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Tag: ESPN

  • Disney starts the year with strong quarter, reports $20.86 bn revenue

    Disney starts the year with strong quarter, reports $20.86 bn revenue

    MUMBAI: The Walt Disney Company (Disney) reported its first fiscal quarter earnings, the first result since the launch of its new streaming service Disney+. Beating Wall Street expectations, the company has seen a strong start by reporting $20.86 bn revenue in contrast to market expectation of $20.79 bn. Disney’s adjusted earnings per share came in at $1.53 versus the expected $1.44.

    “We had a strong first quarter, highlighted by the launch of Disney+, which has exceeded even our greatest expectations,” said Disney chairman and chief executive officer Robert Iger said.

    “Thanks to our incredible collection of brands, outstanding content from our creative engines and state-of-the-art technology, we believe our direct-to-consumer services, including Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu, position us well for continued growth in today’s dynamic media environment,” he added.

    Media Networks revenues for the quarter increased 24 per cent to $7.4 bn, and segment operating income increased 23 per cent to $1.6 bn. Cable Networks revenues for the quarter increased 20 per cent to $4.8 bn and operating income increased 16 per cent to $862 mn. Broadcasting revenues for the quarter increased 34 per cent to $2.6 bn and operating income increased 41 per cent to $575 mn.

    Studio Entertainment revenues for the quarter increased from $1.8 bn to $3.8 bn and segment operating income increased from $309 mn to $948 mn. Higher operating income was due to increases in theatrical and TV/SVOD distribution results at legacy operations, partially offset by a loss from the consolidation of the TFCF businesses.

    Direct-to-Consumer and International revenues for the quarter increased from $0.9 bn to $4.0 bn and segment operating loss increased from $136 mn to $693 mn. The company stated that increase in operating loss was due to costs associated with the launch of Disney+, the consolidation of Hulu and a higher loss at ESPN+. However, it also mentioned that these increases were partially offset by a benefit from the inclusion of the TFCF businesses due to income at the international channels including Star.

    The company’s biggest bet at streaming Disney+ delivered an impressive 26.5 mn subscribers, starting from Nov. 12 through year’s end. ESPN+ had 6.6 mn subscriber as of 28 December. Hulu’s SVOD only subscriber stood at 27.2 mn while the service combined with Live TV offering had 3.2 mn subscribers.

    “The average monthly revenue per paid subscriber for ESPN+ decreased from $4.67 to $4.44 due to a shift in the mix of subscribers to our bundled offering. In November 2019, the Company began offering a bundled subscription package of Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu. The bundled offering has a lower average retail price per service compared to the average retail price of each service on a standalone basis,” Disney stated.

    “The average monthly revenue per paid subscriber for our Hulu SVOD Only service decreased from $14.49 to $13.15 driven by lower retail pricing and a shift in the mix of subscribers to our bundled offering. The average monthly revenue per paid subscriber for our Hulu Live TV + SVOD service increased from $52.31 to $59.47 due to higher retail pricing,” it added.

  • LiveU and Griiip Unveil Unique Motorsports Live Viewing and Data-Driven Media Solution Platform

    LiveU and Griiip Unveil Unique Motorsports Live Viewing and Data-Driven Media Solution Platform

    Hackensack, NJ: LiveU and Griiip have announced an extended partnership, integrating complementary racing series content solutions for broadcasters and streaming services to create a cost-effective, end-to-end video and data platform. The partnership combines LiveU’s ability to establish high-quality and reliable remote live broadcasts with Griiip’s data content solutions for engaging motorsport programming.

    The two companies have been cooperating for the past two years and the solution has been successfully implemented in this year’s G1 Series across Europe, watched by fans around the world, including on ESPN in Brazil. Other Formula series are also now evaluating the solution for their own races. 

    LiveU provides a compelling, cost-effective way to deliver a flawless HD live video experience – from inside the racing cars, around the tracks, and from airborne drones – without the need for any complex infrastructure, using unique bonded cellular technology.

