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Disney and Fox Shareholders approve merger, likely to be completed in first half of 2019

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Disney and Fox Shareholders approve merger, likely to be completed in first half of 2019

Shareholders of 21st Century Fox and Disney have approved Disney’s $71.3 billion buyout of Fox’s assets.

Shareholders gathered on July 27 at the New York Hilton for separate meetings to vote on the historic transaction that the companies announced in December.

Gerson Zweifach, general counsel of 21st Century Fox, told Fox shareholders the merger is expected to be completed in the first half of 2019.

Disney said 99% of shareholders approved the company’s acquisition of Fox assets, a historic tie-up that will alter the Hollywood landscape.

The Disney gathering was short and perfunctory. Led by Disney general counsel Alan Braverman and CFO Christine McCarthy, the vote took less than 10 minutes and received near unanimous approval from Disney shareholders.

With this, “Avatar,” the “X-Men” movies, “Titanic” and TV shows such as “The Simpsons” and “This Is Us” will now be owned by Disney.

In June, the Walt Disney Company announced that the Antitrust Division of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) had cleared the pending acquisition by Disney of 21st Century Fox.

The DOJ had entered into a consent decree with Disney and 21st Century Fox that allows the acquisition to proceed while requiring the sale of the Fox Sports Regional Networks.

Under the consent decree, Disney has at least 90 days from the date of closing the transaction to complete this sale. The DOJ may grant extensions of time up to another 90 days, and the decree is subject to the normal court approval process.

Earlier, Disney and Fox announced an amended acquisition agreement pursuant to which Disney will acquire Fox for $38 per share in cash and stock.

The Walt Disney Company had officially increased its offer for the purchase of 21st Century Fox, upping its offer to USD 71.3 billion in stock and cash. The new bidding is a drastic increase from the company’s original USD 52.4 billion deal that valued Fox at USD 28 per share.

The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries, is a diversified worldwide entertainment company with operations in four business segments: Media Networks; Studio Entertainment; Parks, Experiences and Consumer Products; and Direct-to-Consumer and International. Disney is a Dow 30 company and had annual revenue of $55.1 billion in its Fiscal Year 2017.

#SuperSaturday: Are you a Potterhead? Visit these Harry Potter-themed restaurants before you die!

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#SuperSaturday: Are you a Potterhead? Visit these Harry Potter-themed restaurants before you die!

If you are a Potterhead and want to live in a magical world, then there are plenty of reasons to travel! If you want to eat and drink surrounded by a magical ambiance, there are a few stops you should make. Who knew magic could taste so good?

Harry Potter has become such a well-recognized and beloved story, people are starting to branch out and making it a part of their own brand.

These Harry Potter-themed restaurants will satiate all your magical needs:

From a wrinkled Sorting Hat to elaborate hanging chandeliers to Hogwarts uniforms, these places are decorated with a number of subtle references to the more retro wizarding world.

Recently, Lego also announced Harry Potter Hogwarts castle 6,020-piece set. Slated for a September 1 release, the 22-inch tall castle will include four mini-figures and 27 micro-figures. The micro-figures will include Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Draco Malfoy, Albus Dumbledore, Severus Snape and Lord Voldemort.

Also included are Hagrid’s hut, the Whomping Willow, the Climbing Staircase and five boats.

The Hogwarts Castle will feature the Great Hall, the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, the Chessboard Chamber, and Dumbledore’s office.

With millions of readers and viewers, J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson in pivotal roles has worked its magic over an entire generation of audience.

‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’ theme-park to unveil at Hong Kong Disneyland

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‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’ theme-park to unveil at Hong Kong Disneyland

Hong Kong Disneyland Resort has revealed the name of its latest attraction, Ant-Man, and the Wasp: Nano Battle!

The attraction will debut in 2019 as the park continues the multi-year expansion of the Hong Kong resort. In May, the park premiered “Moana: A Homecoming Celebration,” a live show based on the film Moana and the first of its expansion projects.

