Christopher Meredith

Highlighting: “CEO David Zaslav told investors its games business was "substantially underperforming its potential" despite "four strong and profitable game franchises with loyal, global fans": Hogwarts Legacy, Mortal Kombat, Game of Thrones and DC, "in particular" Batman." ----- Game Publishing Analysis: No Zaslav, Batman was before your time. Doesn't count. The last Batman Arkham game was 2015's Batman Arkham Knight, 9 years ago. And since then Rocksteady was on Suicide Squad. Don't mention Batman from a decade ago. Meanwhile has Game of Thrones ever had a truly breakout hit game to be called a pillar of WB Games? It's mid-tier mobile. Have I missed something? Shadows of Mordor/War as LotR spinoffs have likely had more impact. And seriously how can you not mention LEGO? I know its owned by Kirkbi and licensed, but WB Games puts out a metric ton of LEGO games. Not even joking. Wikipedia GoT Games: https://lnkd.in/gyQU2Wb9 Wikipedia LEGO Games: https://lnkd.in/gZAxBhxz The WB Games pillars have been DC, Mortal Kombat, Lego, & Harry Potter. If Zaslav want to make Batman a callout then MAKE BATMAN games. Injustice has had a more recent update than Batman in releases. And Multiversus has more Batman than Gotham Knights does. Its okay for DC to be a pillar ----- GamesIndustryBiz: "Warner Bros Discovery says its games division is "substantially underperforming" The company is now committed to "focusing efforts on those four core franchises with proven studios" "Warner Bros Discovery has taken "another $100+ million impairment" due to the "underperforming" MultiVersus. In its latest financial call, as reported by VGC, CEO David Zaslav told investors its games business was "substantially underperforming its potential" despite "four strong and profitable game franchises with loyal, global fans": Hogwarts Legacy, Mortal Kombat, Game of Thrones and DC, "in particular" Batman. Consequently, Warner Bros Discovery has committed to "focusing [its] development efforts on those four core franchises with proven studios to improve [its] success ratio." "Results were impacted by games, for which we took another $100+ million impairment due to the underperforming releases – primarily MultiVersus – this quarter, bringing total writedown year-to-date to over $300 million in our games business, the key factor in this year’s Studios profit decline," Zaslav said. "In Q4, we expect games to be flat to modestly better year-over-year, as last year’s launch of Hogwarts Legacy on the Switch platform in November is offset by lower costs." "But even in an industry of hits and misses, we must acknowledge that our studio business must deliver more consistently," he added. "This applies to our games business, which we recognise is substantially underperforming its potential right now." GamesIndustryBiz: https://lnkd.in/g-DGEebT #gameindustry #wbd #wbie #wbgames #warnerbros #dc #harrypotter #lego #mortalkombat

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“The UK recorded music industry grew for the ninth consecutive year in 2023, bringing in £1.43 billion. Streaming and physical music saw growth, and the independent sector also enjoyed an increased share of album sales and streams. This is all according to a new stats pack from BPI The BPI has published its annual ‘All About The Music’ report on the British record industry's performance in the previous calendar year. The topline stat is that revenues grew by 8.1% in 2023 to £1.43 billion. That’s the ninth consecutive year of growth. According to the record industry trade group’s stats pack, more than half of that (58%) came from subscription streaming, sync and public performance combined contributed 13.6%, vinyl sales 9.9%, ad-funded audio and video streams 9.5%, and CDs 6.8%. Physical media actually saw stronger percentage growth than streaming last year, with CDs, vinyl and other formats all up individually, and collectively up 12.8% on 2022 - vinyl seeing the biggest jump, up 18.6% year-on-year. Streaming overall saw revenues rise by 8.4%, with ad-funded streaming growing fastest at 12.4%. In terms of actual revenues, physical brought in £243.4 million, while streaming generated £962.1 million. In terms of what people were listening to, Miley Cyrus came out top with her song ‘Flowers’, which enjoyed ten consecutive weeks at number one in the UK singles chart. This run helped female artists to score a record tally of weeks at the top of the UK top 40 - 31 out of 52 weeks. Women appear in seven slots in the top ten for the full year, including Raye, Taylor Swift, Ellie Goulding and SZA.” #BPI #UK #Streaming #Artists #StreamingRoyalties #Royalties #RecordedMusic #StreamingServices #StreamingMedia #MusicStreams #MusicRoyalties #Songs #Recordings #MusicBusiness #Music #Musica #MusicIndustry #Musique #Musik #MusicBiz

