Dan Loeb's Third Point takes new stake in Disney
Daniel Loeb's Third Point has taken a new stake in Disney, according to a letter obtained by CNBC's David Faber. In a letter to Disney CEO Bob Chapek, Loeb urged the entertainment company to integrate streamer Hulu directly into the Disney+ direct-to-consumer platform. Comcast has an agreement to sell its 33% stake in Hulu to Disney in two years. Loeb said Disney should "make every attempt" to acquire Comcast's remaining minority stake before the 2024 deadline. He had held a stake for two years from 2020 to early 2022, pushing Disney to ramp up its streaming services.
cnbc.comUniversal announces new opening plan for Epic Universe theme park after pandemic delay
Universal announces new opening plan for Epic Universe theme park after pandemic delayORLANDO, Fla. — Central Florida theme park options are once again set to get more “epic.”Universal is now set to fully open its third Central Florida theme park by the summer of 2025. READ: Universal Orlando Resort resumes construction on Epic Universe, resort’s fourth theme parkComcast leaders discussed the opening of Epic Universe during an earnings call on Thursday. Epic Universe will feature a new theme park, an entertainment center, hotels, shops, restaurants and more, according to Universal. WATCH: Universal pauses construction on new Epic Universe theme parkThe park will be located a few miles from Universal Orlando’s current theme parks. “Our vision for Epic Universe is historic,” Tom Williams, chairman and CEO of Universal Parks & Resorts, said when the project was announced.
wftv.comSky Sports News off US television due to NBCSN shutdown
STAMFORD, Conn. — (AP) — Sky Sports News has been dropped from U.S. television following the shutdown of the NBC Sports Network. SSN, the leading outlet of British and European soccer news on U.S. television, was broadcast on Fox Soccer Channel for many years, then was dropped when NBC took over U.S. broadcast rights to England’s Premier League from Fox. Premier League highlights are often broadcast on SSN, and Fox no longer had the rights to show those clips. NBCUniversal shut down the NBC Sports Network on Saturday, shifting many Premier League broadcasts to the USA Network. NBC Sports said Monday that SSN is not currently on its broadcast or streaming schedule.
wftv.comUniversal Orlando reports most profitable quarter ever
ORLANDO, Fla. — Good news for Universal Orlando theme parks, as the company reported its most profitable quarter ever. Unlike NBC Universal’s other theme parks, Universal Orlando does not operate with strict COVID-19 requirements such as limited capacity or vaccine requirements. Read: Workers to rally against medical mandates on the Space CoastComcast’s third quarter ended Sept. 30. Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 10 Universal Orlando Park guests wearing protective masks take a selfie at the Universal Studios theme park in Orlando, Florida, U.S., on Friday, June 5, 2020. Universal Orlando began a phased reopening, becoming the first of the major theme parks in Central Florida to resume operations after the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.
wftv.comWidespread internet outages hit northeast U.S.
Users across the northeast U.S. reported widespread internet outages Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)Internet users across the northeast U.S. experienced widespread outages for several hours Tuesday, interrupting work and school because of an unspecified Verizon network issue. “An internet issue impacting the quality of our Fios service throughout the Northeast has been resolved," said spokesman Rich Young in an emailed statement Tuesday afternoon. People posting on Twitter reported having issues connecting with various online services in the region stretching from Washington, D.C., to Boston. Comcast, another major internet service provider, said it had not observed problems with its network Tuesday.
Universal theme park revenue down 80% as pandemic continues
ORLANDO, Fla. – In a quarterly earnings call, the CEO of Comcast called Universal’s theme parks the “single biggest drag” of the quarter. “While it will take some time for the parks to return to historical levels, we’ve made substantial progress,” CEO Brian Roberts said. “Universal Orlando and Osaka are operating at limited but growing attendance. I am very excited for next year’s launch of our frankly incredible new theme park in Beijing.”Comcast reported that Universal’s theme parks brought in $311 million during the third quarter, which runs from July through September. Dr. Duncan Dickson, a retired professor at UCF’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management, sees the upcoming hurdles for Universal Orlando.
Florida man accused of changing governor’s voter registration address
NAPLES, Fla. – A Florida man is accused of altering voter registration records for Gov. Ron DeSantis to change his address, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Agents said the governor tried to vote at his assigned polling location Monday afternoon but was told that his registration address had been changed to Pretty Lane in West Palm Beach. Officials said they also believe Guevara accessed voter registration records for Sen. Rick Scott, Michael Jordan and LeBron James but made no changes to those records. Guevara is facing charges of unauthorized access of a computer and altering a voter registration without consent.
Universal theme parks hit limited capacity as two haunted houses open
ORLANDO, Fla. – According to Universal Orlando’s social media accounts, all three parks hit limited capacity Saturday, as the theme park giant unveiled its Halloween season experience testing for the weekend. [TRENDING: Universal parks hit capacity Saturday | Letter containing ricin addressed to White House seized by authorities | FSU head coach Mike Norvell tests positive for coronavirus]Heavy traffic at Orlando Universal. This comes just days after Universal Orlando resort revealed its plans to extend furloughs for more than 5,000 workers. — Universal Orlando Resort (@UniversalORL) September 19, 2020This is not the first time the parks hit limited capacity during the pandemic. News 6 reported that both Disney and Universal hit limited capacity during Labor Day weekend.
NBC's video service Peacock stresses 'free,' looks to 2021
So now Peacock, which launches Wednesday, is hoping that blaring free in an ad campaign for the service will entice viewers wary of adding yet another video subscription to their stack, even in todays stay-at-home world. It has a free tier and a $5-a-month paid tier with more video. Disney Plus, Apple TV Plus, HBO Max and short-video service Quibi have all launched over the past year. As a Comcast internet customer, she could get Peacock for free, so she did. HBO Max did not reply to a question about its subscriber count since launch.
Comcast, Byron Allen end racial discrimination dispute
Comcast settled a long-running a long-running racial discrimination dispute with black media mogul Byron Allen, agreeing to add three of Allen's channels to its cable packages. Allen sued Comcast for $20 billion in 2015 for refusing to carry seven of his networks, saying it was because of his race. The case made it to the Supreme Court, which in Marc h reversed a lower court ruling in favor of Allen. The Supreme Court said Allen had to show race was the decisive factor in Comcast's decision not to offer him a contract, not one of several factors. Comcast said it would put the full weight of our companys media resources behind highlighting Black voices and Black stories.
Universal Orlando to check temperatures of all employees to prevent spread of COVID-19
Effective Friday, the resort will take temperatures of all employees, contractors, vendors and other business visitors before they enter the property, according to a letter sent to employees by Bill Davis, president and COO of Universal Orlando Resort. Employees were directed to the company’s COVID-19 and Resort Closure Team Member information page for further instruction. “Regardless of your temperature, if you are not feeling well or have any symptoms, including mild cold symptoms, you should not come to property! To read the letter issued to team members, click here. To keep up with the latest news on the pandemic, subscribe to News 6′s coronavirus newsletter or go to ClickOrlando.com/coronavirus.