THE LATEST ARTICLES
Don’t Mess With the Mohan
What would ordinarily be a traditional carriage dispute between YouTube TV and NBCU is threatening to spiral into something more consequential and novel, with both sides planting their flags.
Julia Alexander
•
September 30, 2025
Kimmel & The Disney+ Cancellation Epidemic
Beyond the shabby politics and Hollywood outrage, Disney’s decision to reinstate its late-night host was also evidence that “churn events” matter more than ever.
The ESPN of the Affair
A month after the launch of ESPN Unlimited, what does the early data say about the platform’s prospects for long-term success? And what does “success” even mean?
The NBA’s TikTok Paradox
Adam Silver knows that young people are watching NBA content on free social platforms rather than TV—not ideal when the league is trying to prove it’s actually worth the $77 billion that its partners just paid for games. So what’s he going to do about it?
Julia Alexander
•
September 16, 2025
How David Ellison Becomes Goliath
Buying Warner Bros. Discovery would give Paramount 150 million streaming subscribers and big theatrical I.P. But scale alone won’t turn the Ellisons’ Hollywood foray into a legit Netflix rival. Could two studios become more than the sum of their parts?
The YouTube-NFL Postgame Show
It’s time to argue over the numbers for YouTube’s first NFL game. Was that 17 million figure soft, or should the real conversation be about the 69 million creators whose individualized viewing experience could be key to the league’s future?
When Will YouTube Win the Super Bowl?
Nothing produces more sports media agita than YouTube, whose sports endgame remains a mystery. But former YouTuber turned Octagon executive William Mao has some ideas about what might be coming next.
Area Man Scores League Rights
We’ve entered a brave new world in which individual YouTube creators are signing deals with leagues for limited sports rights—perhaps foreshadowing an era in which viewers get to choose from 1,000 different Manningcasts.
Julia Alexander
•
August 26, 2025
Battles of the Binge
Peacock’s decision to change its ‘Office’ spinoff, ‘The Paper,’ from a weekly release to an all-at-once drop reflects the latest scholarship on streaming viewer habits—and, of course, a chance to control the media narrative.
Julia Alexander
•
August 20, 2025
The Fault in Our Starz
Since getting spun out of Lionsgate in May, Starz has struggled with high churn, low pricing power, and better-positioned competitors. Does its diverse audience still make it an acquisition target?
