ITV

Tag: NBCUniversal

  • NBCUniversal launches OTT platform hayu in India

    NBCUniversal launches OTT platform hayu in India

    Mumbai: NBCUniversal has launched its all-reality TV ad-free subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) streaming service in India called hayu. It has launched the direct-to-consumer (DTC) service on a full array of devices: mobile, tablet, laptop, connected TVs, and selected consoles.

    Targeting the broad base of viewers who are fans of the reality genre, hayu offers over 8,000 episodes of top reality TV content including all seasons of “Keeping Up With the Kardashians,” from the very beginning to the final season, as well as its spin-offs – along with numerous other franchises, including the popular “The Real Housewives,” “Top Chef,” “Million Dollar Listing,” and “Family Karma.”

    “hayu’s breadth of content uniquely super-serves reality fans. The service offers extensive choice, with a wide variety of unscripted sub-genres in the English language including home and design, dating, cooking, fashion, and true crime. Subscribers don’t have to worry about spoilers as the vast majority of US shows are available on hayu the same day as their US broadcast,” said the company in a statement. 

    “Given the immense popularity of reality TV in India, we are thrilled to be launching hayu in the country and we look forward to super-serving Indian viewers with the best-unscripted content has to offer,” said NBCUniversal managing director direct to consumer – global Hendrik McDermott. “hayu is already the premiere destination for must-watch reality TV in 27 other countries and will now deliver the same great service in India.”

  • NBCUniversal launches DreamWorks, E! Entertainment in India

    NBCUniversal launches DreamWorks, E! Entertainment in India

    Mumbai: NBCUniversal International Networks and Direct-To-Consumer (DTC) on Thursday announced the launch of DreamWorks and an E! Entertainment branded zone for Jio subscribers in India.

    Jio subscribers will be able to access a broad selection of territory premieres and catalogue of compelling programming from DreamWorks and E!, alongside a companion package of on-demand content on Universal+.

    The offering will include DreamWorks franchises such as “Trolls: The Beat Goes On!,” “All Hail King Julien,” “The Adventures of Puss in Boots,” “Dragons: Race to the Edge,” “Dawn of the Croods,” “Spirit Riding Free,” and “Voltron Legendary Defender.”

    E! will bring its slate programming to JioTV and on JioTV+ for JioFiber subscribers. This includes popular shows like “Keeping Up With the Kardashians,” “Dating No Filter,” “Very Cavallari,” “Flip It Like Disick,” “Botched,” and “E! True Hollywood Story.”

    E! will bring live red carpet coverage from signature events such as the Grammy Awards and Academy Awards. In addition, viewers will have access to Daily Pop, the daytime series that covers the biggest stories in entertainment and features discussions of the latest pop culture buzz.  Plus, the launch will also see the arrival of “Overserved with Lisa Vanderpump” and “Celebrity Game Face,” hosted by Kevin Hart.

    “We are thrilled to be extending our footprint into India with DreamWorks and E! on JioTV+,” said NBC Universal International Networks and DTC Asia Pacific managing director Christine Fellowes. “It is exciting to be debuting these popular brands in this territory and we look forward to bringing Jio and JioFiber subscribers companion on-demand content, conveniently packaged under Universal+.”

  • Sponsors jittery, as Covid casts a shadow over Tokyo Olympic 2020

    New Delhi: As the countdown begins for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, brands sponsoring the mega sports event are treading cautiously. The growing public opinion against the games has compelled brands to reconsider their move to go full throttle with their gaming-linked advertising.

    Some Japanese corporates that are sponsoring the international event have even hired consulting firms to advise, whether to proceed with Olympic-themed marketing plans or limit their association with an event that could damage their brands, reported Financial Times. Consultants include Britain’s Kantar Group and Japan-based firms, Macromill Inc and Intage Holdings, as per the report.

