PCV notes that this trend has squeezed independent studios margins and may increase speculation that Sony is considering a sale of its studio assets. CBS has been speculated as a buyer due to their ownership of a major network and CEO Leslie Moonves long held desire for a legitimate film studio.
May 17, 2017
‘In a television universe of diminishing viewership returns and greater focus on streaming, international and other revenue streams, the Big Four networks relied more on ownership this upfronts season than ever before.
As ratings and ad dollars continue to trend south, ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox aligned even closer with their studio counterparts this season. (Fox and NBC bought exclusively from 20th Century Fox and Universal Television, respectively, in a key change from last year.) Off-network sales, meanwhile, became increasingly rare as shared ownership is largely the new lay of the land in that space.’