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☆ Apple is opening up its powerful App Store for the first time ever. It's not happy about it.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Peter Kafka | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewFor years, Apple has been insistent that it needs control over its App Store and other key parts of its iPhone ecosystem, even in the face of increasing complaints from regulators. AdvertisementSome of the big ones:Apple will allow developers to create and distribute apps without using the company's App Store. Apple's App Store now will now take a cut of up to 17%, plus another 3% fee, for payments made on apps distributed on its App Store. Those apps — along with apps distributed through Apple's App Store — will pay a fee of 0.50 euros for each download over a million. A version of the screen Apple App Store users will see if they want to pay for things without using Apple's App Store.

Persons: —, you've Organizations: Service, Apple, Business, Developers, Meta, Epic Locations: Europe

☆ Melanie, Singer Who Made a Solo Splash at Woodstock, Dies at 76
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Peter Keepnews | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Melanie, the husky-voiced singer and songwriter who was one of the surprise stars of the Woodstock music festival in 1969 and two years later had a No. 1 single with the disarmingly childlike “Brand New Key,” died on Tuesday. Her death was announced on social media by her children, Leilah, Jeordie and Beau Jarred. Neither the cause nor the location were cited. Melanie, born Melanie Safka in 1947, was only 22 but already a presence on the New York folk scene when she appeared at Woodstock.

Persons: Melanie, ”, Beau Jarred, Melanie Safka Organizations: Woodstock Locations: York, Woodstock

☆ Will Jon Stewart's TV audience come back? Here's why it may not matter.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Peter Kafka | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

On the other hand, maybe wondering about Stewart's TV audience isn't the right question. If TV ratings aren't important, then why would Stewart come back to a TV network — and why would a TV network care about landing Stewart? Doing a thing he's good at on Comedy Central — the thing he was good at doing on Comedy Central a decade ago — could be a real boost. AdvertisementOne theory is that Stewart's old audience, who are … old, will indeed come back to watch him. But even if they don't, the TV people I talked to argue that it won't matter that much to Comedy Central.

Persons: Jon Stewart hasn't, Stewart, —, Jon Stewart, Will, Trevor Noah, Nielsen, Noah's, buoying Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Taylor Sheridan, Tom Cruise, Stewart — Organizations: YouTube, Service, Cable, Nielsen, Comedy Central, Variety, Apple, Comedy, CBS, Paramount, Warner Bros Locations: TikTok

☆ Peacock reportedly signed up 2.8 million subscribers for its NFL playoff game
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Peter Kafka | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Read previewEarlier this month, NBC Universal said the NFL playoff game it streamed (mostly) exclusively on Peacock, its streaming service, was a huge success. Crucially, it didn't say how many people signed up (and paid for) Peacock to watch the game. Now we (probably) know: Peacock signed up nearly 3 million subscribers for the game. That's according to subscription tracking service Antenna, which says 2.8 million people signed up over a three-day window leading up to the January 13 game. (It says Disney+ signed up 2.5 million people on its launch day in 2019, though Disney announced 10 million signups.

Persons: —, Peacock, Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce Organizations: Service, NBC Universal, NFL, Business, NBC, Comcast, Disney

☆ Apple has a cheeky new plan to protect its App Store
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Peter Kafka | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Courts and regulators around the world are trying to get Apple to open up its App Store. AdvertisementEuropean regulators say Apple needs to open up its App Store, and a new law that goes into effect in March is supposed to make that happen. The company will give itself the ability to review each app downloaded outside of its App Store. Apple also plans to collect fees from developers that offer downloads outside of the App Store, said people familiar with the company's plans. But it also makes an enormous amount of money from the App Store.

Persons: —, Apple, Sideloading Organizations: Apple, European Union, Service, Meta, Spotify, Street, Google

☆ Netflix is the king of streaming. But can it last?
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

In today's big story, we're looking at what to expect ahead of Netflix's big earnings report. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. And as other streamers scramble to figure out long-term business plans, Netflix has been crowned the winner of the streaming wars thus far. Netflix is so big it even has shows from other streamers, a sign of how ubiquitous it has become. AdvertisementGet in touchinsidertoday@insider.comTo read unlimited articles, subscribe to Business Insider.