    Griiip develops data-based content solutions for Motorsport series. It makes racing vehicles smart and connected, and uses the data collected to create engaging layers and insights using AI and deep analysis for fans, drivers and gamers. Griiip makes racing content more compelling for racing series, and as a result, for broadcasters, streaming platforms, viewers and gamers.

    Ronen Artman, VP Marketing of LiveU said: “Our collaboration with Griiip has been a true game changer. Together we’ve created a uniquely exhilarating and informative live viewing experience and broadcast solution. We believe that the combined Griiip and LiveU platform will become the motorsport industry standard going forward because of the incredible value it provides.”

    With the official partnership in place, LiveU’s and Griiip’s joint products offer a Plug & Play solution for collecting, editing and distributing live videos, compiled with data-centric content for storytelling and enhanced viewer engagement, enriching the broadcasting of Motorsports content like never before.

    Tamir Plachinsky, CEO of Griiip said: “Our platform brings viewers live-action directly from the track or other motorsport venues and intensifies viewers’ experiences. By analyzing the data coming from the vehicles and drivers, we provide all this information to viewers in an engaging, storytelling and easy-to-understand format. Combining our data and viewer engagement solutions with LiveU’s state-of-the-art live HD video experience, we can efficiently deliver truly innovative content, bringing increasing value to media partners, racing leagues, viewers and gamers.”

    LiveU and Griiip’s joint solution will be on display at IBC2019 on the LiveU stand (3.B62).

    Photo caption: Combined Griiip and LiveU motorsports media solutions platform

  • Disney to offer Disney+-Hulu-ESPN+ bundle for $12.99 a month

    Disney to offer Disney+-Hulu-ESPN+ bundle for $12.99 a month

    MUMBAI: With the launch of Disney+, Walt Disney Company (Disney) will offer a bundle package of its three streaming services — Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ from 12 November. The bundle has been priced at $12.99 a month.

    Disney chief executive officer Bob Iger revealed the plan for the bundle during Disney’s quarterly earnings call with Wall Street analysts. Iger also disclosed that Disney is in talks with Apple, Amazon and Google to distribute its highly awaited Disney Plus and the newly announced bundle on their platforms.

    “The positive response to our direct-to-consumer strategy has been gratifying, and the integration of the businesses we acquired from 21st Century Fox only increases our confidence in our ability to leverage decades of iconic storytelling and the powerful creative engines across the entire company to deliver an extraordinary value proposition to consumers,” Iger said in a press release.

    Disney+ will enter the market with 300 film titles and 7,500 episodes of Disney TV series. Eight of the films will be from the Star Wars franchise, 18 will be Pixar, 70 will be from Disney Animation and four will be Marvel.

  • ESPN launches Singapore edition of flagship global site to extend leadership across digital sports category

    ESPN launches Singapore edition of flagship global site to extend leadership across digital sports category

    MUMBAI: Two days before Singapore stops to celebrate National Day, global sports leader ESPN has launched a new Singapore edition of its flagship digital platform – ESPN.com – to super serve fans with the best of global sport layered with a distinctly local flavour.

    Already the leading digital sports publisher in Singapore and around the world, ESPN will consolidate its market-leading position via a new local edition that extends on the growing Singapore audience already on ESPN.com consuming the best of international football and many other sports.

    ESPN Singapore edition adds to a growing global suite of 16 localised versions of the ESPN.com flagship, and it is the latest to launch in the APAC region following the Philippines, Australia and India editions.

    The Singapore launch is an extension of the August 2018 announcement of ESPN’s collaboration with Mediacorp, where the two parties signed a multi-year agreement with the objective to deliver a richer experience for sports fans and digital advertisers in Singapore.

    ESPN Singapore digital edition will offer Singapore sports fans a world-class, mobile-first, video-rich platform with unmatched depth of coverage to feed the country’s voracious appetite for Premiere League football, while also serving fans of golf, tennis, boxing, MMA, cricket, rugby, NBA, NFL, MLB and much more.

    Lance Peatey, General Manager of ESPN Southeast Asia, said, “This launch will reinforce our strong leadership position in Singapore, and our commitment to provide best in class content to sports fans. It will also provide impactful, practical solutions to advertisers, and bring a greater ability for brands to align with local content initiatives. The platform will benefit sports fans and advertisers alike.”

