FILM INDUSTRY – UNITED STATES

Producers cut Hollywood deal

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Michael Bodey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 19-Jan-18

Australian film and TV production company See-Saw Films has secured a production deal with New Regency. The "first look" deal with the Hollywood studio will allow See-Saw to make films with much bigger budgets than at present, and enable its films to reach a larger audience worldwide. See-Saw was among the major winners at the recent Australian Academy of Cinema & Television Arts awards, for productions such as "Lion" and "Top of The Lake: China Girl".

CORPORATES
SEE-SAW FILMS PTY LTD, NEW REGENCY PICTURES, AUSTRALIAN ACADEMY OF CINEMA AND TELEVISION ARTS, REGENCY ENTERPRISES, 21ST CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED, WALT DISNEY COMPANY

Disney, Fox deal combines two of world’s biggest entertainment giants

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by
CBS News – Page: Online : 15-Dec-17

Walt Disney Company CEO Robert Igor is confident that the group’s $US52.4bn deal to acquire key assets from 21st Century Fox will be cleared by regulators. The assets to be bought by Disney include the 20th Century Fox film studio and cable TV networks such as National Geographic, while assets to be retained by 21st Century Fox include the Fox free-to-air and pay-TV networks. These will be spun off into a new listed company. Igor has flagged the possibility of Fox CEO James Murdoch taking on a role at Disney.

CORPORATES
21ST CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED, WALT DISNEY COMPANY, 20TH CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED, FOX BROADCASTING COMPANY, FOX NEWS CHANNEL, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL

Murdoch’s Fox shares rise on talk of sale of key assets to rival Disney

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by John Kehoe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 20 : 8-Nov-17

The share price of 21st Century Fox has risen by more than nine per cent in response to media reports that it had held talks about selling most of its assets to the Walt Disney Company. The discussions were said to be preliminary and have been discontinued, but it is believed that the talks could resume. The reports suggested that Fox would sell assets such as its film and TV studios to Disney, while retaining its news and sports broadcasting assets. Fox has a market capitalisation of $US50bn, while Disney’s market capitalisation is $US155bn.

CORPORATES
21ST CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED, WALT DISNEY COMPANY, CNBC, GABELLI FUNDS, SKY PLC, TIME WARNER INCORPORATED, AT&T CORPORATION, 20TH CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED, FOX NEWS CHANNEL, STAR INDIA, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, REA GROUP LIMITED – ASX REA, HARPERCOLLINS

Content the future for telcos: media bosses

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 11 & 14 : 25-Oct-16

Seven West Media CEO Tim Worner says A&T’s proposed acquisition of Time Warner has major implications for both telcos and media companies. He believes that more deals of this nature are possible, noting the growing importance of content to telcos. Southern Cross Media Group CEO Grant Blackley says such deals could occur in Australia, and points out that under current media ownership laws his company could be acquired by Telstra but it could not merge with Fairfax Media.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, TIME WARNER INCORPORATED, AT&T CORPORATION, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, PRIME MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX PRT, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, SINGAPORE TELECOMMUNICATIONS LIMITED, ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, BEIN SPORTS, THE A LEAGUE PTY LTD, CRICKET AUSTRALIA, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, TPG TELECOM LIMITED – ASX TPM, VODAFONE AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Time Warner is Murdoch’s lost chance

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Neil Chenoweth
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 25-Oct-16

Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox had the opportunity to acquire Time Warner in 2014 and create a media giant worth $US160bn. Time Warner rejected the $US80bn bid and sought a higher offer, but this would have required 21st Century Fox CEO Chase Carey to remain at the helm at a time when Murdoch was preparing his sons to succeed him. James and Lachlan Murdoch were subsequently appointed CEO and co-executive chairman respectively. The proposed $US85bn ($A112bn) acquisition of Time Warner by AT&T may prompt other mega mergers, but the Murdochs may not be able to pursue such deals without relinquishing control of their media empire.

CORPORATES
21ST CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED, TIME WARNER INCORPORATED, AT&T CORPORATION, FOX NEWS, SKY PLC, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, SKY ITALIA SPA, SKY DEUTSCHLAND AG

Murdoch quells Fox News concerns after Ailes departure

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 23 : 5-Aug-16

21st Century Fox has posted a net profit of $US2.8bn ($A3.7bn) for fiscal 2016, compared with $US8.4bn previously, although the prior result was bolstered by asset sales. The media group’s EBITDA rose by two per cent to $US6.6bn, while revenue was one per cent higher at $US27.3bn. 21st Century Fox’s co-executive chairman Lachlan Murdoch has stressed that the resignation of Fox News CEO Roger Ailes will have no effect on the cable news channel’s editorial position or strategic direction.

CORPORATES
21ST CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED, FOX NEWS, DIRECT BROADCAST SATELLITE TELEVISION, SKY ITALIA SPA, SKY DEUTSCHLAND AG, SKY PLC, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD