The Streaming Wars recaps the ten most impactful stories of the year, highlighting industry-defining moments that shaped executive strategy across streaming, tech, and media. From Disney's AI licensing framework and YouTube’s reclassification as TV, to Netflix’s creator push and critical…

Free trials have shifted from a default growth tool to a strategic lever that depends on scale, audience, and business goals. For large services, trials often pull in low-intent users, distort retention models, and delay revenue. Smaller platforms still find…

Skip challenges the prevailing belief that CTV is a “safe bet” for media buyers fleeing the chaos of search and social. While CTV offers cleaner environments and video reach, the ecosystem still struggles with inconsistent targeting, weak measurement, and fragmented…

Rebecca Avery (Integration Therapy) outlines how streaming operations can improve efficiency by treating content acquisition, delivery specs, and rate cards as one integrated workstream. When these functions are aligned, networks can better manage unit costs, avoid operational debt, and make…

TikTok has agreed to spin off its U.S. business into a separate entity controlled by Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX, resolving years of regulatory tension with a deal set to close in January. The new structure gives U.S. firms governance…

Amazon is licensing select James Bond films and other MGM titles to Netflix for a limited three-month window, capitalizing on periods when those titles aren't actively driving engagement on Prime Video. Because Bond isn’t a year-round retention asset and Amazon’s…

Warner Bros. Discovery formally rejected Paramount’s $30 per share hostile takeover bid, calling the offer “illusory” and lacking firm financial backing from the Ellison family. The board cited significant regulatory and execution risks, while reiterating support for its signed Netflix…

Skip challenges the assumption that rising ad-supported viewership automatically translates to strong ad performance. Despite high impressions, most platforms still underperform because they treat ad products as afterthoughts, interruptive units rather than meaningful experiences. To drive real value, platforms need…

Streaming's discovery crisis isn’t a UX issue, it's a business model problem. Services are optimized to retain attention and protect internal data, not to help viewers find content, resulting in user frustration, lower engagement, and higher churn. Without real incentives…

Alt-casts have evolved from a novelty into a strategic necessity for networks and streamers facing rising sports rights costs. By offering multiple tailored versions of the same game, such as personality driven, IP based, gaming styled, or analyst focused formats,…