Jessica Reif, Managing Director of Bank of America Merrill Lynch joins Cheddar to discuss the changing media landscape in America, specifically the Disney / Fox 21st Century deal set to close soon.
According to Reif, this deal will reshape the entire media landscape. She talks about the Murdoch family and their willingness to sell. She says the deal will make other companies think about what they want to be, and how they will compete in the modern era.
Disney isn't interested in Fox's news or sports programming, and that may be because of regulatory issues. Reif says when it comes to sports, the best reach is still, by far, broadcast. She expects sports to stay on traditional TV for a long, long time.
Reif also talks about the amount of money the FANG stocks (Facebook, Amazon, Netflix and Google) are spending on video content, and how they will compete with the traditional outlets.
Disney content has gone dark on YouTube TV, leaving subscribers of the Google-owned live streaming platform without access to major networks like ESPN and ABC. That’s because the companies have failed to reach a new licensing deal to keep Disney channels on YouTube TV. Depending on how long it lasts, the dispute could particularly impact coverage of U.S. college football matchups over the weekend — on top of other news and entertainment disruptions that have already arrived. In the meantime, YouTube TV subscribers who want to watch Disney channels could have little choice other than turning to the company’s own platforms, which come with their own price tags.
President Donald Trump said he has decided to lower his combined tariff rates on imports of Chinese goods to 47% after talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on curbing fentanyl trafficking.
Universal Music Group and AI platform Udio have settled a copyright lawsuit and will collaborate on a new music creation and streaming platform. The companies announced on Wednesday that they reached a compensatory legal settlement and new licensing agreements. These agreements aim to provide more revenue opportunities for Universal's artists and songwriters. The rise of AI song generation tools like Udio has disrupted the music streaming industry, leading to accusations from record labels. This deal marks the first since Universal and others sued Udio and Suno last year. Financial terms of the settlement weren't disclosed.
