Domestic box office could top $10 billion in 2026, thanks to Disney

LOS ANGELES — A push toward streaming, a pandemic and two Hollywood labor strikes have upended the theatrical industry, dragging on annual box-office hauls. While 2024 and 2025 boast franchise-rich movie slates, Wall Street doesn’t expect ticket sales to top $10 billion domestically until 2026. The domestic box office has not hit that benchmark since … Read more

Studios rethink streaming strategy amid Wall Street profitability push

Bebe Wood, Renee Rapp and Avantika Vandanapu star as The Plastics in the 2024 adaptation of “Mean Girls.” Paramount Paramount is making a habit of greenlighting low- to mid-budget films for its streaming service, only to about-face and send them to theaters first. As the media company and its rivals try to claw their way … Read more

Six Flags’ future in a Disney, Universal dominated theme park world

Guests ride a rollercoaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain theme park in Valencia, California, US, on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023. Eric Thayer | Bloomberg | Getty Images The theme park business, like many others, is consolidating and changing along with consumer habits. In the wake of Covid-19, and as consumers more carefully choose where they’re … Read more

Why kids streaming content is vital to subscriber growth

Tinky-Winky, Laa-Laa, Dipsy and Po pose for a photo as the Teletubbies celebrate their 25th anniversary with the Lighting of the Iconic Empire State Building on April 26, 2022 in New York City. John Lamparski | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images “Tinky Winky. Dipsy. Laa-Laa. Po!” Those four names, the iconic sing-song intro to … Read more

Comcast (CMCSA) earnings Q4 2023

Omar Marques | Lightrocket | Getty Images Comcast topped both revenue and profit estimates in the fourth quarter as it lost fewer broadband subscribers than expected, and it raised its dividend 7%, the company said Thursday. Here’s how Comcast performed, compared with estimates from analysts surveyed by LSEG, formerly known as Refinitiv. Earnings per share: 84 … Read more

David Ellison’s Skydance Media explores buying Paramount Global

Shari Redstone, president of National Amusements and Vice Chairman, CBS and Viacom speaks at the WSJTECH live conference in Laguna Beach, California, U.S. October 21, 2019.  Mike Blake | Reuters David Ellison’s Skydance Media and its financial backers are exploring a deal to take private all of Paramount Global, people familiar with the matter told … Read more

‘Barbie’, ‘Oppenheimer’ biggest best picture box office

Movie posters for “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” are pictured outside the Cinemark Somerdale 16 and XD in Somerdale, New Jersey, in 2023. Hannah Beier | The Washington Post | Getty Images “Barbenheimer” strikes again. It’s no surprise that Warner Bros.’ “Barbie” and Universal’s “Oppenheimer” were among the 10 best picture nominees announced Tuesday for this year’s … Read more

Meta’s retreat from news accelerated in 2023, leaving media scrambling

Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, testifies remotely as Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., watches during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing “Breaking the News: Censorship, Suppression, and the 2020 Election,” in Washington, Nov. 17, 2020. Bill Clark | Reuters Mother Jones CEO Monika Bauerlein has had a front-row seat in recent years to watch Facebook upend the … Read more

The S&P 500 tops a record high that ‘clears the charts’ of resistance

The S & P 500 surged to a new all-time high on Friday, confirming the stock market is in a bull market and suggesting the rally has further to go in 2024, ahead of a big week of earnings and inflation data. The S & P 500 rallied more than 1% on Friday, above both … Read more

What Wall Street wants to see from Hollywood in 2024

Picture Alliance | Picture Alliance | Getty Images It’s the third act of the streaming wars. That’s the time a hero, seemingly beaten and broken, rises up and saves the day. But Wall Street is worried that hero may never come for Hollywood. Legacy media companies including Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, Comcast and Paramount Global … Read more