Business of Media
Spotify results beat expectations, shuts down Car Thing
Spotify reported second-quarter revenue above analysts’ estimates on Wednesday helped by a 14% jump in paying subscribers, and forecast an upbeat current quarter although it will stop production of its dashboard accessory, Car Thing, reports Reuters’ Supantha Mukherjee.
The company’s shares rose 5% in premarket trading.
Its monthly active users rose almost a fifth to 433 million, above expectations of 428 million, and are seen reaching 450 million in the third quarter.
Car Thing, a dashboard-mounted voice-controlled streaming device, launched in April last year before a wider rollout. Priced at $89.99, the device is currently discounted to $49.99.
At this price point and with increasing supply chain issues, the company could not achieve an attractive economic profile, Chief Executive Daniel Ek said in an interview.
Universal Music earnings rise, helped by BTS and Olivia Rodrigo
Universal Music Group reported higher revenue and earnings for its second quarter on Wednesday amid growth across its businesses, including its recorded music unit, which benefited from releases from the likes of BTS and Olivia Rodrigo, reports The Hollywood Reporter’s Georg Szalai.
The music major, led by chairman and CEO Lucian Grainge, was spun off by French telecom and media conglomerate Vivendi, which retained a stake of about 10 percent, last fall.
Given high inflation and worries about an economic slowdown, management was asked about the macro-economic challenges during the quarterly earnings conference call and whether it plans to take any measures to control costs as a result. “Music has been proven to be extremely resilient in economic downturns,” Grainge replied. “I have been through about four of them.”
Agencies
DrawHistory and B Lab AANZ partner to launch “Purpose in Progress” survey
DrawHistory and B Lab Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand (B Lab AANZ) have partnered to launch its inaugural “Purpose in Progress” survey.
The survey is designed to be a pulse check on the sentiment of people towards work and purpose since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The annual survey, by the social impact agency and Certified B Corporation movement, is the first of its kind and specifically focuses on people aged between 20 to 40, Millennials and Gen Z, who comprise much of today’s workforce.
It’s designed to assess shifts in their sentiment on what they consider to be their purpose and how it impacts their work and life, and offer progressive workplaces with insights on what current and prospective employees are thinking and feeling.
The survey aims to secure 2,000 respondents from the region each year in countries such as Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and the Philippines, with qualitative and quantitative insights to share online.
Kantar Australia appoints new head of innovation and product development
Data and evidence-based agency, Kantar Australia has announced the promotion of Carla Bonifacio to head of innovation and product development.
Bonifacio was promoted from her former role as director, sensory.
Based in Melbourne, Bonifacio brings over 15 years of research experience in food, beverages, FMCG, retail and building business capabilities including working agency-side for Nielsen and Colmar Brunton, and in-house for Schweppes and Mattel.
AnalogFolk appoints new senior creative leaders as ECD Richard Morgan departs
AnalogFolk has announced new appointments to its senior creative leadership team as executive creative director Richard Morgan steps down from the role after three-and-a-half years.
Taking over the independent creative agency’s leadership are Naomi Martin and Catherine Tubb as joint creative directors.
The former associate creative directors have both worked closely with Morgan on a number of campaigns.
Television
A Current Affair reporter involved in an incident with former AFL player agent Ricky Nixon
Channel Nine reporter Seb Costello has been involved in an altercation with former AFL player agent Ricky Nixon and described how “his elbow made contact with my jaw” moments before the journalist went live on air to do a radio interview, reports News Corp’s Sophie Elsworth.
Costello, a Melbourne-based journalist at Nine’s A Current Affair program, was doing a live cross with 3AW afternoons host Dee Dee Dunleavy on Wednesday afternoon when he spoke of the alleged incident that took place between the pair moments earlier.
He said there was vision from the altercation and it would be provided to Victoria Police – Channel Seven have since released vision from the incident.
Love Island draws 1,500 complaints to Ofcom over alleged misogyny
Love Island UK viewers have made 1,509 complaints to the media regulator, Ofcom, over allegedly misogynistic behaviour by male contestants towards their female counterparts, reports The Guardian’s Jim Waterson.