    The Olympic Games have evolved into one of the biggest marketing extravaganzas in recent times, allowing brands to reach out to global audiences across different platforms. The opportunity remains a lucrative one, despite all the uncertainties this time. Over 60 Japanese companies have together paid more than three billion $ to sponsor the Games this year. Sponsors have paid another $200 million to extend contracts after the Olympics were postponed last year, as per media reports.

    There are 15 global giants with exclusive marketing rights under the Olympic Partners program, the highest level of Olympic sponsorship and each one is looking to make the most of the opportunity.

    While a decision to cancel the games could be a hefty one, conducting the games amid the pandemic will not be easy either. Japan is battling a fresh surge of infections and it has left people disgruntled over the decision to go ahead with the event. There are imminent concerns about the event might trigger a potential health crisis, with local media calling for scrapping the event entirely.

    If local polls are to be believed, most Japanese are now rooting for the postponement of the games yet again, fearing invasion by any new coronavirus variants that could put pressure on an already burdened healthcare system. With just two months left for the games, the country is also scrambling to ramp up its vaccination drive.

    If the event goes ahead as per plan, the ongoing pandemic could make sure the event is a diminished one this year. There may not be any on-site brand events and big product launches may be muted, the engagement with the audience will be mostly online. The absence of enthusiastic fans in the stadiums will be felt quite evidently.

    Toyota, the official mobility partner, has already expressed concerns over athletes becoming the target of people’s frustration over the event. However, Samsung, the communications partner, has recently gone ahead with the launch of its Galaxy S21 Olympics Games edition of smartphones.

    For broadcast, NBCUniversal has announced its plans to broadcast 7,000 hours of Olympics coverage across NBC, USA, CNBC, NBCSN, and Peacock, among other properties. The US broadcaster will air live coverage of some events in 4K HDR. “We are going to deliver the most comprehensive – and accessible – coverage for any sports event in history,” the network said in a statement.In India, Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) has the broadcast rights for the event. 

    While the opportunity to associate with the games is a lucrative one, it remains to be seen how brands are going to pivot to the changing realities and capitalise on it amid the pandemic. 

    The 2020 Tokyo Olympics are scheduled to be held from 23 July to 8 August.

  • NBCUniversal to telecast Tokyo Olympics across eight networks

    Mumbai: NBCUniversal will telecast 7,000 hours of the upcoming Tokyo Olympics across eight digital networks and multiple digital platforms. The telecast will begin on 20 June and will run through 8 August. 

    It should be noted that NBCUniversal is telecasting the Olympic games for the 11th consecutive time. NBC’s first Olympics production began in 1964 in Tokyo. The network is planning to telecast 250 hours of Olympic games across 17 days headlined by its primetime coverage. 

    A total of 1,300 hours of the Tokyo Olympics will be telecasted live on USA Network, CNBC, NBCSN, Olympic Channel, and Golf Channel, Telemundo Deportes and Universo have at least 309 hours content for Spanish viewers. NBCSN (440 hours) and USA Network (388.5 hours) will present the round-the-clock live coverage beginning on 24 July. 

    The NBCSN coverage will primarily focus on soccer, softball, beach volleyball, table tennis, handball, badminton, fencing, and equestrian, while USA Network will telecast basketball, soccer and water polo as well as swimming, track & field, diving, beach volleyball, volleyball, cycling, and triathlon. 

    Diving, beach volleyball, skateboarding, rowing, canoeing, archery, water polo, and rugby will be telecasted on CNBC (124.5 hours). Golf Channel (111 hours) will cover men’s and women’s tournaments, while the Olympic Channel (242 hours) will focus on tennis and wrestling events. 

    NBC had earlier announced this year that the network will telecast the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics on 23 June at 6.55 AM EDT. The time zone in Tokyo is 13 hours ahead of the Eastern Time Zone, and as a result, most of the Olympic matches will be telecasted in the US primetime.

    NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Sports app will telecast 5,500 hours of coverage digitally. The show lineup for NBCUniversal’s Peacock streaming service is yet to be finalized. 

