Oct 30, 2018

AT&T's new media overhaul

Sara Fischer

Photo: Robert Alexander/Getty Images

AT&T is wasting no time building its big Netflix competitor, which it hopes will be the anchor of its media business, WarnerMedia (formerly Time Warner).

Why it matters: Executives believe that a Netflix-like subscription video platform, that includes evergreen content in a library of franchise-driven titles, will be the driver of WarnerMedia’s success as WarnerMedia is now one of the four core pillars of AT&T’s business.

What's happening: Over the past two weeks, WarnerMedia has shut down three digital video services that catered to niche audiences.

  • FilmStruck, Turner’s indie subscription video service that launched in 2016
  • Super Deluxe, Turner’s comedy-centric digital turned TV studio that was first acquired in 2006, folded into Adult Swim, and then revitalized in 2015
  • DramaFever, Warner Bros.’ streaming-video service specializing in Korean dramas and Asian programming

Why it matters: Executives believe that a Netflix-like subscription video platform, that includes evergreen content in a library of franchise-driven titles, will be the driver of WarnerMedia’s success. (WarnerMedia is now one of the four core pillars of AT&T’s business.)

The big picture: AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson has said that capital reallocation is a part of the company’s strategy to boost its streaming efforts.  

  • Positive earnings suggest that WarrnerMedia is doing well in its early days under the AT&T umbrella. But it still has a long way to goin consolidating its services enough to be able to foot the bill for streaming empire. 

Go deeper: Verizon vs. AT&T: A tale of two media investments

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Alayna Treene, Sam Baker

What the coronavirus means for Trump's presidency

Photo Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios. Photo: Chris Graythen/Getty Images

A poor response to the coronavirus could be politically devastating for President Trump, and so far his administration has given the strong impression that it’s still scrambling as the risk of a pandemic mounts.

Why it matters: There’s only so much any president can do to stop a virus from spreading, and for now the coronavirus is still very much under control within the U.S. But if the disease get worse in the months ahead, and if the administration seems to be caught off guard, that spells trouble for public confidence in Trump.

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Axios

Coronavirus updates: New global case numbers surpass China's

Data: The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins, the CDC, and China's Health Ministry. Note: China numbers are for the mainland only and U.S. numbers include repatriated citizens.

The novel coronavirus is now affecting every continent but Antarctica and the WHO said Wednesday the number of new cases reported outside China has exceeded those inside the country for the first time.

The big picture: COVID-19 has killed more than 2,800 people and infected over 82,000 others in some 50 countries and territories. As Denmark and Estonia reported their first cases Thursday, Scott Morrison, prime minister of Australia — which has 23 confirmed infections — told a news conference, "The risk of a global pandemic is very much upon us."

Go deeperArrowUpdated 3 hours ago - Health
Orion Rummler

Mass shooting in Milwaukee: What we know

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett in 2012. Photo: John Gress/Corbis via Getty Images

Six people died in a shooting at the Molson Coors Brewing Company in Milwaukee Molson Coors on Wednesday, including the 51-year-old gunman, Mayor Tom Barrett told reporters at an evening press conference with local police.

Details: All of the victims worked at the brewery complex, as did the shooter who died of "an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, police confirmed in a statement late Wednesday.

Go deeperArrowUpdated 5 hours ago - Politics & Policy