- Despite a big over-the-top move with HBO this year, Time Warner (TWX -1.1%) is "focusing on enhancing and strengthening the [pay TV] ecosystem," CFO Howard Averill said today.
- Speaking at Nomura's Media & Telecom conference, Averill split the difference between building up the established system and to "really make sure and reach those consumers outside the ecosystem."
- TV subscriber losses (blamed for a selloff in media issues last week) may be moving a bit faster than anticipated, Averill said, but "nothing significantly different over the last several quarters."
- And after Marvel skipped Comic-Con this year -- largely leaving it to Time Warner and its slate of DC Comics-based media -- Averill praised the company's film business and said attractive growth would be the 2016 story, not "superhero fatigue": "We just don't see any evidence of that," he said, pointing to different tones struck by Warner's hero stories.
- HBO Now won't be profitable this year, but will be after launch costs are cleared and subscribers ramp up, he said, and that likely includes an international expansion.