Mediagazer: News Corp has shut down its news aggregation service Knewz after just 18 months, citing a lack of profits (Lindsey Ellefson/The Wrap)

2:35 PM ET, July 9, 2021

Top News:

Lindsey Ellefson / The Wrap:

News Corp has shut down its news aggregation service Knewz after just 18 months, citing a lack of profits — News Corp shuttered its the aggregation site Knewz on Friday, just 18 months after its launch. Users who navigated to the site found an announcement declaring, “Knewz is no more.”

Sahil Patel / The Information:

Sources: Apple has had discussions with NFL execs to buy streaming rights for Sunday Ticket games, which currently air on DirecTV — Apple has expressed interest in the streaming rights for a package of National Football League games the NFL is now auctioning, said people familiar with the situation …

Discussion: Awful Announcing, The Streamable, @dylanbyers, @darrenrovell, @injuryexpert, 9to5Mac, Cord Cutters News, @amir, @sizpatel and @stevekovach, more at Techmeme »

Sara Fischer / Axios:

Industries with digital presences, from Walgreens to Home Depot, are developing ad revenue lines, following in the footsteps of media and tech giants — Now that the ad market is booming again, all sorts of businesses are doubling down on their investments selling ad space.

Discussion: @sarafischer, @modestproposal1, @profcarroll and @atreidesmgmt, more at Techmeme »

Sheila Kaplan / New York Times:

Juul paid $51K to have the American Journal of Health Behavior devote an entire issue to 11 Juul-funded studies, including a fee to make the issue open access — The company faces declining sales and thousands of lawsuits claiming it knowingly sold its trendy vaping products to minors.

Discussion: @tobaccofreekids, @carlystrasser, Techdirt, @theprospect, @theprospect and American Prospect

Lucas Shaw / Bloomberg:

Netflix hires former Apple executive N'Jeri Eaton to oversee podcasting; Eaton, who previously worked for NPR, will be part of the editorial and publishing team — Netflix Inc. has hired former Apple Inc. executive N'Jeri Eaton to oversee its podcasting business, a sign of the video streaming giant's growing ambitions in audio.

Discussion: @njerieaton, The Streamable, Variety, Tubefilter, 9to5Mac and AppleInsider

Joshua Benton / Nieman Lab:

Readers opt to subscribe either to premium news outlets or local ones, while USA Today's subscription offering, unbundled from local Gannett papers, is neither — The marketplace for online news has thus far rewarded (a) premium quality and (b) local connection.

Discussion: @scmitchp, What's New in Publishing, @harrisj, @janebsinger, @trevorhughes, @simonowens, @nspector4, @gannett, Talking Biz News, @raju and @kerrymflynn

Brian Steinberg / Variety:

ESPN buys 12-year rights to Wimbledon starting in 2024; ESPN+ will livestream all tennis courts during the event and will be the only outlet with full replays — ESPN struck a new 12-year deal with All-England Lawn Tennis Club that expands the company's ability to show the iconic Wimbledon …

Discussion: The Streamable, The Wrap and Hollywood Reporter

Lachlan Cartwright / The Daily Beast:

Memo: Lachlan Murdoch has told all Fox Corp. staff they're getting bonuses of $2K or more for hitting business goals while meeting responsibilities to audiences — BUSINESS IS BOOMING … Lachlan Murdoch has dug into the billion dollar revenues of his company, telling Fox Corporation employees they're …

Discussion: TVSpy, @andykhouri, Insider and TVNewser

Rebecca Beitsch / The Hill:

State Department OIG finds that former USAGM CEO Michael Pack erred in firing six employees and stripping some of security clearances; five have been reinstated — A government watchdog found the Trump-appointed leader of Voice of America (VOA) erred in his dismissal of six employees …

Discussion: @govacctproj, @toppan_jane, @w7voa, @hugolowell and Government Accountability …

Jonathan Swan / Axios:

Sources: Tucker Carlson accused the NSA of spying on him after he learned US officials knew he was talking to Kremlin intermediaries to set up a Putin interview — Tucker Carlson was talking to U.S.-based Kremlin intermediaries about setting up an interview with Vladimir Putin shortly …

Sarah Ellison / Washington Post:

Profile of whistleblower May Edwards, who's been sentenced to six months for providing BuzzFeed News with US Treasury Department documents exposing corruption — By the time Natalie Mayflower Sours Edwards stood before Judge Gregory Woods in a courtroom in Lower Manhattan last month …

Discussion: @will_bunch, @juliezebrak, @arielkaminer, @dabeard, @duty2warn, @renaemerle, @raju, @sarahellison and @sulliview

Anna Nicolaou / Financial Times:

Jonah Peretti says BuzzFeed “invested in news beyond where the revenue could support it” in 2014-2016, thinks commerce will make up 31% of revenue by 2024 — Jonah Peretti says he has learned from earlier ‘mistake’ and promises to grow in ‘sustainable way’