Latest news with #Media&Telecoms2025&BeyondConference
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Sky Content Chief Says 'We Had an Amazing Bubble' in Production
The state of U.K. TV production 'has been really tough, and anybody who's been in production these days would echo that,' Cécile Frot-Coutaz, the CEO of Sky Studios and chief content officer of Sky, owned by Comcast, told the Media & Telecoms 2025 & Beyond Conference in London on Tuesday. 'I think it's been tough for a number of reasons,' she shared at the event, organized by Deloitte and Enders Analysis, . 'Less has been commissioned, although I think if you look back over a period of 10 [or 15] years, I'm not sure there's less today…. So, you know, we had an amazing bubble. Everybody got used to the bubble, and obviously now we're sort of coming back down to volumes that are more akin to those that were experienced 15 years ago.' More from The Hollywood Reporter U.K. Culture Secretary Talks AI Regulation at London Media Conference Netflix EMEA Content Boss Touts 'Adolescence,' Debunks a "Myth," Talks Ted Sarandos' Acting Debut Paolo Sorrentino to Receive Sarajevo Film Festival Honor and Retrospective Also, 'there's been a funding issue, because the U.S. hasn't been co-producing British content nearly in the same way, or actually not at all, potentially,' the Sky top executive added. But she also had a silver lining to tout. 'What we're seeing is [that] Europe is actually coming into some shows. We've seen that on some of our own programming. So you have to be very entrepreneurial these days when looking at how to get things financed, unless you're a goal player like Netflix.' About Sky's content output strategy, she highlighted: 'We were never a volume player. So actually, what we've been doing has been very consistent and very steady, and because we're part of the Comcast group, we're able to be flexible on the funding model.' She concluded by predicting that 'looking forward, I think things will settle again. Hopefully, the U.S. will start to come back online.' She made the comments during a panel discussion that also featured Larry Tanz, vp, content, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) at Netflix, Sarah Rose, president of U.K. broadcaster Channel 5 and U.K. regional lead at Channel 5 owner Paramount Global, and Wayne Garvie, president of Sony Pictures Television. The panel discussed commissioning trends and industry opportunities and challenges. Tuesday's conference also featured top executives from the likes of the Walt Disney Co., U.K. public broadcaster BBC, streaming giant Netflix, and Comcast-owned Sky. Best of The Hollywood Reporter 'The Studio': 30 Famous Faces Who Play (a Version of) Themselves in the Hollywood-Based Series 22 of the Most Shocking Character Deaths in Television History A 'Star Wars' Timeline: All the Movies and TV Shows in the Franchise
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Netflix EMEA Content Boss Touts ‘Adolescence,' Debunks a 'Myth,' Talks Ted Sarandos' Acting Debut
Netflix is proudly commissioning U.K. programming with a focus on local audiences while being happy if they also end up traveling the world and becoming global hits, a top executive of the streamer told the Media & Telecoms 2025 & Beyond Conference in London, organized by Deloitte and Enders Analysis, on Tuesday. 'Maybe this is finally my chance [to debunk a] myth,' Larry Tanz, vp, content, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) at Netflix, told the event with a grin. 'I understand that there might be people who have an interest in saying we're commissioning for international audiences, but they all know it's just not true,' pointing to the likes of hit series Adolescence. 'We commission for the U.K. audience, first and foremost. So, we are absolutely focused on the local audience first and foremost, and that's our whole investment approach,' including in other markets. More from The Hollywood Reporter Paolo Sorrentino to Receive Sarajevo Film Festival Honor and Retrospective Disney+ Europe Exec on Why Free-to-Air Partners Are "Incredibly Important for Our Business" 'Lost in Starlight' Director Han Ji-won on Blending Romance and Sci-Fi for Netflix's Breakthrough Korean Animated Feature 'Am I happy and proud of Adolescence's success around the world? Yeah, of course,' he continued, challenging notions about Netflix's focus. 'But does it make it any less British? I just don't think so.' Tanz shared his behind-the-scenes insights on a panel with Cécile Frot-Coutaz, the CEO of Sky Studios and chief content officer of Sky, owned by Comcast, Sarah Rose, president of U.K. broadcaster Channel 5 and U.K. regional lead at Channel 5 owner Paramount Global, and Wayne Garvie, president of Sony Pictures Television. The panel discussed commissioning trends and industry opportunities and challenges. Asked about YouTube, Tanz on Tuesday called the Google video service 'a very worthy competitor' and a great place to discover talent. 'We are much better at helping them monetize,' he argued, though, highlighting differences between the two players, citing the likes of The Sidemen. Asked about competitors' shows that he likes, Tanz brought up Apple TV+ show The Studio, mentioning how his boss, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos, made his acting debut in it. 'It's quite an incredible performance,' he offered. Tuesday's conference also featured top executives from the likes of the Walt Disney Co., U.K. public broadcaster BBC, and Comcast-owned Sky and Sky of The Hollywood Reporter How the Warner Brothers Got Their Film Business Started Meet the World Builders: Hollywood's Top Physical Production Executives of 2023 Men in Blazers, Hollywood's Favorite Soccer Podcast, Aims for a Global Empire
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
'NATO for News': Is a Joint Effort by Media Companies the Way to Go in the Age of AI?
