The streaming wars are officially in motion, with Netflix, Apple TV+, and Disney+ entering the decade with new fervor. But they aren’t the only players in the game. Now, WarnerMedia's HBO Max and NBCUniversal's Peacock will further crowd the field. While no one knows how consumers will embrace the multitude of options, executives from WarnerMedia tell Cheddar one thing is certain: all streaming distributors are aiming to upend the linear television business model.
"We're not competing head-to-head to convince someone not subscribe to Netflix. All of us are working on how to make this better for consumers," Andy Forssell, executive vice president and general manager of WarnerMedia Direct-to-Consumer, told Cheddar at CES 2020, the major consumer electronics trade show currently going on in Las Vegas.
As new players enter the streaming field, the average number of services consumers will sign up for is anyone's guess. One thing is certain, though: being different is one way to attract consumers. WarnerMedia's chief technology officer Jeremy Legg told Cheddar that developers are working on differentiating their ad-supported version of HBO Max to be more targeted and seamless for consumers. Legg essentially believes that more streaming options means more avenues for content distributors to monetize.
"You're going to have technology platforms that begin to allow companies to monetize in multiple ways," says Legg. "That doesn't mean that the traditional wholesale side of the business is going away, but I do think you're going to have a balance between wholesale distribution and direct-to-consumer distribution."
From the business side, Forssell says he welcomes streaming competition so that all players can experiment with distribution to see which are most suitable for consumers.
As for HBO Max, Forssell says the way to win over the public is through sophisticated and emotional content. "Where we start is that you need to matter to people. We need to make shows that matter to people."
The Rev. Al Sharpton is set to lead a protest march on Wall Street to urge corporate America to resist the Trump administration’s campaign to roll back diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. The New York civil rights leader will join clergy, labor and community leaders Thursday in a demonstration through Manhattan’s Financial District that’s timed with the anniversary of the Civil Rights-era March on Washington in 1963. Sharpton called DEI the “civil rights fight of our generation." He and other Black leaders have called for boycotting American retailers that scaled backed policies and programs aimed at bolstering diversity and reducing discrimination in their ranks.
President Donald Trump's administration last month awarded a $1.2 billion contract to build and operate what's expected to become the nation’s largest immigration detention complex to a tiny Virginia firm with no experience running correction facilities.
Chipmaker Nvidia is poised to release a quarterly report that could provide a better sense of whether the stock market has been riding an overhyped artificial intelligence bubble or is being propelled by a technological boom that’s still gathering momentum.
Cracker Barrel said late Tuesday it’s returning to its old logo after critics — including President Donald Trump — protested the company’s plan to modernize.
Low-value imports are losing their duty-free status in the U.S. this week as part of President Donald Trump's agenda for making the nation less dependent on foreign goods. A widely used customs exemption for international shipments worth $800 or less is set to end starting on Friday. Trump already ended the “de minimis” rule for inexpensive items sent from China and Hong Kong, but having to pay import taxes on small parcels from everywhere else likely will be a big change for some small businesses and online shoppers. Purchases that previously entered the U.S. without needing to clear customs will be subject to the origin country’s tariff rate, which can range from 10% to 50%.
Southwest Airlines will soon require plus-size travelers to pay for an extra seat in advance if they can't fit within the armrests of one seat. This change is part of several updates the airline is making. The new rule starts on Jan. 27, the same day Southwest begins assigning seats. Currently, plus-size passengers can pay for an extra seat in advance and later get a refund, or request a free extra seat at the airport. Under the new policy, refunds are still possible but not guaranteed. Southwest said in a statement it is updating policies to prepare for assigned seating next year.
Cracker Barrel is sticking with its new logo. For now. But the chain is also apologizing to fans who were angered when the change was announced last week.
Elon Musk on Monday targeted Apple and OpenAI in an antitrust lawsuit alleging that the iPhone maker and the ChatGPT maker are teaming up to thwart competition in artificial intelligence.
