News

Bluesky says it has gained 1M+ users in the week since the US election, mostly in the US, the UK, and Canada, and now has 14.7M users in total (Callie Holtermann/New York Times)

Mediagazer · last updated

Mediagazer: Bluesky says it has gained 1M+ users in the week since the US election, mostly in the US, the UK, and Canada, and now has 14.7M users in total (Callie Holtermann/New York Times)

Top News:

CNN:

President-elect Donald Trump announces he has chosen Fox News host and Army veteran Pete Hegseth to serve as his secretary of defense— President-elect Donald Trump announced Tuesday he has chosen Fox News host Pete Hegseth to serve as his secretary of defense.
Discussion: TVNewsCheck, Mediaite, @ericlevitz, @deggans, @blackknight10k, @thedailyshow, Townhall, Louder With Crowder, The Independent, The Wrap, The Mirror, Washington Examiner, @wdavisx3, Raw Story, The Hill, CBS News, New York Times, Crooks and Liars, emptywheel, @aaron.rupar@threads.net, Breitbart, Breaking Defense, News18, @noahcrothman, @realjeremycarl, WHEC.com, Aviation Week Network, Roll Call, @yashar, The Times of Israel, Washington Post, UPI, @paulrieckhoff@threads.net, Los Angeles Times, Newsbusters, The Korea Herald, Air & Space Forces Magazine, Variety, Forbes, Lawyers, Guns & Money, ZeroHedge News, Defense News, Wall Street Journal, Donald J. Trump on Truth Social, USA Today, @juddlegum.bsky.social, @joyce_white_vance@threads.net, @senwarren@threads.net, @mmfa.bsky.social, NPR, TVLine, @dangillmor@mastodon.social, ABC News, Fox News, al.com, @Tengrain@mastodon.social, Bloomberg, Politico, @donmoyn.bsky.social, @opinionhaver.bsky.social, Reuters, @donmoyn.bsky.social, The Hollywood Reporter, @donmoyn.bsky.social, Axios, New York Post, @pbump.com, @chrislhayes.bsky.social, @bencollins.bsky.social, @chrislhayes.bsky.social, The Daily Caller, HuffPost, Instapundit, The Gateway Pundit, The National Pulse, Rolling Stone, CNBC, Daily Mail, NBC Bay Area, Deadline and IJR, more at Techmeme »

Discussion:

Gene Maddaus /
TVNewsCheck: Trump Taps Elon Musk to ‘Dismantle’ Bureaucracy And Fox Host Pete Hegseth To Lead Pentagon

David Gilmour /
Mediaite: Sam Stein: Trump Is Nominating Cabinet Members Based on Their On Fox News Appearances

Eric Levitz /
@ericlevitz: The incoming Defense Secretary is literally a lobbyist for war criminals [image] @deggans: The president-elect picking a Fox News Channel host as secretary of defense sounds more like a Saturday Night Live sketch than anything which could possibly happen. But it appears to be our new reality: https://www.cnn.com/... @blackknight10k: The newest leader of the U.S. military nearly killing someone with an axe on accident is a metaphor for what the Trump administration is going to do to us all [video]

Matt Vespa /
Townhall: CNN's Scott Jennings Shuts Down the Liberal Whining About Trump's Secretary of Defense Pick

Brodigan /
Louder With Crowder: Scott Jennings gives BLISTERING defense of “Fox News guy” Pete Hegseth being appointed by Trump

James Liddell /
The Independent: Ex-Fox News host slams colleague's appointment to run Pentagon under Trump

Stephanie Kaloi /
The Wrap: Trump Nominates ‘Fox & Friends’ Host Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense

Joe Smith /
The Mirror: Donald Trump puts Fox News host Pete Hesgeth in charge of world's most powerful military

Jamie McIntyre /
Washington Examiner: Trump poised to proceed with promised purge of ‘woke’ Pentagon personnel

Will Davis /
@wdavisx3: THREAD: 1/? True story, @PeteHegseth was the subject of my first ever research book in 2017. I used to have to wake up early every weekend morning to watch Fox and Friends and hang on his every word.

