Business

The deal builds on the success of peacock relationship, helping to manage and deliver a pristine viewing experience across all screens.

He will lead the strategy and development of the company’s consumer identity and data platform.

HBO and HBO Max added 2.8 million subscribers in the second quarter, reaching 47 million in the U.S. and helping parent AT&T beat Wall Street forecasts. Total AT&T revenue of $44 billion rose almost 8% from the year-earlier period and topped analysts’ consensus estimate of $42.6 billion. Earnings per share went up 7% to 89 cents, well ahead of analysts’ outlook of 79 cents.

Just months after the major pro sports leagues resumed play after the pandemic forced an unprecedented shutdown of live sports for nearly a year, COVID-19 is still having an adverse effect on the live sports event business. While the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines has paved the way for a return of most pro sports events in 2021 — and has allowed fans to attend events at full capacity in many venues — observers said the industry has not yet declared victory against the virus.

Tegna Inc.’s board of directors declared a dividend of 9.5 cents per share, payable on Oct. 1 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on Sept. 3. “Our record first quarter results, and the second quarter and full-year 2021 guidance we provided on May 10, 2021, reflect the strength of our business and favorable positioning for continued growth and value creation,” said Dave Lougee, Tegna president-CEO. “As we announced on March 29, this 9.5 cents per share dividend represents a 36% increase to our prior dividend on an annualized basis, and is a reflection of our board’s active review of our capital allocation program and options to create and return value to shareholders.”

The survey represents nationwide ad spending targeting local audiences in 210 markets across 16 media and 95 business verticals. Local television advertising this year will dip to $16.2 billion, but bounce up to $19.3 billion in 2022, with $1.5 billion and $1.7 billion, respectively, coming from digital platforms.

Stocks climbed on Wednesday as more company earnings reports rolled in. The S&P 500 rose 0.8% and is now on pace for a weekly gain. Technology stocks, banks and companies that rely on consumer spending helped drive the benchmark index’s advance.

The move will let advertisers across the nation to programmatically buy display and OTT ads through Amazon DSP and analyze their campaign performance.

The industry group that represents major television networks is calling on the nonprofit Media Rating Council to strip Nielsen’s accreditation in an unprecedented escalation of a months-long feud centered on the accuracy of Nielsen ratings. On Wednesday morning, the Video Advertising Bureau, which counts A+E Networks, Disney, Fox, NBCUniversal and ViacomCBS (among others) as members, delivered a letter to the MRC demanding that it suspend its accreditation of Nielsen’s national ratings service due to the measurement firm’s handling of its in-home panel. That panel, which serves as the backbone of Nielsen’s television measurement products, has been cast into doubt since at least March 2020.

The new consultancy and research arm will provide partners bespoke insights on cultural trends through the eyes of almost 700 million people worldwide. The inaugural Co-Lab research study details the critical tie between local culture, community values, dedicated fandoms, and global resonance.

Imagine Entertainment, the production banner run by Ron Howard and Brian Grazer, has been the subject of renewed acquisition talks in recent weeks, according to multiple sources. Investors and potential buyers include an undisclosed sovereign wealth fund from the Middle East, which has been quietly exploring American media investments of late. Also kicking the tires on Imagine are Kevin Mayer and Tom Staggs, the former Disney executives who have a bankroll of up to $2 billion from private equity giant Blackstone to buy up independent content companies; as well as international banks.

On Tuesday, Netflix reported its worst slowdown in subscriber growth in eight years as people emerge from their pandemic cocoons. But it thinks it has an answer to that: Video games.

The purchase of WJRT Flint, Mich., by Allen Media Broadcasting tops the latest list of TV station transactions submitted to the FCC for its approval, according to BIA Advisory Services.

On Tuesday, stocks regained much of the ground they lost a day earlier. The comeback was the latest rebound following a pullback as investors continue to try and assess how badly rising infections will hurt the economic recovery.

The U.S. ad economy expanded 35.2% in June vs. the same month a year ago, marking the fourth consecutive month of expansion since the ad industry pulled out of its COVID-19 recession. It was the best June ever since Standard Media Index began the U.S. Ad Market Tracker, though it represented only a slight 0.3% increase over June 2019.

With the release of Compulse 360 software for digital media, Compulse, Sinclair’s digital arm, offers purpose-built tech, expert managed services and transparent pricing designed to let clients run local campaigns at scale.

Comcast CEO Brian Roberts met with ViacomCBS Chairman Shari Redstone in recent weeks to discuss a potential streaming partnership for international markets, according to people familiar with the matter, a sign the media companies see opportunities to join forces. During the meeting, which was held around the end of June in New York, and which also included ViacomCBS CEO Robert Bakish, the executives discussed a variety of possible business partnerships that would allow the companies to enter non-U.S. markets together, the people said.

AT&T is selling $6.2 billion worth of DirecTV Holdings debt in order to finance the spinoff of its linear pay TV assets. The telecom is selling $3.1 billion of six-year secured bonds (aka junk bonds) that are set to price Thursday and may yield around 6% to 6.5%.

He will be succeeded by Mark Greatrex, the current EVP and chief sales and marketing officer, who will become president.

TVNewsCheck will present its annual conference charting the industry’s revenue path ahead in a virtual format once again this year with sessions on data and spot TV; NextGen TV’s monetization buildout; capitalizing on the cloud; and the event’s annual discussion with four station group leaders who offer their outlook on broadcast’s most impactful trends. Register here.

Stocks skidded Monday as COVID-19 fears shook markets. The S&P 500 fell 68.67, or 1.6%, to 4,258.49, after setting a record just a week earlier. In another sign of worry, the yield on the 10-year Treasury touched its lowest level in five months as investors scrambled for safer places to put their money.

More than a dozen states — including the home of Hollywood — are bolstering or considering expanding tax credits and incentive programs for movie and television production, hoping shoots can re-energize their economies. Meanwhile mega productions from WarnerMedia, Apple and Netflix have been filming in states that recently expanded their incentive programs, such as Oklahoma, Montana, Oregon and Kentucky.

The new team will manage the combined global operations upon the closing of Televisa-Univision merger.

The FCC has approved AT&T’s spin-off of its traditional video distribution business as it moves toward streaming (HBO Max) as its video play of choice, citing the parties’ undisputed claim that the New DirecTV company that will result would be stronger because it could focus on traditional video. The FCC will not require the New DirecTV to deliver local TV station signals to the 12 smallest markets, as the broadcast affiliate associations had asked. It also declined to apply any program carriage conditions on the deal.