Media share prices tumble in wake of tariffs

Among the major US studios, the share price of Walt Disney is down 16%, Warner Bros Discovery has dropped 24% while Paramount Global is down 11% and NBC Universal parent Comcast has fallen 10%.

Meanwhile, Apple’s share price has tumbled 19%, Netflix’s share price has fallen 11%, while Amazon is down 8% and Roku has dropped 20%.

Within Europe, broadcasting groups have also been hit, including RTL Group (-10%), ITV (-15%), MFE-MediaForEurope (-15%), France’s TF1 Group (-10%) and Germany’s Prosiebensat 1 Media SE (-5%).

All have become caught up in the major stock market sell-offs that have convulsed stock markets around the world since the tariffs were announced.

The US has applied a 10% baseline tariff on all goods entering the country. This baseline tariff will apply to countries such as the UK, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia and Singapore. 

A higher round of tariffs comes into effect on April 9. The European Union will have a 20% tariff rate, while there is 24% rate for Japan, 25% for South Korea and 34% for China.

The tariffs will affect all goods – such as cameras and other TV and film industry hardware being imported into the United States - but will not apply to services such as film and TV programmes.