    ESPN.com is already the No.1 sports destination online for Singapore fans, with an average of 1 million unique users per month according to Adobe Omniture analytics, and three times more engagement (minutes consumed) than the nearest competitor according to comScore global rankings.

    Each month, ESPN digital content reaches and engages more sports fans around the world than any other sports brand. The multi-year agreement with Mediacorp allows it to be the exclusive representative for all ad sales in Singapore for ESPN.com and the new ESPN Singapore edition.

  • Star India losses partially offset Disney’s international revenue

    Star India losses partially offset Disney’s international revenue

    MUMBAI: The giant media conglomerate Walt Disney Company could not reach Wall Street’s expectations for the quarter ended 29 June 2019. The company posted weaker than expected earnings per share and revenue in its Q3 results. Star India which now comes under Disney after the merger with 21st Century Fox affected the company’s revenue.

    Earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter decreased 28 per cent to $1.35 from $1.87 in the prior-year quarter while the expectation was $1.74 by the analysts. Total revenue stood at $20.2 billion against the consensus estimate for $21.4 billion.

    "Our third-quarter results reflect our efforts to effectively integrate the 21st Century Fox assets to enhance and advance our strategic transformation,” Disney Chairman Bob Iger said. “We remain confident in our ability to successful execute our strategy,” he added.

    Cable Networks revenues for the quarter increased 24 per cent to $4.5 billion and operating income increased 15 per cent to $1.6 billion. The company said higher operating income was due to the consolidation of 21CF businesses (primarily the FX and National Geographic networks) and an increase at ESPN.

    "Results for the quarter also reflected a benefit from the inclusion of the 21CF businesses due to income at the Fox and National Geographic international channels, partially offset by a loss at Star India,” the company said in a release.

    Direct-to-consumer and international revenues for the quarter increased from $827 million to $3,858 million and segment operating loss increased from $168 million to $553 million. The increase in operating loss was due to the consolidation of Hulu, the ramp-up of investment in ESPN+, which was launched in April 2018 and costs associated with the upcoming launch of Disney+.

    Studio Entertainment revenues for the quarter saw a 33 per cent increase to $3.8 billion and segment operating income increased 13 per cent o $792 million. Parks, Experiences and Products revenues for the quarter increased 7 per cent to $6.6 billion and segment operating income increased 4 per cent to $1.7 billion.

    "The incredible popularity of Disney’s brands and franchises positions us well as we launch Disney+, and the addition of original and library content from Fox will only further strengthen our direct-to-consumer offerings,”  Iger said in the earnings release despite the bumpy quarter.

  • LinkedIn partners with ESPN to launch Office Sports Quiz

    LinkedIn partners with ESPN to launch Office Sports Quiz

    MUMBAI: LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network in association with ESPN, the one-stop destination for all things sports, today, announced the launch of the LinkedIn ESPN Office Sports Quiz for working professionals. The registrations for this joint initiative for corporates across the country are open.  

    The consumer insights gathered by ESPN indicate that sport has been one of the top discussion topics amongst white-collar business professionals. The multisport LinkedIn ESPN Office Sports Quiz is an attempt to provide a platform to these discerning sports fans in offices and workspaces to demonstrate their sports knowledge, unique skills as a team, passion for sport and get rewarded for it.

    “People often find inspiration for their personal and professional lives from the sports they follow. We are really excited to partner with ESPN for the Office Sports quiz, to see our members collaborate with each other, enjoy a common interest, and spur a sense of community at the workplace. At LinkedIn, we believe in helping our members become better professionals and this is an interesting way to encourage passions, connections, and conversations beyond the workplace,” says Srividya Gopani, Director – Brand and Consumer Marketing, APAC and China at LinkedIn.

