What’s going on in the industry? Trends, mergers, acquisitions — it’s all here
A few months ago, I noted the sale of ITV’s holding in BritBox International to BBC Studios. I tried to be clear, but it’s a weirdly confusing topic. Sat here in the UK, we tend not to spot details such as we had BritBox UK, not International. I thought I’d return to the topic in the interest of greater clarity. What happened to BritBox (as … Continue reading BritBox is dead — long live ITVX (and britbox)
It’s been a good week since my last update, and I thought I’d skim the various posts I’ve seen. A good place to start is Deadline’s piece, which suggests Skydance are not out of the picture leaving the Apollo / Sony deal in discussion. At one point Variety suggested it would be no deal at all, with Paramount rejecting Sony again (they already turned down … Continue reading Paramount takeover — more updates
I’ve not been following the story, but it seems Skydance are is the final stages of it intended takeover of Paramount. For a few days I’ve seen strong speculation of change at the top of Paramount, and I look forward to any deal landing so the dust can settle and we find out the intention going forward. Deadline has an update, suggesting a final offer … Continue reading Skydance proposed takeover of Paramount gathers pace [UPDATED]
Everyone TV has announced the official launch of Freely. Backed by BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5, Freely is available through the next generation of smart TVs now on sale in stores and online. You can go the Freely site for more details. I’ve grabbed the following from the BBC’s press release. Freely will futureproof live TV for the streaming age. For the first … Continue reading Freely has launched
Netflix has weathered the post-Covid financial storm and seems to have clear waters ahead. Password sharing crackdowns and subscriber growth have worked their magic, adding 9.3 million customers in Q1, bringing its total number of subscribers to almost 270 million. In their letter to shareholders, the company also said its profits in the first quarter jumped to more than $2.3bn (£1.85bn). There’s a non-accountant friendly … Continue reading Netflix — Q1 2024 numbers show growth and signal change
This week the fee for a colour licence (in the UK) will increase to £169.50 up from the previous £159 fee, while a black and white licence costs £57, increasing from £53.50 last year. This is the first rise in two years. Tim Davie (Director-General of the BBC) has plenty to say on how the BBC needs to get Fit for the Future, and where … Continue reading Licence fee rises as Tim Davie signals a BBC for the Future
You may just have noticed the Disney+ app has changed colour, with no more solid blue but instead a shade of teal. The reason being the completion of the integration of Hulu into the app for US subscribers. Here in the UK we get a lot of the Hulu content via Star, with its own icon and an integrated price (see the new Hulu icon … Continue reading Disney+ app colour change signifies Hulu integration
Yes, it’s a clickbait title, but it’s my take on the news (courtesy TV Tonight) Paramount Global credit rating lowered to ‘junk status’ (according to S&P). They dropped Paramount’s rating to BB+ from BBB- due to the “accelerating declines in linear media and the shift toward a more competitive and less certain streaming model.” To me, that looks like management speak for they’re squeezed both … Continue reading Is Paramount really junk?
Paramount+ is rolling out an ad-supported tier. Netflix has done well with theirs, Disney+ has followed and Prime Video forced adverts on subscribers without care. That leaves Apple TV+ alone of the big players — will they be next? I consider all this over on Cultbox in my new article Paramount+ adverts are coming, is Apple TV+ next? TLDR? Probably later this year. Continue reading As Paramount+ adds adverts, I wonder if Apple TV+ is next
The latest Parrot Perspective examines the question Can Streamers Survive Without Reruns? My strong feeling for a while has been unless you hop around sub to sub on a short-term basis, you want to get value from your investment over time. You may take up a service for a specific reason, but why do you stay? The example for me is Disney+ — while I started … Continue reading Why streamers need reruns — Parrot Analytics explains
Over on CultBox, I’ve talked about the news BBC Studios has bought ITV’s 50% share of BritBox International. Both sides seem pleased, both emphasise how it fits their strategies. I’ve felt ITV has dropped interest in BritBox since ITX launched, so this is a natural move for me. As I say in my piece, I look forward to seeing various changes to how BritBox is … Continue reading Britbox — BBC Studios buys out ITV
Companies like getting in the consultants to set strategy. It makes them feel they’re doing something useful. Cynicism aside, there is a place for strategy, and brand identity does come into that — I just get very amused by the language used as management tries to set the latest stage in development as a cosmic event. ITV’s refreshed brand is encapsulated in the recoloured logo … Continue reading ITV’s (latest) brand refresh
Symmetry Junction 