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Tag: WWE

  • Raw and Smackdown now available live in hindi

    Raw and Smackdown now available live in hindi

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Sports Network (SPSN) and WWE (NYSE: WWE) today announced that WWE’s flagship TV programs Raw and SmackDown will air with live Hindi commentary for the first time beginning tomorrow on SONY TEN 3.

    Fans can tune into SONY TEN 3 to hear the new announce team of Fahad Sheikh and Sandeep Iyer calling the action live in Hindi. SONY TEN 1 will continue to air Raw and SmackDown live with English language commentary. 

    WrestleMania 33 was the first WWE special event to air with live Hindi commentary. Since then, all WWE special events have aired with live Hindi commentary on WWE Network. Last June, Sony Pictures Networks India and WWE launched WWE Sunday Dhamaal, a weekly show in Hindi featuring the best of Raw and SmackDown plus exclusive features and interviews.  

  • Fox, Viacom & WWE — entertainment stocks on investors’ radar

    MUMBAI: Stock-Callers.com has initiated research coverage on four Diversified Entertainment companies, namely: Twenty-First Century Fox Inc., Viacom Inc., Lions Gate Entertainment Corp., and World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. The Entertainment Industry is a constantly evolving group that mainly comprises television networks and station owners, which are typically involved in programming and production of content. Learn more about these stocks by downloading their comprehensive and free reports at:

    Twenty-First Century Fox

    New York headquartered Twenty-First Century Fox Inc.’s shares finished Friday’s session 2.03% lower at $27.94. A total volume of 29.19 million shares was traded, which was above their three months average volume of 8.53 million shares. The stock has gained 0.23% on an YTD basis. The Company’s shares are trading above their 200-day moving average by 0.19%. Moreover, shares of Twenty-First Century Fox, which together with its subsidiaries, operates as a diversified media and entertainment company in the US, the UK, Continental Europe, Asia, Latin America, and internationally, have a Relative Strength Index (RSI) of 30.99.

    On May 08th, 2017, Twenty-First Century Fox announced the appointment of Melody Hildebrandt to the role of Global Chief Information Security Officer. In this role, Ms. Hildebrandt will oversee the protection and risk management for enterprise communications, technologies, and assets for 21CF. She joins the Company from Palantir Technologies, where she served as executive vice president and directed the cybersecurity practice. Her appointment is effective on June 01st, 2017.

    On May 11th, 2017, research firm Rosenblatt upgraded the Company’s stock rating from ‘Neutral’ to ‘Buy’. FOXA complete research report is just a click away and free at:

    Viacom

    Shares in New York headquartered Viacom Inc. ended the day 0.26% higher at $34.61 with a total trading volume of 4.39 million shares. The stock is trading 12.96% below its 200-day moving average. Shares of the Company, which operates as media brand worldwide, have an RSI of 16.05.

    On May 05th, 2017, research firm RBC Capital Markets reiterated its ‘Underperform’ rating on the Company’s stock with a decrease of the target price from $35 a share to $30 a share.

    On May 10th, 2017, Viacom’s emerging entertainment technology group, Viacom NEXT, premiered an original virtual reality music experience for the song “Withdrawal” by Atlantic Records recording artist Max Frost at the 2017 Microsoft Build Developer Conference. The video harnesses cutting-edge Microsoft Mixed Reality Capture technology, bringing fans face-to-face with photorealistic holographs of Frost, who sings and plays multiple instruments simultaneously in an immersive, underwater environment.

    Lions Gate Entertainment

    Santa Monica, California headquartered Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.’s stock rose 1.63%, closing the session at $23.72. A total volume of 528,394 shares was traded, which was above their three months average volume of 488,870 shares. The Company’s shares have gained 1.89% in the last one month. The stock is trading 0.25% below its 50-day moving average. Additionally, shares of Lions Gate Entertainment, which engages in motion picture production and distribution, television programming and syndication, home entertainment, branded channel platforms, interactive ventures and games, and location-based entertainment in Canada, the US, and internationally, have an RSI of 54.96.

