10.1.14

Entertainment:

·         Preorders for Disney movies ‘Maleficent’ and ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ are back on Amazon after a two-month feud

o   http://online.wsj.com/articles/amazon-com-disney-settle-dispute-1412119033?mod=pls_whats_news_us_business_f

·         Samsung to invest $560MM in a Vietnamese television production plant

o   http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/10/01/us-samsung-elec-vietnam-idUSKCN0HQ3N220141001

·         Hammer and eOne have inked a multi-year production, financing, and distribution pact

o   http://deadline.com/2014/10/hammer-entertainment-one-first-look-deal-844060/

·         Discovery Studios has signed a production deal with Rob Kerr

o   http://deadline.com/2014/10/discovery-studios-signs-exec-producer-rob-kerr-844152/

·         Derek Jeter has teamed up with Legendary to start a website – The Player’s Tribune

o   http://origin-www.bloombergview.com/articles/2014-10-01/so-derek-jeters-starting-a-blog

o   http://deadline.com/2014/10/derek-jeter-legendary-entertainment-players-tribune-844047/

·         Julianna Margulies has signed a production deal with CBS TV Studios

o   http://deadline.com/2014/09/julianna-margulies-production-deal-cbs-studios-843806/

·         Suddenlink has dropped Viacom channels in a dispute over contract terms – this is the second cable company to do so after Cable One

o   http://deadline.com/2014/09/suddenlink-drop-viacom-843850/

o   http://variety.com/2014/tv/news/suddenlink-launches-glenn-becks-theblaze-after-removing-viacom-outlets-1201318377/

·         Universal has extended its emerging writers program for a second year

o   http://deadline.com/2014/09/universal-emerging-writers-program-extended-second-year-843688/

·         Please see below for a list of Hollywood’s top 25 most powerful business managers

o   http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/list/hollywoods-25-powerful-business-managers-736770

·         Netflix allegedly acquired more than 100k users in France already

o   http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/netflix-reportedly-reaches-more-100000-737146

·         Please see below for an interesting article on why Peter Chernin acquired a majority stake in Fullscreen

o   http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/whats-behind-peter-chernins-acquisition-736875

·         Ariana Grande has inked her first endorsement deal – an equity partnership with water brand ‘Wat-AAH!’

o   http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/legal-and-management/6266783/ariana-grande-inks-first-endorsement-an-equity

·         Sony and ATV are launching a joint venture called Selector Songs which will focus on pop and EDM talent

o   http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/legal-and-management/6266780/sonyatv-and-chainsmokers-manager-launch-joint

Tech:

·         Yahoo! has unveiled a new homepage design

o   http://techcrunch.com/2014/10/01/yahoo-tests-a-new-homepage-highlighting-magazines-talent-and-twitter/

·         JibJab, the fun e-card creator, has launched a new messaging app for creating gif selfies

o   http://techcrunch.com/2014/10/01/jibjab-jumps-into-selfie-gifs-with-new-messaging-app/

·         Gumroad, the Kleiner Perkins backed startup that allows creators to sell digital goods, has launched its first iPhone app today that allows users to better view the content they have already purchased

o   http://techcrunch.com/2014/09/30/gumroad-iphone-app/

·         Reddit plans to create its own crypto-currency which it will give back to users, since it raised $50MM in its Series B (notable investors include Snoop Dogg and Jared Leto)

o   http://techcrunch.com/2014/09/30/reddit-scoops-up-50m-series-b-from-sam-altman-a16z-sequoia-at-500m-valuation/

o   http://techcrunch.com/2014/09/30/altman/

o   http://techcrunch.com/2014/09/30/reddit-fundraising/

o   http://www.crunchbase.com/organization/reddit

·         Brightroll conducted a study which proves that mobile video advertising provides cost-effective incremental reach to TV advertising

o   http://iq.videonuze.com/article/study-mobile-video-provides-cost-effective-incremental-reach-to-tv-ads

·         Betaworks owned Instapaper is now free to better compete against Evernote

o   http://www.fastcompany.com/3036492/fast-feed/instapaper-is-now-free-offers-a-premium-model-that-goes-after-evernote

·         Windows 10 technical preview is now available to download

o   http://www.theverge.com/2014/10/1/6877195/windows-10-technical-preview-download

Deals:

·         Advanstar, the tradeshow operator behind FN Platform, has been acquired by UBM for $972MM

o   http://www.socaltech.com/advanstar_acquired_for_97_m_by_ubm/s-0057180.html

o   http://www.wwd.com/business-news/financial/advanstar-and-ubm-ink-972m-deal-7962308?module=hp-topstories

·         Bill Ackman stated that one of his funds raised more than $3B ahead of its IPO

o   http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/10/01/ackman-fund-raises-more-than-3-billion-in-amsterdam-i-p-o/?_php=true&_type=blogs&module=BlogPost-Title&version=Blog%20Main&contentCollection=I.P.O./Offerings&action=Click&pgtype=Blogs&region=Body&_r=0

·         Adidas plans to buy back up to $1.9B in shares

o   http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/10/01/sportswear-giant-adidas-to-buy-back-up-to-1-9-billion-in-shares/?module=BlogPost-Title&version=Blog%20Main&contentCollection=I.P.O./Offerings&action=Click&pgtype=Blogs&region=Body

·         Zalando, the German online retailer, went public and the company is now valued at $6.7B

o   http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/10/01/german-online-retailer-zalando-shares-rise-in-frankfurt-debut/?module=BlogPost-Title&version=Blog%20Main&contentCollection=I.P.O./Offerings&action=Click&pgtype=Blogs&region=Body

·         Digital health startups raised over $700MM during Q3

o   http://recode.net/2014/10/01/digital-health-startups-raised-700-million-during-third-quarter/

Business:

·         Capital One has rolled out its own mobile wallet app which is designed to work with Apple Pay

o   http://techcrunch.com/2014/10/01/capital-one-debuts-a-new-mobile-wallet-app-designed-to-work-with-apple-pay/

·         Houzz raised a massive $165MM in its Series D led by Kleiner Perkins to expand internationally

o   http://techcrunch.com/2014/10/01/houzz-raises-165m-series-d-led-by-sequoia-to-fuel-international-expansion/

·         The NYT is planning to eliminate 100 news room jobs

o   http://deadline.com/2014/10/new-york-times-cuts-newsroom-and-opinion-site-844093/

Exec Moves:

·         Otter Media has added Virasb Vahidi as its CEO, and others to its executive ranks

o   http://deadline.com/2014/09/otter-media-chernin-group-att-virasb-vahidi-tom-pickett-843705/

o   http://recode.net/2014/09/30/att-and-chernins-otter-media-plucks-talent-from-youtube-and-american-airlines/

Retail:

·         American Apparel’s board is now more open to let Dov Charney stay at the company, just not as its CEO

o   http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-09-30/american-apparel-s-board-said-to-be-open-to-letting-charney-stay.html

Startups:

·         Hipcamp, a company that helps people discover and book camping sites, has raised $2MM in seed funding

o http://www.crunchbase.com/organization/hipcamp

Government:

·         Australian aircraft will now support the US-led air strikes in Iraq against Islamic State

o http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/10/01/us-mideast-crisis-australia-idUSKCN0HQ2YH20141001

·         Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac investors lost their legal challenges to a change to the mortgage giants’ 2008 bailouts that sent their profits to the U.S. Treasury

o http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-09-30/fannie-freddie-investor-suits-over-treasury-dividend-thrown-out.html

Other:

·         75% of tech billionaires under 40 never graduated college

o   http://venturebeat.com/2014/10/01/75-of-tech-billionaires-under-40-never-graduated-college/