The Ant-Man-inspired attraction will feature images from the film as well as a unique storyline that will allow guests to engage in a heroic battle alongside Ant-Man and The Wasp as they fight Zola and his crew of Hydra swarm-bots.

Check out this video:

The new interactive dark ride will involve guests visiting the Science and Technology Pavilion at Stark Expo, before traveling in S.H.I.E.L.D.’s state-of-the-art vehicle.

Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly, the stars of the “Ant-Man” films, also appear in this all-new, interactive attraction.

Ant-Man and The Wasp: Nano Battle! follows the opening of Iron Man Experience in 2017, consistently the top-rated attraction at Hong Kong Disneyland. When the resort’s multi-year expansion is complete in 2023, an entire Marvel-themed area will be open to guests.

FREAKY FRIDAY: Meet these ‘Under 40’ richest self-made power women in US

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FREAKY FRIDAY: Meet these ‘Under 40’ richest self-made power women in US

Meet these ‘Under 40’ richest self-made power women in US

Gone are those days, when women used to do household chores and men used to earn to take care of the family. With advancements, women have become more powerful in shaping the course of history with their intelligence, strength, passion, and leadership qualities.

Recently, financial magazine Forbes has released their list of American female self-made women. A total of 60 women are featured on the list with popular names such as Oprah Winfrey and Celine Dion, including two Indian-origin technology executives Jayshree Ullal and Neerja Sethi.

These five ‘under 40’ power women have grabbed the self-made millionaire titles:

Kylie Jenner:

The 20-year old reality star’s fortune comes from her cosmetics brand, Kylie Cosmetics. The brand sells lip kits and other makeup accessories.

According to a Forbes estimate, the company is worth USD 800 million. The other 100 million comes from endorsements, tax dividends, and of course, her family’s reality show empire.

Her limited-edition products performed well in 2016 when her holiday collection made USD19 million in 24 hours.

Thanks to the ever-growing social media, Kylie has topped the 2018 Instagram Rich List, having earned one million dollars (Rs 6,87,15,000) on each post. Kylie climbed the ladder after beating Selena Gomez, who bagged the first position last year.

Kim Kardashian:

The ‘hashtag’ era has birthed a new centimillionaire: Kim Kardashian West. The social media queen has transformed her fortune by selling her followers a mobile game, emojis–and now, cosmetics.

Kardashian West who has a net worth of USD 350 million started her own cosmetics company in 2017 with USD 48 creme contour kits.

KKW Beauty quickly expanded into powder sets, concealer, lipsticks, eyeshadow, and fragrances.

The startup has already tallied an estimated USD 100 million in revenue. Along with her sister, Kardashian West debuts at number 54 on the fourth annual list of America’s Richest Self-Made Women.

On Women’s day this year, Kardashian dropped a bumper collection of feminist emojis that had sparked a huge debate around feminism online. The Kimojis featured lots of booty, boobs, panties and even a stripper pole.

Huda Kattan:

The self-made make-up guru quit her job in finance to become a make-up artist and now she is the owner of a makeup empire and writes one of the Internet’s most-read blogs.

Huda Beauty sells more than 140 products from eyeshadow pallets to lip gloss, which bring in at least USD 200 million in annual sales.

Kattan started her business, Huda Beauty, in 2013 with her two sisters – Mona and Alya.

Daughter of immigrants from Iraq, she has a net worth of USD 550 million.

TSG Consumer Partners, a private equity company, acquired a small stake in her company and now it is worth more than USD 1 billion.

Kattan is also a beauty influencer and has 26 million followers on Instagram.

Huda Kattan ranked number 37 on Forbes’s list of America’s Richest Self-Made Women.

Taylor Swift:

Taylor Swift’s fortune again lands her a place on America’s Richest Self-Made Women. She ranks at number 60.

