Recent stories have suggested that Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT ) plans to buy the Nook Media division of Barnes & Noble (NYSE: BKS ) , of which it already owns 17%. The story comes just days after the bookseller announced that Nook devices would include the full suite of Google (NASDAQ: GOOG ) applications; the device runs on the Android operating system, but has never had full functionality.
In the video below, Fool.com contributor Doug Ehrman discusses the series of news events that have surrounded these three companies and then poses a question to Barnes & Noble about how information has been managed.
It's been a frustrating path for Microsoft investors, who've watched the company fail to capitalize on the incredible growth in mobile over the past decade. However, with the release of its own tablet, along with the widely anticipated Windows 8 operating system, the company is looking to make a splash in this booming market. In a��new premium report on Microsoft, a Motley Fool analyst explains that while the opportunity is huge, so are the challenges. The report includes regular updates as key events occur, so make sure to claim a copy of this report now by clicking here.
Top Building Product Stocks To Own Right Now: Cablevision Systems Corporation (CVC)
Cablevision Systems Corporation provides telecommunications and media services. It operates in two segments, Telecommunications Services and Other. The Telecommunications Services segment is involved in television business, including video, high-speed data, and VoIP operations, as well as the provision of commercial data and voice services. The Other segment offers Newsday, a daily newspaper; amNewYork, a free daily newspaper; and Star Community Publishing, a group of weekly shopper publications; and newsday.com and exploreLI.com. This segment also engages in motion picture theatre business, Clearview Cinemas; provision of the News 12 Networks, a regional news programming services; and the MSG Varsity network, a network covering high school sports and activities, and other local programs, as well as cable television advertising. Cablevision Systems Corporation was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Bethpage, New York.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Will Ashworth]
If other cable companies — like Charter Communications (CHTR), Cablevision (CVC) and Cox Communications — decide to merge in order to keep pace with Comcast, content providers could be under the gun once more.
- [By Alyce Lomax]
All in the family
Cablevision� (NYSE: CVC ) is family-controlled, so maybe nepotism is to be expected. Recently, in a bizarre turn of events, CEO James Dolan expanded the corporate responsibilities of his wife, Kristin. Although that sounds like a clear conflict of interest, it's a little stranger still since the company had disclosed that the couple had separated. Meanwhile, Dolan's brother-in-law, Brian Sweeney, has been awarded with a promotion to spearhead corporate strategy. - [By Ben Levisohn]
The analysts sound as if they believe CBS got the better of the deal-and the market appears to agree. Shares of CBS have gained 3.7% to $53.00, while Time Warner has gained 1.1% to $61.19. Shares of Disney (DIS) are little changed at $60.81, while shares of Cablevision Systems (CVC) have dropped 0.3% to $17.69.
- [By Will Ashworth]
Losing control of the Cablevision (CVC) spinoff will ultimately be better for the Dolans than if they try to go it alone.
This scenario�� likely a long shot, but I think it makes a lot of sense.
Top 10 Media Companies To Buy For 2014: Discovery Communications Inc(DISCA)
Discovery Communications, Inc. operates as a non fiction media and entertainment company worldwide. The company provides original and purchased programming across various distribution platforms. Its content covers science, exploration, survival, natural history, sustainability of the environment, technology, docu-series, anthropology, paleontology, history, space, archaeology, health and wellness, engineering, adventure, lifestyles, forensics, civilization, and current events. The company owns and operates nine national television networks in the United States, including Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Science Channel, Investigation Discovery, Military Channel, Planet Green, Discovery Fit & Health, and Velocity. Discovery Communications also has interests in Oprah Winfrey Network, a pay-television network and Web site; The Hub that features original programming, game shows, and live-action series and specials; and 3net, a three-dimensional network. In addition, it o ffers network branded Web sites, and mobile and video-on-demand services; and distributes various national and pan-regional television networks. Further, the company develops and sells curriculum-based products and services to public and private K-12 schools, such as access to an online VOD service that includes curriculum-based tools, professional development services, and student assessment and publication of hardcopy curriculum-based content; and postproduction audio services to motion picture studios, independent producers, broadcast networks, cable channels, advertising agencies, and interactive producers. As of December 31, 2011, it operated approximately 150 distribution feeds in 40 languages. The company is headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]
