ORLANDO - Disney World is known as "The Most Magical Place on Earth" but as the Florida theme park reopened Saturday, it was counting on a bit of science -- masks, social distancing, hand sanitizer -- to stave off the coronavirus.
The state of Florida is one of the hardest-hit by a new wave of cases and deaths in the United States, already the most affected country in the world in terms of infections and fatalities.
On Saturday, Florida reported its third-highest daily increase in cases, with 10,360 new infections, as well as 95 deaths.
Overall, the US has seen nearly 135,000 deaths out of 3.2 million cases.
In Orlando, Disney World reopened two of its four parks -- Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom -- after four months of closure. Epcot and Disney Hollywood Studios will open on Wednesday.
Several hundred people queued in the Florida heat ahead of the park's reopening -- some sporting Mickey ears but all wearing masks, part of the park's new guidelines requiring them for both guests and employees.
Saturday's visitors had reserved their tickets in advance, allowing Disney to control the number of people in the park and accommodate for social distancing. Tickets are already sold out through July.
The park was carrying out temperature checks at the entrance and hand sanitizer was widely available. Disney said it was enforcing social distancing of six feet (two meters) at attractions and inside shops.
"By visiting Walt Disney World Resort you voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19," the park said on its website.
Gone are the park's famous parades which allow mingling with Disney characters; also absent are the evening fireworks shows.
On social media, many criticized the park's reopening as Florida experiences an accelerated number of cases.
The state's Republican Governor Ron DeSantis began reopening Florida's economy in phases in May and June.
Top US infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci said Thursday that Florida had begun reopening before meeting the criteria that would have enabled it to do so safely.
DeSantis disputed the remarks, saying his decision to reopen was justified by figures at the time.
At the end of June, the governor took a step backwards, ordering the closure of bars in an attempt to limit the spread of the virus, but cases have continued to climb.
Florida is not the only state grappling with a serious spread of COVID-19.
In Georgia, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms on Friday ordered a return to the southern city's Phase 1 lockdown, telling nearly all residents to wear masks, a retreat after having partially reopened the city. Bottoms herself has tested positive.
Fulton County, which includes Atlanta, registered 435 new cases of the disease in the latest 24-hour period.
Arizona has seen a steady rise since March in the use by hospital intensive-care units of artificial breathing machines.
In Texas, several hospitals -- including in Houston's huge medical complex -- say their coronavirus wards are at or near capacity, amid fears of a further influx of patients in coming days.
And some states that had largely been spared up to now -- including Idaho, Oklahoma and North Dakota -- have been setting new virus records almost every day.
Agence France-Presse
Walt Disney Co said on Wednesday Disney+ has garnered over 50 million paid users globally, with 8 million of them coming from India where the streaming service was launched last week.
The service was rolled out in eight European countries, including the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria and Switzerland, in the last two weeks, the company said. It was launched in the United States in November.
Disney+ is available in India in conjunction with the Hotstar streaming platform.
-Reuters-
LOS ANGELES - Disney and Michael Jackson's estate have resolved a copyright dispute over a documentary about the late King of Pop that saw the Hollywood studio accused of breathtaking hypocrisy and aggressive tactics.
"The Last Days of Michael Jackson", a two-hour program that aired on Disney-owned ABC in 2018, was accused of using the pop star's songs, music videos, concert footage and clips of his memorial service without permission.
On Thursday, Jackson lawyer Howard Weitzman said in a statement to AFP: "The matter has been amicably resolved." No details of the settlement were provided.
The Jackson estate's lawyers alleged in a complaint filed last year that Disney had ignored copyright law while zealously prosecuting anyone who infringed on its own intellectual property.
"Unable to make a compelling presentation about Michael Jackson on its own, Disney decided to exploit the Jackson Estate's intellectual property," read the complaint.
Disney has argued that the documentary -- a broad overview of Jackson's life -- made fair use of content including parts of hits "Billie Jean" and "Beat It", as allowed under copyright law.
But the complaint noted that "Disney has threatened to sue independent childcare centers for having pictures of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck on their walls."
"Disney once sued a couple on public assistance for $1 million when they appeared at children's parties dressed as an orange tiger and a blue donkey. Apparently, those costumes cut too close to Tigger and Eeyore for Disney's tastes," it added.
Jackson is estimated to have sold 350 million records, including "Thriller", the best-selling album of all time.
He amassed 13 Grammy Awards, 13 number one solo singles in the United States and became the first artist in history to have a top ten single in the Billboard Hot 100 in five different decades.
He died in June 2009 at age 50, while he was in the Los Angeles area practicing for a planned series of concerts in London entitled "This Is It".
The cause was given as an overdose of the anesthetic propofol. His personal doctor, Conrad Murray, was convicted in 2011 for administering the fatal dose of medication to Jackson.
The Jackson estate this year filed a $100 million lawsuit against HBO for "posthumous character assassination" after its documentary "Leaving Neverland" alleged that Jackson molested young boys at his fairytale-themed ranch.
HBO has launched an appeal in its bid to dismiss the case.
In his lifetime, Jackson denied all child sex allegations.
amz/to
Agence France-Presse
LOS ANGELES - In 2013, Netflix Inc shook up television by delivering 13 episodes of "House of Cards" in one batch, a move that helped popularize streaming video and fueled a culture of binge watching.
But Apple Inc, Walt Disney Co and AT&T Inc are largely rejecting that path as they prepare their own efforts to hook the online audiences that embraced Netflix.
Executives at AT&T's forthcoming HBO Max, a streaming service that will be unveiled to investors on Tuesday, plan to debut one new episode of its original series per week, Robert Greenblatt, chairman of WarnerMedia Entertainment and the company's direct-to-consumer business, told Reuters. That mirrors the traditional TV pattern.
"We like the idea that people watch weekly and look forward to the next episode and talk about it," Greenblatt said. "Newspapers write about the storylines. There is a sense of a shared experience."
