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Business wins Media Man 'Business Website Of The Month'
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Streaming
Media Industry Disruptions Continue
Additional
Mergers And Acquisitions Forecast
Live
Sport Major Draw As Per Netflix
Compelling
Storylines And Series Keeps Audience Coming Back For
More As Per WWE
Combat
Sports Storytelling And Talent Elevation As Per Dana
Whites Contenders Series
Free
Services With Ads Supported Has Taken Some Audience
As Per Tubi
YouTube
Cemented As Major Challenge To Netflix
Paramount's
Quality And Iconic Movies Keep Them Valuable Commodity,
Despite Bottom Line Loss
X
Corp's X Platform One To Watch For Major Industry
Disruption; WWE Speed Deal With WWE Just A Minor Preview
Of What's On The Cards
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Articles On Pop Culture, Entertainment, Sports, Casino,
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'Powerhouse':
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Streaming
Entertainment via Grok; X TV Tipped To Eventually
Go Head To Head With YouTube, Netflix, But Will Take
Many Years To Get To That Point; Customers Waiting
To Churn/Switch. Changes Ahead For WBD, HBO, Binge,
Paramount And Many Others - Too Many To List! Media
Man Founder and Subscriber TV Veteran
Streaming
entertainment has transformed how we consume media,
offering a vast array of movies, TV shows, music,
and more directly to our devices. Here's a breakdown
of what's happening in this space as of my last update:
Major
Players:
Netflix:
Known for its original content like "Stranger
Things," "The Crown," and "Squid
Game." They've been pushing into gaming and have
been experimenting with ad-supported models.
Amazon
Prime Video: Comes with Amazon Prime membership. Notable
for "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," "The
Boys," and its integration with shopping and
other Amazon services.
Disney+:
A powerhouse for family entertainment, featuring Marvel,
Star Wars, Pixar, and classic Disney content. It's
also expanding its library with more adult-oriented
content under the Star banner in some regions.
HBO
Max: Offers premium content like "Game of Thrones,"
"Chernobyl," and a vast library of movies.
It's also known for its DC Universe shows.
Apple
TV+: While newer, it's making waves with high-quality
originals like "Ted Lasso," "The Morning
Show," and "See."
Peacock
(NBCUniversal): Provides a mix of free and premium
content, including "The Office," WWE, and
original series like "Punky Brewster."
Paramount+:
Combines CBS All Access with content from Paramount,
Nickelodeon, MTV, and more, featuring shows like "Star
Trek: Discovery" and "The Stand."
Trends
and Developments:
Original
Content: There's a massive push towards creating exclusive
content to attract subscribers. This includes movies,
series, documentaries, and even live sports.
Global
Expansion: Services are increasingly focusing on international
markets, either by offering local content or by making
their service available in more countries.
Bundling:
Companies are bundling their streaming services with
other products. For example, Disney has bundles with
Hulu and ESPN+.
Ad-Supported
Models: To combat rising costs, some platforms like
Netflix have introduced or are considering ad-supported
tiers.
Direct-to-Streaming
Releases: Movies are increasingly bypassing traditional
theatrical releases, going straight to streaming platforms,
especially noted during global health crises.
Quality
Over Quantity: While there's a lot of content, platforms
are also focusing on high-quality, award-winning productions
to stand out.
Interactive
Content: Some platforms are experimenting with interactive
movies or shows where viewers can choose the plot
direction.
Technological
Integration: Enhanced with technologies like 4K, HDR,
Dolby Vision, and Dolby Atmos for audio, providing
a cinematic experience at home.
Challenges:
Content
Saturation: With so many platforms, there's a risk
of content fatigue among viewers.
Churn:
Subscribers frequently switch between services based
on what's currently available, leading to high turnover.
Regulatory
Scrutiny: Issues like market dominance, content licensing,
and privacy are increasingly under regulatory lenses.
Piracy:
Despite advanced measures, piracy remains a challenge,
especially for content not easily accessible in certain
regions.
If
you're interested in a specific aspect of streaming
entertainment or want to know about recent developments
since my last update, feel free to ask! If there's
a particular service or type of content you're curious
about, I can dive deeper into those areas. (Grok)
News
Streaming
TV
Streaming
TV has revolutionized how we consume television content,
offering a vast array of shows, movies, and original
programming through internet-based platforms rather
than traditional cable or satellite TV. Here's a breakdown
of what you might be interested in regarding streaming
TV as of my last update:
Key
Players:
Netflix:
Known for its extensive library, original content
like "Stranger Things," "The Crown,"
and "Squid Game," and a global reach.
Amazon
Prime Video: Comes with an Amazon Prime subscription,
offering shows like "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,"
"The Boys," and movies, plus the integration
with shopping services.
Hulu:
Offers a mix of current TV episodes, a robust library
of older content, and originals like "The Handmaid's
Tale." It's also notable for its live TV option.
Disney+:
Focuses on family-friendly content, including Marvel,
Star Wars, Pixar, and National Geographic. Hits include
"The Mandalorian" and "WandaVision."
HBO
Max: Home to HBO's acclaimed series like "Game
of Thrones," "Chernobyl," plus a wide
range of Warner Bros. movies and new originals.
Apple
TV+: While newer, it's gaining traction with high-quality
originals like "Ted Lasso," "The Morning
Show," and "Foundation."
Peacock:
NBCUniversal's service, offering a mix of free and
premium content, including "The Office,"
"Parks and Recreation," and new originals.
Trends
and Features:
Ad-Supported
vs. Ad-Free: Many services now offer tiers where you
can choose between watching with ads for a lower price
or paying more for an ad-free experience.
Live
TV Streaming: Services like Hulu + Live TV, YouTube
TV, and Sling TV allow streaming of live broadcast
channels, appealing to sports fans and those who still
want traditional TV experiences.
Bundling:
Some platforms offer bundles with internet service
providers or other streaming services to reduce costs.
Original
Content: There's a significant push towards exclusive,
original content to differentiate services, leading
to a golden age of TV with high-quality, diverse programming.
Global
Expansion: Services are increasingly focusing on global
markets, offering localized content or subtitles/dubbing
in multiple languages.
Technological
Considerations:
4K
and HDR: Many services now offer content in 4K resolution
and HDR, enhancing viewing quality.
Offline
Viewing: Most services allow downloading content for
offline viewing, which is great for travel or areas
with poor internet.
Smart
TVs and Devices: Streaming is not just for computers
or smartphones anymore; smart TVs, streaming sticks
(like Roku, Amazon Fire Stick), and gaming consoles
have made streaming accessible on almost any screen.
Challenges:
Content
Fragmentation: With content spread across multiple
services, there's a growing issue of "streaming
fatigue" where consumers feel overwhelmed by
the number of subscriptions needed.
Price
Increases: As content quality and exclusivity rise,
so do subscription costs, leading to discussions about
the cost-effectiveness of streaming vs. traditional
cable.
Piracy:
The fragmentation and cost have somewhat revived piracy
concerns as viewers look for ways to access content
without multiple subscriptions.
If
you're looking for recommendations or have specific
questions about streaming services or shows, feel
free to ask! If there's been a significant update
or new service since my last update, you might want
to check the latest reviews or news for the most current
information. (Grok)
Media
Man
News
Streaming
Movies Top 10 (North America)
August
27, 2024
1.
Furiosa (Max)
2.
The Union (Netflix)
3.
Jackpot (Prime Video)
4.
The Instigators (Apple TV+)
5.
Alien (Hulu)
6.
The Bikeriders (Peacock)
7.
Immaculate (Hulu)
8.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (Hulu)
9.
Alien: Covenant (Hulu)
10.
Twister (Max)
News
Top
10 Streaming TV (North America)
August
27, 2024
1.
Bad Monkey (Apple TV+)
2.
The Umbrella Academy (Netflix)
3.
Industry (Max)
4.
The Bear (Hulu)
5.
From (Prime Video)
6.
Presumed Innocent (Apple TV+)
7.
Emily in Paris (Netflix)
8.
Time Bandits (Apple TV+)
9.
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder (Netflix)
10.
Evil (Paramount+)
Media
Man
Media/Entertainment:
Australia
TV
Week Logie Awards 2024
Winners
Gold
Logie Award for Most Popular Personality on Australian
Television - Larry Emdur
Best
Drama Program - RFDS, Seven Network
Best
News or Public Affairs Presenter - Ally Langon, A
Current Affair, Nine Network
Best
Comedy Entertainment Program - Have You Been Paying
Attention?, Network Ten
Best
Lead Actor in a Drama - Felix Cameron, Boy Swallows
Universe, Netflix
Beat
Scripted Comedy Program - Utopia, ABC
Best
Current Affairs Program - Australian Story, ABC
Best
Lead Actress in a Drama - Deborah Mailman, Total Control,
ABC
Best
Sports Coverage - FIFA Women's World Cup 2023, Seven
Network
Best
Competition Reality Program - MasterChef Australia,
Network 10
Best
Factual or Documentary Program - John Farnham: Finding
The Voice, Seven Network
Best
Miniseries or Telemovie - Boy Swallows Universe, Netflix
Best
News Coverage or Public Affairs Report - Ben Roberts-Smith:
The Truth, 60 Minutes, Nine Network
Best
Structured Program - Gogglebox Australia, Foxtel and
Network 10
Best
Lifestyle Program - Travel Guides, Nine Network
Bert
Newtown Award for Most Popular Presenter - Larry Emdur,
The Chase Australia and The Morning Show, Seven Network
Best
Supporting Actor - Bryan Brown, Boy Swallows Universe
Best
Lead Actor in a Comedy - Rob Sitch, Utopia, ABC
Graham
Kennedy Award for Most Popular New Talent - Felix
Cameron, Boy Swallows Universe, Netflix
Best
Supporting Actress - Sophie Wilde, Boy Swallows Universe,
Netflix
Best
Children's Program - Bluey, ABC
Best
Entertainment Program - The Voice Australia, Seven
Network
Best
Lead Actress in a Comedy - Kitty Flanagan, Utopia,
ABC
News
Corp puts Foxtel up for sale after asset review
By
Sam Buckingham-Jones
August
9, 2024
News
Corp, the publishing and broadcast giant controlled
by the Murdoch family, has put its majority-owned
Australian pay television platform Foxtel up for sale
after a nine-month strategic review of its assets.
Outlining
its financial results on Friday, News Corp said there
was “third-party interest” in Foxtel, which
owns a pay TV business, streaming services Binge and
Kayo Sports, and aggregation platform Hubbl.
“We
are confident in the company’s long-term prospects
and are continuing to review our portfolio with a
focus on maximising returns for shareholders,”
News Corp chief executive Robert Thomson said.
“That
review has coincided recently with third-party interest
in a potential transaction involving the Foxtel ...
We are evaluating options for the business with our
advisors in light of that external interest.”
News
Corp owns 65 per cent of Foxtel, and Telstra owns
the rest.
Foxtel
has spent the past decade pivoting to the streaming
era, building Kayo and Binge – which have much
leaner profit margins – while preserving its
legacy base of around 1 million subscribers who pay,
on average, $90 a month. It has grown its total paying
subscription base to 4.7 million people.
Any
sale of Foxtel would have a flow-on effect on long-term
content deals, multi-billion dollar sports rights
packages, and more.
Mr
Thomson told analysts that News Corp had a “significant
overture that we are naturally assessing”, but
declined to provide further details.
“We
have full faith in the potential of Foxtel and the
talented team at Foxtel,” he said. “On behalf
of shareholders, we have to evaluate any interest
… You’ll have to stay tuned. Not indefinitely,
not perpetually, not ad infinitum.” (Credit:
The Australian Financial Review) @FinancialReview
Full
article via subscription to The Australian Financial
Review
https://www.afr.com/companies/media-and-marketing/news-corp-puts-foxtel-up-for-sale-20240809-p5k0yv
Media
Man Int
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#Kayo #KayoSports #Binge #Hubbl #SubscriberTV #PayTV
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#trend #trends #Australia #media
John
Shakespeare wins Media Man 'Illustrator / Artist Of
The Month' award
Box
Office Numbers and more via Showbizz Daily
Disruptors
Of The Month
PGA
announces bombshell merger with LIV Golf, stunning
players
LinkedIn
News wins Media Man News Agreggator Of The Month
award again;
LinkedIn
News Australia is runner-up
Sky
News Australia via ABC
News war continues on a decade plus in
Media
Man Int
Media
Man Int X
Elon
Musk’s X Files Antitrust Suit Against Global
Advertising Alliance
August
6, 2024
Elon
Musk’s social media platform X has launched a
significant antitrust lawsuit against the Global Alliance
for Responsible Media (GARM) and several of its member
companies, alleging an illegal ad boycott that targeted
the platform. The lawsuit, filed in Texas, is aimed
at GARM, its parent firm World Federation of Advertisers
(WFA), and members including CVS Health, Mars, Orsted
and Unilever.
In
an open letter to advertisers, X CEO Linda Yaccarino
highlighted the reasons behind the lawsuit, stating
that it was a direct response to GARM’s actions
which allegedly cost the company billions of dollars.
“This is not a decision we took lightly, but
it is a direct consequence of their actions,”
Yaccarino wrote. “The illegal behavior of these
organizations and their executives cost X billions
of dollars” per The New York Post.
The
lawsuit is seeking trebled compensatory damages and
injunctive relief, according to a complaint viewed
by The New York Post. GARM, led by Robert Rakowitz,
is an initiative of the WFA, which represents many
of the world’s largest companies and ad organizations,
including Disney and Coca-Cola. Its members control
90% of global marketing spending, nearly $1 trillion
per year.
Yaccarino
emphasized that the issue extends beyond financial
damages. “This case is about more than damages
— we have to fix a broken ecosystem that allows
this illegal activity to occur,” she added.