Persons: —, It's, Scott Stuber, Stuber, Insider's Lucia Moses, That'll, dealmaking, isn't, Insider's Peter Kafka, Peter, it's, James Leynse, Griffin's, Shaw, Griffin, Gary Weathers, Morgan Stanley, Tesla, Stellantis, Tommy Parker, They're, Oscar, Zazie Beetz, Jack Quaid, They'll, Tim Spector's, Dan DeFrancesco, Diamond Naga Siu, Hallam Bullock, Jordan Parker Erb, Hayley Hudson, Lisa Ryan Organizations: Service, IRS, Business, Netflix, Netflix Films, Traders, Computer Terminals, Goldman, Getty, UBS, Griffin's Citadel, LCH Investments, BlackRock, Los, Peugeot, Chrysler, Dodge, BI, Balyasny, Management, National Baseball Hall of Fame, MLB Network, Procter, Gamble, Electric, Verizon Locations: Goldman Sachs, Los Angeles, Boston, Suez, Panama, New York, San Diego, London, Edinburgh

☆ Netflix's competitors helped it land a blowout quarter by selling it some of their best stuff
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Peter Kafka | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Netflix had a blowout quarter — much better than Wall Street expected. That's partly because competitors like Disney are selling their content to Netflix — a big strategy reversal. That's much better than Netflix or Wall Street had expected. But that was when Wall Street didn't care much about streaming profit. Now it does, so Netflix's competitors have to live with the fact that they're arming their biggest rival.

Persons: —, It's, Mario, Young Sheldon, they'd, you've Organizations: Netflix, Wall, Disney, Service, AMC, Comcast, Nintendo, Warner Bros, HBO, Brothers, Paramount

☆ Why Netflix just made a $5 billion pro wrestling deal
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Peter Kafka | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Now it's in "live sports entertainment" via a $5 billion pro wrestling deal with TKO. One big reason the deal could work: Netflix wasn't in the ads business. That's when a new $5 billion, 10-year deal with TKO Group will kick in and bring Raw, the weekly WWE pro wrestling show currently airing on Comcast's USA network, to Netflix in the US and other countries. Now it's here, in what appears to be the biggest licensing deal Netflix has ever made. And this deal is a rights deal, not an outright purchase.

Persons: —, they'll, Comcast's, . Peacock, Chris Rock, That's, it's Organizations: Netflix, Service, WWE, USA, ESPN

☆ Why did the powerful head of Netflix's movie studio just leave?
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Peter Kafka | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

If you do work in movies, you almost certainly have heard of him: He's the guy in charge of Netflix's movie division, and for years, Netflix's movie division made a lot of movies, at a time when lots of studios were shrinking. Now that's changing, and now Stuber isn't going to be at Netflix anymore: Netflix says he's leaving to start his own media company. And a few months after that, when Stuber's name was floated as a possible contender to run Amazon's movie business, he didn't seem long for the place. Now, Stuber said, Netflix was going to cut its output in half so it could make things better things. Asked for comment, a Netflix spokesperson supplied quotes from Stuber, Sarandos, and Bajaria saying nice things about each other.

Persons: Scott Stuber's, Stuber, Ryan Reynolds, Martin, Scott, Reed Hastings, Ted Sarandos, Greg Peters, Bela Bajaria, We'd Organizations: Netflix, Business, Universal, Stuber, Hollywood, Variety Locations: Hollywood, Stuber

☆ This one chart shows how Netflix has won the streaming wars
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Peter Kafka | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Netflix is crushing its competitors when it comes to "churn." Starz has the worst churn rate, according to Antenna data shared with BI; Netflix has the best. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Persons: —, They're Organizations: Netflix, Starz, BI, Service, Business

☆ Corporate America's loyalty problem is on display in Big Tech
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

In today's big story, we're looking at how there's no more loyalty in corporate America between employers and their workers. Business Insider's Aki Ito, who has covered workplace trends better than anyone, dove into the deterioration of loyalty in corporate America. The best example of the deterioration of loyalty in corporate America these days is in Big Tech. AdvertisementOne year later, Big Tech's layoffs are back and could become the new normal, Business Insider's Peter Kafka writes. However, the best representation of the growing employee-employer chasm in Big Tech is at Google.

