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Tag: Major League Baseball

  • Viacom releases annual Viacommunity social responsibility report

    Viacom releases annual Viacommunity social responsibility report

    BENGALURU:  Viacom Inc (Viacom) today released its annual corporate social responsibility report, ‘Viacommunity 2014 Review: Impact Creating Value.’ The report showcases the company’s investment in some of today’s most pressing issues, and its work to inspire and activate audiences to bring about positive social change. In conjunction with the report’s release, Viacom launched a powerful new series of NO MORE PSAs to raise awareness for the NO MORE movement to end domestic violence and sexual assault.

     A few highlights from the Viacommunity report include:

     Viacom committed US$ 116 million in in-kind goods and services to campaigns and non-profit partners in 2013, the same amount that would purchase 464 seats on Virgin Galactic’s commercial trips to space – or 5 copies of the Magna Carta.

     1.8 million kids, educators and parents visited the Get Schooled website during the 2013-14 school year, enough to fill every Major League Baseball stadium, and then Yankee Stadium another 11 times.

    40,000 volunteer hours were donated by Viacom employees in 2013. In that time you could watch the entire film Titanic 11,428 times.

    “Our partnership with the NO MORE movement is a prime example of Viacom’s commitment to shining a spotlight on the most important issues of the day,” said Viacom president and CEO Philippe Dauman. “I am proud to showcase this work and all of the company’s initiatives in the Viacommunity 2014 Review.”

     The new “Speechless” NO MORE PSAs, produced by Viacom Velocity and the Joyful Heart Foundation, highlight the difficulty and critical need of starting conversations around domestic violence and sexual assault.

     The NO MORE PSA campaign initially launched in September 2013 and was designed to help dispel many of the most common and pervasive myths about sexual assault and domestic violence, and to engage the public in an open dialogue about these important issues. The three-year PSA campaign, developed in partnership with Y&R, director Mariska Hargitay and world-renowned photographer Timothy White, has been rolling out across the country in local and national markets via print, broadcast, online and outdoor advertising, in movie theatres nationwide, and in major airports and medical facilities.

     

  • Facebook adds LiveRail to its kitty

    Facebook adds LiveRail to its kitty

    MUMBAI: The news of Facebook acquiring video advertising company, LiveRail didn’t really come as a surprise.

     

    It was in March when Facebook first began offering 15-second video ads for a limited number of companies on its website. The company has moved cautiously in introducing video ads on its social network to prevent a backlash from users who might find the ads annoying.

     

    This acquisition is the social media company’s latest step to make video ads a bigger part of its business.

     

    According to Reuters, Facebook has not disclosed the price for the San Francisco-based company, which was founded in 2007 and has offices in several countries.

     

    It can be noted that LiveRail’s technology automatically pairs video ads with the videos that appear on many websites, such as Major League Baseball, ABC and A&E Networks website.

     

    The report on Reuters also states that video ads command higher prices than other forms of online advertising such as banner ads. Facebook and other internet rivals like Google are increasingly trying to grab a slice of lucrative TV-marketing budgets as they try to sustain rapid growth.

     

    For records, it was early last year that Facebook bought Whatsapp for US$19.5 billon.

     

    It will be interesting to see how Facebook ropes in brands to scale its video advertising inventory in the coming days.

  • Walt Disney’s Q3 net rises on TV, films and theme parks

    Walt Disney’s Q3 net rises on TV, films and theme parks

    MUMBAI: Media conglomerate Walt Disney reported a higher quarterly profit from strong performances by its television, films and theme parks businesses.

    The company’s fiscal third quarter net income rose to $1.13 billion, from $811 million last year. Its total revenue increased 12 per cent to $8.6 billion.

    “Disney’s strong third-quarter financial results demonstrate the company’s unique ability to leverage great content across our many businesses. In recent months, we have released such highly successful creative product as Cars, High School Musical and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, all of which are having a positive impact throughout our company, from merchandise sales to the internet to home video to our theme parks By investing in our pre-eminent core brands and adopting new platforms to enhance the entertainment experience, we intend to deliver our content to more people, more often, in more places, and thereby also deliver long-term growth to our shareholders,” said Walt Disney CEO Robert Iger.

    The revenues of the Media Networks division of the company for the quarter increased 10 per cent to $ 3.7 billion and segment operating income increased five per cent to $1.2 billion. The growth in segment operating income was due to improved performance at Cable Networks, partially offset by a decline at Broadcasting.

    The operating income at Cable Networks increased $130 million to $ 969 million for the quarter primarily due to growth at ESPN. The increase at ESPN was driven by higher affiliate revenues from contractual rate increases, increased recognition of previously deferred revenues from higher ratings. During the quarter, ESPN recognised $ 106 million of previously deferred programming commitment revenues compares to $ 42 million in the prior-year quarter driven by new programming commitment provisions in affiliate contracts. The revenue increases at ESPN were partially offset by higher programming expenses, due to the new Major League Baseball rights agreement and increased costs associated with ESPN branded mobile phone services.