    On May 05th, 2017, Lions Gate Entertainment announced that it will release its Q4 and full year financial results for the fiscal year ended March 31st, 2017 after market close on Thursday, May 25th, 2017. Senior management will hold its analyst and investor conference call to discuss the Company’s FY17 financial results at 5:00 p.m. ET on that same day. Sign up for your complimentary research report on LGF-B at:

    World Wrestling Entertainment

    On Friday, shares in Stamford, Connecticut headquartered World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. finished the session 0.94% lower at $19.94. A total volume of 257,981 shares was traded. The stock has gained 9.02% on an YTD basis. The Company’s shares are trading above their 200-day moving average by 0.06%. Furthermore, shares of World Wrestling Entertainment, which engages in the sports entertainment business in North America, Europe, Middle-East, Africa, Asia/Pacific, and Latin America, have an RSI of 37.08.

    On May 04th, 2017, World Wrestling Entertainment announced financial results for its first quarter ended March 31st, 2017. Revenue for the quarter increased 10% to $188.4 driven by the Company’s Live Events, Network, and Television segments. The Company also reported net income of $0.9 million, or $0.01 per share; operating income of $4.0 million; and adjusted OIBDA of $18.6 million for Q1 2017. Get free access to your research report on WWE

  • Sony & WWE to host Superstars ‘The New Day’ from 10 May, Kingston & Big E on Extraaa Innings

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) and WWE are hosting the WWE Tag Team, ‘The New Day’ in India this week, to meet WWE’s incredible Indian fans and take part in an exclusive local sport event.

    The WWE Superstars, Kofi Kingston and Big E, will be in Mumbai from Wednesday, May 10 to Friday, May 12. As part of the three-day tour, the longest-reigning WWE Tag Team Champions of all time will appear on Extraaa Innings T20, bringing together the best of sports and entertainment culture. In addition, fans across the city will get a chance to meet and greet their heroes.

    Rajesh Kaul, President, Sports and Distribution, Sony Pictures Networks India: “We are excited to host the WWE Superstars, Kofi Kingston & Big E of The New Day in India. SPN’s partnership with WWE will give our viewers the opportunity to see The

    New Day on SPN’s flagship show. Our aim at the sports cluster of SPN is to present the appeal of WWE to a broader fan base. WWE continues to enthral viewers with its characters, storylines and its marquee events, and we are giving our viewers a first-hand experience of WWE with The New Day’s visit to India.”

    Sheetesh Srivastava, Vice President & General Manager, WWE India: “Indians are passionate about great sports and entertainment, from the thrilling, non-stop action of the Indian Premier League, to the dramatic storytelling and elaborate productions of Bollywood movies. We are sure that The New Day will experience the essence of Indian culture during this visit.

    Ed Wells, Executive Vice President, WWE International: WWE offers a unique combination of thrilling live action and physical stunts, woven into incredible dramatic storylines and performed by larger-than-life characters like WWE Superstars Kofi Kingston and Big E. WWE fans in India experience the unique combination of sports and entertainment, enjoying the very best of both worlds.”

    The New Day comprises WWE Superstars Big E, Kofi Kingston, and Xavier Woods, and the trio now performs as part of the SmackDown® brand. Fans can tune in to SmackDown locally every Wednesday at 5:30 AM on Ten 2, with additional airings later in the day at 5:00 PM on Ten 1 channel.

    The New Day are two-time WWE Tag Team Champions, with their second reign being the longest for any tag team champions in WWE history at 483 days.

  • WWE dominates programme ratings; Ten 1 returns to lead ratings

    WWE dominates programme ratings; Ten 1 returns to lead ratings

    MUMBAI: After staying away from the top of the table, Ten 1 returns as the most viewed channel in BARC ratings for Week 52 (24 December to 30 December). With no major sporting league currently on, sport viewers returned to their perennial favourite WWE, pushing Star Sports 2 on to the second spot. The top-ranked channel got a total of 66865 impressions in the All India, CS 4+ data.

