Netflix is an Aggregator, with a value chain that lets it drive demand, raise prices, and dismiss competition.
Happy Thanksgiving, Tencent Earnings, Fox Sports MLB Deal
Happy Thanksgiving! Tencent’s earnings and impressive diversification, and the impact on Apple, plus why MLB’s new deal with Fox shows that sports are as valuable as ever.
Amazon “HQ2” Choice, Disney’s Earnings, Disney’s Hulu Plan
Amazon’s HQ2 process deserves the most cynical of lenses. Then, Disney revealed more details of their streaming service, with a surprising focus on Hulu — and linear TV.
Disney and the Resilient Cable Bundle, Disney’s Streaming Plans, ESPN+ and Serie A
Disney has had a difficult three years, particularly from a stock perspective, but things aren’t as bad as feared, and there is a strategy for the future.
Disney Ups Bid for 21st Century Fox, Disney’s Choice, AT&T to Acquire AppNexus?
The AT&T-Time Warner decision that I has set off a chain reaction with an uncertain ending: Comcast and Disney are competing for 21st Century Fox, and AT&T may be getting into digital advertising.
Sports Gambling Defederalized, Amazon Channels
Sports gambling is defederalized, and the opportunity is likely larger than people think: then, Amazon Channels is another manifestation of the company’s “first customer” strategy.
Snap Mania and Metamarkets; John Perry Barlow Dies; Barlow, Disney, and Streaming
When it comes to struggling companies like Snap, bullishness is all relative — and there’s a big red flag in their earnings. Then, John Perry Barlow passed away: his influence was immense, even on surprising entities like Disney.
Disney-Fox Deal Announced, Horizontal Antitrust, Whither Hulu
The Disney-21st Century Fox deal is official, and the antitrust questions continue to loom large: there are clear issues with regards to a horizontal merger, but is having a vertical competitor to Netflix worth it?
Regional Sports Networks, ESPN + RSNs, TechDirt’s Response on Title II and Net Neutrality
Understanding regional sports networks, and why they make sense with ESPN — but why ESPN makes less and less sense with Disney. Then, a brief — and final — follow-up on Title II and Net Neutrality.
Disney and Fox
Disney’s rumored acquisition of 21st Century Fox is all about competing with Netflix; whether or not that is a good thing depends on your frame of reference.