Niche Streaming Services Want to Be Part of Your Bespoke Bundle
*By Conor White*
One of Netflix's most beloved features may also be a reason the service is losing viewers, at least in the short term. That's according to Alan Wolk, co-founder at media research firm TV{R}ev.
In an interview Tuesday on Cheddar, Wolk pointed to FOMO ー or in Netflix's case, the lack thereof ー for subscribers.
"If all your friends are watching 'Westworld', then you might think, 'Hey, I want to watch this too, even if this other show on Netflix might be slightly better targeted to me,'" he said.
Netflix is [expected to spend](https://www.indiewire.com/2018/07/netflix-original-content-spending-13-billion-1201981599/) as much as $13 billion in 2018 on original content ー some of that could go towards the next "Stranger Things" or "The Crown", but much will likely create super-niche offerings that don't attract broad audiences.
And unlike broadcast or cable, all of Netflix's content ー whether it has a broad appeal or not ー is available to stream at any time, so there isn't necessarily a sense of urgency for viewers to watch right away.
That might be part of the reason the company added 600,000 fewer subscribers in its latest quarter than analysts were expecting. Shares [dropped](https://www.barrons.com/articles/netflix-earnings-stock-tanks-on-weak-subscriber-adds-1531772206) roughly 14 percent after the company reported its second quarter results. It also faces stiff competition from the likes of Amazon, Hulu, and [maybe Walmart](https://cheddar.com/videos/walmart-gets-serious-about-streaming) in the coming years.
Wolk said the spend-on-original-content strategy is a risky one.
"It's a big ask for people to invest in a brand new show," he said.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/dc-enters-streaming-fray).
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.
Hear from Gabino & Stephen Roche on Saphyre’s institutional AI platform that centralizes pre‑ and post‑trade data, redefining settlement speed and accuracy.
