Tag: WB

Barc Wk 36: Sun TV retains the top position in all India market

Mumbai: Broadcast Audience Research Council (Barc) India has released currency data for week 35 i.e., 27 August to 2 September. As per data for the all India 2+ target group, Sun TV is the most watched channel in India with an average minute audience (AMA) of 2357.27 (000). It was followed by Star Maa at 2221.43 (000) AMA, Star Plus at 1999.62 (000) AMA, STAR Sports 1 Hindi at 1939.32 (000) AMA and Dangal at 1936.85 (000) AMA.

The average minute audience (AMA) is defined as the number of individuals within a target audience who viewed a televised “event,” averaged across minutes.

In the Hindi-speaking market (HSM), Dangal emerged as the most watched channel at 1925.09 (000) AMA followed by Star Plus at 1923.0 (000) AMA, Star Sports 1 Hindi at 1908.95 (000) AMA, Goldmines at 1858.12 (000) AMA and Colors at 1453.52 (000) AMA.

In the South market, Sun TV was the most watched channel at 2345.66 (000) AMA, followed by Star Maa at 2166.61 (000) AMA, Zee Kannada at 1393.76 (000) AMA, Star Vijay at 1373.72 (000) AMA, Zee Telugu at 1365.88 (000) AMA.

In the Maharashtra/Goa market, Star Pravah was the most watched channel at 1334.86 (000) AMA, followed by Star Sports 1 Hindi at 493.38 (000) AMA, Zee Marathi 423.57 (000) AMA, Sony SAB 375.39 (000) AMA and Colors Marathi 355.05 (000) AMA.

In the West Bengal market, Star Jalsha was the most watched channel with 1145.79 (000) AMA followed by Zee Bangla at 745.69 (000) AMA, Jalsha Movies 187.42 (000) AMA, STAR Sports 1 Hindi 161.53 (000) AMA and Sony Aath at 134.28 (000) AMA.

In the Megacities market including Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Chennai, Sun TV was the most watched channel at 405.45 (000) AMA followed by Star Plus at 352.78 (000) AMA, Colors 323.56 (000) AMA, STAR Sports 1 Hindi at 307.48 (000) AMA and STAR Vijay 283.67 (000) AMA.

September 15, 2022
Barc Wk 35: Sun TV leads in all India market

Mumbai: Broadcast Audience Research Council (Barc) India has released currency data for week 35 i.e., 27 August to 2 September. As per data for the all India 2+ target group, Sun TV is the most watched channel in India with an average minute audience (AMA) of 2511.95 (000). It was followed by Star Maa at 2235.04(000) AMA, Star Plus at 2063.01(000) AMA , Goldmines at 2036.4 (000) AMA and Dangal at 1868.71 (000) AMA.

The average minute audience (AMA) is defined as the number of individuals within a target audience who viewed a televised “event,” averaged across minutes.

In the Hindi-speaking market (HSM), Goldmines emerged as the most watched channel at 2005.46 (000) AMA followed by Star Plus at 1989.98 (000) AMA, Dangal at 1860.74 (000) AMA, Star Sports 1 Hindi at 1642.79 (000) AMA and Colors at 1474.25 (000) AMA.

In the South market, Sun TV was the most watched channel at 2497.44 (000) AMA, followed by Star Maa at 2184.31 (000) AMA, Dangal at Zee Kannada (000) AMA, Star Vijay at 1394.17 (000) AMA, Zee Telugu at 1321.86 (000) AMA.

In the Maharashtra/Goa market, Star Pravah was the most watched channel at 1395.34 (000) AMA, followed by Star Sports 1 Hindi at 439.46 (000) AMA, Zee Marathi 434.99 (000) AMA, Sony SAB 385.42 (000) AMA and Colors Marathi 382.41 (000) AMA.

In the West Bengal market, Star Jalsha was the most watched channel with 1079.41 (000) AMA followed by Zee Bangla at 790.41 (000) AMA, Jalsha Movies 227.1 (000) AMA, Zee Bangla Cinema 157.22 (000) AMA and STAR Sports 1 Hindi 140.59 (000) AMA.

