Top News:
Joe Flint / Wall Street Journal:
Sources: Amazon might carry “a significant number” of Thursday night NFL games exclusively on Prime Video, with only teams' local markets also showing games — TV networks are expected to pay nearly twice as much for new rights to Sunday, Monday games
Discussion:
The Wrap, Awful Announcing, Insider, @jbflint, Reuters, Cord Cutters News, Engadget, @realmnchiefsfan, @benfritz, @jennmatthews57 and @matthewkeyslive, Thanks:@beet_tv
Gilad Edelman / Wired:
Study: far-right pubs get 65% more engagement on Facebook when they publish fake news; liberal and centrist pubs get less engagement if they publish misinfo — Far-right pages that publish misinformation get the most interactions by far compared to other news sources, new research shows.
Joe Flint / Wall Street Journal:
Former Disney exec Kevin Mayer named chairman of sport streaming service DAZN, replacing ex-ESPN president John Skipper — Service has substantial boxing and international soccer rights and is looking to expand — Kevin Mayer, a former senior executive of the Walt Disney Co. and architect …
Discussion:
Variety, The Streamable, @jbflint, @loudmouthjulia, @taralach, The Wrap, Awful Announcing, @sherman4949, @kevinmayer, Broadband TV News, Sportico.com and Front Office Sports
Brent Lang / Variety:
Alamo Drafthouse files for bankruptcy as part of an asset purchase agreement with Altamont Capital Partners, and says it will close some of its 40 locations — Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, the Texas-based theater chain that has become a favorite with cinephiles for it dine-in service …
Discussion:
Crain's New York Business, New York Post, UPROXX, @brentalang, @wellsdunbar, The Wrap, @alexweprin, Collider, austonia, @drewkerr, @hello__caitlin, Insider, @bklynactivemama, @studdedcollar, The A.V. Club, @pkafka, @pkafka, @thebabyguynyc, @nickchester, /Film, @rejects and Hollywood Reporter
Sara Fischer / Axios:
Facebook says that on Thursday it will lift the ban on political and social issue ads in the US, imposed after the November election — Facebook will finally allow advertisers to resume running political and social issue ads in the U.S. on Thursday, according to a company update.
Discussion:
Facebook, Adweek, Ad Age, Financial Times, @mshannahmurphy, @sarafischer, @drewharwell, @sarafischer, @b_fung and CNBC, more at Techmeme »
Christopher Palmeri / Bloomberg:
Filing: ad sales at Disney's DTC businesses like Hulu and ESPN+ rose 47% to $882M last quarter and sales at ABC grew 5% to $984M — - Online ad revenue grew 47% last quarter, with broadcast up 5% — Company has been consolidating teams to create a one-stop shop
Discussion:
MediaPost
New York Times:
Four female athletes launch TOGETHXR, a media company to elevate women's voices, with a “mid-seven figure investment” by PE holding company Magnet Companies — Alex Morgan, Sue Bird, Simone Manuel and Chloe Kim teamed up to create TOGETHXR, a media and commerce company designed to elevate women's voices.
Discussion:
@tminsberg, @melsil, Front Office Sports and Sportico.com
Ken Klippenstein / The Intercept:
DOJ document: the Trump administration referred a record number of leaks for criminal investigation in a crackdown meant to instill fear of talking to the press — The Trump administration referred a record number of classified leaks for criminal investigation, totaling at least 334 …
Discussion:
@kenklippenstein, @matthewacole and @kenklippenstein
Kristen Hare / Poynter:
Two professors documented the pandemic's effects on local newsrooms, working with press associations to gather histories in seven states in the center of the US — Last year, two journalism professors started an oral history project to document the work of local newsrooms in mid-America.
Scott Roxborough / Hollywood Reporter:
Disney to sell its 50% stake in Europe's largest children's channel Super RTL to RTL Group, which will pivot to become an online-first broadcaster — The entertainment giant held 50 percent of Europe's largest children's channel, but is shifting its focus to its streaming platform Disney+.
Discussion:
Variety, Digital TV Europe, Broadband TV News, Kidscreen and C21Media
Samantha Hissong / Rolling Stone:
Kings of Leon to be one of the first bands to debut an album as part of an NFT package, with tokens unlocking perks like limited-edition vinyl and concert seats — The band's revolutionary tokens will unlock special perks like limited-edition vinyl and front row seats to future concerts
Discussion:
CNBC, @ldrogen, @gramatik, @carlquintanilla, @zoescaman, @aridavidpaul, Cointelegraph, @raoulgmi, @mdudas, @gramatik and @seanoconnz
Dustin Jones / NPR:
Six journalists in Myanmar including AP reporter Thein Zaw have been charged under a public order law for covering protests and could face three years in prison — At least eight journalists in Myanmar have been detained by authorities while covering protests against a coup that took place last month.
Rob Shaw / Sportico.com:
Facebook exec explains why the company didn't secure rights to extend live sports deals like NFL this year, promoting a free-to-air distribution model instead — We're speeding towards a pivotal moment in the future of sports business. COVID-19 has devastated core revenue streams such as ticket …
Discussion:
@robshawsports, @pkafka, @nllcommish, @zonozi, @richlightshed, @pkafka, @soshnick and @pkafka
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Netflix launches Fast Laughs, a TikTok-like feed in its mobile apps that presents a string of comedy clips from its stand-up specials, TV series, and movies — Netflix just made its iPhone app a little more funny-looking. — The streaming giant Wednesday launched Fast Laughs …
Discussion:
About Netflix, Ad Age, 9to5Mac, @netflixisajoke, @lucas_shaw, @kylebrussell, The Verge and Engadget, more at Techmeme »