The AWS re:Invent conference had two important themes: the importance of hybrid offerings and machine learnings; then, unsurprisingly, YouTube’s premium video efforts ended up not working out.
Amazon’s Reported RSN Bid, The Future of Sports Rights, Apple in the Supreme Court
Amazon probably isn’t buying 22 RSNs; sports rights don’t really make sense for streaming services. Then, Apple is in the Supreme Court in a case that is hugely important for the entire tech industry.
Happy Thanksgiving, Tencent Earnings, Fox Sports MLB Deal
Happy Thanksgiving! Tencent’s earnings and impressive diversification, and the impact on Apple, plus why MLB’s new deal with Fox shows that sports are as valuable as ever.
Amazon “HQ2” Choice, Disney Earnings, Disney’s Hulu Plan
Amazon’s HQ2 process deserves the most cynical of lenses. Then, Disney revealed more details of their streaming service, with a surprising focus on Hulu — and linear TV.
Qualcomm Loses Preliminary Judgment; Qualcomm Earnings; More on Netflix and MVPDs
A federal judge rules against Qualcomm in a clear victory for Apple, just another area where Qualcomm is struggling. Then, why is Netflix allowing itself to be commoditized, at least a bit, by MVPDs?
Netflix Earnings, Netflix’s Marketing Choice, Additional Notes on Netflix
Netflix’s earnings had both good news (subscribers) and bad news (spend); the latter might signal a positive shift in how the company acquires customers. Plus, how Netflix is integrating.
Apple’s iPhone Event, Facebook Fact-Checking, Vimeo Pivots Again
A preview of Apple’s iPhone event, a revelatory controversy about Facebook fact-checking, and yet another pivot by Vimeo thanks to mistakes made years ago
Fortnite Skips Google Play, Netflix Explores Bypassing iTunes, Big Names and Long Tails
Fortnite is skipping out on Google Play, and Netflix is trying to get out of the App Store. That’s not great for Apple and Google, but the effort is hardly a surprise.
Disney and the Resilient Cable Bundle, Disney’s Streaming Plans, ESPN+ and Serie A
Disney has had a difficult three years, particularly from a stock perspective, but things aren’t as bad as feared, and there is a strategy for the future.
Netflix Earnings, Netflix’s Rising CAC, Content and Marketing
Netflix’s subscriber numbers were disappointing; does the company have a customer acquisition cost problem? Then again, customer acquisition costs should include content, which might not have been good enough.