Brad Reed /
Raw Story: 'That's outrageous!' Republican freaks out on CNN over criticism of latest Trump pick

Juliann Ventura /
The Hill: House Democrat ‘very disturbed’ by Hegseth pick as Trump Defense secretary

Aaron Rupar /
@aaron.rupar@threads.net: Pete Hegseth 5 days ago: “I'm straight up just saying we should not have women in combat roles.”

Paul Bois /
Breitbart: Trump Nominates Fox News Host Pete Hegseth for Secretary of Defense: ‘Nobody Fights Harder for the Troops’

Lee Ferran /
Breaking Defense: Trump to nominate Pete Hegseth, Fox News host and Army Guard vet, for defense secretary

Vani Mehrotra /
News18: Who Is Pete Hegseth? Fox News Host, Army Veteran And Now Trump's Pick For Secretary of Defence

Noah Rothman /
@noahcrothman: He's also a Princeton & Harvard grad and a think tanker, briefly. He's got a pedigree and a record that suits him to the role, even though he's also on tv. Given the less desirable alternatives floating around, this is hard to object to.

Jeremy Carl /
@realjeremycarl: More from the Politico piece on Hesgeth. Imagine thinking that it is a BAD THING that defense industry lobbyists don't know who you are. As for an “extensive background in defense”— He has fought in two wars— but that's not the kind of “experience” lobbyists value. [image]

Brian Everstine /
Aviation Week Network: Trump To Nominate Fox Host Hegseth As Defense Secretary

John M. Donnelly /
Roll Call: Trump taps Hegseth, veteran and Fox News host, to head DOD

Yashar Ali /
@yashar: BREAKING President-elect Trump says he intends to nominate Fox News host and former Army combat veteran Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense. [image] The Times of Israel: Trump taps Fox News host who said US must ‘stand by strong ally’ Israel to head Pentagon

Paul Rieckhoff /
@paulrieckhoff@threads.net: I first met Hegseth when he started running Vets for Freedom in 2007. He is a highly effective & ferocious media, culture & political warrior for MAGA. And beyond loyal to & trusted by Trump. I figured Trump would pick probably pick him for Chief of Staff or Press Secretary. …

Stephen Battaglio /
Los Angeles Times: Trump picks Fox News host Pete Hegseth for Defense secretary

Jorge Bonilla /
Newsbusters: CNN's Scott Jennings SCHOOLS Panel Over Hegseth Pick as Secretary of Defense

John Tirpak /
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Hegseth Tapped for Defense Secretary as Trump National Security Team Takes Shape

Gene Maddaus /
Variety: Trump Taps Elon Musk to ‘Dismantle’ Bureaucracy and Fox Host Pete Hegseth to Lead Pentagon

Sara Dorn /
Forbes: Trump's Cabinet: Here Are His Picks For Key Roles—Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, Pete Hegseth And More

Paul Campos /
Lawyers, Guns & Money: The Apprentice — I assume Rob will have something to say about this, but on its surface it seems like some sort of bad joke:

Tyler Durden /
ZeroHedge News: “America's Enemies Are On Notice” - Trump Taps Bronze Star Recipient, Fox News Host Pete Hegseth For SecDef Wall Street Journal: Trump Names Fox News Host Pete Hegseth to Head Pentagon, John Ratcliffe to Lead CIA Donald J. Trump on Truth Social: I am honored to announce that I have nominated Pete Hegseth to serve in my Cabinet as The Secretary of Defense. …

Marina Pitofsky /
USA Today: Trump taps conservative media pundit Pete Hegseth as Defense Secretary

Judd Legum /
@juddlegum.bsky.social: Trump's nominee for Secretary of Defense: “Hegseth's second wife, Samantha, filed for divorce in Minnesota. The divorce filing is dated one month after Hegseth and a Fox News producer who worked on his show named Jennifer Rauchet had a child”

Joyce Vance /
@joyce_white_vance@threads.net: Trump has apparently selected a Fox News host to be Secretary of Defense. Tom Hegseth encouraged Trump to pardon American soldiers convicted of war crimes, including killing innocent civilians during his first term in office. https://www.businessinsider.com/ ...