In the Megacities market including Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Chennai, Sun TV was the most watched channel at 444.33 (000) AMA followed by Star Plus at 368.9 (000) AMA, Colors 322.92 (000) AMA, STAR Vijay 302.06 (000) AMA and SONY SAB 296.92 (000) AMA.

September 8, 2022
Barc Wk 33: Goldmines lead in all India market

Mumbai: Broadcast Audience Research Council (Barc) India has released currency data for week 33 i.e., 13 August to 19 August. As per data for the all India 2+ target group, Goldmines is the most watched channel in India with an average minute audience (AMA) of 2685.26 (000). It was followed by Star Maa at 2667.03 (000) AMA, Sun TV at 2624.5 (000) AMA, Star Plus at 2034.54 (000) AMA and Dangal at 1832.49 (000) AMA.

The average minute audience (AMA) is defined as the number of individuals from a target audience who viewed a televised “event,” averaged across minutes.

In the Hindi-speaking market (HSM), Goldmines emerged as the most watched channel at 2647.25 (000) AMA, followed by Star Plus at 1960.05 (000) AMA, Dangal at 1822.95 (000) AMA, Sony SAB at 1601.57 (000) AMA and Star Pravah at1565.54.

In the South market, Sun TV was the most watched channel at 2612.51(000) AMA, followed by Star Maa at 2604.36 (000) AMA, Star Vijay at 1628.83 (000) AMA, Zee Kannada at 1387.19 (000) AMA, and Zee Telugu at 1339.31 (000) AMA.

In the Maharashtra/Goa market, Star Pravah was the most watched channel at 1547.59 (000) AMA, followed by Zee Marathi at 467.49 (000) AMA, Goldmines, Colors Marathi, and Sony SAB.

In the West Bengal market, Star Jalsha was the most watched channel with 1087.51 (000) AMA, followed by Zee Bangla at 770.52 (000) AMA, Jalsha Movies, ABP Ananda and Sony Aath.

In the megacities market, including Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkata, Bengaluru, and Chennai, Sun TV was the most watched channel at 456.97(000) AMA, followed by Star Plus, Star Vijay, Colors, and Sony SAB.

August 25, 2022
Barc Wk 32: Sun TV maintains pole position in all India market

Mumbai: Broadcast Audience Research Council (Barc) India has released currency data for week 32, i.e., from 6 August to 12 August. As per data for all India’s 2+ target group, Sun TV is the most watched channel in India with an average minute audience (AMA) of 2567.21 (000). It was followed by Star Maa at 2169.44 (000) AMA, Goldmines at 2127.63 (000) AMA , Star Plus at 2033.82 (000) AMA and Dangal at 1744.75 (000) AMA.

The average minute audience (AMA) is defined as the number of individuals from a target audience who viewed a televised “event,” averaged across minutes.

In the Hindi-speaking market (HSM), Goldmines emerged as the most watched channel at 2098.29 (000) AMA, followed by Star Plus at 1963.01 (000) AMA, Dangal at 1736.38 (000) AMA, Sony SAB at 1624.39 (000) AMA and Star Pravah at 1500.53 (000) AMA.

In the South market, Sun TV was the most watched channel at 2553.69 (000) AMA, followed by Star Maa at 2111.34 (000) AMA, Star Vijay at 1566.23 (000) AMA, Zee Kannada at 1405.92(000) AMA, and Zee Telugu at 1377.34(000) AMA.

In the Maharashtra/Goa market, Star Pravah was the most watched channel at 1482.76 (000) AMA, followed by Zee Marathi at 460.1 (000) AMA, Colors Marathi, Sony SAB and Goldmines.

In the West Bengal market, Star Jalsha was the most watched channel with 1121.2 (000) AMA, followed by Zee Bangla at 805.43 (000) AMA, Jalsha Movies, ABP Ananda and Sony Aath.

In the megacities market, including Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkata, Bengaluru, and Chennai, Sun TV was the most watched channel at 438.38 (000) AMA, followed by Star Plus, Star Vijay, Colors, and Sony SAB.

All the data is for 2+ audiences.

