NBCUniversal also owns many cable networks, including Bravo, E!, MSNBC and USA, which are facing a decline in traditional TV viewership. NBC, its broadcast network, has also lost viewers for its prime-time programming.
While not the largest movie studio in Hollywood, Universal Pictures has been quite successful. Highlights from 2022 included “Jurassic World: Dominion” and “Minions: Rise of Gru.” This year started even stronger, with “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” closing in on $900 million in worldwide ticket sales after only three weekends in theaters, making it the company’s highest-grossing animated film in its history.
Other highly anticipated films set for release this year include the 10th iteration of the “Fast and Furious” franchise along with Christopher Nolan’s highly anticipated “Oppenheimer,” about the famed nuclear physicist. The studio has also started a flexible distribution strategy that uses a staggered rollout between theaters and its streaming service, Peacock, for bigger films. For smaller titles, like “Marry Me,” starring Jennifer Lopez, and the horror film “Firestarter,” which both came out last year, the theatrical and streaming debuts are simultaneous.
The company’s theme parks have also been a bright spot, with higher attendance and guest spending leading to record profits last year. The company plans to open theme parks in Las Vegas and Frisco, Texas, in the next several years.
NBCUniversal’s news group, which includes MSNBC, NBC News and CNBC, is trying to make up for sector-wide declines in traditional viewership with an advertising-supported news streaming service, NBC News Now, and new products for subscribers, including the CNBC Pro service. It has notched some programming wins, including “Inside With Jen Psaki,” a new Sunday show hosted by the former White House press secretary.
The company is set to report quarterly earnings this week, and the conference call that follows is likely to be closely scrutinized.