Netflix will expand its use of charging different prices in different countries, co-CEO Greg Peters said in an earnings call Thursday after the market's close. Peters told analysts the company has no set position on a potential ceiling to its pricing. Netflix said its Q1 revenues were $9.4 billion, up 14.8% over Q1 2023. Asked about the streamer's live sports strategy, co-CEO Ted Sarandos told analysts that Netflix is "not anti-sports but pro-profitable growth" and that it would consider other sports opportunities that could drive engagement and revenues similar to its World Wrestling Entertainment deal.
Most ex parte meetings on the net neutrality order have focused on Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and her fellow Democrats Geoffrey Starks and Anna Gomez, with about twice as many meetings as with the Republicans, based on our count. Industry officials said that’s not surprising, saying Commissioners Brendan Carr and Nathan Simington certainly will dissent and have little leverage to seek changes. Commissioners vote Thursday.
Industry and consumer groups have lobbied the FCC in recent days on whether to maintain its proposed language regarding forbearance of Universal Service Fund (USF) contributions for broadband internet access service (BIAS) in its draft order restoring net neutrality rules, according to an analysis of recent ex parte filings in docket 23-320. The FCC in its draft order to be considered Thursday during the commissioners' open meeting tentatively decided to grant ISPs forbearance from Communications Act Section 254(d) requirements, which govern USF contributions (see 2404050068).
The FCC's "all-in" pricing disclosure requirement for cable and direct broadcast satellite operators will be effective Friday, according to a notice for that day's Federal Register. The commission voted 3-2 on party lines at its March meeting to mandate "all-in" pricing for bills and promotional materials (see 2403140050).
Congressional Republicans have remained relatively quiet about the FCC’s draft net neutrality order since Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel released it earlier this month (see 2404030043) but are likely to become more active in opposition when the commission adopts it as expected next week, lawmakers and observers said in interviews. Congressional Democrats have been comparatively active since the draft’s release, including sending Rosenworcel suggestions aimed at preventing loopholes that ISPs could use to circumvent regulation. Congressional Democrats highlighted that divergence in style Thursday by bringing Rosenworcel to Capitol Hill for a news conference that amounted to a preemptive victory lap ahead of the FCC’s April 25 vote on the order.
The proposed Disney/Fox/Warner Bros. Discovery sports streaming joint venture (see 2402070006) raises questions about sports streaming competition, choice and access, House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., and Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, said Tuesday in a letter to CEOs of the three companies. Pointing to concerns about higher prices for consumers and less-fair licensing terms for sports leagues and video distributors, the lawmakers posed a series of questions, such as whether the JV will distribute channels of non-JV partners, whether the three programmers will implement provisions that prevent anticompetitive sharing of pricing or other sensitive competitive information with each other, and. whether the three will continue bidding competitively against one another for sports rights as they become available.
Proponents of revised net neutrality rules are urging FCC commissioners to further tighten provisions on 5G network slicing, one of the more contested items in the proposed rules (see 2404050053). But officials on both sides said it’s not clear how many changes will be made to the order, prior to an expected 3-2 vote next week. Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel may need to make some concessions because the rules likely won’t pass without support from her fellow Democrats Geoffrey Starks and Anna Gomez.
State agencies advised rejecting Lumen objections to an administrative law judge’s recommendation that the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission force the carrier to rehab its copper network to address reportedly widespread service quality problems. Lumen’s CenturyLink pushed back sharply earlier this month on the ALJ’s proposed findings and remedies (see 2404030012). Replying Friday in docket C-20-432, the Minnesota Office of Attorney General said, “The rosy picture of satisfied customers that CenturyLink presents is at odds with the evidence documenting the crackly reality wireline customers face.” The state Commerce Department agreed. “None of CenturyLink’s conclusory claims should cause the Commission to depart from the ALJ’s sound legal analysis,” rule interpretations and “findings that certain customers are not receiving adequate service and that certain facilities are failing to provide it.”
Possibly facing the end of the federal affordable connectivity program (ACP), the California Public Utilities Commission should quickly modify grant rules to ensure service stays affordable, said The Utility Reform Network in petitions Friday and Monday. “We don’t have the luxury of time here,” said TURN Telecom Policy Analyst Leo Fitzpatrick in an interview Monday. The state cable association slammed TURN’s proposals. But the California Emerging Technology Fund (CETF), a group that has led efforts to sign up low-income Californians for ACP, supports having “another opportunity to discuss the imperative for California to have a back-up plan to replace the” federal program, said CEO Sunne Wright McPeak in an email Monday.
Crown Castle appoints Steven Moskowitz, ex-Centennial Towers, president-CEO and board member; interim President-CEO Anthony Melone becomes special adviser to Moskowitz until May 31 (see 2404120051) … Beacon Global Strategies, strategic advisory firm focused on global public policy, government procurement and geopolitical risk analysis, expands its Indo-Pacific practice, adding Meghan Harris, ex-GlobalFoundries, as senior vice president, and Ann Kowalewski, ex-House Foreign Affairs Committee staffer, as associate vice president.