What a Disney/Fox Tie-Up Would Mean For Moviegoers
Disney reportedly has been in talks to buy most of 21st Century Fox, including its movie studio and networks like FX and National Geographic. Sean Aune, editor-in-chief of Techno Buffalo, joined Cheddar to explain what each company would get out of the deal.
Aune says Disney is interested in Fox's TV production to leverage its new streaming platform, due out next year. Disney will not gain control over Fox network or its affiliates, nor would it touch sports. And while Aune considers that running on news and sports is a risky deal, Fox can take on the challenge.
In addition, a potential deal can give Disney control over Fox's Marvel properties, including rights to Star Wars, which would be huge win for the company.
So if this deal does go through, what would it mean for streaming services like Netflix? Aune believes that by the time the Disney streaming service is available, Netflix will be mostly original content, a sector the company has been heavily investing in.
The media giant formerly known as ViacomCBS has officially rebranded itself as Paramount Global with a focus on its streaming service, Paramount Plus. Naveen Chopra, chief financial officer at Paramount, joined Cheddar to discuss the company’s name change and streaming wars. "There are components of content licensing that we continue to do, either historical arrangements or opportunities to license content that don't really impinge on what we're trying to do with our owned and operated services and that continues to be an important ingredient in our broader financial model," he said. "But our number one priority is putting our best assets on Paramount Plus." Chopra also discussed theatrical release windows before feature films hit its service and the platform's subscription goals.
The recent 7.5% year-over-year increase in consumer prices is the highest since 1982, and drew some strong reactions from investors, with speculations that the Federal Reserve will hike interest rates by 50 points instead of 25. But other analysts believe that the Fed will stick with its original plan of 25 points next month. Chris Vecchio, Senior Analyst, at DailyFX broke down how the Fed could potentially react to the historically high inflation data.
Ride share competitors Uber and Lyft both posted their fourth quarter earnings days apart from each other. Both companies have been trying to get back on their feet after taking some pandemic-related hits, but the Omicron variant had other ideas as the year came to a close, with each company taking a hit in ridership in December. Lance Ippolito, head trader at The Future of Wealth explains how Uber and Lyft measured up this earnings period and why Uber may still have an edge over the competition.
The Super Bowl might be over, but people are still buzzing about the players, commercials, halftime show, and more. Google tracks the top searches before and after the game every year, revealing the show-stopping moments of the biggest sporting event of the year. Sadie Thoma, Director of US Creative Partnerships at Google, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss the top trends this year.
Parallel Systems has been selected to receive $4.5 million from the Department of Energy for an advanced testing program of its autonomous, battery-electric rail vehicles. The startup, which has raised more than $53 million to date, was founded by former SpaceX engineers to reimagine the rail system by creating a more efficient, decarbonized freight network. Matt Soule, Co-founder & CEO of Parallel Systems, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss what the company hopes to achieve.
Disney reported earnings beat on both top and bottom lines. Earnings per share came in at $1.06 versus Refinitiv estimates of 63 cents. Revenue also exceeded expectations at $21.82 billion dollars versus $20.91 billion expected. Meanwhile, Disney+ added 11.8 million new subscribers this quarter to reach nearly 130 million total. Tuna Amobi, media and entertainment expert at CFRA research, joined Cheddar to gives his take on Disney's earnings blowout.
Almost a decade after facing a parent's worst nightmare, the families of the young students killed in the Sandy Hook School shooting reached a settlement with gun manufacturer Remington, makers of the Bushmaster AR-15 used in the crime. David Pucino, deputy chief counsel, Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence joined Cheddar News to discuss the families' case and how its strategy brought about the legal settlement. "They built a really great case showing the way that Bushmaster developed its advertising to drive sales using those toxic messages.
