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.

What BandLab and Bruce Springsteen tell us about the music business at the end of 2021

Cover image for What BandLab and Bruce Springsteen tell us about the music business at the end of 2021
Mark Mulligan
2021 was another year in which capital continued to flow into the music business at pace. Two deals that got over the line before year end have shone an interesting light on the differing strategies that are underpinning this investment: Bruce Springsteen sold his catalogue to Sony Music for between $500-550 million ,while BandLab raised $53 million against a valuation of $303 million.
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Why DAZN needs to use its new LaLiga rights to invest in global sports fandom

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Tim Mulligan
Yesterday saw OTT sports service DAZN announce that it had been awarded the local broadcast rights to LaLiga matches over the next five seasons, from 2022 to 2027. The deal, which is worth €4.95 billion over the five-year period, has been jointly secured with Spanish pay-TV operator Movistar (which has carried the DAZN linear channels since January 2021).
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The internationalisation of content: What it means when local goes global

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Hanna Kahlert
Digital-first life has broken down cultural borders, allowing content and fans from all over the world to spread far and wide on both a niche and mainstream level. It is now possible for small independent artists to have substantial yet geographically disparate global fanbases, and for mainstream artists with global name recognition to have only small cores of dedicated fans.
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Music market shares: independent labels and artists are even bigger than you thought

Cover image for Music market shares: independent labels and artists are even bigger than you thought
Mark Mulligan
It has been a long time since the music industry has been in such good shape. So long, in fact, that there are not too many executives left who worked through the pre-crash days. 2021 was the year in which the major label groups capitalised on the momentum, with Universal and Warner going public, and Sony going on a spending spree.
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Out with viral, in with niche: TikTok’s impact on music changes form

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Tatiana Cirisano
In 2020, TikTok users proved their power for turning songs into hits. Tracks associated with dance challenges, memes and other TikTok trends regularly cracked the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, and major labels entered bidding wars to sign the previously unknown artists behind TikTok smashes, such as Powfu (of “Death Bed”) and Jawsh685 (of “Laxed [Siren Beat]”).
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Lean out is in: how the Netflix / Spotify crossover is taking advantage of a key consumer dynamic

Cover image for Lean out is in: how the Netflix / Spotify crossover is taking advantage of a key consumer dynamic
Hanna Kahlert
Netflix and Spotify have just launched a collaborative project: a page on the Spotify app that is dedicated to soundtracks and playlists based on popular Netflix shows and films. The implications point to the growth of a trend so natural it seems obvious: fans want to incorporate elements of their favourite shows into other aspects of their lives.
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