HBO Max is AT&T’s new streaming service, and it is paying a lot for Friends. Then, the best part of GDPR has its intended effect, while Zoom shows that security still isn’t a priority
Disney and the Future of TV
TV is moving from a world where distribution dictates business models to one where business models need to fit the jobs consumers want done. That is the best way to understand Disney’s latest announcement.
The Wall Street Journal and Apple News, The Problem with Regulating Content, Australia’s Terrible New Law
Why the Wall Street Journals’ deal with Apple isn’t so bad, and how that applies to YouTube. Plus, why content regulation isn’t workable, and a review of Section 230. Then, Australia passes a truly terrible law.
Apple’s Services Event
Apple’s Services Event generally made sense, even if most products weren’t ready to launch. It’s fair to wonder, though, if something important is being lost.
Changes at HBO, AT&T’s Strategic Rationale, HBO’s Differentiation
There are changes afoot at HBO, driven by AT&T’s desire to compete with Netflix; that, though, risks HBO’s differentiation.
Apple News Follow-up, What Direct-to-Consumer Publishers are Selling, More on Podcasts: Supporting Cast and Kimberlite
More on why Apple News is both different than Facebook, and yet similar from a publisher perspective. Then, how publishers should think about their business — and Apple News — plus two new entrants in the podcast space.
The Cost of Apple News
Apple News is primed to offer a subscription bundle, but publishers should be wary of being Aggregated.
Spotify’s Podcast Aggregation Play
Spotify is making a major move into podcasts, where it appears to have clear designs to be the sort of Aggregator it cannot be when it comes to music.
BuzzFeed Followup, The Future is Niche, Atlassian and Bing
BuzzFeed’s relative scale problem, and why venture capital doesn’t make sense for content, because the future is niche. Plus, important follow-up on Bing and Atlassian.
The BuzzFeed Lesson
The lesson of BuzzFeed is that dominant Aggregators like Facebook have no incentive to act against their self interest and support suppliers.