Evan Agostini, Invision/APCBS president and CEO Leslie Moonves ranked No. 2 on a list of highest paid CEOs. LOS ANGELES -- Once again, media company CEOs are among the highest paid executives in the nation, occupying six of the top 10 earning spots, according to an Associated Press/Equilar study. Compensation experts say a variety of factors are at play, including the gain in media stocks, the intangible value of talent in a hit-or-miss business, the control of shareholder power in very few hands, and the decline of the financial sector. Stock Outperformers Outsized stock growth boosts the value of stock and option grants. Media companies' shares have rebounded strongly since the 2008 recession, mainly because advertising spending grows in tandem with a growing economy. That means higher-priced ads and higher-priced execs. Stocks of the six media companies on the list all outperformed the Standard & Poor's 500 index (^GPSC), which grew 128 percent in the five years through December 2013, according to FactSet. CBS (CBS) shares grew a whopping 699 percent in that period; Discovery Communications (DISCA) went up 539 percent; Viacom (VIA) rose 377 percent; Walt Disney (DIS) rose 250 percent; Time Warner (TWX) climbed 259 percent and Comcast (CMCSA) grew 223 percent. "If shareholders are happy they don't care how much a person makes," said Paul Dorf, managing director of consulting firm Compensation Resources. "When they complain most is when the market doesn't do well and their stock is going down the tubes." Talent Quotient Making it big in media means generating hits. And while top executives may not be hands-on with every decision, they are where the buck stops. Take Disney's animated blockbuster "Frozen," which grossed $1.2 billion at box offices worldwide. While Disney CEO Bob Iger didn't make the movie, he did orchestrate Disney's $7.4 billion acquisition of Pixar in 2006, which brought in talented executives to help reform Disney's faltering a
- [By MONEYMORNING]
Consider the case of Discovery Communications Inc. (Nasdaq: DISCA), the world's leading creator of documentary-style content. The company recently said it wants to upgrade to 4K for shows it runs on such networks as the Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, and Science.
Top 10 Media Companies To Buy For 2014: Comcast Corporation(CMCSA)
Comcast Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides entertainment, information, and communications products and services in the United States and internationally. Its Cable Communications segment provides video, high-speed Internet, and phone services to residential and business customers. As of June 30, 2011, its cable systems served approximately 22.5 million video customers, 17.5 million high-speed Internet customers, and 9.1 million phone customers. The company?s Cable Networks segment operates cable entertainment networks, such as USA Network, Syfy, E!, Bravo, Oxygen, Style, G4, Chiller, Sleuth, and Universal HD; news and information networks, including CNBC, MSNBC, and CNBC World; cable sports networks comprising Golf Channel and VERSUS; regional sports and news networks; international entertainment, and news and information networks, such as CNBC Europe, CNBC Asia, and Universal Networks International portfolio of networks; cable television production oper ations; and digital media properties consisting primarily of brand-aligned Websites and other Websites, such as DailyCandy, Fandango, and iVillage. Its Broadcast Television segment operates the U.S. broadcast networks, NBC and Telemundo; 10 NBC and 15 Telemundo owned local television stations; broadcast television productions; and related digital media properties. The company?s Filmed Entertainment segment operates Universal Pictures, which produces, acquires, markets, and distributes filmed entertainment and stage plays worldwide in various media formats for theatrical, home entertainment, television, and other distribution platforms. Its Theme Parks segment operates Universal Studios Hollywood park and Wet ?n Wild water park, as well as licenses intellectual properties and provides services to third parties that own and operate Universal Studios Japan and Universal Studios Singapore. Comcast Corporation was founded in 1963 and is based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jon C. Ogg]
Comcast Corp. (NASDAQ: CMCSA) reports on Wednesday and earnings are expected to be $0.61 EPS versus last year’s third quarter report of $0.46 EPS. Revenue is expected to be down 1.8% to $16.25 billion. Comcast closed at $48.17 and we would point out that the high for the year and all-time was just put in at $48.19.
- [By Charles Sizemore]
AT&T�� purchase of DirecTV is very much a ��e too��merger following the $45 billion union of Comcast (CMCSA) and Time Warner Cable (TWC) to form a TV and internet juggernaut. From the looks of things, it looks as if AT&T�� motivation was a fear of being left behind by its larger rivals. The move will massively expand AT&T�� pay TV presence; at 20 million, DirecTV has roughly four times as many TV subscribers as AT&T.