Persons: —, hustleharder, Insider's Aki Ito, they're, Insider's Peter Kafka, Kali Hays, BI's Eugene Kim, Ashley Stewart, Long, Sundar Pichai, BI's Hasan Chowdhury, Brian Moynihan, Moynihan, Laura Labovich, Asher, Emerson, Bill O'Leary, there's, Frederic J . Brown, haven't, Christian Dior, Dan DeFrancesco, Diamond Naga Siu, Hallam Bullock, Jordan Parker Erb Organizations: Service, Big, Workers, Amazon MGM Studios, Big Tech, Google, OsakaWayne, Investment, New, Bank of America's, Fed, Washington, Getty, Meta, OpenAI Mafia, Shoppers, Spotify, Couture, United Airlines, The, Business Locations: America, Big Tech, Big, Bethesda, That's, Paris, New York, San Diego, London

☆ RIP Sports Illustrated. And RIP, magazines.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Peter Kafka | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewSports Illustrated used to be an American cultural touchstone. And sad for a certain kind of media person — like me — who remembers when Sports Illustrated was Really Important. AdvertisementFor people who don't remember that era: In a pre-internet world, Sports Illustrated was many things. In recent years, you were much more likely to read about a scandal or stupid controversy at Sports Illustrated than you were to actually read Sports Illustrated. So feel free to pour one out for Sports Illustrated — both the idea and the actual place where people worked.

Persons: —, John Steinbeck, William Faulkner, Don DeLillo, Gilbert Carrasquillo, who've, it's, Condé Nast, Steve Jobs, DotDash Meredith, Conde Organizations: Service, Sports Illustrated, Business, Authentic Brands, Group, Brands, Sports, Inc, Vogue, Apple, Pitchfork, Google, Facebook Locations: American

☆ Can you watch porn on an Apple Vision Pro? Yes and no.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Peter Kafka | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Apple's Vision Pro goes on sale today. You can still watch porn on a Vision Pro via a web browser. I've asked Apple PR to confirm that the guidelines will extend to apps made specifically for the Vision Pro. (This is why the fact that neither Netflix nor YouTube are making Vision Pro apps is not a big deal — if you want to watch Netflix or YouTube on a Vision Pro, you can do it on a browser). But don't expect to see porn that fully exploits the capabilities of the Vision Pro anytime soon.

Persons: —, Apple, Steve Jobs, Tim Cook, Jobs, I've, it's Organizations: Vision, Service, Apple, Netflix, YouTube

☆ Streaming music is a brutal business. Just ask Spotify.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Peter Kafka | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

But streaming music is a really, really hard business to make money in. That's why Spotify has spent so much time and money trying to do things beyond streaming music. These are some of the ventures Spotify has bet on to expand beyond its core business — selling streaming music subscriptions. But the main takeaway you ought to get from reading about Spotify's attempt to do something beyond selling music subscriptions is this one: Spotify really, really wants to do stuff beyond selling music subscriptions. AdvertisementBecause just selling music subscriptions is a really hard business.

Persons: —, they're Organizations: Spotify, Service, Comedy Central, ESPN, Netflix, Microsoft, Apple, Google, Sony, Warner, Merlin

☆ Why constant job cuts could be the new normal for Big Tech
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Peter Kafka | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. A shorter, plain-English version might look like this: "We're a really big company that makes a lot of money and Wall Street wants us to make more. And if that's happening at Google — a company worth close to two trillion dollars — you can expect to see it at other Big Tech companies, too. All of the biggest tech companies would like to have something shiny and new to show off to investors — another growth story. But in any case: Absent a truly breakthrough product, Big Tech is going to look like any other big, established industry — one that periodically lays off workers.

Persons: —, What's, Sundar Pichai, it's, Meta, that's, they're Organizations: Service, Business, Google, Wall, Big Tech, Tech

☆ Why a Supreme Court decision means Apple's App Store is as powerful — and profitable — as ever
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Peter Kafka | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewIf you were scanning headlines yesterday you might have seen something about the Supreme Court forcing Apple to open up its powerful App Store. What yesterday's court decision — and, crucially Apple's response to the decision — means is that Apple's control over its powerful and very profitable App Store remains 100% intact. In 2020, Epic argued that Apple's control of its App Store — and, crucially, the way developers like Epic had to use Apple's App Store to sell "in-app" items like power-ups and other digital goods — was a monopoly. Apple's App Store prints money. In 2021, a US judge announced that games represent 70% of Apple's App Store topline.

Persons: —, Apple, Tim Sweeney, Fortnite — Organizations: Service, Apple, Business, Epic Games, Epic, Big Tech, Meta, Google, European Union, Spotify Locations: EU

☆ Was the NFL's first streaming playoff game a success? We still don't know.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Peter Kafka | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewMost people who wanted to watch the Dolphins-Chiefs playoff game this past weekend had to do so by paying for Peacock, NBCUniversal's streaming service. On Sunday, NBC said the streaming game was a success: Depending on how they measured it, the network said the game averaged an audience of 23 million to 26 million viewers. But we won't really know if the game was a success for NBC until it announces the most important metric: How many people paid for Peacock so they could watch the game? Before Saturday's game, NBCUniversal's parent company, Comcast, had said Peacock had 30 million paid subscribers. But that number will almost certainly determine whether NBC or any other service pays up for a streaming-only playoff game next year.

