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Viacom Inc.

6/18/2013, 2:40 AM ET

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Monday, June 17, 2:39 PM Out with the old. The Netflix-DreamWorks Animation deal signals an important change in the way content is distributed, according to industry watchers The most important part of the deal is that it focus on exclusive fresh content for Netflix (NFLX +6.8%) from DreamWorks (DWA +4%) - instead of just filling up a library with older titles. The big picture: A bidding war for new films from Hollywood studios (LGF, SNE, VIA, CMCSA, DIS) could help the industry maximize profits. George Lucas and Steven Spielberg called it (I, II) last week when they predicted giant upheaval for the film industry. 5 Comments [Consumer]
Friday, June 14, 4:47 AM Intel (INTC) is reportedly encountering difficulty in signing up programming deals for its upcoming online TV service, with major media companies such as Disney (DIS), Time Warner (TWX), Viacom (VIA), News Corp (NWS) and Comcast (CMCSA) yet to sign on. Pressure from cable TV providers such as Time Warner (TWC) is one reason, as is a fear of damaging the current lucrative ecosystem that the content and service providers enjoy. 18 Comments [Tech, Consumer]
Tuesday, June 4, 5:19 PM Amazon (AMZN) paid $200M+ for its Viacom (VIA) streaming deal, Reuters reports. The news service adds the deal will run for more than two years and features "a deeper library of content" than what Viacom provided Netflix (NFLX). The deal is said to be Amazon's largest ever, though it should be noted the Epix deal's price tag could grow thanks to milestone payments. Regardless, Reuters' figure backs up Reed Hastings' April remarks about Amazon and Hulu "bidding more aggressively" for content. Netflix's Q1 EPS beat had much to do with margin improvements stemming from slowing content cost growth (liabilities up only $100M Q/Q to $5.7B). 6 Comments [Tech, Consumer]
Tuesday, June 4, 9:30 AM Amazon (AMZN) scores a multi-year deal with Viacom (VIA) for many of the TV shows Netflix (NFLX -1.2%) lost last month, and boasts some of the content will be exclusive. "Hundreds of TV shows and thousands of TV episodes" from Viacom, including popular kids' shows such as Dora the Explorer, Blues Clues, and Spongebob Squarepants, are being added to Prime Instant Video, with British/German Lovefilm subs getting access to some of them this summer. Some of the content will also be added to the kids-specific Kindle FreeTime Unlimited service. (Amazon/Epix deal) (Downton Abbey exclusive) (original shows) 13 Comments [Tech, Consumer]
Monday, May 20, 7:06 AM Star Trek: Into Darkness pulled in $84.1M over its four-day opening period to fall a bit short of the expectations from Paramount Pictures (VIA, VIAB). The movie did perform well for IMAX, hauling in $13.5M from the 336 theaters it played in the big-screen format. Comment! [Consumer]
Thursday, May 2, 6:53 AM Wunderlich upgrades Viacom (VIA, VIAB) to a Buy rating and gives shares a price target of $80. (Previous on Viacom earnings: I, II) Comment! [Consumer]
Monday, April 22, 5:37 PM Netflix (NFLX) is rolling out an $11.99/month family plan for subs who want access to 4 streams at once (up from a current limit of 2). Also, Netflix says it will let a deal with Viacom (VIA) that covers Nickelodeon, BET, and MTV content expire in May, but is in talks to license "particular shows." Domestic streaming's contribution margin rose to 20.6% from Q4's 19.6% and Q1 2012's 14.3%, while domestic DVD's profit fell $15M Q/Q to $113M. International streaming had a $77M loss, down from Q4's $105M. Q2 sub add forecasts: 200K-850K for domestic streaming (down from Q1's 2.02M), 150-750K for international (down from Q1's 1.02M). (more) (shareholder letter) Comment! [Tech, Consumer, Earnings]
Thursday, April 18, 6:38 PM More than 1.5M ad campaigns have been upgraded to support Google's (GOOG) "enhanced" AdWords campaigns, sales chief Nikesh Arora states on the Q1 CC. By tying together PC and mobile purchases, enhanced campaigns are critical to boosting mobile ad rates. Larry Page reaffirms Google's commitment (previous) to "big bets" on moonshot projects such as Glass and Fiber, confirms Glass runs on Android, and suggests its price (currently $1.5K) will drop in time. Meanwhile, a U.S. district court has handed YouTube another victory over Viacom (VIA) in their long-running infringement dispute. GOOG +1.5% AH. (Q1: I, II) 1 Comment [Tech]
Wednesday, April 17, 11:12 AM Movie studios (DIS, TWX, CMCSA, LGF, VIA, VIAB, SNE) might be asleep at the switch, according data compiled from an industry trade group. While movies rated PG-13 almost doubled the return of R-rated movies in 2012, studios released twice as many of the R-rated variety. If box office numbers for Q1 are any indicator, execs haven't learned the lesson yet. 2 Comments [Consumer]
Tuesday, April 16, 7:52 AM IMAX (IMAX) and Paramount Pictures (VIA, VIAB) extend their partnership with a new agreement to feature upcoming films in the IMAX format. The commitment to IMAX for films such as Transformers 4 (June 2014) and Interstellar (November 2014) helps ensure the company's pipeline looks promising for global markets. Comment! [Consumer]
Tuesday, April 16, 7:13 AM Twitter is close to inking a deal with Viacom (VIA, VIAB to bring high-quality streaming video and advertising to the site, reports Bloomberg. The deal under discussion would let Twitter stream videos and split the resulting ad revenue with the network. Discussions have reportedly also been held with NBCUniversal (CMCSA). Comment! [Tech, Consumer]
Thursday, April 11, 8:14 AM Chinese regulators pull Quentin Tarantino movie Django Unchained from theaters in the country on its opening day due to "technical" problems. The late action shows the tightrope movie studios face (TWX, LGF, VIA, SNE) in producing movies to clear Chinese censors in the face of growing box office opportunities in the nation. (Previous: Hollywood scripts aim to please Chinese audiences) 2 Comments [Consumer]
Monday, April 8, 9:52 AM The battle for the eyes and ears of 6-year olds: Nomura backs its Buy rating on Viacom (VIA, VIAB) in a note to clients, pointing to strong trend in kids TV viewing. Though the firm notes Viacom trades with "cheap" multiples and could see H2 film advertising pick up, it appears to be glossing over the major impact Disney Junior is having on ratings for Nickelodean. (Previous: Sofia the First thumps Dora the Explorer) Comment! [Consumer]
Wednesday, April 3, 7:06 AM Paramount Pictures (VIA, VIAB) plans to co-produce Transformers 4 with two Chinese companies and shoot part of the film in China. The deal also includes a stipulation that some Chinese actors will be used and post-production work will be completed in China. The development follows a trend in Hollywood to include considerations over China's growing box office in planning - most notably when the protagonists in the latest Red Dawn movie were changed from Chinese to North Korean late in the game. Comment! [Consumer]
Tuesday, April 2, 8:48 AM The Epix [(VIA),(VIAB),(LGF), MGM] movie service goes live on the PlayStation 3 this week and will be available on the PlayStation Vita in the coming weeks. The timing looks good for the venture with The Avengers slated to be available very soon. Comment! [Consumer]
Monday, April 1, 9:58 AM Sofia the First thumps Dora the Explorer: A strong launch by Disney Junior has contributed to a major ratings slide for Nickelodean (VIA, VIAB) over the last year. Beyond strong ratings, Disney (DIS +0.4%) also has a merchandising success on its hands with estimates for Disney Junior products ranging as high as $1.5B for the first fiscal year of sales. 1 Comment [Consumer]

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