Consortium Including Elliott in Advanced Talks to Buy Nielsen Holdings – The Wall Street Journal reports that a consortium of private-equity firms including Elliott Management Corp. is in advanced talks to buy TV-ratings company Nielsen Holdings PLC for about $15 billion including debt, according to people familiar with the matter. Financing talks with a number of banks are progressing and a takeover deal could be completed within weeks, the people said. There is no guarantee there will be a deal, as the talks could still fall apart. [WSJ]
The Washington Post TikTok Guy Posts His Last “Quarantine TikTok” – Looks like Washington Post employees are returning to the office. Take a look back before he returns to regular TikToks in and out of the office.
After Walt Disney, Robert Iger Heads to the Metaverse – Mr. Iger said he was attracted to Genies because he believes the ability for anyone to easily create and sell virtual goods will change the entertainment industry and be a key component of the metaverse, a term used to describe developing virtual worlds where people are expected to work, learn and socialize. The freedom to use existing intellectual property was particularly appealing. [WSJ]
LG Electronics USA announced the launch of the NCAA March Madness Live app on its LG Smart TVs including its critically acclaimed LG OLED TVs and LG QNED MiniLED TVs. The app can be accessed via LG’s webOS Smart TV platform and a variety of other connected and mobile devices.
NCAA March Madness Live, managed by Turner Sports in partnership with the NCAA and CBS Sports, is the ultimate live streaming and second screen destination for the NCAA Men’s Tournament.
The MML app will provide more ways to watch and engage with all the action from the 2022 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship this year. The updated platform experience will include all-new dynamic viewing experiences to make it easier for fans to catch every last-minute basket and wild comeback.
The integration of the MML app on LG’s Smart TVs is part of a three-year partnership with the NCAA, Turner Sports, and CBS Sports for category exclusive marketing and distribution rights to NCAA Championship competitions that will expand the reach of college sports to legions of current fans and generations of new ones.
Travelzoo Creates Metaverse Division – Travel Zoo announces the creation of its new Metaverse division and the plan to begin the launch of its Travelzoo META service in April. Travelzoo META is a paid subscription-based service that provides members with exclusive access to the latest and best Metaverse travel experiences.
Since January, Travelzoo has been building a team of Metaverse travel experience scouts in collaboration with a partner.
While Travelzoo will not produce Metaverse destinations and experiences itself, it will work with hundreds of creators to make experiences exclusively available to Travelzoo META members.
“We believe that Metaverse spaces and its future destinations provide completely new and different experiences that consumers want to see,” said Holger Bartel, Global CEO of Travelzoo. “The Metaverse is disruptive and abundant with lucrative opportunities for innovative companies that are willing to be the first movers.”
Travelzoo will continue to publish exclusive real-world travel and lifestyle deals to its 30 million members.
The build-up of the new business is expected to be funded from annual membership fees to be paid by Travelzoo META members.
Netflix stock has now lost all its gains from the pandemic – On Monday, the streaming service’s shares fell more than 2% to around $332 each, a 52-week low. That’s more than 50% down from the company’s 52-week high of $700.99, which it hit in mid-November.
The last time shares sold for around $332 a pop was March 20, 2020, just as pandemic lockdowns were being put in place.
Netflix saw significant gains during in 2020 and 2021 as consumers were stuck at home under various restrictions. However, as the mandates dissipate, consumers are gravitating toward out-of-home entertainment like movie theaters, restaurants and theme parks. In its most recent earnings report, Netflix reported underwhelming subscriber numbers. [CNBC]
Fox News correspondent Benjamin Hall has been injured in Ukraine – The Fox News correspondent Benjamin Hall was injured on Monday in Ukraine while reporting outside Kyiv and has been hospitalized, the network said.
Executives at Fox News said they had only sparse information about the nature of the journalist’s injuries. Mr. Hall, 39, is a longtime war correspondent who has covered conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria and other countries. He joined Fox News in 2015 and became a State Department correspondent for the network last year. [NY Times]
White House drafts TikTok stars to blame Putin for rising gas prices – The Biden administration tapped teenage TikTok influencers last week to coordinate messaging on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and blame Vladimir Putin for rising gas prices, according to a recording of a call between White House officials and the social media stars. [Fox Business]
Meal-kit delivery companies flourished early in the pandemic, but are struggling now – The pandemic drove a fresh burst of interest in meal-kit delivery and recipe boxes in the United States, as homebound families sought convenient and healthy home-cooked meal options. Those days are over.
A post-pandemic resumption of regular life has led to fewer meals eaten at home once again, and meal-kit subscriptions are struggling, experts say.
Meal-kit delivery giants like HelloFresh, Sunbasket and Blue Apron are faring worse or dealing with much slower growth, especially compared to 2020 record highs, partly due to fierce competition from more than a dozen newer companies like Freshly, EveryPlate and others. Plus, several grocery stores, like Kroger, are also getting in on the action, with its purchase of Home Chef. Competition is also coming from fully reopened restaurants hustling to regain customers, as well as delivery companies like DoorDash and Uber Eats. [Washington Post]
