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Dana E. Neuts

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!

Dana E. Neuts

Google News Is Getting Out of Digital Magazine Subscriptions

Business Strategy, Consumer Services, Magazines, News, Revenue and Sales, Subscription Apps /

Google News is getting out of the digital magazine subscription business, reports The Verge. Readers who subscribe to print-replica magazines via Google News will no longer be able to do so, or to renew existing subscriptions, effective immediately. Google notified subscribers via email of the change and informed them that they would receive a refund of their last payment. When they receive their refund will depend on how they paid for their subscriptions. Subscribers can check the status of their refund in their Google Payments account, says Android Police.

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Weekly Subscription News: Data Privacy, PR Makeovers and Paying Users

Business Operations, Business Services, Consumer Services, Data and IoT, Magazines, News, Product Development, Revenue and Sales, Subscriber Acquisition, Subscription Boxes, Subscription Business Marketing, Subscription Gaming /

Happy New Year from our family to yours! We hope your 2020 is off to a great start. In the subscription world, Flickr owner SmugMug makes a desperate plea to subscribers, Starbucks is having success offering digital news to customers, and Coca-Cola Companys new subscription service sells out in just three hours. Also this week, Sports Illustrated needs a public relations makeover, Microsofts next Xbox may be the most expensive console ever, and Facebook is readying itself for battle against Californias new data privacy law.

Weekly Subscription News: Data Privacy, PR Makeovers and Paying Users Read More »

illustration of the number five, representing the five subscription business topics for this column, Five-on-Friday

Five on Friday: Five Subscription Predictions for 2020

Business Operations, Business Services, Business Strategy, Consumer Services, Data and IoT, Entertainment and Streaming, Magazines, Memberships, News, Product Development, Regulation and Compliance, Subscriber Only, Subscription Boxes /

One of the things we enjoy most about the subscription industry is that it is always evolving. We love watching the trends, the course corrections and the innovation that come with the industry as it matures too. That’s why this week we are focusing on our subscription predictions for 2020: streaming video on demand, newspaper and magazine publishing, vehicle subscriptions, subscription boxes and regulations that affect subscription companies (e.g., privacy laws, business practices, etc.).

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Uber and Postmates Sue California to Stop New Freelancer Law

Business Operations, Business Services, Industry Announcements, News, Regulation and Compliance, Revenue and Sales, Subscription Apps /

Uber and Postmates started out the week with a bang by suing the State of California in federal court to stop the implementation of the states new freelance law, Assembly Bill 5, requiring the reclassification of independent contractors. Under certain circumstances, those contractors must be considered employees. The New York Times reported that Uber and Postmates requested an injunction to prevent the law from going into effect January 1, 2020, as scheduled. Two drivers – Lydia Olson and Miguel Perez – are part of the lawsuit.

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Comcast May Buy Ad-Supported Streaming Service Xumo in the New Year

Auto-renew Subscription, Business Operations, Business Services, Business Strategy, Consumer Services, Entertainment and Streaming, Free Subscription, Mergers and Acquisitions, News, Product Development, Revenue and Sales, Subscriber Acquisition /

Comcast NBCUniversal is reportedly in talks to acquire free, ad-supported streaming service Xumo from current owners Panasonic and Meredith Corp., reports Variety, citing the Wall Street Journal who broke the story last week. Xumo, who offers free TV, movies and premium channels on more than 30 streaming platforms, has been on the market for several months and has a prior relationship with Comcast, so this could be a good fit. According to Variety, Xumo and the cable giant made a deal last summer to include Xumos service on Comcast Xfinitys X1 set top cable box.

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Subscription-Based Ganja Yoga Launches Online Classes January 1

Auto-renew Subscription, Business Strategy, Consumer Services, Industry Announcements, News, Product Development, Subscription Apps /

On January 1, 2020, Ganja Yoga founder Dee Dussault is launching a series of cannabis-infused online classes. Based on her book, Ganja Yoga: A Practical Guide to Conscious Relaxation, Soothing Pain Relief and Enlightened Self Discovery, the interactive classes will feature Dussault and two-dozen certified Ganja Yoga instructors. The subscriptions are currently available for pre-sale with classes officially starting in the new year.

Subscription-Based Ganja Yoga Launches Online Classes January 1 Read More »

PlayOn Sports Raises $25M to Grow Streaming of High School Sports

Auto-renew Subscription, Business Operations, Business Services, Entertainment and Streaming, Industry Announcements, News, Product Development, Revenue and Sales, Subscriber Acquisition /

High school sports fans will cheer on PlayOn! Sports new infusion of cash. Just before the holidays, PlayOn announced it has raised $25 million in Series B funding led by venture investment firm BIP Capital. New investors who also participated in the funding round include Jeff Vinik, Teall Capital and Crossover. The Atlanta-based PlayOn will use the capital grow the company by deploying new technology and making additional investments in products and automated marketing infrastructure.

PlayOn Sports Raises $25M to Grow Streaming of High School Sports Read More »

Weekly Subscription News: Data, Deals and Disney Plus

Auto-renew Subscription, Business Operations, Business Services, Business Strategy, Consumer Services, Entertainment and Streaming, Industry Announcements, Micropayments, News, Payment Processing, Product Development, Revenue and Sales, SaaS and Cloud Services, Subscription Apps /

We hope you and your families are all enjoying the holidays. We took the Christmas holiday off but are back at work to update you on the latest subscription news. This week, Apple has a (not so) secret team looking at satellites to bring data to mobile devices, Snopes is launching a membership program to upgrade its site and expand its staff, and Amazons Alexa is popular but not terribly profitable. Also this week, MeWe launches premium features, Forbes accepts payments via Ethereum cryptocurrency for its articles, and Hulu is offering a new ad format to reward binge watching.

Weekly Subscription News: Data, Deals and Disney Plus Read More »

illustration of the number five, representing the five subscription business topics for this column, Five-on-Friday

Five on Friday: Mergers, Launches and Failures

Auto-renew Subscription, Business Operations, Business Services, Business Strategy, Consumer Services, Entertainment and Streaming, Free Subscription, Industry Announcements, Magazines, Mergers and Acquisitions, News, Product Development, Regulation and Compliance, Revenue and Sales, Subscriber Acquisition, Subscriber Only, Subscription Apps, Subscription Gaming /

Looking back at 2019, we covered hundreds of subscription launches, mergers, subscription closures, financial triumphs and disasters, and much more. In this week’s Five on Friday, we’re going to take a look at the top five subscription stories of the year. Disney+ lands the mouse some serious cheddar, Apple tries to strike gold with subscriptions…but doesn’t find it, MoviePass finally fizzles out, broke and embarrassed, the government goes after subscription scams, and the GateHouse/Gannett merger creates a newspaper powerhouse that will be hard to compete with in the next decade.

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FTC Sends More Than 2,200 Refund Checks to UrthBox Customers

Auto-renew Subscription, Business Operations, Business Strategy, Consumer Services, News, Product Development, Regulation and Compliance, Revenue and Sales, Subscriber Acquisition, Subscription Boxes, Subscription Business Marketing /

Christmas came early for former subscribers of UrthBox snack boxes. Earlier this month, the Federal Trade Commission mailed 2,221 refund checks totaling more than $84,000 in refunds to customers who were misled by a free trial offer. The customers thought they were signing up for a free snack box after paying a nominal shipping and handling fee but, instead, UrthBox signed them for a six-month subscription if they didnt opt out in time.

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