April is Cherry Blossom time in New York and across the Northern hemisphere. Lots of people are visiting Central Park and other areas to get their close-up shots, me among them.
It was also a big month for birthdays in the Carr household, with my wife’s birthday, our daughter turning three, and our dog Snoopy turning twelve. We had a small family gathering at home with close family and friends, the majority of whom are already vaccinated. I have had my first shot of Pfizer this month with the next due in May. (No side effects, for those wondering).
In the media, tech and innovation world:
The latest Apple release is causing friction between Tim Cook and Mark Zuckerberg.
Netflix has teased the idea of entering the video game market.
CodeMiko, a 3D character, could be the next Johnny Carson or Oprah
The CEO of Spotify is a rumored bidder for the Arsenal football club after its involvement in the failed breakout European league.
Visual Capitalist has provided a wonderful visualization of the most popular subscription news sites globally.
Feedback and shares appreciated. Happy reading!
Facebook v Apple: The ad tracking row
Apple released a new feature on iPhones and iPads this month which is causing a huge rift with Facebook.
The new feature will allow device users to say no to having their data collected by apps.
Facebook has been put in a spin by this because user data - and the advertising it can generate - is what makes the company so profitable.
According to a report commissioned by Apple, the average app includes six third-party trackers whose sole function is to collect and share your online data.
Facebook has responded by taking out adverts in national newspapers, arguing that small businesses only survived the pandemic thanks to targeted ads.
The Big Picture - Questions surrounding data and privacy have been a financial and political hot button issue for years. When Apple switches to opt-in tracking, the industry expects an 80% drop in ad revenue due to voluntarily consent to giving their data to advertisers. That blows a serious hole in the business models of many ad tech vendors, but more data transparency has been long overdue.
Netflix to enter the gaming market?
Netflix will bring "simple game experiences" to its platform via a licensing partnership with Telltale Games, according to a recent TechRadar report .
The news briefly rocked video game stocks -- especially GameStop, which was already struggling with the rise of digital downloads.
Netflix launched its first interactive stories almost a year ago. The kid-oriented shows were set up in a "choose your own adventure" format, with decision points branching off in different directions.
Netflix's new partnership with Telltale -- which created popular narrative games based on The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, Batman, and Minecraft -- indicates that its interactive stories are gradually evolving into narrative games.
The Big Picture - Netflix’s growth for the first quarter of 2021 has fallen short of expectations for the first time since 2014. It would be no surprise if Netflix took aim at the market of over 2.7 billion gamers worldwide to boost subscription growth.
CodeMiko: the next generation of talk show host
CodeMiko is a 3D virtual game character who streams on Twitch, the Amazon-owned platform that serves as the home for many of the world’s most popular live streamers.
CodeMiko, who’s controlled via motion-capture suit by an anonymous performer, hosts a live interview show and chats with some of the streaming community’s biggest names, like Pokimane and Jacksepticeye.
It’s as if the satirical interview web series Between Two Ferns by comedian Zack Galifianakis were hosted by a video game character.
Miko can spontaneously start dancing or turn into a clown in the middle of an interview, depending on what viewers demand.
The Big Picture - There is a clear need to give audiences more control via interactive engagement. Audience engagement is the new frontier of streaming, with pre-scripted shows soon becoming a thing of the past.
Spotify CEO bid’s for Premier League Team
Spotify founder Daniel Ek says his proposed Arsenal takeover is "very serious" and that he has secured funds for a deal. Ek expressed his interest in buying the club amid last week's fallout from the European Super League collapse.
Swedish billionaire Ek first signalled his interest in the club following protests by Gunners fans against the Kroenkes for their role in the failed European Super League.
Ek, 38, co-founded music streaming service Spotify in 2006 and remains the organisation's chief executive officer. He is worth a reported $4.7bn.
Spotify has more than 180 million users with 87 million paying subscribers.
The Big Picture - Fans across Europe have been protesting the clubs involved in the failed ESL league. Not many fan bases would have the collective empire to buy out their club’s ownership, but a massive entity such as Spotify has the power and clout to be an exception. My guess is that it’s just some good PR for Spotify to offset the sometimes negative spotlight from Joe Rogan Podcasts and other big earners for the platform.
The Most Popular Paid Subscriptions
A recent survey by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism reveals that only 20% of Americans pay for digital news, and of those that do, the majority subscribe to only one brand.
This begs the question—which news outlets are audiences willing to pay for?
With 7.5 million subscriptions, The New York Times (NYT) takes the top spot on the list. 2020 was an exceptionally strong year for the outlet—
By Q3 2020, the NYT had generated the same amount of revenue from digital subscriptions as it had for the entire year of 2019.
The Washington Post. While WaPo is no match for NYT, it still boasts a strong following, with approximately 3 million paid subscriptions as of Q4 2020.
The Athletic is the newest outlet to make the ranking. Established in 2016, the outlet’s target demographic is die-hard sports fans who miss the days of in-depth, quality sports writing.
The Big Picture - The New York Times launched their subscription program in 2011. However, many would still say that it wasn’t until the Innovation Report in 2014 by the now Publisher Arthur G. Sulzberg, that the company experienced a truly major digital transformation and culture change. If you are in the digital media business and haven’t read this report or need a refresher, I recommend checking it out. Many of the points are still relevant today.
JOBS IN MY NETWORK
For anyone qualified and looking for referrals, recommendations, introductions for any of the below roles I am happy to help.
Vice Media - Manager, Strategic Operations
Time.com - Creative and Brand Strategist
Director, Product Personalization - The New York Times
Engineering Director, Commerce - Conde Nast
Senior Manager, Strategic Planning - The Walt Disney Company
Thanks for reading and please feel free to share, comment and provide content suggestions.