Business

Ask Skip tackles Hollywood’s AI push, exposing it as a cost-cutting measure disguised as creative empowerment. Studios are rapidly replacing pre- and post-production tasks with AI to slash overhead, not inspire storytelling. The true innovation won’t come from the top…

Fubo and DAZN have entered a multiyear partnership to distribute each other’s proprietary sports channels. Fubo now offers the new DAZN1 channel featuring exclusive boxing and MMA content. DAZN is adding Fubo Sports to its platform, expanding access to FAST…

Disney has laid off several hundred employees as part of ongoing efforts to "enhance efficiency," targeting mid-level roles across marketing, development, and finance. These cuts are not just cost-saving but reflect deeper structural changes driven by the collapsing cable model,…

Apple is in advanced talks to acquire parts of ESPN’s soon-to-expire MLB rights package, with a focus on Sunday Night Baseball. NBC is also interested, but Apple is reportedly targeting a broader set of games. MLB is exploring a split-rights…

Ana Maria Jipa, CEO of Olyn, argues in this Thought Leaders Circle essay that box office surges like Memorial Day weekend’s don’t signal a theatrical revival, but rather a shift toward event-driven viewing. She emphasizes that modern film distribution has…

Starz, now fully independent from Lionsgate, posted a 6% revenue decline and a widened operating loss in its first quarterly report, driven largely by a $177.4 million restructuring charge, including major content write-downs. CEO Jeffrey Hirsch is pivoting the strategy…

From the Archives revisits Walmart’s abandoned 2018 plan to launch a budget SVOD service aimed at Middle America. With former Epix CEO Mark Greenberg leading the charge, the retailer considered pivoting Vudu into a subscription platform priced at $8/month. But…

Ask Skip tackles a blunt truth about FAST: it was built for clearance, not performance. Flat CPMs, low engagement, and high churn aren't signs of market saturation—they’re symptoms of a model designed for scale, not outcomes. With undifferentiated content and…

According to Nielsen’s The Gauge report, YouTube hit a record 12.4% of total U.S. TV usage in April, maintaining its position as the dominant connected TV platform. Streaming overall reached an all-time high of 44.3%, driven by multi-platform hits like…

Disney has secured exclusive global streaming rights to CoComelon starting in 2027, outbidding Netflix in a multi-year licensing deal worth tens of millions annually. While Netflix originally hosted the hit show since 2020, viewership declines and rising licensing costs led…