Creating buzz around a new series will be crucial in the coming weeks and months as several companies jockey to lure customers and keep them paying a monthly fee over the long term.
HBO Max may make some exceptions, according to a source familiar with the company's strategy, by putting out a few episodes simultaneously to stoke initial interest.
Apple, meanwhile, will debut its subscription video service, Apple TV+, on Friday. For dramas "The Morning Show" and "See," and most other Apple series, the company will drop three episodes at the same time, followed by one per week.
The family-friendly Disney+ will unveil episodes weekly for new series including "The Mandalorian," the first live-action TV show set in the "Star Wars" universe. Disney+ will launch on Nov. 12.
'WAIT AND EXPERIENCE'
"Mandalorian" star Pedro Pascal said he believes the once-a-week approach will make watching the show "more romantic and more classic."
"Basically you get to sort of wait and experience more collectively, and it just makes it more event television, which it deserves to be," Pascal said.
"A little courtship never hurt anyone," added co-star Gina Carano.
But to some viewers, going a week after a dramatic cliffhanger "seems like it's old school," said Brett Sappington, principal analyst at Parks Associates.
"For some consumers, that can be frustrating," he said. "Expectations are just different today."
While it started among younger viewers, binge viewing of several episodes is now common among all age groups, Sappington said.
It also has been adopted by audiences around the world.
In surveys by Ampere Analysis, 69 percent of people in the United States said they frequently watch several episodes of the same TV show back to back. The percentage was 66 percent in Britain, 65 percent in France and 46 percent in Germany.
SPIKING AT DEBUT
Various release strategies can generate hits, according to data from Parrot Analytics, which measures global demand for programming. It found interest in binge-able series generally spikes when they debut and then tapers off, while shows released weekly see interest build over time. Both level off around 10 to 12 weeks.
HBO's "Euphoria," for example, released its first installment in June at the same time that Netflix dropped the entire season of "The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance."
Global demand for "Dark Crystal" peaked in the first week after it premiered, while "Euphoria" saw steady increases after each episode came out, according to Parrot Analytics. It reached its highest point around the episode eight finale.
Both shows peaked with roughly 18 million daily "demand expressions," a combination of viewership, social media mentions and online research about the shows.
Even Netflix is experimenting with intervals between episodes. For reality competition "Rhythm + Flow," the company released four installments at first, three more a week later, and the final three a week after that.
Around the world, Netflix distributes roughly 35 shows on a once-a-week basis, Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos said in October during the company's earnings webcast. While it does not release audience figures for most of its programming, Sarandos said Netflix customers preferred getting all episodes together.
"We actually get more viewing and cumulatively more social media buzz, more tweets, more activity on social media, around these shows for the all-at-once model," Sarandos said.
(Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Additional reporting by Jane Ross in West Hollywood, California; Editing by Bill Tarrant and Cynthia Osterman)
source: news.abs-cbn.com
WASHINGTON - In the new world of streaming television, advertising is not going away, but is evolving to become more like marketing on the internet -- targeted to specific groups or individuals.
While some subscription streaming services including Netflix, Apple+ and Disney+ have pledged to be ad-free, others including those from WarnerMedia and NBCUniversal are expected to have some ad-supported options, as does Hulu.
Because these new platforms operate online, they will also be able to deliver targeted or "addressable" ads based on viewing habits, location and other data it may collect, in the same manner as Google and Facebook.
According to the research firm eMarketer, addressable TV ad revenue -- which includes some ads on traditional TV -- in the US is likely to grow from $1.5 billion in 2018 to $3.5 billion in 2021.
SMALLER PLAYERS
Streaming services are making it easier for smaller companies and marketers to get on television through self-serve ad platforms without the big budgets required for broadcast TV, according to eMarketer analyst Ross Benes.
"There are a lot of new companies coming into television advertising" as a result of streaming, Benes said.
"TV is still a place where you can get a massive amount of people's attention."
Roku, a television platform for many smart TVs, announced plans this month to buy dataxu, which provides automated self-serve ads for what is known in the industry as "over the top" or OTT services.
"TV advertising is shifting toward OTT and a data-driven model focused on business outcomes for brands," said Anthony Wood, chief executive officer at Roku.
FRESH PRIVACY ISSUES
The rise of streaming could raise a fresh set of privacy concerns over how data on TV viewers is collected and shared across various platforms and devices.
A recent academic study found smart TVs, streaming dongles and other connected devices sending data to companies such as Netflix and Facebook.
"There is a small number of these cloud providers that are getting a lot of insight into what you're doing with these devices," said David Choffnes of Northeastern University, who led the research.
The researchers wrote that these devices "have the potential to learn and expose extensive information about their users and their surrounding environment. Much of this information has major privacy implications."
Alan Wolk, co-founder and lead analyst at the consultancy TVrev, said he expects streaming ads to be less intrusive than those which follow users around the internet.
"The TV industry has learned from digital that people find that kind of advertising creepy," he said.
Wolk said streaming services are aiming for fewer ads compared with broadcast television that will be "less painful" for viewers because they are more relevant.
An apartment dweller, for example, might not be interested in a lawn care ad and a 24-year-old may be turned off by messages for retirement. And advertisers will pay more if they know their messages are being delivered to people interested in their products.
"The ultimate goal is to be able to get fewer, better targeted ads that brands will pay more money for and consumers are happy to watch," Wolk said.
LIMITS OF TARGETING
Targeting for television has limits, however. It is never really clear which member of a family is watching a specific show, or whether it is seen live or recorded.
Charles Taylor, a marketing professor at Villanova University, said addressable TV advertising is on the rise, but that platforms are likely to be sensitive to consumer privacy concerns, and aware of new laws including a strict statute in California.
The California law, he said, "won't allow marketers to build data management platforms where they are merging data form various sources."
