Glitz, glamor and economics at this year's upfronts

Media companies are leaning more into digital assets like streaming as advertisers continue to shy away from investing in broadcast television.
Media companies often try to woo advertisers during their upfronts, such as this year's Amazon Prime Video announcement of a "Legally Blonde" prequel series.
Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images for Amazon

Some baseball fans can no longer catch the game on their cable provider

May 2, 2024
Comcast was unable to reach a deal this week on carriage with the owner of 18 regional sports networks.
If you’re a Comcast subscriber, you may need to turn on the radio or head to your local sports bar to tune in to MLB games.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Bidding war for rights to air NBA’s 2025 season is officially on

Apr 24, 2024
Amazon Prime, Apple TV+ and Netflix want to expand their live sports offerings. The deal can be worth tens of billions of dollars.
Legacy media companies will compete with streamers like Amazon Prime, Apple TV+ and Netflix, who are eager to expand their live sports offerings.
Michael Reaves/Getty Images

How writers' and actors' strikes affect what we watch — even years later

Mar 4, 2024
Paramount says it'll continue several experiments it began in response to strike-related production shutdowns last year — because they had proven successful at cutting costs.
Demonstrators carry signs during the screenwriters strike in May 2023.
Leonardo Munoz/AFP via Getty Images

Walmart's bid for Vizio would make it a different kind of company

Feb 14, 2024
Walmart's acquisition of the smart TV maker would give it significant access to streaming data from ads — the kind that tracks what people buy
These days, a TV’s worth is tied to its streaming platform, says Jennifer Kent with Parks Associates.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Viewers lament Super Bowl video lags. Can streaming really handle big scale live events?

Feb 12, 2024
According to consumer-reported incidents on the website DownDetector, issues with the Paramount+ app spiked during pre-game coverage and continued throughout the bowl. Paramount+ says that only a small number of users were affected.
These services weren’t built for livestreaming, and it can put pressure on their technical infrastructure. Above, Usher performs at the Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show.
Lauren Leigh Bacho/Getty Images

When it comes to live sports, consumers show streaming services the money

Jan 23, 2024
Sports content "drives eyeballs," and advertisers know it.
Jalen Ramsey of the Miami Dolphins, right, and the Kansas City Chiefs' Travis Kelce (aka Taylor Swift's boyfriend) tussle at an AFC Wild Card game. About 23 million people watched on Peacock — the biggest exclusively live streamed event ever.
David Eulitt/Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

The video game business is hoping streaming games from the cloud will attract new players

Oct 13, 2023
A $15-a-month subscription may be more attractive than dropping $500 on a console.
Cloud gaming sales hit about $5 billion last year, compared to about $35 billion for console games.
Sascha Schuermann/Getty Images

News and live sports have kept cable TV alive. That might not last much longer.

Aug 25, 2023
CNN and ESPN are looking at more streaming in their futures.
CNN is planning to stream its top shows in real time on Max, formerly known as HBO Max.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images