2025 media forecasts from 13 confidential execs

Ho, ho, ho! It’s a vacation practice: Anonymous media execs make their 2025 market forecasts.

In honor of the 12 days of Christmas, we provide you 12 forecasts from a few of one of the most effective media and home entertainment execs on the planet, considering in on the problem of privacy so they can talk openly regarding their visions of the year in advance. And after that, due to the fact that we have vacation joy, we provide you a perk one. A baker’s loads!

Looking back at 2024’s forecasts, they were not like previous years. But there were some hits, or partial hits.

While Warner Bros Discovery’s Max, Netflix and Disney really did not all collaborate for the very first substantial streaming package, as one individual forecasted in 2014, Max and Disney did join forces. television program terminal teams continued to pick off local sporting activities legal rights, as an additional exec prepared for. RedBird Capital really did not fairly get Paramount Global, however the exclusive equity company belonged to the consortium with Skydance that revealed a merging with the firm in July.

As for various other 2024 forecasts, Nelson Peltz and Jay Rasulo did not win their protestor project to sign up with the Disney board; Disney CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Bob Iger did not restore his agreement past 2026, purchase Candle Media or name Dana Walden his follower; and NBA media legal rights did not most likely to Disney,Warner Bros Discovery and Apple— they mosted likely to Disney, NBCUniversal and Amazon.

Oh, and another miss out on: While Comcast did reveal an offshoot of the majority of its cable television networks, it did not dilate NBCUniversal and combine it withWarner Bros Discovery.

That’s a good segue to this year’s forecasts:

Executive 1: Comcast will certainly get the workshop and streaming properties ofWarner Bros Discovery and combine them with NBCUniversal

Second time’s the beauty!Warner Bros Discovery is dividing its straight properties from the remainder of the firm. Comcast is drawing out the majority of its cable television networks. It needs to imply something, right?

Executive 2: Comcast will certainly get Charter and dilate the remainder of NBCUniversal

That’s right, Comcast might have SpinCo 1 and SpinCo 2! This exec forecasts Comcast will certainly evaluate the Donald Trump regulative management and attempt to incorporate both biggest united state cable television firms, ten years after dropping its bid to purchase Time Warner Cable– which made use of to be the second-largest united state cable television service provider prior to it was gotten by Charter– after ending the federal government would certainly obstruct the bargain.

Executive 3: Fox will certainly get the majority ofWarner Bros Discovery’s properties

After offering most of its home entertainment properties to Disney in 2019, Fox will certainly surprise the media globe by once more obtaining range, getting HBO, the motion-picture studio, the Turner networks and the streaming properties ofWarner Bros Discovery, according to this exec.

For what it deserves, an additional exec forecasted Fox would certainly offer, offered the unknown future of the Murdoch household count on.

Executive 4: Dana Walden will certainly leave Disney at year-end when she does not obtain the chief executive officer task

Disney has currently claimed it prepares to postpone calling a brand-new chief executive officer up until very early 2026, so this forecast thinks the firm will somewhat go up the news. Walden, Disney’s co-chairman of Disney Entertainment, is the best Hollywood expert that lots of consider as the front-runner for the task. The board is taking its time vetting prospects after the handoff from Iger to Bob Chapek in 2020 did not go extremely well.

A 2nd exec assumed that NBCUniversal Entertainment and Studios chairman Donna Langley will certainly be thought about for the task as an obstacle to Walden and various other inner prospects.

Executive 5: Jeff Bezos will certainly be harassed right into marketing The Washington Post after President Trump makes it clear his area firm, Blue Origin, will certainly endure for his paper’s protection

Bezos has actually claimed he is committed to The Post’s future, however the paper has actually been engulfed in drama this year. Perhaps 2025 is the year Bezos determines he has actually had sufficient added migraines.

Executive 6: Several television terminal teams will certainly offer out of economic difficulty

Companies such as EW Scripps, Tegna and Sinclair Broadcast have actually seen their shares drop over the last few years as typical pay-TV evaluations have actually decreased with cable cutting. Executives at those firms are confident a brand-new Trump management will certainly remove the means for even more combination. Several will certainly offer out of despair, either to stay clear of insolvency or to get required range, assumptions this exec.

Executive 7: The Trump management unwinds television terminal possession guidelines, bring about CBS, ABC, NBC and Fox acquiring up their very own associate terminals

A comparable idea as the last one, however this exec took the bolder action of stating the acquirers of the terminals will certainly be the program networks themselves.

Executive 8: Paramount Global will certainly get Lionsgate after it dilates from Starz

If Paramount Global obtains the federal government’s authorization to combine with Skydance Media following year, its brand-new management will likely aim to change business. One huge step the firm will certainly make is to get Lionsgate workshop after it spins off from Starz at the start of following year, claimed this exec.

Executive 9: A large technology firm will certainly get computer game manufacturer Electronic Arts

After teasing with both Comcast and Disney in previous years, Electronic Arts will certainly offer in 2025 to a huge technology firm such as Netflix, Alphabet, Apple or Amazon, claimed this exec. That would certainly comply with in the footprints of Microsoft getting Activision in 2023.

Executive 10: The M&A buzz around the market will certainly be hugely overblown, and there will certainly be much less offers than any individual assumes

You’re all incorrect! This exec claimed M&A forecasts typically will not happen due to the fact that combination will not give any kind of genuine solutions to a market in change.

Executive 11: Paramount+, Peacock and Max obtain packed with each other

Executives at Paramount Global, NBCUniversal andWarner Bros Discovery are all on document regarding requiring to take into consideration alternatives for streaming combination. What if there was a package that included all 3 solutions? This executive assumptions the 3 solutions will certainly be offered with each other, either via a difficult package on one system or offered with each other at a price cut.

Executive 12: The sporting activities streaming solution Venu will certainly never ever release, and Fox will certainly accredit its sporting activities material to ESPN’s streaming solution

Venu, a joint endeavor had by Disney, Fox andWarner Bros Discovery, was revealed to fantastic excitement previously this year. But an antitrust legal action filed by Fubo hasstalled the service’s launch Meanwhile, ESPN will certainly debut its “flagship” streaming solution by the loss of 2025. That will certainly trigger the firms to desert Venu, forecasts this exec.

Executive 13: Kathy Kennedy will certainly leave Lucasfilm

Kennedy has actually been the head of state of Disney’s Lucasfilm given that 2012 and is currently in her 70s. It might be time for a brand-new leader of the Star Wars franchise business.

May the pressure be with you. Let’s see what 2025 brings. Happy vacations!

Disclosure: Comcast possesses NBCUniversal, the moms and dad firm of.