As a result, Taylor said the targeting is likely to be "behavioral," or based largely on viewing habits, without the detailed profiles that Facebook and Google use.
"Almost nobody would want health information shared; on the other hand most people don't mind more targeted ads based on their real preferences," Taylor said.
2020 POLITICAL ADS
Addressable TV advertising also opens up a new channel for political ads, potentially impacting spending in the 2020 US election campaign.
"I don't think there's any doubt this will play a role" in the election campaign, Taylor said.
"The databases out there are pretty effective at knowing someone's political affiliation and a well-built data management platform should be able to give you a good idea of which voters might potentially be swayed."
Mark Jablonowski, managing partner at the digital ad consultancy DSPolitical, said these new platforms may not be able to get the kinds of details of internet services, but that they may still be useful for candidates.
"For now the platforms are well suited to geographical targeting -- which can be quite powerful in politics," Jablonowski said.
"Candidates running in 2020 would be smart to include these platforms in their media mix because, at the end of the day, political advertising is all about getting in front of voters wherever and whenever possible."
source: news.abs-cbn.com
SAN FRANCISCO - The streaming television war is set to enter a new phase as titans Apple and Disney take direct aim at market leader Netflix, vying for consumers abandoning their cable TV bundles for on-demand services.
The shift away from "linear" television is likely to escalate with powerful new entrants to streaming coming this year and in early 2020.
The new landscape has important implications for longtime segment leader Netflix, which is now locked in a battle with deep-pocketed rivals for actors, directors and producers to win and keep audiences.
"The Cinderella ride that Netflix has been on has some stormy weather ahead," said Wedbush Securities equity research managing director Daniel Ives.
"You are talking about some of the biggest brands in technology involved in this battle."
An Apple TV+ service will launch November 1 in more than 100 countries at $4.99 per month. Apple is spending heavily on new content and promises a "powerful and inspiring lineup of original shows, movies and documentaries."
Entertainment colossus Disney will launch its own online streaming service, chock full of popular franchises such as "Star Wars" and Marvel superheroes, on November 12 in the US, Canada and the Netherlands, before rolling out worldwide.
And more competition looms on the horizon, as AT&T's WarnerMedia will launch its "HBO Max" in early 2020 after reclaiming the rights from Netflix to stream its popular television comedy "Friends."
NBCUniversal's Peacock service is also launching next year.
Disney chief executive Bob Iger told investors on a recent earnings call that "nothing is more important to us" than the Disney+ platform.
As well as offering Disney's enormous back catalog, including all animated films and Pixar movies within its first year, it will feature freshly commissioned shows. It will cost $6.99 a month in the US.
Spotlighting originality
Netflix, which began streaming television to subscribers online some 12 years ago, has so far stayed ahead of Amazon Prime and Hulu, key rivals in the US market.
Netflix chief executive Reed Hastings said he is unfazed by the new rivals.
"Disney will be a great competitor," he told analysts recently. "Apple is just beginning but, you know, they will probably have some great shows too."
The budget for original shows at Netflix this year is $15 billion, and the California-based company this week announced plans to issue $2 billion in notes to have more cash for uses including creating and acquiring content.
Ives said Netflix remains the leader until proven otherwise.
"Netflix is on the top of the mountain and will continue to be the leader, but there are legitimate opportunities for number two and number three players with Apple, HBO, and Amazon in the running," the analyst wrote.
Big-name entertainment industry talent has been recruited to make shows for the competing services, and Netflix is also showcasing local talent from countries around the world.
Cable TV obsolete?
As Disney and other major studios begin streaming directly to viewers, and keep coveted shows or films on their own services to attract subscribers, traditional cable companies "should be very concerned," according to IHS Markit analyst Fateha Begum.
"The cable service provider as a middle man bundling content is no longer needed," Begum said.
"I don't think cable TV will die, it still provides the one place for content you want, but this will push cable and pay TV services to innovate further."
Cable TV companies may have to end revenue-boosting tactics such as charging monthly fees for boxes needed to access their services.
Online streaming services accounted for a third of paid video subscriptions worldwide last year, with the rest going to traditional pay TV, according to IHS Markit media platforms executive director Maria Rua Aguete.
She expected the number of streaming subscribers worldwide to grow 19 percent to 921.8 million next year, and then another 16 percent to 1.1 billion in the year 2021.
"With the new flexible services threatening to convert more consumers into cord-cutters and into leaving the pay-TV ecosystem behind, besieged pay-TV providers are justifiably feeling the heat," Aguete said.
Meanwhile, the expense and complexity of accessing a variety of streaming services for shows could give rise to aggregators that bring options together in a single place, perhaps in the Amazon Prime style of mixing subscriber content with films for purchase or rent.
More than 50 streaming television services have launched or will launch in the year ahead, according to Mobilocity analyst Gerry Purdy.
"Until now, it has been Netflix's world and everyone else has been paying rent," Ives said.
"Over the next three to six months, we are going to see an all out battle for consumer mind-share."
source: news.abs-cbn.com
Marvel Studios will continue to produce the Spider-Man Homecoming series, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Walt Disney Studios said on Friday, heading off fans' fears that the popular superhero would disappear from the Marvel cinematic universe.
The third film in Spider-Man's current incarnation, starring Tom Holland, will now be released on July 16, 2021, the studios said.
Last month multiple media reports said that Marvel boss Kevin Feige was in a financial dispute with Sony, who holds the rights to the superhero.
"I am thrilled that Spidey's journey in the MCU will continue", Feige said.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
LOS ANGELES - Walt Disney Co. said Tuesday second-quarter results were lifted by strong box office gains but failed to meet Wall Street forecasts, sending shares sharply lower.
Disney shares tumbled some 5 percent in after-hours trade after reporting profits fell 51 percent to $1.4 billion while revenues rose 33 percent to $20.2 billion.