- [By Paul Ausick]
Although Maffei did not say as much, swallowing Sirius gives Liberty access to the satellite radio provider�� free cash flow of about $625 million to use in pursuit of Time Warner Cable Inc. (NYSE: TWC). Charter Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: CHTR), in which Liberty holds a 27% stake, has been trying to put together the financing to make an offer for much larger Time Warner. For its part, Time Warner, the nation�� second largest cable provider, is trying to put together a deal with the nation�� largest cable provider, Comcast Corp. (NASDAQ: CMCSA), that would shut Liberty out.
Top 10 Media Companies To Buy For 2014: DIRECTV(DTV)
DIRECTV provides digital television entertainment in the United States and Latin America. The company provides direct-to-home (DTH) digital television services, as well as multi-channel video programming distribution services in the United States. It offers various channels of digital-quality video entertainment and CD-quality audio programming directly to subscribers' homes or businesses, as well as video-on-demand services; and approximately 160 national high-definition television channels and 4 3D channels. The company also provides premium professional and collegiate sports programming, such as the NFL SUNDAY TICKET package, which allows subscribers to view the NFL games. In addition, it offers DTH digital television services in Latin America and the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico. The company provides its local and international programming under the DIRECTV and SKY brand names. As of December 31, 2010, it served approximately 19.2 million subscribers in the United States; and 8.9 million subscribers in Latin America. The company was founded in 1990 and is based in El Segundo, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Anders Bylund]
But wait -- there's more! In case you were wondering why DISH is so interested in wireless assets, you'd get another clue by glancing at satellite rival DIRECTV (NASDAQ: DTV ) . The larger satellite operator is interested in buying all or part of online video specialist Hulu, which is currently owned by a cabal of Hollywood studios that don't always get along. DIRECTV would presumably boost its digital services with the Hulu bid, paving the way toward abandoning the costly satellite strategy in favor of a more direct digital streaming option.
- [By Doug Ehrman]
With streaming video king Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX ) announcing the addition of five new Disney (NYSE: DIS ) shows, it takes another step toward becoming a veritable premium channel. It is hard to quantify the value parents place on solid programming for kids, so the addition of these shows may make it easier for Netflix to compete directly with Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA ) or DIRECTV (NASDAQ: DTV ) . As CEO Reed Hastings continues to follow his vision, Netflix is looking increasingly attractive.
- [By Holly LaFon]
Question: How do you think about DIRECTV (DTV) in terms of competitive advantage and valuation?
DIRECTV is the largest satellite broadcaster in the U.S. and has rapidly growing, dominant market share in Latin America. Domestically, the company offers better quality and programming to attract high-end customers that pay premium rates with little churn. Pricing power has driven rising ARPU (average revenue per user). Because viewers will ��nplug��for some of their viewing over time, we place a lower multiple on the U.S. than in the past. But live sports where DTV has unique offerings are much less vulnerable to delayed viewing. In Latin and South America, DTV has almost no competition in most countries because cable has not been and will not be installed in less developed places with minimal infrastructure. Although the stock is multiples above our cost in DTV, the price remains below our appraisal as value has grown steadily from management�� reinvestment of the cash coupon into high-returning Latin America and discounted shares.
