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Free, ad-supported streaming on the rise as major media companies buy up platforms

Expand chart
Data: PwC and Digital TV Research; Chart: Axios VisualsA few of the last remaining major ad-supported streaming platforms are reportedly nearing sales to major media companies.

A few of the last remaining major ad-supported streaming platforms are reportedly nearing sales to major media companies.

Why it matters: The acquisitions show how valuable big media companies think ad-supported streaming services could be to their overall streaming strategies, as they continue to also invest in subscription streaming offerings.

Driving the news: Fox is eyeing an acquisition of free-ad supported streaming service Tubi in a deal that could be valued at more than $500 million, according to the Wall Street Journal.

  • The Journal also reports that Comcast's NBCUniversal is "in advanced talks" to acquire streaming-video service Vudu from Walmart.
  • Last year, the Journal also reported that Comcast was in talks to buy ad-supported streaming company Xumo.

Be smart: While Netflix remains the incumbent to beat in the subscription streaming wars, there's not yet a dominant player in the free, ad-supported streaming space, according to previously reported data from Magid Associates.

Expand chart
Data: Magid; Chart: Axios Visuals

The big picture: Analysts have anticipated that more consolidation would be on the horizon.

  • Viacom bought Pluto TV, a free streaming app, for $340 million last January to compliment CBS' subscription streaming product, CBS All Access.
  • Amazon-owned IMDB launched Freedive — a free, ad-supported streaming video channel featuring hit movies and TV shows — last year.

Go deeper: Free streaming services begin to challenge subscription video

Go deeper

Jonathan Swan, Zachary Basu
28 mins ago - Politics & Policy
Off the Rails

Episode 7: Trump turns on Pence

Photo illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios. Photos: Elijah Nouvelage, Alex Wong/Getty Images

Beginning on election night 2020 and continuing through his final days in office, Donald Trump unraveled and dragged America with him, to the point that his followers sacked the U.S. Capitol with two weeks left in his term. Axios takes you inside the collapse of a president with a special series.

Episode 7: Trump turns on Pence. Trump believes the vice president can solve all his problems by simply refusing to certify the Electoral College results. It's a simple test of loyalty: Trump or the U.S. Constitution.

"The end is coming, Donald."

The male voice in the TV ad boomed through the White House residence during "Fox & Friends" commercial breaks. Over and over and over. "The end is coming, Donald. ... On Jan. 6, Mike Pence will put the nail in your political coffin."

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Margaret Harding McGill, Ashley Gold, Ina Fried
33 mins ago - Technology

Big Tech's post-riot reckoning

Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photo: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

The Capitol insurrection means the anti-tech talk in Washington is more likely to lead to action, since it's ever clearer that the attack was planned, at least in part, on social media.

Why it matters: The big platforms may have hoped they'd move to D.C.'s back burner, with the Hill focused on the Biden agenda and the pandemic out of control. But now, there'll be no escaping harsh scrutiny.

Go deeper (2 min. read)Arrow
Sara Fischer, author of Media Trends
38 mins ago - Technology

Why domestic terrorists are so hard to police online

Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios

Domestic terrorism has proven to be more difficult for Big Tech companies to police online than foreign terrorism.

The big picture: That's largely because the politics are harder. There's more unity around the need to go after foreign extremists than domestic ones — and less danger of overreaching and provoking a backlash.

Go deeper (3 min. read)Arrow