The results included the recently acquired film and television assets from 21st Century Fox, which gives Disney a dominant share of the Hollywood box office as it looks to boost its share in on-demand television to compete with Netflix and Amazon.
"Our third-quarter results reflect our efforts to effectively integrate the 21st Century Fox assets to enhance and advance our strategic transformation," said Disney chief executive Bob Iger.
"I'd like to congratulate The Walt Disney Studios for reaching $8 billion at the global box office so far this year -- a new industry record -- thanks to the stellar performance of our Marvel, Pixar and Disney films."
The latest results were highlighted by box-office hits such as "Avengers: Endgame," "Aladdin," "Captain Marvel" and "Toy Story 4."
The latest "Avengers" film smashed records this year to become the all-time top grossing film with more than $2.8 billion by July.
Disney also included results from Hulu, the online streaming service in which it acquired a controlling stake with the Fox deal.
Disney, which also operates theme parks and the ABC and ESPN television networks, is focusing on streaming as it gears up for the launch of its Disney+ service.
Its "direct to consumer" revenues rose in the past quarter from $827 million to $3.8 billion, but its operating loss more than tripled to $553 million due to its investments and consolidation of streaming operations.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
SAN FRANCISCO - Quarterly reports next week from Walt Disney Co., CBS and Viacom will likely highlight increasing competition in video streaming and could spark volatility in the so-called communication services sector, which has outperformed since it was overhauled last year.
The S&P 500 communication services index has increased 20 percent so far in 2019, beating the S&P 500's 17-percent gain and all but 2 of 11 sectors - technology and real estate. That strong performance is in large part thanks to a recovery by Facebook Inc., as investors bet that the world's largest social network will keep growing, even as it faces regulatory hurdles.
June-quarter results from Disney, CBS Corp. and Viacom Inc. will keep investors fixated on a rising wave of competition in video streaming against market leader Netflix Inc. All those companies fall within the communication services sector.
Netflix's stock has sunk 14 percent since it reported on July 17 that it unexpectedly lost US subscribers in the second quarter, rattling investors already worried about the upcoming launch of Disney's streaming service.
Disney's family-friendly Disney+, set to launch on Nov. 12 with a slate of new and classic TV shows and movies, is viewed as the most dangerous threat to Netflix. Disney's shares hit a record high on Monday and have surged 28 percent this year.
"There is an analysis that has been going on among investors, looking at the number of subscribers Netflix has and the growth that Disney's service could put up in the next 3 or 4 years, and the huge disparity in the 2 companies' valuations," said Chuck Carlson, chief executive officer at Horizon Investment Services in Hammond, Indiana.
The recent increase in Disney's shares and decline in Netflix's show that investors expect Disney to significantly dent Netflix's leadership in streaming, Carlson said.
Disney's stock is trading at 22 times expected earnings, its highest forward earnings valuation since 2004, according to Refinitiv data. Netflix's forward earnings valuation has dipped to 66 from 82 in early July, before its disappointing quarterly report.
Smaller players CBS and sister company Viacom have also built advertising-supported and subscription video services to compete with Netflix, and they are providing original content to other distributors.
Beyond streaming, investors watching Disney's report on Tuesday will focus on its recent run of box office hits, including "The Lion King," which has increased Disney's lead position at the US box office. Disney owns the 5-highest grossing movies of 2019, led by “Avengers: Endgame” and “Captain Marvel.”
"The Netflix disappointment and the big Disney box office numbers underscore the importance of intellectual property, of ownership of content," said Jack Ablin, chief investment officer at Cresset Wealth Advisors in Chicago. Even though Netflix makes many of its own shows, it still relies on other producers, he said.
Netflix is losing its 2 most-watched shows in the United States - “Friends” and “The Office” - to upcoming rival services from AT&T Inc. and NBC Universal in 2020 and 2021, respectively.
Viacom and CBS, both controlled by the Redstone family’s National Amusements Inc., have worked out a management structure that would see Viacom Chief Executive Officer Robert Bakish leading the combined company if a merger deal is reached, sources familiar with the matter said on Friday, removing a major roadblock in talks to recombine the corporations.
In addition to looking for potential confirmation of that deal when CBS and Viacom report their results on Thursday, investors will focus on growth in CBS's All Access and Showtime streaming services.
Viacom could also give details about its strategy to sell programming to video streaming services, including its Paramount Television unit's "Jack Ryan" TV series, based on the character created by author Tom Clancy, which premiered last year on Amazon Prime.
Long viewed as stodgy stocks for dividend-oriented investors, the telecom services sector was renamed communication services last September and supercharged with internet heavyweights Alphabet Inc., Facebook, Netflix and Twitter Inc., along with videogame makers.
It was the biggest shakeup of the Global Industry Classification Standard, or GICS, since it was created in 1999. It has gained 5 percent since then, while the S&P 500 is unchanged over the same period.
CBS and Viacom have both gained about 15 percent in 2019.
Helped by its $71-billion acquisition of 21st Century Fox's assets, Disney is expected by analysts to report a 41-percent jump in fiscal third-quarter revenue to $21.5 billion, according to Refinitiv data. Analysts on average expect earnings per share of $1.75. Disney's EPS has met or exceeded consensus estimates in six of the past eight quarters.
"My guess is the company will want to focus on content and investors will want to hear more about the streaming strategy," Ablin said.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
LOS ANGELES -- Russi Taylor, Disney's official voice of Minnie Mouse for more than three decades, has died, the entertainment giant announced Saturday. She was 75.
Taylor, who was prone to giggles just like the character she voiced, captured the heart and sound of Mickey Mouse's counterpart on TV, in cartoons and film, and at theme parks.
"Minnie Mouse lost her voice with the passing of Russi Taylor," Bob Iger, chairman and chief executive of The Walt Disney Company, said in a statement.