  • Discovery extends David Zaslav’s employment contract

    Discovery extends David Zaslav’s employment contract

    MUMBAI:  When you swing a deal like he has done, you probably deserve to be rewarded. Discovery president & CEO David Zaslav played a key role in getting AT&T’s WarnerMedia to align itself with the network he leads, an announcement of which was made earlier this week. Well, his labour has yielded fruit as his employment contract has been extended to run through 31 December 2027 from its previous effective date of 2023.

    Of course, we all know that the merger of the two media firms will lead to the creation of a behemoth offering WarnerMedia’s premium entertainment, sports, and news assets and Discovery’s leading nonfiction and international entertainment and sports businesses. And it was announced that Zaslav will lead the proposed new company.

    Since joining it in 2007, Zaslav has steered Discovery to new heights starting with taking it public in 2008, stream rolling it into the Fortune500 in 2014, acquiring Scripps Networks Interactive, in a transaction which closed in 2018 and ramping up its direct-to-consumer efforts under discovery+. The definitive real-life subscription streaming service launched in the US in January 2021 with more than 55,000 episodes, and internationally, continues its rollout to more than 25 markets and accounts for 15 million subs already.

    The Discovery comprises nearly 20 per cent of ad-supported pay-TV viewership in the US and nearly seven billion monthly video views, making it the No 1 pay-TV portfolio in Uncle Sam, claims a press release. And its global distribution has surpassed three billion viewers.

    Before Discovery Zaslav had a distinguished career at NBCUniversal, where he was instrumental in developing and launching CNBC and also played a role in the creation of MSNBC.

  • Comcast posts growth in broadcast TV revenue in Q1

    Comcast posts growth in broadcast TV revenue in Q1

    MUMBAI: Broadcasting and cable television company Comcast Corporation has reported results for the quarter ended March 31, 2020. While broadcast television revenue increased 8.8 per cent to $2.7 billion in the first quarter of 2020, distribution revenue and ad revenue decreased 1.5 per cent and 2.2 per cent, respectively.

    Broadcast television

    Growth in broadcast television revenue reflects increases in content licensing revenue and distribution and other revenue. Content licensing revenue increased 31.3 per cent due to the timing of content provided under licensing agreements. Distribution and other revenue increased 6.9 per cent, due to higher retransmission consent fees. Advertising revenue was consistent with the prior year period, reflecting higher pricing and local political advertising, offset by audience ratings declines and reduced advertiser spending due to Covid2019.

    Adjusted EBITDA increased 29.6 per cent to $501 million in the first quarter of 2020, reflecting higher revenue, partially offset by an increase in operating costs and expenses. The increase in operating costs and expenses was primarily due to an increase in programming and production costs, which was partially offset by the favorable impact of adopting updated accounting guidance.

    Cable networks

    While it lost 388,000 residential video subscribers in the first quarter, cable networks revenue of $2.9 billion was consistent with the prior year period, reflecting decreases in distribution revenue and advertising revenue, offset by an increase in content licensing and other revenue.

    Distribution revenue decreased 1.5 per cent, reflecting a decline in subscribers, partially offset by contractual rate increases and the timing of contract renewals. Advertising revenue decreased 2.2 per cent, reflecting audience ratings declines and reduced advertiser spending resulting from the postponement of sports events due to Covid2019, partially offset by higher pricing.

    The Covid209 pandemic, it seems, has not eroded its other revenue streams. Content licensing and other revenue increased 13 per cent due to the timing of content provided under licensing agreements. Adjusted EBITDA decreased 1.2 per cent to $1.2 billion in the first quarter of 2020, reflecting flat revenue, and flat operating expenses, as higher other operating and administrative costs were offset by lower programming and production costs. The decline in programming and production costs was primarily due to decreases in the recognition of sports programming costs as a result of the postponement of sports events due to Covid2019.

