MAM
Mass media in US still an effective ad tool: MediaVest
NEW YORK: A new study from MediaVest USA and Knowledge Networks has found that people pay more attention to traditional media ads and less so to online ones. Online ads performed better only next to ads appearing in public restrooms.
The research contradicts the prevailing air of skepticism among media planners in the US about the effectiveness of mass-media advertising. North American research director for MediaVest Mary Ellen Vincent was quoted in reports saying, “One often hears of media fragmentation and about how hard it is to reach consumers. While that’s true, people tend to make sweeping statements about the extent to which that’s the case.”
Even though more than one in three people surveyed took little notice of at least one of the top five mass media: television, radio, newspapers, billboards and magazines consumers still pay greater attention to those outlets than most other venues for marketing. 27 per cent of respondents said that they were very attentive to mass media brand messages. 18 per cent had a similar response towards non-mainstream media and 10 per cent voted for the online medium.
Respondents paid least attention to banner ads on the Internet and ads in public restrooms. The online poll of 1,119 consumers was conducted in August and September by Knowledge Networks in California. 37 per cent were cynical. They pay little attention to at least one of the five mass media. On a positive note only six per cent were cynical about advertising across all mainstream media.
The study also found that interest in embracing new media, like personal video recorders and satellite radio, did not strongly correlate to income or Internet usage. It correlated to the amount of television watched and the amount of radio that the respondents listened to.
MAM
Paramount set to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery in $81 billion deal
Shareholders back merger, combined entity could reshape streaming and studios.
MUMBAI: Lights, camera… consolidation, Hollywood’s latest blockbuster might be happening off-screen. Shareholders of Warner Bros. Discovery have voted in favour of selling the company to Paramount in a deal valued at $81 billion rising to nearly $111 billion including debt setting the stage for one of the biggest shake-ups in modern media. The proposed merger, still subject to regulatory approvals, would bring together a vast portfolio spanning HBO Max, CNN, and franchises such as Harry Potter under the same umbrella as Paramount’s own heavyweights, including Top Gun and CBS.
At the heart of the deal is streaming scale. Executives have indicated plans to combine HBO Max and Paramount+ into a single platform, potentially creating a stronger challenger to giants like Netflix and Amazon’s Prime Video. Current market data suggests HBO Max holds around 12 per cent of US on-demand subscriptions, compared to Paramount+’s 3 per cent, together still trailing Netflix’s 19 per cent and Disney’s combined 27 per cent via Disney+ and Hulu.
Paramount CEO David Ellison has signalled that while platforms may merge, HBO’s creative identity will remain intact, stating the brand should “stay HBO” even within a broader ecosystem.
Beyond streaming, the deal would redraw the map for film production. Combining two of Hollywood’s oldest studios Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros., the new entity aims to scale output to over 30 films annually, while maintaining a 45-day theatrical window. Warner Bros. currently commands around 21 per cent of the US box office, compared to Paramount’s 6 per cent, underscoring the strategic weight of the acquisition.
But scale comes with scrutiny. Critics warn that fewer players could mean reduced consumer choice, rising subscription costs, and potential job cuts as the combined company looks to streamline overlapping operations while managing billions in debt.
The news business, too, faces a reset. CNN would join forces at least structurally with Paramount-owned CBS, raising questions about editorial independence and positioning. The merger has already drawn political attention in the United States, particularly given perceived ties between the Ellison family and Donald Trump, though the company maintains that newsroom autonomy will be preserved.
If approved, the deal would mark another milestone in Hollywood’s consolidation wave shrinking the industry’s traditional “big six” studios to a “big four”, with Paramount joining Disney, Universal, and Sony at the top table.
In an industry built on storytelling, this merger may well become its most consequential plot twist yet.
