Liberty Media


Formula 1 moves into scripted with ITVS’s Bedrock Entertainment & Felicity Jones

Liberty Media-owned Formula 1 is moving into drama with ITV Studios America-owned Bedrock Entertainment, marking the motorsport brand’s first move into producing its own scripted show. One will star Felicity Jones (The Theory Of Everything), who is also set to co-produce through her company Piecrust Pictures, working alongside Bedrock and F1. Streamer/broadcaster details have not […]

A+E adds ex-Fox exec to run History Japan

A+E Networks has appointed former Fox and Liberty Media exec John Flanagan as general manager of The History Channel Japan Corp (THCJ). Flanagan replaces Asia Ireton, who has held the role since 2013. Flanagan comes from London-based gift card retailer Blackhawk Networks, where he was president and representative director of Japan and South Korea. However, […]

Liberty Media agrees $4.4bn Formula 1 deal

Liberty Media has confirmed that it is buying the Formula1 motor sports business for US$4.4 billion. The deal gives F1 an enterprise value of US$8 billion and will see Liberty buy an initial minority stake of 18.7%, which it will up to 100% subject to antitrust and competition approvals in various countries. Liberty, owned by […]

Starz president Curtis retiring after 20 years

Long-serving Starz president Glenn Curtis is set to retire after more than 20 years with Liberty Global-backed company. An SEC filing revealed Curtis would retire on July 1, with the exec receiving a US$828,750 lump sum and further monthly payments based on his current salary after that. Curtis was named president of US-based premium cable […]

Canal+ shedding French subs

Canal+ France lost 183,000 subscriptions in the first quarter, taking its domestic total to 8.3 million. The ongoing problems experienced by the group in France were to some extent offset by a strong international performance. Overall the group added 170,000 subscriptions in the quarter, thanks in particular to its strong showing in Africa, taking its […]

Lionsgate confirms Starz merger talks

Lionsgate Entertainment has confirmed it will explore a “potentially mutually beneficial combination” with premium cable group Starz. News broke this week that indie studio Lionsgate had entered into early stage discussions with Starz for the second time over a potential merger. John Malone is the controlling shareholder of Starz, which spun out out of Malone’s […]

Lionsgate, CBS linked with Starz takeover

US reports are linking CBS Corp. and Lionsgate Entertainment to a US$5 billion takeover of Outlander network Starz. A deal with CBS would mean the US premium pay TV channel would sit alongside rival premium channel Showtime, while Lionsgate is a co-owner in Epix along with Viacom-owned Paramount and MGM. Discussions are at an early […]

Fox investigates Starz takeover

21st Century Fox reportedly met with top executives from US premium cable channel Starz to discuss a possible takeover. Numerous reports from the States say Fox met with Starz as a “courtesy” and is not interested in a deal. Starz CEO Chris Albrecht was present at the meeting this week, according to the Los Angeles […]

Scripps leads $25m YouTube food network funding round

Scripps Networks Interactive has led a US$25 million round of Series C funding in US YouTube channel and digital food network Tastemade. Participation in the round also came from Liberty Media, Comcast Ventures, Redpoint Ventures and Raine Ventures. California-based Tastemade makes millennial-targeted, food-related content that appears in more than a dozen languages across sites like […]

Liberty Media to spin-off cable assets

Liberty Media is to spin-off its cable assets into a separate publicly-traded business. The company has announced the creation of Liberty Broadband. This will house Liberty’s 26.4% stake in US cable company Charter Communications, a minority shareholding in Time Warner Cable and mobile unit True Position Technologies. This comes as part of a complex plan […]