Publications

Profile

Annora Wang

after I left, entertainment remained in the back of my mind. How did HBS influence your ambitions? When I applied to HBS, I knew I wanted to go into general management, and I knew that I wanted to go into a consumer-facing industry. I... View Details

Keywords: Entertainment / Media

December 2016 (Revised January 2018)
Case

The Rise and Fall of the Circus

By: Ramon Casadesus-Masanell and Karen Elterman

This case describes the origins of the traditional circus, including its rise to popularity in the United States in the 1800s, and examines the factors that led to its decline in the 20th and 21st centuries. View Details

Keywords: Blue Ocean Strategy; Circus; Strategy; Entertainment; History; Entertainment and Recreation Industry

October 2019 (Revised December 2019)
Case

Swizz Beatz

By: Boris Groysberg, Annelena Lobb and Sarah Mehta

This case explores the life and career of rapper and music producer Swizz Beatz. Set in 2019, it covers the evolution of Swizz’s musical career and his new venture into the commercial art market. View Details

Keywords: Entertainment; Music Entertainment; Television Entertainment; Entrepreneurship; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; United States

April 2025
Case

Netflix in 2024

By: Jan Rivkin and David Allen

In 2024, Netflix appeared to emerge victorious from the “streaming wars” that it had waged in recent years with the likes of Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, Apple, and Amazon. What had allowed Netflix not only to succeed in the streaming wars but also to thrive for... View Details

Keywords: Entertainment; Film Entertainment; Television Entertainment; Digital Platforms; Internet and the Web; Organizational Culture; Strategy; Adaptation; Business Strategy; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; United States

October 2006 (Revised September 2007)
Teaching Note

Electronic Arts in Online Gaming (TN)

By: Thomas R. Eisenmann

Keywords: Games, Gaming, and Gambling; Arts; Technology; Entertainment and Recreation Industry

12 Oct 2017
Cold Call Podcast

Telemundo: The Fastest Growing TV Network in the United States

Keywords: Re: Henry W. McGee; Entertainment & Recreation; Entertainment & Recreation

December 2014
Article

When to Sell Your Idea: Theory and Evidence from the Movie Industry

By: Hong Luo

I study a model of investment and sale of ideas and test its empirical implications using a novel data set from the market for original movie ideas. Consistent with the theoretical results, I find that buyers are reluctant to meet unproven sellers for early-stage... View Details

Keywords: Market For Ideas; Information Asymmetry; Expropriation Risk; Intermediary; Intellectual Property Protection; Strategy; Intellectual Property; Film Entertainment; Sales; Entertainment and Recreation Industry

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Read Now

When Marcus Loew died in 1927, Schenck assumed control over all of his holdings, including Loew’s theatre company and its production arm, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). Despite the onslaught of the Depression, though, Schenck’s attention to efficiency and to “the bottom... View Details

Keywords: Entertainment & Broadcast Media

William S. Paley

After entering the media and entertainment field on somewhat of a whim, Paley grew his small radio concern into a media conglomerate with success in radio, television, music, media equipment and more. CBS competed heavily with the larger,... View Details

Keywords: Entertainment & Broadcast Media

14 Oct 2013
Research & Ideas

Blockbuster! Why Star Power Works

quite risky—a few blockbuster flops can bring a company to ruin—the strategy is the best bet for entertainment companies to succeed over the long run, according to Anita Elberse, the Lincoln Filene Professor of Business Administration at... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne; Entertainment & Recreation

November 1995 (Revised March 2000)
Case

Jurassic Park

By: John A. Quelch

Managers at MCA/Universal Merchandising are reviewing worldwide merchandising and licensing arrangements for the movie Jurassic Park. View Details

Keywords: Commercialization; Globalization; Film Entertainment; Brands and Branding; Entertainment and Recreation Industry

November 1993
Case

Edgar J. Scherick Associates

Edgar Scherick, a leading television movie producer, must determine whether fact-based movies garner higher Nielsen ratings than fictional movies. Scherick has data for all 1992 TV movies broadcast on major networks. Ultimately, Scherick must decide whether it is... View Details

Keywords: Cost vs Benefits; Film Entertainment; Entertainment and Recreation Industry

May 2007 (Revised May 2011)
Teaching Note

Netflix (TN)

By: Willy C. Shih

Teaching note to (607-138). View Details

Keywords: Media; Entertainment; Entertainment and Recreation Industry

04 Jun 2018
Research & Ideas

Think of it as Professors in Cars Having Coffee

I’ve heard many ideas for reducing gun violence in the United States, but this was a new one on me. Mihir Desai, a finance professor at Harvard Business School, noted in a recent podcast that stock prices of gun manufacturers are severely depressed, and at least one... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne; Entertainment & Recreation; Entertainment & Recreation

01 Mar 2011
News

Heard in the Chapel

performance to a packed house. The HBS men’s original a cappella group, The Tycoons, was formed in 1947 and entertained campus gatherings for more than 25 years before disbanding. Heard on the Street, which View Details

Keywords: Arts, Entertainment; Arts, Entertainment

27 Oct 2015
Blog Post

Alumni: Where Are They Now? Featuring Claire Friedman...

Current Position: COO and Executive in Charge of Lip Sync Battle Franchise, Casey Patterson Entertainment Current Location: New York/Los Angeles Tell us what you're up to these days. Right after graduation, I packed my bags and moved out... View Details

Keywords: Entertainment / Media / Sports

June 2010
Case

Legendary Pictures & ABRY Partners

This case focuses on the review by the private equity firm ABRY Partners of an opportunity to invest in a film financing vehicle, Legendary Pictures. Before 2004, private equity firms had avoided co-investing with film studios in film productions because of their... View Details

Keywords: Private Equity; Investment; Film Entertainment; Entertainment and Recreation Industry

February 2001
Case

ALWAYSi

By: Paul A. Gompers and Sergio Rattner

Anthony Soohoo, COO at ALWAYSi, an independent film distributor, is preparing projections for the company. Soohoo must decide which revenue streams the company should pursue. The firm is faced with a variety of attractive opportunities. View Details

Keywords: Forecasting and Prediction; Business Strategy; Revenue; Film Entertainment; Strategic Planning; Business Startups; Entertainment and Recreation Industry

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June 1999 (Revised August 2004)
Case

The National Hockey League's New Television Contract for 2004 and Beyond

By: Stephen A. Greyser and Elizabeth (Lisa) Smyth

The National Hockey League (NHL) has negotiated a new television contract at record rights-fee levels for hockey. The NHL will be shifting its principal television partner from Fox to ESPN/ABC. Students are asked to analyze the current and future contracts in terms of... View Details

Keywords: Budgets and Budgeting; Television Entertainment; Contracts; Marketing Communications; Agreements and Arrangements; Partners and Partnerships; Entertainment and Recreation Industry