Persons: —, Peacock, Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce —, NBC hasn't Organizations: Service, Dolphins, Chiefs, NFL, Business, NBC, Travis Kelce — NBC, Comcast Locations: Miami, Kansas City, Paris

☆ Chiefs-Dolphins playoff game on Peacock is a big test for streaming: Will people actually pay?
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-12 | by ( Peter Kafka | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

You won't see this weekend's Kansas City Chiefs-Miami Dolphins NFL playoff game on broadcast TV. It's a big change — and a test for Comcast: How many people will actually subscribe to a streamer to watch the NFL? AdvertisementThat's because last year, NBCUniversal paid the NFL $110 million for the rights to a streaming-only playoff game. (One exception: In 2015, cable channel ESPN aired a single playoff game.) At a press call with reporters earlier this week, NFL distribution executive Hans Schroeder wouldn't commit to whether the league would do more streaming-only playoff games next year: "This is a deal for this year, but it's an NFL playoff game.

Persons: — Peacock, It's, —, Taylor Swift, NBCUniversal, hasn't, Peacock, Hans Schroeder wouldn't Organizations: Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins NFL, Comcast, Service, Miami Dolphins, NFL, Business, ESPN, Kansas City, NBC Locations: America, Kansas, Miami

☆ Aaron Rodgers' ESPN ban lasted a full day
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-11 | by ( Peter Kafka | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewRemember when the Aaron Rodgers/Pat McAfee/Jimmy Kimmel situation was resolved because Rodgers was no longer going to be on ESPN? Thursday, the NFL quarterback was back on McAfee's ESPN show, commenting on Patriots coach Bill Belichick's departure . But that doesn't really matter. And for a day, at least, that's working out for McAfee and Disney, since Rodgers didn't use his TV time to attack another Disney star. The unanswered question: What happens if Rodgers — or anyone else McAfee books — causes problems for Disney again?

Persons: —, Aaron Rodgers, Pat McAfee, Jimmy Kimmel, Rodgers, Bill Belichick's, McAfee, Disney, Kimmel, Bob Iger, it's, he'll, We've Organizations: Service, ESPN, NFL, Patriots, ABC, Disney, Business, McAfee, Rodgers, Big Time

☆ Disney's Bob Iger needed a win. Pat McAfee just gave him one.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-10 | by ( Peter Kafka | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Disney's Bob Iger got out of a jam with two of his biggest stars: Jimmy Kimmel and Pat McAfee. AdvertisementThere aren't a lot of media moguls who could get out of a jam involving two of their biggest stars and accusations of pedophilia. It's unclear when McAfee intends to bring Rodgers back or if he ever will; ESPN reps declined to comment. One of the reasons is that while Disney and ESPN are reported to be paying McAfee $85 million over five years to bring his daily talk show to ESPN, McAfee isn't a Disney employee. And certainly not one about one of ESPN's biggest stars, who's supposed to represent its path to the future.

Persons: Bob Iger, Jimmy Kimmel, Pat McAfee, ABC's Kimmel, ESPN's McAfee, Iger, —, Pat McAfee —, Aaron Rodgers, Jeffrey Epstein, Epstein, Kimmel, Rodgers, McAfee, Pat McAfee's, Randy Holmes, strafe Kimmel, who's Organizations: Disney, Service, ABC, ESPN, NFL, DR, Wednesday, Super, Pat McAfee's ESPN, ESPN It's, McAfee, Iger, Marvel, — Locations: —

☆ Another Billionaire Finds It's Hard to Run a Newspaper
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-09 | by ( Peter Kafka | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Another billionaire is having a hard time with his newspaper. That's because the LA Times is owned by billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong, and it is losing money; even though Soon-Shiong is a billionaire, even billionaires have limits. Asked for comment, an LA Times spokesperson said that company leaders "don't generally make forward-looking statements about staffing levels and aren't able to comment further at this time." In 2021, The Wall Street Journal reported that Soon-Shiong was considering selling the LA Times itself , but Soon-Shiong said that was not the case. Last fall, for instance, The Washington Post — owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos — one of the richest men in the world — underwent giant staff cuts .

