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Tag: Despicable Me 2.

  • Q3-2014: Comcast income up 50 per cent y-o-y; NBC Universal’s posts TV Broadcasting strong results

    Q3-2014: Comcast income up 50 per cent y-o-y; NBC Universal’s posts TV Broadcasting strong results

    BENGALURU:  Comcast Corporation (Comcast) reported a 4 per cent y-o-y growth in consolidated revenue (TR) in Q3-2014 to $ 16,791 million from $ 16,151 million in Q3-2013. However, q-o-q, the company’s revenue was almost flat with a fractional drop of 0.3 per cent from $ 16,844 million.

     

    Talking about the latest earnings, Comcast chairman and CEO Brian L Roberts said, “I am pleased to report strong revenue, operating cash flow and free cash flow growth for the third quarter of 2014. Cable results highlight the consistent strength of high-speed Internet and business services, and video customer results were the best for a third quarter in seven years. We continue to focus on innovation and providing the best experience for our customers, and we are thrilled with the response to our superior X1 platform, which recently reached five million boxes deployed. At NBC Universal, we had another outstanding quarter with double-digit operating cash flow growth, driven by ratings momentum at NBC Broadcast and the successful opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter-Diagon Alley in Orlando.”

     

    Comcast’s consolidated operating expenditure (Expenditure) in Q3-2014 at $ 11,087 million was 2.5 per cent more than the $ 10,821 million in Q3-2013 and 0.4 per cent more than the $ 11,040 million in Q2-2014.

     

    Comcast’s Earnings per Share (EPS) for the third quarter of 2014 was $ 0.99, a 52.3 per cent increase from the $ 0.65 reported in the third quarter of 2013. EPS for Q2-2014 was $ 0.76, (excluding gain on a sale and transaction-related costs, EPS in Q2-2014 was $0.75). Excluding income tax adjustments and transaction-related costs in Q3-2014, EPS increased 12.3 per cent to $ 0.73.

     

    The company’s net income after taxes, attributable to Comcast in Q3-2014 increased 49.7 per cent to $ 2,592 million from $ 1,732 million in Q3-2013. Net Income attributable to Comcast Corporation in Q2-2014 was $ 1,992 million.

     

    Comcast Business Streams

     

    Two main business streams contribute to Comcast: Cable Communications (between 60 and 65 per cent of TR) and NBC Universal (between 35 and 40 per cent of TR). 

     

    Video, high speed internet, voice, business services and other businesses are a part of Cable Communications. Cable Communications Video Revenue consists of analogue, digital, premium, pay-per-view, equipment services and residential video installation revenue. Other Cable Communications Revenue include franchise and other regulatory fees, digital media centre, commissions from electronic retailing networks and fees for other services.

     

    NBC Universal comprises of Cable Networks, Broadcast Television, Filmed Entertainment and Theme Parks businesses.  

     

    Cable Communications

     

    Overall, Cable Communications reported a 5.2 per cent growth in Q3-2014 to $ 11,041 million dollars (65.8 per cent of TR) from $ 10,491 million (65 per cent of TR) in Q3-2013 and was almost flat (grew by 0.1 per cent) from the $ 11029 million (65.5 per cent of TR) in Q2-2014.

     

    Cable Communications Expenditure in Q3-2014 at $ 6,577 million was 5.3 per cent more than the $ 6,245 million in Q3-2013 and 1.7 per cent more quarter on quarter than $ 6,465 million.

     

    Here is what the company has to say about Cable Communications:

     

    ‘Customer relationships increased by 82,000 to 26.9 million during the third quarter of 2014, more than three-times the customer relationship net additions in the third quarter of 2013. At the end of the third quarter, penetration of our triple product customers increased to 36 per cent compared to 34 per cent in the third quarter of 2013. High-speed Internet customer net additions improved versus last year and were the strongest for a third quarter in five years. Video customer net losses improved 36 per cent year-over-year and were the best result for a third quarter in seven years. Voice net additions slowed, reflecting a focus on double play during the back-to-school season, as well as X1 availability that was more focused on triple play customers last year, making for a difficult comparison.’

     

    NBC Universal:

     

    Comcast’s NBC Universal grew 1.2 per cent in Q3-2014 to $ 5,921 million (35.3 per cent of TR) from $ 5,851 million (36.2 per cent of TR) in Q3-2013, but shrank 1.6 per cent from $ 6,016 million (35.7 per cent of TR) in Q2-2014. Operating Cash Flow increased 13.3 per cent in Q3-2014 to $ 1.4 billion as compared to $ 1.3 billion in Q3-2013, driven by strong results at Broadcast Television and Theme Parks, says the company.

