BCE's Subsidiary Bell Media Teams Up With Lionsgate for New Series

Core Insights - BCE Inc.'s subsidiary Bell Media has partnered with Point Grey Pictures and Lionsgate Studios to develop a new scripted television series, marking Point Grey's first project for the Canadian market [1][2][3] - Bell Media's third-quarter performance showed a 10.1% increase in operating revenues to C$782 million, driven by a 7.9% growth in advertising and a 13.5% rise in subscriber revenue [4][10] - BCE has adjusted its 2024 revenue forecast from a growth range of 0-4% to a decline of around 1.5% due to declining sales in the Bell CTS division and pricing pressures in wireless [6] Group 1: Partnership and Content Development - The collaboration with Point Grey and Lionsgate is expected to create impactful Canadian content with global appeal [2] - This partnership complements an existing agreement between Lionsgate and Bell Media to develop comedy and drama series for the global market [3] - The upcoming premiere of "The Studio," a comedy from Point Grey and Lionsgate, on Apple TV+ highlights Point Grey's reputation for successful projects [9] Group 2: Financial Performance - Bell Media's digital revenues surged by 19%, with a 12% growth in crave subscriptions and a 34% increase in direct-to-consumer streaming subscribers [10] - The adjusted EBITDA for the segment rose by 25.1% to C$254 million, with margins improving to 32.5% [10] - BCE's stock has declined by 40.3% over the past year, contrasting with the industry's decline of 14% [7] Group 3: Technological Integration - Bell Media has partnered with Shopsense AI to enhance viewer engagement through a second-screen shopping experience, integrating shoppable features into Canadian programming [5][11] - This initiative aims to elevate the television experience by leveraging Shopsense AI's Commerce OS technology [11]