Elizabeth Warren /
@senwarren@threads.net: A Fox & Friends weekend co-host is not qualified to be the Secretary of Defense. I lead the Senate military personnel panel. All three of my brothers served in uniform. I respect every one of our servicemembers. Donald Trump's pick will make us less safe and must be rejected. @mmfa.bsky.social: Hegseth also argued for a “preemptive strike” against North Korea www.mediamatters.org/fox-friends/ ...

@mmfa.bsky.social:
Fox & Friends host Pete Hegseth repeatedly advocated for massive military strikes against Iran www.mediamatters.org/pete-hegseth... [embedded post]

Dan Gillmor /
@dangillmor@mastodon.social: The Murdoch family's Fox “News” is now the zero-training ground for running the most powerful military in the history of the world. — We are genuinely screwed. — https://www.cnn.com/...

Howard Koplowitz /
al.com: Trump passes on Mike Rogers for defense secretary in favor of Fox News host

Ramsey Al-Rikabi /
Bloomberg: Trump to Nominate Fox News Host Pete Hegseth to Lead Pentagon

Don Moynihan /
@donmoyn.bsky.social: Hegeseth publicly (on Fox) and privately lobbied Trump for months. Military leaders said that Trump's pardon would undermine their ability to enforce discipline and to get soldiers to testify about war crimes. — What happens when the Secretary of Defense won't push back against crimes? [image]

William B. Fuckley /
@opinionhaver.bsky.social: It's cool how he picked a TV anchor with no govt experience at all who is *also* a huge Iran hawk, so no matter whether you believed the “Trump the dove” or the “Trump the normal Republican that libs are hysterical over” you're a fucking moron.

Don Moynihan /
@donmoyn.bsky.social: The cause that Trump's pick for Secretary of Defense championed was not someone who might have fired off one round too many in a firefight. His fellow Navy Seals said “he boasted about the number of people he had killed, including women.” — Two saw him shooting a girl. — www.nytimes.com/2019/04/23/u... …

Alex Weprin /
The Hollywood Reporter: Trump Nominates Fox News Host Pete Hegseth to be Secretary of Defense

Don Moynihan /
@donmoyn.bsky.social: Trump's pick for Secretary of Defense is a Fox News anchor who pushed him to pardon war criminals who were so bad their own troops reported on them. www.businessinsider.com/pete- hegseth...

Sareen Habeshian /
Axios: Trump names Fox News host Pete Hegseth as Defense Secretary

Samuel Chamberlain /
New York Post: Trump nominates Fox News host, veteran Pete Hegseth for secretary of defense

Philip Bump /
@pbump.com: Hegseth would have been a dubious choice as Press Secretary, much less, like, HUD director.

Chris Hayes /
@chrislhayes.bsky.social: Pete Hegseth is a weekend morning anchor on Fox News and is about to run the largest, most powerful bureaucracy in the...history of human civilization.

Tim Onion /
@bencollins.bsky.social: Oh my fucking god he picked a random Fox News guy for secretary of defense we are so unbelievably fucked holy sweet merciful shit

Chris Hayes /
@chrislhayes.bsky.social: Trump choosing a Fox anchor to be Secretary of Defense is my first real “is this a dream?” moment since election day.

Hailey Gomez /
The Daily Caller: Trump Taps Fox News Host For Secretary Of Defense

Ed Driscoll /
Instapundit: TRUMP TAPS FOX NEWS HOST PETE HEGSETH FOR SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: — President-elect Donald Trump …

Cullen Linebarger /
The Gateway Pundit: BREAKING: President Trump Nominates Pete Hegseth for Secretary of Defense in Shock Move

Charisma Madarang /
Rolling Stone: Trump Taps Fox News Pundit to Be Secretary of Defense

Zoë Richards /
CNBC: Trump picks Fox News host and Army National Guard veteran Pete Hegseth for defense secretary

