Top News:
Erin Woo / The Information:
Source, document, and emails: PepsiCo and Anheuser-Busch committed to $3M+ and $2.4M, respectively, for Twitter takeover ads before and during the Super Bowl — After weeks of turmoil and layoffs, Twitter's sales team in recent weeks has reorganized to focus more on big advertisers and launch …
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, @jbflint, Front Office Sports, The Indian Express, @shortingisfun, TechCrunch and The Drum, more at Techmeme »
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Erin Woo / The Information:
Internal messages: Twitter wants to charge brands $1,000 per month to keep their gold verification badges, plus $50 per month for each affiliated account — Twitter is likely to charge brands $1000 a month to keep their gold verification badge, plus $50 a month for each affiliated account …
Discussion:
@brynnekkelly, @adamweinstein, @vogon, @whstancil and @intelwire, more at Techmeme »
Bloomberg:
Sources: Disney might license more of its films and TV series to rivals to earn more from its content library, a strategy shift from 2019 when Disney+ launched — Walt Disney Co. is exploring more licensing of its films and television series to rival media outlets as pressure grows to curb the losses in its streaming TV business.
Discussion:
@lucas_shaw, @challengerst, @loudmouthjulia, @aagave and @drunk3po
Alexandra Bruell / Wall Street Journal:
Sports Illustrated publisher Arena Group is working with AI startups Jasper and Nota to help produce articles from its own content library and pitch journalists — Arena Group uses the technology to help produce Men's Journal pieces such as workout tips — The publisher of Sports Illustrated …
Discussion:
Business Wire, MediaPost, @jjvincent, @lilyraynyc, @alexweprin, Insider, The Verge, @stevekovach, @heyjasperai, @heyrosenberg and @harrymccracken, more at Techmeme »
Peter Laufer / Inside Higher Ed:
Peter Laufer, a University of Oregon journalism professor, asks Gannett to donate Eugene's newspaper The Register-Guard to the university; Gannett declines — Travel with me to my not atypical college town, Eugene, Ore., where I'm privileged to labor as a professor at our vibrant University …
Discussion:
@chrispietsch, @globalprmolleda, @jordannovet, @insidehighered, @zack_demars, @uosojc, @damianradcliffe, @ericnewton1, @niemanlab and @evergreenstone
Kelsey Weekman / BuzzFeed News:
After YouTuber MrBeast made a video about paying for 1,000 blind people's eye surgery, critics raise questions about “stunt philanthropy” and “charity porn” — Is it stunt philanthropy or self-funded charity in the YouTube age? — A YouTuber just helped treat 1,000 people with blindness and low vision.
Discussion:
@stillgray, @loudmouthjulia, @bendreyfuss, @sonnybunch, @ambiej, @g17esiason, @rubensteinadam, @varadmehta, Insider and Fortune
Frank Bajak / Associated Press:
Microsoft researchers say state-backed Iranian hackers hit Charlie Hebdo with a hack-and-leak campaign after Hebdo's December 2022 contest mocking Iran's leader — After the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo launched a cartoon contest to mock Iran's ruling cleric …
Discussion:
Reuters, Al-Monitor, Ars Technica and @fbajak
Scott Roxborough / The Hollywood Reporter:
Q&A with Danny Fisher, CEO of FilmRise, the largest independent content provider to AVOD services, on finding undervalued shows, his business model, and more — By betting big, and early, on the potential of advertising-backed streaming, Danny Fisher has grown the firm …
Kamran Haider / Bloomberg:
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority blocks Wikipedia in the country, saying the site failed to remove “sacrilegious” content within a 48-hour deadline — Pakistan has blocked Wikipedia services in the South Asian nation after the platform failed to remove “sacrilegious” content.
Discussion:
The Verge, @faseehmangi, The Register, The Indian Express and MediaNama, more at Techmeme »
Emily Leedham / PressProgress:
Canada's Overstory Media Group, which presented itself as a local news savior and set a goal of hiring 250 journalists by 2023, has 22 journalists after layoffs — Journalists question Overstory Media Group's commitment to local news after gutting flagship Capital Daily's newsroom
Discussion:
Ricochet
Alex Weprin / The Hollywood Reporter:
Amazon reports content spending up 28% YoY to $16.6B in 2022, of which ~$7B went to originals, live sports, and licensed third-party content included with Prime — The expenses related to video and music content were up 28 percent from 2021, when the tech giant spent $13 billion.
Discussion:
Deadline and TechCrunch, more at Techmeme »
Annie Palmer / CNBC:
Amazon reports Q4 advertising services revenue grew 19% YoY to $11.56B, vs. $11.38B est., and subscription services revenue grew 13% YoY to $9.19B — Follow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNT — Amazon reported earnings after the bell. Here are the results. — Earnings: $1.39 per share
Discussion:
Digiday, AdExchanger, TechCrunch, Fast Company, CNET, Forbes, Variety, Barron's Online, The Hollywood Reporter, Footwear News and Wall Street Journal, more at Techmeme »
Todd Spangler / Variety:
YouTube's ad revenue dropped 7.8% YoY from $8.63B to $7.96B in Q4, below analyst estimates of $8.2B — Alphabet, parent company of Google and YouTube, turned in fourth-quarter 2022 earnings that missed analyst estimates, as YouTube's ad revenue again notched a year-over-year decline.
Discussion:
CNBC, @_sem, Music Ally, The Information, The Verge, Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter
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Jon Swartz / MarketWatch:
Alphabet reports Google advertising revenue down 4% YoY from $61.2B to $59B, below analyst estimates of $60.4B, and Google Search revenue down 2% YoY to $42.6B
Discussion:
Alphabet, Mobile Dev Memo, Reuters, Skift, Fast Company, SiliconANGLE, TVNewsCheck, The Wrap and 9to5Google
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