Viewers were upset by a “snog, marry, pie” challenge, in which the show’s participants revealed who they would kiss, marry or hit in the face with a cream pie. The dancer and model Tasha Ghouri was left in tears over comments that Dami Hope and Luca Bish made before delivering a pie to her face.
The show has faced continued scrutiny for how it treats participants and looks after their mental health, with ITV dialling down some of its more extreme elements. Women’s Aid has already confirmed it is in talks with ITV after viewers expressed concern over “misogyny and controlling behaviour” on the show.
Netflix’s password crackdown trial has a hidden sting
It’s a good thing Netflix is still in trials over how its password sharing crackdown will work because there’s one aspect in its latest proposals that will trip up a lot of its straight-and-narrow customers, reports News Corp’s Wenlei Ma.
From August, the streaming service will roll out the second format of its move to charge subscribers an extra amount for sharing their password, and one of the details will end up slugging some customers who are already doing the correct thing.
The first test it ran was in Peru, Costa Rica and Chile and it charged users to add extra members to their accounts who were outside of their residence.
The next format it’s trialling will be in Argentina, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras and it’s predicated on “adding a home” to an existing account.
Under this proposal, your Netflix account isn’t just locked to the subscriber but to the subscriber’s primary residence. This means you can’t use your own login details at, for example, a holiday home.
Alan Fletcher says final days of Neighbours a ‘fitting end’ to 37-year show
Neighbours veteran Alan Fletcher has lifted the lid on the emotional final day of filming, describing it as a true celebration, reports News Corp’s Jackie Epstein.
Fletcher, who has played Dr Karl Kennedy since 1994, said he and on-screen wife Jackie Woodburne addressed the cast.
“I did (cry) on the last day, it was really tough,” Fletcher said.
“I had a terrible headache because I had to sit on top of all this emotion. I had to get through the day, make sure I don’t blow any lines, bottle up the emotion and focus on the celebration.
“Then when they said ‘it’s a wrap’ there were some speeches and Jackie and I said a word and that’s when some tears were shed.
“I think everyone worked their way through and focused so heavily on making sure it was a real celebration.”
Farewell to Neighbours: “With 28 years of working together, it is like a marriage.”
Over 28 years Jackie Woodburne and Alan Fletcher grew to embody the heart and soul of Ramsay Street. Susan and Karl Kennedy were soulmates, devoted parents, fallible partners, wise guardians and mentors, reports TV Tonight.
Woodburne and Fletcher were also drama virtuosos. Scenes between the pair were often described as ‘one take wonders’ because the chemistry between the two, so evident to viewers, meant each could read the other in the moment.
“There was the trust. The dynamic was perfect from day one,” Jackie Woodburne tells TV Tonight.
“We get each other, and with 28 years of working together, it is like a marriage.
“We saw each other on our best days and on our worst days, and we loved each other through it all, so the work never suffered.”
Sports Media
Fox wants own commentators for all AFL games, not Seven’s
Foxtel is seeking to use its own commentary team for all nine AFL games per round, rather than having to use Seven’s live call of the free-to-air games, reports Nine Publishing’s Jake Niall.
Industry sources said Foxtel, which is trying to retain the broadcast rights for the AFL beyond 2024, wants to replace Seven’s commentators with the callers and special comments team from Fox Footy.
And, in another key bid by the pay broadcaster of the AFL, Foxtel also is seeking to have a “Super Saturday” in which it has the rights to the whole of Saturday in the home-and-away rounds, without any games broadcast via free to air on that day.
England’s Euro 2022 win over Sweden draws peak TV audience of 9.3 million
England’s Euro 2022 semi-final triumph over Sweden attracted a peak audience of 9.3 million viewers on BBC One, making it among the most-watched television broadcasts of the year, reports The Guardian’s Jim Waterson.
The figures do not include the many viewers who will have watched using the BBC’s online streams, or in public spaces such as pubs or fanzones. The audience were rewarded with a comprehensive 4-0 victory at Bramall Lane, featuring Alessia Russo back-heeling the ball into Sweden’s goal.
International women’s football is now a consistent ratings winner, leaving other sports envious of the enormous interest it is attracting. By comparison, the BBC’s live coverage of the world athletics championships peaked at 1.3 million on Saturday, while this month’s Twenty20 international cricket match between India and England attracted a peak audience of 980,000, despite being free to watch on BBC Two.