    The LinkedIn ESPN Office Sports Quiz comprises two rounds. The first round will be conducted online over three weeks on www.ESPN.in followed by the second round including semi-final and final to be played offline on July 17, 2019, in Mumbai.  Gaurav Kapur, a popular television presenter, actor, and ex-IPL host will anchor the second round. The on-ground show will be shot in a full-blown studio with multi-cam set up to produce full HD quality video content and rolled out on ESPN platforms, ESPN.in & ESPNcricinfo.

    The winning team will get an all-expense paid trip to England to watch an English Football League match live from the stadium.

    Akshaya Kolhe, Head of Sales, ESPN, said, “ESPN is continually engaging with sports fans through various interactive shows and engaging fun content to keep their passion for sports alive. We all have grown up participating in quiz competitions and sports quizzes, it is our attempt to bring back the same flavor and

    competitiveness for the present-day fans. By making it multi-sports including cricket, our attempt is to tap the ever-increasing multisport interest in India”

    To be eligible to participate in the quiz, the applicants will have to form a team of two within the same organization and register here. The applicants can register in any of the three weeks but will have to play the quiz any day within that particular week.

  • Bob Iger on Disney’s bid to conquer streaming business

    Bob Iger on Disney’s bid to conquer streaming business

    MUMBAI: The Walt Disney Company (Disney) is gradually changing the focus of its business. Despite having a strong revenue-generating traditional media business, the company is set to make a splash in with high-profile entry into the streaming era. While the newly created direct-to-consumer segment of the business remains the immediate top priority, the entertainment giant is focusing on both programming and technology to differentiate itself in the high-stakes battle.

    The media conglomerate launched its audacious digital venture last April with sports streaming service ESPN+, which now has two million paid subscribers. Disney CEO and chairman Bob Iger said in an earnings call after Q1 results that from the nine-month journey of ESPN+, Disney has learned that BAMtech platform is capable of handling not only scale in terms of live streaming simultaneously but a substantial number of transactions in a very short period of time. Having fortified its base for the upcoming Disney+ service, the Bob Iger-led company seems confident about the streamer’s success.

    Disney is aiming to pump in serious amounts of cash to produced exclusives for its upcoming streaming service, Disney+.

    Iger told investors that Disney intends to relinquish $140 million (current rate) year over year in licensing revenue to provide the content it has currently licensed to Disney+. Captain Marvel will be the first Disney movie that the entertainment behemoth will entirely hold back from its licensee partners. The move is in line with Disney’s 2017 announcement of ending the practice of licensing its films to platforms like Netflix.

    Iger also revealed that teams of many Disney sub-brands are producing content with Disney+ in mind.

    “We have a number of creative engines across our company, many of which are dedicating their time and talents to develop content for the Disney+ platform,” Iger told investors.

    “Many are the same innovators driving the prolific success of Disney, Pixar, Lucasfilm, and Marvel. We look forward to leveraging National Geographic for even more content on Disney+,” he added

    Apart from Disney+ and ESPN +, the company will soon own a majority stake in the very popular over-the-top platform Hulu post its acquisition of 21st Century Fox closes. With just 30 per cent stake in Hulu, Iger thinks it’s premature to discuss its business prospects for now. The veteran executive, however, stated that Disney would look more aggressively at some international rollouts of Hulu.

    While competitors are looking at bundling services on one platform, Disney has preferred segregation so far.

    “Ultimately, our goal would be to use the same tech platform to make it easier for people to sign up for all three should they want to, same credit card, same username, same password, et cetera, but give the consumer the kind of choice that we think consumers are going to demand more and more in today's world,” Iger remarked.

    He also mentioned that if a consumer wants to subscribe to two or three platforms together, Disney will probably offer a discount to them. On the other hand, having three different platforms will enable them to attract subscribers who only want to consume a particular type of content, for example, sports.

    It’s evident from the fortunes of other OTT platforms that making profits in the streaming business at the moment is a long shot. Investors of Disney are also expecting the costs in streaming business to pressurize total revenue.

    Talking about making Hulu’s business profitable, with its good subscriber base, Iger said that there is enough opportunity in media businesses citing the example of streaming giant Netflix.

    “We think there's huge potential for Hulu to grow as well as for the other services to grow and plenty of room for other entrants in the marketplace. But we aim to take advantage of, on the Disney and ESPN side, our brands and that expertise,” he added.