- [By muhammadbazil]
A few of the basic lessons we can learn from the WWE Network, which went live on Feb. 24, 2014, include:
Streaming video can increase a company�� revenue. On March 30, 2014, right after WWE Network appeared, World Wrestling Entertainment reported a TTM revenue figure of $509.54 million for the first quarter of 2014. On June 30, 2014, WWE reported a TTM revenue figure of $513.57 million. The company�� revenues grew by $4.3 million. Building a stable audience for streaming video is tough. The WWE managed to sign up 700,000 paying subscribers by June 30, 2014. Yet Variety.com reported that it had lost 128,000 subscribers between April 6 and June 30. Convincing consumers, even diehard wrestling fans, to spend money on streaming video subscriptions is hard. WWE found its fans balked at paying $9.99 a month (around the cost of a Chipotle dinner) for a six-month subscription. World Wrestling is now trying to lure fans with a no-commitment monthly subscription of $12.99 that is supposed to rise to $19.99 at some point in the future. Broadcast, satellite, and cable TV are not dead yet, and they will fight back against streaming video. Satellite TV companies Dish Network (DISH) and DirecTV Group (DTV) refused to carry WWE�� pay per view events unless it killed WWE Network. The satellite companies did this because wrestling is still one of the highest rated programs on basic cable and satellite. Supplying cheap programming through streaming video can hurt your core business. Historically, some of WWE�� biggest revenue generators have been pay per view events��ajor wrestling shows featuring big matches between top stars that cable and satellite viewers pay extra to watch. Since WWE Network started streaming pay per views live for just $9.99, pay per view revenues and ratings have collapsed. The June 2013 Payback pay per view attracted 186,000 buyers; only 67,000 pay per view fans tuned into the June 2014 Payback event. Overall, WWE�� pay per view revenues hav
Top 10 Media Companies To Buy For 2014: Time Warner Inc.(TWX)
Time Warner Inc. operates as a media and entertainment company in the United States and internationally. It operates in three segments: Networks, Filmed Entertainment, and Publishing. The Networks segment provides domestic and international networks, premium pay and basic tier television programming services, and digital media properties, which primarily consist of brand-aligned Websites. Its premium pay television services consist of the multi-channel HBO and Cinemax premium pay television services. This segment provides programming to cable system operators, satellite service distributors, telephone companies, and other distributors; sells advertising; and licenses original programming to domestic and international television networks. The Filmed Entertainment segment produces and distributes feature films, television and other programming, and videogames; distributes home video products; and licenses rights to its feature films, television programming, and characters. T he Publishing segment publishes magazines and books; and operates various Websites, as well as engages in marketing services and direct-marketing businesses. This segment publishes magazines on style and entertainment, lifestyle, news, and sports. The company?s brands include TNT, TBS, CNN, HBO, Cinemax, Warner Bros., New Line Cinema, People, Sports Illustrated, and Time. Time Warner Inc. was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in New York, New York.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Tim Beyers]
And I'm not alone. More than 6,000 have rated Season 3 of The Walking Dead at the iTunes Store. HBO's�Game of Thrones is also as much a hit at iTunes as it is in the ratings. Seasons 2 and 1 rank first and second, respectively, in the iTunes Store for Sci-Fi & Fantasy, a small but nice catalyst for HBO parent Time Warner (NYSE: TWX ) .
- [By Tim Beyers]
Following the huge success of Batman: Arkham City, Time Warner's (NYSE: TWX ) sequel, Batman: Arkham Origins, is due to arrive the week before Halloween. A new trailer previews the game, which looks stunning and perfectly reflective of the dark world of the The Dark Knight:
- [By Douglas A. McIntyre]
Starbucks currently has a market cap of about $57 billion, which is about the same as that of General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) and Time Warner Inc. (NYSE: TWX). Schultz probably would argue that coffee is a more promising business than entertainment or car making. The challenge to that argument is the breadth of Starbucks’ competition and the modest annual improvement in its own revenue.
Top 10 Media Companies To Buy For 2014: DISH Network Corporation(DISH)
DISH Network Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides direct broadcast satellite (DBS) subscription television services in the United States. It offers programming that includes approximately 280 basic video channels, 60 Sirius satellite radio music channels, 30 premium movie channels, 35 regional and specialty sports channels, 2,800 local channels, 250 Latino and international channels, and 55 channels of pay-per-view content. The company also offers local HD channels in approximately 160 markets and 215 national HD channels; and receiver systems, including a small satellite dish, digital set-top receivers, and remote controls. In addition, it provides DISHOnline.com, which enables DISH Network subscribers to watch 150,000 movies, television shows, clips, and trailers; DISH Remote Access that enables subscribers to remotely manage their DVRs using compatible mobile devices, such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops through their broadband-connected receiver; and Go ogle TV that enables DISH Network subscribers to search the Internet, check email, interact with social media, and find additional online programming content while simultaneously watching television. As of March 31, 2011, the company had approximately 14.191 million customers. DISH Network provides receiver systems and programming through direct sales channels; and independent third parties, such as small satellite retailers, direct marketing groups, local and regional consumer electronics stores, nationwide retailers, and telecommunications companies. The company was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Englewood, Colorado.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]
