Top News
* Apple Inc.'s Chief Design Officer Jony Ive has again assumed oversight of the company's design teams after working on other projects for two years, Reuters reports, citing a company spokeswoman. Ive had reportedly moved away from the design team to focus on the company's new Apple Park headquarters in Cupertino, Calif., which is now complete, and Apple's new retail stores.
* Apple is nearing a deal to buy music recognition app Shazam, TechCrunch reports, citing unnamed sources. One of TechCrunch's sources said the deal price is in nine figures, while another said Apple is paying about $401 million for the company. The deal is expected to be signed this week, with an announcement scheduled for Dec. 11, according to the report.
* Investors considered M&A deals among TV networks and theater stocks, as well as a high-profile executive shakeup, as broad markets slumped and rebounded and some companies made headlines during the week ended Dec. 8.
* Walt Disney Co. and 21st Century Fox Inc. have hired bankers to work on a potential deal that could see Disney acquiring Fox's film and TV studios along with other content assets, Variety reports, citing a source close to the matter. Disney is working with a group that includes JPMorgan and Guggenheim Partners, while Fox has tapped Goldman Sachs and Centerview.
TV Networks
* Fox CEO James Murdoch and Co-Executive Chairs Rupert Murdoch and Lachlan Murdoch sent an email to staffers to "address" the headlines about the company's talks with other companies about a potential transaction, Multichannel News reports. While declining to comment on market speculation, the Murdochs assured the staffers that the "focus is on our businesses and on the welfare of all our colleagues."
* Univision Communications Inc. renewed its distribution deal with Frontier Communications Corp. for flagship networks and local market stations serving Hispanic America, the company said. Frontier will continue to carry Univision networks across the telco's FiOS and Vantage markets.
Film
* Disney's "Coco" continued to lead the domestic box office with $18.3 million for the Dec. 10 weekend, followed by Warner Bros.' "Justice League" at No. 2 with $9.6 million and Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.'s "Wonder" at the third spot with $8.4 million, according to comScore Inc. A24's "The Disaster Artist" took the fourth spot with $6.4 million, while Disney's "Thor: Ragnarok" was No. 5 with $6.3 million.
Internet & OTT
* Jessica Verrilli, head of corporate development and strategy at Twitter Inc., is leaving the company at the end of 2017, Recode reports, citing a series of tweets by the outgoing executive. Verrilli also oversaw mergers and acquisitions for Twitter.
Technology
* Uber Technologies Inc. reached a settlement with a woman who accused the company's executives of obtaining her medical records after she accused an Uber driver of raping her in Delhi, TechCrunch.com reports. While details were not disclosed, the case is expected to be dismissed on or around January 2018.
The day ahead
Early morning futures indicators pointed to a higher opening for the U.S. market.
In Asia, the Hang Seng was up 1.14% to 28,965.29. The Nikkei 225 added 0.56% to 22,938.73. In Europe as of midday, the FTSE 100 climbed 0.41% to 7,424.24, and the Euronext 100 slid 0.12% to 1,044.22.
On the macro front
The U.S. Department of Labor's JOLTS report is due out today.
Featured news
The Daily Dose Europe: Investment firm nears eir deal; Vodafone Malta, Melita merger scrapped: Xavier Niel's telecom investment firm NJJ Capital SAS is close to sealing a deal to buy Irish operator eir, while Vodafone Malta and Melita plc's respective owners have decided to drop a proposed merger between the two companies.
Netflix adds more Asian content offerings; HBO launching 5 originals in Asia: Netflix Inc. is further ramping up its Asian content offerings, while HBO (US) unveiled five new original productions in Asia.
The Daily Dose Asia-Pacific: Tencent, Spotify confirm stock swap; China Telecom to break Philippines duopoly: Spotify AB and Tencent Music Entertainment Group agreed to buy equity stakes in each other, while state-run China Telecom Corp. Ltd. may become the Philippines' third telco.
The Best Of: Media & Comm, editor's picks: Vue's dynamic ads; box office's wait for Star Wars: Stories about PlayStation Vue serving dynamic ads and audiences waiting for a "Star Wars" Christmas are among the media and communications editor's top five picks for the week ended Dec. 8.
The Best Of: Media & Comm, most read: Netflix's near-term programming plans; DISH CEO change: Stories about Netflix's near-term programming plans and Charlie Ergen stepping down as CEO of DISH Network Corp. are included in the most read stories for the week ended Dec. 8.
Data Dispatch: 'Coco' charms again as sleepy box office waits for 'Star Wars': Theaters will host one featherweight debut flick over the weekend of Dec. 8 as audiences gear up for a Star Wars Christmas.
Featured research
Economics of TV & Film: Viacom's filmed entertainment arm still has an operating loss, but improving: Viacom Inc. released its latest financial results on Nov. 16, and its filmed entertainment segment continued to have a significant growth in revenue when compared to 2016, but costs are also rising.
Global Multichannel: Improving affordability, pay DTT rollouts boosting Africa's multichannel market: With TV households increasing at a 4.2% CAGR from 2016 to 2026, Africa is the fastest-growing regional TV market, which, coupled with low multichannel penetration, presents strong investment opportunities in the media sector.
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