray into standalone streaming services. SeeSo ultimately closed its doors in November, 2017. Now, the company is planning a return to the streaming...
By Joe Mandese July 31, 2018 | At a time when Nielsen appears to be in a bit of turmoil with Wall Street turning cold and its CEO stepping down, a new-and-improved comScore is making new strides in the next generation of TV market players. comScore this morning announced that a new “Campaign Ratings” platform will launch in beta this September and that...
By Todd Spangler July 31, 2018 | Sony teamed with Netflix to develop a new line of 4K Ultra HD TVs the companies claim will reproduce video from the streaming-video service exactly how filmmakers intended. For the new TVs, Sony and Netflix collaborated on a new display mode that the companies say make them the optimal way to view Netflix streaming content. The new Bravia Master series of 4K Ultra...
By Meg James July 27, 2018 | Walt Disney Co. and 21st Century Fox Inc. shareholders on Friday overwhelmingly approved Disney’s proposed $71.3-billion takeover of much of Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox — a milestone in a merger that is expected to dramatically reshape the entertainment industry. The deal’s contours began to form nearly a year ago over wine between Disney Chief Executive...
By Carolyn Giardina July 26, 2018 | Technicolor is shutting down its feature film sound and immersive sound units by the end of the year, after honoring current commitments to clients, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. The company intends to refocus its sound resources on sound for episodic series and other streaming content. It will also concentrate its production services on VFX and color...
By Tara Lachapelle July 25, 2018 | No, AT&T probably isn’t going to ruin HBO. John Stankey, the longtime AT&T Inc. executive appointed to run its recently acquired Time Warner division (now called WarnerMedia), caused quite a stir this month in his and AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson’s early days as media moguls. The New York Times got its hands on a recording of Stankey speaking alongside HBO...
By Todd Spangler June 20, 2018 | Walt Disney Animation Studios will debut its first virtual-reality short film next month, marking a new experiment by a major studio to use the power of VR to enhance storytelling. The short film, “Cycles,” is directed by Disney Animation lighting artist Jeff Gipson, marking his VR directorial debut. Read more on Variety. Related Articles: Next UP “Alternate Realities” | How...