Top News:
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Nielsen: in July, for the first time, streaming had the largest share of US TV viewing at 34.8%; cable and broadcast had 34.4% and 21.6%, respectively — Americans now watch more stuff on TV from streaming services than either broadcast or cable TV. — Streaming platforms, led by Netflix …
Discussion:
Nielsen, The Drum, SlashFilm, The Streamable, Axios, Ad Age, The Wrap, MediaPost, Los Angeles Times, Next TV, Gizmodo, Deadline, Wall Street Journal, @tvgrimreaper, @michellemanafy, @jrosenworcel, 9to5Mac, @meganclasen, @mediumbuying, The Hollywood Reporter, RAIN News, Bloomberg and CNET, more at Techmeme »
Michael Smith / Sports Business Journal:
The Big Ten Conference finalizes media rights contracts with CBS, Fox, and NBC totaling $8B+ over seven years, almost 3x more than the previous contract — The Big Ten has finalized media rights contracts with CBS, Fox and NBC that will total more than $8 billion over seven years …
Discussion:
New York Times, Awful Announcing, The Streamable, Mediaite, ESPN, The Streamable, Observer, The Athletic, The Wrap, Bloomberg, @bigten, @iamamnanawaz, @jondmiller, @rltsports, @rodger, Sports Illustrated, Wall Street Journal, @frankthetank111, Media Play News, @kendallrogers, @themontaggroup, The Hollywood Reporter, @shiraovide, @mediumbuying and Barrett Media
Gerry Smith / Bloomberg:
Penn Entertainment Inc., owner of 36% of Barstool Sports, is buying the remaining shares of the sports and culture outlet, gaining full control by February 2023 — Penn Entertainment Inc. is acquiring the remaining shares of Barstool Sports that it doesn't already own …
Discussion:
@stevekrak, @markjburns88, Barrett Media and Casino.org
Wilson Chapman / Variety:
HBO plans to remove ~36 titles from its service as early as this week, citing the pending Discovery+ merger; the move will likely help cut costs and residuals — HBO Max will remove almost 36 titles from its service as early as this week, Variety has confirmed.
Discussion:
SlashFilm, Gizmodo, The Daily Beast, CBR, Deadline, @bjhiddenjokes, TechCrunch, @morganwick, @hulkied, @bags and Looper
Dade Hayes / Deadline:
Sinclair will roll out its direct-to-consumer streaming service Bally Sports+ on September 26, on iOS, Android, Android TV, tvOS, and at BallySports.com — Capping a challenging multi-year development process, Sinclair Broadcast Group's regional sports unit has set September 26 …
Discussion:
Bally Sports, @justinctoscano, @jefffletcherocr, TechCrunch and Awful Announcing
Molly Taft / Gizmodo:
A look at Chevron-sponsored Permian Proud, a new site in a Texas news desert that offers local event info, feel-good stories, and positive “news” about Chevron — At first glance, the story looks like something your aunt might post on her Facebook from her local newspaper.
Discussion:
@mollytaft, @mollytaft, @mollytaft, @mollytaft and @mollytaft
Tom Webster / Sounds Profitable:
Podcasting doesn't seem to be retaining listeners: surveys show ~50% of US respondents have been listening for <1 year yet annual listener growth is modest — Survey after survey tell us that people continue to discover podcasting every year. But is podcasting growth really a case of three steps forward, two steps back?
Discussion:
Media Voices and @simonowens
J. Clara Chan / The Hollywood Reporter:
Apple Podcasts adds charts for the top 100 most-subscribed shows and channels available on the service but will not release specific subscriber numbers — Wondery+ is the most-subscribed channel offered on Apple Podcasts.
Mark Gurman / Bloomberg:
Netflix iOS app code suggests the ad-supported tier, arriving in early 2023, won't let users download shows for offline viewing or skip ads — Netflix Inc. isn't planning to let users of its new ad-supported tier download shows and movies to their devices for offline viewing …
Ted Johnson / Deadline:
Vice World News will launch a news channel on Twitch, with two-hour live shows on Tuesdays and Thursdays, starting at 11am ET on August 23 — Vice World News will launch a news channel on the streaming platform Twitch, with plans for live shows twice a week.
Discussion:
@katiedrumm, @macklamoureux and Adweek
Esther Kezia Thorpe / Media Voices:
A look at the growth of print subscriptions for news-focused magazines with little advertising in the UK, including The Economist, The Spectator, and The Week — The stereotypical print magazine is jam-packed with advertising. September issues of fashion magazines in particular used …
Thomas Seal / Bloomberg:
GB News co-founders Andrew Cole and Mark Schneider and Warner Bros. Discovery will sell their stakes in GB News as part of a £60M fundraising round — Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. will sell its stake in British television startup GB News as part of a £60 million fundraising round.
K.J. Yossman / Variety:
Ofcom's annual Media Nations report shows the UK streaming sector made £2.7B profit in 2021, up 27% YoY; 5.2M UK homes subscribe to Netflix, Prime, and Disney+ — The streaming sector in the U.K. made profits of £2.7 billion ($3.3 billion) in 2021 - a year-on-year increase of 27% …
Discussion:
Press Gazette, What's On Disney Plus and Bloomberg
RELATED:
Alex Barker / Financial Times:
Ofcom: in the UK, those aged 15-24 spent 57 minutes/day on TikTok in 2021, compared to 53 minutes/day watching TV; those 65 or over spent six hours watching TV
Ofcom: in the UK, those aged 15-24 spent 57 minutes/day on TikTok in 2021, compared to 53 minutes/day watching TV; those 65 or over spent six hours watching TV
Discussion:
Ofcom, Ofcom, @jimwaterson, Media Play News, @elipariser, @ofcom, @ofcom, @faris, Future News & Media, @stokel, @1br0wn, BBC, 9to5Mac, Daily Mail and Fortune