"For more than 30 years, Minnie and Russi worked together to entertain millions around the world -- a partnership that made Minnie a global icon and Russi a Disney Legend beloved by fans everywhere.
"We take comfort in the knowledge that her work will continue to entertain and inspire for generations to come," Iger said.
Taylor died in Glendale, California on Friday, Disney said. The company did not give the cause of death.
Taylor had been Disney's pick from a group of 200 candidates at a 1986 audition.
The Massachusetts native said she actually met Walt Disney as a girl, on a visit to Disneyland.
"At one point during our chat, he asked me what I wanted to do when I grow up, and I said, 'I want to work for you!' So he said, 'Okay!' -- and now I do!" she was quoted as saying in a profile released by Disney.
Life imitated art when Russi met her real-life Mickey in the 1980s: it was Wayne Allwine, who had voiced Mickey Mouse since 1977.
"Wayne was coming out of a session as Mickey for 'Totally Minnie.' We met in the hallway. We just blended really well," Taylor told the LA Times in 2014.
They wed in 1991 but generally "kept it quiet. We didn't want it to be about Mickey and Minnie being married. It was about Wayne and Russi being married. We had the best time. We laughed a lot. We were always singing. We always had music in the house."
The duo stayed as close as their animated counterparts until Wayne's 2009 death.
"I really want whoever comes after us to be aware of the history and the tradition, and to love the characters as much as we do," she said of herself and Allwine.
"I never wanted to be famous," she said. "The characters I do are famous, and that's fine for me."
In addition to Minnie Mouse and other Disney characters, Taylor was also the voice of Strawberry Shortcake and Pebbles Flintstone.
She worked in television for decades, including on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and "The Simpsons."
source: news.abs-cbn.com
JAKARTA - Media Nusantara Citra is not in talks with Disney over an investment in one of the Indonesian media group's companies, president and founder Hary Tanoesoedibjo said on Tuesday.
An MNC executive had earlier told Reuters on Tuesday that the American group was looking at taking a stake in Indonesia's largest media company.
"If the two companies can agree, Disney would invest $200 million for 10 years," the executive said, asking not to be named due to the confidentiality of the talks.
Tanoesoedibjo, a business partner of U.S. President Donald Trump, told Reuters this was not accurate.
"There is clearly no talks with Disney," he said.
The MNC executive had also said that a previous deal with MNC and Vivendi had been canceled. Under this deal, the French conglomerate would invest more than $500 million in acquiring stakes in two affiliates of MNC's PT Global Mediacom.
But Tanoesoedibjo said the deal had not been canceled and that negotiations with Vivendi were ongoing. He said Vivendi was now looking to buy a stake through its subsidiary Canal Plus in MNC Vision Networks (MVN), an affiliate of MNC Media Group.
Tanoesoedibjo also said MVN was planning a public listing to attract investors.
Disney and Vivendi did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
(Reporting by Cindy Silviana Editing by Edmund Blair/Emelia Sithole-Matarise/Jane Merriman)
source: news.abs-cbn.com
ANAHEIM, United States - Hundreds of Star Wars fans lined up before the crack of dawn on Friday outside Disneyland as the California park opened the doors of a new mega-attraction based on the iconic film series.
The $1 billion theme park, called "Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge," was open only to lucky visitors who managed to reserve tickets ahead of time that allowed them to roam the new land for a total of 4 hours.
Only those with reservations will be able to visit "Galaxy's Edge" for the first 3 weeks, after which it will be open to the public.
"'Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge' is absolutely amazing and we are thrilled to finally share it with the world," Chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company Bob Iger said at a pre-opening ceremony on Wednesday.
"Now, for the first time, fans will be able to immerse themselves in the iconic stories that have captured audiences' imaginations for decades and live their own Star Wars adventures in the most creative, innovative, and ambitious land we've ever built."
The park features rides, including on the Millennium Falcon, as well as Star Wars characters such as Stormtroopers, the mighty Chewbacca and Rey, a hero of the resistance in the futuristic land of Batuu.
On "Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run," guests will go on a cargo run that features multiple storylines depending on how they pilot Han Solo's beloved spaceship.
'WAITING FOR THE LONGEST TIME'
Star Wars fanatics will also be able to down exotic drinks such as spicy Bloody Rancor or Carbon Freeze at Oga's Cantina or refresh themselves with Blue or Green Milk.
And if they have any money left at the end of the day, they can fork out $200 -- before tax -- to build their own lightsabers at Savi's Workshop or spend nearly $100 for a custom droid.
A similar Star Wars park will also open at Disney World in Florida at the end of August.
Miguel Langarcia, one of the lucky fans who was able to reserve a ticket for the Friday opening in California, said he was over the moon at being among the first to experience the new attraction.
"I had 4 computers open at one time, trying to get a reservation," he told AFP as he entered the park. "I finally got in, so I’m excited to go today."
Joe Kaniwa, another visitor, said he didn't mind the steep entrance price of nearly $150 per-adult given the experience.
"They want to make a lot of money, and they are making money," he said. "But they also want to make people's dream come true.
"Like you can have people from all generations, you know 40-, 50-year-olds, who have been waiting for this for the longest time, and now they can be part of (this) world."
source: news.abs-cbn.com
LOS ANGELES -- Disney's live-action "Aladdin" is flying high with an estimated $105 million in North America during the four-day Memorial Day holiday weekend.
It's the sixth-highest Memorial Day weekend total ever, topping the 2011 mark of $103.4 million for "The Hangover Part II." The top total came in 2007, when "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" took in $139 million in its first four days. "Aladdin" is also dominating moviegoing internationally with $121 million in 56 markets.
"Aladdin" has outperformed Disney's pre-opening domestic projections, which were in the $75 million to $85 million range, taking in $86.1 million in its first three days. The reboot of the original 1992 animated movie -- which generated $502 million in worldwide box office -- stars Mena Massoud as Aladdin, Will Smith as the Genie, Naomi Scott as Jasmine and Marwan Kenzari as Jafar. Guy Ritchie directed "Aladdin," produced by Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich.
