Tag Archives: aapl

Verizon Edges AT&T As Top Telecom Brand; Comcast Xfinity In Top 10

Verizon Communications ( VZ ) once again had the top-ranked global telecom brand among service providers, though cable firm Comcast ’s ( CMCSA ) Xfinity service cracked the top 10 for the first time, according to U.K.-based research firm Brand Finance. Among telecom network gear makers, China’s Huawei overtook Cisco Systems ( CSCO ) for the top spot worldwide, Brand Finance said. Verizon’s brand is ranked No. 6 globally among all technology companies, behind Apple ( AAPL ), Alphabet ‘s ( GOOGL ) Google, Samsung, Amazon.com ( AMZN ) and Microsoft ( MSFT ). In the U.S., Verizon edged out AT&T ( T ) in branding power. Wireless service providers are among the biggest advertisers. AT&T, which acquired satellite TV broadcaster DirecTV in July, has so far kept the DirecTV brand in its marketing. Comcast’s Xfinity ranked No. 10 globally in the Brand Finance report. Analysts credit Comcast’s Xfinity service platform with improving video subscriber results, owing to video-on-demand and cloud DVR features. Verizon has ramped up marketing for its new Go90 mobile video service, including live concerts and billboards, but Verizon’s own brand doesn’t appear in its Go90 commercials. The mobile video service can be downloaded as a mobile app by non-Verizon subscribers, though some features and perks are available only to Verizon customers. “Verizon’s most important milestone after the last year was the completion of its acquisition of AOL , a deal which significantly bolsters Verizon’s potential content offering. It is also reinforcing its established mobile dominance by pioneering the use of 5G,” said the Brand Finance report. The top 10 global telecom service brands also include: China Mobile ( CHL ), Deutsche Telekom ( DTEGY ), Vodafone Group ( VOD ), Softbank ( SFTBY ), Orange, BT and Japan’s NTT ( NTT ).

Apple Music Has 11 Million Paid Subscribers; Pandora Boxed In

Apple ( AAPL ) Music has 11 million paid subscribers, senior vice president Eddy Cue said Friday, confirming that the streaming music service is showing rapid growth and pressuring rivals. Apple Music had 10 million paying customers at the beginning of the year, the Financial Times reported last month. SVP Cue, speaking on John Gruber’s “The Talk Show” podcast released Friday, said Apple Music has quickly moved beyond that benchmark. Apple Music began in June for iOS users with 3-month trial subscriptions, expanding to the Alphabet ( GOOGL )-owned Android operating system in November. Apple’s growth may be coming at the expense of rivals such  as Pandora Media ( P ), Amazon ( AMZN ), Alphabet’s YouTube and privately held Spotify.  Pandora Media late Thursday said that its listener base fell to 81.1 million in Q4 vs. 81.4 million in the prior quarter and 81.5 million a year earlier. Pandora also missed earnings estimates. Pandora stock fell 12% on Friday, nearly undercutting its all-time intraday low set in 2012. Pandora shares rose 8% on Thursday ahead of results on a New York Times report that the company is mulling whether to put itself up for sale, hiring Morgan Stanley to help hold talks with potential bidders. Apple, Amazon, Facebook ( FB ) and Spotify are potential suitors, FBR & Co. analyst Barton Crockett said. Apple announced Friday that it will stream its first original series starring Beats co-founder Dr. Dre . The semi-autographical 6-episode Vital Signs may be streamed on Apple Music as another way to boost the service. Apple Music charges $9.99 a month, while Pandora has a $5 ad-free premium service. Spotify has 20 million paying subscribers — $9.99 in the U.S. — and 75 million who listen for free. Apple makes the bulk of its revenue from the iPhone. But with iPhone sales likely falling in the current quarter, the iPad steadily declining and the Apple Watch not a blockbuster, Apple increasingly is relying on services for growth. Services revenue rose 15% vs. a year earlier to $5.5 billion in Apple’s Q1. That compares to overall revenue growth of 2% to $75.9 billion.

Apple Pulls Trigger On First Original TV Show, Starring Dr. Dre

Apple ( AAPL ) is getting into the TV-show business, starting with a dark semi-autobiographical drama starring Beats co-founder and rap legend Dr. Dre. Dre, aka Andre Romelle Young, became an Apple executive after the Cupertino, Calif.-based consumer electronics giant bought Beats for $3 billion in August 2014. The Hollywood Reporter said Friday that Apple is backing a six-episode series called “Vital Signs.” The series likely will be distributed on Apple Music, the company’s subscription streaming music service, THR said. It’s also possible the show could turn up on iTunes or a rumored Apple streaming-TV service. Apple has been poking around the pay-TV business for years, trying to put together a skinny bundle of TV channels to market to cord cutters and cord nevers. Executives from CBS ( CBS ) and Walt Disney ’s ( DIS ) ESPN have spoken recently about their as-yet-fruitless talks with Apple. Apple Music would be an obvious outlet for the Dre show because it already includes some video, such as a recent exclusive Taylor Swift concert performance. But some analysts have speculated that Apple might go the route of subscription on-demand video and compete with the likes of Netflix ( NFLX ), Hulu and Amazon.com ‘s ( AMZN ) Amazon Prime Video. RELATED: Netflix Scores Big At Screen Actors Guild Awards With Four Trophies Apple M&A speculation continues with Time Warner chatter .