Headlines: World Cup Ratings, Getty Conflict, Pipeline Deal, Mattel Licensing

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Cup Draws Good Ratings

Univision’s Spanish-language coverage of the World Cup is breaking viewership records, Daily Variety reported on Tuesday. Add to that the good ratings for cup games on ABC, and this year’s soccer championship is on pace to become the most watched in U.S. history. ABC scored a 2.8 household rating for three matches, up 65 percent from four years ago. On Univision, the first eight games played in Germany have ageraged 2.6 million viewers, nearly tripling the viewership of the Asian World Cup in 2002. A key factor in the boost is the timing. The German matches air in the mid-morning and early afternoon in the U.S., in contrast with a time difference with South Korea and Japan which forced broadcast before most people were awake.


Getty Book Deal Conflict


Barry Munitz, former chief executive of the Getty Trust, agreed to pay retired Getty Board Chairman David Gardner almost $300,000 to write a coffee table book, just months after Gardner helped him get a five-year contract rather than the one-year term other board members favored. The book deal came after years of pressure from Gardner on Munitz and other Getty officials to compensate him for his service on the board, the Los Angeles Times reported on Tuesday.


Pipeline Firm to Be Purchased


A Houston pipeline company plans to buy Long Beach-based Pacific Entergy Partners in a nearly $2 billion deal, the Los Angeles Times reported on Tuesday. The transaction further consolidates the gasoline and oil supply and storage sector. The purchase by Plains All American Pipeline would combine Pacific Energy’s operations in California, the Rockies and Canada with the Texas company’s holdings, which include one California pipeline and an extensive network of facilities in Texas and the Midwest.


Mattel in Licensing Deal With Cartoon Networks


Mattel Inc. was set to announce a global licensing deal to make games, puzzles and other toys based on children’s shows on Time Warner Inc.’s Cartoon Network, home of “Powerful Girls” and other children’s hits. Under the deal, the world’s largest toy maker will become the master toy licensee for the recently formed Cartoon Network Enterprises, the consumer division of the network. The deal covers Cartoon Network programming for children ages 6 to 11 plus the rights to create Cartoon Network-branded merchandise. It also gives the El-Segundo-based toymaker the first chance at licensing future Cartoon Network programs.

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