Stephen M. Lepore /
Daily Mail: Trump nominates former Fox News host Pete Hegseth to head Department of Defense in snub to former Dem Rep Tulsi Gabbard

Sandra Rhodes /
IJR: Fox News' Pete Hegseth Chosen for Secretary of Defense Post

RELATED:
Financial Times:

Media executives say that some brands were preparing to advertise on X once again, as Elon Musk was likely to gain an influential Trump administration role— Some brands had abandoned the site over moderation concerns — Elon Musk's support for Donald Trump is set to boost X's flagging business …

Discussion:
ZeroHedge News, New York Times, @carnage4life@mas.to, @annmlipton@esq.social and RedState, more at Techmeme »

Discussion:

Dare Obasanjo /
@carnage4life@mas.to: First it was the supersonic growth in Tesla's stock price over the past week and now big brands planning to return to X. — It's kind of nuts that everyone is openly betting on corruption now that Elon helped Trump get elected. — https://www.ft.com/...

Sister Toldjah /
RedState: More on the Ad That Changed Everything and Trump's Extremely Timely Reminder That Twitter Isn't Real Life

The Guardian:

The Guardian says it will no longer post on “any official Guardian editorial accounts” on “toxic media platform” X; reporters will still use X to gather news— Platform's coverage of US election crystallised longstanding concerns about its content, says Guardian

Discussion:
The Guardian, Reuters, Variety, Press Gazette, BBC, Telegraph, The Hollywood Reporter, Rob O'Hanrahan on LinkedIn, @rafat, Lucas Amaral Lauriano on LinkedIn, GB News, @eurabist, @rmcgreevy1301, @scottaawilson, @nitashakaul, @sarafischer, @iandunt, @worldguru.bsky.social, @willguyatt, Gordon MacMillan on LinkedIn, @earleyedition@aus.social, @viridis@achrilock.social, @jeffjarvis@mastodon.social, @renatolond@masto.donte.com.br, @brett@bne.social, Politico, @jimwaterson.bsky.social and Semafor

Discussion:

Ellise Shafer /
Variety: The Guardian No Longer Posting on X: It's a ‘Toxic Media Platform’ That Elon Musk Has Used to ‘Shape Political Discourse’

Tom Gerken /
BBC: The Guardian stops posting on Elon Musk's ‘toxic’ X

Rob O'Hanrahan /
Rob O'Hanrahan on LinkedIn: The Guardian will no longer post on Twitter/X. — They say that “the benefits of being on X are now outweighed by the negatives and that resources …

Lucas Amaral Lauriano /
Lucas Amaral Lauriano on LinkedIn: The Guardian has officially stepped back from posting on X. This bold move speaks volumes about the evolving dynamics of media, trust, and digital engagement in the current landscape. …

Holly Bishop /
GB News: The Guardian will no longer post on Elon Musk's X as it brands free speech platform as ‘far-right and toxic’

Anno /
@eurabist: We are witnessing a mass exodus of academics, journalists and politicians of Twitter. All the good people are leaving. I am torn, should I stay to continue the fight for freedom, knowledge and humanity — or find better pastures where a civilized debate is actually encouraged?

Ronan McGreevy /
@rmcgreevy1301: This is a very bad decision. X is the best social media forum for the dissemination of ideas even if it is owned by Elon Musk. No other platform comes close. Throwing your toys out of the pram because you don't like the results of the US election is not the way to do it.

Scott Aa Wilson /
@scottaawilson: I think this is the solution. Leave the lunatics to talk among themselves. Everyone else can go elsewhere and be normal. If you're over there, follow me on B*ueSky.

Professor Nitasha Kaul, PhD /
@nitashakaul: Virtue signalling & ceding of space for voice in public. Things only ever change by counter-narratives, education & persuasion. Such withdrawal throws other transnationally relevant voices under the bus too. My view is: amplify the good instead of retreating to moral high ground

Sara Fischer /
@sarafischer: Wow: @guardian says it's no longer posting on @X “We think that the benefits of being on X are now outweighed by the negatives and that resources could be better used promoting our journalism elsewhere” https://www.theguardian.com/ ...

