Business

Basics of Streaming breaks down how the creator economy has become foundational infrastructure for the streaming industry. What began as individual talent has evolved into programmable distribution networks that drive engagement, discovery, and retention. From short-form content and live video…

From the Archives revisits the meteoric rise and fall of Maker Studios, the original poster child of the MCN era that promised to reinvent Hollywood through digital creators. Maker rapidly scaled to become YouTube’s largest independent network, but its dependence…

Kirby outlines four critical AI battlegrounds for 2026, shifting the conversation from hype to control. As AI transforms content creation and discovery, the companies that win will be the ones that control what's official, own the interface, and make smart…

Streaming services spent 2025 abandoning old growth narratives and confronting economic reality. Scale stopped hiding inefficiencies, bundling reduced churn by removing decisions, and advertising became a strategic constraint. Sports rights demanded precision, while AI rewired workflows and forced tradeoffs. Success…

The Streaming Wars recaps the state of the industry at the end of 2025, where profitability, not subscriber growth, now separates the leaders from the laggards. The numbers show a settled hierarchy: scale advantages are locked in, ARPU reveals stark…

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…

Basics of Streaming breaks down the sophisticated workflow behind offline downloads, a critical yet often overlooked feature in streaming platforms. While users see a simple "Download" button, platforms like Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney+ implement intricate security layers involving DRM,…

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…

From the Archives revisits the Slingbox, the pioneering device that redefined personal TV access by allowing users to stream their home television from anywhere in the world. Created by Blake and Jason Krikorian, Slingbox helped establish the concept of place-shifting,…

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…