According
to The New York Post, the suit argues that the boycott
undermined the marketplace of ideas by financially
harming certain viewpoints over others. (Credit: PYMNTS)
Full
article and coverage via PYMNTS
https://pymnts.com/cpi-posts/elon-musks-x-files-antitrust-suit-against-global-advertising-alliance/
PYMNTS
is a former Media Man 'Business News Outlet Of The
Month' award winner and finalist
News
Elon
Musk takes GARM, several companies to court over alleged
advertising boycott of X outlined in bombshell report
August
7, 2024
Tech
billionaire Elon Musk has taken several companies
and an advertising alliance to court over allegations
of a "boycott" of X.
Elon
Musk has waged “war” against advertisers
as his social media platform X filed an antitrust
lawsuit against a global ad alliance and several major
companies, accusing them of illegally boycotting the
site.
X
filed a suit in a federal court in Texas against the
World Federation of Advertisers (WFA), the Global
Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM) and its members
CVS Health, Mars, Orsted and Unilever.
The
suit comes after a report from the US House of Representatives
Judiciary Committee found GARM and its members “directly
organised boycotts” and employed other indirect
tactics to target disfavoured “platforms, content
creators” and news organisations to demonetise
them.
It
alleges that GARM’s boycott led advertisers to
pull money from X under the guise of “brand safety”
concerns.
X’s
CEO Linda Yaccarino argued this tactic hindered users
on the social media platform from accessing a wide
breadth of ideas by funding alternative viewpoints.
“The
consequence - perhaps the intent - of this boycott
was to seek to deprive X’s users, be they sports
fans, gamers, journalists, activists, parents or political
and corporate leaders, of the Global Town Square,”
she wrote.
“To
put it simply, people are hurt when the marketplace
of ideas is undermined and some viewpoints are not
funded over others as part of an illegal boycott.”
Mr
Musk shared his colleague’s statement to the
platform and boldly declared: “We tried peace
for 2 years, now it is war.”
He
later encouraged “any company who has been systematically
boycotted” to file a suit.
Following
his post, video sharing platform Rumble joined Mr
Musk’s lawsuit, claiming it has also been impacted
towards GARM’s alleged skew away from right wing
voices and ideologies.
The
platform announced its move on X where it accused
GARM of being “a conspiracy to perpetrate an
advertiser boycott of Rumble and others, and that's
illegal”.
Since
Musk took over the social media platform in October
2022, X has suffered a serious dive in ad dollars
with the platform taking in US$2.5 billion in 2023,
according to Bloomberg.
This
was down from the US$1bn it was bringing in every
quarter of 2022.
Musk
triggered controversy again in November 2023 when
he endorsed an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory that
Jewish communities push “hatred against whites”.
The
X owner responded: “You have said the actual
truth,” sparking an advertiser exodus that was
reported to have lost the company as much as $75m,
per The New York Times.
He
made headlines again in the same month after blasting
advertisers boycotting the social media platform,
boldly declaring: “Go f**k yourself”.
“If
somebody is going to try to blackmail me with advertising,
blackmail me with money, go f**k yourself. Go f**k
yourself. Is that clear? I hope it is,” he said.
(Sky News Australia)
Full
article and coverage via Sky News Australia
https://www.skynews.com.au/business/media/elon-musk-takes-garm-several-companies-to-court-over-alleged-advertising-boycott-of-x-outlined-in-bombshell-report/news-story/7bac6243aada770042d14ca84afc23e7
Technology
News (Media Man Int) https://mediamanint.com/news3.html
Advertising
News (Media Man Int) https://mediamanint.com/advertising_news.html
Media
News (Media Man Int) https://mediamanint.com/news2.html
Yahoo
Finance wins Media Man 'Business News Outlet Of
The Month' award
PYMNTS
wins Media Man 'Businees News Outlet Of The Month'
award
Market,
Commodities and Financial News Snapshot via Media
Man
August
7, 2024
Australian
Dollar: $0.6520 USD (up $0.0024 USD)
Iron
Ore Sep Spot Price (SGX): $102.85 USD (down $0.70
USD)
Oil
Price (WTI): $72.96 USD (down $1.02 USD)
Gold
Price: $2,389.45 USD (down $19.96 USD)
Copper
Price (CME): $4.0095 USD (up $0.0085 USD)
Bitcoin:
$56,485.71 USD (up 3.10% in last 24 hours)
Dow
Jones: 38,997.66 at 5.02pm NY time (up 294.39 points
on yesterday's close)
(Roy
Morgan Summary)
Twitter
vs many other fact
checker war and debate continues; Biden major
casuality
Wrestling
News niche has reached saturation point
Media and marketing news gets an impressive lift Sydney
Morning Herald, The Age and The Australian Financial
Review; News Limited's The Australian publishing impactful
and insightful media and marketing news behind firewall
Succession
wins Media Man 'Streaming Series Of The Year'
The
Murdochs: Empire Of Influence vs Succession
Murdoch
Family - News Corp covered in-depth by The Sydney
Morning Herald
Big
Tech Media
Ambush
Marketing showcase
David
Rowe
wins Media Man Illustrator Of The Month award
John
Shakespeare wins Media Man 'Illustrator / Artist Of
The Month' award
Fox
News Channel crushes CNN, MSNBC during historic news
week to finish No. 1 in all of cable
Americans relied on Fox News for critical information
and analysis
Americans
relied on Fox
News Channel for information and analysis during
last week’s historic news events.
The
aftermath of the assassination attempt on former President
Trump, JD Vance being named Trump’s running
mate, the momentous Republican National Convention
and President Biden dropping out of the race resulted
in one of the most significant news cycles of all
time from July 15-21.
During
that time, Fox News topped all of television among
primetime viewers, beating out broadcast competition
and posting its highest-rated week since the 2020
election among both total day and primetime viewers.
During
the RNC, Fox News averaged 6.7 million viewers from
8-11 p.m. ET for a staggering 75% share of the entire
cable news primetime audience. CNN drew 1.2 million
and MSNBC managed an average audience of 1.1 million.
On
Sunday, Fox News reported that Biden ended his reelection
campaign before CNN or MSNBC when anchor Mike Emanuel
informed the audience at 1:50 p.m. ET. From 2-4 p.m.
ET, as the news unfolded, Fox News averaged 3.5 million
viewers compared to two million apiece for CNN and
MSNBC.
Fox
News then bumped regularly scheduled programming and
attracted a primetime audience of 3.3 million on Sunday
night with continued coverage of Biden stepping aside.
During
the week of July 15, Fox News averaged 2.5 million
total viewers to crush all cable competition. MSNBC
averaged 716,000 to finish second, CNN managed 571,000
to finish third, followed by the Hallmark Channel
and ESPN.
During
primetime, Fox News averaged five million viewers
compared to 1.3 million for No. 2 ESPN, while MSNBC,
CNN and Hallmark rounded out the top five.
When
it comes to the advertiser-coveted demographic of
adults age 25-54, Fox News averaged 376,000 total
day viewers compared to 174,000 for No. 2 ESPN. During
primetime, Fox News averaged 790,000 demo viewers
with runner-up ESPN averaging 528,000, followed by
CNN, USA and TBS. Fox News beat CNN and MSNBC combined
in all categories.
All
data courtesy of Nielsen Media Research. (Fox
News)
News
News.com.au
holds number one news traffic ranking in April for
fourth consecutive month - May 22, 2023
News.com.au
has retained the number one news website traffic ranking
for the fourth month in a row, reaching 12.71 million
Australians in April.
The
latest Ipsos Iris report showed the news website has
resolidified its market-leading stance, although there
was a three per cent dip month-on-month in unique
audience. Average time on site per person, sitting
at 29 minutes and 55 seconds, also slipped modestly
compared to March.
Oliver
Murray, news.com.au editor, pointed out April was
a month when many should’ve switched off to enjoy
Easter and the school holidays.
“It’s
testament to our team that we kept serving up news
they needed to read,” he said.
That
content offering drew in the largest and most engaged
audience in the news category, he pointed out –
six in 10 online Australians.
“We
saw a 17 per cent month-on-month increase in our sports
audience to become the number one sports brand, driven
by our NRL and AFL coverage,” Murray said.
“Australians
also turned to us for travel news, reaching an audience
of 2.541 million and leading the travel news category.”
The
gap between news.com.au and rival ABC News, sitting
in second spot, is sizeable. The national broadcaster’s
web offering attracted the eyeballs of 11.14 million
Aussies.
Rounding
out the top five was nine.com.au with 10.73 million
unique viewers, 7news.com.au on 10.06 million, and
Daily Mail Australia on 8.35 million.
The
Ipsos Iris report found 20.2 million people used a
news website or app in April, with engagement increasing
by 1.2% to almost six hours per person, per month.
Major
news events ranging from the death of comedian Barry
Humphries to the arrest of former US President Donald
Trump and the federal budget helped fuel the increase,
it said.
The
report called out travel-related browsing in the month,
given Easter and the school holidays, with 16.9 million
Aussies aged 14 and above visiting a travel website
or app in April.
Those
in the 55-plus age bracket spent the most time browsing
– 33% more than those under 55 – while women
were more likely to use travel sites and apps than
men. People aged 25 to 39 are the largest cohort engaging
with travel content online.
(News.com.au)
News
Sydney
Morning Herald is the country’s best-read masthead
May 22, 2023
The
Sydney Morning Herald has retained its position
as Australia’s top masthead, with more readers
across all platforms than any other over the 12 months
to March this year.
Total
News figures from the industry’s official data
provider, Roy Morgan, showed 7.7 million people, or
about one in three Australians, read the masthead.
It puts the Herald ahead of its traditional NSW rival,
the News Corp-owned Daily Telegraph, which has 3.98
million readers.
The
Herald’s sister paper, The Age, cemented its
place as the most-read Victorian masthead with 5.2
million readers, and the outlets’ Good Weekend
magazine was the premier Saturday insert. It had an
average print readership of 754,000 people, up 4 per
cent for the quarter.
Print
was a particular bright spot for this masthead, with
the Monday to Friday newspaper recording 17 per cent
growth year over year and quarterly growth of 4 per
cent, taking its average readership per edition to
417,000. It marks the sixth consecutive quarter of
growth for the physical newspaper, while the Sun Herald’s
Sunday print edition was steady, up 1 per cent, to
a readership of 423,000. In the last four weeks, an
average of almost 1.9 million people read the printed
paper.
The
Herald and Age’s Good Food and Traveller titles
had audiences of 1.49 million and 1.56 million, respectively,
each month. Sunday Life had an average issue print
readership of 419,000, and Domain defied a softening
real estate market, seeing annual growth of 7 per
cent and quarterly growth of 5 per cent, to record
an average issue print readership of 537,000.
“I
am proud of our team for achieving such a strong result,
particularly given the challenging environment all
publishers are finding themselves in right now,”
Herald editor Bevan Shields said.
“The
Herald continues to set the benchmark for quality
journalism in Australia and I want to thank our subscribers
and readers for their continued support for what we
do.”
Roy
Morgan’s data covers all news brands and digital
news websites and tracks audiences on Apple News and
Google News.
(The
Sydney Morning Herald)
News
Financial
Review most-read business masthead. By Sam Buckingham-Jones
- May 22, 2023
The
Australian Financial Review is the country’s
most-read premium business masthead, reaching a print
and digital audience of 3.5 million people, figures
released by Roy Morgan show.
More
than 1.1 million people read the print edition of
the Financial Review over the past four weeks, and
the masthead reported its third consecutive quarter
of growth and a year-on-year increase of 6 per cent.
The Australian suffered an annual drop of 17 per cent
in print readership for the same period.
The
Financial Review’s combined print and digital
audience fell slightly from last quarter, from 3.6
million to 3.5 million, but the decline was smaller
than rivals.
The
AFR Weekend print edition readership grew 59 per cent,
on the Roy Morgan figures, and 11 per cent in the
last quarter. The weekend and weekday print editions
have recorded their highest quarterly result since
2018.
The
Australian Financial Review Magazine recorded a print
readership of 481,000, after quarter-on-quarter growth
of 12 per cent and annual growth of 14 per cent. This
is AFR Magazine’s highest quarterly result since
2018.
“After
the hit from COVID-19, it’s encouraging to see
readers return to the newspaper edition of the nation’s
premium business, finance and political publication,”
said the masthead’s editor-in-chief, Michael
Stutchbury.
“That’s
an endorsement of the newsroom’s journalism,
including our breaking and ongoing pursuit of the
PwC tax scandal.
“At
the same time, the Financial Review continues to hold
the most digitally focused readership of any newspaper
brand as we increase our share of that national market.”
Nine’s
total publishing assets – including the Financial
Review, nine.com.au, The Sydney Morning Herald, The
Age, WA Today, Domain Digital and more, reach a de-duplicated
audience of 16.6 million Australians across print
and digital.
ThinkNewsBrands,
a group representing news publishers, says 16.5 million
Australians read news each week and 20.6 million or
96 per cent of Australians read news each month.
The
Total News readership figures are produced each quarter
by Roy Morgan for ThinkNewsBrands.
(The
Australian Financial Review)
Pop
Culture, Streaming, Wrestling, MMA, Combat Sports,
Movies, Sports Business...
Netflix
finally reveals how much it makes from Australians
- 1st June 2023
Netflix
made more than $1 billion from Australians last year,
a figure the company reported for the first time after
deciding no longer to funnel revenues through a Netherlands-based
subsidiary.
Accounts
lodged by the streaming giant show Netflix Australia
made $1.06 billion in 2022, up from $30.7 million
the year before.
The
increase in reported revenue came after the company’s
local subsidiary changed how it bills. It now describes
itself as a “distributor of access” to Netflix
Service as opposed to a provider of services for its
parent company.
It
was previously estimated that Netflix made between
$790 million and $1.4 billion from Australians, but
customers were billed by Netflix International BV.
