»
Viacom’s Q1 earnings soared 33 percent, to $270 million, thanks in part to strong sales of the Rock Band video game. Revenue rose 15 percent, to $3.12 billion.
At 44 cents a share, earnings were ahead of the 41 cents per share predicted by analysts polled by Thomson Financial, writes The New York Times.
In addition to strong sales of Rock Bank, the company gained 22 percent in home video revenues, which helped offset a decline of 7 percent at the box office. The movie business actually gained 12 percent in revenues, but the growth was overshadowed by a 7 percent rise in expenses.
Viacom recently announced a new pay cable channel and video-on-demand service that may - with its partnerships with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Lions Gate and its own Paramount Pictures - give HBO and Showtime a run for their money.
Initial interest in the new channel has been “very encouraging,” according to CEO Philippe Dauman. CFO Tom Dooley said Viacom’s total investment in the new channel is likely to be less than $100 million.
Viacom separated from sister company CBS Corp. two years ago. Both companies are still controlled by billionaire Sumner Redstone.
Vending machines filled with a “synthetic blood nourishment beverage” called Tru Blood have sold out - but vampire fans can get more of the bloody refreshment at events across the country promoting a new HBO drama.
The series True Blood,…
Total magazine rate-card-reported advertising revenue for the first half of 2008 closed at $11,554,569,406, down 3.1 percent compared with the first half of 2007, according to Publishers Information Bureau (PIB), Magazine Publishers of America reported (via MarketingCharts).
Ad pages during the first…
Internet coupons have become of increasing interest to consumers, with 11 percent of households now obtaining coupons via the internet - an increase of 83 percent since 2005 - according to (pdf) a recent analysis by Scarborough Research, reports MarketingCharts.
However, the…
AMC’s Mad Men snared 16 Emmy nominations, including best drama - the first time a basic cable series was nominated in the best-series category.
The show received the most nominations of all dramatic TV series. FX’s Damages also received a…
Vogue will follow the lives of three young women as they enter the world of top modeling, pulling video together for a web-based reality series called Model.Live. Clothing retailer Express LLC paid in the low seven figures to be the…
Antiperspirant manufacturer Mitchum is launching a promotion, kicked off in the Pacific Northwest this month, that offers consumers $1 coupons attached to hangers that come from dry cleaners.
This is the third time Mitchum has partnered with EcoHangers - a company…
