Blog - Page 89

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.

Netflix finally brings home the Oscars - and leaves Hollywood wondering what's next

Tim Mulligan

25 Feb 2019

film industry Films Hollywood

Last night at the Oscars, Netflix finally won its first Academy Award – and then a second one and then a third one. Like London buses, Netflix had spent a long time waiting and then suddenly three came along at once.

Direct distribution: breakthrough or bust for SoundCloud?

Zach Fuller

22 Feb 2019

SoundCloud music distribution Music

It has been a strange few years for SoundCloud. Since its emergence out of the Berlin tech scene of the late 2000s, it struggled to convert its popularity with creators into a commercially viable business, despite courting $1 billion-plus valuations and mooted acquisitions from Spotify back in 2016.

Cover image for Direct distribution: breakthrough or bust for SoundCloud?

What the 2018 success of the Beatles for UMG tells us about where streaming is heading

Mark Mulligan

21 Feb 2019

Music Music creators Beatles

Universal Music Group recorded an impressive €6 billion in revenue in 2018, bolstering a JP Morgan valuation of $50 billion (per Music Business Worldwide ). No doubt, UMG is enjoying a purple patch, riding and driving the wave of recorded music industry growth.

Cover image for What the 2018 success of the Beatles for UMG tells us about where streaming is heading

Fail fast, fail early – Can Eleven’s UK struggle aid future growth?

Alistair Taylor

21 Feb 2019

distribution partnerships domestic rights Eleven Sports

Eleven Sports announced it had successfully agreed long-term distribution agreements with all four TV operators in Portugal – Altice, NOS, Nowo and Vodafone. Achieving this agreement puts Eleven Sports on TV platforms across 3.

Apple’s acquisition arithmetic: What the purchase of DataTiger means for Apple and ‘ads’

Georgia Meyer

20 Feb 2019

DataTiger Marketing Services

Last Thursday 14th February 2019 Bloomberg reported that Apple is now in control of Operatedata Ltd – the UK based startup, home to the DataTiger brand. The company says its technology can “individually optimise marketing flows for your customers in real time across all channels”.

Why Apple could become the safe harbour for creatives

Tim Mulligan

19 Feb 2019

SVOD Apple Video

On March 25thApple is planning an event to formally announce the launch of both its forthcoming video and news subscription services. Likely attendees include Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Garner and director JJ Abrams – the Hollywood talent behind a slate of originals set to appea...

Cover image for Why Apple could become the safe harbour for creatives

Are prices for music publishing catalogue acquisitions justified?

Zach Fuller

15 Feb 2019

Music music industry Music publishing

Scooter Braun and Zach Katz’s venture Raised In Space Enterprises, owned by Braun’s Ithica Holdings, announced last week it had acquired New York-basedAtlas Music Publishing. The deal was the latest in a wave of catalogue acquisitions, whereby it’s no longer just conventional music companies c...

Will an EPL streaming service devalue domestic rights?

Alistair Taylor

15 Feb 2019

digital content English Premier League EPL

Following the English Premier League (EPL) announcing in November its plans to launch its own streaming service for the next rights cycle (2022-2025), the Sunday Times reported that the EPL is coming close to launching.

Spotify Q4 2018: Solid growth with a hint of profitability but longer term questions

Mark Mulligan

14 Feb 2019

Spotify Spotify earnings Spotify financials

Spotify finished 2018 strongly, over performing in both subscriber and ad supported MAU additions. This was accompanied by Spotify’s first ever profitable quarter and two major podcast acquisitions early in 2019 hinting at a positive year ahead.

Cover image for Spotify Q4 2018: Solid growth with a hint of profitability but longer term questions

Hulu and the egg: How an egg outfoxed a Kardashian and went on to win the Super Bowl with Hulu

Georgia Meyer

14 Feb 2019

hulu Kardashian Kylie Kardashian

The egg that beat Kylie Jenner for the highest number of likes on an Instagram photo partnered with Hulu to promo an ad following the Super Bowl. Rather than ‘sell out’ for a branded message, The Egg’s (also known by fans as ‘Eugene’) first spot on Hulu (titled: S1 E1), was a message encou...