August 19, 2022
Barc week 19: Sun TV maintains lead in all India market

Mumbai: Broadcast Audience Research Council (Barc) India has released currency data for week 19 (from 7 to 13 May). As per data for All India 2+ target group, Sun TV is the most watched channel in India with average minute audience (AMA) of 2373.16 (000). It was followed by Star Maa at 2240.67 (000) AMA, Star Plus at 2141.56 (000) AMA, Star Sports at 2052.06 (000) AMA and Goldmines at 2005.9 (000) AMA.

Average minute audience is defined as the number of individuals of a target audience who viewed a televised ‘event,’ averaged across minutes.

In the Hindi-speaking market (HSM), Star Plus emerged as the most watched channel at 2083.32 (000) AMA followed by Star Sports 1 Hindi at 2014.86 (000) AMA, Goldmines at 1982.55 (000) AMA, Dangal at 1659.6 (000) AMA and Sony SAB at 1567.11 (000) AMA.

In the South market, Sun TV was the most watched channel at 2362.58 (000) AMA, followed by Star Maa at 2200.06 (000) AMA, Star Vijay at 1574.22 (000) AMA, Zee Kannada at 1330.37 (000) AMA, Zee Telugu at 1328.76 (000) AMA.

In the Maharashtra/Goa market, Star Pravah was the most watch channel at 1307.16 (000) AMA, followed by Star Sports 1 Hindi at 552.39 (000) AMA, Zee Marathi, Sony SAB and Colors Marathi.

In the West Bengal market, Star Jalsha was the most watched channel with 1070.0 (000) AMA followed by Zee Bangla at 753.39 (000) AMA, Star Sports 1 Hindi, Jalsha Movies and Sony Aath.

In the megacities market including Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Chennai, Sun TV was the most watched channel at 427.39 (000) AMA followed by Star Plus, Star Sports 1 Hindi, Star Vijay and Colors.

(All data is for 2+ audiences)

May 19, 2022
WarnerMedia to cease transmission of HBO & WB in India from end 2020

MUMBAI: WarnerMedia International will be ceasing the HBO SD and HD linear movie channels in India and Pakistan, as well as the WB linear movie channel in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Maldives with effect from 15 December 2020.

WarnerMedia International will continue to operate and invest more in the highly popular kids brands Cartoon Network and POGO in the south Asia region, including increasing local animation production in this region.

“After 20 years of successes for the HBO linear movie channel in south Asia and more than a decade with the WB linear movie channel, this was a difficult decision to make. The pay-TV industry landscape and the market dynamics have shifted dramatically, and the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the need for further change,” said WarnerMedia SVP and MD – south Asia Siddharth Jain.

He added: “We would like to express our heartfelt appreciation to all our partners and fans who have made HBO and WB household names. We also owe a debt of gratitude to all our employees who have worked so passionately on these well-loved brands. WarnerMedia has a strong interest in India and are committed to assessing optimal opportunities to serve valued customers here.”

WarnerMedia will continue to have employees based in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore to manage its kids brands operations, sales and marketing as well as the distribution of CNN International.

October 15, 2020
WarnerMedia ropes in TheSmallBigIdea as its social media agency for HBO and WB brands in India

MUMBAI: TheSmallBigIdea has been appointed as WarnerMedia’s social media agency for HBO and WB, the global media and entertainment company’s two English-language movie channels in India. Their mandate includes Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

The full-service digital agency is tasked with increasing reach by using social media to build brand awareness in new markets, strengthen affinity in existing markets through relevant engagement and by developing a distinct voice to drive publicity.

The agency will create localised and bespoke communication to build viewer interest within newer audience demographics in tier 2 and 3 cities.

WarnerMedia entertainment networks South Asia MD Siddharth Jain said, “TheSmallBigIdea will elevate our social media strategy for the vibrant English-language entertainment portfolio. HBO and WB already have a huge fan following on social, but with the agency’s strategic support, creative and data-driven approach, we’re looking forward to taking this to the next level.”

TheSmallBigIdea CEO and co-founder Harikrishnan Pillai added: “TheSmallBigIdea and the team at WB and HBO are all aligned to our goals. While maintaining the current conversation with the core audience base in metros, we intend to reach out and build a new audience base. We have formulated a market-specific strategy, built on the back of some of the world’s leading blockbusters.”