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A new debate on the cost of cool, which digs into the environmental impact of increasing vinyl sales and rising concerns among several major artists. In summary, some counter-argue that the tech behind vinyls is significantly evolving, notably with BioVinyl, whilst others mention the environmental cost of storage data from streaming platforms. For me, it is entertainment, it is what consumers want, and it is the same debate as EV cars vs. good old gas. It’s evolution meets nostalgia. What do you reckon? 

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“The UK music industry, with support from the UK Government, is seeking your help to identify resources that raise awareness of the significance of metadata in ensuring creators are fairly paid and credited for their tracks. In music, metadata is information which describes who contributed to a track’s creation, and how – such as who wrote a song, who performed on a recording, and who owns the individual rights in the work or recording. Metadata includes unique identifiers, such as the ISWC, ISRC, IPI and IPN, as well as title and contributor information. Education and awareness of the importance of metadata is vital for all parts of the creative value chain, from those creating songs and recordings, through to those responsible for delivering data to platforms, CMOs and others, including artist managers and A&R departments. Your responses to this survey will inform the work of the Metadata Education Group, one of the expert industry working groups formed to help deliver improvements to metadata practice as part of the UK Metadata Agreement. The Group is working to map out existing resources that educate and raise awareness of the importance of music metadata, maximise access to these resources, and identify gaps in current provision.” Read the post and the survey below for more: #Metadata #UK #Creators #CMOs #ISWC #ISRC #IPI #IPN #Artists #Songwriters #MusicPublishing #IP #IntelectualProperty #Copyright #DerechoDeAutor #DroitdAuteur #Music #MusicBusiness #Musica #MusicIndustry #Musique #Musik #MusicBiz #IPO

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A disappointing night for Netflix with live streaming challenges. My colleague, Juan Martin's advice on how to prepare for live streaming to ensure a quality experience. The highlights: - Model out peak infrastructure needs and build redundancy where possible, e.g., multi-CDN strategy, auto-scaling resources - Design overlapping caching layers to push distribution towards the edge of the network and protect origin servers - Stress-test the platform ahead of high-concurrency events, mirroring your audience’s behavior and regional dispersion - Build fail-safes for authentication, authorization, and payment gateways to avoid bottlenecks during ramp up periods - Have trained specialists on-site and on-call to provide real time monitoring and proactive incident management

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STREAMING VIDEO: Whilst millions of dollars are being spent across our industry to solve the issue of latency in video streaming, particularly for live sports, this clip illustrates that some consumers see the latency of streaming as a hidden benefit! We can all point to examples of live events where a goal event is experienced at different times on a street or in an airport terminal depending on the delivery mechanism / network used, especially when we hear neighbours with DTT or satellite cheering a goal a good 10 seconds or more before someone streaming over the open internet. But does it really matter? How did reduced latency change the experience of Xfinity customers during the Olympics? How important do you think reduced latency in sport will be to the performance of subscription TV products going forward? #sportstreaming #latency #subscription #streamingvideo #iptv #buffer

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Over 70 percent of gamers we spoke to want to be able to personalise their music choices. Changing consumer behaviour is driving new player expectations. I'm heading to LA for GamesBeat Summit. Talking gamer music personalisation, new data, deeper more immersive experiences for the gamer, real time interactive music and music as a new revenue stream. Looking forward to meeting everyone and starting new conversations. Reactional Music #music #games #musicpersonalization #gamesbeatsummit #gamesbeatsummit2024

