Top News:
Sarah Whitten / CNBC:
Netflix reports Q4 revenue up 12.5% YoY to $8.83B vs. $8.71B est., global paid memberships up 12.8% to 260.28M vs. 256M est., net income of $938M, up from $55M — - Netflix added 13.1 million subscribers during the fourth quarter. — The company now has 260.8 million paid subscribers.
Discussion:
Business Insider, Netflix, Forbes, Reuters, The Wrap, The Streamable, The Messenger, IndieWire, CNN, Financial Times, Los Angeles Times, Thurrott, Axios, NBC 7 San Diego, @sherman4949, @tvmojoe, FOX8 WGHP, @lucas_shaw, @tvgrimreaper, @sherman4949, @lucas_shaw, Sarah Whitten on LinkedIn, @lucas_shaw, The Hollywood Reporter, Ad Age and Cord Cutters News, more at Techmeme »
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Emma Roth / The Verge:
Netflix says it's looking to retire its ad-free Basic plan in some countries where ad-supported plans are available, starting with Canada and the UK in Q2 — Although Netflix no longer allows new or returning members to sign up for the ad-free Basic subscription that costs $11.99 per month …
CNBC:
Netflix buys the exclusive rights to WWE programs like Raw, airing in 2025 in the US, Canada, Latin America, and more; filing: the 10-year deal is worth $5B+ — - Netflix and TKO Group Holdings said Tuesday that the streaming platform will air the WWE's flagship program Raw starting next year.
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, The Verge, WWE, Awful Announcing, NBC 7 San Diego, The Information, TKO Group Holdings, Inc., Axios, @cinesonny@threads.net, Platformer, Bloomberg, Variety, Benzinga, Wired, The Drum, NME, Financial Times, @edludlow, USA Today, @teamkaos1998, IGN, @tim_bays, Sportico, New York Post, @chriswelch@threads.net, WORLD SCREEN, The Messenger, Business Insider, Tubefilter, The Guardian, Front Office Sports, Mashable, @conorsen, USA Today, GameSpot, @sherman4949, @tripleh, @sarafischer, Ramiro Montiel on LinkedIn, Deadline, The Wrap, Media Play News, FOX8 WGHP, Polygon, Mediaite, @conorsen, USA Today, @conorsen, Thurrott, Soap Opera Network, Amy Newton on LinkedIn, The A.V. Club, @buccocapital, iPhone in Canada Blog, @tvgrimreaper, Jared Lake on LinkedIn, @wwe, Julie DeTraglia on LinkedIn, The Information, Engadget, Barrett Media, Jeff Jenkins on LinkedIn, @sherman4949, David Giles on LinkedIn, The Ringer, @sherman4949, @netflix, Emil Protalinski on LinkedIn, Ad Age, ComingSoon.net, Gizmodo, T3, @ianjsilvera, CBS News, New York Times, Awful Announcing, Cord Cutters News, Sportico, The Streamable, Dexerto, Ars Technica, Next TV, The Desk, TVLine, New York Post, Reuters, Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter, MediaPost, NBC Bay Area and Slashdot, more at Techmeme »
Pranav Dixit / Engadget:
Netflix says user engagement with games on its service tripled in 2023 and Grand Theft Auto has become its most successful launch to date — The company added the Grand Theft Auto trilogy to its offerings late in the year. — Netflix said that user engagement with games on the service tripled in 2023.
Discussion:
Business Insider, more at Techmeme »
Peter White / Deadline:
Netflix says it's not interested in acquiring “linear assets”, and it does not believe further M&A will “materially change the competitive environment” — Netflix is often talked about a potential buyer for big Hollywood studios as the latest set of M&A rumors swirl …
Discussion:
The Wrap, Forbes, @tvgrimreaper and Bloomberg
Meg James / Los Angeles Times:
The Los Angeles Times announces it is laying off at least 115 people, or more than 20% of the newsroom, citing annual losses of $30M-$40M — The Los Angeles Times announced Tuesday that it was laying off at least 115 people — or more than 20% of the newsroom — marking …
Discussion:
Washington Post, The Guardian, HuffPost, The Wrap, @loisbeckett, @nickbaumann, Associated Press, Daniel Melling on LinkedIn, @melissagomez004, @sagaftra, @kbode@threads.net, New York Times, @davidfolkenflik, @cmsub, @borisk, @jeongpark52, @bcmerchant, @byjackharris, @jeffbercovici, LAist, @latguild, @morgan_sung, @jbflint, @passionweiss, @josephfcox, The Wrap, @sorayamcdonald@threads.net, The Hill, Wall Street Journal, @josephfcox, @aaschapiro, @rogerwcheng, @tim_bays, @aritbenie, @bryancurtis, @cwarzel@threads.net, @emma_dumain, The Messenger, @emilybellnyc@threads.net, CNN, @noahshachtman, @mikeisaac, @jason_koebler, @lydiadepillis, @lpolgreen@threads.net, @blowryontv, Talking Biz News, @jeridansky@sfba.social, @ferniecommaalex, @alexbruell, @mcwm@threads.net, @bernstein, Variety, @fbajak, @morgan_sung, New York Post, @erinoverbey, @erinblogan, 6abc, The Daily Beast, @elex_michaelson, @laura_nelson, Silicon Valley, The Hollywood Reporter, @lucas_shaw, @buffywicks, @ivanthek, @taylorlorenz@threads.net, @justinbaragona, @jbflint, Reuters, @sammy_roth, @joaquincastrotx, @farhip, @kalihays1@threads.net, Fox News and Poynter
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Hanaa' Tameez / Nieman Lab:
The Los Angeles Times' layoffs have hit the outlet's Latino-focused vertical De Los, which was launched in 2023, and the Washington, DC bureau — “We are not in turmoil. We have a real plan,” the paper's owner, billionaire businessman Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, said.
