Enders News
Variety 22 July 2019
Francois Godard was quoted in variety on International TV Newswire: Streaming Sports, Gen Z on Power, Dutch Detectives & More. He said “Amazon uses trial and error in a lot of areas where they try new things, including sports. I would bet high they will not start by making a big investment on European soccer. I think if they ever decide to go into premium high value sports, they will do it in the U.S. first.”
The Wrap 19 July 2019
Tom Harrington was quoted in The Wrap on Netflix Has Lost $17 Billion in Value in the Last 24 Hours. He said “In all likelihood there will be growth in the current quarter, with big returning original shows like ‘Stranger Things,’ ‘Orange Is the New Black', ‘Money Heist’ and ‘Mindhunter’ — something that “usually results in a boost.”
The Guardian 19 July 2019
Tom Harrington was quoted in The Guardian on The Netflix cash machine needs the kind of hits that money can’t buy. He said “There was always going to be an existential moment for Netflix when it simply couldn’t rely on licensed hits any more. That is sort of now. But other than with Stranger Things and one or two others they’ve not really been able to create their own true hit shows.”
He added that “They have 150 million accounts globally, they can make any show look like a hit. What you don’t see is data that shows how quickly viewing of original content drops within days after they launch it. Shows disappear fast, and a lot of Netflix is populated by largely forgettable shows. Subscribers are maybe coming in to watch an original, which is probably dropped after its second series, and then they turn to stuff they have an affinity with, like Friends and The Office, which is what has made them so important to Netflix.”
BBC News 19 July 2019
Tom Harrington was quoted in BBC News on BritBox: ITV and BBC set out plans for new streaming service. He said there is "Certainly a market for great British content" but that Britbox might be tough to sell. He added that "You're going to get a lot of content that you've seen before, content that you think you might have paid for before, and content that's been free for possibly a year on iPlayer. Why people sign up for services is usually for new, original content, and there will be a paucity of that on this service. It's not going to be a Netflix killer. It won't take over Amazon in any way. What it will be is an almost niche service alongside those two, at best."
Reuters 18 July 2019
Joseph Evans was quoted in Reuters on Explainer: What is the EU's antitrust investigation into Amazon about? He said “You’re controlling the whole interface while you’re trying to compete within it."
Mail Online 15 July 2019
Julian Aquilina was quoted in Mail Online on Experts warn Channel 4's plans to cover busy sporting Sunday may leave fans unaware of how to watch England's Cricket World Cup final. He said "It would be incredibly good for Channel 4 if it gets something above 4 million, but it could be significantly higher if the match is really exciting. When the Ashes were on Channel 4 in 2005 it drew 7m viewers but there is a very different viewing landscape now and obviously the competition from Wimbledon and Formula One."
He added that "One problem that the broadcasters could face is, just how aware are people that the cricket is taking place on free TV? Actually a lot of people won't be aware and the position on the TV guide is actually very important still."
The Telegraph 8 July 2019
Matti Littunen was quoted in The Telegraph on Exclusive: Britons abandon Facebook as usage plummets by more than a third. He said “Facebook has reached a very high level of user saturation in the core markets like the US and the UK, meaning that they have little margin for error before engagement drops from the peak. If Facebook usage were to drop by a third, Instagram would have to double in size to make up for it."
He added that “No messaging app has supported a multi-billion dollar advertising business so far, so WhatsApp and Messenger would not be able to make up for a major shortfall.”
Financial Times 5 July 2019
Matti Littunen was quoted in the Financial Times on the ICO finding widespread disregard by adtech companies for the requirements of the EU’s new general data protection regulation (GDPR). Matti said “There will be an interesting game of chicken, who is going be the first to make major changes in response to this rapsheet from the ICO?”
Financial Times 5 July 2019
Claire Enders was quoted in the FT on Ofcom's decision for legislation that guarantees public service broadcasters a prominent spot on TV sets to be extended to help the PSBs compete against online competitors such as Netflix and YouTube. Claire said “Seeing this happen in practice is probably going to take some time,” referring to the currently preoccupied government. But she said Ofcom’s decision showed “PSBs are the core of the media experience in the UK and that [Ofcom] intends to keep it that way.”
