
Start Your Day Like a Boss: What CEOs Listen to on Their Commutes
Welcome to the CEO Diet, a monthly series in Bloomberg Businessweek, where executives from around the world tell us how they manage their time in and out of the office. Among the topics they've discussed are their favorite go-to snacks, ways to win the weekend, exercise routines a nd fashion uniforms.
This month we asked the bosses what they're listening to when they commute to and from work and other destinations. Of course the answers include lots of podcasts, on subjects from current events to finance to a behind-the-scenes look at Formula One. But there are also plenty of music playlists in a wide range of genres. And don't underestimate the power of a good audiobook.
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Box Office Grosses Won't Return to Pre-COVID Levels Even by 2029, New Report Forecasts
U.S. and global box office and total cinema revenue will not reach pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels by 2029, according to accounting firm PwC's annual closely watched media and entertainment outlook report released late on July 23. In the U.S., pre-pandemic total cinema revenue is not forecast to be reached by 2029 despite a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.9 percent. PwC had recorded nearly $11.7 billion in U.S. total cinema revenue in the pre-pandemic year 2019 after $11.8 billion in 2018. The firm projects the figure to rise from $8.9 billion in 2024 and $9.6 billion in 2025 to $10.1 billion in 2026, $10.3 billion in 2027, $10.6 billion in 2028 and $10.8 billion in 2029. More from The Hollywood Reporter ITV Unveils New Cost Cuts, First-Half Ad Revenue Drop After Year-Ago Soccer Boost, Studios Gain Benedict Cumberbatch to Receive Zurich's Golden Eye Award How a New Generation of British Documentarians Is Embracing Politically Charged Storytelling Asked by The Hollywood Reporter about how pre-COVID box office levels are not expected to be reached by 2029, Bart Spiegel, PwC global entertainment and media leader, says: 'Unfortunately, this full recovery is unlikely within the forecast period. However, we project that by the end of 2029, the industry will be on the brink of a full rebound. In other words, 2030 may be the year global box office revenues return to pre-pandemic levels.' Pre-COVID, U.S. box office in 2018 amounted to $10.8 billion before a 2019 drop to $10.7 billion. PwC forecasts the 2024 figure of $8.1 billion to grow to $8.7 billion this year. 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'The Writers Guild of America (WGA) and Screen Actors Guild–American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) strikes of late 2023 had slowed down production — and there were fewer 'tentpole' titles than would normally have been anticipated.' For the global box office, PwC forecasts the 2024 figure of $29.7 billion to grow to $33.5 billion this year. It then predicts continued growth to $37.7 billion by the end of the Outlook report period in 2029, compared with $39.4 billion in 2019. 'It's important to remember that industry revenues are ultimately driven by price times volume. In this case, while ticket prices are rising, admissions (volume) are not expected to return to pre-pandemic levels,' Spiegel says. 'Instead, the growth in global box office revenue is being fueled by higher ticket prices. These ticket price increases are driven by several factors, including enhanced infrastructure and facilities, technological advancements, and rising content costs.' 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