  • Disney makes direct-to-consumer biz top priority after strong Q1 earnings

    Disney makes direct-to-consumer biz top priority after strong Q1 earnings

    MUMBAI: The Walt Disney Company (Disney) started the financial year 2019 on a strong note by smashing Wall Street expectations. Sales increases in media networks and theme parks businesses helped the giant media conglomerate to post total revenue of $15.30 billion. However, the revenue came in slightly lower than the first quarter of 2018.

    In its first quarter earnings report, Disney reported $1.86 EPS against a consensus estimate of $1.55. Total revenue of $15.3 billion also beat consensus estimates of $15.18 billion. Media Networks revenues for the quarter increased 7 per cent to $5.9 billion and segment operating income rose 7 per cent to $1.3 billion.

    “After a solid first quarter, with diluted EPS of $1.86, we look forward to the transformative year ahead, including the successful completion of our 21st Century Fox acquisition and the launch of our Disney+ streaming service,” Disney chairman and CEO Robert A Iger said.

    At a time when Netflix and Amazon are getting more aggressive in the entertainment sector, Iger went to state that direct-to-consumer business is the top priority for his company. Interestingly, he also mentioned in a post-earnings call that its sports streaming service ESPN+ has doubled paid subscribers in the past five months reaching 2 million in total.

    However, Direct-to-Consumer & International revenues for the quarter decreased 1 per cent to $918 million and segment operating loss increased from $42 million to $136 million.

    “The increase in operating loss was due to the investment ramp-up in ESPN+, which was launched in April 2018, a loss from streaming technology services and costs associated with the upcoming launch of Disney+, partially offset by an increase at our international channels and a lower equity loss from our investment in Hulu,” the company said.

    Notably, this earnings report could be the last full quarter of results before Disney closes its acquisition of most of 21st Century Fox. While Disney’s upcoming streaming platform Disney+ is making a grand entrance this year, the company expects 21st Century Fox’s assets will aid in its streaming strategy.

    The media powerhouse is gradually changing the core of its business to take on services like Netflix as well as to cope with changing content consumption trends. In the earnings call, Iger also said that that departments across all of Disney are working on creating high-quality content specifically for Disney+.

  • ESPN launches ‘Beyond the Boardroom’ video series

    ESPN launches ‘Beyond the Boardroom’ video series

    MUMBAI: Sport-content provider ESPN has announced the launch of a new video series called ‘Beyond the Boardroom’ to showcase stories depicting the powerful role sports has played in the lives of industry leaders and celebrities. The series aims to inspire viewers to explore and pursue their sporting passions. The series will debut on 29 November 2018 and continue week on week.

    ‘Beyond the Boardroom’ will show the sporting journeys of eight select leaders from different industries pursuing a range of sports, from cycling to cricket, in form of engaging conversations and real-life visuals. The video series will be hosted on ESPN.in and also amplified through ESPN and ESPNcricinfo’s social media handles.

    Among leaders who have shared stories of how following their passion for a particular sport has changed their life on ‘Beyond the Boardroom’ are Red Chillies Entertainment CEO Venyky Mysore, Titan Company Limited CEO – Jewellery C.K. Venkataraman, Tourism Australia country manager Nishant Kashikar, Isobar group managing director – south asia Shams Jasani, and DAN Performance Group CEO Vivek Bhargava.

    ESPN India director, business development and head of marketing Gaurav Thakur said, “At ESPN, we take great pride in our tradition of honoring inspirational talent, whether on field, off-field or even in the boardroom. ‘Beyond the Boardroom’ is very special because it has real potential for large scale influence, as high-level leaders serve as inspiration to their employees, respective industry members and followers. As these Industry leaders recount their connect with sports and how it made a big impact in their lives, we believe this will become a memorable platform to many and inspire them to pursue their sporting passions in order to enjoy the great energy called ‘sport’.”

