Business

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…

From the Archives revisits Microsoft’s early attempt to make the Xbox a digital media hub with the launch of the Xbox Live Video Marketplace in 2006. Long before streaming took over, Microsoft pushed digital ownership through its ecosystem of Xbox,…

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…

Canon is becoming the most valuable asset in an AI-driven entertainment economy, shifting the industry’s focus from content creation to content authority. As generative AI platforms proliferate, studios risk losing control unless they define and enforce what’s canonically “real” within…

Holiday streaming promotions may boost sign-ups, but most platforms fail to convert those gains into lasting subscribers. Ampere’s data shows only a few services retain users acquired during the Black Friday window, signaling a structural flaw in how the industry…

Disney's investing $1 billion in OpenAI and licensing over 200 characters from Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars for use in OpenAI’s Sora, marking the first large-scale AI-native licensing deal by a major studio. The three-year partnership gives Sora users…

Kirby explores how streaming services are architecting systems that match their economic realities. General entertainment platforms like Netflix and Disney are designing systems that scale franchises across formats, regions, and revenue lines, while niche services like AMC+ and Crunchyroll are…

Skip tackles the challenge of maintaining brand identity on Prime Video Channels, likening it to renting shelf space in a crowded supermarket. The advice? Use Amazon for scale, but invest in your own DTC app to preserve control, customer data,…