How FAST streamers will help scale up the Creator Economy
PLUS: The biggest threat facing Paramount
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The biggest threat facing Paramount
A new deep dive from The New York Times breaks down Larry Ellison’s astronomical debt spree for Oracle’s AI ambitions—and why it might just pop the whole AI bubble. [NYT] (I used a gift link so you can access that article for free.)
That debt also poses a huge threat to the future of Paramount, what with its ongoing acquisition of Warner Brothers Discovery being largely backed by Oracle stock. Given that David Ellison overpaid for the company by tens of billions of dollars — and is set to lose at least a billion more over the next year in ticking fees — he has no fallback if the stock craters. If the AI bubble pops before the acquisition closes, then he’ll have no choice but to pull out and forfeit $9.8 billion as a penalty. If the bubble pops after the acquisition closes, then he’ll have no choice but to completely gut the combined company in order to pay off its debts.
ICYMI: How Maria Brito used Instagram to build a 7-figure art consulting business
She eventually grew her audience to over 200,000 followers across Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and email.
Audiobook publishers should experiment more with serialized podcasts
From Publishers Weekly:
Podium Entertainment, the Los Angeles–based audio publisher, is partnering with podcast network Realm to adapt 35 previously serialized fiction podcasts into audiobooks.
The catalog draws from a broad range of genres, including contemporary romance, science fiction, horror, thriller, fantasy, comedy, and adventure. Among the standout titles are the sci-fi saga The Vela: Part 1, from authors Becky Chambers, SL Huang, Yoon Ha Lee, and Rivers Solomon and narrated by Robin Miles; Machina, penned by Martha Wells, Curtis C. Chen, Malka Older, and Fran Wilde and read by Natalie Naudus; and the thriller Chinook, written by Ashley Quach and narrated by Star Wars actress Kelly Marie Tran and Love & Basketball star Sanaa Lathan.
I’m surprised that this kind of experimentation isn’t more widespread in the publishing industry. Publishers sit on massive backlists that barely sell today. Why aren't they running ongoing podcasts to serialize these forgotten titles?
Not only could serialized podcasts generate revenue through advertising, but the attention would drive additional sales for the book, especially from people who don’t want to wait for the slow drip of new episodes. It could also help generate sales for any other books by that same author.
I think a lot of authors would be open to this sort of idea.
Behind the paywall
Here’s what I have on deck for paid subscribers:
How FAST streamers will help scale up the Creator Economy
The rightwing media ecosystem is losing influence
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