Deadline: Disney Chief Bob Iger Says It Is “Very Tricky” To Assess Hulu’s Long-Term Value As Decision Point With Comcast Approaches

Story from Deadline:

With the fate of Hulu’s ownership soon to be determined, Disney CEO Bob Iger says it is “very tricky” to pin down its long-term value given that streaming overall is still in a “nascent” stage.

Deadline: Comcast “Happy” To Sell Hulu Stake To Disney As Deadline Looms; Other Options “Must Be Better, In Our Minds, Than That”

Story from Deadline:

Comcast President Mike Cavanagh said the media giant would of course consider alternative proposals for its stake in Hulu but they’d have to top its longstanding agreement to sell its remaining stake in the streamer to Disney next year.

Hollywood Reporter: Warner Bros. Discovery CFO Says Reduced Content Spend Has Trimmed “Excess”

Story from Hollywood Reporter:

Gunnar Wiedenfels said the worst of a challenging effort to combine AT&T’s WarnerMedia unit and Discovery is now behind the Hollywood studio eleven months after the merger.

Variety; Warner Bros. Discovery CFO on ‘Harry Potter’ and ‘Lord of the Rings’ Franchises: ‘We’re Only Just Starting to Expand’

Story from Variety:

Never fear, genre fans: Warner Bros. Discovery is intent on mining as much of its tentpole Warner Bros. IP as possible in the near future, whether that be through its upcoming revamped DC Universe, the newly announced “The Lord of the Rings” movies, or more projects based on J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” franchise amid the success of video game “Hogwarts Legacy.”

Variety: CW Taps iSpot to Count LIV Golf Tournament Viewers

Story from Variety:

The CW is hoping advertisers will take another swing at its unorthodox new golf tournament if it offers some different ways of doing transactions that involve it.

Broadband TV News: Liberty Global’s Fries says EU consolidation hopes lack reality

Story from Broadband TV News:

Liberty Global boss Mike Fries has described the European Commission’s interest in cross-border telecom consolidation as a “a dream that doesn’t reflect reality”.

Hollywood Reporter: Warner Bros. Discovery Renews HBO Content Deal With Japan’s U-Next Streaming Service

Story from Hollywood Reporter:

Warner Bros. Discovery has renewed a content output deal with Japanese streamer U-Next.

Variety: HBO Shows to Play Exclusively in Middle East on OSN Under Expanded Deal With Warner Bros. Discovery

Story from Variety:

Middle East satellite and streaming platform OSN Group has extended its relationship with Warner Bros. Discovery forging a new multi-year licensing deal under which it will become the exclusive home for HBO content in the region.

Hollywood Reporter: Warner Bros. Discovery Tweaks Executive Pay, David Zaslav and Other Execs to Get Bonuses Based on Free Cash Flow, Debt Reduction

Story from Hollywood Reporter:

Warner Bros. Discovery is shifting its corporate focus to generating free cash flow and reducing its debt load, and it wants its top executives on the same page.

BET Takeover - Deadline: Byron Allen & Tyler Perry Eyeing BET As Paramount Explores Sale Of Majority Stake

Story from Deadline:

Byron Allen said he wants to buy BET as Paramount Global is looking at sale of the asset. He is the second suitor after Tyler Perry, who also is said to have expressed interest.

Hollywood Reporter: John Malone and Charter Directors Reach $87.5M Deal to Settle Investor Suit

Story from Hollywood Reporter:

A seven-year old lawsuit alleging billionaire John Malone was illegally compensated through a side deal in Charter’s 2015 acquisition of Time Warner Cable has settled for $87.5 million.

Hollywood Reporter: Paramount Will Pay $122.5M to Settle CBS-Viacom Merger Lawsuit

Story from Hollywood Reporter:

Paramount Global has agreed to settle a shareholder lawsuit that claimed that the 2019 CBS-Viacom merger was unfair for shareholders.

Deadline: Lionsgate Re-Ups Vice Chairman Michael Burns And COO Brian Goldsmith With Starz Transaction Looming

Story from Deadline:

As it gets set to reveal plans for the likely separation of Starz and the Lionsgate movie and TV studio, Lionsgate has re-upped two key members of its management team: Vice Chairman Michael Burns and COO Brian Goldsmith.

Deadline: CW Says LIV Golf’s Opening Tourney Averaged More Than 3 Million

Story from Deadline:

Using data from iSpotTV along with internal CW and LIV results, CW says LIV’s opening weekend at Camaleón Mayakoba Golf Course in Mexico averaged more than 3.2 million total viewers across all linear and digital platforms from February 24-26.

New York Post; CNN on track for smallest audience of viewers age 25 to 54 since 2014: report

Story from New York Post:

The hard knocks keep coming for ratings-challenged CNN, which is on pace to finish February with its smallest monthly audience among viewers age 25 to 54 since June 2014.

Deadline: CNN Sets April Debut For ‘News Central’ Dayside Lineup

Story from Deadline:

CNN will launch its new dayside lineup in April as CNN News Central, an effort to highlight its newsgathering and coverage of breaking stories and events.

Hollywood Reporter: Liberty Media Fourth-Quarter Revenue Grows Across SiriusXM, Atlanta Braves, F1 Units

Story from Hollywood Reporter:

Liberty Media, the company controlled by billionaire mogul John Malone that houses assets like audio entertainment giant SiriusXM, the Atlanta Braves baseball club and the Formula One racing circuit, reported fourth-quarter financials on Wednesday.

Variety: ESPN Chief Pitaro’s Executive Shuffle Puts Burke Magnus Over Content, Rosalyn Durant Over Sports Rights

Story from Variety:

ESPN is getting in on the biggest game at corporate parent Disney: shuffling top executive ranks in the wake of the return of CEO Bob Iger.

Hollywood Reporter: HGTV Orders More of Two Young Shows, With an Eye on Diversifying Talent and Streaming Output

Story from Hollywood Reporter:

HGTV, like all legacy Discovery channels, can no longer program exclusively for cable. There’s also streamer Discovery+ to think of, and, in a few months, Warner Bros. Discovery’s HBO Max replacement that will also include the sprawling lifestyle roster. So, naturally, orders aren’t slowing down.

Hollywood Reporter; David Zaslav Chases the One Metric to Rule Them All: Streaming Profits

Story from Hollywood Reporter:

If the past five years were about chasing Netflix’s up-and-to-the-right trajectory for streaming subscribers, this year begins a pivot in that approach for its rivals.