Comscore's PostTrak general audience survey found that 67% of patrons said they would "definitely recommend" the film to their friends. Notably, 39% said their affection for the original was their primary reason for seeing the film, a high percentage that reflects moviegoers' love for the "Aladdin" brand and the characters in the film.
"A very strong 22% said they would see the film again in theaters -- much higher than the norm of 14%," noted Paul Dergarabedian, Comscore's senior media analyst.
Comscore estimated that total domestic business for the four-day weekend was $226 million. That was about $1.8 million shy of the total for the same frame last year, when "Solo: A Star Wars Story" launched with $103 million. The top Memorial Day weekend took place in 2013 when "Fast and Furious 6" launched and North American moviegoing totaled $314 million for the four days.
"A very solid Memorial Day weekend was led by the bigger-than-expected performance of Disney's 'Aladdin' conjured up huge numbers of moviegoers looking for the perfect family-friendly treat over the extended holiday weekend," he said.
Sony's launch of horror-thriller "Brightburn" should pull in about $9 million for the holiday weekend to finish fifth and United Artists-Annapurna's teen comedy "Booksmart" will open in sixth at around $8 million. Both were positioned as counter-programmers to "Aladdin" and finished slightly below forecasts.
Lionsgate's second session of "John Wick: Chapter 3" should be runner-up with $30.5 million following its surprisingly strong opening of $56.8 million. The actioner will wind up the holiday weekend with $107 million domestically.
Disney's fifth frame of "Avengers: Endgame" will finish third in the $22 million range, increasing its haul to about $803 million domestically by the end of Memorial Day. "Endgame" trails only "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" in domestic gross, with the space saga having grossed $936 million.
Warner Bros.' third weekend of "Pokemon Detective Pikachu" will follow in fourth with about $17 million. The family adventure will finish the weekend at the $120 million mark in North America.
Overall moviegoing for 2019 has hit $4.34 billion as of Sunday, down 10% from the same point last year. The lag is due to a dismal performance during the first two months of this year.
"Aladdin" is the third biggest launch of 2019, following the record-setting $357 million for "Avengers: Endgame" and $153 million for "Captain Marvel."
source: news.abs-cbn.com
LOS ANGELES, United States - Following its merger with Fox, Disney on Tuesday sketched out its future plans for 2 of its most towering franchises -- the "Star Wars" saga and "Avatar."
Three new as-yet untitled "Star Wars" films will hit the big screen every other year just before Christmas starting in 2022, the mega-studio announced.
That means that there could be a 3-year wait between the December release of "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker," the final film in the original series begun in 1977, and the next big-screen "Star Wars" flick.
Several "Star Wars" projects are in the works, including a trilogy by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, the creators of HBO's "Game of Thrones," and a separate trilogy by "Last Jedi" director Rian Johnson.
A spokeswoman for Disney, contacted by AFP, did not offer additional details about the upcoming scheduled films, which will expand upon the cinematic universe created by George Lucas.
Disney paid $4 billion for Lucasfilm in 2012.
In September last year, Disney CEO Bob Iger admitted after the lackluster performance of "Solo: A Star Wars Story," a one-off film in the franchise, that the "Star Wars" release schedule was too frenetic.
After 6 films in 38 years, from 1977 to 2005, the rhythm had picked up considerably.
A total of 4 films came in rapid succession, from the release of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" in 2015 to "Solo" in May 2018.
"I made the timing decision, and as I look back, I think the mistake that I made -- I take the blame -- was a little too much, too fast," Iger told The Hollywood Reporter last year.
Meanwhile, the studio pushed back its plans for the next films in director James Cameron's uber-successful "Avatar" franchise -- one of the biggest prizes for Disney in the Fox merger.
"Avatar 2" will come a year later than expected in December 2021, followed by "Avatar 3" in 2023, "Avatar 4" in 2025 and "Avatar 5" in 2027.
"Avatar" remains the top-grossing film of all time, with $2.79 billion in worldwide box office sales, but superhero extravaganza "Avengers: Endgame" is hot on its heels at $2.24 billion and rapidly climbing.
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LOS ANGELES - Marvel superhero movie "Avengers: Endgame" set an opening-day record in China with an estimated $107.2 million in ticket sales, distributor Walt Disney Co said on Wednesday.
"Endgame" is the final chapter of a story told across 22 Marvel films featuring popular characters such as Iron Man, Thor, and Black Widow.
The movie earned rave reviews from critics and is expected to draw huge crowds as it debuts in the rest of the world this week.
As of Wednesday morning, 97 percent of "Endgame" reviews collected by the Rotten Tomatoes website were positive.
The film picks up after last year's "Avengers: Infinity War," when many of Marvel's big-screen superheroes appeared to turn to dust. In "Endgame," the survivors plot to kill the supervillain Thanos.
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WASHINGTON -- Some of the biggest names in media and tech are gearing up to move into streaming, in what could be a major challenge to market leader Netflix.
Apple is expected to make its move with an announcement March 25 on its media plans, with a war chest estimated at some $1 billion and partners including stars like Jennifer Aniston and director J.J. Abrams involved in content.
Walt Disney Co. has announced its new streaming service Disney+ will launch this year, as will another from WarnerMedia, the newly acquired media-entertainment division of AT&T.
The new entrants, with more expected, could launch a formidable challenge to Netflix, which has some 140 million paid subscribers in 190 markets, and to other services such as Amazon and Hulu.
"It's really going to change the industry," said Alan Wolk, co-founder of the consulting firm TVREV who follows the sector.
Wolk said he sees 7 or 8 powerful players in streaming which will lead to "huge competition for new shows and hit shows."