Ian Dunt /
@iandunt: An extraordinary moment. Guardian to stop publishing on Twitter https://www.theguardian.com/ ... @worldguru.bsky.social: Dump decision. — You don't want to scream into the void. — You want the other side to read what you're saying about them. — What's the point of posting only into your echo chamber (of Bsky)?

Will Guyatt /
@willguyatt: Huge news, and won't be the last big name departure. Others across print, online and broadcast have backed away in a similar fashion.

Gordon MacMillan /
Gordon MacMillan on LinkedIn: Given the X-odus, this feels like the beginning of the end for X/Twitter as the go-to place for news. …

Dave Earley /
@earleyedition@aus.social: Kind of breaking news... The Guardian will no longer post from any editorial Tw+r account, including Guardian Australia. All accounts are dormant as of now. https://www.theguardian.com/ ... @viridis@achrilock.social: https://www.theguardian.com/ ... | Guardian will no longer post on Elon Musk's X from its official accounts | — [...] “The Guardian has more than 80 accounts on X with approximately 27 million followers. — The Guardian said content on the platform about which it had longstanding concerns included far-right conspiracy theories and racism. …

Jeff Jarvis /
@jeffjarvis@mastodon.social: I disagree with this decision: People on Twitter need the Guardian's journalism more than anyone. — Guardian will no longer post on Elon Musk's X from its official accounts — https://www.theguardian.com/ ...

Renato Lond Cerqueira /
@renatolond@masto.donte.com.br: Oh, nice move from The Guardian — https://www.theguardian.com/ ...

Brett Mason /
@brett@bne.social: About time! Let's hope lots of others follow their example. — https://www.theguardian.com/ ...

Jim Waterson /
@jimwaterson.bsky.social: Must.... resist.... urge.... to break news about the media industry and remember I report on municipal bin collections these days. But it does sound as though dams are breaking today regarding official use of Twitter.

Mizy Clifton /
Semafor: The Guardian to stop posting content on X

Variety:

Amazon is shutting down Freevee, its free, ad-supported streaming service launched in 2019 under the IMDb brand, and plans to move the content to Prime Video— Amazon is officially shutting down Freevee, its free, ad-supported video streaming service originally launched under the IMDb brand nearly five years ago.

Discussion:
Deadline, Bloomberg, Advanced Television, MediaPost, Streaming Better, PCMag, The Verge, The Sun, Metro.co.uk, AV Club, NewscastStudio, @deadline, Bill Condon on LinkedIn, @jaketx78, @deadline, Digital Trends, @tvgrimreaper, @jesse_t_white, @aagave, Cord Cutters News, Lucas Shaw on LinkedIn, TVLine, GoldDerby, @willmckinley@mstdn.social, @gibbs00.bsky.social, The Wrap, The Desk, The Hollywood Reporter and Engadget, more at Techmeme »

Discussion:

Nellie Andreeva /
Deadline: Freevee To Shut Down As Amazon Consolidates Subscription & Free Content Under Prime Video

Wayne Friedman /
MediaPost: Amazon To Shut Down FAST Platform Freevee

John Finn /
Streaming Better: Freevee Is Closing Down And Will Fully Disappear Over The Next Few Weeks

Jibin Joseph /
PCMag: Amazon Kills Freevee, Migrates Content to Prime Video

Jay Peters /
The Verge: Amazon is shutting down Freevee

Jamie Harris /
The Sun: Popular free Amazon Fire Stick TV app is closing down in major shake-up - what it means for your favourite hit shows

Michael Adams /
Metro.co.uk: Fears for Neighbours future as Amazon shuts down its new home

Matt Schimkowitz /
AV Club: Amazon is sending Freevee to the great app store in the sky @deadline: The update will be deployed in the territories where Freevee is currently available, the U.S., UK, Germany and Austria. Going forward, the content currently labeled as Freevee will be designated for non-Prime customers as “Watch for Free” on detail pages https://deadline.com/...