Earlier this year, the agency rolled out a multi-language campaign for HBO to promote ‘Godzilla: King of the Monsters’.

August 26, 2020
We place a very high premium on fan experience: Turner’s Rohit Bhandari

MUMBAI: Competition has brought the best out of the TV channels operating in the English movie genre. With 14 channels vying for the crown, the genre has witnessed a flurry of changes in programming strategy and content aggregation as well as viewer-engagement manoeuvres. In the quest for curating quality content, increasing the fan base and expanding the target audience, channels are in the race to bag rights for premieres and beefing up their content library. The viewership for the genre has been reasonably steady through the year even as the yearning for the consumption of movies increases on over-the-top (OTT) platforms.

Turner India senior director and network head- English entertainment Rohit Bhandari feels that there is no empirical data that proves any cannibalisation of viewership. They are currently driving all the strategies towards making the television-viewing experience an almost personal and incredible one rather than diverging into OTT for now.

Both HBO and WB are available across all the DTH operators and key national networks and MSOs across India. Turner India is planning to strengthen its line-up of premieres for the year 2018, which will have movies from big studios like Warner Bros and Paramount and help in reaching the goals.

Bhandari, in an interaction with Indiantelevision.com, said that the network intends to deepen the relationship with its fans by not only by expanding the content library but also by giving them more meaningful experiences through innovative ways by which they can participate and engage with its brands.

Edited excerpts:

What are your plans, innovations and strategies for 2018 for your English movies channels?

We are a fan-first company, and our strategy for HBO and WB reflects our viewer-centric approach. Our plans are centered around growing and super servicing our fans, the successful execution of which will ultimately help us to achieve higher ratings and in turn enable us to deliver bigger advertising revenues. Through interesting content and continuous engagement with the audience, we intend to build upon the strong fan-base we have. This, of course, would be aimed at increasing the total number of viewers and increasing our revenue share.

Ted Turner once famously said, ‘Just because your ratings are bigger doesn’t mean you’re better.’ We are driven by the same thought. While ranks are important and we are constantly monitoring what’s happening with the genre, we’re focused on being better. We are taking a `Kaizen’ approach to everything that we do. We look to improve continuously with not just our content acquisitions but also with our distribution, marketing and communication plans.

We place a very high premium on the fan experience and we look for opportunities to create an environment that our viewers have come to expect from our brands and delivering that experience.

Will there be a change in the programming line-up this year?

In 2018 our fans can expect an even stronger line up of premieres. A line-up from Warner Bros and Paramount Studios that we now will help drive our reach and expansion goals. While we started the year with a bang, with the premiere of Kong: Skull Island, we have some great titles lined up for the year such as Wonder Woman, Transformers: The Last Knight, Baywatch, Dunkirk, Justice League to name a few. Creatively curated together from an extensive library of ever-popular hit titles in our library, we are confident of keeping and growing our fans with this great line-up.

What is your current target group?

The core target group that English Movies seeks is 16-30 years, with some spillover happening at both ends of the age spectrum. However, from a BARC measurement point of view, we evaluate our brands on 1 Mn+ markets, 15-40 age group, NCCS A audiences.

We will expand this fan-base by empathising with our viewers. In 2017, we interacted with fans by using languages and mediums that they were most comfortable with viz. social media and instant messaging like WhatsApp. The idea of interacting with their favourite movie channel in real time generated a lot of excitement for our fans and created great value for us in terms of pure engagement and feedback. This almost personal experience with the brand is what we will be continuing with, going into 2018, thereby widening the fan pool.

Is there any change in the prime time band?

Our strategy around prime time band remains the same as last year. We follow a differentiated strategy during weekdays and over weekends. Given that weekdays are busy times for people, we play more of the action oriented blockbuster titles as the viewer is looking for a quick fix and blockbusters offer them an easy entry into the film. However, the weekends allow us to expose more of our library to our viewers. With 1 pm and 9 pm being the key slots which are reserved for popular titles, the other slots like 11 am, 3 pm, 7 pm etc. allow us to play a variety of titles across genres.

