Sign In

Media & Entertainment

Berlusconis’ German TV raid is worth resisting

14 May 2025

The Italian clan seemed to be exerting creeping control of $2 bln ProSieben through an underwhelming takeover offer. Czech investor PPF has made that trickier with a higher cash bid for up to 30% of the stock. Investors may now get more money – or a better corporate strategy.

Disney’s old magic faces a more hostile world

7 May 2025

The $170 bln entertainment giant unveiled strong results as it eyes an Abu Dhabi outpost for its money-printing theme parks. CEO Bob Iger’s kingdom is as strong as any in old media, but rising competition and trade war woes loom over a quest to close a valuation gap with Netflix.

European TV M&A would only delay a gory finale

6 May 2025

Deals are back on the agenda for the region’s broadcasters, with Italy’s MFE, Britain’s $4 bln ITV and France’s TF1 potentially involved. Tie-ups help, but there’s no catching Netflix and other streamers. The best hope is to postpone a newspaper-like fate for as long as possible.

AI weakness makes YouTube Alphabet’s new lynchpin

23 Apr 2025

Artificial intelligence might nip at Google search; its cloud business lags rivals; regulators are closing in. But 20-year-old YouTube is now the most-watched form of TV, its maybe $500 bln of value buried by unrelated woes. It is destined to become the internet titan’s star.

Netflix’s $1 trln goal is an early-season callback

21 Apr 2025

The streaming service thinks it can hit a 13-figure valuation by 2030, buoyed by a planned doubling of revenue to $78 bln. The outlook implies the stock can win a premium not seen since the company’s earlier scorching-growth days, complicated by signs that it’s hitting maturity.

StubHub IPO is destined for the cheap seats

2 Apr 2025

The online swap-meet for tickets to anything from WrestleMania to Lady Gaga was last valued at $17 bln in 2021. Headliners include cash flow and 30% growth. But gloomy consumers and investors mean controlling shareholder and CEO Eric Baker would be lucky to get half-price.

Berlusconis’ German M&A only partly eases TV bind

27 Mar 2025

The Italian family’s firm MFE has offered to buy the outstanding shares of its $1.5 bln rival ProSieben. Bulking up has a certain logic when TV is declining, provided the target accepts the cheap offer. But it ultimately won’t stem the outflow of viewers and advertisers.

Murdoch estate sale may be only way to fix legacy

17 Mar 2025

The media tycoon has failed to entrench his son Lachlan at Fox and News Corp, leaving him with few good options. Selling the two companies, which have a combined market value of $39 bln, would be the end of his empire. But it would secure his reputation as a master dealmaker.

UAE crypto bet is a new twist on AI infrastructure

13 Mar 2025

Abu Dhabi’s MGX is investing $2 bln in Binance, the exchange. MGX is usually seen as a vehicle for building out data centres and other kit linked to artificial intelligence. Betting on Binance is in line with greater US enthusiasm for crypto, but still strikes a different tone.

Second-string sports will be teeming with losers

3 Mar 2025

A women’s volleyball league scored $100 mln of funding as investors take big swings at turning pastimes into profit. Whether it’s dodgeball, drone-racing, pickleball or lacrosse, generating real money hinges on broadcasting and betting. The clock is what makes them longshots.

MrBeast buzz risks being new media’s old story

28 Feb 2025

The popular YouTube star may look to raise capital in a deal valuing his business at a whopping $5 bln. Huge audiences and a chance to overturn Hollywood beckon. But others like Vice once held similar promise and flopped. Like his forebears, he’s at the mercy of distribution.

Torrid AppLovin reignites scorching PAIR trade

13 Feb 2025

Strong results helped the mobile ads outfit add 30% to its valuation. Having already outpaced all tech stocks last year, including Nvidia, the $160 bln company is leading a fiery foursome targeting dominant incumbents. Palantir, IonQ and Reddit are also part of the hot new club.

Ping An’s tech dreams may yet exit intensive care

16 Jan 2025

The $110 bln insurer’s days of spinning off web-based ventures to help boost its value are long over. But a quirky special dividend is giving it back majority control of beaten-down but cash-rich Ping An Healthcare just as the online medical firm’s fortunes look set to improve.

Wild TikTok dance adds clumsy Beijing shuffle-step

14 Jan 2025

As the top US court weighs a ban of the popular app, China may be open to letting owner ByteDance sell it to Elon Musk. It’s probably worth some $100 bln, but even with other suitors such as Oracle in the mix, a discount is likely. It also will take more than two to tango here.

Spotify’s share surge arrives at AI crossroads

14 Jan 2025

The $92 bln streamer more than doubled its market value last year. A change of pricing structure for artists and subscribers, plus artificial intelligence boosts, suggests CEO Daniel Ek can keep raising revenue and margins. Yet AI is a threat to Spotify as well as an opportunity.

Fact-check: Meta fights for money, not speech

9 Jan 2025

Boss Mark Zuckerberg said 'free expression' motivated the decision to stop moderating Facebook and Instagram posts. Left unsaid was that it also should help alleviate MAGA pressure. It’s more of a tactical business move, especially with TikTok advertisers hanging in the balance.

Getty deal is picture-perfect M&A for 2025

7 Jan 2025

The stock image company is merging with rival Shutterstock. With aging tech firms in need of cleaning up, AI threats rising and trustbusters perhaps muzzled, the scene is set for dealmaking. Add savings worth $865 mln to the buyer and this is an ideal snapshot of how it may look.

Disney deal barely clarifies its TV picture

7 Jan 2025

Boss Bob Iger is injecting Hulu’s struggling live-TV bundle into the $2 bln owner of streaming service Fubo and taking a 70% stake. The transaction helps clear the way for a separate sports-package JV, but does little to solve the real problem: fast-fading broadcast television.

AI will become a Madison Avenue sensation in 2025

2 Jan 2025

Google and Facebook leveraged hefty brand-building budgets. Netflix and Amazon are also now running more commercials. Machine-learning business models will be similarly built. The cutthroat battle for a $900 bln bonanza, per Breakingviews calculations, is about to kick off.