Read our latest daily deep dives, hot takes, and exciting updates about the entertainment world. Check out the latest insight from your favourite analyst, or search by coverage areas - music, entertainment and fandom, creator economy and social.

Streaming is becoming more like radio — what now?

Cover image for Streaming is becoming more like radio — what now?
Tatiana Cirisano
Last week, both YouTube Music and Spotify launched new, radio-like features. Spotify introduced an AI-powered voice DJ, which will talk to users about why songs are included in personalised mixes. Meanwhile, YouTube Music is giving users more ways to customise streaming radio stations — they can now choose up to 30 artists, and specify things like genre, artist frequency, and the balance of chosen artists versus new recommendations.
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Finding the third way for video monetisation

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Tim Mulligan
2023 is an inflection point for streaming video; no longer young (Netflix pivoted into subscription video on demand (SVOD) back in 2007), no longer novel (monthly video subscriptions went mainstream in the major English speaking markets in Q4 2019 (Source: MIDiA Research quarterly consumer surveys)), and no longer the preserve of the young (55+’s became the largest binge-viewing demographic in major English speaking markets in Q1 2020).
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Not everyone can be a winner in the FAST gold rush

Cover image for Not everyone can be a winner in the FAST gold rush
Ben Woods
Video streaming executives searching for relief from the high cost of acquiring new subscribers have found a saviour – and it looks a lot like linear TV. Free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) is becoming a necessity for video services whose strategy of spending big on exclusive content to attract subscribers is being tested by the higher cost of capital and the squeeze on household spending power.
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Authenticity in the West versus artificiality in the East

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Ashleigh Millar
You might have heard the term “deinfluencing” floating around the internet recently. For context, earlier this year, a popular American TikTok beauty influencer, Mikayla Nogueira, took to the app to promote L’Oréal’s new ‘Telescopic Lift’ mascara , a brand with which she is a paid partner (although this detail was conveniently placed in a hard-to-read area of the video).
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Blue Wire and fuboTV’s new deal is a slam dunk for sports podcasts

Cover image for Blue Wire and fuboTV’s new deal is a slam dunk for sports podcasts
Annie Langston
Sports podcasts, hosted by sports writers, athletes, and other creators, are among the top podcast genres, as 30% of podcast listeners say they regularly listen to sports podcasts. Many platforms and networks have explored the genre, such as iHeart , which has deals with the NHL and NBA, and Spotify, which acquired sports and pop-culture-focused network The Ringer in 2020.
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Filling music streaming’s Disney+-shaped hole

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Mark Mulligan
Back when Disney+ started its meteoric rise, there was a lot of thinking around what lessons the music streaming market could learn. Three years on from the launch of the subscription video on demand platform, the shine has come off it a little, registering its first ever subscriber loss , but not before becoming a major market player and changing the way in which the industry thinks about developing streaming shows.
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Love is (not) sharing a password: Why Netflix’s crackdown on account sharing is a longer-term gamble

Cover image for Love is (not) sharing a password: Why Netflix’s crackdown on account sharing is a longer-term gamble
Hanna Kahlert
After a successful trial in Latin America, Netflix is planning to roll out its solution to account sharing worldwide over the next year, called ‘ paid sharing ’. For every user on an account who does not share the same IP address as the account holder, the account holder will be charged an additional fee, and that user will get their own login.
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