Entertainment - McGraw-Hill Introduction to Business

American Movie Theaters Face Uncertain Future

July 14, 2020

Last month, we looked at AMC Theatres’ plans to reopen on July 15th with expanded safety measures. But after major studios delayed the release of upcoming blockbusters like Tenet and Mulan, the chain pushed back its reopening plans to July 30th. Still, even this goal could be optimistic as cases of coronavirus continue to rise across the country. “Twenty days ago, I would’ve said we’re on track,” said David Gross, head of the film consultancy company Franchise Entertainment Research. Continue reading →

Entertainment, Health, Product Distribution, Coronavirus, Operations Management, AMC Theatres, Ethics

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 15: Distribution

AMC Theatres Plans to Reopen by July 15

June 23, 2020

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For months, movie theaters around the country have sat empty as Americans remained in their homes to curb the spread of coronavirus. With many businesses now gradually reopening, though, last week the nation’s largest film exhibitors also announced their plans for returning. AMC Theatres, for instance, will reopen by July 15th with a number of precautionary measures in place. Along with filling theaters to a maximum capacity of 30 percent, the company will also use advanced cleaning technology such as Continue reading →

Entertainment, Health, Product Distribution, Marketing, Coronavirus, Operations Management, AMC Theatres, Ethics

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 15: Distribution

Trolls World Tour’s On-Demand Success Could Change the Movie Industry

May 7, 2020

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In early March, the movie studio Universal had already spent millions of dollars marketing its upcoming title Trolls World Tour in anticipation of its April 10th release. When the coronavirus pandemic shut down theaters across the nation, though, Universal made the bold decision to release the movie through on-demand platforms like Apple TV and Amazon. The gamble paid off handsomely for the movie studio: after three weeks on the market for $20 per rental, Trolls World Tour brought in more Continue reading →

Nintendo Cuts Interest Rates in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

April 24, 2020

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For nearly two months, millions of Americans have been shut inside their homes in an effort to curb the spread of coronavirus. Many people have turned to video games as a way to pass the time, and one of the most popular titles of the last few weeks has been Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Players of the Nintendo Switch title move into their own island where they work and hunt for treasure all in an effort to buy things Continue reading →

Pricing, Economics, Product Distribution, Financial Management, Video Games, Federal Reserve, Banks, Interest Rates, Stock Market, Entertainment

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Chapter 19: Securities Markets, Chapter 20: Money and Financial Institutions

Streaming Platforms See Boost in Viewership But Not Ad Revenue

March 31, 2020

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With movie theaters closed across the country due to coronavirus containment, millions of Americans are streaming video in order to stay entertained. According to analysts, the time spent watching streaming video has steadily increased every week since stay-at-home orders went in place earlier in the month. During a seven-day period in mid-March, viewing sessions on Vizio’s smart TV platform rose by a whopping 40 percent over the previous week. “We’re not just seeing more time spent with streaming and TV, Continue reading →

Coronavirus, Promotions, Marketing, Entertainment, Operations Management, Streaming, Television, Advertising, Health

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Chapter 16: Place and Promotion, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

Movie Studios Offer New Titles On-Demand for Homebound Viewers

March 27, 2020

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With movie theaters across the world closed due to coronavirus containment, experts predict that the global film industry could lose as much as $15 billion this year. China shuttered more than 60,000 theaters in January right before the annual Lunar New Year holidays, a boom period that usually brings in $2 billion in box office sales. Meanwhile in the U.S., AMC Theatres recently announced that it has furloughed its CEO and corporate staff after the company closed more than 1,000 Continue reading →

Major Sports around the World Temporarily Shut Down

March 13, 2020

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Due to concerns about the spread of coronavirus, representatives from athletic leagues across the globe have announced that they will temporarily halt play. On Wednesday, the National Basketball Association was the first to suspend competition after a player on the Utah Jazz tested positively for COVID-19. The next day, the National Hockey League similarly put games on hold while Major League Soccer delayed the start of its upcoming season as well. Shortly after these announcements, Major League Baseball canceled the Continue reading →

Entertainment, Ethics, Regulation, Human Resources, Health, Crisis management, Coronavirus, Management, Sports, Global

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 7: Management & Leadership, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law

Disney CEO Bob Iger Abruptly Steps Down

February 27, 2020

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On Tuesday, Disney CEO Bob Iger surprised the business world by announcing that he would immediately step down from the top job. After 15 years in charge of the entertainment giant, Iger passed the reins to a company veteran named Bob Chapek who had been overseeing Disney’s theme parks division. Although the news caught many observers off-guard, Iger insists that this plan has been in the works for some time. “It’s only abrupt in other people’s eyes because we haven’t Continue reading →

Product Development, Entertainment, Disney, Product Distribution, Management, CEO, Mergers & Acquisitions, Streaming Video

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 5: Forms of Business Ownership, Chapter 7: Management & Leadership, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

Millions of Cord-Cutters Got Rid of Cable TV in 2019

February 20, 2020

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Over the last few years, cable and satellite companies have lost tens of millions of subscribers who have grown tired of seeing their monthly rates steadily rise. In 2019 more than 5.5 million people “cut the cord” with large cable and satellite providers, a huge increase over last year’s loss of 3.2 million customers. As TV companies pay more and more to produce and acquire new programming, they will likely keep raising subscriber rates on an already strained consumer base. Continue reading →

Pricing, Netflix, Streaming, Television, Product Distribution, Cable, Product Development, Entertainment

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

More than 500 TV And Streaming Shows Aired Last Year

January 17, 2020

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2019 was the year that the so-called “streaming wars” got serious. Disney+ and Apple TV+ launched in an effort to compete against Netflix while established broadcasters like NBC and HBO announced that their streaming services would go live in mid-2020. As the streaming marketplace grew increasingly crowded, industry insiders worried that media companies were offering too much content to consumers. According to research by the cable network FX, these fears could prove to be true: last year a total of Continue reading →

Disney, Marketing, Product Distribution, TV, Product Development, Entertainment, Netflix, Streaming

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media