    After leading for two consecutive weeks for India’s heroics against England in the test series, Star Sports 2 dropped to the second spot, to be followed by Star Sports 1 with 45358 and 21781 impressions respectively. Ten 2 took the fourth spot with 15512 impressions and the list was concluded with Star Sports 3 moving to the fifth spot, garnering 14051 impressions.

    After cricket’s unbridled domination for two consecutive weeks, WWE came back and how! The wrestling show once again proved its credentials, sweeping off the top programs’ list. Ten 1 appears on the list four times, with various programmes of WWE featuring on the top three with 1152, 1044 and 1019 impressions respectively. The fourth spot is held by Ten 2, flanked by WWE Raw as the program with 917 impressions. The list is completed with Ten 1 featuring with Incredible Innings coming on the fifth slot, with 781 impressions.

    The next week might see an interesting battle of numbers, with both Premier Badminton League and Pro-Wrestling League beginning on the 01 and 02 January, respectively. With the badminton league being beamed on the Star Network and PWL being broadcast on the SPNI network, it can be seen as a two-horsed war from the onset of 2017.

  • WWE dominates programme ratings; Ten 1 returns to lead ratings

    WWE dominates programme ratings; Ten 1 returns to lead ratings

    MUMBAI: After staying away from the top of the table, Ten 1 returns as the most viewed channel in BARC ratings for Week 52 (24 December to 30 December). With no major sporting league currently on, sport viewers returned to their perennial favourite WWE, pushing Star Sports 2 on to the second spot. The top-ranked channel got a total of 66865 impressions in the All India, CS 4+ data.

    After leading for two consecutive weeks for India’s heroics against England in the test series, Star Sports 2 dropped to the second spot, to be followed by Star Sports 1 with 45358 and 21781 impressions respectively. Ten 2 took the fourth spot with 15512 impressions and the list was concluded with Star Sports 3 moving to the fifth spot, garnering 14051 impressions.

    After cricket’s unbridled domination for two consecutive weeks, WWE came back and how! The wrestling show once again proved its credentials, sweeping off the top programs’ list. Ten 1 appears on the list four times, with various programmes of WWE featuring on the top three with 1152, 1044 and 1019 impressions respectively. The fourth spot is held by Ten 2, flanked by WWE Raw as the program with 917 impressions. The list is completed with Ten 1 featuring with Incredible Innings coming on the fifth slot, with 781 impressions.

    The next week might see an interesting battle of numbers, with both Premier Badminton League and Pro-Wrestling League beginning on the 01 and 02 January, respectively. With the badminton league being beamed on the Star Network and PWL being broadcast on the SPNI network, it can be seen as a two-horsed war from the onset of 2017.

  • Super Fight League will have niche audience: SPNI

    Super Fight League will have niche audience: SPNI

    MUMBAI: India’s first mixed martial arts promotion, Super Fight League, is being promoted by the British business magnate and sports enthusiast Bill Dosanjh and the British professional boxing sensation and two-time world champion Amir Khan.

    SFL announced Sony Pictures Network India (SPNI) as the official broadcast partner for the first-ever MMA league to be hosted in India from 20 January – 25 February 2017. The fights will be broadcast live on Sony ESPN and Sony ESPN HD channels while the opening ceremony will be shown live on Sony MAX.

    Dosanjh said, “Sony ESPN is the channel that is synonymous for bringing MMA to the television sets of the Indian audience. We at Super Fight League are really excited about Sony Pictures Networks India coming on board as the broadcast partners for the inaugural edition of the league. Having Sony as the broadcast partner will help us in our endeavor to reach the maximum variety of audience and make Super Fight League a household name for MMA in India.”

    public://MMA.jpg

    Talking to indiantelevision.com, a high-placed source said that marketing strategies were being worked out, and would be in place soon. It’s an experiment which needs time and space to make its presence felt in the niche.

    About Sony Pictures’ views on the Super Fight League, the source added, “We’ve seen how WWE and Wrestling leagues have done well, how Vijender and his boxing bouts are getting good traction and we’ve also seen how MMA on our channels have been working well and there seems to be a good niche for it.”