     

    NBC Universal Expenditure in Q3-2014 at $ 4,505 million was 6.6 per cent lower than the $ 4,601 million in Q3-2013 and 1.7 per cent lower than the $ 4,582 million in Q2-2014.

     

     

    Cable Networks:

     

    NBC Universal’s Cable Networks’ revenue in Q3-2014 at $ 2,255 million was 0.7 per cent more than $ 2,239 million in Q3-2013, but 8.9 per cent lower than $ 2,476 million reported for Q2-2014.

     

    Cable Networks’ expenditure in Q3-2014 at $ 1,387 million was 0.1 per cent more than the $ 1,386 million for the corresponding quarter year ago and 11.2 per cent lower than the $ 1,562 million in Q2-2014.

     

    Advertising revenue from Cable Networks shrank 4.7 per cent to $ 796 million in Q3-2014 from $ 835 million in Q3-2013 and was 15.8 per cent lower than $ 945 million in Q2-2014.

     

    Cable Networks’ distribution revenue grew 5.1 per cent in Q3-2014 to $ 1,281 million in Q3-2014 from $ 1,219 million in Q3-2013 and grew 0.9 per cent from $ 1,270 million in Q2-2014.

     

    Its content licensing and other revenue shrank 3.8 per cent to $ 178 million in Q3-2014 from $ 185 million in Q3-2013 and fell a massive 31.8 per cent from $ 261 million in the immediate trailing quarter.

     

     

    Television Broadcasting:

     

    NBC Universal’s Television Broadcasting revenue grew 7.7 per cent to $ 1,770 million in the current quarter from $ 1,644 million in Q3-2013, but was 2.5 per cent less than the $ 1,816 million in Q2-2014.

     

    Television Broadcasting Expenditure in Q3-2014 at $ 1,628 million was 1.1 per cent more than the $ 1,610 million in Q3-2013 and 3.3 per cent more than the $ 1,576 million in Q2-2014.

     

    Television Broadcasting advertising revenue in Q3-2014 grew 4.4 per cent to $ 1,153 million from $ 1,104 million in Q3-2013, but was 7.4 per cent lower than the $ 1,245 million in Q2-2014. Broadcast Television content licensing revenue grew by 13.2 per cent from $ 355 million in Q3- 2013 to $ 402 million in the current quarter and was 16.9 per cent higher than $ 344 million in Q2-2014. Other revenue for Broadcast Television grew 16.2 per cent to $ 215 million in Q3-2014 from $ 185 million in Q3-2013, but was 5.3 per cent lower than $ 227 million in Q2-2014.

     

    Filmed Entertainment:

     

    NBC Universal’s Filmed Entertainment revenue in Q3-2014 was 15.3 per cent lower at $ 1,186 million from $ 1,400 million in Q3-2013 and 0.9 per cent more than $ 1,176 million in Q2-2014. The company attributes this drop to the tough competition with the strong box office performance of Despicable me 2 in Q3-2013.

     

    Filmed Entertainment Expenditure in Q3-2014 at $ 1,035 million was 14.5 per cent lower than the $ 1,211 million in Q3-2013, but 5.5 per cent higher than the $ 981 million in Q2-2014.

     

    Theatrical revenue in Q3-2014 at $ 265 million was 52.6 per cent lower than the $ 550 million in Q3-2013, and 35.9 per cent more than $ 195 million in Q2-2014. Filmed Entertainment content licensing revenue at $ 439 million was 15.8 per cent more than $ 355 million in Q3-2013 but 5 per cent lower than the $ 462 million in Q2-2014.

     

    Home Entertainment revenue at $ 321 million in Q3-2014 fell 10.6 per cent from $ 359 million in Q3-2013 and was 11.8 per cent less than the $ 364 million in Q2-2014. Filmed Entertainment’s other revenue at US$ 161 million in Q3-2014 was 58.3 per cent more than the $ 103 million in Q3-2013 and was 3.9 per cent more than the $ 159 million in Q2-2014.

     

    Theme Parks

     

    NBC Universal’s Theme Park revenue at $ 786 million was 18.9 per cent more than the $ 661 million in Q3-2013 and 27.8 per cent more than the $ 615 million in Q2-2014.

     

    Theme Park Expenditure in Q3-2014 at $ 384 million was 20.8 per cent more than the $ 318 million in Q3-2013 and 3.5 per cent more than the $ 371 million in Q2-2014.

