Entertainment - McGraw-Hill Introduction to Business

Major Sports around the World Temporarily Shut Down

March 13, 2020

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 →

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

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 →

Management, Product Development, Entertainment, Disney, Product Distribution, 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 →

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

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 →

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

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

The Hallmark Channel Faces Backlash after Removing Ads

December 17, 2019

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During December, the Hallmark Channel’s schedule is chock full of Christmas movies to keep the holiday spirit strong throughout the month. But last week the usually jolly TV network behaved more like Ebenezer Scrooge in the eyes of many fans and users on social media. The controversy began when Hallmark received a complaint from an advocacy group whose stated mission is to “fight against indecency.” The organization complained about four ads that featured same-sex couples from a wedding planning company Continue reading →

Marketing, Ethics, Social Media, Branding, Promotions, Entertainment, Television, Advertising, Crisis management, Hallmark

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 7: Management & Leadership, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

[VIDEO] Why Spend Money in Video Games?

November 21, 2019

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Analysts estimate that last year consumers spent more than $50 billion on virtual items in video games like Counter-Strike and World of Warcraft. This lengthy but highly informative video explains why the market for virtual items has grown bigger than global box office returns for the movie industry.

Questions:

How are in-game economies similar to real-world economic systems?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of online marketplaces that sell virtual goods?

Arenas Can Earn More Money from Concerts than Sports

November 19, 2019

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Thanks to the popularity of streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music, some lucky musicians can go viral and attract large fan bases very quickly. In the past, artists often had to tour across the country for years playing small clubs before they got noticed by major record labels. That’s not the case these days, though. For instance, the teenage singer-songwriter Billie Eilish released her debut album less than a year ago and has already sold out a stretch of Continue reading →

Global, Entrepreneurship, Product Development, Sports, Entertainment, Streaming, Music, Product Distribution, Spotify, Arenas, Stadiums

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

New Nerf Toy Doesn’t Fire Knockoff Darts

October 15, 2019

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Each year, the toy brand Nerf earns more than $400 million in revenue by selling bright neon “blasters” that shoot rubber-tipped darts. But while the Hasbro-owned company moves plenty of blasters, it has a little more trouble with the darts. Since Nerf’s foam ammo can be easily copied, consumers often opt for cheaper alternatives rather than pay a premium for Nerf-branded darts. “We’ve had the same dart or similar dart for so many years that it’s become uniformed across our Continue reading →

Ethics, Product Development, Entertainment, Pricing, Toys, Intellectual Property, Nerf

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

[VIDEO] Why the NBA Is Facing a Difficult Choice in China

October 11, 2019

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This week, Houston Rockets owner Daryl Morey sparked an international controversy when he tweeted his support for the protests in Hong Kong. His words angered both Chinese officials and businesses, leading a number of companies and government organizations to suspend ties with the Rockets. The NBA tried to ease the situation by calling Morey’s comments “regrettable,” which then caused outrage among Americans. This short video explains how the NBA must walk a fine line between appealing to its core Continue reading →

Global, Ethics, Social Media, Sports, Entertainment, China, NBA

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 13: Marketing, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

Apple Gets Rid of iTunes in Latest Computer Update

October 8, 2019

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When Apple launched the iTunes store in 2003, the music industry was not in a good state. Rampant online piracy sent CD sales plummeting and caused many to wonder whether record companies could compete against the freedom of the Internet. Fortunately for the industry, the iTunes strategy of selling individual songs for just 99 cents made buying digital music mainstream and limited the reach of piracy. The app also drove sales of the iPod, which was Apple’s signature product at Continue reading →

Product Development, Entertainment, Streaming, Music, Product Distribution, Apple, Spotify, iTunes

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Chapter 16: Place and Promotion, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media