    SPNI president, distribution and sports business Rajesh Kaul said, “Having been a forerunner in popularizing MMA, the sports cluster of Sony Pictures Networks India is the premier destination for viewing mixed martial arts. We are pleased to announce the expansion of our MMA portfolio with the addition of the Super Fight League which is India’s first mixed martial arts league on our network.”

    As to whether we will see pay-per-view mode of payment in the Super Fight League, on OTT or broadcasting platform, the source added, “We’ve set up a new product and need to make it successful before we get into the various payment modes. The league is still at the embryonic stage and it needs time to grow to have a dedicated audience.”

    The franchisee-based league will feature eight teams, and is being organised in association with the All-India Martial Arts Association (AIMMAA). It will commence with the opening ceremony on 20 January 2017 which will be broadcast on Sony MAX. SPN also has the broadcast rights for the league across Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Afghanistan and Maldives.

    The fights in the league will be held over Friday, Saturday and Sunday and will be broadcast from 7-9 PM over the weekend and can also be streamed live on SonyLIV.

  • Super Fight League will have niche audience: SPNI

    Super Fight League will have niche audience: SPNI

    MUMBAI: India’s first mixed martial arts promotion, Super Fight League, is being promoted by the British business magnate and sports enthusiast Bill Dosanjh and the British professional boxing sensation and two-time world champion Amir Khan.

    SFL announced Sony Pictures Network India (SPNI) as the official broadcast partner for the first-ever MMA league to be hosted in India from 20 January – 25 February 2017. The fights will be broadcast live on Sony ESPN and Sony ESPN HD channels while the opening ceremony will be shown live on Sony MAX.

    Dosanjh said, “Sony ESPN is the channel that is synonymous for bringing MMA to the television sets of the Indian audience. We at Super Fight League are really excited about Sony Pictures Networks India coming on board as the broadcast partners for the inaugural edition of the league. Having Sony as the broadcast partner will help us in our endeavor to reach the maximum variety of audience and make Super Fight League a household name for MMA in India.”

    public://MMA.jpg

    Talking to indiantelevision.com, a high-placed source said that marketing strategies were being worked out, and would be in place soon. It’s an experiment which needs time and space to make its presence felt in the niche.

    About Sony Pictures’ views on the Super Fight League, the source added, “We’ve seen how WWE and Wrestling leagues have done well, how Vijender and his boxing bouts are getting good traction and we’ve also seen how MMA on our channels have been working well and there seems to be a good niche for it.”

    SPNI president, distribution and sports business Rajesh Kaul said, “Having been a forerunner in popularizing MMA, the sports cluster of Sony Pictures Networks India is the premier destination for viewing mixed martial arts. We are pleased to announce the expansion of our MMA portfolio with the addition of the Super Fight League which is India’s first mixed martial arts league on our network.”

    As to whether we will see pay-per-view mode of payment in the Super Fight League, on OTT or broadcasting platform, the source added, “We’ve set up a new product and need to make it successful before we get into the various payment modes. The league is still at the embryonic stage and it needs time to grow to have a dedicated audience.”

    The franchisee-based league will feature eight teams, and is being organised in association with the All-India Martial Arts Association (AIMMAA). It will commence with the opening ceremony on 20 January 2017 which will be broadcast on Sony MAX. SPN also has the broadcast rights for the league across Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Afghanistan and Maldives.

    The fights in the league will be held over Friday, Saturday and Sunday and will be broadcast from 7-9 PM over the weekend and can also be streamed live on SonyLIV.

  • Ten 1 most watched; WWE leads table

    Ten 1 most watched; WWE leads table

    MUMBAI: Ten 1 has become the most watched channel in Week 49 (3 December 9 December, 2016), according to Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) — all-India data. The ratings include both the urban and the rural market.

    WWE TLC is at the top spot in terms of programs, usurping India’s heroics against England in the fourth test which was played at Wankhede Stadium and was broadcast by the Star Network. The next three positions amongst channels have been taken by Star Sports 3, Star Sports 1 and Star Sports 2 in descending order. Sony SIX stands at the fifth spot in the channel listings.