In terms of viewership, how are the channels performing?

With its brand promise of Experience The Magic, HBO focuses on presenting its viewers with some of the biggest blockbusters from Hollywood and we ensure that our loyal fans are provided the best in movie entertainment and with our exciting and highly popular library. HBO continues to be amongst the top performing movie channels in India.

Youth brands and male brands dominate our channels. Auto, mobile handset, e-commerce and IT products are key categories.

With increasing digital content consumption, are you planning to launch an OTT platform?

‘Experience The Magic’ is an intended consumer experience that we want consumers to feel every time that they engage with HBO. Given the variety of choices available to the consumer today, we realise that it is important to convert our consumer from a viewer into a fan, and the only way of doing that is putting the fan at the center of everything. A majority of fans in the multi-tiered Indian market love the experience of films – visual as well as audio – that television brings them, and we are currently driving all our strategies towards making this television-viewing experience an almost personal, incredible one rather than diverging into OTT for now.

What are your marketing and promotional strategies for the new content?

Our industry is evolving and consumers demand not just choice – which they already have a lot of – but also convenience, value and more than just great content. They are also looking for unique experiences. Which explains why we at Turner have a fan-first strategy and been so focused on fan experiences. This transcends further into our promotional and marketing strategies for new content. For example, for our recent premiere of Kong: Skull Island, we made the experience even more special for fans, with HBO and HBO HD releasing cool ‘Stand with Kong’ filter available on Facebook camera filters. Fans could use the filter for a cool picture that would visually bring them face to face with Kong himself. Further, we also created a unique Facebook SmartApp, so fans could see how they measure up to the gigantic legend. This was accompanied by exciting contests on HBO’s social platforms.

All major titles throughout the year will see similar strategies that bring fans closer to experiencing the magic.

Has the trend of watching movies on OTT platforms affected business?

We believe that even though OTT is growing, TV will continue to be the main source of entertainment for a majority of the audience in the Indian market. It is a multi-tiered market, and for OTT to have a significant impact on TV viewership, there needs to be economic affordability and the access to good bandwidth. Also, the experience of television, which complements the largeness of a film and its effects, cannot be compared to that of OTT. Over the last couple of years, our ratings have been rather stable and while there certainly has been higher acceptance to the various OTT players, there is no empirical data that proves any cannibalisation of viewership.

Do you think ad revenue will pick-up this year?

HBO as a brand is iconic that advertisers have appreciated and respected over the years. With the launch of HBO HD coupled with its new look, we saw a steady positive response from advertisers in the last couple of years.

2017 was a challenging year for everyone with demonetisation and GST implementation. 2018 has opened far better and we expect to see a pickup from March onwards. A trend we hope will strengthen even further.

HBO is perceived as an aspirational brand, identified with big premieres, large blockbuster titles and hence, has always commanded a very strong premium on rates over competition.

2018’s exciting lineup has piqued advertiser interest. At the end of the day, advertisers need some big vehicles to get their brands onto and this year HBO has the right mix of titles to attract some of the biggest brands and advertisers.

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February 20, 2018
Eleven TV channels directed to go off air for fixed periods in last three years

NEW DELHI: Eleven television channels have been asked to suspend transmission for limited period of a minimum one day up to 30 days for violations of Programme or Advertisement Codes since 2014.

However, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore told Parliament today that the orders were kept in abeyance in three cases – DY 365, NDTV Good Times, and TLC.

Of all the channels, News Time Assam was asked to stop transmission for one day for three different programmes.

Only one channel – Satlon News – was asked to go off air for as many as thirty days in March 2015.

The other channels asked to stop transmission for fixed periods were: WB, NTV, Jai Hind, Al Jazeera TV, NDTV India, and Care World.

March 23, 2017
Time Warner reports y-o-y increase in Q3-2014

BENGALURU: Time Warner Inc (Time Warner) posted 34 per cent higher adjusted EPS for Q3-2014 (quarter ended 30 September 2014) at US$ 1.22 (on a lower adjust outstanding share base) and better than last quarter’s US$ 0.98.

