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FCC greenlights $8.4B sale of CBS parent Paramount to Skydance after Trump suit settled, DEI axed
New York Post· 2025-07-24 22:24
Core Viewpoint - The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved the merger between Paramount Global and Skydance Media, facilitating an $8.4 billion sale of significant entertainment assets including CBS, Paramount Pictures, and Nickelodeon [1][4]. Group 1: Merger Approval Details - The FCC has agreed to transfer broadcast licenses for 28 CBS television stations to the new owners following Paramount's settlement of a $16 million lawsuit related to a "60 Minutes" interview [2]. - The approval of the merger was contingent upon assurances from Skydance and its investment partner, RedBird Capital, regarding their commitment to unbiased journalism and diverse viewpoints [3]. Group 2: Corporate Governance and Initiatives - Skydance plans to appoint an ombudsman to address complaints regarding editorial bias at CBS, aiming to enhance transparency and accountability [3]. - Paramount has discontinued its diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, aligning with the Trump administration's stance on affirmative action policies [5].
X @CNN Breaking News
CNN Breaking News· 2025-07-24 22:07
FCC approves Skydance merger with Paramount, ending a yearlong saga of uncertaintyhttps://t.co/qjrkIbLQyj ...
NFL in talks to buy 10% stake in ESPN
CNBC Television· 2025-07-24 17:14
Now to a big deal brewing between the NFL and ESPN. Our Alex Sherman following that story and joins us now with more details. What do we know here, >> Scott.Uh what I'm reporting this morning is that uh the NFL is actually in talks to buy a 10% stake in ESPN as part of a broader deal that would have ESPN owning the NFL Network, NFL Red Zone, and some other assets uh that are housed within the NFL media umbrella. ESPN would not be buying the entirety of NFL media, but select assets within. The interesting pa ...
All You Need to Know About Grupo Televisa (TV) Rating Upgrade to Strong Buy
ZACKS· 2025-07-23 17:01
Grupo Televisa (TV) could be a solid choice for investors given its recent upgrade to a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). This upgrade is essentially a reflection of an upward trend in earnings estimates -- one of the most powerful forces impacting stock prices.The sole determinant of the Zacks rating is a company's changing earnings picture. The Zacks Consensus Estimate -- the consensus of EPS estimates from the sell-side analysts covering the stock -- for the current and following years is tracked by the system ...
Wall Street Analysts See Gray Media (GTN) as a Buy: Should You Invest?
ZACKS· 2025-07-23 14:31
When deciding whether to buy, sell, or hold a stock, investors often rely on analyst recommendations. Media reports about rating changes by these brokerage-firm-employed (or sell-side) analysts often influence a stock's price, but are they really important? Before we discuss the reliability of brokerage recommendations and how to use them to your advantage, let's see what these Wall Street heavyweights think about Gray Media (GTN) . Gray Media currently has an average brokerage recommendation (ABR) of 1.80, ...
Rogers Communications(RCI) - 2025 Q2 - Earnings Call Transcript
2025-07-23 13:02
Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - In Q2 2025, consolidated service revenue and adjusted EBITDA both grew by 2% year-over-year [9][22] - Wireless service revenue and adjusted EBITDA each increased by 1% [19] - Cable service revenue and adjusted EBITDA rose by 13% respectively, marking a return to growth in this segment [10][20] - Media revenue increased by 10%, driven by strong viewership during the NHL playoffs [10][21] - Free cash flow reached $925 million, up 39% year-over-year [23] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Wireless segment saw 61,000 total subscriber net additions, including 35,000 postpaid [19] - Cable business reported a 1% increase in service revenue, supported by retail internet net additions of 26,000 [20] - Media segment revenue was boosted by the success of Sportsnet and higher revenues from the Toronto Blue Jays [21] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The wireless market is expected to grow about 3% for the full year, with Q2 growth estimated at around 2.5% [54] - The competitive environment remains intense, impacting ARPU, which declined by 3% year-over-year [19][56] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on deleveraging, having achieved a leverage ratio of 3.6 times, close to pre-Shaw acquisition levels [8][26] - Plans to monetize sports and media assets are underway, with a focus on unlocking unrecognized value for shareholders [7][42] - The company aims to maintain an investment-grade balance sheet while investing in growth [26] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed optimism about returning to growth in cable and maintaining strong performance in wireless and media [6][8] - The company highlighted the importance of government leadership in fostering a competitive environment and supporting capital investments [15][17] - Future guidance for 2025 has been updated to reflect the consolidation of MLSE, with service revenue expected to grow by 3% to 5% [28] Other Important Information - The company completed a $7 billion equity investment for a minority stake in parts of its wireless network [7] - The integration of MLSE's financial results will begin in Q3 2025, with estimated full-year media revenue of $3.9 billion [27] Q&A Session Summary Question: Update on 2025 guidance and core telecom outlook - Management confirmed that the updated guidance reflects the inclusion of MLSE, with no significant changes to the core telecom outlook [33] Question: Performance expectations for MLSE in 2025 - Management indicated that the pro forma figures for MLSE are a clean aggregation and do not include aggressive synergies [36] Question: Competitive environment in wireless and back-to-school season - Management noted that the wireless market is expected to grow about 3%, with ongoing efforts to simplify the value proposition [54][56] Question: Impact of roaming on service revenue - Management acknowledged that roaming has been a headwind but expects travel to pick up, which could positively impact service revenue [61] Question: Longer-term CapEx profile and cable CapEx reduction - Management stated that while they won't provide specific numbers, they intend to drive lower capital intensity within cable [105] Question: Multi-line discounts and ARPU impact - Management explained that while multi-line discounts may dilute ARPU, they are expected to generate incremental service revenue [115] Question: Synergies related to the MLSE deal - Management indicated that it is too early to discuss specific synergies but emphasized their track record in identifying material synergies [116]