But from January 1 last year, customers were billed
by Netflix Australia, meaning subscription revenue
was recognised and taxed locally.
The
accounts, filed with the Australian Securities and
Investments Commission, show Netflix Australia paid
$966 million to the Netflix Group in distribution
fees and other costs, meaning it made just $22.7 million
from total revenues of $1.06 billion.
After
paying $6.9 million in income tax, it reported $15.8
million profit for the year.
“As
Netflix continues to grow and invest in Australia,
we want our corporate structure to reflect our business
activities here,” a spokesman for Netflix said
last year when The Australian Financial Review reported
the structural change.
In
2021, Netflix Australia reported $30.7 million in
revenue, $2.4 million in profit pre-tax, and $1.5
million in profit after its $868,000 income tax bill.
Netflix
does not disclose subscriber numbers for Australia,
but the revenue figures included in its latest accounts
implies the service has around five million customers
locally, if its standard plan, $16.99 per month, is
used as a guide. It has four monthly price tiers including
a new, cheaper one that now adds some advertising.
According
to the Australian Communications and Media Authority,
streaming services made a combined $2.49 billion in
Australia in 2021.
The
disclosure of Netflix’s true Australian revenue
comes as the federal government considers introducing
quotas that would force streaming companies to spend
a certain amount making shows locally.
Some
suggestions have been forcing them to spend between
10 and 20 per cent of local revenue on Australian
shows, meaning Netflix would be required to spend,
depending on the rate, between $100 million to $200
million.
ACMA
estimates streaming providers spend $335.1 million
on Australian content in the 12 months to the end
of June last year, up from $178.9 million the year
before.
Netflix
has been contacted for comment.
News
Mistakes
and miscalculations: How the Murdochs and Fox got
it so wrong - 30th May 2023
In
August 2021, the Fox Corp. board of directors gathered
in Los Angeles. Among the topics on the agenda: Dominion
Voting Systems’ $US1.6 billion ($2.5 billion)
defamation lawsuit against its cable news network,
Fox News.
The
suit posed a threat to the company’s finances
and reputation. But Fox’s chief legal officer,
Viet Dinh, reassured the board: Even if the company
lost at trial, it would ultimately prevail. The First
Amendment was on Fox’s side, he explained, even
if proving so could require going to the Supreme Court.
That
determination informed a series of missteps and miscalculations
over the next 20 months, according to a New York Times
review of court and business records, and interviews
with roughly a dozen people directly involved in or
briefed on the company’s decision-making.
The
case resulted in one of the biggest legal and business
debacles in the history of Rupert Murdoch’s media
empire: an avalanche of embarrassing disclosures from
internal messages released in court filings; the largest
known settlement in a defamation suit, $US787.5 million;
two shareholder lawsuits; and the benching of Fox’s
top prime-time star, Tucker Carlson.
And
for all of that, Fox still faces a lawsuit seeking
even more in damages, $US2.7 billion, filed by another
subject of the stolen election theory, voting software
company Smartmatic.
Caught
flat-footed
Repeatedly,
Fox executives overlooked warning signs about the
damage they and their network would sustain, the Times
found. They also failed to recognise how far their
cable news networks, Fox News and Fox Business, had
strayed into defamatory territory by promoting President
Donald Trump’s election conspiracy theories —
the central issue in the case. (Fox maintains it did
not defame Dominion.)
When
pretrial rulings went against the company, Fox did
not pursue a settlement in any real way. Executives
were then caught flat-footed as Dominion’s court
filings included internal Fox messages that made clear
how the company chased a Trump-loving audience that
preferred his election lies to the truth.
It
was only in February that Murdoch and his son with
whom he runs the company, Lachlan Murdoch, began seriously
considering settling. Yet they made no major attempt
to do so until the eve of the trial in April, after
still more damaging public disclosures.
At
the centre of the action was Dinh and his overly rosy
scenario.
Dinh,
a high-level Justice Department official under President
George W. Bush, declined several requests for comment,
and the company declined to respond to questions about
his performance or his legal decisions. “Discussions
of specific legal strategy are privileged and confidential,”
a company representative said in a statement.
The
second half of 2020 brought Fox News to a crisis point.
The Fox audience had come to expect favourable news
about Trump. But Fox could not provide that on election
night, when its decision desk team was first to declare
that Trump had lost the critical state of Arizona.
In
the days after, Trump’s fans switched off in
droves.
The
Fox host who was the first to find a way to draw the
audience back was Maria Bartiromo. Five days after
the election, she invited a guest, Trump-aligned lawyer
Sidney Powell, to share details about the false accusations
that Dominion, an elections technology company, had
switched votes from Trump to Joe Biden.
Soon,
wild claims about Dominion appeared elsewhere on Fox,
including references to the election company’s
supposed (but imagined) ties to the Smartmatic election
software company; Hugo Chávez, the Venezuelan
dictator who died in 2013; George Soros, the billionaire
investor and Democratic donor; and China.
‘Fox
News did its job, and this is what the First Amendment
protects. I’m not at all concerned about such
lawsuits, real or imagined.’
Fox’s
chief legal officer Viet Dinh
On
November 12, a Dominion spokesperson complained to
Fox News Media chief executive Suzanne Scott and Fox
News Media executive editor Jay Wallace, begging them
to make it stop. “We really weren’t thinking
about building a litigation record as much as we were
trying to stop the bleeding,” said Thomas A.
Clare, one of Dominion’s lawyers.
As
Fox noted in its court papers, its hosts did begin
including company denials. But as they continued to
give oxygen to the false allegations, Dominion sent
a letter to Fox News general counsel Lily Fu Claffee,
demanding that Fox cease and correct the record. “Dominion
is prepared to do what is necessary to protect its
reputation and the safety of its employees,”
the letter warned.
Fox,
however, did not respond to the Dominion letter or
comply with its requests — now a key issue in
a shareholder suit filed in April, which maintains
that doing so would have “materially mitigated”
Fox’s legal exposure.
Three
months after the election, another voting technology
company tied to the Dominion conspiracy, Smartmatic,
filed its own defamation suit against Fox, seeking
$US2.7 billion in damages. Dominion told reporters
that it was preparing to file one, too.
Dinh
was publicly dismissive.
“The
newsworthy nature of the contested presidential election
deserved full and fair coverage from all journalists.
Fox News did its job, and this is what the First Amendment
protects,” Dinh said at the time. “I’m
not at all concerned about such lawsuits, real or
imagined.”
The
Fox legal team based much of the defence on a doctrine
known as the neutral reportage privilege. It holds
that news organisations cannot be held financially
liable for damages when reporting on false allegations
made by major public figures as long as they don’t
embrace or endorse them.
An
early warning came in late 2021. The judge in the
case, Eric M. Davis, rejected Fox’s attempt to
use the neutral reportage defence to get the suit
thrown out, determining that it was not recognised
under New York law, which he was applying to the case.
Even if it was recognised, Fox would have to show
it reported on the allegations “accurately and
dispassionately”, and Dominion had made a strong
argument that Fox’s reporting was neither, the
judge wrote in a ruling.
That
ruling meant that Dominion could have access to Fox’s
internal communications in discovery.
That
was a natural time to settle. But Fox stuck with its
defence and its plan.
Treasure
trove
At
nearly every step, the court overruled Fox’s
attempts to limit Dominion’s access to private
communications exchanged among hosts, producers and
executives. The biggest blow came mid-last year, after
a ruling stating that Dominion could review messages
from the personal phones of Fox employees, including
both Murdochs.
The
result was a treasure trove of evidence for Dominion:
text messages and emails that revealed the doubts
that Rupert Murdoch had about the coverage airing
on his network, and assertions by many inside Fox,
including Carlson, that fraud could not have made
a material difference in the election.
The
messages led to even more damaging revelations during
depositions. After Dominion’s lawyers confronted
Rupert Murdoch with his own messages showing he knew
Trump’s stolen election claims were false, he
admitted that some Fox hosts appeared to have endorsed
stolen election claims.
During
Carlson’s deposition last year, Dominion’s
lawyers asked about his use of a crude word to describe
women — including a ranking Fox executive. They
also mentioned a text in which he discussed watching
a group of men, who he said were Trump supporters,
attack “an Antifa kid”. He lamented in the
text, “It’s not how white men fight,”
and shared a momentary wish that the group would kill
the person. He then said he regretted that instinct.
There
is no indication that Carlson’s texts tripped
alarms at the top of Fox at that point.
The
alarms rang in February, when reams of other internal
Fox communications became public. The public’s
reaction was so negative that some people at the company
believed that a jury could award Dominion more than
$US1 billion. Yet the company made no serious bid
to settle.
All
along, the Fox board had been taking a wait-and-see
approach.
But
the judge’s pretrial decisions began to change
the board’s thinking. Also, in those final days
before the trial, Fox was hit with new lawsuits. One,
from former Fox producer Abby Grossberg, accused Carlson
of promoting a hostile work environment. Another,
filed by a shareholder, accused the Murdochs and several
directors of failing to stop the practices that made
Fox vulnerable to legal claims.
The
weekend before the trial was to begin, the board asked
Fox to see the internal Fox communications that were
not yet public but that could still come out in the
courtroom.
The
board learned for the first time of the Carlson text
that referred to “how white men fight”.
Dinh did not know about the message until that weekend,
according to two people familiar with the matter.
By
the time the board learned of the message, the Murdochs
had already determined that a trial loss could be
far more damaging than they were initially told to
expect. A substantial jury award could weigh on the
company’s stock for years as the appeals process
played out.
“The
distraction to our company, the distraction to our
growth plans — our management — would have
been extraordinarily costly, which is why we decided
to settle,” Lachlan Murdoch said at an investment
conference this month.
The
text also helped lead to the Murdochs’ decision
to abruptly pull Carlson off the air. Their view had
hardened that their top-rated star wasn’t worth
all the downsides he brought with him.
Still
pending is the Smartmatic suit. In April, Fox agreed
to hand over additional internal documents relating
to several executives, including the Murdochs and
Dinh. In a statement reminiscent of Dinh’s early
view of the Dominion case, the network said that Fox
was protected by the First Amendment.
“We
will be ready to defend this case surrounding extremely
newsworthy events when it goes to trial, likely in
2025,” the statement said.
News
Lachlan
Murdoch explains $1.2b settlement, says Fox News won’t
change ‘successful strategy’ - 10th May
2023
Fox
News paid $US787 million ($1.16 billion) to settle
a recent lawsuit on its reporting after the 2020 election
to avoid a divisive trial and lengthy appeals process,
its parent company’s chief executive said.
Lachlan
Murdoch, executive chairman and CEO of Fox Corp.,
also noted that a Delaware judge “severely limited”
Fox’s defences against Dominion Voting Systems,
which said the network defamed it by airing bogus
charges of election fraud that it knew was untrue.
Fox
Corp announced that it had lost $US50 million the
previous three months, which it attributed to the
lawsuit settlement. Murdoch, who answered questions
from financial analysts, was speaking in public for
the first time since the case ended and Fox fired
its most popular anchor, Tucker Carlson. Carlson has
just announced he is launching a new show on Twitter.
Murdoch
said viewers, and investors, should expect no change
in direction from Fox News.
“We
made the business decision to resolve this dispute
and avoid the acrimony of a divisive trial and multi-year
appeal process, a decision clearly in the best interests
of the company and its shareholders,” he said.
Fox
still believes it was properly exercising its First
Amendment rights to report on newsworthy fraud allegations
made by former President Donald Trump, even though
that defence was shot down in a pre-trial court ruling
in the Dominion case, Murdoch said.
That’s
important, since Murdoch said Fox intends to use the
same defence against a similar lawsuit by another
elections technology company, Smartmatic. That case
is not expected to go to trial until at least 2025,
he said.
Despite
being asked directly about Carlson’s exit, Murdoch
didn’t mention the former prime-time host’s
name and referred to his reign obliquely. Fox has
not explained why it cut ties with Carlson.
“There’s
no change in programming strategy at Fox News,”
he said. “It’s obviously a successful strategy.
As always, we are adjusting our programming and our
lineup and that’s what we continue to do.”
Although
hurt by the Carlson exit, Fox News remains the leading
cable news network.
Fox
has lost viewers following Carlson’s firing.
Last week’s substitute host, Lawrence Jones,
reached between 1.28 million and 1.7 million last
week in a time slot where Carlson usually drew around
3 million, the Nielsen company said.
Yet
Fox has gained more than 40 new advertisers in that
hour, the network said, confirming a report in Variety.
Advertisers like Gillette, Scott’s Miracle Gro
and Secret deodorant that had considered Carlson’s
show a toxic environment have signed on.
(AP)
News
Jesse
Armstrong on the roots of Succession: ‘Would
it have landed the same way without the mad bum-rush
of Trump’s presidency?’ - 27th May 2023
It
has been the TV drama of our time – a brutal,
hilarious unpicking of how power works. As the series
comes to an end, its creator looks back at its origin
and the unholy trinity of men who helped inspire Logan
Roy
My
first vivid memory of the project that would develop
into Succession was trying to get out of it. It was
about 2008 and I was on location for the filming of
Peep Show, the UK sitcom my longtime writing partner
Sam Bain and I wrote together. Between that show and
my work on The Thick of It and In the Loop, and a
bunch of other things, I was feeling overcommitted.
That particular day we were pretending a very normal
field in Hertfordshire was a safari park. I sloped
off from set and, hiding from imaginary lions, tried
to elegantly step away from the project.
I
failed. And in the following months as I wrote, slowly,
I became certain the script was a dud. It was stodgy
and odd. The original idea, a faux-documentary laying
out Rupert Murdoch’s business secrets, with them
delivered straight to camera, evolved as I worked
into a sort of TV play, set at the media owner’s
80th birthday party. Channel 4 were supportive, but
it was an odd form, this docudrama/TV-play, and difficult
to make happen. Around 2011, after a read-through
in London where John Hurt played Rupert, the project
essentially died.