Diluted income per share in Q3-2014 was US$1.11 (average 870.2 million diluted shares outstanding) versus the US$ 1.25 (average 938.8 million diluted shares outstanding) in Q3-2013 and US$ 0.98 (average 894.2 million diluted shares outstanding) in Q2-2014.

For Q3-2014, Time Warner reported total revenue (TIO) of US$ 6243 million, which was 3.3 per cent more y-o-y at US$ 6042 million, but 8 per cent less that the US$ 6788 million in Q2-2014. Total adjusted operating income at US$ 993 million in Q3-2014 was 37.5 per cent less than the US$ 1589 million in Q3-2013 and 38.6 per cent lower than the US$ 1618 million in Q2-2014.

Time Warner chairman and CEO Jeff Bewkes said, “We had another good quarter, featuring solid revenue growth as well as strong growth in Adjusted EPS. As we discussed at our Investor Event last month, we’ve refocused the company over the past few years to aggressively pursue the huge global opportunities we see in video content. And once again, we are seeing the benefits of our increased investments in great content and storytelling. In the quarter, both Turner and HBO had double-digit increases in subscription revenues, reflecting the growing strength and appeal of their programming. HBO received 19 Primetime Emmy Awards, the most of any network for the 13th straight year, including five Emmys for newcomer True Detective. At Turner, TNT ranked as ad-supported cable’s #1 primetime network for the second consecutive quarter, TBS was the #2 ad-supported cable network in primetime among adults 18-49 and 25-54, and Adult Swim again shined as ad-supported cable’s #1 total day network among its key adult demos. Turner’s extension last month of its longstanding relationship with the NBA through the 2024-25 season is another great example of investing in distinctive programming that will serve us well for years to come. This fall, Warner Bros. is once again the number one producer for broadcast television, including a strong slate of new shows. Season-to-date, Gotham ranked as broadcast’s #2 new show among adults 18-49, while The Flash had the most-watched telecast ever on The CW. These shows are among five series featuring DC characters that will air this season. DC is also a key component of the ambitious film slate that Warner Bros. recently unveiled. Further demonstrating our continuing commitment to shareholder returns, so far this year we’ve returned over $5.7 billion to our shareholders in the form of share repurchases and dividends.”

Time Warner has three segments that contribute to its numbers – Turner, Home Box Office (HBO) and Warner Bros (WB). Turner, which contributes about 40 per cent of TIO, disappointed with a drop in its share of adjusted operating income to 35.2 per cent versus the approximately 60 per cent during Q2-2013, Q3-2013 and Q2-2014. All of Time Warner’s segments reported y-o-y reduction of adjusted operating income in Q3-2014.

Let us look at the numbers reported by the segments of Time Warner for Q3-2014

Turner

Turner reported revenue of US$ 2556 million (39.2 per cent of TIO), which was 4.6 per cent more than the US$ 2338 million (38.7 per cent of TIO), but 11.1 per cent lower than the US$ 2750 million (40.5 per cent of TIO) in the immediate trailing quarter ended June 30, 2014.

Adjusted operating income from this segment fell a massive 64 per cent to US$ 350 million (35.2 per cent of total adjusted operating income) from US$ 971 million (61.1 per cent of total operating income) and was 62.8 per cent lower than the US$ 940 million (35.2 per cent of total adjusted operating income)in Q2-2014.

Here is what the company has to say about its Turner segment results:

Revenues rose 5 per cent (US$ 108 million) to US$ 2.4 billion, mainly due to growth of 10 per cent (US$ 117 million) in subscription revenues and 17 per cent (US$ 12 million) in content revenues, offset in part by a decline of 2 per cent (US$ 18 million) in advertising revenues. The increase in subscription revenues was primarily due to higher domestic rates and international growth. Advertising revenues decreased due to declines at Turner’s international networks. Advertising revenues at Turner’s domestic networks were essentially flat.

Adjusted Operating Income declined 64 per cent (US$ 621 million) to US$ 350 million, as higher revenues were more than offset by higher programming costs and increased restructuring and severance costs. Programming costs grew 84 per cent due to the current year quarter’s US$ 482 million of charges related to Turner’s decision to no longer air certain programming. Excluding these charges, programming costs increased in the low double digits due to higher costs associated with increased volume of original programming and the first year of Turner’s new agreement with Major League Baseball. The current year quarter included US$ 199 million of restructuring and severance costs compared to US$ 30 million in the prior year quarter. Excluding the programming and restructuring and severance charges, Adjusted Operating Income would have been US$ 1.0 billion.

