Top News:
Wall Street Journal:
Sources: Amazon is in exclusive talks to buy Wondery, in a deal valuing the podcast network at $300M+; Wondery's on track to increase revenue to $40M+ this year — Venture-backed podcast company is in talks to be sold with a valuation of more than $300 million
Discussion:
Bloomberg, Business Insider, The Wrap, @benmullin, TheStreet, Engadget, @brianstelter, @pkafka, @lucas_shaw, @thememorypalace and Reuters, more at Techmeme »
Michelle Gao / CNBC:
Discovery to launch its streaming service, Discovery+, in Jan. 2021, with a $4.99 per month ad-supported tier and a $6.99 per month ad-free tier — - Discovery will launch its streaming service, Discovery+, in Jan. 2021. — The service will include a $4.99 per month ad-supported tier and a $6.99 per month ad-free tier.
Discussion:
Variety, The Wrap, The Streamable, Variety, Axios, The Streamable, @pkafka, Ad Age, Adweek, Wall Street Journal, @pkafka, @akruglov, @dadehayes, @mousterpiece, @loudmouthjulia, @zeitchikwapo, @loudmouthjulia, @loudmouthjulia, @sherman4949, @scottporch, @lanceulanoff, @benmullin, @claireatki, @loudmouthjulia, The Verge, @sherman4949 and Cord Cutters News, more at Techmeme »
Matthew Cunningham-Cook / The Intercept:
The Intercept publishes a statement of principles for its freelancers, facilitated by the Freelance Solidarity Project of the National Writers Union — The Intercept is committed to producing journalism that exposes abuses of power and treating all who contribute to the news outlet with fairness and respect.
Benjamin Mullin / Wall Street Journal:
Hodinkee, a site featuring news and reviews about watches, raises $40M from LVMH Luxury Ventures, TCG, Tom Brady, and others, source says at a $100M+ valuation — As Tom Brady, LVMH Luxury Ventures and TCG step in, Hodinkee founder Benjamin Clymer will cede CEO duties after more than a decade at the center of the watch world
Discussion:
@kevinrose, @neilcybart, @rafat, @benmullin, @wsjmag, @bmorrissey, @seangriffey, @jackmarshall, @mylestanzer and @benmullin
Anthony Ha / TechCrunch:
Google says News Showcase will soon add free access to select paywalled articles, and it has doubled publisher partners to ~400 since its launch in October — Google News Showcase visitors will soon be able to read select paywalled articles at no extra charge.
Discussion:
Engadget, @glenngabe, @chrismessina, The Keyword and 9to5Google, more at Techmeme »
J. Clara Chan / The Wrap:
After Project Veritas founder James O'Keefe called in to a morning CNN editorial call with Jeff Zucker, CNN says it has referred the incident to law enforcement — CNN said it is involving “law enforcement” after James O'Keefe, the founder of the right-wing group Project Veritas …
Discussion:
@cnnpr, @cnnpr, The Daily Beast, @superwuster, @levinejonathan, @tuckercarlson, @donaldjtrumpjr, The RFAngle, The RFAngle and Mediaite
Erik Wemple / Washington Post:
Politico's Tim Alberta told RNC that Ronna McDaniel was not asked for comment on his Michigan election story because she has been dishonest and untrustworthy — Politico chief political correspondent Tim Alberta packed a lot into his sizzling Nov. 24 feature, “The Inside Story of Michigan's Fake Voter Fraud Scandal.”
Discussion:
Fox News, @oliverdarcy, @jayrosen_nyu and @brucebartlett
Ashley Carman / The Verge:
Spotify says Anchor powered 80% of its new podcasts, or 1M+ shows, in 2020; overall, Anchor powers 70% of Spotify's total podcast catalog of over 1.9M shows — Anchor powered more than 1 million show launches in 2020 — Spotify's $100 million-plus Anchor acquisition is seemingly paying off.
Discussion:
Spotify, @simonowens, @backlon, @alexwolfco, @mattnavarra, @ashleyrcarman, Spotify for Podcasters, TechCrunch, @tinacanthony and The A.V. Club, more at Techmeme »
Suzanne Vranica / Wall Street Journal:
GroupM expects marketers to spend $110.1B on digital ads in the US this year, accounting for more than half of the year's total ad spend for the first time — Digital ads to account for more than half of year's U.S. advertising expenditures for first time — For the first time …
Discussion:
@joshsternberg, @antoniogm, @jamesvgrimaldi, @lindseyboylan, @raju, @leimer, @david_marcelis, @emilyglazer and @alecmacgillis
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
YouTube upgrades Premieres, which gives scheduled videos a landing page, with trailers, themes, and live stream pre-shows that later redirect to the main event — YouTube today is launching three new features designed to improve its “Premieres” experience, including trailers, themes …
Discussion:
9to5Google and The Verge, more at Techmeme »
Chris Welch / The Verge:
Hulu's Watch Party feature is now expanding to all subscribers, allows up to seven other subscribers to join, and will have a “click to catch up button” — Hulu was first among the big streamers to embrace the co-watch trend during quarantine — Hulu was first among …
Rachelle Hampton / Slate:
A look at the disconnect between how the Black community sees Charlamagne tha God and how white media portrays him as that community's political voice — On election night, amid the slow trickle of results, Stephen Colbert checked in with a guest familiar to viewers of his deeply uncomfortable 2016 election night show.
Group Nine Media:
Thrillist launches a vertical, The New Gameplan, with content about food, drinks, sports, fan traditions, and home entertaining during a socially distanced era — Sponsored by Lipton Iced Tea™, New Storytelling Endeavor Goes Beyond Game Scores to Highlight What Happens off the Field
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