Ratings are down for the Olympics, which could be bad news not only for TV but industries everywhere.
Facebook and Twitter to Stream Conventions; ESPN Going Over-the-top, Kind-of
The different approaches Facebook and Twitter are taking to the political conventions get at the differences between the two platforms; then, ESPN continues to experiment with going over-the-top
Brexit and Tech; More on Musk, Tesla, and Solar City; The Allure of Live: Facebook and ESPN
Why Brexit would be bad for U.S. tech companies, Why Tesla May be Hurt Even if Solar City Isn’t Acquired, and the power of live for escapism and sports
Disrupting Basketball, Thiel-Gawker Follow-up, Intel and ARM
The Golden State Warriors are kinda sorta disrupting basketball, and making plenty of enemies in the process, which segues to a follow-up on Peter Thiel and Gawker. Then, Intel and ARM have dueling releases that show just how different they are.
Twitter to Stream NFL Thursday Night Games, About That Gmail April Fool’s Joke
First, a deep dive into Twitter’s deal with the NFL and why it’s not about the money. Then, why Gmail’s failed April Fool’s joke was so outrageous and worrying.
SideCar’s “Innovation”, Facebook Stadium and Twitter’s Conundrum, Tidbits
SideCar feels that Uber was unfair, but the truth is the company didn’t understand that product matters more than technical expertise. Plus, why Twitter doesn’t have an natural acquirers, and several other tidbits from this week.
Apple Drops Planned Live TV Service, YouTube’s Top Ten Videos of 2015, Apple and the NFL?
Apple gives up on its rumored live TV service, which should come as no surprise to Stratechery readers. YouTube’s top video list is a hint as to why. Might apple bid on the NFL to get the train rolling?
Why ESPN Was Justified in Killing Grantland, Did ESPN Overpay for Sports Rights?, Disney Earnings
I’ve spent time on Grantland’s potential, but did ESPN really make a mistake by not taking advantage? I say no — the mistake was Grantland’s. Still, has ESPN stretched itself too thin, or might there be a method to their seeming madness when it comes to sports fees? Disney’s earnings — particularly CEO Bob Iger’s comments — suggest the latter.
Twitter Suspends Accounts Over GIFs, SnapChat Shuts Down Snap Channel, More on Moments
Twitter suspended a couple of accounts for tweeting sports highlights GIFs. First a bit about the issue at hand, and then a bigger picture look at what this says about Moments, if anything. Then, Snapchat is getting out of original programming, which is a great sign. Finally, what the future of Moments should look like.
Jack Dorsey Named Twitter CEO, The Problem With Daily Fantasy
It took only a few hours for the first concerning response to the announcement of Jack Dorsey as CEO, and it came from his old adversary Ev Williams. Then, Daily Fantasy has a real scandal on its hands, but the implications of that scandal are the opposite of what most think about Daily Fantasy.