Discussion:
Talking Biz News, Awful Announcing, NBC News, @sarahscire, @chels_hylton, @ximena_bustillo, @byjulialove, @jherrerx, @froomkin, @izzieramirez, @alemolina, @sarahdwire, @shiramstein and The Wrap
CBS News:
Charles Osgood, who joined CBS News in 1971, anchored CBS Sunday Morning for 22 years, and spent decades as a radio commentator, dies at age 91 — Award-winning journalist Charles Osgood, who anchored “CBS Sunday Morning” for 22 years and was host of the long-running radio program “The Osgood File,” died Tuesday at home in New Jersey.
Discussion:
Adweek, Washington Post, Variety, NewscastStudio, Radio & Television …, Associated Press, KUSA-TV, Steve Gosset on LinkedIn, Wall Street Journal, New York Daily News, @brianstelter, Page Six, TVLine, Los Angeles Times, CNN, Bobby Lee on LinkedIn, Metro, Hollywood Life, @lanceulanoff, The Daily Beast, @jaketapper, The Hollywood Reporter, @cbssunday, The Wrap, Inside Radio, @tvmojoe, @benmullin, TV Insider, New York Times, @johnjharwood, New York Post, Fox News, The Messenger and Deadline
Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:
Study commissioned by the UK government says the BBC does not serve as a “one-to one substitute for commercial providers in online local news provision” — Ofcom will publish annual report on BBC position in local news sector. — The BBC's online local news output does not add up to a …
Discussion:
GOV.UK, The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport, @pressgazette and The Mirror
Aisha Malik / TechCrunch:
Google unveils a new Gemini-powered chat-based tool in Google Ads to build Search ad campaigns, out in beta to all English language advertisers in the US and UK — Google announced today that Gemini, its family of multimodal large language models, now powers the conversational experience within the Google Ads platform.
Discussion:
MediaPost, Social Media Today, @googleads, Google and The Decoder, more at Techmeme »
Mark Sweney / The Guardian:
At a town hall, Reach CEO says staff have to face the “inconvenient truth” over its declining sale of print titles, but shift to digital will stabilize revenue — Reach chief tells staff to face ‘inconvenient truth’ over print but says digital will stabilise profitability
Discussion:
@alicemurphypyle, @iancarterim, @stejck, @philpem@digipres.club, @mattlcapon and @joshi
The 19th:
The 19th launches The 19th News Network, a group of national, regional, and local publishers who'll be able to republish, collaborate, share resources, and more — The new collective will elevate the work of partner publishers while also establishing more pathways for collaboration across organizations.
India Reporter, New Delhi — 
China Markets Correspondent, Shanghai — 
Senior Assignment Editor, DC — 
Stocks Reporter, Tokyo — 
Senior Correspondent - Wealth, NY — 
Reporter - Ottawa Bureau — 
Research Director, CA — 
Editorial Writer, TX — 
Presque Island Reporter, ME — 
Audience Editor, MN — 
Contributing Parks Ed. - SW, CA — 
AI Content Editor, WA — 
Legislative Reporter, TN — 
Elon Musk Reporter, NY or CA — 
Government & Politics Editor, WA — 
Business & GA Reporter. VT — 
Lead Digital Editor, OK — 
Energy Reporter, TX — 
Senior Reporter, SC — 
Trade & Climate Correspondent, DC — 
Reporter, WI — 
Copy Editor, OR — 
Content Director/Chief Editor, GA — 
Breaking News Reporter, NV — 
Fearless Reporter/Producer, IA — 
Deputy Editor, FL — 
Editor, Remote US — 
City Reporter, WA — 
Executive Editor, OR — 
Education & Budget Reporter, CA — 
Senior Writer/Editor, FL — 
Scientific Editor, TX — 
Media Editor, Remote — 
