Media is creating a huge impact in our lives as well as in business. Everyone is spending 8 to10 hours per day interacting with media in one form or another. Media companies produce and promote their content to make money from our consumption. Media giants compete with one another to maintain their existence in this advanced era. Some of the media giants that may outperform in 2021 are discussed below.
Cable One, Inc. (CABO)
Cable One, Inc. (CABO) is a broadband communication provider that provides data, video, and voice services to more than 950,000 residential and business customers in the United States. The company entertains consumers with a wide array of connectivity and entertainment services involving high-speed internet and advanced Wi-Fi solution, cable television, and phone service.
The company generated $339 million in the 3rd quarter of 2020 which is significantly higher than $285 million in the 3rd quarter of 2019. Analysts are expecting that Cable One will announce its sales revenue ranging from $1.32 billion to $1.34 billion for the current fiscal year. For the next fiscal year, it is expected that sales might be between $1.36 to $1.41 billion.
The company’s overall progress seems good as it has grown both its revenue and profit over the last few years, but it has diluted shareholders by expanding its no of shares on issue by 5.5% over the last year which has created an impact on its earning per share. So it is important to keep an eye on its EPS which will decide the fate of its shareholders.
Comcast Corporation (CMCSA)
Comcast Corporation (CMCSA) is one of the biggest media and technology company that operates via cable communication, cable networks, broadcast television, Filmed Entertainment, Theme Parks, and Sky segments. The company has announced its fiscal fourth-quarter report on Thursday the results of which surpass the expectations of analysts.
The company generated $27.71 billion revenue in the fourth quarter that is more than $26.78 billion expected by the Refinitiv survey of analysis with a rise of 6.9% in its net profit.538,000 high-speed internet customers were added as compared to 490,000 expected in the FactSet Survey. The company’s agreement to stream wrestling matches and the recent launch of “The Office” resulted in 33 million sign-ups in NBCUniversal’s Peacock which is far more than 22 million in the last quarter.
Growth in net profit owes to the company’s broadband business but its movie and theme-park units suffered a lot due to the coronavirus pandemic. Theme-park revenue decreased 63% to $579 million and filmed entertainment division suffered an 8.3% drop in revenue to $1.43 billion.
The company is optimistic to produce better results in 2021 as the rollout of vaccines will rebound its affected business areas.
Netflix, Inc. (NFLX)
Netflix Inc. (NFLX) is an American media service provider company that offers T.V series, documentaries, and feature films to its subscribers via a host of internet-connected screens. The company’s network is extended to 190 countries with roughly 200 million paid subscribers.
Netflix has incredibly attracted the audience over the last few years through its engaging feature films, T.V series, and adult animated content. The company is also investing an enormous amount into children’s programming and animated films. The media company outperformed in the 4th quarter of 2020 and added more than 8.5 million subscribers to the list with increasing subscription prices.
The company is playing smartly to wean itself from debt and to use its internally generated cash flow of $8.2 billion for future growth. Furthermore, the company’s management is taking an interest in share buyback which Netflix has not done in a decade. The current circumstances show that Netflix can be more profitable in the future due to a good cash flow in hand, faster rate of subscriptions and less relying on external finance for future growth.
