Twitch wants to make it easier for creators to pull guests into their livestreams, talk show-style — and everybody gets to be a creator. The company is announcing Guest Star, a new feature that will tie into existing streaming software, allowing stream hosts to bring up to five guests into a stream…
Influencers peddling medical, financial advice now need certification, China says
China has taken another step to regulate how online influencers impart information to their followers. The government has put a great deal of effort into moderating digital content over the years. The rise of more real-time media formats, like livestreaming and snappy video sharing, has made it har…
Apple signs 10-year streaming deal with Major League Soccer
Apple has signed a deal with Major League Soccer (MLS) that will see the company stream every MLS match for 10 years starting in 2023. The partnership will allow fans to watch all MLS, Leagues Cup, and select MLS NEXT Pro and MLS NEXT matches in the Apple TV app. Starting in early 2023 through [&he…
Peacock confirms a test that rewards paid subscribers with $15 movie tickets or $7 rentals
In March, Peacock began testing a new and exclusive movie benefits program that would reward Premium and Premium Plus subscribers with either a free movie ticket via Fandango or an on-demand movie rental through Vudu every month. The NBCU-owned streaming service is rolling it out to additional subs…
Premium streaming subscriptions continue to increase despite Netflix’s downfall
If you’ve been following Netflix lately, then you’d know the streamer is on shaky ground at the moment. Antenna data reveals that Netflix saw 3.6 million subscription cancellations in the first quarter of 2022, over one million more than the company experienced in Q1 2021 and Q4 2021. This is a sig…
YouTube teases expansion of livestream shopping with new features arriving later this year
In recent years, YouTube has been working to transform its platform into more of a shopping destination with product launches like shoppable ads or more recently, the ability to shop directly from livestreams hosted by creators. Now, it’s furthering that investment with new features for live …
Real-time database startup Imply reaches unicorn status with $100M infusion
Imply Data, a startup developing a real-time database platform, has raised $100 million in a venture funding round valuing the company at $1.1 billion post-money.
Discovery+ becomes The Roku Channel Premium Subscription’s first ad-supported plan offering
Roku and Warner Bros. Discovery announced today that discovery+ has launched as a Premium Subscription on The Roku Channel. Discovery+ will add its 70,000 episodes of network shows along with over 200 originals, making it the largest mixture of library titles on The Roku Channel. Roku says both the…
Netflix could introduce its ad-supported plan as soon as this year
After years of denying the possibility of advertising on the streaming platform, Netflix is wasting no time getting the ball rolling on its lower-priced ad-supported tier, which could appear on the platform in the next six months or so. As reported by The New York Times, Netflix told employees that…
Remove that ‘exit strategy’ slide from your pitch deck
A lot of pitch decks I review have a slide that really shouldn't be there: the exit strategy slide. As an early-stage startup, it's downright nonsensical, and it shouldn't be part of your deck at all.