The hottest Streaming Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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The end of the live streamer mega deals

Simon Owens's Media Newsletter • 399 implied HN points • 10 Jan 25
💼 Business Streaming
  1. Many livestreamers who signed huge contracts with platforms like YouTube and Mixer are now returning to Twitch as their contracts end. It shows a shift back to where they started, highlighting the unpredictable nature of streaming deals.
  2. Podcasts, especially video podcasts, are growing in value and popularity. They offer creators a chance to reach more people and compete better with big media, but they still aren't fully recognized by traditional media companies.
  3. Apple TV+ is cleverly marketing its shows by giving away earlier seasons for free on platforms like Roku. This approach can attract new subscribers and create buzz for upcoming seasons, but not all streaming services are doing this.

Which PC genres convert pre-launch interest the best?

The GameDiscoverCo newsletter • 294 implied HN points • 15 May 23
🕹 Technology Streaming
  1. Consider that the best-converting PC genre tag is 'Escape Room', but creating these games may pose challenges like online co-op mechanics.
  2. While 'Sports' is another well-converting genre, success in niche games might not guarantee significant financial results.
  3. Cloud gaming competition concerns arise as Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard is cleared by the EU, with conditions, amid regulatory scrutiny.

Embrace the content grind

Simon Owens's Media Newsletter • 349 implied HN points • 05 Feb 25
💼 Business Streaming
  1. Consistency is key for creators. It's important to keep creating and improving, even when you don't see immediate results.
  2. YouTube is becoming more dominant in content creation due to its strong revenue sharing model, making it hard for other platforms to compete for talent.
  3. Tubi’s strategy of offering free content while avoiding expensive originals is smart. It focuses on generating ad revenue without needing big-budget shows.
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How Hollywood streamers should work with YouTubers

Simon Owens's Media Newsletter • 324 implied HN points • 31 Jan 25
💼 Business Streaming
  1. Hollywood streamers are looking to collaborate more with popular YouTubers, especially for unscripted projects. They might save money by licensing existing creators' content rather than creating new shows.
  2. Facebook groups are filling the gap left by local newspapers, providing communities with news and updates. However, these groups might lack the accuracy and depth of professional journalism.
  3. TikTok, especially BookTok, is driving more people to visit physical bookstores like Barnes & Noble. It's interesting how the platform encourages in-person shopping instead of just online sales.

Why Spotify is struggling to copy YouTube's playbook

Simon Owens's Media Newsletter • 424 implied HN points • 15 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Streaming
  1. Spotify wants to be like YouTube by creating more video podcasts, but it's facing challenges. Many podcasts are hosted on different platforms, which makes it hard for Spotify to control everything.
  2. YouTube grew its ad business by having both video hosting and distribution. Spotify is trying to bring podcasters to its own platform, but many are reluctant to let one company have so much power.
  3. The shift in how Google ranks websites is affecting smaller publishers a lot. Many are losing traffic because the new updates target what Google considers 'low quality' sites.

Inside Netflix’s $82.7 Billion Gamble: How Ted Sarandos Outmaneuvered Hollywood for Warner Bros. Discovery

Huddle Up • 26 implied HN points • 08 Dec 25
💼 Business Streaming
  1. Netflix is buying Warner Bros. Discovery for $82.7 billion, winning a bidding war and gaining major franchises plus HBO Max’s roughly 130 million subscribers. This would make Netflix far larger than any streaming rival.
  2. Industry concerns are that the merger could shorten theatrical release windows, hurt movie theaters, and weaken terms for many actors, writers, and production staff, making it a clear antitrust flashpoint.
  3. Netflix plans to pursue a legal strategy to win DOJ approval and believes the deal’s economics still work even if regulators push back or try to block the merger.

Getting started with live video

Substack • 446 implied HN points • 11 Oct 24
🕹 Technology Streaming
  1. Live video is a great way to connect with subscribers in real time. You can share special moments or hold conversations to reach more people.
  2. Promote your live sessions ahead of time to build excitement, and after the session, share highlights on social media to engage a wider audience.
  3. Consistency is key. The more often you go live, the better chance you have to grow your audience and strengthen your relationship with subscribers.

When will the sports media bubble pop?