My
US agent was the first person I recall suggesting
a totally different approach. A fictional family,
a multi-series US show. For five years or so, I dismissed
the idea, certain that a portrayal of a fictional
family would never have the power of a real one. Four
works changed my mind: HBO’s excellent Robert
Durst documentary, The Jinx; Sumner Redstone’s
grimly business-focused autobiography, A Passion to
Win; James B Stewart’s propulsive DisneyWar;
and Tom Bower’s fascinating Robert Maxwell biography
Maxwell: The Final Verdict. These turned the idea
of doing a media-family drama without a singular real-life
model from a terrible betrayal of reality into a tantalising
chance to harvest all the best stories. Here was an
opportunity to explore all the most fascinating family
dynamics within a propitiously balanced fictional
hybrid media conglomerate. I took a long, deep dive
into rich-family and media-business research.
I
talked about this, as-yet-unwritten, idea in half-ironised
terms as ‘Festen-meets-Dallas’
When
Sam and I decided to bring things to a close on Peep
Show, I flew out to pitch this media show around LA.
I had a clear idea of where I wanted to develop it,
but my agent persuaded me appetites would be whetted
if we had a number of potential homes. So I spent
three days doing a round of pitch meetings where I
talked about this as-yet-unwritten idea in half-ironised
terms as “Festen-meets-Dallas”. No stars,
Dogme 95 camerawork. Scared of driving on the five-lane
highways, I bumped around town in the back of a Honda
Civic while a nice young man from my US agent’s
mailroom ferried me between rooms stocked with identical
tiny bottles of water and executives of vastly varying
degrees of interest.
Eventually,
I got to HBO, the place I most wanted the show to
land, home to The Sopranos and Six Feet Under. I knew
they might be receptive. Frank Rich – once known
as the “Butcher of Broadway” for his theatre
criticism, but now an in-house consigliere –
had championed my work there to the boss, Richard
Plepler, and I’d previously developed a show
with them. So, out the back of a French-style bistro
on a three-cappuccino high, I pitched it to their
head of drama and comedy, Casey Bloys.
Sometimes
a pitch stretches thin and threadbare, the fabric
renting as you go, the other party peeping grimly
through the holes. Other times, the air thickens,
and you can feel the atmosphere in the room turn oxygen-rich
as the enthusiasm you are trying to project transforms
into an enthusiasm you are actually feeling.
By
the time I left LA, HBO had made an offer and Adam
McKay, fresh from The Big Short, had said he would
be interested in directing. I’d written another
Succession forerunner, a script about the US political
strategist Lee Atwater, for Adam and his producing
partner Kevin Messick. It had been one of the few
LA experiences I’d had where the excitement expressed
at the start of the project sustained through the
writing and attempts to get it made.
This
was 2016 and, once back in the UK, I wrote the pilot
through the spring and summer in a one-room flat I
rented on Brixton Hill, south London, walking across
Brockwell Park each morning, listening to podcasts
and reading news about the Brexit referendum. Scotland
had recently voted by a narrow majority to stay inside
the UK and the abiding sense right before the Brexit
vote was, yeah, change looms, it glistens, menacingly,
promisingly, but it doesn’t happen. Not really.
Really, everything stays the same.
But
then it did happen. And across the Atlantic, the Trump
campaign was igniting – even if initially his
candidacy felt like a slightly amusing, slightly too-vivid
flash in the pan. Into early autumn, in fact, all
serious people were still explaining to one another
that Trump couldn’t happen. Although I suppose,
looking back, there was a notable lack of detail in
terms of the mechanism by which he would be stopped.
I
think a lot of the better films and TV shows I’ve
been involved with have at their heart a quite simple
impulse around which the more subtle layers are spun.
In the Loop’s spark was anger at the Iraq war.
Chris Morris’s Four Lions I think was driven
by his gut feeling that something was very wrong with
the way we understood jihadi terrorism in the UK.
Peep Show was about oddball male friendship, perhaps
even “masculinity”.
I
guess the simple things at the heart of Succession
ended up being Brexit and Trump. The way the UK press
had primed the EU debate for decades. The way the
US media’s conservative outriders prepared the
way for Trump, hovered at the brink of support and
then dived in. The British press of Rothermere, Maxwell,
Murdoch and the Barclay brothers, and the US news
environment of Fox and Breitbart.
The
Sun doesn’t run the UK, nor does Fox entirely
set the media agenda in the US, but it was hard not
to feel, at the time the show was coming together,
the particular impact of one man, of one family, on
the lives of so many. Rightwing populism was on the
march across the globe. But in the fine margins of
the Brexit vote and Trump’s eventual electoral
college victory, one couldn’t help but think
about the influence of the years of anti-EU stories
and comment in the UK press, the years of Fox dancing
with its audience, sometimes leading, sometimes following,
as the wine got stronger, the music madder. It was
politically alarming and creatively appealing: to
imagine the mixture of business imperatives and political
instinct that exist within a media operation; to consider
what happens when something as important as the flow
of information in a democracy hits the reductive brutality
of the profit calculation inside such a company. How
those elements might rebound emotionally and psychologically
inside a family as it considered the question of corporate
succession.
For
Logan Roy, Murdoch, Redstone and Maxwell were my holy
trinity of models. But Conrad Black, Brian L Roberts
of Comcast, Robert Mercer of Breitbart, Julian Sinclair
Smith of Sinclair, Tiny Rowland, Rothermere, Beaverbrook
and Hearst all fed in. The three central models were
wildly different, of course: the self-made refugee
Maxwell and the already-rich Murdoch, a scion of Australian
journalistic royalty, both so different from the tough
Boston lawyer Redstone who started with a couple of
his father’s drive-in cinemas.
But
they were connected by a strong interest in a few
things: a refusal to think about mortality (Redstone
and Murdoch both used to make the same joke about
their succession plan: not dying); desire for control;
manic deal-making energy; love of gossip and power-connection;
a certain ruthlessness about hirings and firings.
And most of all, an instinct for forward motion, with
a notable lack of introspection.
Perhaps
the best part of Redstone’s autobiography for
a casual reader is the opening, where he recounts
clinging by one hand to a hotel balcony through a
fire. Despite suffering third-degree burns over half
his body, years of rehabilitation, excruciatingly
painful skin grafts, he says this event, after which
he made all his biggest business plays, had no impact
whatsoever on the trajectory of his life.
Whether
due to all this grist, or the aligning of the political
planets (in)auspiciously, the pilot came unnervingly
easily. Getting names in a script to feel real can
be hard for me – they’re a tell-tale sign
of whether I’m living inside it. Kendall, Shiv,
Roman, Connor. They all felt right straight off the
bat. Their inspirations, I suppose, were the children
of these magnates: three of the Maxwell kids, the
ones closest to the business (the boys, Ian and Kevin)
and to their father (Ghislaine). Brent and Shari Redstone,
with whom Sumner played a tough and complicated game
of bait-and-switch over CBS-Paramount succession.
And the Murdoch children, Prudence, Lachlan, James,
Elisabeth, Chloe and Grace.
But
getting those names for the Roy children made them
feel like their own individuals to me. It allowed
me to pour in just what I wanted from the real world,
fill each with all the faults they might have inherited,
while giving me room to add some extra, just for them.
Greg
and Tom came fast, too. Tom from two roots. One was
thinking about the sort of lunks I’ve occasionally
seen powerful women choose as partners. Plausible,
manly men with big watches and a soothing affable
manner. That mixed with the deadly courtier, a more
18th-century figure, minutely attuned to shifts in
power and influence, an invisible deadly gas that
occurs in certain confined places and rises to kill
anyone unwise enough not to take precautions. A hanger-on
sustained by some Fitzgeraldian illusions about the
world, a sense that perhaps the rich really are different
from us and a romantic ambition to make it in New
York City.
Greg,
I guess, was a distant relative of the sort of political
adviser I had myself briefly been. Gormless, clueless,
out of place and gauche. But not without an eye for
a deal. And, I hope, a little more wheedling and insinuating
than I ever was.
The
scenes flowed. I put all research aside and followed
my nose and wrote pretty much exactly what I wanted
The
charge between these two semi-outsiders struck me
from the start as toxic and comic. Tom, the interloper,
is like an organism that has found a precarious but
rewarding perch above some deep oceanic vent and adapted
itself to conditions perfectly. He is not pleased
at all to see a similar creature scuttling along hoping
to share the same cramped evolutionary niche. That
first half-bullying, half-provocative exchange they
share in the outfield at a softball game in the pilot
landed them right in the middle of a stew they’ve
been cooking in ever since.
The
scenes flowed. I had eaten a very large amount of
research, but once I was writing I put it all aside
and followed my nose and wrote pretty much exactly
what I wanted. It felt funny but odd and broken-ended,
fragmentary, abrupt, oblique and slightly brutal.
When I emailed it off, I had the familiar feeling
that Adam, Frank and HBO might email back to say not
only was it not good, it wasn’t even actually,
technically, a script. But their response was frighteningly
positive. Almost as though the script was finished,
after what was, I thought, a quick first draft. I
think every other episode of Succession has gone to
at least 30 drafts – usually 50. The pilot barely
hit 15.
We
had our read-through in New York on US election day
2016. Before we started, I made the sort of joke lots
of people made that day, assuming the polls were right
and Hillary Clinton was going to squeeze it. That
night we gathered in Adam McKay’s apartment to
watch the results roll in. Much later, I walked a
long walk back from Soho to where I was staying near
the United Nations looking at the electoral college
numbers projected on to the Empire State Building.
We
started filming the next day.
I
still wonder whether Succession would have landed
in the same way without the mad bum-rush of news and
sensation Trump’s chaotic presidency provided.
Trump wasn’t the firebombing of German civilians,
and nor is Succession Slaughterhouse-Five, but I do
sometimes think about Vonnegut saying no one in the
world profited from the firebombing of Dresden, except
himself.
This
is an edited extract from Succession: The Complete
Scripts – Seasons One, Two and Three (Faber &
Faber), out now at £20 each. To support the
Guardian and Observer, order your copies for £17.60
each from guardianbookshop.com.
The
final episode of Succession airs in the UK on Sky
Atlantic/Now on Monday. Jesse Armstrong donated the
fee for this article to the Writers Guild of America
strike assistance fund.
News
LIV
Golf announces new pay-per-view option - 26th May
2023
"The
hope for LIV is to grow off the success first seen
on YouTube in 2022, where the league attracted tournament
audiences of several hundred-thousand views in the
U.S. and abroad."
Going
forward, LIV Golf Series events will be available
via a pay-per-view option on YouTube.
The
new deal was detailed by James Colgan of Golf.com.
“Less
than six months after signing a media rights agreement
with the CW, LIV announced Friday that it has created
a new, pay-per-view broadcast option to run on YouTube,”
Colgan reported. “The PPV broadcast will cost
$3 per tournament day, LIV said in a release announcing
the decision, and will run in addition to the league’s
agreement with the CW.”
Colgan
also detailed that “A LIV source indicated that
the CW is aware of the decision to introduce a pay-per-view
model, and that the decision does not violate any
of the league’s preexisting broadcast agreements.”
“The
hope for LIV is to grow off the success first seen
on YouTube in 2022, where the league attracted tournament
audiences of several hundred-thousand views in the
U.S. and abroad. The league already has its own direct-to-consumer
subscription platform, LIV Golf Plus, which the PPV
channel will run counter to. LIV broadcasts will continue
to be streamed for free on the CW app.”
This
announcement comes less than two weeks after a rather
embarrassing moment for the tour. One week before
LIV’s Brooks Koepka triumphed at the PGA Championship,
the Saudi-backed golf series was in Tulsa.
On
one hand, it was a perfect showcase event for LIV.
Two of its most high-profile players, Dustin Johnson
and Cam Smith, went to a three-way playoff (along
with Branden Grace). But most of the people watching
did not get to see Johnson’s eventual triumph.
The
CW, the league’s primary broadcast partner, went
away from coverage in the vast majority of its markets,
showing “regularly scheduled programming.”
Jim Nantz was quick to make a joke at LIV’s expense
on the matter at the PGA Championship. The CW also
announced a change, saying that all events will be
shown to their conclusions going forward.
[Golf.com]
News
WWE
Night Of Champions Reportedly Earned Highest Viewership
Of Any Saudi Arabia Show - 31st May 2023
According
to a report from Fightful Select, Saturday's Night
of Champions PLE scored WWE the highest viewership
out of any of the company's Saudi Arabia events since
the partnership between the two began in 2013. The
report states that Night of Champions brought in an
18% increase in viewership compared to last year's
Crown Jewel event, and the company is reportedly quite
happy with its holiday weekend results.
Night
of Champions was headlined by Kevin Owens and Sami
Zayn successfully defending the Undisputed WWE Tag
Team Championship against Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa
of The Bloodline, with a major angle taking place
on the show that saw The Usos turn on Reigns after
more than a year of build-up and tension.This marks
the second time a tag team match has served as the
main event of a major WWE show in recent months. Additional
matches on the show included Seth Rollins vs. AJ Styles
to decide the first WWE World Heavyweight Champion,
a singles match between Becky Lynch and Trish Stratus,
and a Backlash rematch pitting Brock Lesnar against
Cody Rhodes, among others.
To
date, WWE has held nine PPVs and PLEs in Saudi Arabia,
along with three house shows. Back in 2019, WWE announced
that they had "expanded their partnership"
with Saudi Arabia, and that they would be hosting
two major events per year in the Middle Eastern nation
through at least 2027. Though it hasn't been announced
yet, WWE will likely return to Saudi Arabia for another
Crown Jewel event later this year.
