GECs
TV boosts Sony results, but films let it down
MUMBAI: Sony’s US entertainment unit, Sony Pictures Entertainment, SPE, has announced its financial results for the fiscal year ended 31 March 2004.
The results shows a 40 per cent decline in operating profit to 35.2 billion yen ($321.8 million) for the fiscal year ended 31 March on a 6 per cent decline in revenue to 756.4 billion yen ($6.9 billion) as poor box office performance of SPE’s movies Gigli, Hollywood Homicide, The Missing, and Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle triggered a negative impact on its financial results.
Sales decreased 5.8 per cent compared with the prior year (2 per cent increase on a dollar basis). The dollar revenues represented a new record for SPE, thanks to an increase in television revenues. But even strong syndication sales of The King of Queens, Seinfeld, and an extension of Wheel of Fortune licensing deals failed to do amends to SPE’s poor show on the movies front.
Operating income decreased by 23.7 billion yen, or 40.3 per cent, from the prior year (30 per cent decrease on a dollar basis). In the previous fiscal year, SPE had Spider-Man lifting its financial position significantly. According to the company, the lack of a mega-box office money-spinner on the level of Spider-Man contributed heavily to this year’s losses.
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(Billions of yen, millions of U.S. dollars)
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Year ended 31 March 2004
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| 2003 | 2004 | Change | 2004 | |
| Sales and operating revenue | Y802.8 | Y756.4 |
-5.8%
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$7,273 |
| Operating income |
59.0
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35.2
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-40.3
|
339
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SPE’s results had a mixed effect on its Japanese parent company Sony Corp. The company reported 23 per cent decline in fiscal-year profit to 88.5 billion yen ($808.8 million) but posted a 0.3 per cent rise in revenue to 7.5 trillion yen ($68.5 billion).
GECs
Samsung TV Plus launches Kings of Comedy channel
New free FAST channel brings iconic Hindi comedy shows to millions of Samsung Smart TV owners.
MUMBAI: Samsung TV Plus has just turned up the laughter volume and it’s completely free. The leading free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) service in India has launched Kings of Comedy, a premium comedy channel featuring some of the country’s most beloved primetime shows. Available exclusively on Samsung TV Plus, the channel delivers back-to-back hits including Comedy Nights with Kapil, Khatra Khatra Khatra, and Comedy Nights Bachao, with no login or subscription required.
The launch marks a milestone for free streaming in India, offering audiences a dedicated comedy destination directly from their Samsung TV home screen. It arrives as Samsung TV Plus India celebrates its 5th anniversary, during which the service has grown its monthly active users by 42 per cent and more than doubled its total viewing hours. The platform now offers over 180 free channels across 14 languages.
Samsung TV Plus India general manager and head of business development Kunal Mehta said, “Comedy is the heartbeat of Hindi entertainment, and Kings of Comedy brings together the shows Indians already love, completely free on their Samsung TV. Our focus remains the same take the content people know and make it effortless to access.”
Globally, Samsung TV Plus has surpassed 100 million monthly active users across more than 4,500 channels, solidifying its position as one of the world’s leading free streaming services.
Kings of Comedy is now available on all compatible Samsung Smart TVs. For viewers seeking non-stop laughter without any cost, this new channel delivers a royal treat proving that sometimes the best entertainment really does come with no strings (or subscriptions) attached.