Simon Owens's Media Newsletter • 274 implied HN points • 21 Jan 25
🎾 Sports Streaming
  1. The sports media market is becoming really expensive for fans because cable bundles that used to help pay for sports are fading away. Many believe this bubble will burst, leading leagues to lower their prices and possibly stream games themselves.
  2. There's a growing niche in media, with some focused newsletters and channels doing well by targeting very specific interests. This shift shows that unique, dedicated content can attract a loyal audience.
  3. For media companies, it’s essential to focus on both new material and evergreen content. By promoting older content, businesses can keep viewers engaged and drive more traffic.

Fox Fake News

Diane Francis • 399 implied HN points • 13 Mar 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Streaming
  1. Television news in the U.S. is struggling because it's losing advertising money from live sports.
  2. As more sports move to streaming services, traditional networks won't have the revenue they used to rely on.
  3. Big defamation lawsuits are also speeding up the problems for TV news networks.

Falling Asleep with the TV On

Kneeling Bus • 264 implied HN points • 24 Jan 25
🎭️ Culture Streaming
  1. TV often has small moments that stick with us but might never be found again. These moments can shape our memories even if they seem unimportant.
  2. Norm Macdonald showed how viewers might not actually be watching shows, making their success numbers look inflated. This makes it hard to trust viewer ratings.
  3. Platforms like Netflix gain more from having lots of content rather than focusing on individual shows or movies. This means many films just get lost in the shuffle and are easy to forget.

Quick Media Update

The Sleepwell Strategy • 176 implied HN points • 02 Jun 23
🎶 Music Streaming
  1. Joined Chit Chat Money Podcast to discuss State of the Music Industry
  2. Talked about streaming royalties, independent artist experience, labels, streaming platforms, and AI
  3. Expressed gratitude for support and growth of over 5,000 subscribers

Another cable news star goes the independent route

Simon Owens's Media Newsletter • 249 implied HN points • 12 Nov 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Streaming
  1. More cable news stars are leaving traditional networks to start their own independent projects, like podcasts and video channels. This shows a trend toward building direct connections with audiences.
  2. Companies like CNN are facing challenges as they try to shift their focus from linear TV to digital platforms. They have a big advantage with a large news-gathering team, but changing the company culture will be tough.
  3. Media outlets are seeing a spike in subscriptions whenever notable political events happen, like elections. Publications are trying to leverage these moments, hoping for increased support similar to past trends.

Video on Substack gets a major upgrade

Substack Blog • 640 implied HN points • 29 Nov 23
🕹 Technology Streaming
  1. Substack now offers enhanced tools for publishing and monetizing video content.
  2. Creators can now publish video podcasts directly on Substack with flexible paywalls.
  3. Viewers on all platforms can enjoy a better viewing experience and share custom clips from videos.

21 Questions for the Second Half of 2023

Next in Media • 137 implied HN points • 30 Jun 23
💼 Business Streaming
  1. The post discusses 21 questions for the second half of 2023, covering topics like Google's fate, AI reality, and media mergers.
  2. There was talk about a programming initiative at Cannes, and the author shared podcasts from the event.
  3. Readers are encouraged to subscribe to Next in Media for more articles and a 7-day free trial.

The long, slow death of the TV schedule

How To Measure Ghosts • 117 implied HN points • 19 Sep 23
🕹 Technology Streaming
  1. Linear scheduled TV viewing is declining, with younger audiences preferring streaming over traditional TV channels.
  2. Traditional TV business models are facing challenges and potential changes, like rebundling and collaborations among broadcasters.
  3. PSBs are adapting to the shift towards streaming by implementing new services, like Freely, to maintain relevance and audience attention.

The Chair Company (2025)

The Author Is Dumb • 3 implied HN points • 03 Feb 26
🎭️ Culture Streaming
  1. Tim Robinson essentially plays a familiar, narrow-range persona and the show drops that character into a 1970s-style conspiracy thriller, making the premise feel original and intentionally strange.
  2. The series mixes anti-comedy and thriller elements in a Lynchian way, so moments can be either hilariously brilliant or gratingly awkward, with occasional real vulnerability that lands powerfully.
  3. The show is polarizing: devoted fans defend it fiercely while many critics find it baffling or unfunny, which highlights the gap between personal taste and professional review.

