Netflix lookahead: What to expect from the streaming giant’s earnings April 20, 2021 Netflix is leading the charge in a busy schedule of US earnings today, reporting first-quarter figures after the bell. The Silicon Valley streaming giant, which now has more than 200m subscribers, has cashed in on higher demand for at-home entertainment during the pandemic. With most lockdown measures still in place in the first three months [...]
Joining the Clubhouse: Facebook launches push into booming audio market April 19, 2021 Facebook has today announced a three-pronged push into the audio market after in year in which demand for platforms such as Clubhouse has boomed. The social media giant said it would build a new set of audio creation features in order to support people using the site to make their own content. The first of [...]
Kantar ‘closes in’ on $1.5bn deal for US data rival Numerator April 19, 2021 Kantar is said to be nearing a $1.5bn (£1bn) deal to buy US rival Numerator from buyout fund Vista Equity Partners. The deal, which is expected to be announced imminently, will see Kantar take full control over the Chicago-based market intelligence provider, Reuters reported. Numerator, which was taken over by Vista in 2017, provides market [...]
Online safety bill risks being ‘as shallow as a puddle’, warns campaigner April 15, 2021 In the recently published Integrated Review, a detailed policy document setting out the UK’s national security and international policies, the government identifies online harms as one of the most serious threats to our way of life. The report highlights the government’s commitment to ‘promote a free, open, peaceful and secure cyberspace’. However, it does not reflect the [...]
Live events: UK to launch pilot insurance scheme as part of sport and culture reopening April 14, 2021 Live events: UK to launch pilot insurance scheme as part of sport and culture reopening
Audioboom books first profit as podcast downloads grow April 14, 2021 Podcast platform Audioboom has booked its first ever profit for the first quarter after cashing in on continued growth in on-demand audio. The Aim-listed firm posted adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation of $30,000 (£22,000) in the first three months of the year, up from a $500,000 loss the previous year. The maiden [...]
Watch: Mick Jagger and Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl come out of lockdown with new song ‘Eazy Sleazy’ April 13, 2021 Mick Jagger today surprised his fans by releasing a new track titled ‘Eazy Sleazy.’ The tune, written by Jagger in lockdown, features Jagger on vocals and guitar in collaboration with Foo Fighters main man Dave Grohl. Watch the video here: Jagger said today: “It’s a song that I wrote about coming out of lockdown, with [...]
UK must make tech firms pay for news, says competition watchdog April 13, 2021 The UK must introduce a new code to ensure news publishers are fairly compensated for the use of their stories on tech platforms, the competition watchdog has said. Daniel Gordon, senior director of markets at the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), said his organisation agreed with the principles behind a new Australian law requiring tech [...]
Facebook News enters local news market in UK April 13, 2021 Facebook News is adding a local news section designed to give more prominence to regional stories as well as those from national publications. The social network’s news section launched in the UK earlier this year as a dedicated space for news articles on the site. Facebook pays publishers for their content, which is shown in [...]
Former culture minister Ed Vaizey ‘in the running’ for Ofcom chair role April 12, 2021 Former culture minister Ed Vaizey is said to be under consideration for a shortlist of candidates to chair media regulator Ofcom. Officials and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) will this week start finalising the list of applicants for the position ahead of final interviews later this month, Bloomberg reported. However, it [...]