Theatrical
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Bob Iger for President? Disney CEO ‘Seriously’ Considered 2020 Campaign Run
Appalled by the nation’s bitter political divide and the current occupant of the White House, Disney CEO Bob Iger considered running for president in the 2020 election. The political aspiration, outlined in a Vogue profile, was cut short after Disney’s $52.4 billion acquisition of select 21st Century Fox assets, including 20th Century Fox, require Igor … Continue reading “Bob Iger for President? Disney CEO ‘Seriously’ Considered 2020 Campaign Run”
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U.K. Regulator Mandates Disney Into Sky Takeover Offer
The Panel on Takeovers and Mergers, a U.K. regulatory board, April 12 ruled the Walt Disney Co. be forced to match Fox’s $14.4 billion cash offer for British pay-TV service Sky should its $52.4 billion acquisition of select 21st Century Fox assets succeed. Fox currently owns 39% of the satellite TV operator. The panel mandated … Continue reading “U.K. Regulator Mandates Disney Into Sky Takeover Offer”
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Netflix Skipping Cannes Film Festival
Netflix won’t have an official presence at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival May 8-19 in southern France. The SVOD behemoth is skipping the marquee film festival after organizers mandated all film submissions must follow France’s strict 36-month theatrical window . Netflix, which has been making inroads with French consumers after a sluggish start, prefers making … Continue reading “Netflix Skipping Cannes Film Festival”
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Disney Files Amended Redbox Complaint
The Walt Disney Co. and subsidiaries Lucasfilm and Marvel Studios have filed an amended complaint against Redbox, claiming the kiosk vendor infringes copyright law by selling digital codes to its movies. The complaint, filed April 9 in U.S. District in Los Angeles, alleges Redbox continues to sell separately digital codes included in Disney movie “combo … Continue reading “Disney Files Amended Redbox Complaint”
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Amazon Studios Shuffles Executives Under New Boss Jennifer Salke
New Amazon Studios CEO Jennifer Salke April 9 announced division management changes, including expanding COO Albert Cheng’s responsibilities to include co-head of television development. Prior to Salke’s arrival from NBC Universal, Cheng had been interim boss of Amazon Studios following the departure of Roy Price after allegations of inappropriate behavior in the workplace. “I’m delighted … Continue reading “Amazon Studios Shuffles Executives Under New Boss Jennifer Salke”
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French Warming to Netflix
France’s calculated indifference to Netflix appears to be waning. The subscription streaming video pioneer reportedly is approaching 3.4 million subscribers – adding about 100,000 subs monthly since the beginning of the year, according to newspaper Liberation. The tally is nearly double the 2 – 2.5 million subs often associated with Netflix’s French presence since launching … Continue reading “French Warming to Netflix”
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Viacom Asks CBS to Up Merger Bid
Media giant Viacom reportedly has asked CBS Corp. to increase its undisclosed merger bid by $2.8 billion. CBS previously offered an amount (reportedly $11.9 billion) below Viacom’s market capitalization value, according to CNBC, which cited sources familiar with the proceedings. Viacom, which includes Paramount Pictures and Paramount Home Media Distribution, is majority owned by National … Continue reading “Viacom Asks CBS to Up Merger Bid”
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Netflix Looking to Buy Los Angeles Billboard Company
Netflix reportedly has offered $300 million to acquire Los Angeles-based billboard company Regency Outdoor Advertising. The offer is among several for the company that owns billboards across LA County, including Sunset Boulevard, Dodger Stadium and Los Angeles International Airport, according to CNBC, which cited sources familiar with the situation. The move comes has the SVOD … Continue reading “Netflix Looking to Buy Los Angeles Billboard Company”
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Parks Associates: U.S. Broadband Households’ Average Monthly Spending on Non-Pay-TV Video Entertainment Drops to $23
U.S. broadband households report their average monthly expenditure on video entertainment outside of a pay-TV subscription has dropped from $29 in the past two years to $23 in the last half of 2017, according to research from Parks Associates. Spending on internet video has held steady at roughly $9 per month for several years, while reduced spending on cinema tickets and … Continue reading “Parks Associates: U.S. Broadband Households’ Average Monthly Spending on Non-Pay-TV Video Entertainment Drops to $23”
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MoviePass Acquires Moviefone
Theatrical ticket subscription service MoviePass and corporate parent Helios and Matheson Analytics (HMNY) April 5 announced they have acquired Moviefone, the venerable movie listing and information service owned by Oath (formerly AOL). Oath, which is owned by Verizon, will continue to sell Moviefone’s digital ad inventory and has taken an ownership stake in MoviePass through … Continue reading “MoviePass Acquires Moviefone”
