What we love about working in TV and media the last twenty years is every week is full of interesting developments that always lead to more questions about where things are heading. This week for example
Comcast which generated $21B in Q3 is so big that barely anyone noticed it signed on 414k new wireless customers, which is 4X what it lost in broadband subs. Could this Warner bidder be the best, most diversified option for the WBD business? Sky Dance/Paramount, which just announced a price hike for January and yet another round of layoffs, now operates in a different financial realm, what with Larry backing David and all. How far will they go with the WBD bid and what else is on the menu? Will Trump play a role for them? Netflix which does have a dominant subscription service but no clear long term moat, could surely use the vast catalogs. But does have an anti-trust issue getting Warner?
The fight between Disney and YouTube ended like any good negotiation, with both sides claiming victory. What’s it gonna cost customers? Who is next on each’s extortion list? Meanwhile, Amazon and Walmart are re-building the entire TV screen to shopping cart loop in a way that changes advertising, home discovery and personalized experiences. While some in TV fight over media products, isn’t it better to own the consumer habits and shelf space? |