News
Pat
McAfee Comments On Empty Seats At AEW Double Or Nothing
- 31st May 2023
All
Elite Wrestling's Double or Nothing pay-per-view took
place this past weekend at the T-Mobile Arena in Las
Vegas, Nevada. During the event, Wrestlenomics' Brandon
Thurston tweeted images of empty seats inside the
venue. Wrestling Observer's Bryan Alvarez also posted
a photo from his ringside position, which showed many
unoccupied places behind Orange Cassidy after he retained
the AEW International Championship in a Blackjack
Battle Royal. Former "WWE SmackDown" commentator
Pat McAfee has weighed in with his thoughts.
"Anytime
you get a shot away from hard cam, you know what I
mean, you can really see a lot of things," McAfee
said on "The Pat McAfee Show." "AEW
found out this weekend or whatever at one of their
events, it's like three quarters of an arena completely
empty. They don't want that photo out anywhere."
Ahead
of the pay-per-view going live on Sunday night, WrestleTix
revealed 10,229 tickets had been distributed for an
11,641 setup inside the T-Mobile Arena, leaving 1,412
tickets available. An Anarchy in the Arena match headlined
the show, with Blackpool Combat Club's Bryan Danielson,
Jon Moxley, reigning ROH World Champion Claudio Castagnoli,
and Wheeler Yuta picking up the win in that bout against
The Elite's Kenny Omega, Matt Jackson, Nick Jackson,
and "Hangman" Adam Page.
AEW's
next major standalone show, All In, which will take
place on August 27 at Wembley Stadium in London, England,
has currently sold over 65,000 tickets and has a gate
of over $8 million. No matches have been announced
for AEW's first event across the pond as of this writing.
Ticket sales for All In have slowed following an initial
surge.
News
WWE-UFC
merged company to be called ‘TKO Group Holdings’
- 16th May 2023
A
name has emerged for the group.
Coming
out of WrestleMania, it was announced by Endeavor
that an agreement had been reached with WWE and the
company would be merging with UFC to form a new sports
and entertainment company.
The
deal has not been formally finalized but a name for
the merged group has been revealed. CNBC’s Alex
Sherman and Mike Calia published a story and an Endeavor
spokesperson confirmed to the outlet that the new
group is going to be called ‘TKO Group Holdings’.
It
will trade under the New York Stock Exchange as ‘TKO’.
The
merger between WWE and UFC is being valued at $20
billion. Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel will be the CEO
of TKO Group and Vince McMahon is going to serve as
Executive Chairman.
News
Nick
Khan Says WWE In Talks With International Cities For
2024 PLEs
It
sounds as though WWE will continue expanding its PLEs
into international markets next year. Speaking at
the JP Morgan Global Technology, Media & Communications
Conference, WWE CEO Nick Khan stated that the company
was discussing the potential for additional overseas
shows in 2024.
"We're
in conversations now with a lot of international cities
about doing 2024 shows there," Khan said. "Also,
part of the intent is to match those up with our media
rights, even if they're not up to over-deliver for
incumbent partners who can then invite their partners
in the international city to the event, and host them.
It's good for our overall business." Khan's comments
came as part of a conversation about countries offering
subsidies to WWE for bringing shows there, as the
company brings a great deal of revenue to the city
for major events. Khan cited recent events in Puerto
Rico as well as the Dallas, Texas area as examples.
Previous
rumors pointed toward Australia as a potential location
for a future international WWE PLE. However, it's
unknown if negotiations with the country have progressed
in the months since.
WWE
has steadily ramped up its major international shows
over the last five years, with the company holding
several yearly events in Saudi Arabia, as well as
last year's Clash at the Castle and the upcoming Money
in the Bank both being held in the United Kingdom.
It seems fans around the world should stay on the
lookout for upcoming announcements regarding WWE's
international schedule in 2024.
News
“We
Let People Go”: Months After $21.4 Billion UFC-WWE
Deal, Endeavor CEO Recalls “Horrible” Time
for Organization - 2nd June 2023
The
year 2020 brought unprecedented challenges for individuals
and organizations alike, and the UFC was no exception.
The promotional frontman Dana White has reflected
on those uncertain times and shared the struggles
the organization faced in keeping things going. Despite
the pandemic, White was determined to keep the show
running and provide entertainment for fight fans worldwide.
While the rest of the world was shut down, the UFC
managed to organize consistent events, albeit on a
smaller scale. However, this arduous journey was not
without its fair share of hardships.
Ari
Emanuel, the CEO of Endeavor, the parent company of
the UFC and William Morris Endeavor talent agency,
revealed the significant challenges they encountered
during the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though Endeavor
recently secured a massive $21.4 billion deal to acquire
the WWE, during the COVID-19 days, the company found
itself at rock bottom struggling to stay afloat.
When
Covid-19 posed a threat to the UFC
In
an interview on the “Freakonomics Radio”
podcast, Emanuel shared how the pandemic affected
the company financially. During the interview, podcast
host Stephen Dubner asked Emanuel, “Did you think
COVID might kill Endeavor?”. Reflecting on this,
the 62-year-old CEO replied, “It was bad,”
He continued, “I’d never had to fire that
many people.”
Emanuel
mentioned that the continuation of UFC fights during
the pandemic played a crucial role in saving the company,
accounting for approximately 70% of their revenue
that year. Further talking about the struggles to
keep the organization alive during the pandemic, the
Endeavor CEO stated, “We had our ESPN deal. We
then started making deals for writers. So we stored
all the cash. We didn’t let anything out. We
let people go, which was horrible, or furloughed them.”
Through
the storm, Endeavor’s leadership team, led by
Emanuel, proved to be the lighthouse that guided them
to safer shores. The UFC’s resilience and the
implementation of innovative strategies, such as the
‘Fight Island’ events, not only salvaged
the company but also became a beacon of hope for other
professional sports leagues.
News
“Very,
Very Easy for Jon Jones”: Ex-UFC Star Ruthlessly
Shuts Down Tyson Fury Days After Boxer’s Callout
of UFC Champ in Ugly Public Feud - 1st June 2023
The
claim made by Joe Rogan that Tyson Fury would stand
no chance against Jon Jones has sparked an intense
and never-ending debate. Recently, another prominent
figure from the UFC, the world of mixed martial arts,
has jumped into this heated discussion. However, ‘The
Gypsy King’ himself strongly opposed the take
of the UFC commentator and didn’t hold back in
expressing his views. In fact, he went as far as bashing
Rogan and proudly proclaimed himself to be ‘the
baddest man on the planet’.
As
the back and forth continued between Fury and Rogan,
UFC president Dana White has stepped in, proposing
a potential fight between Fury and Jones. However,
the WBC heavyweight champion firmly refused to step
into the octagon, dismissing the idea altogether.
This decision faced an immediate backlash from fans
who had eagerly anticipated the materialization of
this debate inside the fighting arena.
Despite
the disappointment felt by fans, it becomes evident
that the 34-year-old boxer has no intention of venturing
into the octagon. On the contrary, a former UFC welterweight
challenger believes that Fury would fare well in the
realm of mixed martial arts. However, he warns that
there may be unforeseen challenges along the way.
Tyson
Fury will have a Jon Jones threat in MMA
During
a recent interview, the former UFC fighter Dan Hardy
shared his reflections on the latest happenings in
the combat sports world, ranging from boxing to MMA.
However, it was the Tyson Fury-Jon Jones debate that
took center stage.
The
41-year-old Hardy began by heaping praise on ‘The
Gypsy King’ for his potential in MMA, stating,
“Tyson Fury doesn’t come from a boxing background.
He comes from a fighting man background. Tyson Fury
sees himself as a fighter first that boxes, and I
think he looks at mixed martial arts and sees lots
of ways he can capitalize on the changing of the rules.”
Continuing
his analysis, Hardy mentioned Fury’s collaboration
with Tom Aspinall and how he has showcased proficient
elbows and knees in the videos shared with him. ‘The
Outlaw’ confidently stated, “I feel like
Tyson Fury would be really good if he crossed over
to mixed martial arts. Of course, there’d be
a lot for him to learn. The main issue would be, he’d
be very, very easy for Jon Jones to take down. And
I think that’s something that Tyson has not experienced
and has not and has not really quite comprehended.”
Meanwhile,
Jon Jones recently made a strong statement in his
heavyweight debut, securing a first-round victory
against Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 after returning from
a three-year-long hiatus.
This
certainly explains Dan Hardy’s warning to Tyson
Fury. How do you think ‘The Gypsy King’
would fare in MMA?
News
Dwayne
Johnson to Return as Luke Hobbs in New ‘Fast
and Furious’ Standalone Film - 7th June 2023
Dwayne
Johnson is returning to the “Fast and Furious”
universe with a new standalone film, reprising his
franchise role as Luke Hobbs.
Universal
Pictures announced the project on Thursday. Longtime
“Fast and Furious” collaborator Chris Morgan
wrote the untitled film’s script. Plot details
were not available, though individuals familiar with
the deal said the new movie will bridge between the
events of the just-released “Fast X” and
the upcoming “Fast X: Part II,” which is
expected in 2025. Johnson just appeared as Hobbs,
a diplomatic security service agent, in a credits
scene for “Fast X.”
Johnson
will produce the film with Dany Garcia and Hiram Garcia
for their Seven Bucks Productions, along with Vin
Diesel and Samantha Vincent via their One Race Films.
Additional producers include Chris Morgan for his
Chris Morgan Productions, Jeff Kirschenbaum for Roth/Kirschenbaum
Films and Neal Moritz for Original Film.
Screenwriter
Morgan wrote and produced “Fast and Furious Presents:
Hobbs & Shaw” and “The Fate of the Furious.”
He’s also scripted and executive produced the
fifth, sixth and seventh entries in the franchise.
Directed by Louis Leterrier, “Fast X” opened
at No. 1 around the world in May with $320 million
and became the second-biggest global opening of 2023.
Johnson
announced Hobbs’ return with a video posted to
social media with the caption: “Your reactions
around the world to Hobbs’ return in ‘Fast
X’ have blown us away. The next ‘Fast &
Furious’ film you’ll see the legendary lawman
in will be the Hobbs movie that will serve as a fresh,
new chapter & set up for ‘Fast X: Part II.'”
“Last
summer Vin Diesel and I put all the past behind us,”
Johnson added. “We’ll lead with brotherhood
and resolve – and always take care of the franchise,
characters & fans that we love. I’ve built
my career on an ‘audience first’ mentality
and that will always serve as my north star.”
Johnson
is repped by WME, lawyers Gang, Tyre, Ramer, Brown
& Passman, Inc. and The Lede Company.
Seven
Bucks has co-produced films like Disney’s “Jungle
Cruise” and the DC Studios entires “Black
Adam” and “DC League of Super-Pets.”
Original series include NBC’s “Young Rock”
and “The Titan Games.” Johnson will next
produce and star in “Red One” at Amazon
Studios and Disney’s live-action “Moana.”
News
13
States Comment On Possibility Of Allowing Gambling
On WWE Matches
In
March 2023, CNBC reported that WWE was working toward
legalizing gambling on wrestling matches, enlisting
the services of accounting firm Ernst & Young,
with Michigan, Colorado, and Indiana mentioned as
the initial targets. As of now, betting on WWE matches
is only available at offshore sportsbooks like BetOnline.ag,
based out of Antigua, and Bovada, based out of Latvia.
Betting on matches in America would open up new streams
of revenue for WWE and add some mainstream legitimacy
to the sports entertainment powerhouse.
Since
that report broke, however, it's been nothing bad
news for WWE in the gambling department. Dave Meltzer
has reported that WWE's efforts aren't going well
— Colorado denied talking to WWE and said that
"By statute, wagers on events with fixed or predicted
outcomes ... are strictly prohibited in Colorado."
Indiana told Casino.org that it had "no interest
in approving wagering on scripted events," and
Michigan also denied any recent talks with WWE, while
New Hampshire Lottery Commission executive director
Charlie McIntyre deemed it "very unlikely"
betting on WWE gets approved in New Hampshire.
In
light of this, Wrestling Inc. reached out to multiple
states about the possibility of legalized betting
on WWE matches. Each gambling commission was asked
1) how likely WWE would be to succeed if they pitched
gambling on matches to them, and 2) if there were
any regulations, laws, or statutes that barred betting
on something with predetermined outcomes. 13 states
-– Arizona, Connecticut, Iowa, Maine, Maryland,
Massachusetts, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio,
Oregon, South Dakota, and Washington -– responded.
While their responses varied slightly, overall, they
paint a picture of increasingly fewer opportunities,
and increasingly more obstacles, for legal gambling
on WWE matches to get approved.
At
least three states say they wouldn't allow gambling
on WWE as a matter of policy, even if there are no
explicit laws against it.
Kerry
Hemphill, Manager of Sports Betting Product at the
Oregon Lottery, made it clear that gambling on WWE
wouldn't be allowed as a matter of policy in the Beaver
State: "Although there is no law or statute that
forbids it, Oregon Lottery sports betting policy is
to not accept wagers on scripted events with predicted
outcomes."
Seth
Elkin, Assistant Director of Communications for Public
Affairs for Maryland Lottery and Gaming, also told
us his state had made a determination on the matter.
"Maryland's sports wagering law and regulations
prohibit forms of wagering that are contrary to public
policy or unfair to bettors," he said. "We've
determined that it is unfair to bettors, and therefore
not in the public's interest, to accept wagers on
sports entertainment events that have predetermined
outcomes, like professional wrestling."
Meanwhile,
a representative from the South Dakota Department
of Revenue simply said, "WWE wrestling matches
would not be eligible for sports wagering in South
Dakota."
Iowa
and Ohio say no to betting on predetermined events
Two
more states said that predetermined events weren't
permitted, but made a point to highlight policy and
procedure. Brian J. Ohorilko, Administrator of the
Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission, also shot down
gambling on wrestling for the time being.