Bill Condon /
Bill Condon on LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/... Goodbye freevee- hello Prime Video. Not really shutting down it's just a change of address. #adsaregood #streamon

Jake /
@jaketx78: Call it the Tubi effect. Consolidation of Freevee into Prime is evidence of a new embrace, rather than a segmentation of, ad-supported tiers in lieu of less-lucrative ad-free monthly subscription models. Case-in-point: Disney and Netflix. Expect the consolidation to continue.

@deadline:
No layoffs related to the move are expected. As part of previous restructurings, Freevee's content team already had been integrated into Amazon MGM Studios; its business team has been part of Prime Video https://deadline.com/...

Trevor Mogg /
Digital Trends: Amazon to phase out Freevee, but there's still a way to watch for free @tvgrimreaper: A second Amazon video brand never made sense, and it was their decision to launch it. Hulu also makes no sense as a separate Disney marketed SVOD brand/ app, and Disney's in the process of “fixing” that.

Jesse White /
@jesse_t_white: @TVGrimReaper No point in even having a separate app when I can literally watch it all on Prime Video. At least Hulu having some shows not on Disney+ has prevented me from completely deleting that app.

Andrew A. Rosen /
@aagave: RIP the FAST formerly known as IMDb FreeDive formerly known as IMDb TV

Luke Bouma /
Cord Cutters News: Amazon is Officially Shutting Down Its Free Streaming Service Freevee

Lucas Shaw /
Lucas Shaw on LinkedIn: New: Amazon is phasing out Freevee, its free advertising-supported streaming service, to unite all video under the Prime banner. — This is a long overdue move. …

Michael Ausiello /
TVLine: Amazon to Shut Down Freevee, Move Its Content to Prime Video

Marcus James Dixon /
GoldDerby: Amazon Freevee, home of ‘Jury Duty,’ shuts down: What does this mean for your favorite shows?

Will McKinley /
@willmckinley@mstdn.social: Amazon Freevee (2019-2024) — The ad-supported streaming service that launched as “IMDB FreeDive” (and later became IMDB TV) will be absorbed into Prime Video — which now also has ads. — Free content will remain available w/out a Prime subscription. — So basically, nothing is going away except the Freevee brand. … @gibbs00.bsky.social: One of the few free streaming services that you could watch on XFinity. Pretty soon won't be watching anything.

Matthew Keys /
The Desk: Amazon to shut down Freevee, move content to Prime Video

Anna Washenko /
Engadget: Amazon sunsets Freevee platform for ad-supported streaming video

Mediaite:

Sources: Alina Habba, the lawyer who represented Trump in high-profile cases, is the front-runner to serve as press secretary in the incoming White House— Alina Habba, a lawyer who represented Donald Trump in a series of high-profile cases, has emerged as a front-runner to serve …

Discussion:
Mediaite, Axios, @atrupar, @aidnmclaughlin, @GottaLaff@mastodon.social, New York Post, The Hill, The Independent and Daily Mail

Discussion:

Aaron Rupar /
@atrupar: lol sure why not

Aidan McLaughlin /
@aidnmclaughlin: Alina Habba has emerged as a front-runner to serve as press secretary in the incoming Trump White House, four sources tell @dianafalzone https://www.mediaite.com/...

Laffy /
@GottaLaff@mastodon.social: Oh good grief. — Via Katie Phang: — Because apparently being a lawyer wasn't in the cards for Habba... Alina Habba Emerges as Front-Runner for #Trump Press Secretary — https://www.mediaite.com/...

Victor Nava /
New York Post: Trump ally Alina Habba says she would ‘very seriously’ consider serving as his press secretary

Dominick Mastrangelo /
The Hill: Habba: I would ‘very seriously’ consider WH Press Secretary job

Mike Bedigan /
The Independent: Trump lawyer Alina Habba emerges as frontrunner for White House press secretary: report

New York Times:

Bluesky says it has gained 1M+ users in the week since the US election, mostly in the US, the UK, and Canada, and now has 14.7M users in total— With one million new accounts added since the U.S. elections, Bluesky has solidified itself as an option for people looking to change their social media service.

