At NAB Show, An Anxious Hunt For Efficiencies
Comcast Edges Wall Street Q1 Estimates; Peacock Reaches 34M Subs
Comcast reported first quarter results that outpaced Wall Street expectations, with Peacock reaching 34 million subscribers but posting higher programming costs. Total revenue inched up 1% to $30.1 billion, with adjusted earnings per share coming in at $1.04, up from 92 cents in the year-ago period. The Media division, which includes Peacock, reported a nearly 4% gain in revenue, to $6.4 billion. But higher operating expenses, notably higher programming expenses at Peacock, contributed to wider losses. Adjusted EBITDA, a key measure of profitability, fell 6% to $827 million.
Meta More Than Doubles Q1 Profit But Revenue Guidance Pulls Shares Down After-Hours
TelevisaUnivision Posts Q1 Loss But Projects Streaming Profits In Second Half Of 2024
Continued investment in streaming contributed to a first-quarter loss for Spanish-language media giant TelevisaUnivision, which is seeing the bulk of its growth come from its Mexican operations while U.S. revenue stays flat with year-earlier results. Revenue during the quarter improved 7%, to $1.1 billion. Revenue from Mexican operations rose 23%, to $409 million. But revenue from U.S. businesses — a bigger part of the company’s overall financial results — stayed flat at $740 million, despite a first-quarter airing of a Spanish-only version of the 2024 Super Bowl on Univision.
Vantage Points: Broadcast TV Sales Is Broken
The actor’s April 13 episode, which also featured musical guest Chris Stapleton, drew 8.9 million viewers after seven days, according to NBCUniversal. In the 18-49 demo, the episode is up to a 2.0 rating. That’s the show’s largest seven-day audience since Billie Eilish hosted in December 2021, and it’s the best demo performance since Dave Chappelle’s last hosting gig in November 2022.
The parent company for The Enquirer, the tabloid now famous for its ties to former President Donald Trump, has tried repeatedly to sell the publication. It hasn’t been easy. (Mary Altaffer/AP)