    Disney’s operating incomes at Broadcasting decreased $ 70 million to $ 183 million due to higher programming expenses at the ABC Television Network, the increased number of costs of pilot productions and costs associated with the launch of Disney branded mobile phone service, partially offset by increased revenue due to higher advertising rates at the BC Television Network.

    Parks and Resorts revenues increased 11 per cent to $ 2.7 billion and segment operating income grew 26 per cent to $ 549 million due to increases at both its domestic resorts and at Disneyland Resort Paris.

    Studio Entertainment revenues increased 17 per cent to $ 1.7 billion and segment operating income increased $ 284 million to $ 240 million.

    On the other hand, Consumer Products revenues increased sic per cent to $ 445 million and segment operating income increased 69 per cent to $ 105 million.

  • Fox Sports, Major League Baseball ink seven year rights agreement

    Fox Sports, Major League Baseball ink seven year rights agreement

    MUMBAI: Fox Sports and Major League Baseball have inked an extensive seven-year national television rights agreement that keeps the World Series and All-Star Game exclusively on Fox through 2013.

    In addition to the Fall and Mid-Summer Classics, the network continues as the exclusive home of the Fox Saturday Afternoon Baseball Game of the Week as well as the American or National League Championship Series on a rotating basis for the contract’s duration.

    Fox Sports’ new agreement with MLB gives the network the rights to:

    • Up to 26 Fox Saturday Baseball Game of the Week regionalised single-header broadcasts, an increase from 18 previously;
    • Exclusive coverage of the American League Championship Series in 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2013;
    • Exclusive coverage of the National League Championship Series in 2008, 2010 and 2012;
    • Exclusive prime-time coverage of the World Series from 2007 through 2013 with Game 1 scheduled for the first Tuesday after completion of the LCS;
    • Exclusive prime-time coverage of the All-Star Game from 2007 through 2013;
    • This Week in Baseball, MLB’s award-winning, youth-oriented magazine show which precedes the Fox Saturday Baseball Game of the Week.

    “Fox has enjoyed 11 terrific years as the broadcast home of Major League Baseball, having covered some of the game’s most memorable moments. Major League Baseball is as popular today as ever… with new young stars and veteran players performing before hundreds of millions of fans in-person and on TV each year. The schedule this agreement provides enables Fox to combine the most-watched games of the year with the No. 1 prime-time lineup in America,” said Fox Networks group president and CEO Tony Vinciquerra.

    “For some time now, Major League Baseball has been a key component of Fox’s programming strategy. The games are an invaluable promotional platform – for both our new series and returning hits such as House, 24, Prison Break, Bones, The Simpsons, and Family Guy. We look forward to many more successful years with Major League Baseball, and are eager to see who will be on top come October,” said Fox Sports entertainment president Peter Liguori.

    The expanded Fox Saturday Baseball schedule gives baseball an over-the-air, April-through-September, “Game of the Week” for the first time since 1989, and Fox also retains exclusive rights to the MLB All-Star Game, annually the highest-rated All-Star event in sports. In 2005, the MLB All-Star Game out-rated the NBA All-Star Game in households by +65 per cent (8.1 vs. 4.9), and the NFL Pro Bowl by +98 per cent (vs. 4.1). In its history, the MLB All-Star Game has never been beaten by any other All-Star event on a same-year basis.

    MLB on Fox postseason coverage has been a significant contributor to the network’s prime time ratings success among adults 18-49. Fox research calculates that over the last five years, the World Series added a tenth of a ratings point on average to Fox’s Adults 18-49 season total, which is significant given that in each of the last three seasons the difference between first and second place has been just a tenth of a point.

    By renewing its rights as the national broadcast home of Major League Baseball, Fox Sports is positioned as home to more of America’s most-watched sports events than any other network. In the last two years, Fox Sports has retained broadcast rights to the NFL through 2011, NASCAR through 2014 and now MLB through 2013, while adding coverage of college football’s prestigious Bowl Championship Series through 2010.

    Fox Sports, already on its way to a tenth year as America’s top-rated network for sports, now boasts long-term agreements with each of America’s four highest-rated sports. No other network boasts a more robust, year-round schedule.

    A look at the Fox Sports event lineup over the next four years in particular reveals just how full its schedule is from January through December:

    Cotton Bowl (January 1)
    Bowl Championship Series (January)
    Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
    FedEx Orange Bowl
    Allstate Sugar Bowl
    BCS National Championship Game (2007-2009)
    NFC Playoffs (January)
    NFC Wild Card Game
    NFC Divisional Playoffs (2)
    NFC Championship Game (January)
    Super Bowl XLII (February 2008)
    Pro Bowl (February 2008)
    Daytona 500 (February)
    NASCAR regular- season coverage (February-May)
    MLB regular-season coverage (April-September)
    MLB All-Star Game (July)
    NFL regular-season (September-December)
    American or National League Championship Series (October)
    World Series (October)

    “Looking out over the next several years, Fox Sports has one of the most impressive, if not the most impressive, year-long schedules of any single outlet in the Big Four network era. Marquee sporting events have been, and will remain, among the best vehicles to corral mass audiences, especially hard-to-reach young males, and this schedule is about as DVR-proof as a sports schedule can be,” said Fox Sports chairman David Hill.