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The Sudden Rise of Twitch Rival Kick

By Kaya Yurieff · May 25, 2023 2:12 PM PDT

A new livestreaming service called Kick has been attracting streamers with a revenue-split that lets creators keep 95% of their subscription revenue, a more generous deal than the 50% split they get from streaming site Twitch. A new report Thursday shows just how successful that perk has been. Hours watched on Kick climbed to 51.8... A new livestreaming service called Kick has been attracting streamers with a revenue-split that...

Art by Clark Miller.

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While Hollywood Writers Fret About AI, Visual Effects Workers Welcome It

By Scott Alan Lucas · May 20, 2023 6:00 AM PDT · 7 comments

Is there anybody here who is afraid of AI taking their job?” Visual effects veteran James Blevins, whose credits include “The Mandalorian,” “Icarus,” “Air Force One” and “Space Jam,” was speaking last Wednesday to a crowd of several hundred people at the Hollywood offices of FYI, the... Is there anybody here who is afraid of AI taking their job?” Visual effects veteran James...

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Media Versus Time

By Jessica E. Lessin · Aug. 31, 2022 5:00 PM PDT · 2 comments

Beneath the news of Snap’s massive layoff and cutbacks is a far bigger story that’s well worth paying attention to: The mania around original short-video programming is officially over. Let’s not forget one big nail in that coffin: Quibi, of course, which raised some $1.75 billion against the thesis that people wanted to watch "Game of... Beneath the news of Snap’s massive layoff and cutbacks is a far bigger story that’s well worth...

Alex Hofmann, former North America president of Musical.ly, is now CEO of startup 9count. Photo: Alex Hofmann

Former Musical.ly President on Where TikTok Is Going Next

By Kaya Yurieff · July 25, 2022 2:00 PM PDT

Alex Hofmann, former North America president of Musical.ly, is now CEO of startup 9count. Photo: Alex Hofmann

Creator Economy

Former Musical.ly President on Where TikTok Is Going Next

By Kaya Yurieff · July 25, 2022 2:00 PM PDT

In the early days of Musical.ly, leadership had frequent debates about whether to base the app on social relationships or on an “interest graph,” making it entertainment-focused, said Alex Hofmann, former North America president of Musical.ly, in an interview.Hofmann, who left Musical.ly a few months after ByteDance acquired the company in late... In the early days of Musical.ly, leadership had frequent debates about whether to base the app on...

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In Cannes This Week? Don’t Mention the R Word

By Mark Di Stefano · June 22, 2022 5:00 PM PDT · 1 comment

Having trouble reaching someone in the advertising or marketing worlds this week? They’re most likely living it up in the South of France. Yes, after two years on hiatus due to Covid-19, the annual Cannes ad festival is back on. And attendees are out in force, looking to make up for lost party time. Just don’t mention the r-word (yes,... Having trouble reaching someone in the advertising or marketing worlds this week? They’re most...

Vox CEO Jim Bankoff. Photo by Bloomberg.

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Why Vox and Group Nine Shouldn’t Celebrate Their Merger

By Martin Peers · Dec. 13, 2021 5:00 PM PST

Digital media firms should go into the lemonade business, given how good they are at turning the lemons their businesses represent into their liquid versions. Today, for instance, we got news that Vox Media and Group Nine Media are in “advanced” talks to merge. In a note to staff, Vox CEO Jim Bankoff pronounced the deal “one of the most exciting... Digital media firms should go into the lemonade business, given how good they are at turning the...

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