HBO segment

HBO reported 9.9 per cent increase in revenue in Q3-2014 at US$   1304 million (20.9 per cent of TIO) from US$   1186 million in Q3-2013, but was 8 per cent less than the US$   1417 million (20.9 per cent if TIO) in Q2-2014.

HBO’s adjusted operating income at US$   380 million (38.3 per cent of total adjusted operating income) was 4.3 per cent lower than the US$   397 million (25 per cent of total adjusted operating income) in Q3-2013 and 31.2 per cent lower than the US$   552 million (34.1 per cent of total adjusted operating income) in Q2-2014.

Here is what the company has to say about its HBO segment results:

Revenues grew 10 per cent (US$ 118 million) to US$ 1.3 billion, reflecting increases of 10 per cent (US$ 106 million) in subscription revenues and 7 per cent (US$ 10 million) in content revenues. The increase in subscription revenues resulted from higher domestic rates and subscribers as well as the consolidation of HBO Asia and HBO South Asia (collectively, HBO Asi”). The growth in content revenues was primarily due to increased home video revenues.

Adjusted Operating Income decreased 4 per cent (US$ 17 million) to US$ 380 million, as higher revenues were more than offset by increased expenses due to higher programming and distribution costs as well as increased restructuring and severance costs. Programming costs grew 16 per cent due to increased expenses for original and acquired programming as well as the consolidation of HBO Asia. Distribution costs increased primarily due to higher participation expenses. The current year quarter included US$ 48 million of restructuring and severance costs compared to US$ 24 million in the prior year quarter. Excluding the restructuring and severance charges, Adjusted Operating Income would have been US$ 428 million.

Operating Income declined 24 per cent (US$ 122 million) to US$ 380 million. The prior year quarter included a US$ 105 million gain related to Home Box Office’s acquisition of its former partner’s interests in HBO Asia in September 2013.

Warner Bros (WB)

WB reported 3 per cent growth in revenue in Q3-2014 to from US$   2775 million (44.4 per cent of TIO) from US$   2694 million (44.6 per cent of TIO) in Q3-2014, but was 3.3 per cent lower than the US$   2870 million (42.3 per cent of TIO) in Q2-2014.

WB’s adjusted operating income at US$   241 million (24.3 per cent of total adjusted operating income) was 20.2 per cent lower than the US$   302 million (19 per cent of total adjusted operating income) in Q3-2014, but 2.1 per cent higher than the US$   236 million (14.6 per cent of total adjusted operating income) in Q2-2014.

Here is what the company has to say about its WB segment results:

Revenues increased 3 per cent (US$ 81 million) to US$ 2.8 billion, mainly due to growth in subscription video-on-demand revenues for television product, higher licensing of theatrical product, growth in television production, including from the acquisition of Eyeworks Group’s operations outside the U.S., and revenues from a patent license and settlement agreement. These increases were partly offset by softer performance of current year quarter theatrical releases compared to the prior year’s slate, which included Pacific Rim, The Conjuring and We’re the Millers, and lower domestic off-network television license fees.

Adjusted Operating Income decreased 20 per cent (US$ 61 million) to US$ 241 million, as higher revenues were more than offset by increased restructuring and severance costs, higher film costs for television product and a value added tax accrual. The current year quarter included US$ 45 million of restructuring and severance costs compared to US$ 2 million in the prior year quarter. Excluding the restructuring and severance charges, Adjusted Operating Income would have been US$ 286 million.

Operating Income declined 23 per cent (US$ 70 million) to US$ 237 million.

Through 2 November, Annabelle grossed over US$ 230 million at the worldwide box office. Season-to-date, Gotham ranked as broadcast’s #2 new drama series among adults18-49. The premiere of The Flash had a total of 6.8 million total viewers in final live +7 ratings, making it The CW network’s most-watched telecast ever.

November 6, 2014