Rogers Communications(RCI) - 2025 Q2 - Earnings Call Transcript
2025-07-23 13:00
Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - In Q2, consolidated service revenue and adjusted EBITDA both grew by 2% year-over-year, with strong margins and free cash flow [6][21][22] - Wireless service revenue and adjusted EBITDA each grew by 1%, with total subscriber net additions of 61,000, including 35,000 postpaid [7][18] - Cable service revenue and adjusted EBITDA increased by 13% respectively, supported by strong retail Internet net additions of 26,000 [8][19] - Media revenue was up 10%, driven by expanded content and strong viewership during the NHL playoffs [8][20] - Free cash flow reached $925 million, a 39% increase year-over-year, due to higher adjusted EBITDA and lower capital intensity [22] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Wireless: Service revenue and adjusted EBITDA grew by 1%, with churn improving to 1% and blended mobile phone ARPU at $55.45, down 3% from the prior year [18][19] - Cable: Service revenue increased by 1%, with adjusted EBITDA up 3% year-over-year, driven by steady retail internet subscriber growth and cost efficiency initiatives [19][20] - Media: Revenue increased by 10% to over $800 million, with improved EBITDA driven by NHL playoffs and higher Toronto Blue Jays revenue [20][21] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The wireless market is expected to grow about 3% for the full year, with Q2 growth estimated at around 2.5% [55] - The competitive environment remains intense, impacting ARPU and subscriber growth, but the company is focused on improving customer retention and value propositions [56][57] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on deleveraging and maintaining an investment-grade balance sheet while investing in growth [5][24] - The acquisition of a 75% controlling interest in MLSE is expected to unlock significant value in sports and media assets, with a pro forma estimate of $3.9 billion in revenue for 2025 [5][26] - The company aims to monetize its sports assets and strengthen its balance sheet, with ongoing discussions about various options [41][42] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed optimism about returning to growth in cable and maintaining discipline in wireless and media segments [4][6] - The company highlighted the importance of government leadership in fostering competition and investment in the telecommunications sector [15][16] - Future guidance for 2025 reflects a service revenue growth expectation of 3% to 5%, with adjusted EBITDA unchanged at 0% to 3% [27][28] Other Important Information - The company launched satellite to mobile texting, expanding coverage significantly across Canada [10][11] - Capital expenditures decreased by 17% year-over-year, reflecting a focus on lowering capital intensity while investing in network infrastructure [22][23] Q&A Session Summary Question: Update on 2025 guidance and core telecom outlook - Management confirmed that the updated guidance reflects the inclusion of MLSE and shows a return to growth in cable and continued growth in wireless [31] Question: MLSE performance expectations - Management indicated that it is too early to provide specific guidance for MLSE's performance but emphasized the clean aggregation of businesses for 2025 [34][36] Question: Monetization of sports assets - Management acknowledged significant underlying value in sports assets and is focused on monetizing them to strengthen the balance sheet [41][42] Question: Sustainability of cable EBITDA growth - Management expressed confidence in the sustainability of cable growth due to market share performance and ongoing cost efficiency initiatives [43][44] Question: Competitive environment in wireless - Management noted that the wireless market is experiencing lower growth due to reduced immigration but remains optimistic about subscriber growth and ARPU improvement [55][56] Question: Wireless roaming impact on service revenue - Management highlighted that roaming has been a headwind but expects travel to pick up, which could positively impact service revenue [61][62] Question: CapEx profile and potential reductions - Management indicated a focus on driving lower capital intensity in cable, with ongoing efforts to prioritize investments [102][103] Question: Multi-line discounts impact on ARPU - Management stated that while multi-line discounts may dilute ARPU, they are expected to generate incremental service revenue [110][111] Question: Synergies related to MLSE deal - Management confirmed that it is too early to discuss specific synergies from the MLSE deal, but planning is underway [112][113]
X @The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal· 2025-07-22 20:43
President Trump said that he anticipates receiving advertising and public service ad commitments worth $20 million from Skydance Media, the company in the process of acquiring CBS parent Paramount Global https://t.co/wGfjlxDqAz ...
The power of finding your why and doing it now | Martin Roberts | TEDxSwansea
TEDx Talks· 2025-07-22 16:55
TV Property Legend Martin Roberts (of 'Homes under the Hammer' fame) shares his life lessons, behind the scenes anecdotes from 40 years in the media, and a series of recent events that changed his life forever....and that led him to his biggest challenge yet... Martin Roberts is one of the UK’s most respected Property, Travel, and Lifestyle TV presenters, best known as the long-time host of the BBC’s hit show Homes Under the Hammer, now in its 29th series with over 1,750 episodes. With a career spanning 40 ...