Mediagazer: Spotify projects its first full year of profitability ever in 2024; CEO Daniel Ek says profitability is the new normal for Spotify (Sara Fischer/Axios)

10:05 PM ET, November 13, 2024

Top News:

Spotify plans to pay incentives to video creators who hit certain viewing thresholds and, in January, to let Premium subscribers view podcast videos without ads — Audio-streaming giant plans to pay hosts to make podcast videos and allow premium subscribers to watch them without ads

Discussion: Business Insider, Engadget, Los Angeles Times, TechCrunch, Spotify, The Verge, Spotify, @johnbuckley.bsky.social, @spotifycreator, @spotifynews, Spotify, Big Technology, @kantrowitz, @alexeheath and @paulroetzer, more at Techmeme »

Sara Fischer / Axios:

Spotify projects its first full year of profitability ever in 2024; CEO Daniel Ek says profitability is the new normal for Spotify — - “We believe we are in a new reality where we are a profitable company. … - CFO Christian Luiga said, “We see positive cash flow going forward and growing.”

Discussion: The Hollywood Reporter, Investor's Business Daily, @sarafischer, Digital Music News, CMU, MEDIANAMA, Fortune and Music Ally

Todd Spangler / Variety:

Don Lemon, who sued Elon Musk and X after a deal fell apart, says he's leaving X on November 15, citing X's new ToS that moves legal disputes to Texas courts — Don Lemon, a one-time business partner of Elon Musk who's now suing the tech mogul, is done with X.

Dan Milmo / The Guardian:

The Guardian says it will no longer post on “any official Guardian editorial accounts” on “toxic media platform” X; reporters will still use X to gather news — Platform's coverage of US election crystallised longstanding concerns about its content, says Guardian

Discussion: The Guardian, The Guardian, Engadget, Milica Pesic on LinkedIn, @maxwelltani, Forbes, Press Gazette, Reuters, @fergusryan@aus.social, Donald Kau on LinkedIn, @rafat, @nitashakaul, Bruce McCoy on LinkedIn, James Harvey on LinkedIn, Shannon Dunn on LinkedIn, Nieman Lab, @sarafischer, Gizmodo, Wainer Lusoli on LinkedIn, @eurabist, Breitbart, Alex Smith on LinkedIn, @iandunt, @rmcgreevy1301, @dvsk@mastodon.nz, HotAir, The Hill, @lindayax, Carlos Diaz Ruiz on LinkedIn, @ronaldtootall@tech.lgbt, @jsamwrites@mastodon.social, Alix Bryan-Campos on LinkedIn, Dan Papworth-Smyth on LinkedIn, @RHW@mastodon.au, @eloquence@social.coop, George Niles Mekeel RN on LinkedIn, CBS News, @willguyatt, @scottaawilson, @nocontextbrits, @michael@newsmast.social, ZeroHedge News, @harrymccracken@mastodon …, GB News, Thomas Johnson on LinkedIn, @elonmusk, The Daily Caller, @cdarwin@c.im, Twitchy, London Evening Standard, David Ward on LinkedIn, Al Jazeera, The Wrap, Mediaite, Rob O'Hanrahan on LinkedIn, @ianRobinson@mastodon.social, Lucas Amaral Lauriano on LinkedIn, BBC, Variety, Telegraph, @worldguru.bsky.social, The Hollywood Reporter, Gordon MacMillan on LinkedIn, @earleyedition@aus.social, @viridis@achrilock.social, @jeffjarvis@mastodon.social, @renatolond@masto.donte.com.br, @brett@bne.social, Deadline, @jimwaterson.bsky.social, Just Jared, The National Pulse, Politico, Daily Sabah, Balloon Juice and Semafor

Murray Stassen / Music Business Worldwide:

German royalty licensing group GEMA sues OpenAI and subsidiary OpenAI Ireland in Munich Regional Court, claiming ChatGPT violates copyrights of lyrics — OpenAI, the $157 billion-valued US-based AI giant behind ChatGPT, has been sued by German collection society and licensing body GEMA.

Discussion: gema.de, Digital Music News, The Decoder, CMU, Jeff Rabhan on LinkedIn, @konkrit@mastodon.social, Billboard and Music Ally

Alex Weprin / The Hollywood Reporter:

CEOs at Nexstar, Sinclair, and Tegna, plus some analysts, say they expect deregulation and consolidation in the broadcast TV industry under Trump's FCC — Flush with political ad dollars and anticipating a deal-friendly environment, moguls are eyeing big moves to roll up lucrative local broadcasters.

Discussion: @mediaevan

Lillian Rizzo / CNBC:

Amazon Prime Video will offer Diamond Sports Group's 16 regional sports networks, newly branded as FanDuel Sports Network, as add-on subscriptions — Diamond Sports reached a deal with Amazon's Prime Video that will allow its 16 regional sports networks to be made available on the streaming platform.

Discussion: Sports Business Journal, The Desk, Cord Cutters News, ESPN, Associated Press, Plain Dealer, Business Wire, Sportico, Streaming Better, Barrett Media and WVXU

CNN:

Patrick Soon-Shiong says Harris' Gaza stance contributed to non-endorsement, and plans to “balance” LA Times' opinion page with conservative and centrist voices — New York CNN — — In the month since Los Angeles Times owner Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong announced the newspaper …

Discussion: The Crimson White, The Wrap, Twitchy, @jstatepost@mstdn.social, @yonetteajoseph@threads.net, Matt Pearce, @hadas_gold, One America News Network, @hollywoodspin and Fox News

Paul Beckett / Columbia Journalism Review:

The WSJ's Washington bureau chief during Evan Gershkovich's arrest in Russia discusses the newspaper's “be loud” strategy that helped free the reporter — What newsrooms need to know, from an insider who helped lead the effort. — Midway through dinner on March 29, 2023 …

Discussion: @mccarrennews, @thrasherxy, @paulwsj, @bryfitz, Jason Rezaian on LinkedIn and Talking Biz News

The Information:

Sources: Instagram's ad unit plans to launch ads on Threads in early 2025; Meta's public statements imply any ad rollout for Threads next year will be slow — Meta Platforms plans to introduce advertisements to its text app, Threads, early next year, hoping to cash in on the app's rapid growth …

Discussion: The Verge, The Wrap, 9to5Mac, @itsdgc.bsky.social, Engadget and Reuters, more at Techmeme »

Gene Maddaus / Variety:

The Louisiana House of Representatives voted to end the state's $150M film and TV production tax incentive; the bill still needs the Senate and governor's OK — The Louisiana House of Representatives voted Tuesday to eliminate the state's $150 million tax incentive for film and TV production …

Discussion: Variety, @realmaryagnes.bsky.social, @iwtv_updates, IndieWire, The Wrap, Louisiana Illuminator, Associated Press and Deadline

Mia Sato / The Verge:

Patreon says creators and their fans can now give away gift memberships and creators will be able to send discounts and sales to fans — Subscriptions are the main way creators on Patreon make money, as they must build an audience willing to shell out a few dollars a month to access their writing, podcasts, or videos.

Discussion: TechCrunch

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K.J. Yossman / Variety:
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Kyle Wiggers / TechCrunch:
Perplexity says it will begin experimenting with ads on its platform in the US starting this week; ads will be formatted as “sponsored follow-up questions”

Discussion: Perplexity Blog, MediaPost, Shelly Palmer, Chad Stoller on LinkedIn, Adweek, Digital Trends, @andreagrandi@mastodon.social and Ad Age

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From Techmeme:

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