IT’S OFFICIAL: SKYFALL SETS BOND RECORD

While all eyes were focused on The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 2 to see whether it would break box-office records (it didn’t; see separate item), Skyfall, the 23rd James Bond blockbuster, was continuing to rack up huge profits overseas, where, in its fourth week, it grossed an additional $49.6 million to bring its […]

DISNEY RECORDS ITS BEST QUARTER EVER

The Walt Disney Co. said that it had recorded “the largest quarterly earnings in this history of or company” with net income rising to $1.83 billion during its third quarter, versus $1.48 billion during the comparable quarter a year ago. The company particularly credited box-office results for The Avengers, which took in $1.5 billion at […]

NO. 3 THEATER CHAIN REPORTS 28 PERCENT BOOST IN PROFITS

Cinemark Holdings, which operates the third-largest movie chain in the U.S. and is moving rapidly to raise its profile abroad, reported a 28-percent boost in earnings during the second quarter to $51.6 million on revenue of $649.6 million. Domestic business was up fractionally. Revenue from admissions rose 3 percent as attendance improved 4.1 percent and […]

GIANT SCREENS GENERATE GIANT PROFITS

IMAX today (Tuesday) reported earnings that were as big as its screens. Ticket sales at its venues during its second quarter rose to $96.5 million, up a whopping 197 percent from the $32.5 million that it reported for the same quarter of last year. What seems even more remarkable is its report that for the […]

VIACOM REPORTS KILLER QUARTER

Far exceeding analysts’ expectations, earnings at Viacom, whose assets include Paramount Studios, MTV, Nickelodeon, BET, and Comedy Central, rose 56 percent in its second quarter to $585 million versus $376 million during the comparable period a year ago. The solid results came despite the lackluster performance of most of its Paramount releases and ratings softness […]

SONY CHIEF SAYS ITS TV FUTURE IS CRYSTAL CLEAR

Sony’s new chief, Kazuo Hirai, has expressed confidence that the company’s TV business can be turned around and made profitable again. Speaking to reporters in Tokyo today (Thursday), Hirai said that the company will streamline its TV operations — eliminating some 10,000 jobs — and focus on developing the crystal clear OLED and Crystal LED […]

EVEN NBC’S BOSS HAS DOUBTS ABOUT SMASH

NBCUniversal CEO Steve Burke has described as “problematic” the future of NBC’s expensive new entry, Smash. Speaking during a conference call with analysts and reporters on Tuesday, Burke expressed confidence the The Voice would retain its momentum and become one of the network’s biggest hits this season, but then remarked, “I think Smash is more […]

VIACOM’S PROFITS NOSEDIVE

Viacom, whose media companies include Nickelodeon and the MTV and Turner cable channels as well as Paramount Pictures, said today (Thursday) that its profit plunged 65 percent in the last quarter, attributing the fall to a one-time $379-million charge to cover an arbitration award to shareholders of “Rock Band” videogame maker Harmonix. Excluding the Harmonix […]

SONY’S PROFITS DROWN IN THAI FLOODS

Last fall’s devastating floods in Thailand played havoc with Sony’s ability to fulfill orders and were largely responsible for the company’s $2.04-billion net loss in its last quarter, CFO Masaru Kato said in a conference call today (Thursday). “Several production facilities in Thailand suffered direct damage during the floods and supply chains across the region […]

PARAMOUNT AT BOX-OFFICE PEAK

For the first time in more than a decade, Paramount Pictures is ending the year as the box office champion. The strong showing of Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, which took in $46.2 million over the Christmas holiday pushed Paramount’s receipts over the top to $1.86 billion for the year (as of Dec. 25). That put […]

Next Page »