    Filmed entertainment

    Filmed Entertainment revenue decreased 22.5 per cent to $1.4 billion in the first quarter of 2020, reflecting decreases in theatrical revenue, content licensing revenue, home entertainment revenue and other revenue. Theatrical revenue decreased 28.8 per cent, reflecting a difficult comparison to the success of films in the first quarter of 2019.  

    “Society is being challenged like never before in our lifetime, and I couldn’t be prouder of our company, our employees, and our leadership team across Comcast Cable, NBCUniversal, and Sky. Now more than ever the world needs to stay connected, and we’re extremely pleased that our investments in our network continue to pay off as we are handling significant increases in traffic and meeting our customers’ needs," said Brian L Roberts, chairman and chief executive officer of Comcast Corporation.

    “While parts of our business have been more impacted by COVID-19 than others, we have continued to innovate. We are distributing our content in new ways, as evidenced by the recent launch of Peacock on X1 and Flex. We've also taken decisive action, having moved over 95 per cent of our US call-centre employees to work from home and putting in place new procedures that have allowed more than 15,000 construction workers to safely come back to work to build our theme park in Beijing. All the divisions of our company are in constant communication, and the level of collaboration has been extraordinary. We have a strong balance sheet, terrific portfolio of assets, and a world-class management team. This is a moment in time; and when it passes, I am very confident that the decisions we are making now will enable us to emerge from this crisis as a healthy, strong company that is well positioned to continue to grow and succeed,” he said.

    Theme parks

    Theme Parks revenue decreased 31.9 per cent to $869 million in the first quarter of 2020, primarily due to the closures of Universal Studios Japan in late February and Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood in mid-March as a result of COVID-19. Adjusted EBITDA decreased 84.7 per cent to $76 million in the first quarter of 2020, reflecting lower revenue and higher operating costs. The increase in operating costs was primarily due to increases in employee-related costs and pre-opening costs associated with the Universal Beijing Resort and Super Nintendo WorldTM in Universal Studios Japan, partially offset by lower park operation costs due to the park closures.

    Consolidated results

    Revenue for the first quarter of 2020 decreased 0.9 per cent to $26.6 billion. Net Income Attributable to Comcast decreased 39.6 per cent to $2.1 billion. Adjusted Net Income decreased 6.1 per cent to $3.3 billion. Adjusted EBITDA decreased 4.9 per cent to $8.1 billion.

    Earnings per Share (EPS) for the first quarter was $0.46, a decrease of 40.3 per cent compared to the first quarter of 2019. Adjusted EPS decreased 6.6 per cent to $0.71.

    Capital Expenditures decreased 10.1 per cent to $1.9 billion in the first quarter of 2020. Cable Communications’ capital expenditures decreased 6.9 per cent  to $1.3 billion in the first quarter of 2020. NBCUniversal’s capital expenditures decreased 16.7 per cent  to $377 million. Sky's capital expenditures decreased 24.1 per cent to $197 million. Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities was $5.8 billion in the first quarter of 2020. Free Cash Flow was $3.3 billion.

    Dividends paid during the first quarter of 2020 totalled $977 million.

  • Hungama Play partners with NBCUniversal; announces an incredible line-up of blockbuster movies

    Hungama Play partners with NBCUniversal; announces an incredible line-up of blockbuster movies

    MUMBAI: Hungama Play, a premium video on demand platform owned by Hungama Digital Media, today announced a partnership with NBCUniversal to release a slew of critically acclaimed and blockbuster hit movies from the studio. As part of this agreement, movies such as the BAFTA® and Academy Award® winning films from the Bourne franchise, the Jurassic franchise and The Mummy franchise, are all now available to stream on the platform. Giving the films a wider audience, Hungama Play will also make certain titles available in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.

    Over the next few months, Hungama Play will also launch numerous NBCUniversal feature films such as Back to the Future, American Pie 2, Shrek 2, The Theory of Everything, King Kong, Despicable Me and Despicable Me 2, among others.

