By Alisha Haridasani June 8, 2018 | Rupert Murdoch is looking beyond Disney for the sale of the bulk of 21st Century Fox assets, Richard Greenfield, media and tech analyst at BTIG told Cheddar exclusively. “I think a lot of people have said not only is he focused only on selling to Disney but he really wants Disney stock and wants to be...
By Brooks Barnes and John Koblin June 11, 2018 | Jennifer Salke has been the head of television and movies at Amazon Studios for four months. Her sunny corner office at Culver Studios, a historic movie lot that now serves as Amazon’s entertainment headquarters, has not yet been fully put together. She is still getting to know some staff members in the film department. That is because Ms....
By Janko Roettgers June 6, 2018 | Sony Pictures Entertainment is in the process of building out a new state-of-the-art digital technology facility dubbed Innovation Studios, which is scheduled to open later this fall. Innovation Studios is being housed on the Sony Pictures lot in Culver City, Calif., and is designed to bring advanced technologies like volumetric capture to filmmakers, TV show producers and even Hollywood...
By Mike Farrell June 5, 2018 | PricewaterhouseCoopers predicts that OTT video revenue, which grew 15.2% in 2017, will rise at an 8.8% annual clip from 2018 to 2022, fueled by increased growth internationally and the focus on original content. According to PwC’s Global Entertainment and Media Outlook 2018-2022 report, the researcher said total OTT revenue reached $20.1 billion in 2017, a 15.2%...
By Stewart Clarke June 5, 2018 | The British government gave the green light Tuesday to 21st Century Fox’s bid to take over Sky, on condition that Sky News be offloaded to a third party such as Disney. The government also cleared a rival bid for Sky from Comcast, paving the way for the two U.S. media giants to battle it out for Europe’s biggest pay-TV company. Read more on...
By Sahil Patel June 4, 2018 | Amazon has become a significant driver of subscriptions for TV companies with over-the-top streaming channels. But even as Amazon Channels assumes the role of a powerful player between TV networks and viewers, networks say they’re not too concerned about ceding too much control to the tech giant. Launched in late 2015, Amazon’s Prime Video Channels program...
By Andreas Wiseman May 31, 2018 | In an intriguing move, fledgling blockchain outfit Slate Entertainment Group (SEG) has pre-bought worldwide distribution rights to Macon Blair’s The Shitheads starring Luke Wilson (Old School) and Ron Funches (Trolls), for its upcoming blockchain video on demand platform Binge. SEG will also give the film a theatrical run and says it is “committed to supporting the theatrical experience” on “select acquisitions.” To date, this is the highest-profile...
By Todd Spangler June 1, 2018 | Hulu CEO Randy Freer has made a series of sweeping organizational changes, leading to the departure of three top execs — chief content officer Joel Stillerman, Tim Connolly, senior VP of partnerships and distribution, and Ben Smith, senior VP of experience. Its content teams will now be organized into two groups: one combining live TV and subscription VOD content licensing, acquisition...
Photo: Asa Mathat for Vox Media By Edmund Lee May 30, 2018 | Recode Executive Editor Peter Kafka gamely asked AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson why it makes sense for his company to spend $85 billion to own Time Warner when it could simply license that same content. His answer came down to Netflix. “A key variable is the direct relationship with the customer, and a...
(Above) 'Dear Dictator' is a new release from Cinedigm, which is pushing into China. By Stephanie Prange and Erik Guenwedel May 27, 2018 | In a marketplace dominated by major studio blockbusters and digital goliaths, indie film suppliers are holding their own in home entertainment. These scrappy companies are showing resourcefulness and cunning, embracing technology and industry consolidation, while staying true to their...