     

    Click here for earnings presentation

     

    Click here for financial results

  • Star Movies all set to paint the town yellow

    Star Movies all set to paint the town yellow

    MUMBAI: A movie channel dedicated to make its viewers “Happy” – now that’s a promise tough to keep. But, thanks to the incredibly cute minions and Pharrell Williams, Star Movies is all set to make its viewers happy with the premiere of Despicable Me 2 on the 7th of September.

     

    Star Movies has been a constant leader in the movies category, backed by the resistant brand equity, strong library and bestseller premieres. As the festive season in India kick-starts this September, the channel announces the double premiere of Despicable Me 2 on the 7th of September, 1pm and 9pm.

     

    Star Movies believes in setting new benchmarks in entertainment by screening the best of blockbuster premiers, an advantage of having unparalleled library strength. Despicable Me 2 captures an array of emotions. Despicable Me 2 grossed 970 mn at the box office making it the most profitable film in the 100-year history of Universal Studios.

     

    On the occasion of the premiere, Kevin Vaz, General Manager – English Cluster, Star India said, “September has an entertainment-packed calendar starting off with Despicable Me 2 and will be followed by other Hollywood blockbusters. We intend on keeping audiences enthralled throughout the festive season.”

     

    Star Movies has always gone that extra mile to enhance the movie watching experience, and it continues to do so by giving its viewers a chance to win exclusive Minion merchandise. Answer simple questions related to the movie while watching the movie to stand a chance to win original Universal Studios merchandize throughout the day.

     

    Star Movies, India’s biggest movie channel is dedicated to bringing the best of movies from Hollywood to celebrate this festive season.

     

    Catch the animated sequel premiere of Despicable Me 2 on 7th September, 1pm and 9pm only on Star Movies.

  • ‘Gravity’ and ‘American Hustle’ lead the 2014 Oscar Nominations

    ‘Gravity’ and ‘American Hustle’ lead the 2014 Oscar Nominations

    MUMBAI: The 86th Academy Awards nominations were announced on the morning of 16 January in Beverly Hills, Calif. The nominations were led by the 3-D space odyssey Gravity and the con artist caper American Hustle, both with 10 nominations. The harrowing historical epic – 12 Years a Slave trailed closely with nine nominations.

     

    The three are among the nine films nominated for Best Picture. The other nominees are Captain Phillips, ‘Dallas Buyers Club, Her, Nebraska, The Wolf of Wall Street and Philomena.

     

    The best director nominees are David O. Russell for American Hustle, Alfonso Cuaron for Gravity, Alexander Payne for Nebraska, Steve McQueen for 12 Years a Slave, and Martin Scorsese for Paramount’s The Wolf of Wall Street.

     

    The Best Actor nominees include Chiwetel Ejiofor for 12 Years a Slave, Bruce Dern for Nebraska, Leonardo DiCaprio for The Wolf of Wall Street, Matthew McConaughey for Dallas Buyers Club and Christian Bale for American Hustle. The 77-year-old Dern is an Oscar nominee for the second time, 35 years after his nomination for Hal Ashby’s Coming Home. 

     

    The Best Actress nominees are Amy Adams for American Hustle, Cate Blanchett for Blue Jasmine, Sandra Bullock for Gravity, Judi Dench for Philomena and Meryl Streep for August: Osage County. With her nomination, Streep pads her record for most acting nominations. This is her 18th nod, including three wins, the last for 2011’s The Iron Lady.

     

    Woody Allen scored his record 16th screenwriting nomination for Blue Jasmine. Also up for original screenplay is American Hustle, Dallas Buyers Club, Her and Nebraska. In the adapted screenplay category are Before Midnight, Captain Phillips, Philomena, 12 Years a Slave and The Wolf of Wall Street.

     

    Pixar, usually a mainstay in the Best Animation category, wasn’t in the list this time. Monsters University, however, ruled the segment with Frozen, The Wind Rises, Despicable Me 2, The Croods and Ernest & Celestine.

     

    The first original song finalist announced was the title song from a rookie film called Alone Yet Not Alone in the mix with U2, Pharrell Williams, Karen O and the traditional Disney entry.

  • Universal’s ‘Despicable Me 2? crosses $800mn worldwide

    Universal’s ‘Despicable Me 2? crosses $800mn worldwide

    MUMBAI: Universal Pictures’ Despicable Me 2 continues to rake it in around the globe. The animated sequel surpassed the $800 million mark with Friday’s estimated domestic grosses of $349.9 million and $451.4 million international bringing the worldwide take to $801.3 million.

