Advanced Television

HBO Max raises ad-free sub price in US

Warner Bros Discovery is increasing HBO Max’s ad-free subscription fee in the US for the first time since the SVoD service launched in 2020. Prices for the platform will rise by $1 to $15.99 (plus tax) a month for US subscribers on their their next billing cycle, on or after February 11th. HBO Max said […]

January 13, 2023By Nik Roseveare

DirecTV lay-offs

DirecTV is cutting around 10 per cent of management staff as more pay-TV subscribers cut the cord. “We’re adjusting our operations costs to align with these changes and will continue to invest in new entertainment products and service enhancements,” said the US pay-TV provider. DirecTV was spun off from AT&T to private-equity in 2021 in […]

January 13, 2023

Report: Young Audiences Content Fund ‘a success’

The BFI has published the final evaluation findings for the Young Audiences Content Fund (YACF), which concluded its three-year pilot in 2022. The findings from the independent evaluation details the success of the pilot, with 61 new commissions for young audiences supported and 160 development projects backed over the course of the three years. The […]

January 13, 2023By Colin Mann

Avanti: “Africa will be majority revenue source”

Kyle Whitehill, CEO at London-based speciality satellite operator Avanti Communications, sees Africa becoming the company’s majority revenue source within two-to-three years. Avanti operates Ka-band services over Africa and the wider region. Whitehill, speaking to Space in Africa, said that the company’s African revenues amount to about 35 per cent of the total, and Africa as […]

January 13, 2023By Chris Forrester

Semtech acquires Sierra Wireless

Semtech has completed its acquisition of Sierra Wireless in an all-cash transaction representing a total enterprise value of approximately $1.2 billion (€1.1bn). This transaction nearly doubles Semtech’s annual revenue and adds approximately $100 million of high-margin IoT Cloud services recurring revenues. Semtech expects the acquisition to be immediately accretive to non-GAAP EPS and to generate […]

January 13, 2023

WWE hires sales advisors

WWE, the wrestling entertainment company has hired multiple advisors to help the company’s potential sale. WWE said it has retained The Raine Group as financial advisor, Kirkland & Ellis as legal advisor, and August as strategic communications advisor to “support the management team and its Board of Directors in connection with a review of strategic […]

January 13, 2023By Nik Roseveare

SpaceX launch delay; Starship almost ready

SpaceX has further delayed a planned launch of a batch of Starlink broadband satellites to January 14th. It is the third delay for the launch. But another important event is planned for SpaceX at its giant Starship base in South Texas. This latest Starlink flight will take 51 satellites into orbit and take place from […]

January 13, 2023By Chris Forrester

MPs call for music streaming fairness

More focus is still needed on ensuring creators and performers receive a fairer cut of the money made from streaming music, according to a report from the UK House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, which calls for the establishment of a wide-ranging national strategy for music. The DCMS Committee’s recommendations follow an […]

January 13, 2023By Colin Mann

Emirates signs Inmarsat for IFC

Middle East airline Emirates has placed a major contract extension with Inmarsat for the satellite operator’s In-Flight Communications (IFC) broadband service. Emirates already uses Inmarsat but this new contract covers the airline’s 50 new Airbus A350 aircraft. They will enter service from 2024. The A350 aircraft will use Inmarsat’s Global Xpress (GX) satellite network. Inmarsat’s […]

January 13, 2023By Chris Forrester

OSN joins ACE’s anti-piracy coalition

Dubai-based entertainment company OSN has joined anti-piracy coalition the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE). OSN is one of 11 global media and entertainment companies that joined ACE in December 2022, expanding the coalition’s ability to combat illegal piracy operations around the world. ACE currently has a total of 52 members. “In line with our […]

January 13, 2023By Colin Mann