NAB: Warner Bros. Exec Describes New Golden Age of Television

By Rob Scott
April 19, 2012

Despite the economic downturn, television is experiencing a new “golden age” in both creative and business terms, according to Bruce Rosenblum, president of Warner Bros. Television Group.
“Revenue from international has improved dramatically. The domestic broadcast, cable and syndication businesses are at a high point, and there are new buyers” such as Netflix and Hulu, Rosenblum noted during an NAB Show industry discussion group.
Rosenblum explained that international markets currently comprise almost one-third of their revenue. He said that revenue “from international more than covers the production costs of our entire sales of 26 shows.”
He noted that streaming services are becoming useful for library product and new shows, adding that Hulu and Netflix deals for CW content may have “saved the network.”
Rosenblum also stressed the growing importance of social media: “Where Facebook and Twitter can help is when you have shows that are on bubble. Several shows have gotten renewed [in recent years] because networks were aware of how much chatter was out there.”

No Comments Yet