Les Echos 4 July 2019
Francois Godard was quoted in les Echos on Vivendi does not want to be trapped by Mediaset. He said "There has never been any synergy between the two entities and this project is dressing up. The purpose of the operation is the transfer to the Netherlands to cement the control of Mediaset by Fininvest."
He added that "The risk for Vivendi is that it has only the right to take legal action against the MEF operation after it is made. Of course, Vivendi has nothing to gain from this transfer to Amsterdam, but Berlusconi family succession problems will continue and camp Bolloré can play the long term."
DIGIDAY 1 July 2019
Matti Littunen was quoted in Digiday on AT&T's Xandr has ambitious European expansion plans. He said “AT&T has to strike partnerships, but it’s a highly contested market where other companies that specialize in broadcaster-quality video ad inventory are already establishing themselves. It’s going to be hard for a company like AT&T to explain to the market exactly what its selling points are versus the competition.”
Financial Times 1 July 2019
Julian Aquilina was quoted in the Financial Times on Wimbledon tennis looks to lift revenues through the roof. He said “Centre Court showcases the biggest matches, particularly throughout the second week of the tournament with the quarter-finals onwards and, as you’d expect, the TV audiences build as the tournament progresses.”
The Times 27 June 2019
Matti Littunen was quoted in The Times on Ministers are too lenient towards the tech giants’ intrusion into our lives. He said “It’s like owning the M1 and most of the lorries."
BBC News 21 June 2019
Alice Enders was quoted on BBC News on Toy Story: How Buzz Lightyear keeps making millions. She said "Expectations are high that the latest Toy Story release will do well for Disney - and not just in the UK. It's a family movie... the timing is for the 4th of July [independence day holiday] in the US."
The Economist 21 June 2019
Francois Godard was quoted in The Economist on The Western world’s auction-house duopoly is now in private hands. He said "Sotheby’s is a trophy asset."
Campaign 18 June 2019
Claire Enders was quoted in Campaign on The Guardian's Katharine Viner and David Pemsel: 'It has been very, very, very tough' She said Pemsel and Viner deserve credit for "correcting many aspects of the previous management’s flawed thinking", particularly around digital advertising and the costly Berliner printing presses, which have been axed. "It’s been a tremendous success story of finding a new business model. Some people refer to it as panhandling but it has great durability and it gives them a great feedback loop from readers."
She added that "The Guardian used to be a paper without global impact" but it has developed a bigger voice by adopting what she calls a "constantly activist stance that is not party political" and is backed by "a very committed stream of supporters."
The Hollywood Reporter 12 June 2019
Francois Godard was quoted in The Hollywood Reporter on A European Union of TV? Broadcasters Team to Take on Netflix and Global Streamers. He said "European broadcasters don't have the resources to compete alone against global players like Netflix. If they don't stick together, Netflix will have them for dinner, one by one," and that there is "No growth there" He added that what European broadcasters really need "is not a European Netflix but a European Hulu; that is, a joint, ad-supported streaming platform."
Financial Times 11 June 2019
Joseph Evans was quoted in the Financial Times on Retail: how bookshops survived the Amazon onslaught. He said "Given the scale of Barnes & Noble, which has more and bigger stores than Waterstones — how applicable is that model." He added that “The impetus is the right one. The threat to [both] is coming from the same place.”
The Telegraph 11 June 2019
Karen Egan was quoted in The Telegraph on Big call for Britain’s cable giant Virgin Media as telecoms merger mania is dialled up again. She said “Virgin Media’s network advantage is becoming difficult to monetise as customers’ appetite for speed appears somewhat sated for now. They face heightened competition from a more aggressive Openreach at full fibre speeds and TalkTalk and Sky at high speed.”
The Guardian 10 June 2019
Claire Enders was quoted in The Guardian on BBC confirms plans to make over-75s pay TV licence fee. She said “It’s a massive hardship for millions of people. The really vulnerable won’t apply for this benefit – the disabled and lone females do not apply for benefits. And that will be true for this as well.”