Persons: Patrick Soon, Jeff Bezos's Washington, Warren Buffett, —, Kevin Merida, Patrick, Shiong Axelle, Bauer, Griffin, It's, Shiong, doesn't, Jeff Bezos —, Warren Buffett — Organizations: Los Angeles Times, Jeff Bezos's Washington Post, Service, LA Times, LA, San Diego Union, Tribune, Street Journal, Washington Post, Amazon, Omaha, Alden Global Capital Locations: Merida, San Diego, Berkshire

☆ Republicans Tap Israeli Military Veteran to Run for Santos’s Seat
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-14 | by ( Nicholas Fandos | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Republicans battling to hold onto the New York House seat vacated by George Santos chose on Thursday another relatively unknown candidate with a remarkable biography but a thin political résumé to run in a special election next year. It was a bold gamble by Long Island Republicans, a group better known for nominating older, white establishment figures. Republicans believe Ms. Pilip, a 44-year-old mother of seven, has the potential to become a breakout star before the Feb. 13 special election, particularly at a moment when Israel’s war with Hamas is reordering American politics. “She is the American success story,” said Peter King, a former New York Republican congressman involved in the nomination. She walks into the room, people notice her, they listen to her.”

Persons: George Santos, Mazi, Pilip, ”, Peter King Organizations: New, New York House, Israel Defense Forces, Long Island Republicans, New York Republican Locations: New York, Ethiopia, American

☆ Orchid tests embryos for genetic diseases. It just raised $12 million with this 11-slide pitch deck.
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Riddhi Kanetkar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Orchid, a startup that tests embryos for genetic diseases, has just raised $12 million. "The way that IVF and embryo screening works today is the amount of information available is really limited," Orchid CEO and cofounder Noor Siddiqui said. Genetic testing has been around for years, but it has been usually limited in the diseases it can identify, which include cystic fibrosis, Bloomberg reported. Orchid produces reports with two types of genetic testing: monogenic and polygenic. The cost of the test depends on the number of embryos that Orchid tests.

Persons: Noor Siddiqui, Siddiqui, Orchid, Dylan, Anne Wojcicki, Fidji Simo, Peter Kraft Organizations: Business, Bloomberg, Prometheus Fund, Starbloom Capital, One Ventures, Los Angeles Times Locations: San Francisco, Pebblebed

☆ Clean energy stocks have fallen out of favor. They face more challenges ahead
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Plug Power shares have slipped 63% this year, Enphase Energy shares have plunged 60%, SolarEdge Technologies shares have declined 71% and NextEra Energy shares have slid 29%. Yet clean energy stocks haven’t recovered, despite hopes that an influx of US government spending on climate solutions would help revive the sector. The culprit behind clean energy stocks’ poor returns? Krull sees the current rut in clean energy stocks as a buying opportunity for investors. Clean energy stocks also aren’t the only way investors are putting their cash to work with a sustainability mindset.

Persons: Biden, Todd Jones, Jean Rosenbaum, Andrew Poreda, That’s, Peter Krull, Krull, ” Krull Organizations: New, New York CNN, Clean Energy, Enphase Energy, SolarEdge Technologies, NextEra Energy, Bank of America, Federal Reserve, Gratus Capital, Sage Advisory, Earth Equity Advisors, Nvidia Locations: New York, Paris

☆ More than 700 flights cancelled as Munich sees heavy snowfall
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Benjamin Brown | Sophie Tanno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Around 760 flights were canceled at Munich Airport on Saturday due to heavy snowfall, an airport spokesperson told CNN. Buses, trams, and some train services in Munich were also suspended due to the snow, according to Munich’s public transport company. Munich’s central train station was closed for arrivals, while long-distance services have been suspended entirely, according to Germany’s national railway company Deutsche Bahn. Germany’s regional Süddeutsche Zeitung reported that huge numbers of travellers have been left stranded at Munich’s main station. Bavarian public broadcaster Bayerischer Rundfunk on Saturday reported that the 44 centimetres of snow in Munich was the most snowfall ever recorded in December in the Bavarian state capital since records began in 1933.

Persons: I’ve, “, there’s, Peter Kneffel Organizations: CNN, Munich Airport, Deutsche Bahn . Deutsche Bahn, Zeitung, Getty, Police, Saturday, Bayern Munich, Union Berlin, Bayerischer Rundfunk Locations: Munich, Bavaria, Union, Bavarian

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