The ‘Love Story’ singer who has a net worth of USD 320 million made a comeback on the music scene with her album ‘Reputation’. The album sold 2 million copies in its opening week, becoming the top album of 2017 in terms of total sales.

Her North America tour, 1989, broke touring records three years ago when it grossed USD 250 million.

Her net worth has benefited from continued earnings from her music, endorsements, and merchandises.

Taylor Swift’s China-based clothing line with Heritage66, announced in July 2015, consists largely of severely branded t-shirts, dresses, sweatshirts and high-waisted pants, and even some options for men.

Beyoncé:

Beyonce grabbed the position at number 53 on America’s Richest Self-Made Women, behind moguls such as Oprah Winfrey and Sheryl Sandberg.

Beyoncé Knowles has a net worth of USD 355 million and has also featured on other Forbes lists including Power Women 2017 and Celebrity 100 2017.

Beyoncé’s company launched a line of beauty-related products in her daughter’s name ‘Blue Ivy Carter’. From clothing to fragrances, hair and makeup supplies, and even mobile apps and games, the brand covered all!

Her most recent album Lemonade was her sixth No.1 solo venture and her On The Run II stadium tour with her husband Jay-Z grossed around USD 5 million per night.

More Power To Women!

Yoozoo Games collaborates with Sunny Leone for a mobile game

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Yoozoo Games collaborates with Sunny Leone for a mobile game

Celebrities never sighed away from limelight and partnerships, and the latest to join the bandwagon is Bollywood actress Sunny Leone.

If a report in the Economic Times is to be believed, Chinese gaming giant Yoozoo Games (previously Youzu Interactive) has inked a three-year collaboration with Sunny Leone and Mumbai-based game development studio Gamiana for a mobile game. The game is slated to be launched worldwide by the end of this year.

The main objective of the firm is to capture gamers in Tier-2 and tier-3 markets in India.

The company plans to use Sunny Leone’s social media presence and connect to popularize the game and create monetization using the in-app purchases.

According to the ET tech report, Yoozoo Games India CEO Anuj Tandon said the game will be in the Social Casino genre and will feature Leone within the game-play. The game will be targeted towards the age group of 25 to 45 and will be available on Google Play, Apple App Store, and Facebook. Yoozoo has a development studio in Pune and will also partner with other studios to make games in the country.

Tandon said this is the first of many such partnerships for the Shenzhen Stock Exchange-listed firm which entered the India market in March last year.

“Celebrity associations are important to attract users from Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets since it significantly improves the trust factor for your game and the barrier to entry for these people to try out your game becomes much lower than the games which are not endorsed by celebrities or brands” Tandon was quoted as saying from the ETtech.

As per the association, Gamiana will help Yoozoo Games in the game development process by creating some parts of the game.

Yoozoo Games plans to launch three games by the end of this year, taking the Indian count to five games.

On the professional front, Leone will be next seen in Web Series – Karenjit Kaur: The Untold Story of Sunny Leone, where she will be uncovering her deep dark secrets. However, the trailer draws criticisms from various people.

Mattel Q2 Earnings: Sales down 14%, Barbie and Hot Wheels show growth

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Mattel Q2 Earnings: Sales down 14%, Barbie and Hot Wheels show growth

Mattel Inc reported second quarter 2018 financial results, posting a 14 per cent fall in its second quarter sales revenue.

“Mattel is a company with great potential. We see a lot of opportunities, but there has been a big discrepancy between our financial performance over the last few years and where the company should be,” said Ynon Kreiz, Chairman, and CEO of Mattel.

For the second quarter of 2018, net sales were down 14% as reported and in constant currency, versus the prior year’s second quarter. Gross sales were down 11% as reported and in constant currency, reflecting a 10% impact from the Toys “R” Us liquidation. Reported operating loss was USD 189.2 million, and adjusted operating loss was USD141.3 million. Reported loss per share was USD 0.70 and adjusted loss per share was USD 0.56.

