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Sources: Amazon is in exclusive talks to buy Wondery, in a deal valuing the podcast network at $300M+; Wondery's on track to increase revenue to $40M+ this year — Venture-backed podcast company is in talks to be sold with a valuation of more than $300 million
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Bloomberg, Business Insider, The Wrap, @benmullin, TheStreet, Engadget, @brianstelter, @pkafka, @lucas_shaw, @thememorypalace and Reuters, more at Techmeme »

Discovery to launch its streaming service, Discovery+, in Jan. 2021, with a $4.99 per month ad-supported tier and a $6.99 per month ad-free tier — - Discovery will launch its streaming service, Discovery+, in Jan. 2021. — The service will include a $4.99 per month ad-supported tier and a $6.99 per month ad-free tier.
Discussion:
Variety, The Wrap, The Streamable, Variety, Axios, The Streamable, @pkafka, Ad Age, Adweek, Wall Street Journal, @pkafka, @akruglov, @dadehayes, @mousterpiece, @loudmouthjulia, @zeitchikwapo, @loudmouthjulia, @loudmouthjulia, @sherman4949, @scottporch, @lanceulanoff, @benmullin, @claireatki, @loudmouthjulia, The Verge, @sherman4949 and Cord Cutters News, more at Techmeme »

The Intercept publishes a statement of principles for its freelancers, facilitated by the Freelance Solidarity Project of the National Writers Union — The Intercept is committed to producing journalism that exposes abuses of power and treating all who contribute to the news outlet with fairness and respect.

Hodinkee, a site featuring news and reviews about watches, raises $40M from LVMH Luxury Ventures, TCG, Tom Brady, and others, source says at a $100M+ valuation — As Tom Brady, LVMH Luxury Ventures and TCG step in, Hodinkee founder Benjamin Clymer will cede CEO duties after more than a decade at the center of the watch world
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@kevinrose, @neilcybart, @rafat, @benmullin, @wsjmag, @bmorrissey, @seangriffey, @jackmarshall, @mylestanzer and @benmullin

Google says News Showcase will soon add free access to select paywalled articles, and it has doubled publisher partners to ~400 since its launch in October — Google News Showcase visitors will soon be able to read select paywalled articles at no extra charge.
Discussion:
Engadget, @glenngabe, @chrismessina, The Keyword and 9to5Google, more at Techmeme »

After Project Veritas founder James O'Keefe called in to a morning CNN editorial call with Jeff Zucker, CNN says it has referred the incident to law enforcement — CNN said it is involving “law enforcement” after James O'Keefe, the founder of the right-wing group Project Veritas …
Discussion:
@cnnpr, @cnnpr, The Daily Beast, @superwuster, @levinejonathan, @tuckercarlson, @donaldjtrumpjr, The RFAngle, The RFAngle and Mediaite

Politico's Tim Alberta told RNC that Ronna McDaniel was not asked for comment on his Michigan election story because she has been dishonest and untrustworthy — Politico chief political correspondent Tim Alberta packed a lot into his sizzling Nov. 24 feature, “The Inside Story of Michigan's Fake Voter Fraud Scandal.”
Discussion:
Fox News, @oliverdarcy, @jayrosen_nyu and @brucebartlett

Spotify says Anchor powered 80% of its new podcasts, or 1M+ shows, in 2020; overall, Anchor powers 70% of Spotify's total podcast catalog of over 1.9M shows — Anchor powered more than 1 million show launches in 2020 — Spotify's $100 million-plus Anchor acquisition is seemingly paying off.
Discussion:
Spotify, @simonowens, @backlon, @alexwolfco, @mattnavarra, @ashleyrcarman, Spotify for Podcasters, TechCrunch, @tinacanthony and The A.V. Club, more at Techmeme »

GroupM expects marketers to spend $110.1B on digital ads in the US this year, accounting for more than half of the year's total ad spend for the first time — Digital ads to account for more than half of year's U.S. advertising expenditures for first time — For the first time …
Discussion:
@joshsternberg, @antoniogm, @jamesvgrimaldi, @lindseyboylan, @raju, @leimer, @david_marcelis, @emilyglazer and @alecmacgillis

YouTube upgrades Premieres, which gives scheduled videos a landing page, with trailers, themes, and live stream pre-shows that later redirect to the main event — YouTube today is launching three new features designed to improve its “Premieres” experience, including trailers, themes …
Discussion:
9to5Google and The Verge, more at Techmeme »

Hulu's Watch Party feature is now expanding to all subscribers, allows up to seven other subscribers to join, and will have a “click to catch up button” — Hulu was first among the big streamers to embrace the co-watch trend during quarantine — Hulu was first among …

A look at the disconnect between how the Black community sees Charlamagne tha God and how white media portrays him as that community's political voice — On election night, amid the slow trickle of results, Stephen Colbert checked in with a guest familiar to viewers of his deeply uncomfortable 2016 election night show.

Thrillist launches a vertical, The New Gameplan, with content about food, drinks, sports, fan traditions, and home entertaining during a socially distanced era — Sponsored by Lipton Iced Tea™, New Storytelling Endeavor Goes Beyond Game Scores to Highlight What Happens off the Field
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