Another week, another direct-to-consumer service comes to market

Tim Mulligan

13 Feb 2019

direct-to-consumer Epix Now Online video

On Sunday (February 10), movie catalogue specialist Epix announced the launch of its first direct-to-consumer service Epix Now . Access to Epix’s programming was previously only available through its four channels currently carried by its pay-TV operator partners.

Major games publishers are feeling the impact of peaking attention

Karol Severin

12 Feb 2019

Fortnite Games Games industry

Just last week (February 5th) Electronic Arts (EA) reported disappointing quarterly results, now Activision has laid off nearly 800 staff, mostly in marketing and sales. As MIDiA has reported multiple times before , engagement has declined throughout the sector, suggesting that the attention economy...

Cover image for Major games publishers are feeling the impact of peaking attention

ESPN+ leverages UFC appeal to double subscriber base to 2 million in five months

Alistair Taylor

8 Feb 2019

direct-to-consumer Disney ESPN+

Disney announced in its Q1 earnings call on Tuesday that its sports-centric streaming service ESPN+ had surpassed two million subscribers, doubling its subscriber base in less than five months. Launched in April 2018 , Disney revealed in September 2018 that it had taken less than five months to surp...

Is Spotify’s acquisition of Gimlet (the ‘HBO for audio’) the beginning of the audio influencer boom?

Georgia Meyer

7 Feb 2019

Audio Influencer HBO Influencer marketing

Following six days of speculation, Spotify announced yesterdaythat it is acquiring Gimlet Media (comprising Gimlet – the production house, and Anchor – the production, distribution and monetisation software tool), for an undisclosed sum.

Cover image for Is Spotify’s acquisition of Gimlet (the ‘HBO for audio’) the beginning of the audio influencer boom?

Podcasts: a Netflix moment for radio (but perhaps not the future of Spotify)

Mark Mulligan

6 Feb 2019

Podcasts Spotify spotify podcasts

Wednesday was a busy day for Spotify: it reported above-expected subscriber growth, hitting 96 million paid subscribers, strong total user growth reaching207 million MAUs, improved margins and its first ever profitable quarter, registering an operating profit of €94 million.

Cover image for Podcasts: a Netflix moment for radio (but perhaps not the future of Spotify)

Thoughts on Spotify’s acquisition of Gimlet Media and Anchor

Zach Fuller

6 Feb 2019

Anchor digital advertising Gimlet

Spotify is reported to have purchased the podcast companies Gimlet Media and Anchor. Having only just reported an operating profit for the first time, the deals demonstrate not only how Spotify is still firmly locked in growth mode and its market share in music streaming platforms but also how much ...

Making Free Pay Seminar — Speakers

Dara Jegede

6 Feb 2019

London—March 27th: We've put together a seminarwith the aim to give music and video businessesa deeper understandingof the market's direction, helping you define your organisation’s approachand role in the streaming world.

Facebook: Will the next 15 years be as favourable to the social media hegemon?

Tim Mulligan

5 Feb 2019

Facebook Media Strategy

Yesterday (4th February) marked Facebook’s 15-year anniversary. Arguably no other company, with the notable exception of Google, has had as significant impact on our collective digital lives as the US social media giant.

Cover image for Facebook: Will the next 15 years be as favourable to the social media hegemon?

Why first is far less important than best

Mark Mulligan

4 Feb 2019

Epic Games Fortnite fortnite live stream

Following Marshmello’s ‘live’ performance in Fortnite, seen by 10 million simultaneous gamers, there has been the inevitable chorus of ‘ but 2ndlife did this more than a decade ago ’. As I referenced in my blog post over the weekend “ In game live experiences like this are nothing new…...

Cover image for Why first is far less important than best

Marshmello just livestreamed on Fortnite - so just what is a concert?

Mark Mulligan

2 Feb 2019

Epic Games Fortnite fortnite live stream

On Saturday I watched my 12-year-old son scoff down his meal so that he could rush upstairs to get logged on with his friends in time for a Marshmello livestreamed event on Fortnite . The even was Marshmello appearing as a Fortnite character, on stage with his music playing.

© 2026 MIDiA Research Ltd. All Rights Reserved.