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U.K. Cinema Market: The Culture, Media and Sport Committee of the UK House of Commons is to hold an Evidence Session looking at the challenges facing UK #cinema. UK cinemas are in a precarious position, with challenges posed by changing audience behaviours, shorter theatrical release windows, rising costs and the need for investment in skills development. The Committee may seek to understand how the exhibition market has changed in recent years, the performance of local British films at the box office and the financial health of large cinema chains” https://lnkd.in/evgqk-cm #leisurepropertyESS

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Good assessment of the upcoming service with notable things: 1. Clearly an MVP (although some question about the M bit and the V bit) 2. Freely is inward thinking, not platform thinking - content or even channels from 3rd parties are not part of the solution from day one. 3. It has promise but needs to add competitive features such as integrated apps from 3rd parties, universal search, universal content discovery, less of the inhouse content...

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The Growing Importance of TV Operating Systems in the Media Market The significance of TV operating systems (OS) in the media market is increasing rapidly. While Google and Apple dominate the mobile sector, TV platforms evolve beyond their influence. TV manufacturers create their own ecosystems through proprietary OS, offering consumers more choices. Media professionals must understand each manufacturer’s TV OS to grasp the unique content and user experiences provided. Historically, TVs were broadcast receivers. Today, they are smart media hubs led by platforms like Samsung’s Tizen, LG’s WebOS, Hisense’s VIDAA, and the recently launched Titan OS by Philips TV in February 2024. While Netflix, Amazon, Disney Plus, and YouTube are still central, proprietary platforms from TV manufacturers are growing, creating new revenue streams. From a global perspective, this discussion excludes Amazon Fire TV and Roku. Samsung’s Tizen OS is known for its intuitive interface and extensive content. Samsung TV Plus offers free content, enhancing user satisfaction. Samsung has also adopted FAST (Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV) and AVOD (Advertising Video on Demand) content, strengthening its platform. Similarly, LG’s WebOS, through LG Channels, provides diverse content with an OTT-like interface. LG has embraced FAST channels and AVOD content, offering a richer media experience. Their revenue model mirrors the advertising models of other OTT services, essentially providing free access to content. Hisense’s VIDAA OS, via VIDAA Channels, offers a wide range of free content, improving usability. However, Hisense lags behind Samsung and LG in adopting FAST and AVOD content. However, their growth has been the most remarkable recently. Meanwhile, Philips TV introduced Titan OS in February 2024, with user-customized content and a proprietary FAST platform. TCL uses various OSs, like Google and Roku, but also maintains proprietary platforms like TCL Channel and TCL TV+. These platforms offer unique content and services, differentiating user experiences through their ecosystems. Industry professionals must pay attention to TV manufacturers’ strategies. Leveraging these platforms is a critical opportunity for content distribution, opening new avenues for reaching audiences. TV OS has evolved to become central to the user experience. Major manufacturers like Samsung, LG, Hisense, Philips, and TCL offer distinct content and services through their OS. Samsung and LG, in particular, have enhanced their competitiveness by integrating FAST channels and AVOD content. As TV OS’s importance grows, understanding and utilizing these platforms will be essential for successful business ventures. #tvos #tizen #webos #vidaa #samsung #tcl #lg #hisense #titanos #philips

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Gaming for Good is set to take centre stage in 2025, with charities increasingly tapping into the power of gaming to raise awareness and drive donations. With the global gaming industry booming—worth £7.9bn in the UK alone—it's no wonder charities are jumping on board. It's not just about young gamers anymore. Older adults and women are growing demographics in gaming, and charities are getting creative in engaging all ages through live-streaming, interactive games, and even virtual reality. The RSPCA, for example, is using gaming to educate young people about climate change's impact on animals. In 2025, we’ll see even more innovative, inclusive, and purpose-driven gaming initiatives. Charities are realising that gaming is no longer just for fun—it’s a powerful tool for good. #GamingForGood #CharityGaming #GameOnForChange #Gaming2025 #FundraisingInnovation

