Basics of Streaming breaks down the complex streaming supply chain that powers seamless video playback for viewers. From content creation to playback and monetization, each layer, encoding, CDN delivery, ad decisioning, metadata, localization, plays a critical role in performance, scalability,…

Netflix has struck a new multiyear global Pay-1 licensing deal with Sony Pictures Entertainment, making Netflix the exclusive first streaming home for Sony’s theatrical releases worldwide after their initial windows. The deal replaces Sony’s fragmented regional licensing with a unified…

Spotify is raising U.S. Premium prices to $12.99 per month in February, marking its second price hike in under a year. The move comes as the company doubles down on video, creator monetization, and Premium-led growth under new co-CEOs Gustav…

Gap has named former Paramount executive Pam Kaufman as its first Chief Entertainment Officer to lead its newly formalized “Fashiontainment” strategy. This move signals a strategic shift from traditional retail to building long-term cultural relevance by internalizing entertainment, content, and…

Ask Skip calls out the overreliance on AI as a fix for content discovery, arguing it's a cop-out for the lack of programming strategy. AI can help organize and personalize, but it can't replace the need for editorial vision and…

CNN is partnering with Lemonada Media to bring video versions of several podcasts to its All Access streaming tier, aiming to boost subscription retention by introducing personality-driven, repeatable content. Rather than chasing hits or IP ownership, CNN's betting on habitual…

Ampere Analysis projects global content spend to reach $255 billion in 2026, with streamers driving nearly all incremental growth. The spend war is effectively settled, as global streamers convert scale into pricing power and strategic flexibility, while broadcasters hit scale…

Skip calls out the industry's reluctance to fully embrace FAST, even as most studios are already operating like FAST companies. The piece argues that denying the model limits innovation and growth, urging companies to design for FAST rather than apologize…

Apple is licensing Google’s Gemini models not out of weakness but as a strategic move to maintain control over the user experience while sidestepping the unsustainable cost curve of frontier AI development. Rather than compete in the commoditized model layer,…

Lionsgate has sold its South and Southeast Asian streaming business, Lionsgate Play, to longtime executive Rohit Jain, who will take full ownership and exit the studio. While Lionsgate is exiting the DTC space in the region, it retains content and…