Aereo/AP LOS ANGELES -- The Supreme Court shot down Aereo's business model this week, but that doesn't mean customers' desire for a better TV experience is gone. Americans are still fed up with huge channel bundles, high prices, poor service and the lack of ability to watch all their shows on all their devices. That's part of why Aereo was attractive: It offered local broadcast channels and a few others on multiple devices for just $8 a month. Industry watchers say the pay TV business must continue to evolve to win over unhappy customers, even if the nation's top court said grabbing signals from the airwaves and distributing them online without content-owner permission isn't the way. "Even without Aereo, the reason people were cutting the cord, for cost reasons and so on, those don't go away," said Robin Flynn, an analyst with market research firm SNL Kagan. Last year, the number of pay TV subscribers in the U.S. fell for the first time, slipping 0.1 percent to 94.6 million, according to Leichtman Research Group. Into that breach have leapt companies that have offered quality TV content online for low cost, including Netflix (NFLX) and Amazon.com (AMZN). Hulu, which is owned by major broadcast networks ABC (DIS), NBC and Fox (FOX), offers full episodes of popular shows like "The Colbert Report" the next day for free. While that's not live TV, which Aereo offered, for many it's a good-enough substitute. The decision against Aereo is a setback, but not a fatal one for people who want to break away from traditional TV, said Bill Niemeyer, senior analyst at TDG Research. "While the content on the major broadcast networks is very important for some people, it's not important for everyone," Niemeyer said. "So it's a dent, but I don't think it's going to significantly change the trends." If anything, the rise and fall of Aereo has highlighted an important fact -- that high-quality TV signals are available on the airwaves for free -- something that might hav
- [By Dan Radovsky]
DISH Network (NASDAQ: DISH ) plans to offer $2.5 billion in senior notes for the purposes of financing a portion of the cash consideration of its merger proposal with Sprint Nextel (NYSE: S ) , the company announced today.
- [By Rick Munarriz]
Southwest (NYSE: LUV ) is announcing this morning that it's teaming up with DISH Network (NASDAQ: DISH ) to offer complimentary access to 14 live TV channels as well as 75 on-demand shows through the airline's more than 400 Wi-Fi-enabled planes.
Top 10 Media Companies To Buy For 2014: Charter Communications Inc.(CHTR)
Charter Communications, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides entertainment, information, and communications solutions to residential and commercial customers in the United States. The company offers cable video programming services, such as basic and digital video, premium channels, OnDemand, pay-per-view, high definition television, digital video recorder, and online video services; Internet services; Charter.net, which provides multiple e-mail addresses, as well as various entertainment, games, news, and sports content; and telephone services. It also provides broadband communications solutions, such as Internet access, data networking, fiber connectivity to cellular towers and office buildings, video entertainment services, and business telephone services under the Charter Business brand name to business and carrier organizations. As of December 31, 2011, the company served approximately 4.1 million video customers; approximately 3.5 million Internet customers; appr oximately 1.7 million telephone customers; and approximately 476,200 commercial primary service units. Charter Communications, Inc. was founded in 1999 and is based in St. Louis, Missouri.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Sean Williams]
What specifically led both stocks higher today was speculation that Charter Communications (NASDAQ: CHTR ) is on the acquisition hunt. According to CNBC, Time Warner Cable's CEO Glenn Britt has discussed the possibility of merging with Charter; however, CNBC also commented that Time Warner Cable isn't likely to pursue the deal. That still proved more than enough to send Time Warner Cable and rival Cablevision higher, as any M&A acquisition in this sector would only serve to improve pricing power for these broadcasting companies.
- [By Michael Lewis]
In case you haven't noticed, there are some serious consolidation efforts going around the cable and telecom industries. On one end, there are satellite TV providers chasing spectrum as if it's the gold rush of 1849. Now, it appears that Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC ) may be courting Liberty Media (NASDAQ: LMCA ) for a merger in an attempt to leverage Charter Communications' (NASDAQ: CHTR ) �highly coveted network. Let's determine who is the biggest winner in this latest media M&A dance, and where you should be putting your funds.
- [By Sean Williams]
Leading the charge is cable operator Cablevision (NYSE: CVC ) again found itself in the spotlight, up 9.6%, following the completion of its sale of Optimum West to Charter Communications (NASDAQ: CHTR ) for $1.625 billion. While shareholders are likely to be pleased seeing this deal completed, shares are really ramping up in expectation that Charter may make a bid for Cablevision. Rumors have been circulating for a week based on a report from Bloomberg News that Charter may look to make a bid for Time Warner Cable�or Cablevision. My stance remains not to chase rumors higher, so I'd suggest watching Cablevision from the sidelines.
No comments:
Post a Comment