The impact of artificial intelligence, particularly generative AI, on the media and entertainment industries was a topic of debate at the Media & Telecoms 2025 & Beyond Conference in London on Tuesday. Organized by Deloitte and Enders Analysis, the event featured a panel entitled 'News and media in the AI age,' featuring panelists Anna Bateson, CEO of Guardian Media Group, Rich Caccappolo, CEO of DMG Media, Anna Jones CEO of the Telegraph Media Group, which has agreed to be acquired by RedBird, Jon Slade, the CEO of the Financial Times, and ITN CEO Rachel Corp. More from The Hollywood Reporter Netflix EMEA Content Boss Touts 'Adolescence,' Debunks a "Myth," Talks Ted Sarandos' Acting Debut Paolo Sorrentino to Receive Sarajevo Film Festival Honor and Retrospective Disney+ Europe Exec on Why Free-to-Air Partners Are "Incredibly Important for Our Business" Bateson emphasized that it was wrong to assume that a 'compromise' on existing copyright and intellectual property protections was needed to ensure technological innovation. Jones suggested media companies could 'collaborate on our own technology.' Corp echoed that, sharing: 'We want to protect our brands while working together.' Slade brought a comparison to an international defense alliance into play at that stage. 'Someone described it as a kind of NATO for news,' he said. 'At the moment, we're all spending an enormous amount of money, each incremental to last year's budget, in just trying to hold stuff back. So there's a good argument for a lot more collaboration around all aspects.' Meanwhile, 'we haven't signed any [AI] deals yet,' Caccappolo shared. 'We are ready. We are willing to do it.' But he emphasized that the terms have to be right and copyright has to be valued. Would he be up for a 'NATO for news'? 'I hadn't used that terms before, but that might be the thing that cracks open the dam,' he suggested. 'What I'm most interested in now is a way for us to prove that if AI companies work with us, we can help train their models faster, more efficiently, more accurately. And that's worth something, and that should be the catalyst.' The panelists on Tuesday also agreed that a proposed opt-out rule in the U.K. approach to AI, allowing AI companies to use copyrighted works unless the holder actively opts out, is not the right approach. Instead, they agreed that an opt-in approach should be used. The panel came after Lisa Nandy, U.K. Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport in the Labour Party government of Prime Minister Keir Starmer, promised the London media conference earlier in the day that the government was focused on a win-win approach to AI policies and regulation. 'We are determined to find a way forward that works for the creative industry and creators, as well as the tech industries,' she said. Later in the conference day, Vanessa Kingori, managing director of technology, media, and telecoms at Google, will also discuss AI. Tuesday's conference also featured top executives from the likes of the Walt Disney Co., the U.K. public broadcaster BBC, streaming giant Netflix, and Comcast-owned Sky and Sky Studios. Best of The Hollywood Reporter How the Warner Brothers Got Their Film Business Started Meet the World Builders: Hollywood's Top Physical Production Executives of 2023 Men in Blazers, Hollywood's Favorite Soccer Podcast, Aims for a Global Empire
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Sky CEO on the Need to Get AI Policies Right: 'It's Very Hard to Put the Genie Back in the Bottle'
Comcast-owned European pay-TV, media and telecom giant Sky's CEO Dana Strong told a London conference on Tuesday that getting AI policies and regulations right is key given the speed of technological change. During a fireside chat at Deloitte and Enders Analysis' Media & Telecoms 2025 & Beyond Conference, she said about Sky's approach to AI: 'We are thinking about AI as a cultural movement nside the organization.' She highlighted it should be seen as 'an amplification' of people's work inside Sky, touting a 'Dragon's Den of AI' within the company. More from The Hollywood Reporter Emma Thompson Set for Locarno Fest Leopard Club Award, 'The Dead of Winter' World Premiere 'The Real Housewives of London' Cast: Who's Starring in Glitzy Brit-Bound Installment? Pierce Brosnan Talks 'MobLand' Finale, James Bond and Who Sophie's Real Dad Is in 'Mamma Mia!' Sky is using AI 'quite prolifically' in the advertising department. In show creation, 'we use AI as first-generation tools,' such as language translation and post-production. 'We are in the early innings' in this space. And in sports, it will help provide a 'more bespoke' offering to viewers depending on their interest in angles and the like. Copyright protection is key, and a proposed opt-out rule in the U.K. approach to AI, allowing AI companies to use copyrighted works unless the holder actively opts out, is not the right approach, Strong said. 