    Looking at the Impressions 000’s garnered, Ten 1 got a whopping 90516, helped by the overwhelming fan frenzy of the WWE. Test Cricket is not a dead form in India, and this is clearly suggested by the ratings. Star Network got a total viewership of 184173 Imp’000s, clearly outweighing the other networks. Sony SIX also got a healthy 22879 Imp’000s, probably due to Spanish football league matches which features both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, crazily followed throughout India.

    Talking about programs, WWE TLC led the charts with 2263 Imp’000s, closely followed by Team India’s exploits in the Wankhede Test. The second day of the Mumbai Test got 2241 Imp’000s on Star Sports 3, also garnering 1249 Imp’000s for Star Sports 1, which stood at the fourth position. Sandwiched between both was the first day of the Test – which saw England racing to a strong total, making the one-sided series a little more exciting, with 1861 Imp’000s for Star Sports 3. Ten 1 completed the rankings table, with WWE Raw getting 1246 Imp’000s for the last spot on the table.

    With the ISL semi-finals that were held from 10 Dec to 14 December, it’ll be interesting to see how these games impact the rankings and make a presence at the table.

  • Ten 1 most watched; WWE leads table

    Ten 1 most watched; WWE leads table

    MUMBAI: Ten 1 has become the most watched channel in Week 49 (3 December 9 December, 2016), according to Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) — all-India data. The ratings include both the urban and the rural market.

    WWE TLC is at the top spot in terms of programs, usurping India’s heroics against England in the fourth test which was played at Wankhede Stadium and was broadcast by the Star Network. The next three positions amongst channels have been taken by Star Sports 3, Star Sports 1 and Star Sports 2 in descending order. Sony SIX stands at the fifth spot in the channel listings.

    Looking at the Impressions 000’s garnered, Ten 1 got a whopping 90516, helped by the overwhelming fan frenzy of the WWE. Test Cricket is not a dead form in India, and this is clearly suggested by the ratings. Star Network got a total viewership of 184173 Imp’000s, clearly outweighing the other networks. Sony SIX also got a healthy 22879 Imp’000s, probably due to Spanish football league matches which features both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, crazily followed throughout India.

    Talking about programs, WWE TLC led the charts with 2263 Imp’000s, closely followed by Team India’s exploits in the Wankhede Test. The second day of the Mumbai Test got 2241 Imp’000s on Star Sports 3, also garnering 1249 Imp’000s for Star Sports 1, which stood at the fourth position. Sandwiched between both was the first day of the Test – which saw England racing to a strong total, making the one-sided series a little more exciting, with 1861 Imp’000s for Star Sports 3. Ten 1 completed the rankings table, with WWE Raw getting 1246 Imp’000s for the last spot on the table.

    With the ISL semi-finals that were held from 10 Dec to 14 December, it’ll be interesting to see how these games impact the rankings and make a presence at the table.

  • TV segment pulls up WWE Network despite lower revenue: Q3-16 OIBDA

    TV segment pulls up WWE Network despite lower revenue: Q3-16 OIBDA

    BENGALURU: Despite a 13.7 per cent decline in WWE’s Television segment of its Media Division revenue, the segment reported a 21.8 per cent (year-over-year) y-o-y growth in OIBDA (Operating Income before Depreciation and Amortisation) for the quarter ended 30 September 2016 (Q3-16, current quarter) as compared to the corresponding year-ago quarter.

    WWE reported revenues of $164.2 million in Q3-16, 1.2 per cent lower than $166.2 million in Q3-15. The company’s OIBDA in the current quarter at $24.5 million was 4.7 more than the $23.4 million in Q3-15. The company reported net income of $11.1 million, or $0.14 per diluted share, as compared to net income of $10.4 million, or $0.14 per
    diluted share, in the corresponding prior year quarter.

    WWE has four divisions – Media Division, Live Events, Consumer Products and WWE Studios. Its largest division is the Media Division which has four segments, the largest of which is Television, followed by the Network Segment. Digital Media and Home Entertainment Segments are the other two segments of the Media Division.