These rivals are coming into the segment which has been transformed by the spectacular growth of Netflix and a growing movement by consumers to on-demand television delivered over internet platforms.
In the US alone, an estimated 6 million consumers have dropped pay TV bundles since 2012, while on-demand services such as Netflix, Hulu and Amazon have been surging, according to Leichtman Research.
But just as Netflix has disrupted traditional "linear" television, rivals are now moving to disrupt Netflix.
FEELING PAIN
Netflix is likely to feel pain, not only from the new rivals, but also from the loss of content from the big libraries of Disney and Time Warner.
These Hollywood firms "have big libraries, so the cost of their content is much lower than it will be for Netflix, which has to pay for all its content," said Laura Martin, analyst with the research firm Needham & Co.
"Netflix will lose subscribers to these new entrants," Martin said.
AT&T's WarnerMedia will launch its service later this year that combines the content from its premium HBO channel (known for "Game of Thrones") and the vast Time Warner library or films and shows.
Disney's service will have its films and TV shows, along with the library it is acquiring from Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox, a deal closing in the coming days. That includes the "Star Wars" and Marvel superhero franchises and ABC television content.
JP Morgan analyst Alexia Quadrani predicts Disney will eventually scale up to become as big as Netflix, or even bigger by signing up 45 million US subscribers and 115 million internationally.
Quadrani cited Disney's "unmatched brand recognition, extensive premium content, and unparalleled ecosystem to market the service."
The analyst said Disney benefits from its global ecosystem that develops good customer relationships from its theme parks, hotels, cruises, and consumer products.
Wolk agreed that Disney "is in a good spot" because of its strong brand and content but predicted that consumers may be overwhelmed by the growing options.
"I think there will be a lot of churn," Wolk said. "People will subscribe to one service to watch one show, and then it becomes easy to cancel and take another."
NO PANIC, YET
Some analysts say Netflix has no reason to panic -- yet.
"Netflix has figured this business out, they know what consumers want," said Dan Rayburn, a streaming media analyst with Frost & Sullivan.
But Rayburn said that over time, rivals may be able to leverage their user base and infrastructure to eat away at Netflix's advantage.
"What does Netflix own? Nothing," Rayburn said.
"If you're Amazon or AT&T you can give this stuff away and be a loss leader, that's the big value."
Still, he said any company that wants to challenge Netflix needs to be "quick and nimble" and that it remains to be seen if the legacy players can do that.
Richard Greenfield of BTIG Research also questioned the capability of the legacy entertainment firms to compete in the world of new media.
"We believe legacy media has missed their window to compete with Netflix (and other tech platforms) unless they are willing to truly go all-in," Greenfield said in a recent research note.
'INNOVATOR'S DILEMMA'
Greenfield said that means moving the focus away from the box office and getting better control of content.
"Disney is battling a classic innovator's dilemma that makes it hard for them to truly pivot to direct-to-consumer, not to mention, they and the rest of legacy media do not really appreciate how important technology is to success in direct-to-consumer streaming," Greenfield wrote.
Daniel Ives of Wedbush Securities said Apple could be the wild card, but that the iPhone maker might need to acquire a content provider like CBS or Sony Pictures to be a major player.
Apple "is definitely playing from behind the eight ball in this content arms race with Netflix, Amazon, Disney, Hulu, and AT&T/Time Warner all going after this next consumer frontier," Ives said in a note to clients.
"While acquisitions have not been in Apple's core DNA, the clock has struck midnight for Cupertino in our opinion and building content organically is a slow and arduous path, which highlights the clear need for Apple to do larger, strategic (deals)."
source: news.abs-cbn.com
LOS ANGELES - British actress Emma Thompson has quit an anticipated film produced by California's Skydance studios because it hired former Disney creative director John Lasseter, who is accused of sexual harassment, her publicist told AFP Tuesday.
The two-time Oscar winner was to voice one of the characters in the much touted animated film "Luck," and had already begun recordings, according to the entertainment news site Variety.
But she dropped the project when Skydance announced in early January that it recruited Lasseter, 62, who was forced to leave his position at Disney as animation chief after acknowledging he made staff feel uncomfortable with unwanted hugs.
Thompson wrote to management at the studio to protest the decision to bring on Lasseter, who is famous for transforming Pixar from a small graphics department into the most successful animation studio in the world.
The 59-year-old performer then forwarded her letter to the Los Angeles Times, which published it in full.
"It feels very odd to me that you and your company would consider hiring someone with Mr Lasseter's pattern of misconduct given the present climate in which people with the kind of power that you have can reasonably be expected to step up to the plate," Thompson wrote in the note, whose authenticity her publicist confirmed to AFP.
"If a man has been touching women inappropriately for decades, why would a woman want to work for him if the only reason he's not touching them inappropriately now is that it says in his contract that he must behave 'professionally'?"
"I am well aware that centuries of entitlement to women's bodies whether they like it or not is not going to change overnight," she continued. "Or in a year."
"But I am also aware that if people who have spoken out -- like me -- do not take this sort of a stand then things are very unlikely to change at anything like the pace required to protect my daughter's generation."
ban/mdo/wd/
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WASHINGTON - Cable and media giant Comcast said Thursday it is pulling out of the bidding war with Walt Disney Co. for film and television operations of Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox.
Comcast said in a statement it would instead focus on acquiring the European pay TV operator Sky, shifting its stand on how it approaches the latest round of consolidation in the media-entertainment sector.
The move by Comcast effectively ensures that Disney will be able to complete its $71.3 billion tie-up with Fox that creates a new powerhouse in the sector as Murdoch slims down his media empire.
"Comcast does not intend to pursue further the acquisition of the Twenty-First Century Fox assets and, instead, will focus on our recommended offer for Sky," said a statement from group which is the leading US cable operator and also owns NBCUniversal.
Both Comcast and Disney had been coveting the prized assets being sold by Murdoch, which include the Fox studios in Hollywood and important film and television production operations.