    Besides Hungama Play, the movies will be available to stream through Hungama Play on Vodafone Play, Idea Movies & TV, Airtel Xstream, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Tata Sky Binge and Android Smart TVs. Additionally, Hungama’s strategic association with Xiaomi will also enable users to watch the movies via Hungama Play on Mi TV.

    Speaking about the association, Siddhartha Roy, COO, Hungama Digital Media, said, “Hungama Play always strives to provide a diverse, multi-lingual and multi-genre library of content. Our strategic content partnership with NBCUniversal will aid us in expanding our library and offer our audience a chance to experience their favourite movies in multiple languages. We are hopeful that the latest additions will introduce our viewers to content that transcends language and geography barriers.” 

    Belinda Menendez, President & Chief Revenue Officer, Global Distribution and International, NBCUniversal, said, “NBCUniversal prides itself on engaging and immersive storytelling that captivates and enthralls viewers around the world. We are proud to offer our most-watched movies on Hungama Play and partner with them to make our world-class content available to a wider audience in India.”

    The movie line-up will also include legendary science-fiction, adventure and action films such as The Chronicles of Riddick, Battleship, Oblivion and Incredible Hulk. Comedies including Land of the Lost and Liar Liar, in addition to supernatural horror films such as Ouija, will also be available to viewers.

  • Disney eyes 10% stake in Hulu

    Disney eyes 10% stake in Hulu

    MUMBAI: The Walt Disney Company wants to have a grip on the US streaming service Hulu. According to reports, Disney is in active discussions with AT&T to acquire the 10 per cent stake that WarnerMedia owns in the streaming platform.

    Disney holds 30 per cent stake in the WarnerMedia Company, combined with another 30 per cent deal with Fox which is finalied and if it succeeds in convincing AT&T, Disney will own 70 per cent of Hulu.

    According to the reports that originated in Variety, Disney’s intentions are to keep Hulu as an adult-oriented, general entertainment hub, while its forthcoming Disney+ SVoD service will complement it as a family-friendly platform. Disney would also likely seek to expand Hulu into international markets.

    NBCUniversal's CEO Steve Burke revealed back in January that Disney also wanted to buy the 30 percent stake the media conglomerate owns, but the company wasn't looking to sell. Disney's offer for AT&T's portion won't fall on deaf ears, though: AT&T has been thinking of selling WarnerMedia's portion to prepare for its own streaming service's launch later this year. 

  • NBCUniversal accuses BeoutQ of illegal streaming of FIFA World Cup in MENA

    NBCUniversal accuses BeoutQ of illegal streaming of FIFA World Cup in MENA

    MUMBAI: NBCUniversal, an American multi-national media conglomerate owned by Comcast, has accused a pirated streaming service called BeoutQ in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) for illegally broadcasting the FIFA 2018 World Cup matches.

    NBC’s Telemundo unit, which holds the Spanish-language rights to the 2018 World Cup in the US, said that it is working closely with FIFA to protect its rights.

    BeoutQ claims to be backed by Colombian, Cuban and Middle Eastern investors.  

    “We take intellectual property infringement seriously,” NBC said, according to a statement in Rapid TV News. The company also added that it is working closely with FIFA, international soccer’s governing body, to protect its rights.”

    Telemundo is not the first to complain. Qatari sports network beIN, a major rights holder in the Middle East and North Africa, has for months accused BeoutQ of copying its streams in Saudi Arabia.

    The pirated channel has emerged as a result of the year-long poltical dispute in four countries – Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and UAE.

    As Egypt is playing in the World Cup for the first time since 1990, it has asked FIFA to allow them to broadcast games.

    The World Cup is the most-watched sporting event in the world, and its rights, generally sold by region or by country, are among the most valuable in sports.

    NBCUniversal has paid about $600 million for the American Spanish-language rights for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments.

