Tag: Streaming

Roku is acquiring the subscription streaming service Frndly TV in a deal valued at $185 million
Roku is making a significant acquisition that will propel it further in the content space.
The streaming platform says that it is acquiring the subscription streaming service Frndly TV in a deal valued at $185 million. The deal, which should be completed in Q2, will give Roku a foothold in the subscription streaming market and vMVPD sector, complementing its free Roku Channel.
Frndly blends aspects of virtual multichannel video providers like YouTube TV with on-demand entertainment programming, with a focus on family-friendly fare. It streams channels that include Hallmark, History, Lifetime and A&E. Its plans start at $6.99 per month.
“Frndly TV’s impressive growth and expertise in direct-to-consumer subscription services make it a compelling addition to Roku,” said Anthony Wood, Roku’s Founder and CEO. “This acquisition supports our focus on growing platform revenue and Roku-billed subscriptions, with a live content offering our users love at an industry-leading price point.”
“We’re incredibly excited to join Roku and continue our mission to provide customers feel-good, quality entertainment as the most affordable live TV subscription streaming service in America,” adds Andy Karofsky, Frndly TV CEO and co-founder. “Roku’s pioneering role in streaming and its longstanding commitment to customers aligns perfectly with our strategic vision. We believe this combination will help us accelerate subscription growth, given the alignment in core customer demographics and Roku’s leadership position in the connected TV ecosystem.”
The $185 million deal includes $75 million which is being held back for an earn-out over the next two years.
The deal was connected to Roku’s Q1 earnings report, which saw revenue rise by 16 percent to $1.02 billion, and a net loss of $27.4 million.
May 4, 2025
Cinemark reported a loss in the first quarter, citing a weak box office environment
Exhibition giant Cinemark reported revenue of $541 million, down 7 percent year-over-year from $579 million, for the first quarter of 2025 and swung to a quarterly loss of $39 million, compared to a year-earlier profit of $25 million.
But the company touted: “North American industry box office momentum accelerated in April, nearly doubling year-over-year, leading into a blockbuster summer film slate.”
Quarterly admissions revenue decreased 8.9 percent to $264.1 million, while concession revenue dropped 6.2 percent to $210.4 million, as Cinemark posted a 7.8 percent decrease in attendance to 36.6 million patrons. Worldwide average ticket price came in at $7.22, and concession revenue per patron amounted to $5.75.
The company also posted quarterly adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), another profitability metric, of $36.4 million, down from $70.7 million in the year-ago period.
“Cinemark once again delivered outsized box office results in the first quarter, surpassing industry benchmarks both domestically and internationally, despite a suppressed box office environment that was impacted by lingering effects of the 2023 Hollywood strikes,” CEO Sean Gamble said in the press release. “We continue to expect a favorable rebound in our industry’s recovery trajectory this year, and the second quarter is already pacing well ahead of 2024’s box office results, showcasing the strong, sustained enthusiasm consumers have for experiencing a diverse range of compelling, well-marketed films in theaters.”
He added: “As we look ahead, we remain highly encouraged about the future direction of our industry and company based on resilient consumer trends, a continued resurgence of wide release volume, Cinemark’s advantaged financial and competitive positions, and meaningful opportunities we have to generate incremental value creation through our ongoing strategic initiatives.”
On the earnings call, Gamble said momentum starting picking up with A Minecraft Movie, which delivered Cinemark’s highest three-day opening of all time for a family film, and continued with the faith-based film King of Kings, Sinners and The Accountant 2.
Moving forward, Gamble said that he also expects Cinemark and the film industry would be able to continue on an upswing during “an uncertain and evolving macroeconomic landscape,” due to the fact that in six of the past eight recesssions, North American box office has grown. “Based on our observations during strained economic periods, people continue to pursue out of experiences, and they tend to prioritize value and affordability,” he said.
Concluded Gamble: “Considering the health of our company and our positive outlook, we paid our first dividend since the pandemic during the quarter and executed $200 million of share repurchases. This marks our first-ever stock buyback program and has put us out in front of managing potential dilution related to our upcoming convertible notes settlement.”
May 4, 2025
FuboTV lost subscribers during the first quarter
The sports streaming platform FuboTV reported it ended the first quarter with 1.47 million paid subscribers in North America, down from 1.67 million at the end of the fourth quarter of 2024 and 1.61 million at the end of the third quarter that year.
Fubo had 1.51 million North American subscribers in the year-ago period. The streamer in the first quarter had overall revenue at $416.3 million, up from year-earlier $402.3 million. That beat an analyst projection of revenues at $415.45 million, according to TipRanks Analyst Forecasts.
Fubo saw subscription revenue rise to $391.4 million, against $373.7 million in the same period of 2024. The company reiterated it looked to get to profitability for its sports-centric streamer in 2025.
Advertising revenue dropped to $22.8 million, compared to a year earlier $27.4 million. The streamer swung to a net income from continuing operations at $188.4 million, compared to a year-earlier net loss of $56.3 million.
The latest quarter included a $220 million gain on the settlement of antitrust litigation. In January 2024, Venu, the sports-focused streaming service proposed by The Walt Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery and Fox Corp. was abandoned in the face of opposition from Fubo.
Fubo execs unveiled a separate deal that will see Disney merge its Hulu + Live TV service with Fubo. “We also remain excited about our agreement with The Walt Disney Company to combine Fubo with Hulu + Live TV, and its potential to increase competition in the Pay TV space. We continue to work through the regulatory process, and look forward to sharing more information when we are able,” David Gandler, co-founder and CEO of Fubo, said in prepared remarks during a pre-market analyst call on Friday.
Gandler discussed an ongoing dispute after TelevisaUnivision pulled its networks from Fubo in Dec. 2024, with the prospect of talks between the parties getting started to resolve their content pricing differences. “We’re certainly open to those discussions on acceptable terms,” the Fubo CEO told analysts.
May 4, 2025