Cynthia Littleton Business EditorRyman Hospitality Properties, the Nashville-based parent company of the Grand Ole Opry, has struck a deal to sell a 30% stake in its entertainment operations to investment firm Atairos and NBCUniversal.The transaction values Ryman Hospitality’s Opry Entertainment Group unit at about $1.4 billion in total. Atairos and NBCUniversal will invest approximately $293 million in Opry Entertainment Group (OEG), which consists of the weekly “Grand Ole Opry” stage show and media rights, Nashville’s famed Ryman Auditorium, the legendary Nashville radio station WSM-AM and a 50% stake in TV channel Circle, the streaming home of “Grand Ole Opry.” The pact calls for Atairos to invest another $30 million in OEG down the road if certain performance targets are met.
Fremantle Owner RTL Group Posts $1.6 Billion Profits for 2021
17.03.2022 - 12:25 / variety.com
Naman Ramachandran Bertelsmann’s Luxembourg-based media giant RTL Group, which owns Fremantle, has declared a group profit of €1.5 billion ($1.65 billion) for 2021, up from €625 million in COVID-affected 2020.The RTL Group has interests in 67 television channels, 10 streaming platforms and 38 radio stations. The group’s content business, Fremantle, is one of the world’s largest creators, producers and distributors of scripted and unscripted content, including “American Idol,” “Britain’s Got Talent,” and “The X Factor.”Full-year group revenue was up 10.3% to €6.6 billion of which Fremantle accounted for €1.92 billion, a 25.3% increase. The group’s full-year adjusted EBITA climbed 35.1% to €1.1 billion, up from €853 million in 2020.
Of this Fremantle accounted for €141 million. The group reiterated its ambition of growing Fremantle’s revenue to €3 billion by 2025. TV advertising revenue was up 16% and streaming revenue rose 31.2% compared to 2020.Thomas Rabe, CEO of RTL Group, said: “RTL Group’s growth businesses of streaming and content progressed significantly in 2021, with more than 3.8 million paying subscribers for RTL Plus and Videoland, and 81 new drama productions from Fremantle.
We have significantly raised our streaming targets. Compared to 2021, we plan to triple the annual content investments to around €600 million by 2026. On this basis, we aim to grow the number of paying subscribers for RTL Plus and Videoland to 10 million by the end of 2026, to increase our streaming revenue to €1 billion and to reach profitability in 2026.
Laurence Fishburne & Jacki Weaver To Star In ‘The Sterling Affairs’ FX Limited Series About Disgraced LA Clippers Owner
FX has given a formal green light to The Sterling Affairs, a six-episode limited series about the downfall of Los Angeles Clippers’ owner Donald Sterling amid the team’s drive to win a championship under coach Doc Rivers. Oscar-nominated actors Jacki Weaver and Laurence Fishburne have been tapped as two of the leads in the project, Donald Sterling’s wife, Shelly Sterling, and former Clippers Head Coach Doc Rivers, respectively. Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson’s Color Force (American Crime Story, Pose) is producing.
Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Names Eric Kops Head Of Global Communications & Earned Media
Eric Kops has been elevated to the new role of Lionsgate’s Head of Global Communications & Earned Media in the conglom’s motion picture division.
Lionsgate Names Eric Kops as Head of Global Comms for Motion Picture Group
Liston was promoted to lead the Global Marketing department last year. She previously held the job and Kops will report to Liston.“Eric could not be more respected for his creativity, intelligence, experience, and leadership skills, which made him the perfect choice to head up the department,” Liston said in a statement.
Omar Apollo shares new Pharrell Williams-produced track, ‘Tamagotchi’
Omar Apollo has shared a new track produced by Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo – check out ‘Tamagotchi’ below.Released today (March 24), trio recorded the track in Miami last year and it serves as the latest single to arrive from Apollo’s upcoming album, ‘Ivory’.The 16-track album is slated to release on April 8 via Warner Records and will include previously released singles ‘Go Away’ and ‘Bad Life’ featuring Kali Uchis.The album will also include recently released single ‘Invincible’ featuring fellow singer-songwriter Daniel Caesar.Listen to the new track here:Apollo first released ‘Go Away’ in July 2021, followed by ‘Bad Life’ with Kali Uchis in November. The latter track marked the second time that Uchis and Apollo have collaborated together, following ‘Hey Boy’ from Apollo’s 2020 project, ‘Apolonio’.‘Apolonio’ garnered a four-star rating from NME, who commented that the record “aches with unrequited feelings but, musically, sets the young star up as the new master of steamy bedroom jams”.Besides the album announcement and music video for ‘Invincible’, Omar Apollo has also announced the Desvelado tour, which kicks off in the United States in April.
Top Execs From Fremantle, Beta, Arte, Mediaset Say Cross-Border Collaboration in Europe Is Their ‘Best Weapon’
Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentAs the U.S. streamers become a bigger part of the European industry landscape, production companies are starting to intensify collaborations across EU borders to make high-end shows, which is vital to keeping the ecosystem healthy.That was the main takeaway of a Series Mania panel on collaborating across borders that also looked at the ongoing battle between European TV producers and the streaming giants over terms of trade that is prompting more co-productions as an alternative model.Jens Richter, Fremantle’s international CEO, pointed out that the streamers coming to Europe is “a threat on the one hand” –– because they tend to impose a Hollywood studio model where they get perpetual rights in return for full-financing plus a fee, leaving no IP with the producer –– “and also it’s a huge opportunity.” On the positive side Richter cited how streamers are allowing European dramas to make major inroads into the U.S., even when they are not in English, citing Fremantle’s Danish drama “The Investigation,” which plays on HBO.
Regal Owner Cineworld Reports 2021 Improvement As Revenues Rise & Losses Narrow
Refresh for latest…: Cineworld Group, the world’s second-largest exhibitor and owner of Regal in the U.S., saw significant improvement in 2021 versus 2020, as revenues rose by nearly 112% to $1.805 billion, the company said this morning as it reported full-year results in London. Operating profit also rebounded, reaching $15.8 million, up from a 2020 loss of $2.258 billion. The group overall recorded a $708.3 million pre-tax loss across the Covid-impacted year in which cinemas were closed for most of the first half. This was a substantial improvement on the 2020 loss of just over $3 billion.
Exclusive private members club with a rooftop POOL to open - and the owner is feeling 'nervous'
Soho House owner Nick Jones has admitted that he’s nervous about opening up the Manchester branch of the private members club. The club, which it’s hoped will be open by the end of the year and will bring 150 jobs to the city, is currently under construction in the old Granada TV studios building.
Omar Apollo gets deep in his feelings on “Killing Me”
Omar Apollo is nearing the end of a busy release cycle for his sophomore LP. IVORY drops April 8 via Warner Records and boasts a tracklist nearly twice as long as any of the Mexican-American crooner's previous projects.
Sunny Balwani’s Net Worth Reveals If He’s Richer Than Elizabeth Holmes—Here’s How Much He Makes Now
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Fremantle Acquires 25% Stake In ‘Bosch’ Producer Fabel Entertainment
Fremantle has acquired a 25% stake in Henrik Bastin’s Fabel Entertainment, the international development and production outfit behind Prime Video’s cop drama series Bosch.