Comcast-owned broadcaster Sky has signed a new carriage deal with Discovery across the UK, Ireland, Germany and Austria. The agreement includes linear channel distribution, video on demand, direct to consumer products, and extension of the advertising relationship. It means that Discovery’s portfolio of channels, including Discovery Channel, will continue to be available across the Sky […]
Comcast has said it will spend $100m to fight inequality as part of a multiyear program, which will also see its European pay operator Sky launch a series of initiatives to tackle racism. Brian Roberts, Comcast CEO, said $75m in cash would be available to create programs that will “drive meaningful change” in addition to […]
2019 might seem like a different world to the Covid-19 dominated landscape we live in today, but the flurry of annual results revealed by US and European majors over recent weeks have provided an illuminating set of insights into how the content business is changing. Tim Westcott and Kia Ling Teoh, analysts at TBI sibling […]
Comcast-backed Sky Studios has taken a minority stake in UK production company The Lighthouse, the drama prodco launched by BBC Studios’ scripted veterans Hilary Salmon, Radford Neville and Nick Betts late last year. The Lighthouse, which was unveiled in October, will use the Sky Studios investment to develop high-end productions internationally, accelerate its growth and […]
NBCUniversal (NBCU) has rolled out its new streaming service Peacock to select users in the US, but senior execs have admitted that Covid-19 has had a “significant” impact on its launch slate. Matt Strauss, chairman of Peacock and NBCU Digital Enterprises, said that when the streamer’s strategy was initially unveiled three months ago, “none of […]
US telecoms giant Comcast Corp has pledged $500m to help employees struggling financially due to the coronavirus pandemic, while its five top executives are planning to donate their salaries to Covid-19 charities. The Philadelphia-based conglomerate counts NBCUniversal, Sky Group and Xfinity among its holdings. Comcast CEO Brian Roberts, alongside chief financial officer Mike Cavanagh, Comcast […]
NBCUniversal parent Comcast has made its latest move in the fast-growing AVOD battleground by acquiring US-based service Xumo. The ad-supported streamer was acquired from electronics manufacturer Panasonic and US media giant Meredith Corp for an undisclosed sum, with Comcast-owned CNBC claiming that its parent company had paid around $100m. Xumo offers ad-supported live and on-demand […]
NBCUniversal (NBCU) has pulled the curtain back on its forthcoming streaming service Peacock, revealing a raft of programming as well as both AVOD and SVOD options for subscribers. At an investor presentation at NBCU’s New York offices yesterday, NBCU said Peacock would be available as a free ad-supported service with subscription tiers, offering more than […]
Comcast-owned NBCUniversal has announced the retirement of CEO Steve Burke, with film and network TV boss Jeff Shell set to be his successor. Reports of Burke’s plans to step down emerged last week and the Peacock has now confirmed his retirement will take place at the end of his contract following the 2020 Olympics. Shell […]
Sky is developing a 32-acre film and TV studio at North London’s Elstree, set to bring about more than 2,000 jobs and a £3bn ($3.8bn) production investment to the UK creative sector. Sky’s new studio space, called Sky Studios Elstree, comes just months after Netflix set up shop at Shepperton Studios with a 14-stage studio […]
