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.

Why Paramount+ is landing in the UK at an inflection point for video streaming

Cover image for Why Paramount+ is landing in the UK at an inflection point for video streaming
Tim Mulligan
Tomorrow Paramount+ will launch in the UK, a market of key importance in the direct-to-consumer (D2C) landscape due to its size, high discretion income, and high levels of TV and video consumption. As the market is so valuable, pre- D2C big bang moment long-term distribution deals have been hindering the likes of HBO Max from being able to launch in the UK, which underlines the success that the Paramount team has been able to pull off by launching in the UK.
min read
Read more …

Quick take: Why Xbox All Access could be the ultimate recession winner

Cover image for Quick take: Why Xbox All Access could be the ultimate recession winner
Karol Severin
Xbox All Access has been around for a while now, though with a limited reach (currently only available in 12 markets). While it was always going to play an integral part in Xbox’s cross-platform (and ultimately console-less) future, its uptake, or even appeal, may have been lost among flashier news around big acquisitions, as well as developments with cloud gaming or Game Pass.
min read
Read more …

The future of entertainment innovation lies in exclusive experiences, not content

Cover image for The future of entertainment innovation lies in exclusive experiences, not content
Hanna Kahlert
In the age before digital engagement went mainstream, entertainment had clear access channels and multiple price points. Video was able to rely on movie tickets, (expensive) TV sets, and the individual purchases of cable subscriptions, video tapes, DVDs, Blu-rays, and their associated equipment; the closest equivalent to subscriptions were Blockbuster or Netflix DVD rental memberships.
min read
Read more …

Audio is the new spinoff

Cover image for Audio is the new spinoff
Annie Langston
Beloved stories can transcend time, not only in their messages or characters but in the format in which they are told. When DC announced its deal with Spotify to develop podcast series, not only did it signal yet another major company venturing into audio but an opportunity to expand classic stories to new generations of listeners, as well as giving old fans a new way to enjoy their favourite stories.
min read
Read more …

TikTok tests ‘clear mode’ as consumers struggle with what is a distraction and what is not

Cover image for TikTok tests ‘clear mode’ as consumers struggle with what is a distraction and what is not
Hanna Kahlert
The announcement of TikTok testing a distraction-free ‘clear mode’ might come across as ironic, given the ‘distraction’-prone default use case of most social media platforms. Is TikTok not already a distraction from other things? What is left if a ‘distraction free’ mode is activated? Yet it is exactly this paradox of perception that makes the development interesting.
min read
Read more …