     

    The Universal and Illumination Entertainment pic has opened at No.1 in 45 territories and is the second highest grossing pic of 2013 worldwide behind Iron Man 3. Domestically it’s No.2 and internationally only third behind Iron Man 3 and Fast & Furious 6.

     

    Last month NBCUniversal chief Steve Burke declared Despicable Me 2 the studios’ most profitable film in history; it’s also Uni’s second highest grosser of all time worldwide behind Jurassic Park.

  • Early Friday returns show ‘Pacific Rim’ and ‘Grown Ups 2’ in a tight race

    Early Friday returns show ‘Pacific Rim’ and ‘Grown Ups 2’ in a tight race

    MUMBAI: There‘s a fierce race going on at the North American box office as Guillermo del Toro‘s Pacific Rim and Adam Sandler comedy Grown Ups 2 jockey for position.

    Universal‘s Despicable Me 2, however, could beat both and claim the numero uno place in its second weekend with a gross as high as $48 million.

    Defying soft prerelease tracking, Pacific Rim is certainly doing better than expected, but the film could see a precipitous fall on Saturday once fanboy traffic slows. It took in $3.6 million in Thursday night shows, with 23 per cent coming from Imax theaters.

    Some believe the 3D sci-fi epic, from Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros, could gross in the mid-$40 million range for the weekend, though most box-office experts believe it will top out at between $35 million and $40 million, a so-so number considering the tentpole‘s $190 million-plus budget.

     

    Sony‘s Grown Ups 2 is tipped to debut in the $40 million range and earned a surprisingly strong $2.3 million in Thursday night runs. The sequel, costing $80 million to produce, opens three years after the original film turned into a box-office hit, bowing to $40.5 million and ultimately grossing $271.4 million worldwide.

    The ensemble comedy, receiving blistering reviews, reteams Sandler with Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade, Salma Hayek, Maya Rudolph and Maria Bello.

    Prerelease tracking for Pacific Rim was notably soft, but Warners and Legendary say stellar reviews and word of mouth are fueling a better-than-expected performance. Legendary took the lead on the movie, including paying for most of the budget.

    Pacific Rim, pitting giant robots against alien monsters, stars Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Rinko Kikuchi and Charlie Day.

    verseas, Pacific Rim is off to a strong start in Asia, Russia and Argentina, though it fared dismally in Australia on Thursday, coming in No. 4 behind the opening day of The Heat, Despicable Me 2 and Monsters University (the two animated films are benefiting from school holidays).

     

    Pacific Rim grossed $7.8 million from 25 markets on Thursday, led by Russia with $2 million. It also prospered across Asia, taking in $1.5 million in South Korea, marking Warners‘ third-largest opening day of all time in that market.

    So far internationally, the epic is outpacing a slew of films that went on to gross between $300 million and $400 million overseas, including Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Clash of the Titans and Prometheus. It‘s also pacing on par with World War Z, which has earned more than $200 million to date at the foreign box office.

    Pacific Rim opens just as Thomas Tull‘s Legendary and Warners prepare to part ways. This week, Legendary announced it had struck a new co-financing and production deal with Universal.

    Despicable 2 has already earned well north of $316 million worldwide.

  • Despicable Me 2 sets records with $34.3 mn Wednesday opening

    Despicable Me 2 sets records with $34.3 mn Wednesday opening

    MUMBAI: Traditionally, Fourth of July is a slow movie going day since Americans will be outdoors enjoying what should be good weather nationally. The domestic box office numbers do not tell the full story until Friday at the earliest. But there‘s no question that the ‘A‘ cinema score for Illumination Entertainment‘s and Universal‘s Despicable Me 2 (3,957 theaters) will help it gross well over $120 million domestic for the five-day Fourth of July holiday.

    On Wednesday the well-received and well-reviewed toon opened no 1 with $34.3 mn which is “an incredible start” according to a Universal executive. That‘s higher than Monsters University‘s Friday take of $30.5 mn last month. And it‘s setting records – the third highest opening day ever for an animated feature, the 8th highest Wednesday opening ever, and the biggest Wednesday opening of all-time for Universal. 

    The sequel‘s big draws are those lovable Minions who in the original toon were given form and function by Coffin & Renaud to underscore the comedy surrounding Gru‘s madcap mayhem. Reportedly for the first pic, the pair looked at previous peons like Oompa Loompas from Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory and the Jawas from Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope.

    This time around, the scribes just wrote as many Minions scenes as they could squeeze into the sequel. And in 2014 the little yellow guys even get their own stand alone Minion movie with Sandra Bullock and Jon Hamm already attached. Meanwhile, the end credits feature the Minion wack-pack‘s 3D demo.