It is fine to be excited about web3, but it doesn’t seem right to deny the real opportunities already afforded by the Internet. Plus, tying up loose ends on TV and sports.
Formula 1 and Netflix, Netflix and Sports, YouTube TV vs. ESPN
The increased popularity of F1 shows how sports can be valuable to Netflix, and why sports remain valuable to Disney.
MLB Versus Sinclair, What Happened to Sinclair, The Problem for Sports Leagues
The Internet has uniquely impacted regional sports networks, thanks to the reality of free distribution. Sports leagues will need to adapt.
Disney Earnings, ESPN and Disney’s Streaming Strategy, Flexibility and Residuals
Disney’s results suggest the company should stay the course with its current streaming strategy; however, the way it funds movies may have to change.
Amazon Buys MGM, The Streaming Opportunity, Anti-Monopoly vs. Antitrust
Amazon’s purchase of MGM makes sense strategically, but also points to bigger ambitions; it also highlights how a lot of antitrust talk is actually anti-monopoly.
Stripe’s Role, Competition and Differentiation, The Local News Opportunity
Differentiation can flow from the writer, but also from the subject. That is why the Substack model could help deliver the local news business model.
Sovereign Writers and Substack
Substack is at the center of media controversy, most of which misses the point that sovereign writers — not Substack — are in control.
Twitter Acquires Revue, Twitter’s Opportunity, Twitter’s Achilles Heel
Twitter’s acquisition of Revue points to a huge opportunity for the company; can the company execute well enough to take advantage?
2020 Bundles
The state of bundles in 2020: Netflix, Disney, Amazon, Microsoft, and Apple. Plus, Microsoft’s purchase of ZeniMax.
Announcing Dithering, An Interview with John Gruber (not about Apple)
Announcing Dithering, a new podcast from John Gruber and myself. Then, and interview with Gruber about being an independent writer on the Internet, covering Apple’s rise, and Dithering.