Discussion:
Fast Company, PR Daily, Metro.co.uk, @nihilscio.bsky.social, @katie-drummond.bsky.social, @bsky.app, @emilyliu.me, @mmasnick.bsky.social, @jaz.bsky.social, Fox News, Rolling Stone, New York Daily News, Slate, Mashable, Quartz, New York Post, TechCrunch, Daily Sabah, Crooks and Liars, The Guardian and The Verge, more at Techmeme »

Discussion:

Harry McCracken /
Fast Company: Thanks to Openvibe, there's life after Twitter

Danny Rigg /
Metro.co.uk: Bluesky user count booming after Elon Musk teams up with Trump - but what is it?

Katie Drummond /
@katie-drummond.bsky.social: I am very excited that @wireddotcom.bsky.social is HIRING. We'll be listing 3 roles this month, and more in January. — We're hiring a CULTURE EDITOR, which is an incredible opportunity for someone who wants to get really weird on the internet: — condenast.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/ CondeC...

Emily /
@emilyliu.me: we trust people, not platforms. for all the posting and marketing that @bsky.app does, truly nothing compares to a starter pack that you share with your own community, a personal blog post, or a text to three friends — thanks for being here and helping Bluesky grow!! 🦋 💙

Mike Masnick /
@mmasnick.bsky.social: Let's GOOOOOOOOOOO [embedded post]

Jaz /
@jaz.bsky.social: 90 days ago Bluesky had 6.18M users — 30 days ago Bluesky had 10.85M users — Tomorrow Bluesky will have 15M users — This is absolutely wild, thanks for believing in us y'all Fox News: Mark Cuban runs to ‘less hateful’ social media platform after scrubbing X account of Harris support

Miles Klee /
Rolling Stone: Bluesky Pulled a Million New Users After Election as More Abandoned Musk's X

Brian Niemietz /
New York Daily News: X competitor Bluesky claims 1M new users in week post-election

Alex Kirshner /
Slate: Bluesky Might End Up Defeating Twitter Once and for All

Britney Nguyen /
Quartz: Elon Musk's X is bleeding users after Trump's election win. Here's where they're going

Ariel Zilber /
New York Post: X rivals Bluesky, Threads see influx of users after Trump election victory

Luca Ittimani /
The Guardian: Bluesky adds 700,000 new members as users flee X after the US election

Jay Peters /
The Verge: Bluesky adds 700,000 new users in a week

Variety:

The UK's Barb: Netflix grew its ad tier from 2.78M homes in Q2 to 3.8M homes in Q3 and Disney+ from 820K homes to 1.2M homes over the same period— It looks like the industry pivot back towards ads is paying off for streaming platformers, at least in the U.K.

Discussion:
The Media Leader and Advanced Television

Discussion:

Reuters:

Spotify reports Q3 revenue up 19% YoY to €3.99B, vs. €4.02B est., MAUs up 11% to 640M, and forecasts Q4 profit and MAUs above est.; SPOT jumps 8%+— Audio-streaming giant Spotify (SPOT.N) forecast fourth-quarter profit above Wall Street estimates on Tuesday …

Discussion:
TVNewsCheck, MEDIANAMA, Variety, @richlightshed, Music Business Worldwide, @richlightshed, @eldsjal, The Information, CNBC, Billboard, Music Ally, Investing.com, Spotify, Bloomberg and Deadline

Discussion:

Matthew Keys /
TVNewsCheck: Letter Reveals Scale Of Scripps News Layoffs In Atlanta

Sharveya Parasnis /
MEDIANAMA: Spotify Sees Profit Rise By 40% YoY To 1.24 Billion Euros

Todd Spangler /
Variety: Spotify Tops Q3 Forecasts, Reaches 252 Million Premium Subscribers as Revenue Climbs 19% @richlightshed: Daniel Ek starts off $SPOT Q3 2024 earnings call announcing a couple of big video @Spotify announcements coming shortly. Particularly interesting given the power of video podcasting during this year election. https://lightshedtmt.com/...

