Course Title: The Business of Entertainment (TBE)

Semester: Spring 2023 Class: MBA 2023

Instructor: Dr. Ehsan ul Haque Email:

Room # 40008 Telephone: Ext: 8035

Office Hours: Assistant/TA Nabeela Shahzadi

COURSE OVERVIEW

The business of entertainment in Pakistan faces unique challenges. On the one hand, it has
immense potential to serve millions of citizens starved of entertainment choices. On the
other, it faces massive constraints on account of religious, social, cultural, and regulatory
forces. Lack of material support from the governments has also left the industry in poor
shape. Yet, major positive changes are afoot. First, the technological revolution is making
the production, dissemination, and consumption of creative outputs easier and accessible to
all. Second, better qualified talent is slowly taking charge of the industry. The government
is also realizing the role of entertainment industry in projecting a soft image of the country.
The success of the PSL cricket league has spawned a new generation of celebrity cricketers
helping drive up television audiences and revenues.

This course is designed to help students understand and appreciate the managerial
challenges typically faced in this industry. Most entertainment products are highly creative
in nature. The unique nature of creative products differentiates them from consumer and
manufacturing products. Demand for creative products is highly unpredictable, and creative
products themselves are primarily differentiated on a subjective rather than objective basis
with time being of the essence in the production process as well as in the realization of
revenue phase. Creative products typically have high fixed costs but nominal variable costs,
and, crucially, in an age of digitation, almost no distribution costs attached. They are easy
to replicate, plagiarize and pirate which present massive monetization challenges.

Similarly, consumption of creative products is also unique – product sampling and sales
projections do not apply. Although risk minimization and hedging strategies are available,
they do not always conform to conventional wisdom. Sales and marketing drivers are also
unique and managerial insights are not easily transferred from other sectors

The course examines strategic and management issues facing producers and distributors of
various sectors of the entertainment industry, such as, film, television, music, and sports.
Cases from the region and developed countries are supplemented by sessions with guest
speakers from the Pakistani industry.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1. To understand various business models and strategies used in the entertainment

industry and also explore the impact of digitization on them.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES

2. To expose students to major concepts, frameworks, tools, theories and practices

currently in vogue in the business of entertainment.

3. To develop knowledge, attitudes and skills required by managers in entertainment

enterprises.

MBA PROGRAM LEARNING GOALS & OBJECTIVES

1. Leadership and teamwork: Students will be able to assume leadership roles, perform
leadership tasks responsibly, and work effectively in teams.
2. Functional, integrative and strategic abilities: Students will demonstrate
understanding of the functional and strategic aspects of business and management, be
able to integrate across functional areas, and develop feasible strategies and action
plans.
3. Critical thinking and decision making: Students will be able to identify key
problems, collect and use information critically, and generate viable alternatives and
solutions.
4. Global perspective and flexibility: Students will demonstrate understanding of
global and multi-cultural perspectives within the local context and be able to work
effectively in multi-cultural settings.
5. Social, ethical, economic and environmental responsibility: Students will be able to
understand the broader ramifications of their decisions and assess the impact of
economic, ethical, environmental factors on the policies, strategies and operations of
the organization.
6. Effective communication: Students will be able to communicate clearly and
persuasively in writing and verbally, in ways appropriate for a variety of objectives
and audiences.
7. Entrepreneurialism and innovativeness: Students will be able to create, identify,
assess, shape and act on opportunities in a variety of contexts and organizations.
8. Managing pressures, complexities and uncertainties: Students will be able to
manage pressures and resource constraints, and think, decide and act in complex and
ambiguous situations.
9. Diversity and Inclusion: Students will be able to appreciate differences in gender,
class, religion, ethnicity, learning styles etc. and learn how these differences enrich
spaces, teams and institutions.

Indicate below how the course learning objectives specifically relate to any program
learning goals and objectives.

Program Learning Goals and Course Learning Objectives Course Assessment Item
Objectives

Goal 1 – Leadership and Minor Objective: CP, Project

teamwork Operationalized via
compulsory small group
Indicate below how the course learning objectives specifically relate to any program
learning goals and objectives.
discussion prior to class

Goal 2 – Functional, integrative Major objective: CP, Project, Final

and strategic abilities Operationalized through the
use of cases.

Goal 3 – Critical thinking – Major objective: CP, Final

decision making capabilities Operationalized through the
use of cases

Goal 4 – Global perspective Major Objective: CP, Final

and flexibility Operationalized through the
use of a healthy mix of cases
from the subcontinent and the
USA.

Goal 5 – Social, ethical and Minor Objective: CP, Final

cultural responsibility Operationalized through few
cases focused on socio-
economic challenges

Goal 6 – Communication Major Objective: CP, Project, Final

competency Operationalized through
written work and class
participation

Goal 7 – Entrepreneurialism Minor Objective: CP, Project

and innovativeness Operationalized through cases
focused on opportunity
identification, assessment and
exploitation

Goal 8 – Managing pressures, Major Objective: CP, Project, Final

complexities and uncertainties Operationalized through use of
cases, work load and in-class
pressure.

COURSE ASSESSMENT/GRADES

1. Class participation 35%

2. Exercises/quizzes 10%

3. Group Project 25%

4. Final examination 30%

COURSE ASSESSMENT/GRADES

CLASS-MANAGEMENT POLICY

Please consult MBA handbook for attendance, timelines and norms of professional conduct.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Basic courses in business administration

RECOMMENDATION FOR FURTHER EDUCATION

Numerous websites are available on almost all aspects of the entertainment industry

SUPPLEMENTARY READING

 Relevant chapters from “Media Today – Mass Communication in a Converging World,” 7 th

Edition, Joseph Turow, Routledge, 2019

 Other material to be provided on need basis via email.