    Also Read :

    Sony partners with Markscan to tackle illegal streaming during FIFA World Cup

    Disney makes $70.3 billion counterbid for Twenty-First Century Fox

  • CASBAA forms ‘Coalition Against Piracy,’ hires content protection veteran Neil Gane

    CASBAA forms ‘Coalition Against Piracy,’ hires content protection veteran Neil Gane

    MUMBAI: CASBAA has announced the formation of the Coalition Against Piracy (CAP), a major initiative to coordinate industry resources in the fight against rampant content theft.

    It has appointed Neil Gane, an industry veteran in content protection, as the general manager of CAP. Gane will direct CAP enforcement actions to disrupt, diminish and dismantle pirate enterprises across the region.

    The CAP includes leading video content creators and distributors in Asia. Members are: beIN Sports, CASBAA, The Walt Disney Company, Fox Networks Group, HBO Asia, NBCUniversal, Premier League, Turner Asia-Pacific, A&E Networks, Astro, BBC Worldwide, Media Partners Asia, National Basketball Association, PCCW Media, Sony Pictures Television Networks Asia, True Visions, TV5MONDE, and Viacom International Media Networks.

    CASBAA chief policy officer John Medeiros said, “One of CASBAA’s primary missions is to bring our members together to join the global fight against content theft. That’s what we are doing in establishing the CAP. CAP will focus on addressing the growing threat of illicit streaming devices (ISDs) and apps, which facilitate massive piracy of movies, sports, TV series and other creative video content. This does great harm to the content creation and distribution industries in Asia, as well as the millions of people who work in the creative economy around the world.”

    Gane said, “The Asia Pacific region has some of the worst rates of online piracy in the world.” Formerly with the Hong Kong Police, he has worked on content protection issues for more than a dozen years. He noted that the unprecedented growth in delivery of legal creative content over global broadband networks is being undermined by a surge in the sale of TV boxes with pre-loaded infringing applications.

    Online video and broadband distributions have the potential to be a massive economic growth engine in Asia with analysts forecasting market growth of more than 20 per cent over the next five years, benefiting consumers and creators of quality video content within Asia and around the world. But, this growth potential is threatened by piracy.

    In the past two years, there have been many new roll-outs of online content services across the Asia Pacific region, by existing players as well as new ones. Unfortunately, the likelihood of success for legitimate online content suppliers is severely reduced by online access to pirated content, resulting in the expectation of many consumers to get “something for nothing.”

    “The prevalence of ISDs across Asia is staggering. The criminals who operate the ISD networks and the pirate websites are profiting from the hard work of talented creators, seriously damaging the legitimate content ecosystem as well as exposing consumers to dangerous malware”, said Gane.

    Medeiros said, “Current legal frameworks are not adequate to handle this newly-enabled crime.” “Consumers are offered huge content bundles from overseas as if they were legal. But, receiving stolen content is wrong, and the fundamental purpose of an ISD network – with an innocent-looking box as its home node – is to monetise this redistribution of content without any recompense to those who worked to produce it.”

    “This is a highly organised transnational crime,” agreed Gane, “with criminal syndicates profiting enormously at the expense of consumers as well as content creators.”

    Mitigating the piracy threat requires international cooperation, added Medeiros, and CASBAA has established CAP to provide added support for the content and distribution companies in the worldwide fight against piracy. CAP intends to join hands with similar initiatives underway in other parts of the world, including with the newly-formed Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) and in Europe where a separate coalition of broadcasters and content creators initiated by BBC and the Motion Picture Association has made great strides in information sharing and coordination.

    CASBAA CEO Christopher Slaughter said, “We are excited about the launch of CAP in Asia to enhance collaboration between different segments of the industry – distributors, aggregators, and creators – and to complement the other country-specific and global initiatives in place and starting to show results. Collaboration is key and we look forward to the success of this new program.”

    CAP will be launched officially at the forthcoming CASBAA Convention 2017, 6-8 November, at Studio City Macau, as a highlight of its robust policy and anti-piracy conference track.