At the same time, the two giants have been aiming to take control of Sky, the British-based pay TV operator in which Fox holds a 39 percent stake.
Disney launched its offer for Fox's assets last December at $52.4 billion as Murdoch and his family announced they would reorganize to focus on Fox News, the Fox broadcast network and some sports operations.
Comcast made its bid of $65 billion in June, aiming to capitalize on what was seen as an easier regulatory path after AT&T successfully defended an antitrust challenge to its acquisition of media-entertainment group Time Warner.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
NEW YORK -- Comcast on Wednesday offered $65 billion for key film and television assets of Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox, topping an offer from Walt Disney Co. for a deal that could create a dominant media-entertainment power.
The move by Comcast, which is the largest US cable provider and also owns the NBCUniversal media group, opens up a new round of competition for the prized assets being shed by the Murdoch family empire.
The deal, if approved, would merge Comcast-owned Universal Studios and the NBC television network with Hollywood rival 20th Century Fox, Fox's cable entertainment networks and international TV businesses.
"These are highly strategic and complementary businesses and we are in our minds the right buyer," said Comcast chairman and chief executive Brian Roberts in a conference call.
Roberts said Murdoch had built "one of the world's great media and entertainment companies," and that its history was similar to that of Comcast's.
With the deal, Roberts said Comcast would stay on track "to build the entertainment company of the future."
Roberts said the all-cash bid was nearly 20 percent richer than the $52 billion stock offer from Disney, and said Comcast would match the Disney offer of a $2.5 billion fee if the deal failed to win regulatory approval.
"We are highly confident in our ability to finance the transaction, and our offer includes no financing-related conditions," Comcast said in a letter to Rupert Murdoch and his sons Lachlan and James.
The statement pointed out that Comcast and Fox had been in talks before the Murdochs reached the deal with Disney, which is being submitted for a shareholder vote July 10.
The new offer is likely to prompt a response from Disney, and force the Murdochs to review their position on the tie-up with Disney, which owns the ABC television networks ESPN and is a major Hollywood player.
THE NEW LANDSCAPE
The news comes a day after a federal judge approved a massive $85 billion takeover by telecom-broadband giant AT&T or media-entertainment conglomerate Time Warner that could reshape the media and communications landscape.
The court approval ended a heated antitrust battle, and suggested Comcast would be able to clear any regulatory hurdles to a deal with Fox.
Comcast said any antitrust concerns should be eased by Tuesday's court ruling on AT&T and that its offer "should be as or more likely to receive international approvals, given our relatively small presence outside the US."
"We believe yesterday's decision in the AT&T case supports our confidence," Comcast chief financial officer Mike Cavanagh said on the conference call.
The deal became possible when Rupert Murdoch, 87, and his sons decided to slim down the media empire, leaving them with a "New Fox" that includes the Fox News Channel, the Fox broadcast network and sports cable operations.
Comcast if successful would be able to expand beyond US borders to new markets in Europe and India.
Included in the sale is Fox's 39 percent stake in the British pay TV operator Sky. Murdoch has sought full control of Sky but has faced opposition from regulators in Britain.
Comcast earlier this year made an offer of $30.7 billion in cash for Sky, in a move welcomed by the British firm.
The dealmaking comes with traditional media pressured by new business models from Netflix, Amazon and others. During the AT&T antitrust trial, executives maintained they need more scale and better data to compete with online services.
Whoever wins the battle for Fox assets would also get its 30 percent stake in Hulu, the online platform created by media groups to challenge Netflix and Amazon.
Comcast and Disney each own a 30 percent stake in Hulu and Time Warner holds 10 percent.
John Bergmayer of the consumer group Public Knowledge said any Comcast deal should face scrutiny, especially in light of the expiration of provisions from its 2011 takeover of NBCU.
"Without the protections of the consent decree, Comcast will already have the ability to harm its rivals, raising prices for consumers," Bergmayer said.
Bergmayer said the deal raises "significant antitrust and regulatory concerns" and added that "further consolidation is the last thing consumers need."
source: news.abs-cbn.com
LOS ANGELES - The force was with Disney as the latest Star Wars movie "The Last Jedi" beat out the competition to top the Christmas weekend box office, according to industry estimates released Sunday.
The eighth installment of the blockbuster space saga topped the charts in North America for a second week, according to box office tracker Exhibitor Relations, pulling in $68.5 million to rack up total earnings of $365 million since it opened last weekend.
Its triumph echoed last year's Christmas number one, "Star Wars: Rogue One," which told the backstory to the original 1977 hit.
The movie has so far netted $745.4 million worldwide, according to industry analyst Paul Dergarabedian, although the record to beat remains 2009's "Avatar,"
which earned $2.7 billion.
"Star Wars: The Force Awakens," the 2015 predecessor to the "The Last Jedi," made just under $2 billion.
Christmas week is traditionally a time when studios flood the screens with new releases, and the Star Wars epic was trailed by three new films.
In second place was the Dwayne Johnson family adventure "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" which made $34 million for Sony.
"Pitch Perfect 3," which follows the continuing adventures of glee singers the Bellas, led by Anna Kendrick, was in third, earning $20.5 million for Universal.
That was followed by "The Greatest Showman," a musical in which Hugh Jackman plays the legendary circus impresario PT Barnum. That earned $8.6 million over the three-day weekend period.
Animated feature "Ferdinand," the story of a pacifist bull forced to face down the greatest bullfighter in the world, was fifth. It netted weekend receipts of $7 million in the United States and Canada in its second week.
Rounding out the top ten were:
"Coco" ($5.2 million)
"Downsizing" ($4.6 million)
"Darkest Hour" ($4.1 million)
"Father Figures" ($3.2 million)
"The Shape of Water" ($3.1 million)
jh/acb
source: news.abs-cbn.com
