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Mobile payments company Square is buying a “significant majority” stake in music streamer Tidal for $297M; Jay-Z and others bought Tidal in 2015 for $56M — What did Jay-Z and Jack Dorsey talk about when they went yachting around the Hamptons together last summer? Perhaps only Beyoncé knows.
Discussion:
Vox, @jack, Variety, The Guardian, Insider, Hollywood Reporter, Ad Age, Square, @sc, @laurengoode, Today in Tabs, Fortune, Gizmodo, New York Post, Financial Times, Music Business Worldwide, @markstenberg3, The Verge, @cheriehu42, @delrey, @jack, @pkafka, @nisummers, Protocol, CNBC, @jkaraian, @brandonstosuy, @seyitaylor, @jack, TechCrunch, UPROXX, @delrey, @square, 9to5Mac, @adamsinger, The Wrap, Fast Company, Snopes.com and Rolling Stone, more at Techmeme »


NYT's David Brooks draws a salary for work on an Aspen Institute project funded by Facebook, Jeff Bezos' father, and others, without disclosure in his columns — New York Times columnist David Brooks is drawing a second salary for his work on an Aspen Institute project funded by Facebook …
Discussion:
@craigsilverman, @craigsilverman, The Wrap, The Hill, @rmac18, American Press Institute, Media Nation, bookforum.com, @d_l_mayfield, @nandoodles, @brandyzadrozny, @sethabramson, @julito77, @megelison, @binarybits, @umairh, @chick_in_kiev, @jackmirkinson, @csd, @minhtngo, @blackamazon, @sfpelosi, @joelindsey, @kvanaren, @moorehn, @normwilner, @parkermolloy, @_cingraham, @annamerlan, @sulliview, @juliaserano, @mccarthyryanj, @helaineolen, @sulliview, @mat, @lesliemac, @samthielman, @slpng_giants, @mollymckew, @paperhaus, @jljacobson, @jscros, @jscros, @pareene, @rmac18, @craigsilverman, @craigsilverman and @craigsilverman


Sources: Amazon is in talks with the NFL to pay about $1B to be the exclusive producer of Thursday games starting in 2023 — - Amazon is open to producing all Thursday night NFL games for its Prime Video streaming platform. — Any such deal would kick off no sooner than 2023 and might also include the NFL Network.
Discussion:
@sherman4949, @richlightshed and @sherman4949
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Sources: Amazon might carry “a significant number” of Thursday night NFL games exclusively on Prime Video, with only teams' local markets also showing games — TV networks are expected to pay nearly twice as much for new rights to Sunday, Monday games
Discussion:
LightShed Partners, CNBC, The Streamable, nexttv.com, @jbflint, New York Post, Fast Company, @nateduncannba, @richlightshed, @realmnchiefsfan, @benfritz, @jennmatthews57, @matthewkeyslive, The Wrap, Awful Announcing, Insider, Cord Cutters News, Engadget and Reuters, Thanks:@beet_tv


The Podcast Academy announces nominees for its first annual awards show, the Ambies, originally called the Golden Mics, to be livestreamed May 16 — The Podcast Academy, an industry association looking to establish the premiere awards program for the fast-growing world of podcasts, announced nominees for the first Ambies awards.
Discussion:
RAIN News


Ampere: in 2020, for the first time since 2009, there were fewer new scripted US shows than the year prior because of the pandemic; 532 shows premiered in 2019 — Where's “Succession”? “Atlanta”? After the number of scripted shows fell for the first time in a decade …
Discussion:
@koblin, @thatrebecca and @jrboh


Susan Wojcicki says YouTube will lift the suspension on Trump's account when it determines “that the risk of violence has decreased” — - YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki said Thursday that the platform will lift the suspension on former President Donald Trump's account once the risk of violence declines.
Discussion:
Bloomberg, more at Techmeme »


Antenna: in Jan. US consumers subscribed to 1.5 streaming services; Netflix had the highest retention rate and its users were least likely to have another sub — Three charts that explain the streaming wars. — Paramount+, the latest entrant in the streaming wars, launches today …
Discussion:
@ranimolla


Sinclair Broadcast Group says it will cut its workforce by about 5%, which would affect about 460 people across the company, citing the impact of the pandemic — (CNN Business)Citing the coronavirus pandemic, the Sinclair Broadcast Group said on Wednesday that it will reduce its workforce …
Discussion:
Variety, TVSpy, @andyparas, @aracelireports, @nikkitorrestv, @kiminsley, @timphamkrem, @oliverdarcy, Deadline and The Hill


Netflix plans to release 41 Indian films and shows this year, spending three times more on the Indian catalog this year than the past two years combined — Netflix said on Wednesday it will roll out 41 Indian films and shows this year, its biggest annual roster of Indian content to date …


Gannett says it has reached a deal with Snap to offer Snapchat ads to its more than 100K local business clients — Gannett said Thursday it has reached a deal with the owner of Snapchat to sell advertisements on the social messaging app. — Gannett, which owns USA TODAY and more than 250 …
Discussion:
Ad Age, @geekychic and Adweek


Sources: Microsoft president Brad Smith will testify before a House antitrust subcommittee hearing next Friday about tech antitrust and the news media — Microsoft president Brad Smith will testify before a House antitrust subcommittee hearing next Friday about tech antitrust and the news media …