"Predetermined
events are not permitted in the State of Iowa,"
he told Wrestling Inc. "Iowa law defines and
permits professional sporting events and sports-related
events; however, fixed or predetermined outcomes are
not explicitly permitted. As such, and for other integrity
concerns, the commission has not permitted predetermined
events in any of the approved wagering markets."
Ohorilko
also brought up the process that would be required
for any kind of legalization: "From a practical
standpoint, any request would need to come with a
legal opinion as to how this would be permitted under
Iowa law," he said. "It would need to go
through legal review with consultation from the AG
office. If legal review passes, the commission would
still need to review policy and integrity concerns
with respect to the activity having predetermined
outcomes. Approval would be needed before this type
of wagering activity could take place."
Ohio
tells a similar story. Jessica Franks, Director of
Communications for the Ohio Casino Control Commission,
pointed us towards Rule 3775-11-01 of the Ohio Administrative
Code — the process for adding to Ohio's catalog
of wagers and events. She said the Commission's review
of such requests includes, but is not limited to,
the following criteria:
The
quality of the governing body's documented integrity
program.
The
general availability of information related to the
governing body.
The
professional or skill level status of athletes.
The
history of integrity related to events sanctioned
by the governing body.
This
already puts the WWE in shaky territory, but it's
seemingly locked out for good with the following consideration:
"Please note that the Commission will not approve
requests for wagers/events involving 'Events which
are pre-recorded or in which the outcome has been
otherwise previously determined.'"
Arizona
and Connecticut have laws against betting on fixed
outcomes
At
least two states have laws in place that would ban
gambling on WWE matches.
Max
Hartgraves, Public Information Officer at the Arizona
Department of Gaming, provided a straightforward statement:
"Arizona statute prohibits gambling on fixed
events."
Meanwhile,
when asked how likely WWE would be to garner approval
for gambling on matches, Kaitlyn Krasselt, Communications
Director at Connecticut Department of Consumer Protections,
said "I cannot speculate on that." That
said, she did inform Wrestling Inc. about state regulations
on gambling: "Connecticut law only allows wagering
on sporting or athletic events. WWE is sports entertainment.
The 'matches' are predetermined by the company and
are scripted. There is no regulation body for professional
wrestling, and WWE is one of several companies that
offers this type of entertainment. With a predetermined
outcome, this would not be considered a sport. It
is considered entertainment. Wagering on the Oscars,
for example, is also not permitted in Connecticut."
That
last part is significant, since CNBC's report mentioned
that WWE executives were using Oscar betting as an
example for regulators.
Maine
and Montana agree with most of their colleagues
Two
states specifically cited the statements from Colorado,
Indiana, Michigan, and New Hampshire in their responses.
After hearing that four other states had expressed
skepticism over betting on WWE, Maine Gambling Control
Unit Executive Director Milton Champion said, "On
the surface, without looking into the matter, I would
concur with my colleagues. Operators will submit with
their application events that they want to take wagers
on, and I shall approve them."
Daniel
Iverson, Content Manager for the Montana Lottery,
said something similar. "Montana does not intend
to add WWE markets, for the same reasons our counterparts
cited," he advised, before directing any questions
on state law to the Montana Department of Justice
Gambling Control Division.
New
Jersey and Massachusetts punted, for now
Two
states we contacted declined to comment on the matter,
not wanting to address issues that haven't come before
them yet. Thomas Mills, Communications Division Chief
of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, said, "I
appreciate your question, but am unable to speculate
on a hypothetical action the Commission may or may
not take."
Dan
Prochilo, Public Information Officer at the New Jersey
Attorney General's Office, responded that "The
Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) cannot comment
on any hypothetical discussion with an operator or
league about future sports betting opportunities."
He added that "In New Jersey, an entity seeking
permission for a contest to be authorized for wagering
on a sports event is required to submit its proposal
to DGE for evaluation and approval pursuant to state
law and regulations."
Prochilo
also provided the state's legal definition of a "sports
event" for the purposes of gambling. Notably,
it includes the phrase "A 'sports event' shall
include any live competition or talent contest, including
awards competitions[.]"
New
Jersey and Massachusetts are two of the only states
that allow betting on the Oscars, with New Jersey
okaying it in 2019 (the first state to do so) and
Massachusetts greenlighting it in 2023. It's unknown
if WWE will approach either state or how each state
would respond, but at bare minimum, WWE's argument
to treat wrestling like the Oscars for betting purposes
might carry some weight.
Washington
and New Mexico illustrate the challenges of Tribal
gaming
Washington
is unique among the states who responded to us, in
that sports wagering is only available on Tribal lands
yet still regulated by the state. Sports wagering
was legalized, subject to terms of Tribal/State Compacts,
on Tribal lands in 2020. All wagering, even online
betting, must take place on Tribal lands, and each
casino decides bets within certain limitations. The
Angel of the Winds Casino and Resort and the ilani
Casino Resort, for example, don't 100% overlap on
sports offered for betting.
But
WWE, or any wrestling, won't be joining those offering
under current rules and regulations. Dan Wegenast,
Agent In Charge for the Tribal Gaming Unit of the
Washington State Gambling Commission, pointed Wrestling
Inc. towards the Tribal/State Compacts for sports
wagering. He also stated that "Washington State
law and the Tribal/State Compacts for sports wagering
... prohibit wagers on events with known outcomes."
To
further illustrate the complications of garnering
approval for gaming on Tribal lands, a representative
from the New Mexican Gaming Control Board told Wrestling
Inc. that sports betting is illegal in their state,
but legal with some Tribes. That said, New Mexico
does not regulate Tribal gaming, meaning that approval
would likely have to be worked out with each Tribe
individually.
There
are other obstacles, too
It's
worth noting that gambling laws are constantly changing.
Many states without gambling –- such as North
Carolina -– have spent years hammering out legislation
that would approve gambling off Tribal lands. Additionally,
for states with legalized gambling, internal policies
are not inherently laws, and can be subject to change
under the right circumstances.
That
said, even if WWE manages to get gambling on matches
approved anywhere, that's only one part of the battle:
They still need casinos and/or sportsbooks to be willing
to accept wagers at all, and there's resistance in
this field, as well, as demonstrated in subsequent
coverage from CNBC. FanDuel deems it unlikely that
they'd ever accept bets on WWE, noting that the Academy
Awards –- which held once per year -– are
vastly different than dealing with WWE's weekly programming.
Additionally, when BetCEO Adam Greenblatt was asked
if he had any interesting in accepting bets on WWE,
he responded "NFW."
Between
the overwhelming majority opinions of the 13 states
who responded to Wrestling Inc., the states that have
already responded, and the reluctance of sportsbooks
to include anything that looks less than credible,
WWE faces an increasingly uphill battle if they want
to make betting on wrestling matches legal anywhere
in the United States.
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The
Twilight Zone wins Media Man 'Streaming Series Of
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Wrestling:
Jeff Jarrett Signs With All Elite Wrestling
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Australian
Media Wars: Warburton Most Wanted, by Greg Tingle - 8th April 2011 G'day
media watchers, news media movers n shakers, punters, sports nuts, legal eagles,
one and all. Today we probe the fun and games relating to James Warburton's early
departure from Channel Seven, with the intention of starting at Network Ten, which
has seen JW a regular in Australian court and talk of the Australian media landscape.
Media Man with the Warburton media war special... AFL
Rights Raised Via Warburton Stoush; Day 2 In Court Update... Channel
Seven's commercial director advised the process for awarding the Australian Football
League's next sports broadcasting contract still had some way to run, the NSW
Supreme Court heard on day 2 of the court hearing. Bruce McWilliam was giving
evidence during the second day of Channel Seven's legal bid to postpone its former
chief sales and digital officer James Warburton starting his new job as chief
executive of Channel Ten. The current AFL broadcast deal, involving Seven, Ten
and pay television operator, Foxtel, is in its final year. The AFL is understood
to be seeking $1 billion in rights fees for the next 5-year deal. Quizzed by the
super legal eagle - barrister for Warburton, John West, QC, whether the result
of negotiations between the AFL and broadcasters would be known very soon, McWilliam
said, "There's no end in sight in the current process in my mind." McWilliam
then went on to say initial expectations were that the negotiations would be concluded
at about the time of last year's AFL grand final but these kept being delayed.
Channel's Seven and Ten made a preliminary presentation to the AFL recently, McWilliam
told the court. He also said additional meetings would likely take place. "It
just depends what the AFL requires and how they wish to conduct the process,"
McWilliam said. Ten announced Warburton's appointment as chief executive on March
2, with a commencement date of July 14 this year. Channel Seven states that conditions
in Warburton's employment contract and participation in a management equity plan,
dictate that Warburton has to wait until October 2012 before commencing work with
any other media firm. That's quite a wait. Warburton's legal team says it believes
the proposed transaction that will have Seven's media assets transferred to West
Australian Newspapers Holdings, via a series of complex transactions, will cause
the management equity plan to cease to exist. With that would disappear some of
the restraints included in the plan on Warburton working for another media company.
McWilliam said the proposed deal, due to be voted on by WAN shareholders later
this month, would not dissolve the management equity plan. "'The scheme most
definitely continues," McWilliam said. The case continues. Media
Contacts Printed Off By Warburton's Computer Prior To Resignation; Day 3 In Court... Confidential
contact details of clients, agencies and Seven Network staff were printed from
James Warburton’s computer the day before he resigned from the company it
has been alleged in court. On the third day of the trial brought by Seven, the
NSW Supreme court also heard that Warburton’s knowledge of tech Channel Seven
had acquired that allows products to be superimposed into programs had the potential
to harm the business. Seven is attempting to hold back Warburton from switching
to Ten to become its chief executive until October next year, claiming he is in
breach of a management equity plan. Warburton wants to start at Ten in July this
year. Referring to a document of good old fashioned Microsoft Outlook contacts,
the network director of sales at Seven and Warburton’s former deputy, stated
in an affidavit: "I note from the information at the bottom of the document
that it appears to have been printed by Mr Warburton’s executive assistant…
at 8.39am on 1 March 2011, being the day before Mr Warburton resigned from SMG.
The contacts list includes the telephone and email contact details of numerous
SMG employees and a number of SMG clients and agencies." Under a heading
in his affidavit called "Virtual advertising", Burnette told how in
December last year Channel Seven inked a deal with a company that provides technology
which enables products to be superimposed into a program during the post production-phase.
He said Warburton’s inside knowledge of a potential revenue stream it could
deliver to Seven was information a competitor would value highly. Burnette also
recounted a chat he had with Warburton in December last year after Seven’s
direct group sales manager, David Bellamy, announced he was resigning to move
to Ten. Burnette claims Warburton said: "OK. He needs to be put on gardening
leave immediately and keep him from starting for the three months or whatever
the maximum is." The hearing continues. Warburton
Advised Leave Channel Seven Immediately Sir... Commercial
director of Channel Seven, Bruce McWilliam, said it would have been "very
impolite" for him to have told a departing executive, James Warburton, that
he wouldn't be able to take up Ten's offer as chief executive for a year because
of anti-competition rules within a management equity participation scheme. McWilliam
advised he had requested HR staff to check the restraint period, and had been
aware that a press release from Channel Ten stated Warburton would start with
the network as chief executive in July. McWilliam said Warburton told him that
Seven's chief executive, David Leckie, wanted him out of the building immediately.
"I … wouldn't always take what is said at face value," McWilliam
told the restraint of competition case brought by Seven against Warburton. He
believed it was "harsh to someone who had been with the company so long".
In an affidavit put forward in the court, McWilliam advised Leckie had told him
he didn't want Warburton "mixing with staff and being around whatever deals
are done, it is untenable". McWilliam said: "But you didn't imply he
was terminated did you?", to which Leckie responded, "Of course not.
I am not stupid. I said to him, "You have to go on gardening leave, or whatever
it is called." The court was advised that while Warburton had run the numbers
for Channel Seven's passing interest in MasterChef, and was the sole Seven executive
who advised against broadcasting Wimbledon as it was a "dying tradition",
Warburton could not retain so much confidential information in his head that would
justify Seven restraining him from working in the television industry until October
2012. Warburton's barrister, John West, QC, rejected Seven's contention of Warburton's
"total mastery". In one cheeky interlude with McWilliam, West said:
"You really can't help yourself, you keep on over-egging the custard",
to which McWilliam responded: "He doesn't just forward emails. If the information
in the email was incorrect he would have gone back to them and corrected it …"
The hearing before Justice Michael Pembroke continues. Warburton
Didn't Steal Media Documents; Day 4 (18th Apri 2011)... SMG
(Seven Media Group) has withdrawn on claims that ex executive James Warburton
stole confidential information upon his sudden departure from the firm. Warburton
walked on Seven in March to join competitor Ten Network as chief executive officer,
a move that pissed off Seven. Warburton was to have commenced with Ten in July,
but Seven has taken legal action in the NSW Supreme Court in a bid to delay him
starting until October 2012. Seven contends provisions in his employment contract
and participation in a management equity plan at Seven constrain him from working
at another media firm. Seven had also argued in court that Warburton had snatched
confidential information when he left the group, including strategy reports as
well as ratings and revenue data. In the NSW Supreme Court yesterday, Tony Meagher,
SC, representing Seven told the court that this claim has now been retracted.
