Newsletter 6th of November

NEWSLETTER

6 November 2024

Welcome back to Mediavision’s newsletter. These are the main topics this week:

  • Q3 reports from several major media companies
  • TV2 Play gives free access in exchange for fake news
  • Viaplay launches on Prime Video Channels in Germany

EARNINGS

The Q3 earnings season continues

 

Third-quarter reports from the media industry continue to roll in, with several major media companies posting their Q3 results this past week. Here are some of the highlights:

 

Amazon

  • Net sales for Amazon increased 11 percent to USD 158.9 billion in the third quarter, compared with USD 143.1 billion in third quarter 2023.
  • Advertising sales grew 19 percent YOY to USD 14.3 billion during the third quarter. Earlier this year, Amazon implemented ads on its streaming service Prime Video.
  • Net income increased to USD 15.3 billion in the third quarter, or USD 1.43 per diluted share, compared with USD 9.9 billion, or USD 0.94 per diluted share, in the third quarter 2023.
  • Amazon’s operating income during the third quarter grew 56 percent YOY to USD 17.4 billion, likely driven by Amazon’s focus on efficiency and continued cost-cutting. Amazon has cut more than 27,000 jobs since the beginning of 2022.

 

Apple

  • Apple posted quarterly revenue of USD 94.9 billion in Q3, up 6 percent compared to the same period last year.
  • Overall revenue for Apple’s most important product, the Iphone, grew 6 percent YOY. Iphone revenue accounts for nearly 49 percent of the company’s overall sales.
  • Apple reported USD 14.73 billion, or 97 cents per share, in net income during the quarter, versus USD 22.96 billion, or USD 1.47 per share, in the year-ago period.
  • During the quarter, Apple paid a one-time income tax charge of USD 10.2 billion to resolve a long-running case dating back to 2016 over how the company handled taxes in Ireland.

 

Meta

  • Total revenue for Meta was USD 40.59 billion, an increase of 19 percent YOY. Revenue on a constant currency basis would have increased 20 percent YOY.
  • Ad impressions delivered across all Meta apps increased by 7 percent YOY and average price per ad increased by 11 percent YOY.
  • Meta’s advertising revenue came in at USD 39.9 billion for the quarter, an increase of 18.7 percent YOY. Advertising accounted for 98.3 percent of Meta’s total revenue in the third quarter.
  • The company reported 3.29 billion daily active people on average for Q3 2024, an increase of 5 percent YOY, but below the 3.31 billion which was expected from Wall Street analysts.

 

Sanoma

  • For the third quarter, Sanoma reported sales was EUR 540 million compared to EUR 580.3 million a year ago.
  • Net sales of Media Finland declined 4 percent YOY to EUR 144.1 million, mainly due to recent small divestments.
  • The Group’s operational EBIT excl. PPA amounted to EUR 170.0 million, compared to EUR 179.4 million in Q3 2023.
  • Advertising sales for Media Finland were stable as lower sales in newsprint and TV advertising was offset by growth in digital. Subscription sales increased, especially driven by growth in SVOD service Ruutu+.

 

A few media companies are still left to report their Q3 earnings, stay tuned!

 

Nordic Media & Markets 

This analysis tracks the progress of individual and household payments per service and actor, as well as overall media expenditures. The primary focus is mapping out the allocation of expenditures across audio, video, text, and access.

 

Meta’s Threads now has more than 275m monthly active users

 

South Korea fines Meta over collection of user data

 

Meta to extend ban on new political ads after US election

 

OpenAI adds new search function to ChatGPT

 

SOCIAL MEDIA

TV2 gives free access in exchange for fake news

 

In connection with the presidential election in the US, TV2 Denmark has launched a new campaign called Fake News for Real News. The campaign encourages Danes to submit fake news content from social media platforms to TV2. In return for the submitted fake news, they receive a week of free access to TV2 Play, i.e. real news.

 

“The general goal of the campaign is to highlight the problem that, in the eyes of many—and especially the young—social media is perceived as a news platform. Together with the amount of misinformation out there, we are facing quite a big democratic issue. We want to give Danes a sense that news is something you get from credible, journalistic media,” says Kasper Adsbøll, Head of Corporate Brand & Responsibility at TV2 to Journalisten.

 

 

Adsbøll explains that the campaign also includes educational material for schools, where students can learn to spot misinformation and fake news. He emphasizes that the purpose of the campaign is not to generate more subscribers to TV 2 Play.

 

“It is not. If they stay, then that’s great. But with this initiative, we do not have any expectations of gaining a lot of new Play subscribers,” says Kasper Adsbøll.

 

The campaign will run until after the US election campaign and will be featured across TV 2’s own platforms and social media.

Insight Ad-funded Video

This report provides an in-depth analysis of the ad-funded online video market, including video viewing on social media platforms. It offers comprehensive insights and key metrics related to viewing habits, demographics, and the video ad market.

 

Disney+ launches top 10 List of movies and TV shows

 

Samsung TV Plus adds FAST Channels in Europe

 

Disney+ to leave Canal+ from 2025

 

Disney+ presents alternative fan commentary for its live football

STREAMING

Viaplay launches on Prime Video Channels in Germany

 

Viaplay has launched its Viaplay channel as an add-on subscription to Prime Video, via Prime Video Channels in Germany. Prime Video Channel subscribers can now access Viaplay’s offering of Scandinavian and European series and films.

 

Vanda Rapti, Viaplay Group EVP, comments: “Germany remains the strongest market for Nordic drama, outside of the Nordics, and our launch on Amazon Prime reinforces our commitment to maximise the value of our offering for the benefit of partners and viewers. Germany is an optimal market to showcase the upsides of combining multiple distribution avenues: traditional licensing and co-productions; a curated offering adjusted to our streaming partner’s needs with Viaplay Select; as well as the Viaplay subscription channel, a one stop shop for the very best in European and Nordic series and films which we are launching today on Prime Video Channels.”

 

Viaplay’s offering in Germany includes Nordic series and films, such as The Bridge, Gåsmamman, Furia, Wallander, and many more. The platform will also host three films from the Millennium/The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo franchise.

Insight Nordic TV & Streaming

This analysis covers both the TV- and streaming markets in the Nordic countries. It rests on three pillars: the consumers, the market, and the actors. Analyzing the consumers takes us far – but not all the way. Studying the actors and the market as a whole is just as important.

Mediavision in the News

Tiktok störst bland unga – det blir konsekvenserna – Expressen

 

Stadig flere velger strømming med reklame: – Lar seg ikke skremme – Kampanje

 

Strømming med reklame fortsetter å vokse kraftig i Norge – KOM24

 

TikTok has over 1 million daily viewers in Sweden – Broadband TV News

 

Tiktok har over én mio. daglige brugere i Sverige – Mediawatch

 

Growth in Sweden for podcasts and streaming – Podnews

 

Marie Nilsson: Social video på frammarsch – kan fördubbla dagens avod-marknad – Dagens Media

 

Report: Continued growth for streamed music in Sweden – Advanced Television

 

Piratforbrug af film, serier og sport steg med otte pct. i 2023 – Mediawatch

 

Mediavision’s Adrian Grande shares his takes on HVOD in the Nordics – Nordisk Film & TV Fond

 

Norge på topp på strømming, men globale aktører løper ifra – Medier24

 

Pirat-tv ökar i Norden: ”Sverige har en tradition” – Sveriges Radio

Industry Events

 

Stockholm Film Festival: 6-17th November, Stockholm, Sweden

 

* Mediavision will attend
** Mediavision will present