By Brian Raferty December 12, 2018 | Within the small but thriving community of Blu-ray enthusiasts, the answers to that question tend to vary. Some are drawn to Blu-ray because of the unsatisfying video quality of streaming films; for others, it’s the sheer joy of tactile pop-culture paraphernalia, as some small-label discs come with elaborate packaging and hours of extras. “Customers...
By Sahil Patel December 10, 2018 | Jeffrey Katzenberg has been open about his plans to spend big bucks on programming for Quibi, his upcoming subscription mobile video streaming service. A pitch deck for investors shared by Quibi earlier this year — back when it was still called “New TV” — shines a light on how Katzenberg, Quibi CEO Meg Whitman and...
By Ryan Faughnder December 10, 2018 | Longtime Warner Bros. executive Craig Hunegs, who played a key role in the Burbank studio’s television and digital business strategy, is leaving his job after two decades with the company. Hunegs — president of business and strategy for Warner Bros. Television Group and president of Warner Bros. Digital Networks — is stepping down at the end...
By Rani Molla December 6, 2018 | Following Netflix’s lead, nearly every major video company is moving into the streaming media business. And that means also moving their content off Netflix and onto their own services. Disney — along with its soon-to-be purchased Fox — is launching its streaming service, Disney+, next year and pulling its content, including Pixar and Marvel films, from Netflix. The combined...
By Thomas K. Arnold December 6, 2018 | Comcast’s Xfinity Digital Store has joined digital movie-collection service Movies Anywhere, with the cable giant becoming its seventh digital retail partner — and first pay-television partner. Comcast’s Xfinity TV customers are now able to synchronize their accounts with Movies Anywhere, combine eligible movie purchases from the Xfinity Digital Store with those from other Movies Anywhere digital retailers,...
By Stephanie Prange December 4, 2018 | In the kaleidoscope of business models and formats that make up the home entertainment business, there are some brighter lights. To those not familiar with the home entertainment business, 4K UHD with HDR and EST may be alphabet soup, but they are the industry stars for those in the know. EST, or electronic sell-through, is the industry term for digital purchases...
Chart Source: NPD Connected Intelligence, TV Ownership Trends Report 4K ULTRA HD Is Shortening Consumers' TV Replacement Cycle December 3, 2018 | Consumers are increasingly migrating to the biggest and best when buying a new TV, especially when it’s for the primary viewing room – the living room. It all comes down to the factors that drive the decision to replace an existing...
BY TODD SPANGLER November 30, 2018 |Disney might be set to gain even more control over Hulu: AT&T said it is considering selling WarnerMedia’s 10% stake in the streaming venture — which is worth as much as $930 million — as part of shedding nonstrategic assets to pay down its massive debt load. AT&T execs made the comments at the telco’s investor day briefing Thursday. It’s potentially looking to...
BY: DADE HAYES and DAWN CHMIELEWSKI November 29, 2018 | In outlining WarnerMedia’s strategy for direct-to-consumer streaming, CEO John Stankey relied heavily on language more common in engineering circles than lunch tables at the Brentwood Country Mart. He laid out the plans to a roomful of Wall Street investors and analysts eager to hear more details about the post-merger course of WarnerMedia parent AT&T, not wasting the chance to...
BY REBECCA KEEGAN November 27, 2018 | Paramount and A24 agreeing to produce original films for the digital giants represents an about-face in the traditional pecking order and signals a major shift in the entertainment industry. In the future, when we chart the year the movie business changed, we may thank — or blame — Noah Centineo. That’s because the square-jawed heartthrob’s teen romantic...