"There is no longer a threat he will use the confidential information,"
Meagher told the court, according to news reports. The case continues today, with
Seven Media boss executive David Leckie to take the stand after the media group's
HR. Australian media has been talking about the case under watercoolers and in
coffee shops since it commenced, and the legal eagles are understood to be making
a financial killing, as is often the case on high level legal media battles. WAR...BURTON
- sure sounds like he's ready for another round on Aussie media wars. James Packer
might like to see him take on Ten's gaming arm (or whatever the secret project
might be). Bang! *The
writer owns shares in Network Ten News Australia
Day Special, by Greg Tingle - 26th January 2011 G'day
and Happy Australia Day everyone. Ok, we know some of you punters, journos, high
rollers - casino whales, entertainment news junkies, politicians, insiders, outsiders
and legal eagles are from across the globe are not Australia, nor have ever been
down under, but you get the idea. Did you know that some indigenous Australia's
call Australia Day 'Invasion Day'! That's because most history books show that
Captain James Cook and his crew invaded Australia on this day in 1988. They are
known by a new names including the First Fleet, while some aborigines will always
think of them and murderous mongrels, who stole their land and pride. It's easy
for many of us to get the point of the blackfellas (affectionate). Media
Man and Gambling911
with a bush tucker bag full of Australian gambling, casino, poker, media and sports
news. Fair winds... Queensland
Banana Bender State: Pub Pokies And Online Pokies Becoming More Popular?... One
armed bandits are maintaining their popularity in 'The Sunshine State'. It's understand
that punters might have only a 1 in a million chance of winning really big, lotto
- millionaire style, but they just keep coming back for more. Yep, throw another
dime in the pokie baby. Queenslanders "invested" close to $2 billion
last year as the punters passion for the slots maintained its fever pace. The
total pokies expenditure of $1.81 billion was slightly down on the previous year,
it was the third year consecutively the number exceeded $1.8 billion. We're also
learned that the 2008 figure of $1.83 billion was an all-time record. Now, this
is important - those numbers Do Not take into account the rabid take up and roll
our of online poker or sports betting. You know, betting over the global medium
- the internet. Overall, Queenslanders spent $7 million less on pokies than last
year and $28 million less than in 2008, but it still works out at in excess of
$150 million every month down the slots August was the year's biggest month for
slot gamblers, who put close to $170 million in the throats of the one armed bandits.
August was also the biggest month for gamblers in 2008, with more than $173 million
lost. Pokies remain by far the most popular games for punters in Australia, bringing
in most of the estimated $17 billion spent on all forms of gambling down under
each year. Some insiders think that the reduction in official spending was more
a sign of the increased popularity of internet and sports-based gambling. Concentrating
on pokie figures, it appears Queenslanders gambled more at the height of the global
financial crisis two years ago than they did throughout 2010. Tassie
'Devil' Gambling Tycoon Devilish Quotes... David
Walsh from Tasmania was such a big hit with the readership we thought we would
dig up a few more of the red hot 'The Devil's' quotes, that are too good not to
share. First a refresher...Art and gambling do mix, at least that's the experience
of Brits Damian Aspinall, Phil 'Tuffers' Tufnell, Australian artist Gina Sinozich,
Media Man (bodypaint and burlesque "fetish")
and Tasmanian gambling whale - tycoon, David 'Wicked' (satire) Walsh. You will
pick up on Dave's affectionate nickname by us later. We like you David, ok mate.
Tasmania's most famous or infamous gambling figure, millionaire, David Walsh yesterday
gave us a peak into his art exhibit...the biggest (and weirdest) private art gallery
in Tasmania, if not the Asia Pacific. The $110 million Museum of Old and New Art
is nestled on the banks of Hobart's Derwent River. Quotes
By The Tasmanian Devil!... "FUCK
the art, let's rock'n'roll." "I
think formal curation is a form of mental masturbation." "I'm
not really that interested in a bunch of big names. Most of the works are by people
most people haven't heard of and still won't have heard of because there's no
wall labels." "I
don't want to lose control (or) something that ends up looking like a pale version
of the National Gallery of Victoria". "Subversive
adult Disneyland". "Please
see reception if you are planning a pool party or a ritualistic orgy." "It's
the opportunity to mess with your head. I like the idea of people having a couple
of beers and looking at the art, having a couple more and changing their mind." "Just
a privileged guy with a megaphone" "It’s
like a rich man’s soap box. I’m standing on my soapbox and I’m
shouting my views like they mean something." "I’ll
take all the popular stuff out. And if you go to the toilet two or three times
we’ll recommend a good urologist." “My
brother once said about me that I’d rather be outside a barrel pissing in
than inside the barrel pissing out. I’m anti this idea that we know what
we’re doing with certainty. I kinda think that most things that are good
happen to people largely by accident, but then they start looking for explanations.
You see the views of rich, successful people on television, and they tell you
why they got rich and successful; they don’t interview all the people who
went through the same process and didn’t. I think most things are complete
crap. I want to show that you can be fortunate without believing that your fortune
was anything other than fortune." "There
are so many things we do that we hide from. We hack open cows and eat their guts
but we compartmentalise that away from our lives so we can pretend it’s not
happening. And on a larger, more important scale, if each of us acted individually
to say ‘OK, we f…ed up the atmosphere, it is our personal responsibility’,
humanity would behave in a very different way." "One
of the things about having money is that … I feel a bit of guilt and a level
of privilege, and it seems to be an obligation to do something, and since art
is what I’ve been doing....but it wasn’t really like that. It was: I
bought this small gallery, bought a bigger one, and gradually it became something
of this scale. It’s become a lot more serious endeavour than I intended it
to be. There’s a bit of thumbing my nose at the establishment and trying
to bypass academia, but mainly I just wanted it to be a bit of fun. And it is.
And it will be." "The
gambling is all a computer thing that is going on right now". Website Museum
of Old and New Art Queensland:
Cairns Reef Hotel Casino Poised To Raise Big Bucks For Flood Relief On Australia
Day... Punters,
let's all spare a thought for those who have been attacked by the floods on Australia
Day. Numerous events are being planed around Australia, from 'Sound Relief' to
and initiative from the Cairns Reef Hotel Casino 'Bring on the Sun' It will be
one of the biggest events on the Australia Day calendar for the city and all funds
raised will go to the Premier’s Flood Relief Appeal. There's a good old fashioned
sausage sizzle, competitions and female performers including the Marlins’
cheer squad. "The whole idea is slanted towards the female performer,"
entertainment manager Bruce Stewart said. "We’ve got an eclectic blend
of female artists coming to perform as well." Cazalys, El Mundo Tapas Bar
and the Marlin Coast Bowls Club will also host events to raise money for flood
victims. Cairns Regional Council will hold events across the region, including
the ever-popular celebrations on the Esplanade. Mayor Val Schier said the council
was expecting a good attendance as usual with residents keen to get outside and
celebrate our sunburnt country in the green and gold. "Even last year when
it poured, a huge number of people came to the Aussie breakfast; we expect the
same will happen this year, rain, hail or shine. It is one of those days where
people can come together as a community and help celebrate why it is great to
be an Australian. We live in a fantastic country and it is good for people to
get out and enjoy it." Pubs and clubs will also get into the Aussie spirit
with a number of activities on offer. Paradise Palms Resort and Country Club has
a patriotic, fun-filled day planned with activities that pay homage to Australia’s
heritage such as the much-anticipated pie-eating competition. "Everybody
is welcome to come along and have some fun while tucking into our Aussie selection
of meat pies, icy beers, lamingtons and classic Australian music by DJ Danny from
Millennium Sounds," director of sales and marketing Darlene Holdsworth said. Events Join
the celebrations Paradise
Palms Resort and Country Club Australia Day celebrations
What’s on: Australian
menu served from noon in Restaurant 59, pie-eating and thong-throwing competitions
start at 1.30pm. Pies, icy beers, lamingtons and classic Australian music on offer
at the resort.
Time: 12pm. Entry free.
Bring on the Sun at Cairns
Reef Hotel Casino
What’s on: Entertainment, sausage sizzle, raffles,
jumping castle and more with all proceeds going to the Premier’s Flood Relief
Appeal.
Time: 2pm. Entry free.
Shane Warne And Poker Mates Get VIP Star Treatment At Australian Open Tennis Sunday
Night...
The
spinner got there at 8pm hoping to get star VIP treatment for 14 of his closest
mates. In the mix was was Joe Hachem, who he had earlier caught up with at the
launch of the Aussie Millions Poker Tournament at Crown Casino. Warne requested
an escort (no, not that type silly) when he arrived and posed mostly for photographs
with his sunglasses on. He also spent time in Andy Roddick's player's box during
his loss to Swissman Stanislas Wawrinka. It been a big couple of days for "poker
her" for the legend, playing rendezvous with Liz Hurley in LA. He is expected
to play in the second round of the poker tournament and could face off against
Gary Ablett Jr and Jeff Fenech tomorrow. Blett made it through to the second round.
Australian Financial Review Goes Gaga For Lady Gaga; Gets Facts Wrong (We Think)...
It
took us a few months of going through newspapers but we finally found the AFR
to make a slip up, and its a doozy....An article reads "the complex will
have a few upmarket bars, including one on the roof, and an events theatre to
house live acts – think Lady Gaga – as well as awards nights."
With Gaga's level of popularity she would require a much larger venue than Star
City. Earlier this year, she - they played two concerts at the Sydney Entertainment
Centre, capacity 12,000 or thereabouts. Do the math. Australia's
Kylie Minogue To Do The Colosseum At Caesars Palace Las Vegas: Aphrodite Live... Mark
is down Kylie fans the word over. She's doing Ceasers Sunday May 22, 2011 8pm
Melbourne: Aussie Joker Comedian Performs At Packer's Crown; Raises Cash For Flood
Relief...
Melbourne
folks at Crown Casino recently enjoyed 'The Jokers Comedy That Rocks' at Crown
Casino. James Packer's casino donated all proceeds from last Friday night’s
show to Queensland flood victims. Organiser William Leitch has happy with the
way things went and showcased an evening with some of the city’s top stand-up
artists, including Brad Oakes, Christine Basil and Greg Fleet. It's understood
he got close to 150 people to come along, and he may be invited back on upcoming
Friday nights.
Top 100 ASX Listed Companies Respond To Flood Cry For Help; Gambling And Gaming
Industry Steps Up; Mining Firms and Banking Bastards Lead Charge...
1.
BHP Billiton: $1.3 million (in addition, matching employee donations) 2.
CBA: $1.35 million 3.
Westpac: $1 million 4.
ANZ: $1 million 5.
NAB: $1 million 6.
News Corp: $500,000 and Blue Ribbon campaign 7.
Rio Tinto: $1 million ($700,000 to Premier Relief, $300,000 to Emerald community) 8.
Wesfarmers: $7.5 million (plus $3.5 million from Coles customers) 9.
Telstra Corp: up to $1 million by matching staff contributions (so far $338,000;
is also supplying phones and free calls to people affected) 10.
Woolside Petroleum: $122,395 (corporate + employees) 11.
Woolworths: $6.9 million (matching customer donations in Woolies, Big W, Dick
Smith dollar for dollar) 14.
Fortescue Metals: Matching staff donations dollar for dollar 15.
CSL: $250,000 16.
QBE Insurance: not releasing a statement 17.
Origin energy: $1 million 18.
Macquarie Group: $200,000 (combined staff and company effort with fundraising
activities continuing both here and overseas) 19.
AXA Asia Pacific: No response 20.
Santos: $500,000 plus use of helicopters and vehicles for clean up. Also $50,000
for flooding in WA 21.
Coal and Allied Industries: (see Rio Tinto) 22.
AMP: $250,000 + matching employee contributions to WA flood appeal up to $250,000 23.
Suncorp Group: $100,000 (staff and customers have donated $1.5million) 24.
Foster's Group: $500,000 25.
Brambles: No response 26.
Leighton Holdings: No response 27.
Orica: No response 28.
Oil Search: No response 29.
Stockland: Donated $250,000 to the Premier's flood relief appeal, another $30,000
to the Mayoress Rockhampton regional flood appeal and are matching employee donations
dollar for dollar 30.
Coca. Cola Amatil: No response 31.
Amcor: No response 32.
Westfield Retail Trust: No response 33.
IAG: No response 39.
Crown: Donation tins in Crown complexes and have committed to matching all donations
as well as staff contributions 52.
Tabcorp Holdings: $1 million 78.
Tatts Group: Going to run a dedicated lottery for the Queensland flood appeal
where all profits will go to the Premier's Flood Appeal. They ran the same thing
in Victoria after the Black Saturday bushfires. It will run on Wednesday 2 Feb
in Queensland and is expected to raise $200,000. In addition, another donation
will be made from the unclaimed prizes fund of an as. yet undecided amount 79.
Fairfax Media: Matching staff donations 100.
Seek: Reported it had made a donation to the Premier's Flood Appeal but chose
not to disclose how much Brisbane:
Flood Relief Money Gets Spend On Pokies, Vice - Piss Up At Pubs... It's
been reported in a number of Queensland newspapers that the $1000 flood relief
grants that went to many good folks in Granville are being used to feed slots
and buy piss (beer) rather than food and necessities. Two Maryborough publicans
say that in some instances the answer to that is yes, and they are disgusted.
