Opinion on  Viacom Inc (VIA)     Sector: Services  >  Industry: Broadcasting & Cable TV
Viacom Inc

Viacom, Inc. (Viacom) is a global entertainment content company. The Company engages audiences on television, motion picture, Internet, mobile and video game platforms, through entertainment brands.

The Company operates through two segments: Media Networks and Filmed Entertainment. In September 2008, MTV Networks (MTVN) acquired Social Project, Inc., its partner in building the Flux social media platform.

Media Networks

The Company’s networks, MTV Networks and BET Networks, operate program services, Websites and other digital media services in the United States and abroad. The Media Networks segment generates revenues principally from three sources: the sale of advertising time on its cable television networks, and digital properties and services; the receipt of affiliate fees from cable television operators, direct-to-home (DTH) satellite operators, mobile networks and other content distributors, and ancillary revenues, which include the creation and publishing of video games and other interactive products, home entertainment sales of its programming, the licensing of its content to third parties and the licensing of the Company’s brands and properties for consumer products.

MTV Networks reaches over 578 million households worldwide via its approximately 165 channels and multiplatform properties, which include MTV: Music Television, MTV2, mtvU, MTV Tr3s, VH1, VH1 Classic, CMT: Country Music Television, Logo, Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, Noggin, The N, Nicktoons, Neopets, COMEDY CENTRAL, Spike TV and TV Land, among others. MTV Networks also has a video game business that includes the Rock Band franchise and casual gaming Websites, such as Addictinggames.com and Shockwave.com. BET Networks is a provider of entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming targeted to the African-American audience and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa.

The Company competes with TBS, TNT, Discovery, ESPN, SciFi, FX, Lifetime, USA Network, MySpace.com, YouTube.com, Hulu, The Walt Disney Company, TV One, Blackplanet.com, AOL Blackvoices, Activision and Electronic Arts.

Filmed Entertainment

The Filmed Entertainment segment produces, finances and distributes motion pictures under the Paramount Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, MTV Films and Nickelodeon Movies brands. Viacom’s Filmed Entertainment segment generates revenues principally from the theatrical release of motion pictures in domestic and international markets; home entertainment, which includes sales of digital versatile disc (DVDs) and other products relating to the motion pictures it releases theatrically and certain other programming, including content it distribute on behalf of third parties, such as CBS Corporation, and license fees paid worldwide by third parties for exhibition rights on various media. The segment also generates ancillary revenues from providing production services to third parties, primarily at Paramount’s studio lot, consumer products licensing, and game distribution and distribution of its content on digital platforms.

The Company competes with Disney, Fox, Sony Pictures, Universal and Warner Bros.

 

<table class="dataTable" width="100%"> <tbody> <tr class="mdTableHeader dataBold"> <th> 1-5 Linear Scale </th> <th class="data"> Current </th> <th class="data"> 1 Month
Ago </th> <th class="data"> 2 Month
Ago </th> <th class="data"> 3 Month
Ago </th> </tr> <tr> <td> (1) BUY </td> <td class="data dataBold"> 4 </td> <td class="data"> 4 </td> <td class="data"> 4 </td> <td class="data"> 5 </td> </tr> <tr class="stripe"> <td> (2) OUTPERFORM </td> <td class="data dataBold"> 5 </td> <td class="data"> 5 </td> <td class="data"> 4 </td> <td class="data"> 5 </td> </tr> <tr> <td> (3) HOLD </td> <td class="data dataBold"> 13 </td> <td class="data"> 13 </td> <td class="data"> 14 </td> <td class="data"> 11 </td> </tr> <tr class="stripe"> <td> (4) UNDERPERFORM </td> <td class="data dataBold"> 2 </td> <td class="data"> 1 </td> <td class="data"> 1 </td> <td class="data"> 1 </td> </tr> <tr> <td> (5) SELL </td> <td class="data dataBold"> 1 </td> <td class="data"> 1 </td> <td class="data"> 1 </td> <td class="data"> 1 </td> </tr> <tr class="stripe"> <td> No Opinion </td> <td class="data dataBold"> 0 </td> <td class="data"> 0 </td> <td class="data"> 0 </td> <td class="data"> 0 </td> </tr> <tr class="dataTableDivider"> <td>   </td> </tr> <tr> <td> Mean Rating </td> <td class="data dataBold"> 2.64 </td> <td class="data"> 2.58 </td> <td class="data"> 2.62 </td> <td class="data"> 2.48 </td> </tr> </tbody> </table>