@richlightshed:
@Spotify Spotify understands the importance of winning time spent $SPOT @eldsjal explains Spotify US users who consume audiobooks spend five more hours on the platform monthly than users who do & the number of Audiobooks available on @Spotify has doubled year-over-year

Murray Stassen /
Music Business Worldwide: Spotify cruises past quarter-of-a-billion subscribers, as it eyes $1.5bn annual operating profit in 2024

@richlightshed:
@Spotify ... 🔥 Spotify paying subs up 12% y-o-y & 2% seq, while Apple has not disclosed stats since mid-2019 Global Music Paid Sub Comparison $SPOT $AAPL ▪️@Spotify at 252 mm as of end of Q3 2024 (27% or ~68 mm in North America) ▪️@AppleMusic 60 mm as of June 2019 (has NOT updated) [image]

Daniel Ek /
@eldsjal: Spotify's Q3 results are here and it was another standout quarter. Here are a few highlights + a quick hello from our new CFO, @ChristianLuiga! Thank you to the team for continuing to deliver. 🙌🚀 [video]

Martin Peers /
The Information: Spotify's Price Rises Boost Bottom Line

Glenn Peoples /
Billboard: Spotify Subscription Revenue Soars in Q3, Operating Profit Hits Record High

Ashley Carman /
Bloomberg: Spotify Beats Subscriber, Margin Estimates; Sees More Gains

Jill Goldsmith /
Deadline: Spotify Adds Subscribers As Q3 Revenue Grows, Stock Pops

TechCrunch:

Perplexity says it will begin experimenting with ads on its platform in the US starting this week; ads will be formatted as “sponsored follow-up questions”— AI-powered search engine Perplexity says it'll begin experimenting with ads on its platform starting this week.

Discussion:
Perplexity Blog and Ad Age, more at Techmeme »

New York Times:

Antenna: in Q2, 51.4M people bought at least one niche streaming service subscription, up from 24.5M in Q2 2022, as users flock to Hallmark+, BritBox, and more— Executives from the Hallmark Channel made a curious decision this fall: They started a new streaming service.

Discussion:
TVNewsCheck

Discussion:

The Verge:

YouTube is testing a new feature that will let a small group of creators use AI to “restyle” licensed songs for their Shorts through prompts— YouTube is testing a new feature that will let creators use AI to “restyle” licensed songs for their shorts.

Discussion:
YouTube Community, MEDIANAMA, TechCrunch and Tubefilter, more at Techmeme »

Discussion:

Ishika Gupta /
MEDIANAMA: YouTube is Allowing Creators to Restyle Licensed Songs for Shorts Using AI

Ivan Mehta /
TechCrunch: YouTube is testing a feature that lets select creators remix songs using AI

Washington Post:

Olivia Nuzzi drops a request for a protective order against ex-fiancé Ryan Lizza, whom she accused of harassment following news of her relationship with RFK Jr.— After news broke of her relationship with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Nuzzi accused ex-fiancé Lizza of harassment and blackmail, which he denied.

Discussion:

Lachlan Cartwright /
@lachcartwright: NEW: Statement from Olivia Nuzzi's attorney — “Ms. Nuzzi has no interest in fighting a public relations battle. For insight into her decision, you can refer to the statements in her motion.”

Oli Coleman /
Page Six: Ryan Lizza accuses ex Olivia Nuzzi of ‘shamelessly using litigation as PR strategy’ after she withdraws abuse claims against him New York Post: Olivia Nuzzi's ex slams her as a ‘liar’ after she withdraws protective order against him in wake of RFK Jr. affair Business Insider: Olivia Nuzzi withdraws protective order against Ryan Lizza in aftermath of RFK Jr. relationship

Katie Robertson /
New York Times: Political Reporter Olivia Nuzzi Drops Protective Order Against Ex-Fiancé

Sean Burch /
The Wrap: Olivia Nuzzi Withdraws Protective Order Request Against Ex-Fiancé Ryan Lizza Following RFK Jr. Affair

Jen Howard /