For years publishers haven’t had to worry about business models: they just captured attention and watched the money come in. Those days, though, are over: the publications that survive will start with business models and build journalism around it.
Amazon Continued and the Role of Journalism, Three Streaming Developments: HBO, Amazon Prime, and ESPN
The Amazon story continues, and it is striking how there is zero common ground between people who work in tech and the journalists who cover it. Will this mark a shift in the relationship? Plus, what HBO’s Sesame Street deal, Amazon’s Top Gear deal, and NBC’s Premier League deal say about the future of streaming.
Correcting the Netflix Story, ESPN’s Challenge — and Opportunity, Yahoo to Stream NFL Game
My Netflix chart from Netflix and the Conservation of Attractive Profits wasn’t quite right: after all, I was talking about time, and networks and studios are already modularized. Still, fixing my error provides an interesting view on ESPN and its challenges and opportunities.
Netflix and the Conservation of Attractive Profits
Netflix has a lot more in common with Uber and Airbnb than you might think: it all comes back to the Law of Conservation of Attractive Profits, a core principle of disruption
Taylor Swift v Apple
Eddy Cue is dancing again, but this time it’s figuratively and the tune is provided by Taylor Swift. Seventeen hours after Swift decried Apple’s plan to not compensate artists for songs played during the Apple Music demo period Apple changed course. What can be learned, and what does this say about Apple Music — and about Taylor Swift?
Vox Acquires Recode; Stars, Money, and Reach; The Apple Car and Jony Ive
Recode has sold to Vox, and while everyone involved is putting a happy face on the matter, it seems highly likely that Recode failed as a business. Understanding how content businesses work show where they went wrong, but what does that mean for someone like Bill Simmons?
Also, Jeff Williams spoke at Recode, and he just might have changed my mind about Jony Ive.
Verizon-AOL, Facebook Instant Articles, and the Future of Digital Advertising
Two seemingly unrelated stores — Verizon buying AOL. and Facebook offering publishers the option of Instant Articles — are actually very much connected: advertising online is undergoing a fundamental shift, and while there will be a few big winners, there will be a lot more losers.
Daily Update: Learning From the Economist, NYT Now to be Free
Good morning, I know many of you had the day off on Friday (Good Friday in the West, and Tomb-Sweeping Day here in Asia), but there was a Daily Update, so check it out in case you missed it. If you have any login issues, use this link; the promised rework of the membership systemSubscribe […]
Tidal and the Future of Music
Predicting success and failure is about understanding who has leverage. In the case of music, the winners will be the labels, not the artist. But perhaps there is hope for tomorrow
Daily Update: Facebook to Host Media Content, Vox’s Facebook Strategy and Keywee, Bill Simmons’s Next Move
Good morning, I apologize that this Daily Update is a bit tardy: first, it’s late temporally (sorry east coasters!), second, it’s a Media Monday on Tuesday! On to the update: Facebook to Host Media Content From the New York Times: With 1.4 billion users, the social media site has become a vital source of trafficSubscribe […]