    Company Speak

    “During the quarter, we continued to effectively execute our content strategy, which has resulted in record revenues to-date in 2016 and increased consumption across our media platforms,” said WWE chairman & CEO Vince McMahon. “This growth illustrates meaningful progress against our long-term strategic plan and provides the foundation for achieving our 2017 financial objectives.”

    WWE Chief Strategy & Financial Officer George Barrio stated, “We achieved a 24 per cent increase in average paid subscribers to WWE Network  and generated profits that were within the range of our guidance. We expect continued year-over-year growth in subscribers and profits for the fourth quarter resulting in strong full year performance that is in-line with our previous business outlook.”

    Media Division

    The Media Division reported revenue of $110.4 million in the current quarter, which was 3.9 per cent lower y-o-y than $114.9 million. The Division’s OIBDA for the current quarter increased 9.2 per cent y-o-y to $53.3 million from $48.8 million.

    Television segment revenue declined to $56.3 million in Q3-16 from $65.2 million in Q3-15. The company attributes this decline to “contractual increases in key distribution agreements were more than offset by the prior year impact of WWE’s licensed reality series, Total Divas and Tough Enough. There were no scheduled airings of these programs in the third quarter 2016, while the prior year quarter reflected approximately $14 million in revenue from the fourth season of Total Divas  (13 episodes) and  Tough Enough  (8 episodes).’

    Television segment’s OIBDA in the current quarter was $32.4 million versus $26.6 million in Q3-15.

    Network Segment revenues, which include revenue generated by WWE Network and pay-per-view, increased 10 percent to $45.1 million.   WWE Network subscription revenue increased 18 per cent to $42.8 million from $36.4 million in the prior year quarter based on a 24 per cent year-over-year increase in average paid subscribers to 1.46 million says the company.

    WWE Network says that it had 1.44 million total paid subscribers at the end of the third quarter, which represented a 17 percent increase from September 30, 2015. WWE Network had 1.07 million U.S. paid subscribers and 373,000 international paid subscribers at quarter-end.

    Network segment OIBDA of $17.4 million was essentially unchanged from the prior year quarter ($17.7 million) as the growth in WWE Network subscription revenue was offset by increased programming expenses, including a $3.2 million allocation of certain expenses shared between the company’s Network and Television segments. A portion of the increase in Network programming expenses relates to the company’s previously communicated strategic investments.

    WWE Network content, including pay-per-views, original series, NXT Takeover, and specials has continued to drive viewer engagement. During the quarter, the company says it has introduced compelling new content for WWE Network, including NXT Takeover Brooklyn III,   Holy Foley!,   WWE Draft Center Live, and Cruiserweight Classic, a 10-week global tournament.  The company says it is on pace to add more than 300 hours of original content to the network’s featured programming in 2016, and more than 2,500 hours of archival content to  WWE Network, which would result in an on-demand library of over 7,000 hours at year-end 2016.

    Live events

    Live Event revenues increased 9.6 per cent to $28.6 million from $26.1 million primarily due to the staging of 5 additional international events.

    Consumer Products

    Revenues from Consumer Products decreased 3.6 per cent to $21.6 million as higher online sales of merchandise at the Company’s e-commerce sites were more than offset by a reduction in licensing revenue.  Licensing revenues decreased 21.7 percent to $9.0 million primarily due to a lower effective royalty rate for our franchise video game,WWE 2K16, and lower sales of toy products.

    WWE Studios

    Revenues from filmed entertainment increased to $2.5 million as compared to $1.7 million in the prior year quarter.  The increase in revenue was due to the performance and timing of results from the company’s portfolio of movies. During the quarter, WWE Studios released two feature films, Scooby Doo! and WWE: Curse of the Speed Demon and Interrogation.  WWE Studios OIBDA increased $1.8 million due, in part, to the increase in revenues, and agreed changes to the terms of distribution of a previously released film, which resulted in lower expenses.