The company had a challenging second quarter driven primarily by the Toys “R” Us liquidation, that will now see the firm axe 22 per cent of its non-manufacturing jobs and sell its manufacturing sites in Mexico.

Conversely, Mattel’s Barbie and Hot Wheels brands saw continued growth with the doll line increasing 12 per cent and Hot Wheels proceeding 21 per cent.

“Our goal is to transform Mattel into an IP-driven, high performing toy company and I’m confident we have the right team, the right assets, and the right strategy in place to achieve this and enhance long-term value for our shareholders,” Kreiz further stated.

The job cuts, which began this week and will total more than 2,200 are a part of the USD 650 million cost-cutting plan announced last year. The reductions are focused on back-office and support positions, according to CEO Ynon Kreiz, who replaced Margo Georgiadis in April.

Revenue from the company’s partner brands, which includes sales from toys based on movie franchises, fell 32 percent from the year-ago quarter. The company saw weaker sales of its Cars toys, which was partially offset by sales of toys tied to Jurassic World.

Vint & York launches limited-edition ‘Smithsonian’ themed eyewear collection

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Vint & York launches limited-edition ‘Smithsonian’ themed eyewear collection

New York-based Vint & York has associated with Smithsonian to create four limited-edition frames. The exclusive collection is inspired by the Smithsonian’s historical artifacts from the 1920s-1960s.

Titled as the “Time Capsule”, the collection will include both sunglasses and eyeglasses crafted in high-quality acetates with metal detailing, as reported by the License Global.

“We were not only inspired by the allure of nostalgia, but by the character of these objects. The Smithsonian has some of the most iconic cultural pieces, a vast collection of historical touchstones and rare oddities. It was a designer’s dream,” Larisa Ginzburg, founder, Vint & York was quoted as saying.

The collection includes:

  • A bold cat-eye frame inspired by a unique gold and amethyst Tiffany necklace
  • A ‘50s-inspired browline silhouette
  • A nod to the first aircraft to fly faster than the speed of sound
  • A round frame inspired by the 60s and a 40s-inspired square frame

The collection is available on the official portal and at Vint & York’s flagship store in New York City.

Heroes & Villains launches ‘Star Wars’ themed apparel, accessories collection

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Heroes & Villains launches ‘Star Wars’ themed apparel, accessories collection

Fans can now dive even deeper into one of the world’s most iconic pop-culture!

Lucasfilm and Heroes & Villains, the Bioworld-owned apparel and accessories manufacturer, are launching a line of Star Wars apparel and accessories.

The Star Wars collection is inspired by the iconic Battle of Endor in the film Return of the Jedi.

 “Our collection embodies bold, daring designs that redefine personal expression. The Battle of Endor is a fan favorite and allowed us to create a range of functional clothing and accessories we hope all Star Wars fans will appreciate,” said Doug Johnson, creative director, Heroes & Villains.

The limited-edition collection was unveiled at San Diego Comic-Con, which took place in San Diego, California from July 19-22.

The 26-piece collection includes backpacks, handbags, jackets, hats, wallets, and keychains that are designed with key elements from the film in mind. Whether choosing the role of Endor Commando, Ewok, or Tempest Force, the Star Wars Collection from Heroes & Villains provides premium-quality products, designed so fans can fully immerse themselves in the galaxy.

This limited-edition collection ranges from USD 8 to USD 100 and is available on the company’s official portal — heroesvillains.com.

Heroes & Villains is exclusively owned by Bioworld, the premier industry leader specializing in creating innovative licensed collections of the most iconic pop-culture brands.

Nickelodeon to open its largest indoor theme park in China

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Nickelodeon to open its largest indoor theme park in China

Viacom International Media Networks Asia unit has signed a deal for a Nickelodeon indoor theme park in China.

The Mall of China attraction will include SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer, the PAW Patrol gang, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and other 29 attractions.

