Top News:
Daniel Cooper / Engadget:
ViacomCBS to expand CBS All Access with content totaling ~30K episodes of TV and ~1K movies from Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, MTV, Paramount, and others — ViacomCBS' rumored new streaming service isn't a new service so much as a massive expansion of CBS All Access.
Discussion:
Multichannel News, Variety, Broadcasting & Cable, Adweek, Broadcasting & Cable, TechCrunch, Forbes, @viacomcbs, @anibundel, Cord Cutters News, @viacomcbs, @viacomcbs and The Verge
RELATED:
Cynthia Littleton / Variety:
CBS All Access and Showtime have 11M subscribers; Pluto TV had 22.4M MAUs in Q4 2019, up 75% YoY; revenue from all three hit $1.6 billion in 2019 — CBS All Access and Showtime are on track to garner a combined 16 million subscribers by year's end, ViacomCBS CEO Bob Bakish told investors Thursday.
Discussion:
Deadline, The Streamable, Broadcasting & Cable and @xpangler
Jill Goldsmith / Deadline:
ViacomCBS revenue fell 3% to 6.87M in Q4, its first post-merger quarter, with a net loss of $273M; company anticipates merger savings of $750M, up from $500M — UPDATED with stock drop: — Viacom share have plunged after quarterly numbers and a call with analysts.
Discussion:
Hollywood Reporter, The Wrap, CNET, Yahoo Entertainment, @saraevans83, Reuters and The Wrap
Ben Collins / NBC News:
Twitter confirms it is testing bright labels beneath lies and misinfo posted by politicians and public figures, and points-based “community badges” for users — A leaked demo features bright red and orange badges for tweets that have been deemed “harmfully misleading.”
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Time Magazine expands its Time 100 Summit to two days with revenue from sponsors and access largely limited to members, who pay at least $1,750 — Time is doubling down on its elite, invitation-only events business. — The mag's second annual Time 100 Summit in New York …
Kerry Flynn / CNN:
In an email to staff, The California Times, which owns LA Times, announces voluntary buyout packages for employees who have worked there for at least two years — New York (CNN Business)The Los Angeles Times is offering its staff voluntary buyouts less than two years after biotech billionaire …
Discussion:
@kerrymflynn
The New York Times Company:
NYT announces it has added a breaking news team in London, expanding its Express Desk; the team of five editors and reporters will be led by NYT's Erin McCann — The New York Times continues to strengthen its presence in the U.K. with the addition of a breaking news team in London to expand The Times's Express Desk.
Discussion:
Digiday, @sarahmarshall, What's New in Publishing, @adweek, @mccanner, @moorehn, @stanfordc and Adweek
Tony Romm / Washington Post:
Streamers like Roku and Hulu are subject to much less stringent political ad transparency rules than broadcasters even as campaigns and PACs buy ads on them — With more Americans cutting the cord, watchdogs worry that voters lack a full understanding of who's trying to influence them
Discussion:
@geoffreyfowler and @tonyromm, more at Techmeme »
Frank Pallotta / CNN:
WarnerMedia says it has reached a distribution deal to add HBO Max to YouTube TV, bringing HBO and Cinemax content to the platform for the first time — New York (CNN Business)WarnerMedia has reached a deal that will bring HBO Max to YouTube TV customers as it tries to promote …
Discussion:
Broadcasting & Cable, Fast Company, @lamonicabuzz and @frankpallotta
Associated Press:
President of broadcaster BeIN Sports, a major sports content buyer, is indicted in connection with Swiss bribery investigation into World Cup television rights — The Paris Saint-Germain president, Nasser al-Khelaifi, was charged on Thursday by Swiss federal prosecutors in connection …
Discussion:
Reuters, CNN and New York Times
Reuters:
Sources: Thomson Reuters is close to naming former Nielsen president Steve Hasker as its next chief executive, succeeding Jim Smith — (Reuters) - Thomson Reuters Corp (TRI.TO) (TRI.N) is close to naming former Nielsen Holdings Plc (NLSN.N) president Steve Hasker as its next chief executive …
Discussion:
Talking Biz News
Matthew Kassel / Mediaite:
Q&A with Chris Lehmann, who became editor of The New Republic last year, about its redesign, leaning in to its historic role as a magazine of the left, and more — When Chris Lehmann became editor of The New Republic last year, he inherited a magazine that was somewhat rudderless.