Showbiz Sandbox 219: The Business of Show Was Profitable In 2013

January 6, 2014

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Almost every sector of the entertainment industry saw record grosses during 2013. North American movie ticket sales reached a record $10.9 billion. Television audiences are tuning in to more shows than ever, especially sporting events. The top 20 concert tours made a whopping $2.43 billion. It all helped contribute to the bottom lines of many entertainment companies causing their stock prices to end the year on a high note.

The only category in which revenue declined was the music. Even sales of digital music declined for the first time since iTunes was launched back in 2003. Album sales were down 8.4% overall and some industry insiders concede this might be due to streaming services such as Pandora and Spotify.

And financial numbers aren’t the only ones increasing in entertainment. So are the sizes of televisions. They’re not only getting bigger, but the consumer electronics industry is pushing Ultra HD with 4K resolution, which is twice that of current HD televisions.

Of course, we also cover the week’s top entertainment news stories including the death of singer Phil Everly, the expansion and increased usage of UltraViolet and the manufactured controversy behind Martin Scorsese’s latest film, “The Wolf of Wall Street”.

Saul Zaentz, Legendary Hollywood Producer, Has Died
http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/saul-zaentz-legendary-hollywood-producer-has-died

Phil Everly of the Everly Brothers Dies at 74
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/posts/la-et-ms-phil-everly-of-the-everly-brothers-dies-at-74-20140103,0,2091176.story

‘Wolf of Wall Street’ Financiers Threaten Legal Action Over Article Alleging Corruption
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/wolf-wall-street-financiers-threaten-668550

China 2013 Box Office Surges 27 Percent to $3.6 Billion
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/china-2013-box-office-surges-668181

Studio Smackdown 2013: Warner Bros. Rules World With $5.04 Billion, Disney Close Behind
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/studio-smackdown-2013-warner-bros-668302

Hollywood Stocks End 2013 on High Note
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/hollywood-stocks-end-2013-high-667992

Analysis: Producers Guild Awards Provide Added Clarity to Oscar Race
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/goldstandard/la-et-mn-analysis-producers-guild-awards-20140102,0,1032639.story

“American Hustle”, “Her”, “Nebraska” Receive WGA Nominations
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/moviesnow/la-et-mn-hustle-her-nebraska-among-wga-nominees-20140102,0,1303637.story

2013-14 Broadcast Network Programs Season-to-Date Scorecard
http://www.tvmediainsights.com/highlights/37325/2013-14-broadcast-network-programs-season-to-date-scorecard/

Fox to Live-Stream Super Bowl Online for Free, But NFC Playoff Games Will Be Locked Behind Pay-TV Wall
http://variety.com/2014/digital/news/fox-to-live-stream-super-bowl-online-for-free-but-nfc-playoff-games-will-be-locked-behind-pay-tv-wall-1201022093/

Bon Jovi Rules Pollstar’s Top 20 Worldwide Tours
http://www.pollstar.com/news_article.aspx?ID=808820

Digital Music Sales Decrease For First Time in 2013
http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/digital-and-mobile/5855162/digital-music-sales-decrease-for-first-time-in-2013

UltraViolet Enjoys Record Week
http://www.homemediamagazine.com/digital-evolution/ultraviolet-enjoys-record-week-32200

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings Realizes $5.3-million Profit in Stock Sale
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-netflix-reed-hastings-stock-sale-20131230,0,6782845.story

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings’ Salary To Get 50% Bump To $3M In 2014
http://techcrunch.com/2013/12/31/netflix-ceo-reed-hastings-salary-to-get-50-pay-bump-to-3m-in-2014/

Netflix Tests New Price Tiers, Including $6.99 For Single-Stream
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-netflix-tests-new-price-tiers-20131231,0,1893072.story

A&E Welcomes Phil Robertson Back to ‘Duck Dynasty’
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/a-e-welcomes-phil-robertson-667647

Robin Roberts Publicly Mentions Relationship With Longtime Girlfriend
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/robin-roberts-publicly-mentions-relationship-667862

Sherlock Holmes Free To Be Re-imagined in US After Judge Removes Licensing Fee
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-12-28/sherlock-holmes-licensing-ruling/5176916

‘Today’ Scores First Weekly Victory Over ‘GMA’ in Six Months
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/tv-ratings-today-scores-first-667962

Disney’s ‘The Lion King’ Was Top Grossing Broadway Show for 2013
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/culture/la-et-cm-disney-the-lion-king-broadway-2013-20140101,0,4446376.story#ixzz2panxfC91

A Record-Setting Week on Broadway
http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/12/30/a-record-setting-week-on-broadway/

‘Spider-Man’ Not a Flop, Broadway Restaurateur Declares
http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/12/30/spider-man-not-a-flop-broadway-restaurateur-declares/

Hachette, Penguin Random House on Top of Publisher Power Rankings
http://www.digitalbookworld.com/2013/best-ebook-publishers-in-2013-hachette-penguin-random-house-on-top-of-publisher-power-rankings/

Sexy Beasts: Why ‘Monster Porn’ Needs Love Too
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57616285-1/sexy-beasts-why-monster-porn-needs-love-too/

Bookish Acquired by Zola
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/retailing/article/60539-bookish-acquired-by-zola.html

ABC Starts Restricting Access to Full TV Show Episodes
http://gigaom.com/2013/12/31/bad-news-for-cord-cutters-abc-starts-restricting-access-to-full-tv-show-episodes/

YouTube goes 4K, Google Signs Up Hardware Partners for VP9 Support
http://gigaom.com/2014/01/02/youtube-4k-streaming-vp9/

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