Five on Friday: Digital News, Delivery Fees and Super Heroes
Featuring CNN, Amazon, Marvel, Washington Post and New York Times
Source: Pixabay
What a week this has been! The Washington Nationals beat the Houston Astros in game 7 of the World Series, the MLS semi-finals wrapped up, and the impeachment hearings are heating up. Allow us to switch gears for a moment to the subscription world where CNN is creating a digital news subscription service, Trump orders federal agencies to cancel subscriptions to The New York Times and the Washington Post, Marvel contracts with SiriusXM and Pandora for podcasts, Amazon drops its monthly fee for Fresh grocery delivery for Prime members, and LinkedIn shares top subscription jobs.
CNN to Create Digital News Subscription Service
CNN is stepping into the subscription game by adding another app to their portfolio. The AT&T-backed company currently has CNNgo, which allows you to log in through your cable provider to access the 24-hour cable news network on the go. Their stories are also available on voice-controlled devices, Samsung and Apple devices. Their newest venture? Adding a subscription news platform to allow users access to CNN stories at their fingertips.
Source: CNN
The service’s goal is to take on Apple’s and Facebook’s new news services. AppleInsider reports that the subscription service would take a similar path to the Apple’s News+ subscription, which allows users to read news from premium publishers. It’s also rumored that the digital news service will follow the subscription-based model, while also supporting free stories through advertising.
This would keep in line with the cord cutting trend that many channels and platforms are using. Since CNN’s creation in 1980, it has continued to be at the head of the pack as far as news goes, not only across television, but with the birth and growth of the internet as well. It remains a frontrunner for credible news sources. It continues to break records and outpaces its competitors, says the Atlanta Business Chronicle.
CNN already has dozens of engineers and executives working on the project, including Andrew Greene, who is credited with management of Spotify Stations. There is currently no known date of release or a known price. We’ll keep you posted as we learn more.
Trump Dumps New York Times and Washington Post Subscriptions
Source: Bigstock Photo
President Donald Trump has had it with the “fake news” media, directing the White House and federal agencies to cancel their subscriptions to The New York Times and The Washington Post because of their critical reporting of him, reports NBC News.
The White House confirmed the directive last week. White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham told The Wall Street Journal that the agencies would be asked not to renew their subscriptions, which would save taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.
President Trump has repeatedly said that the two newspapers were failing and not doing well. However, The New York Times is profitable and its subscriber base continues to grow, in spite of Trump’s claims. The Post is, of course, backed by billionaire Jeff Bezos. It is unclear if federal agencies will follow the directive, or if the order has any teeth.
Marvel Contracts with SiriusXM and Pandora for New, Original Content
In case you don’t have enough Marvel in your life, SiriusXM and Pandora have some good news for you. The popular comic company, known not only for its comics but its cinematic universe, just signed a multi-year contract with the two music streaming platforms. The plan is to bring original content to both of these platforms, over the next few years.
Starting in 2020, the collaboration will include scripted and unscripted content, themed live events and more, reports Phone Arena. These should start popping up around 2020 and will be available on SiriusXM and Pandora before they’ll be able to be listened to anywhere else. Marvel says its podcasts will be released weekly.
Marvel also confirmed that there will be four new scripted series, all based off different characters in their universe. Each series will have ten episodes, and will be based around Black Widow, Hawkeye, Wolverine and Star-Lord. There will also be a fifth series where all the characters will appear.
After these release, SiriusXM users will be able to stream at home on connected devices, like smart TVs, Alexa devices, gaming platforms, and more. Pandora users will be able to stream on the Pandora app on iOS and Android devices. While the scripted series start in 2020, users can access these benefits early with a themed station on Pandora and a themed channel on SiriusXM, which were released in August in celebration of Marvel’s 80th anniversary.
“Powerful stories are read, seen and heard-and we believe audio is the next natural step to bring the Marvel Universe to fans around the world,” said Dan Buckley, President of Marvel Entertainment. “Storytelling has always been at the heart of Marvel’s success, and SiriusXM and Pandora have the right platform and expertise to bring Marvel’s rich tapestry of stories to listeners in a whole new way. We are excited to introduce an impressive roster of programming with SiriusXM and Pandora, and we can’t wait to share more details in the weeks and months to come.”
Source: Mravel
Amazon Drops Grocery Delivery Subscription Fee for Prime Members
Source: Amazon
Amazon announced this week that it will drop the $15 a month (plus tax) fee it charges for its Amazon Fresh grocery delivery service, if you are a Prime member. Prime membership costs $119 a year, but those who use the Amazon Fresh grocery delivery service also pay a $15 a month fee, another $180 a year. That fee is going away. A minimum order of $35 is required for two-hour delivery, and Amazon suggests a $5 tip for drivers, but that is optional. There are no other fees.
For now, the deal is only available to current Amazon Fresh customers. Others will have to ask for an invitation to join the program. This change may help lessen the sting of the increasingly-competitive grocery market, but it may also help offset some of the bad press that Amazon recently received that some of its vendors were using less-than-fresh products.
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Dana Neuts is Subscription Insider's Editorial Director, covering our daily subscription news as well as member features, case studies, premium content, and reports. Dana is also a writer, editor, marketer and communications professional. Her work has appeared in AARP Bulletin, The Seattle Times, Seattle Business, 425 Business, 425 Magazine, South Sound Magazine, Northwest Travel and more. Her specialties include business writing, community news, senior issues, travel and, of course, subscriptions!
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