Skip to content

Stratechery by Ben Thompson

On the business, strategy, and impact of technology.

  • About
  • Dithering
  • Exponent

By Ben Thompson

  • About
  • Dithering
  • Exponent

The Daily Update

About The Daily Update
Subscribe: Monthly | Annual
Member Forum

Follow

Create an account to receive
Weekly Updates via
Email, Podcast, or RSS

Explore Stratechery

  • Concepts
  • Companies
  • Topics

Archives

  • Articles
  • Daily Updates
  • Years in Review

Account

  • Member
  • Delivery Preferences
  • Manage Account
  • Sign Out
  • Log In
  • Sign Up

Loading

Support

Please email support@stratechery.com
Topics

Sports

The Sports Linchpin August 16, 2016
Ratings are down for the Olympics, which could be bad news not only for TV but industries everywhere.
Why Disney and ESPN Will Be OK August 5, 2015
An increasing number of questions are being raised about the future of the pay-TV bundle, and of ESPN. The former may indeed be doomed, but that doesn't mean the latter is in as much trouble as people think: after all, Disney is the master of differentiated content.
The Cord-Cutting Fantasy May 29, 2013
Predictably, television was one of the first topics Tim Cook was asked about at yesterday’s interview at AllThingsD. This followed the rumors of Yahoo acquiring Hulu, and Microsoft’s entertainment-centric Xbox One launch last week. It’s all about TV and the imminent age of cord-cutting. On this the blogosphere is certain. Except for one little problem: […]

Follow-up: Zynga, NYT All Access, The Athletic, Facebook Antitrust, and Apple in South Korea

Posted onWednesday, January 12, 2022Wednesday, January 12, 2022 Author by Ben Thompson

Follow-up on Zynga’s financials, the New York Times All Access bundle, The Athletic’s focus on quantity over quality, Facebook’s antitrust loss, and Apple’s South Korea App Store change

Take-Two Acquires Zynga, The New York Times Buys The Athletic

Posted onTuesday, January 11, 2022Friday, February 25, 2022 Author by Ben Thompson

Take-Two buys its way into mobile, and the New York Times re-bundles.

The Creator Opportunity, The Value of Abundance, TV and Sports Follow-up

Posted onTuesday, December 21, 2021Wednesday, January 5, 2022 Author by Ben Thompson

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

Posted onThursday, December 16, 2021Thursday, December 16, 2021 Author by Ben Thompson

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

Posted onThursday, October 14, 2021Thursday, October 14, 2021 Author by Ben Thompson

The Internet has uniquely impacted regional sports networks, thanks to the reality of free distribution. Sports leagues will need to adapt.

Olympic Ratings, Google Earnings, YouTube and Brand Advertising

Posted onMonday, August 2, 2021Monday, August 2, 2021 Author by Ben Thompson

Google’s results were even better than the rest of the industry, thanks to YouTube.

ESPN+ Rights Deals, ESPN+ Increases Prices, Black Widow’s Streaming Numbers

Posted onTuesday, July 13, 2021Wednesday, July 14, 2021 Author by Ben Thompson

Disney’s tactics around ESPN+ are coming into line with streaming’s strategic opportunities; plus, Black Widow streaming numbers show how release windows are changing.

The European Super League, Apple Music’s Letter to Artists

Posted onMonday, April 19, 2021Monday, April 19, 2021 Author by Ben Thompson

The European Super League is an interesting example of power in value chains; then, how streaming services determine artist payouts.

The NFL’s New Rights Deals, Amazon’s Rumored Deal, Post-Pandemic Sports

Posted onMonday, March 8, 2021Monday, March 8, 2021 Author by Ben Thompson

The upcoming renewal of NFL rights is a marker in what will be a decade of upheaval in TV.

Nonfungible Tokens, NBA Top Shot, The Creation of Consumption

Posted onMonday, February 22, 2021Monday, February 22, 2021 Author by Ben Thompson

NFTs are useful not simply because they are unique, but because they are an easy-to-understand way to understand the importance of blockchains.

Posts navigation

Previous page

By Ben Thompson

  • About
  • Dithering
  • Exponent

The Daily Update

About The Daily Update
Subscribe: Monthly | Annual
Member Forum

Follow

Create an account to receive
Weekly Updates via
Email, Podcast, or RSS

Explore Stratechery

  • Concepts
  • Companies
  • Topics

Archives

  • Articles
  • Daily Updates
  • Years in Review

Account

  • Member
  • Delivery Preferences
  • Manage Account
  • Sign Out
  • Log In
  • Sign Up

Loading

Support

Please email support@stratechery.com
On the business, strategy, and impact of technology. © Stratechery LLC 2022 | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy