Business

Hub Entertainment Research's 2026 How to Monetize Video study finds that low price now drives 21% of a streaming service's perceived value, while average household subscription TV spending remains capped at $82 per month. Free services including Tubi, Pluto TV,…

Paramount’s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery faces a state-led antitrust lawsuit challenging its impact on theatrical film distribution and basic cable licensing, despite federal clearance. The case threatens Paramount’s September closing target and could force asset sales, licensing commitments,…

Basics of Streaming explains how platforms use content fingerprinting, forensic watermarking, AI, and continuous monitoring to detect and trace illegal streams in real time. Automated enforcement helps rights holders disrupt piracy while live sports and premium releases still hold commercial…

Netflix is adding short-form and mid-length publisher video from BuzzFeed, Condé Nast, People Inc. and Tastemade starting August 3 to capture more casual viewing sessions inside its own platform. The move gives Netflix cheaper, repeatable programming that can boost frequency,…

Skip says that search isn’t disappearing, but the traditional search box is losing its role as the primary gateway to consumer intent. AI, recommendation engines, creator platforms, retailer apps, and streaming interfaces are turning search into an embedded concierge layer…

Netflix’s scripted series are seeing steep second-season launch declines, with Avatar: The Last Airbender down 59%, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder down 76%, The Four Seasons down 63%, and Running Point down 43%. The pattern suggests Netflix’s discovery engine…

Microsoft is restructuring Xbox to improve profitability, cutting roles, reducing management layers, and moving several studios out of its portfolio as the gaming division shifts from expansion to efficiency. Xbox’s lower margins, rising capital competition from AI, and pressure to…

Kirby makes the case that the full stack has become media’s most expensive flex. Sony is zeroing in on the moments where ownership actually drives revenue, while Comcast and Paramount are learning that scale can bring more scrutiny, more complexity,…

Sky's £1.6 billion acquisition of ITV's media and entertainment business would combine the UK’s largest commercial broadcaster with its largest pay TV operator, giving Sky ITVX, major broadcast networks, and a much larger advertising, audience, and first-party data footprint. ITV…

Basics of Streaming explains how customer acquisition has become an infrastructure challenge, not just a marketing problem. Trials, discounts, bundles, and partner offers can bring subscribers in, but platforms need billing, lifecycle marketing, personalization, and retention systems to turn promotional…