By Milana Vinn Dec 15 (Reuters) - Goldman Sachs is restructuring its influential technology, media, and telecom (TMT) investment banking group with an eye ​toward infrastructure deals and artificial intelligence, creating two new teams ‌with new leaders, according to the internal memo seen by Reuters. The bank is combining its ‌telecom and "CoreTech" teams to form a new Global Infrastructure Technology sector. The unit will be co-headed by partners Yasmine Coupal and Jason Tofsky. Coupal, a partner sinc ...

Not to put it too strongly, uh, Peter Spino joins us now from Wolf Research. Peter, it's great to see you. Let's start with the issues that you see facing Paramount.>> Well, Paramount has a rich library, but they're competing in a game defined by scale from a subscale position. Paramount has fewer streaming subscribers. It has a lower revenue per streaming subscriber.And the productivity of the film and TV studio over the last 10 to 20 years has been lower than others in Hollywood. And so while the library ...

Core Viewpoint - Netflix plans to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery for $82.7 billion, raising concerns about job security, theatrical releases, and diversity in the industry [1] Group 1: Company Responses - Netflix co-CEOs Greg Peters and Ted Sarandos reassured employees about maintaining theatrical releases and stated there would be no studio closures [2] - The executives emphasized that the acquisition is focused on growth and strengthening one of Hollywood's iconic studios, supporting jobs, and ensuring a healthy future for film and TV production [2] Group 2: Industry Opposition - The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has opposed the acquisition, claiming it violates antitrust laws aimed at preventing monopolies [2] - Lawmakers, including Senators Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and Richard Blumenthal, expressed concerns about the merger's implications for market power and consumer costs [3][4] Group 3: Market Dynamics - The senators highlighted that the merger could lead to increased television costs for consumers, particularly affecting middle-class families already facing rising prices [4] - Netflix raised its subscription prices in January, which adds to the concerns regarding consumer costs [4] Group 4: Competitive Landscape - Peters and Sarandos referenced Nielsen data indicating that the combined viewership share of Netflix and WBD would be smaller than YouTube's current share and a potential Paramount-WBD merger [6] - Paramount previously made a competing offer of $108.4 billion for WBD, indicating ongoing competition for media dominance [7]

“These equity returns are really coming out of AI, and AI spend is not sustainable,” said Charlie Dupree, global chair of investment banking at JPMorgan. “If that pulls back, then you are going to see a broader market that isn’t really advancing.”Top executives at Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Morgan Stanley have all flagged the risk of a correction in the months ahead, in part tied to concerns about an overheated artificial intelligence ecosystem, where huge amounts of investment have juiced tech ...

华泰证券研报表示，12月11日，华特迪士尼公司与OpenAI宣布达成为期三年的战略授权协议，首次将 迪士尼旗下跨品牌IP系统性引入生成式AI视频平台Sora。我们认为此举有望树立AI版权合作范式：1） 对迪士尼：依托Sora新型社交+AI创扩大IP价值、延长其生命周期，且粉丝UGC二创也有望反哺 Disney+的生态提升平台活跃度和订阅转化；此外，IP授权将扭转之前AI内容生成背景下的被动维权现 状，转为主动分享收益纳入商业体系。迪士尼也将用AI革新其自身内容生产流程。2）对Open AI：迪 士尼的顶级IP资源加持下，Sora和ChatGPT Images的产品竞争力增强，用户粘性有望提升；也树立了业 内领先的AI+IP合规应用范式，吸引其他IP资源公司的合作。 ...

Netflix’s and Paramount’s $100bn battle to buy Warner Bros Discovery is a gripping drama. But the focus on the streaming wars misses a bigger storyline https://t.co/rDcHxgtun2 ...

Whether or not Netflix’s $82.6 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. goes through, the deal encapsulates a fraught moment for Hollywood, as the entertainment business is increasingly overshadowed by tech giants.On the latest episode of the Equity podcast, Kirsten Korosec and I discussed the deal’s implications, both for Netflix and the larger Hollywood ecosystem. Kirsten noted that it’s just the latest move bringing more consolidation to the media business, and she wondered whether it’s “too big a risk” for ...

Core Points - Disney has issued a cease-and-desist letter to Google, claiming widespread copyright violations related to its intellectual property, particularly concerning the Gemini AI branding [1][4][6] - The lawsuit is seen as a significant move to protect Disney's IP, especially following a landmark partnership with OpenAI, which allows the use of Disney characters in AI-generated content [2][5][9] - Disney's legal representatives have cited specific characters and franchises as examples of infringement, indicating a proactive stance against unauthorized use of its content [3][7][8] Group 1: Legal Actions and Claims - Disney's cease-and-desist letter accuses Google of massive copyright infringement by using Disney's works to train AI models without authorization [3][4] - The letter highlights that Google's AI services have been commercially exploiting Disney's copyrighted works, which Disney claims is unauthorized [3][6] - Disney's legal action is positioned as a response to the potential misuse of its characters in AI-generated content, particularly in light of its new partnership with OpenAI [2][5][9] Group 2: Impact on AI and IP Licensing - The partnership between Disney and OpenAI is described as a groundbreaking deal for AI industry IP licensing, which may set a precedent for future agreements [2][5] - OpenAI's Sora will be able to generate content using Disney characters, but it will not cover the use of Disney talent likenesses or voices, which is a significant limitation [10] - The lawsuit may restrict the use of Disney characters to OpenAI's Sora, potentially siloing Disney's IP for exclusive use in this platform [9][10] Group 3: Financial Context - Disney has cited the box office success of its franchises to underscore the value of its intellectual property, with recent films generating significant revenue [8][13] - The letter references specific high-grossing films, such as "Avengers: Endgame" with $2.72 billion and "Star Wars Episode VII" with over $2.05 billion, to illustrate the financial stakes involved [8][13]

Italy’s foreign minister said the Agnelli family’s Gedi Gruppo Editoriale media company should stay in Italian hands to safeguard press freedom, as sale talks continue with Greece’s Antenna Group https://t.co/QMQUIlxf9n ...

Core Insights - The battle for Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) has intensified with Paramount Skydance making a $108.4 billion all-cash hostile bid for the company, shortly after WBD finalized a deal with Netflix [1] Company Developments - Paramount Skydance's bid represents a significant financial commitment, indicating strong interest in acquiring WBD [1] - The timing of the bid, coming just days after WBD's agreement with Netflix, suggests a strategic move to capitalize on potential vulnerabilities in WBD's position [1]