The End of Albums

Litverse • 99 implied HN points • 27 Oct 23
🎶 Music Streaming
  1. Listening habits have shifted, with fewer people now preferring to listen to full albums over playlists or individual songs.
  2. The creation of albums still holds value for artists, allowing them to craft a coherent and immersive experience for listeners through thematic storytelling and musical flow.
  3. Music consumption has evolved, with listeners seeking control and customization through playlists, but albums remain a unique way for artists to share their stories and emotions in a structured format.

1/23/2024: Netflix Earnings Beat Expectations

depression2022 • 58 implied HN points • 24 Jan 24
💼 Business Streaming
  1. Netflix earnings beat expectations: Revenue and subscriber growth exceeded predictions.
  2. Netflix's efforts to combat account sharing and increase subscription fees have proven successful in boosting profits.
  3. Netflix making strategic investments, such as acquiring exclusive rights to WWE's Raw, to expand its content offerings and enhance growth.

A definitive catalogue of modern rom-coms

Teniade Topics • 98 implied HN points • 14 Feb 23
🎭️ Culture Streaming
  1. Rom-coms have evolved over the years, ranging from cozy and deeply melancholy to more sophisticated and grown-up vibes.
  2. Actresses like Julia Roberts brought a flirtatious and sexy twist to rom-coms, subverting traditional genre norms.
  3. Different eras in rom-coms, from the '90s to the present, showcase the evolving styles and themes of these movies.

Why is this Michael Keaton thriller Censored on Amazon?

Textual Variations • 165 implied HN points • 29 Oct 24
🎭️ Culture Streaming
  1. The movie 'Pacific Heights' has a censored version on Amazon that blurs nudity and mutes swear words. This makes it feel funny and odd, affecting the film's serious tone.
  2. It's unclear who decided to censor the film, but it likely wasn't Amazon itself. The owners may have done it to attract more viewers or advertisers.
  3. With more streaming platforms introducing ads, there are concerns that censorship could become more common. People expect to see the full version of films and should be informed if it's edited.

A Pyramid of Inequality

Dada Drummer Almanach • 327 implied HN points • 16 Jan 24
🎶 Music Streaming
  1. The majority of tracks on music streaming platforms receive little to no streams, affecting artist royalties.
  2. Even popular tracks earn very little from streaming platforms due to low royalty rates.
  3. A more equitable distribution of streaming revenue is needed to support working musicians.

Hacking Hacker News

Bytewax • 39 implied HN points • 25 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Streaming
  1. Combining Bytewax, Proton, and Grafana can create a customizable dashboard for personalized Hacker News stories
  2. Bytewax simplifies processing streaming data and allows for custom input connectors
  3. Proton, built on ClickHouse, provides a SQL engine for fast data processing and seamless integration with Grafana

1,000 Streams or Bust

Dada Drummer Almanach • 336 implied HN points • 07 Nov 23
🎶 Music Streaming
  1. Spotify plans to stop paying royalties for tracks with less than 1,000 streams a year.
  2. This change may widen the gap between successful and struggling artists.
  3. Musicians' voices are crucial in shaping the future of streaming platforms.

Bilibili - The Story Mode So Far

Tech Buzz China Insider • 59 implied HN points • 08 Jul 23
🕹 Technology Streaming
  1. Bilibili struggles to turn a profit and has seen a decline in Monthly Active Users for two quarters
  2. Bilibili's growth strategy is multi-screen, with Story Mode as a new feature focusing on high-quality long-form video content
  3. Bilibili aims to differentiate from competitors like Douyin, focusing on long-form videos and performance-based advertising

This is a Netflix world, and we are all living in it. Part #1

Philoinvestor • 58 implied HN points • 16 Sep 23
💼 Business Streaming
  1. Netflix has seen significant gains while Legacy Media companies like Disney, Warner Bros Discovery, and Paramount have faced declines.
  2. Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) pivot has been challenging for Legacy Media companies due to lack of scale and high losses.
  3. Big Tech companies like Apple, Amazon, and Google have disrupted the media space with their robust distribution networks and significant resources.

The Unclassifiable, Unstreamable Eighties Albums of Annette Peacock

Dada Drummer Almanach • 86 implied HN points • 24 Dec 24
🎶 Music Streaming
  1. Annette Peacock's albums from the eighties aren't available on streaming services or in print. It's hard to find her music today.
  2. Peacock is seen as a rock star due to her unique style and background, but she struggles with self-confidence. She believes bravery and confidence are different traits.
  3. Despite her struggles, Peacock has had an intriguing career with many twists, showing her brave nature in the music industry.