REQUIREMENTS (FOR PCO OFFICE)

Midterm Exam: No

Final Exam: Yes

Closed
books/notes

Double Session: No

Joint Session (combined of two No

sections):

Simulation: No

Video Recording: No
REQUIREMENTS (FOR PCO OFFICE)

IT Lab sessions No

Additional session or review session No

Course Cap (applicable for elective 40

courses)

Standard Cap in an Elective Course is 50

Any other requirement (e.g. No

laptop/computer etc.):
Session ASSIGNMENT
Module and Topic: TITLE OF CASE READING MATERIAL LEARNING OBJECTIVES
No. QUESTIONS

Module 1
Film Industry
Session 1 Case: YVES Creations  Chapter 12. The  To understand the 1. How did you like Alex’s
LLC: Alex Goes to Movie Industry complexities involved in approach to movie
Hollywood making and distributing a making? What did he do
movie right? Wrong?

 To comprehend the 2. What would you advise

entrepreneurial process of Alex do now?
an independent producer

Session 2 Case: The Walt Disney  To examine hit-making 1. How would you
Studios and risk-taking strategies characterize the film
of Hollywood development and
marketing process at
 To evaluate product Disney?
--- development and launch
strategies 2. What are the advantages
and disadvantages of
Tentpole strategy?

3. How do you evaluate the

culture at Disney?

Session 3 Case: Excel  To explore modern movie 1. Would you label Excel
Entertainment making in the Indian Entertainment as a
context successful firm? Why?
Why not?
---
 To discuss the role and
impact of culture on 2. Do films impact people’s
society lives?
 3. Should Excel add
ideological agendas in its
films? Why? Why not?

Module 2
Music Industry

Session 4 Case: Lady Gaga  Chapter 10. The  To understand the value 1. How do you evaluate
Recording Industry chain of the music Gaga’s launch as an artist
industry. up to September 2009?

 To understand the 2. How important are

meteoric rise of a super concert-ticket sales
star and its sustainability versus recorded-music
sales for an artist like
 To understand Gaga? Where should
monetization team Gaga focus its
opportunities and
efforts in the future?
challenges in the music
industry. 3. If you were Troy Carter,
which of the three
options would you
pursue for Lady Gaga?
Why?

Session 5 Case: Spotify: Face the Chapter 11. The Radio  To understand the value 1. What is the value chain of
Music (updated 2019) Industry chain of the music the music industry?
industry and its disruption
2. Why was Spotify
 To understand how value successful?
is created and captured in
a changing eco system 3. What future options does
Spotify have?
 Module 3
Television Industry

Session 6 Case: Shonda Rhimes’  Chapter 13. The  To understand the 1. What factors seem to
ShondaLand Television Industry workings of broadcast TV drive the success of new
industry shows?

 To showcase working of a 2. Is there a “problem” with

creative team in TV writing and producing
production serialized dramas?

 To examine the tension 3. What future suggestions

between creativity and do you have for Shonda?
commerce

Session 7 Case: Balaji Telefilms  To understand the value 1. Why has Balaji been so
Limited chain of the TV industry successful in the TV
industry?
 To examine how Balaji
transformed the TV 2. Would Balaji be as
content industry successful in the movie
business? Why? Why
 To develop strategies for not?
competing in the digital
arena 3. What should Balaji’s
digital strategy be?

Session 8 Case: The Video-  To explore the reasons 1. What factors led to the
Streaming Wars in 2019: behind the rise of Netflix phenomenal growth of
Can Disney Catch Netflix?
Netflix?  To assess how online
platforms seek control 2. Why is Disney interested
and leverage in the video in Direct-to-Consumer?
industry
 3. Is this a Winner-Take-All
game?

Session 9
Guest Speaker

Module 4
Sports Industry

Session 10 Case: Force of Markets  To learn about the 1. What seems to be the
in Sports-Premier challenges faced by sports problem of sports in
Football Leagues in in developing countries India?
India
 To appreciate the trade- 2. Why was ISL successful?
offs between mass and
championship sports 3. What should AIFF do
regarding the tussle
between I-League and
ISL?

Session 11
Guest Speaker

Session 12 Case: The Indian Indian Premier League:  To explore the reasons for 1. How do BCCI and the
Premier League, 2020 Bollywood and the phenomenal success franchisees make money
Entrepreneurship of IPL in IPL?
Transform a Sport
 To understand how 2. What seem to be the key
money is made and success factors of IPL?
distributed in sports
leagues 3. Going forward what
actions would you
propose to strengthen the
league?
Session 13
Chapter 14. The Video
Guest Speaker Game Industry

Module 5
Digital and Cultural
Convergence
Session 14 Case: Tencent:  To discuss various 1. Why is Tencent investing
Combining Technology sources of creating so heavily in content
and Culture entertainment content that creation across so many
resonates with consumers formats?

 To look at the 2. How do you evaluate the

implications of a new Neo Cultural Creativity
revenue model for a firm (NCC) idea?

 To study the role of for- 3. As Edward Cheng, how

profit business in would you move forward
affecting the brand image with the Gu Long IP?
of a country
4. What lessons can we learn
for Pakistan in this
regard?