Top News:
Wall Street Journal:
Top nine streaming services to end 2020 with combined US subscribers up 50%+ YoY; US households now subscribe to 3.1 services on average, up from 2.7 in 2019 — From Hulu to Disney+, largest streaming services are expected to end the year with 50% more U.S. subscribers
Discussion:
Fast Company, @drewfitzgerald, @jbflint, @wsj and New York Post
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Mark Sweney / The Guardian:
Ampere: UK streaming subscribers grew 34% YoY in 2020, with a combined 32.4M for Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney+, the top three services — Britons spent 40% of their waking hours watching TV during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, fuelling the biggest year for new subscribers to streaming services.
Discussion:
@scottygb, more at Techmeme »
About Amazon:
Amazon plans to acquire podcast network Wondery, which will join Amazon Music — We've signed an agreement to acquire Wondery, a top-rated podcast creator and producer that entertains and educates listeners. — We're pleased to announce that Wondery—an innovative podcast publisher …
Discussion:
The Wrap, Amazon Chronicles, Variety, TechCrunch, The Podcast Hub, The Verge, @stevekovach, Axios, New York Times, The Wrap, Engadget, @rebeccajarvis, @chrismessina, @besvinick, @karaswisher, Music Business Worldwide, Los Angeles Times, CNBC, @glenngabe, @joshsternberg, @evoterra, @benmullin, @baxiabhishek, @mattdsandler, @wonderymedia, @kintan, @tzm_tmt, Business Insider, MediaPost and Radio & Television …, more at Techmeme »
Lisa Richwine / Reuters:
Nielsen: Fox News tops all news and basic cable channels for the fifth consecutive year, averaging 1.9M viewers/day; CNN had its most-watched year in history — LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Ratings for Rupert Murdoch's Fox News Channel topped all news and basic cable channels for a fifth straight year in 2020 …
Discussion:
TVNewser
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Jeremy Barr / Washington Post:
Interviews with 15 longtime Fox News loyalists on why they switched to Newsmax, often seeking programming that denies Joe Biden's victory
Discussion:
@dcdianadc, @kirktousaw, @kimmasters, @ericbolling, @poniewozik, @chessninja, @elise_jordan, @seanspicer, @donal_okeeffe, @evilgalprods, @jayrosen_nyu, @jeremymbarr and Mediaite
Lukas I. Alpert / Wall Street Journal:
Politico announces it is acquiring E&E News, a high-price subscription trade publication focused on the energy industry and environmental news — Purchase comes as Politico looks to expand its overall professional news business — Politico is adding some energy to its game.
Discussion:
Context is King, @raju, @matthewkeyslive, @lydiadepillis, @tmannwsj, @digitalbond, @jaycodon, @joshluger, @jakesherman, @michellemanafy, @sammy_roth, @rickdunham, @cbudoffbrown, @harrispolitico, @natbullard, @bkingdc, @bradplumer, @harrispolitico, @vtg2, @rafat, @bbuchman_cns, @yayitsrob, @timothy_cama, @bdayspring, @reddy, @tonyromm, @politicopress, @lalpert1, The Hill and Talking Biz News
Wall Street Journal:
Unredacted draft version of the lawsuit filed by 10 states earlier this month details a Google-Facebook ad deal that allegedly constituted illegal price fixing — Lawmakers have called for an investigation into the tech giants' contract, dubbed ‘Jedi Blue,’ which allegedly allowed for auction rigging
Discussion:
@bowknowsbiz, @johnvoorhees, @bowknowsbiz, @bikehugger, @repkenbuck, @moonalice, @jonspaihts, @halsinger, @jason_kint, @jason_kint, @jason_kint, @jason_kint, @jason_kint and New York Post
Dave Lee / Financial Times:
FactSet: Amazon's “other” business unit, which is made up almost entirely of its ads business, will make $21B in revenue in 2020, up 47% YoY — Ads unit is growing faster than retail or cloud computing divisions — The surge in online shopping triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic …
Discussion:
@read_cap, @raju, @financialtimes, @hughhewitt, @juokaz and @tonytassell
Eriq Gardner / Hollywood Reporter:
Judge rules Viacom shareholders can pursue claims of fiduciary duty breach against Shari Redstone and board members representing Viacom in the merger with CBS — A Delaware Chancery judge rejects a motion to dismiss after reviewing Shari Redstone's role in the transaction.
Elizabeth A. Harris / New York Times:
Association of American Publishers: audiobooks revenue is up 17%+ YoY, e-book sales are up 16%+; NPD BookScan says US print book sales are up ~8% in 2020 — With people stuck at home and so many other activities shut down, a lot of reading — or at least a lot of book buying — happened this year.
Discussion:
bookforum.com, more at Techmeme »
McKay Coppins / The Atlantic:
Washington reporters, including Olivia Nuzzi, Jim Acosta, and Yamiche Alcindor, on being recast as “resistance heroes” during the Trump era and what comes next — The day after the 2016 election, I got a phone call from an old friend. Neither of us had slept much …
Discussion:
@kenvogel, @dlind, @genepark, @gabrielsnyder, @mckaycoppins, @gabrielsnyder, And another thing, @kylegriffin1, @theatlantic, @dandarling, @mattdizwhitlock, @omriceren, Fox News, Free Political Newsletter, @jchaltiwanger, @senhorraposa, @jchaltiwanger, @hadleyfreeman, @exumam, @emptywheel, @stevekrak, @schmittnyc, @mckaycoppins, @bobsalera, @holden114, @jayrosen_nyu, @wajahatali, @tzipshmil, @yossigestetner, @byronyork, @jackmjenkins, @mckaycoppins and @mckaycoppins
John Hopewell / Variety:
Comscore: global box office fell between 57%, in the Netherlands, and 76%, in UK, vs. 2019, depending on length of closure and strength of local movie industry — Savaged by COVID-19, global box office plunged between 57% and 76% in major markets outside the U.S., with the U.K. and Ireland leading the rout …
Discussion:
Variety
Emily Birnbaum / Protocol:
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is tying the fate of $2,000 stimulus checks to the repeal of Section 230 — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is tying the fate of $2,000 stimulus checks to the repeal of Section 230, an effort that will likely doom both pieces of legislation in the Senate.
Discussion:
Washington Post, @jbarro, New York Times, @mattyglesias, National Review, New York Post, The Hill, Reuters, @jbarro, Deadline, @tayhatmaker, @chrismessina, @sam_animeherald, Fox News, Ars Technica, @jenlucpiquant, The Daily Cartoonist, @waveturtlejake, @protocol, @dangillmor, @dangillmor, @dangillmor, @dangillmor, @dangillmor, @birnbaum_e, @oneunderscore__, @ryanunderdev, @chutry, @oneunderscore__, @yashar, @jank0, @lexalexander, @jess_miers, @lpackard, @martinsfp, @jimmy_wales, @jimmy_wales, @jimmy_wales, @jimmy_wales, @jimmy_wales, @jimmy_wales, Reason, Techdirt, Washington Post, CNBC and The Verge, more at Techmeme »
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