Feb 25, 2020 - Economy & Business

Netflix introduces top 10 lists for movies and TV shows

Illustration:Rebecca Zisser/Axios

Netflix said Monday that it will begin putting out daily lists of the top 10 movies and top 10 TV shows in each country.

Why it matters: The company says that the lists will help users "easily see what’s in the zeitgeist," but industry onlookers argue that by releasing the lists, Netflix is undermining its almighty algorithm, which is supposed to surface personalized content recommendations for users.

Be smart: In typical Netflix fashion, the company offered little clarity around what it will be using to determine which shows are "popular."

  • According to Bloomberg, no outside party verified the lists. The lists are based on viewership in the first 28 days after a show was released, and the numbers include "people who watched at least two minutes of a program — rather than all the way through."

Go deeper ... Exclusive: Netflix reveals its 9 government takedown requests

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Kendall Baker
39 mins ago - Sports

Big Ten's conference-only move could spur a regionalized college sports season

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

The Big Ten announced Thursday that it will move all fall sports to a conference-only schedule.

Why it matters: This will have a snowball effect on the rest of the country, and could force all Power 5 conferences to follow suit, resulting in a regionalized fall sports season.

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Dion Rabouin
1 hour ago - Economy & Business

The second jobs apocalypse

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

This week, United Airlines warned 36,000 U.S. employees their jobs were at risk, Walgreens cut more than 4,000 jobs, Wells Fargo announced it was preparing thousands of terminations this year, and Levi's axed 700 jobs due to falling sales.

Why it matters: We have entered round two of the jobs apocalypse. Those announcements followed similar ones from the Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott and Choice hotels, which all have announced thousands of job cuts, and the bankruptcies of more major U.S. companies like 24 Hour Fitness, Brooks Brothers and Chuck E. Cheese in recent days.

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Margaret Harding McGill
3 hours ago - Technology

Big Tech marshals a right-leaning army of allies for antitrust fight

Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios

As tech's giants prepare to face off with antitrust enforcers this summer, they will draw support from an array of predominantly right-leaning defenders ranging from influential former government officials to well-connected think tanks.

The big picture: The Justice Department, the Federal Trade Commission and the states have multiple investigations of monopolistic behavior underway targeting Facebook and Google, with other giants like Amazon and Apple also facing rising scrutiny. Many observers expect a lawsuit against Google to land this summer.

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