The park will co-develop with the Mall of China, Jiayuan Group, China Creation Group and Triple Five Group. The theme park will also include Asia’s first tilting drop tower and the TMNT launch coaster, which will be the highest, fastest and longest indoor roller-coaster in the world.

“Creating immersive on-the-ground consumer experiences remains an important part of our business. As we continue to grow the footprint of Nickelodeon theme parks, I am confident this will also open up new opportunities for the Nickelodeon brand and for our partners across multiple platforms in this important Chinese market,” Viacom International Media Networks, Managing Director of Asia Pacific Mark Whitehead.

The developers are expected to invest more than USD 750 million in the mall, of which the theme park will occupy about 92,000 square feet. The approximately 1.5 million-square-foot Mall of China complex is part of a mixed-use development that will also include a residential enclave of about 40,000 residential units, an international K-12 school, and an international hospital. The total area will cost over USD 4.2 billion for the development.

“This is the testament to the power of Nickelodeon and our iconic characters that fans, kids, and families have come to love, which in turn, enables our ability to further boost the Nickelodeon entertainment experience for them,” said VIMN Senior Vice President of Location Based Experiences Gerald Raines.

The theme-park will join Nickelodeon Universe in Minneapolis’ Mall of America, SeaWorld on the Gold Coast and Wet n Wild Sydney in Australia, Nickelodeon Land at Pleasure Beach Blackpool in the UK, Nickland at Movie Park Germany, Nickelodeon Land at Parque de Atracciones Madrid, and Nickelodeon Lost Lagoon at Sunway Lagoon in Malaysia. Nickelodeon attractions also appear at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida and Hollywood, California.

The 28,000-square-meter entertainment zone will open in 2020.

POPxo launches its ecommerce portal to sell private label merchandise

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POPxo launches its ecommerce portal to sell private label merchandise

The Delhi-based women-focused digital content platform POPxo has announced the launch of its e-commerce platform ‘POPxo Shop’ to sell private label merchandise.

The platform known for its stories, videos and social media content about fashion and women, has forayed into the world of retail with products that are designed to appeal to the millennial audience including mugs, phone covers, bags among others.

The eCommerce vertical went live last week, showcases products such as phone covers, notebook, laptop sleeves, coffee mugs, tote bags, multi-purpose pouches and cushion covers, among others.

POPxo will be offering merchandise in five segments including POP Woman, So Desi, Wanderlust, My POPxo and Boss Woman.

The company is also looking at expanding into fashion and beauty over the next few months.

The pricing for the products starts from Rs. 299 for mugs. Laptop bags are priced at Rs. 999, canvas pouches at Rs. 599 and tote bags at Rs. 999.

“Millennial women are a large and under-served market, especially in the lifestyle products category. The POPxo e-commerce platform will create and sell product lines especially for them. We already know what appeals to women online – our private label is a natural extension. Content-Community-Commerce has always been our mission and with this launch, we solidify our position,” POPxo Founder & CEO, Priyanka Gill was quoted as saying.


POPxo which is available on desktop, mobile web and via Android + iOS apps, claims to ship all orders within 2 business days and has Paytm as its payment partner.

Shubham Jain, Business Head – E-commerce at POPxo said, “From design to production and distribution – we are running the entire process in-house and via our partnerships with service providers.  It is very exciting to launch e-commerce for an established brand, loved by millions as we have a large, established buyer base and proven marketing strength.”

POPxo has partnered with over 250 consumer brands such as Hindustan Unilever, Puma, Whisper, Tanishq, OPPO to create branded content.

In April this year, it had raised Rs 37 crore in a round led by Chinese Mobile company Oppo and South Korea’s Neoplux.

Founded by Priyanka Gill and Namrata Bostrom in 2014, it now claims to have the user base of 17.5 million, 82 percent of its users are female in the 18-35 age bracket.

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