RIP Showtime—as a standalone brand, that is: Paramount+ and the premium cable TV network are merging, the first of many expected streaming mergers.
Warner Bros. Discovery’s balance sheet is forcing it to play the licensing game: It’s a win for Roku and Tubi. For HBO Max subscribers, not so much.
UK streaming subscribers picked up at end of 2022: Prime Video was a main beneficiary, but data suggests economy still pressuring consumers.
Is exclusivity or access more important for streamers? HBO is testing the long-held theory by releasing the premiere of a hit show on YouTube for free.
Peacock helps Comcast stave off a weak Q4: Strong growth for the streamer comes as competition heats up.
Could iffy payouts cause creators to leave TikTok? The platform’s much-hyped revenue-sharing program is giving shockingly low payouts, but strong viewer growth makes a migration unlikely.
Picture this—Instagram to refocus on photos: Platform says it will better number of images and videos shown in feeds.
Disney wants to see how big pickleball can get: The sport got a popularity boost over the last two years, prompting ESPN to make a low-risk bet on its streaming future.
TikTok bans in colleges go viral: The fallout from students and teachers could be indicative of wider pushback against banning the app.
Xfinity ascends as broadband speed leader: Xfinity was the fastest fixed broadband provider in 14 states during Q4 2022. The competition wasn’t far behind, proving broadband in the US is improving.
Disney to bring Hulu ad targeting to its streaming properties: Move should bring efficiencies as Netflix looks to bulk up its ad tier.
Second “Avatar” hits a milestone, but theaters aren’t celebrating: Cinemas are shuttering, unable to compete effectively with streaming.
The kids’ ad dollars are all right: While some sectors have seen slower ad growth, that’s not the case when it comes to childrens’ programming.
Netflix rounds out a tough 2022 with strong subscriber growth: Revenues rose just 1.9%, but investors responded positively to its results and outlook.
Warner Bros. Discovery is enlisting partners to grow outside the US: The company’s debt is making it turn to Amazon’s Prime Video in France.
Netflix thinks its next big hit will come out of South Korea: Many of its major shows in 2022 came from abroad, and Netflix is trying to expand in Asia-Pacific.
Netflix’s upfront debut could be bumpy for advertisers: In a significant media power shift, streaming’s upfront takeover could drive CPMs even higher.
HBO Max is upping prices right before its merger with Discovery+: While it’s peculiar timing, it should allow debt-riddled WBD to invest in user experience.
Subscription OTT video is chasing linear TV in terms of time spent in the US. We estimate adults still spend significantly more time per day watching TV, but that figure is decreasing and will fall below 3 hours this year. Meanwhile, for subscription OTT video, time spent will surpass an hour and a half per day. But ad spend on these platforms is not proportional to time spent.
Streaming’s live sports efforts off to rough start: Despite Amazon’s significant football viewership miss, digital live sports is expected to grow steadily.