One of the publicans was so incensed by the misuse of flood relief money she telephoned
Fairfax Media to complain. "A man came in bragging about how he’d got
the $1000 payout because he told Centrelink he was stuck in Granville – but
he was here the whole time. It makes me sick that people are openly admitting
they’ve got the money for nothing, while there are people who’ve died
or lost everything." She said Centrelink should have screened the applications
more carefully to make sure only people who were genuinely in need received the
cash. Another pub owner said his one armed bandits had not stopped buzzing since
the grants became available. "We were quiet during the actual floods but
this week’s been totally different. The pokies and the bottle shop have been
going non-stop." Yeah, Aussie continue to love a punt, rain, hail, shine
or flood! Aussie
Millions Game 8 Results... The
London based chap took down the $1,100 8 game mixed event title at Crown Casino
in Melbourne adding AUD$23,800 to his almost $1.2 million in career tournament
earnings. He entered the final table as the short stack, but managed to grind
his way to victory and nudge away Australia's Bruno Portaro for the victory. The
event marked Ashby's 8th final table appearance at the Aussie Millions that includes
a side-event win back in 2005 and a seventh-place finish in the main event in
2009. Ashby also won his first WSOP bracelet this summer in the $1,500 7 Card
Stud event and went well in the $10k H.O.R.S.E. for his biggest career score of
$378,027. The 2011 Aussie Millions $1,100 8-Game Mixed event drew 68-players and
paid the final 7. Here
are the results:
1 Richard Ashby AUD$23,800
2 Bruno Portaro AUD$16,320
3 Casey Kastle AUD$10,880
4 Daniel Ospina AUD$6,800
5 Oliver Gill AUD$4,760
6 Dane Coltman AUD$3,400
7 Paul Ravesi AUD$2,040 Aussie
Main Event Day 1b: PartyPoker And Full Tilt Poker Players Feel The Pain... PartyGaming's
PartyPoker and Full
Tilt Poker's powers that be likely won't be celebrating. Ok, they got news coverage
and exposure, but its because their players are out. Yep, history maties. Full
Tilt went well on Day 1a but Day 1b was rooted. Many of the big name pros went
down for the count as locals stepped up. 209 players entered the Crown Poker room
but after 7 levels of play, 80 remained. David Oppenheim, Annette Obrestad, Carlos
Mortensen, David Benyamine, Andrew Feldman, Steve Yea, Andy Bloch and Gus Hansen
were some of the Full Tilt players who died. Other casualties included Luke Santo,
Raj Ramakrishnan, George Moussa, Michael Pedley, Graeme Putt, Martin Comer, Dennis
Huntly, Jamie Pickering, Bruno Portaro, Casey Kastle, Ben Savage and Tim Marsters.
2005 World Champion Joe Hachem (tweeting he struggled with jetlag following a
recent trip to the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure.) Defending champ, 2010 Aussie
Millions Main Event winner Tyron Krost (PartyGaming's PartyPoker
pro went down too). A new champ will be crowned in 2011 with plenty of Aussies
still in contention. The field kicked off with Jeff Rossier in the lead with 154,900,
closely followed by Michael Ottobra (143,400) and Martin Drewe, After winning
the Opening Event last week and going deep in another event, Drewe is now set
in the chip leaders in the Main Event after getting to 136,100. Jay “SEABEAST”
Kinkade did nicely with 128,700, Haibo Chu (113,900), Manny Stavropoulos (85,600),
Sorel Mizzi (74,400), Michael Egan (61,100), Kent Hunter (56,400), Jeff Lisandro
(55,000), Eric Assadourian (50,300), Scott Montgomery (49,200), Chris Ferguson
(45,400), Lee Nelson (30,200), Neil Channing (28,800), Roland de Wolfe (26,100),
Aleks Brkovic (24,600), Jackie Glazier (21,900), Grant Levy (18,300), Gary Benson
(10,500) and Mel Judah (7,200) amongst those who will return on Day 2. The 3rd
and final flight of the 2011 Aussie Millions Main will commence Tuesday with another
strong field and a few big names expected. Even Van Marcus will front up. Van,
is your Red Ferrari safe this time mate? We're looking for more good fodder to
write about. How about do a publicity stunt and make world wide headlines ago.
Maybe someone at Crown Casino - Crown Limited might be open to it. Stanger things
have happened... like Ferrari's getting stolen on site, casino fights and a man
getting stuck in the Crown Casino kitchen grease vacuum. Aussie
Millions Event #9 Day 1b: Rossiter In Front... It
was down to business with players investing AUD$10,600 to buy in all with the
goal of becoming the 2011 Aussie Millions Champion. 7 seven levels of play, and
the 209-player field went to 80. Jeff Rossiter is in front with 154,900. Martin
Drewe, 2011 Aussie Millions Event #1 winner with 136,100 - now 3rd on the leaderboard.
Australian Jay Kinkade is on 128,700, and European Poker Tour mainstay Jeff Sarwer
sits 5th with 120,500. Randy "nanonoko" Lew has 110,000 and Gavin Griffin
101,700 in 9th ninth and 10th place. Sorel Mizzi, Jeffrey Lisandro, Eric Assadourian,
Team Full Tilt's Chris Ferguson, Full Tilt Poker Red Pros Scott Montgomery and
Roland de Wolfe, Neil Channing, and Lee Nelson have also all made it to Wednesday's
Day 2, but it was touch and go for some of them, testing the skill VS luck debate.
Full Tilt Poker $25,000 Shootout Invitational winner David Oppenheim, Annette
Obrestad, Carlos Mortensen, Andy Bloch, David Benyamine, Andrew Feldman, Gus Hansen,
Joe Hachem, and David Steicke all had to say goodnight nurse. PartyGaming's -
PartyPoker Tyron
Krost was eliminated in a hand VS Gavin Griffin where his Ace-Queen couldn't best
Griffin's Aces. The 3rd and final Day 1 flight commences Tuesday in Melbourne,
Australia at 12:30 p.m. local time. Getting
board of poker yet? If so, try your luck er skill at Baccarat or Craps. If your
more into luck, check out the slots like Cleopatra, Sinatra, Rambo, Goanna Gold
and The Terminator. Rumour goes PartyGaming
also have, or will soon get, a World
Poker Tour themed online slot game. We recommend punters open an account with
PartyCasino, PartyGaming
and World Poker
Tour, just to have all based covered. Party appears to still be the most popular
online casino brand in Australia despite big efforts by the likes of 888. Marvel
slot games are forecast to be some of the most popular of this year with Captain
America and Thor
tipped to hit Australia cinema's this year, with Spider-Man
also getting a remake. Whatever your casino game of choice, good luck, and let
us know how you go guys and girls. Spin to win. Take
the time to research and learn games before placing down money Media
Man, Casino News Media and Gambling911
are website portals. Not casinos as such, however are recognised as world leading
websites that cover the sector and act as central points to games, news, reviews
and more. Readers...
er, punters, how did you like our report? Tell us in the forum. If
you have a bet, please bet with your head, not over it, and for God's sake, have
fun. *Greg
Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911 *Media
Man is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company.
Gaming is just one of a dozen sectors covered Aussie
Pay TV Foxtel Top Dog Highlights Piracy Concerns With Hi Tech... Foxtel
big cheese (chief executive) Kim Williams has issued a public warning that the
upcoming NBN (National Broadband Network) down under in Oz could quite likely
increase video piracy. Williams, along a legal eagle, has encouraged Canberra
members of Parliament and media companies, big and small, to campaign against
the theft of intellectual property. Maybe KW say have effective the 'Get Up' and
'Internet Blackout' days were, where driven forward using media and people power.
Williams advised that a co-ordinated effort of the TV industry, the government
and the NBN Co as well as new laws were badly needed to prevent greater rates
of piracy in a high-speed digital world. Readers, I think we know he's telling
the truth, as apposed to some of the porkies coming out of the Labor government
recently. "We need an allied plan in terms of appropriate legal adjustments,
otherwise you are creating the equivalent of the largest road train in the world
backing up to rob the world's largest jewellery store without the police force
to stop them. Copyright theft and privacy are very serious crimes. Companies like
Foxtel and other media companies that are dependent on the sanctity of intellectual
property need to become much more effective advocates in working with government
to find appropriate remedies." News Corp leaks have been spreading the message
to other small and mediums size media outlets such as Media Man, in a way an insider
described as "a kind of Wikileaks way". Copyright reform is high on
the must do list for many media firms A "convergence review" of broadcast
media policy announced by your friend and ours (satire) Communications Minister
Stephen Conroy earlier this month is set to consider copyright issues, of which
there are quite a few. "I think you'd have to be short-sighted not to be
concerned about piracy," said another leaker from Australian free TV. "What
we have had in our favour is the large file size of a TV show or movie which makes
it harder to download, but clearly as technology gets better, you reduce the complexity
of piracy." Foxtel regards the NBN as an "opportunity" and has
embraced online distribution, getting a deal in place to broadcast channels online
through Microsoft's Xbox console and offering sub customers a comprehensive movie
download service. The FTA (free to air) networks are also offering catch-up TV
services such as the ABC's iView player and James Packer's Network Ten has plenty
on offer too, with Bondi Rescue understood to be the most popular over the past
few years. TV execs reckon that their large audiences give them the scale to outbid
new internet broadcasters for quality content. "Of all the media organisations
in Australia, in television and electronic media at least, we are the most adaptive
and most innovative and have the longest record of investing in innovation so
it's business as usual for us," Williams said. Stay tuned for more on Aussie
piracy (and privacy) wars. Channel
Nine: Nine Entertainment Co Poised For A Great 2011... A
fresh Channel Nine will be the one to watch next year as everyone awaits the forecast
relisting on the ASX of the television network in the first half of 2011. Private
equity owner CVC Asia Pacific looks about ready to launch an estimated $5 billion
initial public offer after an improved ratings performance in 2010. Even better,
improved advertising conditions for free-to-air television are in swing and likely
to continue for many months, if not over a year. The owners have rebranded the
network as Nine Entertainment, scrapping the PBL brand that had been associated
with the television station, and revamped the management team headed up by David
'Gyng' Gyngell. A Media Man insider said "The smart money says this will
work out well for Nine. We are ready to buy in. Network Ten was give a fresh life
with Packer, we bought shares, and will do the same with Nine in a heartbeat.
The support is there, and Network Nine has the richest history in Australian TV,
not to mention the highest ratings when you look at the landscape over a few decades.
They didn't get the tag 'The One' for nothing". Another insider on the funds
side of things said a float was an "odds on" chance in 2011. CVC currently
owns 99.3% of Nine Entertainment, which holds assets including Nine, ACP Magazines,
ticketing firm Ticketek and half stakes in the NineMSN and carsales website portals.
Then known as PBL Media, the company was formed when James Packer's Publishing
and Broadcasting Ltd split its media and gaming assets circa 2006. 'Our James'
held onto the gaming assets, such as Melbourne's famous tourism landmark, Crown
Casino, and formed a JV with CVC on the media assets. CVC initially held 50% of
Nine Entertainment, but increased its holding to 99.3% in 2008. Nine has roughly
$4 billion of debt due to mature in 2013 and 2014. Gyngell told fund managers
Nine Entertainment was expected to post a 35% increase in earnings in 2010/11,
according to numerous news media reports. Nine is able to consider an IPO due
in large part to the strong bounce in advertising in 2010, with most media companies
reversing the savage declines experienced in 2009. Free-to-air television, which
was one of the main beneficiaries of the lift in advertising, also received a
boost thanks to a few government decisions. Communications Minister Stephen Conroy
quickly cut TV licence fees by 33% in 2010 and 50% next year. Then, an updated
anti-siphoning list gave pay-television the right to bid directly for some AFL
and NRL footy games, thus also permitting the free-to-air stations to broadcast
certain first-run events on their digital channels instead of their main channel.
The latter concession could likely be good news for Ten Network Holdings Ltd's
all-sport digital channel One. Ten's share registry was raided late in 2010, resulting
in 3 new board members, the "forced" departure of executive chairman
Nick Falloon and left a few folks up in the air about Ten's future. Packer returned
to free-to-air television alongside mate Lachlan Murdoch in October, spending
$280 million to buy 18% of the company and securing 2 seats on the board. The
transaction is being investigated by the competition watchdog (ACCC) because Consolidated
Media Holdings Ltd, chaired by Packer, and News Corp, of which LM is a director,
both hold interests in ONE rival and pay-tv station Fox Sports. Some speculate
that Packer is keen to shut down One, but we hope not, as we love the wrestling
and UFC, as does much of the Aussie public. Ten's latest shareholder and director,
mining tycoon and Australia's most well to do woman, Gina Rinehart, has also made
next to no comment about why she bought 10% of the television network in November.
While the ratings of ONE are smaller than the digital offerings from the other
free-to-air digital channels such as GO! and 7Mate, the all-sport is profitable
and drawing in viewers and advertisers. Aussie
Pay TV Operators Foxtel And Optus Get Cosy In Bed Together; Will Boost Subs... Optus
will commence marketing Foxtel to its customers again after the two companies
inked a new deal on subscribers. The smart move comes around two years since Optus
stopped actively promoting Fox. Foxtel is facing up to increased competition from
the new free to air digital channels and Internet-delivered TV services. The new
deal will see Optus customers offered Foxtel’s HD services for the first
time via the iQ HD settop box. At present, Foxtel is offering 20 HD channels...a
major point of difference to free to air, which has seen the main channels available
only in standard definition since the launch of the secondary digital channels.
Optus will also be able for the first time to sell Foxtel via satellite where
it does not have a cable network, in order to build bundled offerings to customers.
Foxtel CEO Kim Williams went on record, "The audio visual entertainment market
is increasingly competitive with the arrival of terrestrial multichannels and
new IPTV providers, and we welcome these agreements as they provide solid incentives
for Optus to offer the full suite of Foxtel subscription services into the future."
Optus CEO Paul O’Sullivan was prepared to say "Foxtel has been a strategic
partner and customer of Optus for many years and we’re pleased to be able
to extend the breadth of Foxtel services we sell to our customers." Come
February the deals will be promoted to the public. One
HD; Network Ten: Be Prepared For Games and iGaming in 2011... With
the likes of media and gambling tycoon joining a board of directors come numerous
benefits and unique opportunities, and Ten is learning quickly. Have you already
spotted the gaming promos being ramped up? More mentions of Crown Casino on TV?
How about the coverage of The Poker Star last year, and the appearance of Packer
mates Shane Warne and Joe Hachem on The 7PM Project earlier this year, and all
of the gaming related fundraisers. Coincidence? No, of course not. Insides tell
Media Man to expect a lot more gaming, gambling and sports betting on the network
next year, and maybe even some 2 way TV stuff, along with gaming related reality
TV. Stay tuned to this dial for more on this developing news story.
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