  • ESPNcricinfo launches short-film series as part of its 25th Anniversary celebration

    ESPNcricinfo launches short-film series as part of its 25th Anniversary celebration

    MUMBAI:  As part of the 25th anniversary celebration, ESPNcricinfo, the go-to digital destination for cricket, has created a series of five short films called ‘ESPNcricinfo films’ – exploring gripping tales from the world of cricket. The series covers a range of intriguing topics from the transformation of the game over the past decade including the onset of the T20 format, the fierce rivalry of India and Australia over the years, and the recent cheating scandal in the context of similar ball-tampering controversies over the years.

    The films will be hosted on ESPNcricinfo.com and the ESPNcricinfo app and will be released every Wednesday over a course of five weeks. The films will also be published natively on YouTube and Facebook.

    The five short films are based on stories created using ESPNcricinfo’s powerful storytelling capabilities built over 25 years. The topics deal with issues that continue to be widely debated and have been tailored to appeal to both entrenched fans and those who are less seasoned followers of the game. The stories feature insights from past and present cricket stars, including former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum and former Australia opening batsman Simon Katich, through to former Australia captain and renowned commentator Ian Chappell. The films take viewers to the grounds of India where cricket meets Bollywood, through to the recent cheating controversy in South Africa, and one of the most anticipated face-offs currently taking place in Australia as they host India.

    ESPN general manager Southeast Asia Lance Peatey said, “At ESPN we pride ourselves on setting the benchmark for the best sports storytelling in the world, so it seemed a very natural fit to create five ‘ESPNcricinfo films’ to mark the 25th anniversary of ESPNcricinfo. The topics are lively, thought-provoking and relevant to all fans, and launching them across a Test series between Australia and India is very fitting.”         

    http://www.espncricinfo.com/video/clip?id=25337920                                            

    ESPNcricinfo and ESPN South Asia editor-in-chief Sambit Bal said, ‘ESPNcricinfo continues to harness the power of storytelling and this time, we decided to expand our cricket-loving unit to filmmakers who are looking at the game from an unconventional lens. We are delighted to introduce this five-short films series to cricket fans across the world through our platforms. Going beyond regular cricket updates and analysis, ESPNcricinfo films will engage viewers with compelling, often unknown or previously unseen, narratives that capture the power, emotion and profoundness of cricket.”

    The series debuted with The Bollywood Game: Is the Indian T20 League celebrity first and then cricket? and tells the story of cricket’s transition into the T20 format which has changed the face of the sport over the last decade, with the booming Indian T20 League leading the way. Delving deeper into the steady rise of Indian T20 League, it tries to answer the question – while cricket was the catalyst for the tournament, is it still the main reason for it to exist?

    The series will continue with Cheats: Does the gentleman’s game have a problem? to be released on 28th November which tells the gripping story of how Australian cricket was rocked earlier this year, when captain Steven Smith admitted to a premeditated plan to tamper with the ball at Newlands. It dives into the long history of Australian sledging and competitiveness that played a part in causing the meltdown, and what impact has it had on the game and how far back does cheating, or attempting to cheat, go in the sport?

    The 3rd film in the series is Australia v India: Is this the fiercest relationship in cricket? To be released on 5th December, as one of the biggest rivalries in world cricket – Australia v India – comes to play again in one of the most eagerly anticipated contests of the year. Every time the two teams have met for a contest, the world has seen stunning performances on the field and also its fair share of controversies. The film attempts to decipher the rivalry – do the two teams and its supporters really not get along or is it stemming only from passion for the sport and the burning desire for victory?

    Following this is an interesting take on managing risks and players’ safety, captured in the fourth film, Gearing Up: Keeping cricket safe, will be released on 12 December. The film looks back at the past when batsmen had little or no protection against some of the game’s fastest bowlers and at the present when the game looks to be ever more accessible and how it manages potential risks?

    The last in the series is called T20 Rockstars: How does the game adapt to the growth of T20? being released on 19th December, explores how T20 is changing the game, and if it is for the better or worse. Players are starting to look at T20 leagues as fortune-making opportunities, shunning the other formats, in turn presenting a challenge for the game at large. However, the format is anticipated to only get bigger with a growing audience for the sport. Will cricket just continue to adapt?