Top News
* Amazon.com Inc. acquired GameSparks, a cloud-based platform for games developers, for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition will allow GameSparks to continue to grow the service, and explore new ways to help developers build, operate, and monetize games, the company noted in a post on its website.
* Walt Disney Co. named James Pitaro president of ESPN Inc. and co-chair of Disney Media Networks. Pitaro succeeded former ESPN President John Skipper, who resigned in December 2017 after acknowledging a substance addiction. Pitaro has been serving Disney as chairman of Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media since 2016, the company said.
* Restaurant discovery platform the Infatuation agreed to buy Zagat, a restaurant review brand, from Alphabet Inc.'s Google Inc. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. The Infatuation and Zagat will operate as two separate brands, with individual platforms, according to a news release.
* The U.S. House of Representatives plans to vote on a bipartisan legislative package that would both reauthorize the FCC in terms of funding and procedure, and would also resolve several outstanding issues in the media and communications space. The legislation, the Repack Airwaves Yielding Better Access for Users of Modern Services Act, or RAY BAUM'S Act, includes appropriations for the FCC, allocating $333.1 million for fiscal year 2019 and $339.6 million for fiscal year 2020.
Internet & OTT
* Former Pinterest Inc. executive Mike Bidgoli and former BuzzFeed Studios head Matthew Henick are joining Facebook Inc.'s video content units. Bidgoli will head the Facebook Watch product team, while Henick, who had worked at Pinterest for about two years, will lead the social media company's global video content strategy and planning unit, according to the executives' respective announcements.
Multichannel
* Frontier Communications Corp. named Rob Curtis senior vice president and chief marketing officer of the company. Curtis previously served as a partner at Bain & Co., the company said.
* News Corp. and Telstra Corp. Ltd. agreed to merge FOXTEL and FOX SPORTS Australia Pty. Ltd. into a new company. News Corp. will own 65% of the merged entity, while Australian telco Telstra will hold the remaining 35%, according to an SEC filing.
TV Networks
* Broadcast and cable networks are looking to increase their prime-time takes for a third straight upfront season. But several big factors will no doubt impact the upcoming upfront negotiations.
* 21st Century Fox Inc.'s Twentieth Century Fox Television Distribution secured licensing deals for its scripted drama series "9-1-1" in more than 100 countries, Broadcasting & Cable reports, citing an official statement. The series has been licensed in countries across North America, Europe, Asia and Central and Latin America.
* Fox signed a new overall deal with Tim Minear, showrunner on FOX (US) drama "9-1-1" and executive producer on "American Horror Story," according to a report by Broadcasting & Cable. Minear was also reportedly a showrunner on FX Network (US)'s "Feud: Bette and Joan."
Technology
* Apple Inc. is working to introduce a cheaper version of MacBook Air, the New York Post reports, citing a research note by KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. The new MacBook Air could be unveiled at the company's WWDC event in June, Kuo said.
The day ahead
Early morning futures indicators pointed to a higher opening for the U.S. market.
In Asia, the Hang Seng rose 2.09% to 30,510.73, while the Nikkei 225 climbed 1.79% to 21,417.76.
In Europe, around midday, the FTSE 100 gained 0.94% to 7,182.87 and the Euronext 100 rose 0.83% to 1,014.58.
On the macro front
The Redbook and the factory orders report are due out today.
Featured news
The Daily Dose Europe: Fintur sells stake in Azerbaijan telco; hedge fund building Telecom Italia stake: Telia Co. AB and Turkcell-owned Fintur Holdings B.V. is selling its 51.3% stake in Azerbaijan operator Azertel Telekomünikasyon Yatirim ve Dis Ticaret A.S. to AzInTelecom LLC, while activist hedge fund Elliott Management Corp. is building a stake in Telecom Italia in a bid to introduce changes in the company.
The Daily Dose Asia-Pacific: News Corp., Telstra agree to Foxtel-Fox Sports merger; Go-Jek mulls IPO: News Corp. and Telstra have signed definitive agreements to combine Foxtel and FOX SPORTS Australia, while PT Go-Jek Indonesia is considering a domestic IPO.
The week in OTT: AMC, fuboTV ink distribution deal; EPIX mulls video service: AMC Networks Inc. reached a distribution agreement with fuboTV, while EPIX (US) is planning to launch a direct-to-consumer video subscription service.
M&A Replay: European deals: Comcast offers £22B for Sky; Cineworld completes Regal deal: Cable giant Comcast Corp. has challenged 21st Century Fox's bid for pay TV giant Sky plc with its own £22 billion offer, while British cinema operator Cineworld Group plc completed the acquisition of its U.S. peer Regal Entertainment Group.
M&A Replay: Cineworld closes Regal deal; Straight Path, Verizon complete merger: S&P Global Market Intelligence provides a wrap-up of U.S. companies' media and communications deal announcements and completions from Feb. 26 to March 2.
Aircel files for bankruptcy; Australian regulator probes Facebook, Google: As expected, embattled Aircel Ltd. and its two units filed for bankruptcy, while Australia's competition watchdog outlined the focus of its investigation on digital platforms like Facebook and Google.
Featured research
Economics of Networks: Oscars broadcast sees declining rating but rising advertising dollars: Although viewership dropped by 19% to an all-time low, the March 4 telecast of the 90th Academy Awards hit some highs at $2.05 million per 30-second advertising spot and with total revenues estimated at $125 million.
Economics of Advertising: FOX Sports Ohio completes 4-peat in January RSN prime-time ratings: FOX Sports Ohio (US) (in Cleveland-Akron-Canton) scored the highest RSN prime-time rating in January with a 1.75. This marks its fourth year in a row leading January's ratings.
Economics of Internet: Cable news nets shine on desktop in Q4'17 as other genres show promise on mobile: Online content video viewing varied for top-performing cable network entities in the fourth quarter of 2017, but most still measured a majority of combined minutes viewed coming from desktops, according to comScore Video Metrix data.
The Best Of: Kagan research and analysis, editor's picks: Presenting the editor's top picks from Kagan's exclusive research and analysis for the week ended March 2.
Global Multichannel: QVC's international revenue climbs 11% in Q4'17: QVC Inc.'s group of international networks in Japan, the U.K., Germany, Italy and France ended 2017 on a high note, as reported by parent company Liberty Interactive Corp. during its final earnings call.
Global Multichannel: Discovery claims successful coverage of 2018 Winter Olympic Games in Europe: With record-high viewership across multiple platforms, Discovery Communications Inc. is reaping the benefits of holding the Olympics' European media rights.
Economics of Internet: OTT viewing delivers big digital ad boost for broadcasters in 2017: Gauging digital video ad viewing for major U.S. broadcast networks across all platforms continues to be challenging but what data is available suggests that networks are likely seeing the most viewing on connected devices, smart TVs, gaming consoles.
Economics of Networks: Post-DOJ merger approval, Discovery and Scripps gear up for future together: The companies' fourth-quarter earnings provide a diptych view of the state of the cable network industry.
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