Top News:
Sara Fischer / Axios:
Sources: The Messenger is seeking to raise around $20M amid layoffs and financial struggles; it launched in 2023 after a $50M raise — Digital news start up The Messenger is seeking to raise around $20 million amid layoffs and financial struggles, sources tell Axios.
Discussion:
The Wrap, @henryporters, @jasonshevrin, @themaxburns, @ernie.tedium.co, @scottnover and @rolandsmartin
RELATED:
Max Tani / Semafor:
Sources: The Messenger's board weighed shutting the site down at a December 29 meeting, and Jimmy Finkelstein has expressed a willingness to sell the site
Discussion:
The Rebooting, @moorehn, @emilybell, @moorehn, @pkafka, @grahamstarr, @josephfcox, @jbenton, @caleweissman, @thestalwart, @maxwelltani, @justinbaragona, @maxwelltani, @scottnover, @mediaevan, @mekosoff, Awful Announcing, New York Post, The Daily Beast, The Wrap, The Information and Mediaite
Brian Steinberg / Variety:
Amazon names Jeremy Helfand vice president and head of sales for Prime Video; he had been EVP for advertising for Disney's interactive businesses — Amazon has tapped a Disney veteran to lead its new push into the streaming ad wars. — Jeremy Helfand, who rose from a position at Hulu …
Bloomberg:
Sources: TikTok aims to grow TikTok Shop US' merchandise volume tenfold to $17.5B in 2024 and plans to increase merchant fees to 6% of each sale in April 2024 — - ByteDance's video app is fast expanding beyond advertising … The 2024 merchandise volume goal for the US version of TikTok Shop …
Agence France-Presse:
Tunisian authorities arrest Al Jazeera reporter Samir Sassi, one week after the arrest of Tunisian journalist Zied el-Heni, who criticized a minister — Samir Sassi joins growing number of journalists imprisoned and prosecuted in country — Tunisian authorities have arrested an Al Jazeera reporter …
Discussion:
Committee to Protect … and IFJ
Michael M. Grynbaum / New York Times:
RedBird IMI invests in Media Res, the independent studio behind “The Morning Show”; Jeff Zucker plans to take a seat on the studio's board — The former CNN president will return to Hollywood by investing in the studio behind streaming hits like “The Morning Show” on Apple TV+.
Discussion:
Variety, The Wrap and The Hollywood Reporter
Sara Fischer / Axios:
Eric Newcomer's newsletter on startups and VCs generated $1M+ in 2023 after Substack's 10% cut, has 2K+ subs paying $200/year, and hired its first reporter — Eric Newcomer, the founder and author of Newcomer, an independent newsletter covering startups and venture capital …
Discussion:
@ericnewcomer, Newcomer, @ericnewcomer, @maddierenbarger and The Guardian
Andrew Marchand / New York Post:
YES and MSG Network partner to launch Gotham Advanced Media and Entertainment, a 50/50 venture that aims to capitalize on their streaming services — YES and MSG Network are partnering on a new venture that eventually could lead to a direct-to-consumer streaming service that offers the Yankees …
Wall Street Journal:
As Google restricts third-party cookies for 1% of Chrome users, marketers, adtech companies, and publishers say Google has not done enough to prepare the market — Search giant plans to remove a technology seen as critical to the digital-ad industry — Google is going forward …
Ralph D. Russo / Associated Press:
The NCAA and ESPN announce a $920M, eight-year agreement that will give ESPN rights to 40 championships, including the Division I women's basketball tournament — The NCAA and ESPN announced on Thursday a $920 million, eight-year agreement that will give the network exclusive rights to 40 championships …
Paul Sandle / Reuters:
Layered Reality announces Elvis Evolution, an AI, AR, and holographic-based show, launching in London in 2024 before traveling to Las Vegas, Tokyo, and Berlin — Elvis Presley fans who missed out on seeing their hero when he was alive will be able to catch a glimpse of the King …
Discussion:
Billboard, The Guardian, BBC, The A.V. Club, @michaelsocolow, Variety and Rolling Stone, more at Techmeme »
The Information:
Sources: OpenAI offered some media companies as little as $1M-$5M/year to license their articles for model training; Apple offered more but wants more rights — OpenAI has offered some media firms as little as between $1 million and $5 million annually to license their news articles for use …
Discussion:
New York Post, Rafael Brown on LinkedIn, @blairmacgregor, @alex, @garymarcus and Thurrott, more at Techmeme »
Brian Steinberg / Variety:
GroupM forms a consortium with Disney, Roku, NBCU, YouTube, and others to push for standardized measurements and ad formats that can be used across streamers — One of the nation's biggest investors of ad dollars wants to push big large streamers to work together when it comes to commercials.
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