March 28, 2024

Web and Technology News

After a 29-year run, Vice files for bankruptcy

Vice was valued at $5.7 billion just six years ago, eyeing a potential IPO. Now, the trendsetting media company has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The company’s lenders — Fortress Investment Group, Soros Fund Management and Monroe Capital — have agreed to purchase the company for $225 million. That’s only about 4% of the company’s […]

After a 29-year run, Vice files for bankruptcy by Amanda Silberling originally published on TechCrunch

SiriusXM acquires Conan O’Brien’s Team Coco podcast company for $150 million

SiriusXM Holdings, Inc. announced the acquisition of Team Coco today, the Conan O’Brien-led podcast network and digital media business. The $150 million deal (valuation first reported by The Wall Street Journal) will see the former NBC and TBS late-night host’s interview podcast “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend,” along with ten other podcasts such as “Inside […]

Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment acquires Redbox for $375M to accelerate its streaming business

Crackle owner Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, an ad-supported video-on-demand streaming company, acquired Redbox Entertainment, the operator of 38,000 DVD rental kiosks, for $375 million, comprised of $50 million in Chicken Soup stock and the assumption of $325 million in Redbox’s debt. The company is betting on Redbox’s streaming offering to propel it forward […]

Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment acquires Redbox for $375M to accelerate its streaming business

Crackle owner Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, an ad-supported video-on-demand streaming company, acquired Redbox Entertainment, the operator of 38,000 DVD rental kiosks, for $375 million, comprised of $50 million in Chicken Soup stock and the assumption of $325 million in Redbox’s debt. The company is betting on Redbox’s streaming offering to propel it forward […]

China further limits access to unauthorized foreign games

For years, China has left a loophole open for people to access unauthorized video games, but it’s ready to close it. Many foreign titles lack a Chinese publishing partner like Tencent to help them obtain the government-issued license needed to operate in the country, so players normally rely on an “accelerator” to reduce delays of […]

Substack wants to join the podcast monetization fray

Uploading paywalled audio on Substack isn’t new, but the newsletter platform is re-upping its attempt to woo podcasters into using its service. Substack posted two blog posts today urging creators to make podcasts on Substack. Like a newsletter, they can charge subscribers for access, so long as they are willing to part with a 10% […]

Talenthouse flotation finally reveals a $40M exit for EyeEm, Europe’s almost-Instagram

Talenthouse AG has made a name for itself as an aggregator of content creators, which is then commissioned by brands for their own social media channels. Brands just can’t seem to come up with the same kind of authenticity, so they farm it out in this manner. But business is going well, so Talenthouse is […]

YouTube to stream free, ad-supported TV shows for the first time

YouTube today announced it will for the first time stream free, ad-supported TV shows — a move that puts in into more direct competition with the growing number of free streaming services on the market, including Tubi, Pluto TV, The Roku Channel, IMDb TV, Xumo, Plex, and NBCU’s Peacock. The company said it will initially […]

YouTube to stream free, ad-supported TV shows for the first time

YouTube today announced it will for the first time stream free, ad-supported TV shows — a move that puts in into more direct competition with the growing number of free streaming services on the market, including Tubi, Pluto TV, The Roku Channel, IMDb TV, Xumo, Plex, and NBCU’s Peacock. The company said it will initially […]

New Twitch appeals portal lets users monitor and object to account bans

Twitch is updating its appeals and reporting processes, following through on product updates the company promised late last year. The biggest change is the introduction of a new portal where users facing account suspensions can appeal those rulings and monitor the progress of their requests. While Twitch deals with its fair share of users with […]

New Twitch appeals portal lets users monitor and object to account bans

Twitch is updating its appeals and reporting processes, following through on product updates the company promised late last year. The biggest change is the introduction of a new portal where users facing account suspensions can appeal those rulings and monitor the progress of their requests. While Twitch deals with its fair share of users with […]

Flickr is paywalling the ability to upload NSFW photos

Flickr isn’t very good at making money, but as the old adage goes, sex sells. So, in an attempt to draw in more paying subscribers, Flickr changed its content guidelines to only allow Flickr Pro users to post “restricted” or “moderate” content, which includes photos of “full-frontal nudity and sexual acts.”  Honestly, it’s not a […]

Pandemic and ‘revenge travel’ helps power Heygo to a $20M Series A funding round

During the worst throes of the COVID-19 pandemic, very few people could travel. Meanwhile, both 2021 and 2022 were predicted to be the years of “revenge travel” where people would do a great deal more. Or at least plan more. In the background was a site that allowed people to travel virtually, either out of […]

Pandemic and ‘revenge travel’ helps power Heygo to a $20M Series A funding round

During the worst throes of the COVID-19 pandemic, very few people could travel. Meanwhile, both 2021 and 2022 were predicted to be the years of “revenge travel” where people would do a great deal more. Or at least plan more. In the background was a site that allowed people to travel virtually, either out of […]

The Spotify-Rogan saga highlights the distinction between publishers and platforms

As our Equity podcast recently asked, “how many times must Spotify step on a rake?” The streaming service is learning the hard way that it’s counterintuitive to act as both a platform and a publisher — now, in trying to reassert its status as a platform, it’s acting even more like a publisher. Back in […]

Dolby acquires low-latency streaming platform Millicast

Dolby Laboratories today announced that it has acquired Millicast, a WebRTC-based developer platform for building ultra-low-latency video streaming experiences, as it works to build out its developer platform. The promise of Millicast, which was founded in 2018, is that it can deliver content across the globe in broadcast quality and with sub-second latency. The company […]