Disney to complete takeover of Hulu with $8.6bn deal

NEW YORK - The Walt Disney Company announced it will buy Comcast's $8.6-billion stake in Hulu, completing its takeover of the streaming service.

The acquisition will "further Disney's streaming objectives," the company said in a press release, and comes as it strives to boost subscriber numbers at its Disney+ streaming service.

The deal values Hulu at $27.5-billion in total, according to Disney, which said the transaction will be concluded by December 1.

The California-based entertainment giant already sells Hulu as part of bundled offerings with its Disney+ and ESPN+ platforms.

An ad-subsidized bundle of the three services is priced at $15 monthly in the United States, with an ad-free version costing $25 per month.

The company will release its latest quarterly earnings next week, providing a look at how its cable and streaming services are doing in the fiercely competitive market.

Disney in August reported that Disney+ lost more than 10 million subscribers in the recently ended quarter, in large part in the Indian market.

Disney+ finished the second three months of this year with 146.1 million subscribers, compared with just shy of 158 million in the prior quarter, the group said.

Disney rival Netflix last month said subscriber numbers grew nearly 11 percent to 247 million as it cracked down on password sharing and refined an ad-supported tier.The leading streaming service increased prices on some of its plans, perhaps creating an opportunity for competitors such as Disney.Disney to complete takeover of Hulu with $8.6bn deal

Read More........ → November 04, 2023

US President-elect Joe Biden gets COVID vaccine live on TV

Newly elected President of United States Joe Biden has received the first dose of Pfizer’s COVID-vaccine. The scene of Biden’s receiving was broadcasted live on television. 

At the time, newly elected President Joe Biden made sure all Americans had enough vaccines. At the same time, he urged everyone to get vaccinated, saying he was getting the vaccine to show the Americans “it is safe to take”.'

“I’m doing this to demonstrate that people should be prepared when it’s available to take the vaccine,” Joe Biden said from Newark, Delaware, where he vaccinated live on TV. “There’s nothing to worry about.” – reports BBC.

He said the Trump administration “deserves some credit” for launching the country's vaccine program.

Earlier in the day, Jill Biden, wife of Joe Biden, received her first dose, said the US President-elect.

Biden’s running mate, Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff are expected to receive their first shots next week.

The Biden team has set a goal of 100 million Covid-19 vaccinations in the US during the administration’s first 100 days in the White House.

Meanwhile, the data of worldometer on Tuesday morning (22-12-2020) showed, a total of 77,716,246 people has been diagnosed with the virus worldwide as the death toll rises to 1,708,924. The relief news that 54,591,959 patients already recovered from the infection of the virus.

The United States is at the top of the world in terms of deaths and infections by Covid-19. A total of 326,772 people died in the country due to the pandemic while 18,473,716 have been infected so far. On the other hand, a total of 10,802,496 people have recovered from the virus, according to the website.Source: BBC, Al Jazeera, New York Times Source: https://www.daily-bangladesh.com/

Read More........ → December 22, 2020