'It's very hard to put the genie back in the bottle, so we need to get it right now,' she said. Continuing to discuss the issue of copyright worries, she added: 'I can't fathom how a small producer keeps up.' The future of Warner Bros. Discovery's content partnership with Sky was not part of Tuesday's debate, even though that has been a popular industry conversation topic. given that WBD is planning to launch HBO Max in the U.K. in 2026 when the companies' previous output deal expires. The two companies previously reached a new distribution and bundling agreement that will see Sky subscribers get the advertising-supported version of HBO Max bundled at no extra cost. Sky users will also continue to get HBO shows, such as The Last of Us and House of the Dragon, on Sky Atlantic and on demand, with the deal covering series that air before the end of 2025. Last year, Strong had also appeared at the event, outlining Sky's sports strategy. That topic was also in focus this year. Asked about Sky's resilience in a tough market, Strong highlighted the role of technology, such as moving from satellite to newer delivery forms. 'I spend a lot of time internally talking about my passion for sport,' Strong said on Tuesday. 'We've been able to increase the volume of sport by 50 percent just in the last year, and so we're able to do 100 streams simultaneously. The volume of sport that we're able to give to customers and choice is very different than what it would have been 10 years ago.' Mentioning that Sky will soon have expanded English Premier League soccer rights, she concluded that 'given the level of disruption,' the focus of her team at Sky is always to 'believe in better' and continue to innovate. Asked about how Sky's own marketing and its advertising business are affected by technological change, Strong shared that automation and deeper localization are key focus areas for her. 'And it is much more social-driven than TV-driven,' she said about a key upcoming marketing campaign. Tuesday's conference also featured top executives from the likes of the Walt Disney Co., U.K. public broadcaster BBC, streaming giant Netflix, and Sky Studios. Best of The Hollywood Reporter How the Warner Brothers Got Their Film Business Started Meet the World Builders: Hollywood's Top Physical Production Executives of 2023 Men in Blazers, Hollywood's Favorite Soccer Podcast, Aims for a Global Empire Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Disney+ Europe Exec on Why Free-to-Air Partners Are 'Incredibly Important for Our Business'
'Audiences: What do they want and from where?' That was the question, and the title, of a panel session at the Media & Telecoms 2025 & Beyond Conference in London on Tuesday, organized by Deloitte and Enders Analysis. Tasked with providing answers were top executives from the Walt Disney Co., YouTube, and U.K. TV giant ITV. The panelists were Alison Lomax, managing director, YouTube U.K. & Ireland, Kevin Lygo, managing director, media & entertainment at ITV, and Karl Holmes, senior vp, direct to consumer & general manager, Disney+ at the Walt Disney Co. Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). More from The Hollywood Reporter 'Lost in Starlight' Director Han Ji-won on Blending Romance and Sci-Fi for Netflix's Breakthrough Korean Animated Feature BBC Boss Says "We Need to Protect Our National IP" and Need "Muscular Partnerships With Big U.S. Tech" Karlovy Vary Fest Sets Lineup, Competition Film From Iran to Be Unveiled Later for "Safety of its Makers" 'Across the markets we operate in Europe, the big free-to-air channels still aggregate the largest audiences, have the largest shows, and have the largest production budgets,' Holmes shared when asked if a U.S. giant like Disney has a role to play in nurturing linear channels in foreign markets. 'That's really important. We're also part of that. We operate linear channels in 28 markets across Europe, and they are an important and sustainable part of our business. How do we work with free-to-air? Because free-to-air [broadcasters] aggregate the largest audiences and have the largest production budgets, it's really important we do work with free-to-air. So we license content to free-to-air. We license content from free-to-airs. We have co-production agreements in place with most of the large free-to-air broadcasters across Europe.' He added: 'In Spain and in the Nordics, the paid VOD platforms actually sell Disney+. We're delighted that some of our best-performing original content comes from free-to-airs. We want to do more of this.' And paid streamers also offer Disney+ and its content. Concluded Holmes: 'The free-to-air partners are incredibly important for our business. We're part of the media ecosystem.' He also touted such hit Disney+ content as Shōgun and Rivals. Tuesday's conference also featured top executives from the likes of U.K. public broadcaster BBC, streaming giant Netflix, and Comcast-owned Sky and Sky Studios. Best of The Hollywood Reporter How the Warner Brothers Got Their Film Business Started Meet the World Builders: Hollywood's Top Physical Production Executives of 2023 Men in Blazers, Hollywood's Favorite Soccer Podcast, Aims for a Global Empire