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LONDON'S CALLING - INDEPENDENT PRODUCERS! UK Legislation finally went through today (for the 40% IFTC/Independent Film Tax Credit) – Look for Lloyd Gunton blog providing more details on EP's Production Lot - https://lnkd.in/dqBAepuT Pinewood to open an Indie Film Hub @ Buckinghamshire Studios - Pinewood to open hub for indie filmmaking at Buckinghamshire studios - https://lnkd.in/gMVHSVV8 Executive Summary Below - Films up to £23.5m (USD$26M) of core worldwide spend will qualify (this has been done to stop there from being a ‘dead zone’ of budgets between £15m (USD$16.4M) to £23m (USD$25M) where you would get less incentive despite spending more money) A max of 80% of £15m (USD$16.4M) of core spend is eligible for the incentive i.e. the cap of £4.77m (USD$5.2M) on the incentive value remains Director/Scriptwriter must be a UK citizen/ordinary resident If multiple directors/scriptwriters: Must be the lead director/scriptwriter Defined as their contribution being equal or greater than the contribution of any other director/scriptwriter This is quite a stringent condition and it’s not a case of just writing some minimum contributions to the script. If there are multiple directors/scriptwriters, then you must provide all contracts of employment to the BFI! The test is going to be a simple form, submit a split budget for the budget condition plus employment contract and an accountant’s report (as for cultural test) on the qualification.

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I put together a brief little write up on how we are harmonising our growth at Easygo. Come give it a read, tell me your thoughts!

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EUROPEAN (UK, FRANCE AND ITALY) AND THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY - The recent pivotal elections in the U.K. and France are expected to significantly impact the entertainment industry. In the U.K., the landslide victory of Keir Starmer’s centrist Labour Party could bring an end to years of austerity and budget cuts, potentially revitalizing funding for the arts and media sectors. Conversely, in France, the success of the far-right National Rally raises concerns among cultural creators about the potential privatization of public broadcasting and the erosion of cultural identity, highlighting a stark contrast in the political landscape's influence on the media industries in both countries. https://lnkd.in/giJXNSmh

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Engaging Young Audiences: Manchester City Football Club's Innovative Approach on Roblox 🚀 Exciting times in the world of sports and gaming! Manchester City Football Club is setting a remarkable example of how sports teams can connect with younger audiences through the popular platform, Roblox. 🎮 By leveraging Roblox's vast user-generated content (UGC) capabilities, Manchester City has not only established a persistent presence on the platform but has also creatively engaged fans by releasing themed virtual items. Their strategy includes seasonal and event-driven releases, such as: 🐰 Easter-themed items like a bunny shoulder pet and bunny hat. 🐉 Lunar New Year celebrations with dragon masks and tails. 💖 Valentine's Day specials featuring jerseys and balloons. 🧣 Traditional recreations of physical merchandise like scarves and beanies. 🔍 This approach not only enhances fan engagement but also taps into the vibrant Roblox community, where the blend of gaming and traditional sports merchandise creates a unique space for fans to express their fandom in new and exciting ways. 🌟 Manchester City's willingness to experiment and innovate within digital spaces is commendable. Their efforts provide valuable insights into the evolving dynamics of fan engagement and digital merchandising. It's a brilliant strategy to keep the digital-native generation connected and excited about sports. 👏 Hats off to Manchester City for their forward-thinking initiatives in blending sports, gaming, and digital interaction. Their work on Roblox is a playbook example for other sports teams looking to capture the hearts of the next generation of fans. #SportsMarketing #DigitalInnovation #FanEngagement #Roblox #ManchesterCity #UGC #GamingCommunity #SportsTech

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