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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

Tronc Lays Off Staff at L.A. Times and Chicago Tribune

Auto-renew Subscription, Business Operations, Business Strategy, Consumer Services, Industry Announcements, Mergers and Acquisitions, Metered Subscription, News, Subscription Business Marketing /

Just weeks after journalists from the Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Tribune receive separate honors from the 2017 Investigative Reporters & Editors (IRE) awards, parent-company Tronc announced in an employee meeting that it is laying off dozens of employees because of a change in the company’s business strategy. The layoffs include Tribune Interactive’s L.A.-based video and online content teams, which operated separately from the newspaper.

Tronc Lays Off Staff at L.A. Times and Chicago Tribune Read More »

MoviePass and iHeartRadio Offer Joint Three-Month Promotion

Auto-renew Subscription, Consumer Services, Entertainment and Streaming, Freemium, Industry Announcements, News, Revenue and Sales, SaaS and Cloud Services, Subscription Apps /

Movie and music fans can get two of their favorite forms of entertainment as part of a package for a limited time. At the 2018 Coachella Music Festival & Arts Festival last week, MoviePass and iHeartRadio announced a new, three-month promotion. Through this special deal, new subscribers to both platforms will receive access up to four 2-D movies monthly for three months via MoviePass and an extended, free three-month trial to iHeartRadio’s All Access on demand feature for $9.95 a month, billed quarterly.

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TheOneRing.net Is Testing Subscription Model Before New TV Series

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TheOneRing.net (TORn), the largest fan site of author J.R.R. Tolkien, announced it is beta testing a subscription service in preparation of Amazon Prime’s launch of TORn Prime, an upcoming Lord of the Rings TV series. The site, which boasts more than 8,300 members, hosts discussion boards where members can discuss the author, their favorite books, characters like Frodo, Gandalf and Aragorn, plot lines, top quotes and, of course, the new TV series when it goes live.

TheOneRing.net Is Testing Subscription Model Before New TV Series Read More »

Comcast Expands Partnership with Netflix Subscription Bundles

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Friday the 13th was a lucky day for Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA) and Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX). On Friday, the companies announced they are expanding their partnership. Comcast and Netflix originally partnered in 2016, adding access to Netflix on Comcast’s X1 cable box platform. Under the expanded partnership, Comcast customers will be able to add a Netflix subscription to new and existing Xfinity packages.

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Weekly Subscription News: Apple, Amazon and Applications

Business Operations, Business Services, Consumer Services, Entertainment and Streaming, News, Payment Processing, Regulation and Compliance, Revenue and Sales, SaaS and Cloud Services, Subscription Apps /

In this week’s subscription headlines, Fitbit’s multi-year transformation is testing the patience of investors, the Dutch newsletter platform Revue opens up subscription features, and Apple is ordered to pay a patent troll $500 million in an iMessage case. Also this week, The Seattle Times is making digital subscription growth everyone’s job, Billie secures $6 million in funding, and Netflix banks on the mass appeal of hip-hop in ‘Rapture.’

Weekly Subscription News: Apple, Amazon and Applications Read More »

Peapod Slashes Prices and Adds Cheaper Subscription Option

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The Chicago-based online grocer Peapod is trying to improve customer retention and loyalty by offering new ways to save on groceries. On Wednesday, the company, which is owned by Ahold Delhaize USA, announced a suite of price reductions and special offers, along with a discounted subscription program called PodPass Midweek. Peapod, which has been in business for nearly 30 years, operates in 24 metro markets including New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana and the District of Columbia.

Peapod Slashes Prices and Adds Cheaper Subscription Option Read More »

Five on Friday: Referrals, Rules and Rankings

Auto-renew Subscription, Business Media and Publishing, Business Operations, Business Services, Business Strategy, Consumer Media and Publishing, Consumer Services, News, Regulation and Compliance, Revenue and Sales, SaaS and Cloud Services, Subscriber Only, Subscription Boxes, Subscription Business Marketing /

In this weeks Five on Friday, Cadillac rewards dealers for subscription referrals, the European Unions portability rules are now in effect, Bark Box plans to avoid standard subscription model problems, Convince and Convert shares must follow content optimization rules, and Google updates its core search engine ranking algorithm.

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Spotify to Update Free Version of Streaming Music Service

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Just one week after its less-than-conventional IPO, Spotify (NYSE: SPOT) is planning a new version of the free tier of its streaming music service, reports Bloomberg. While Spotify will not make an official announcement with details until April 24, sources told Bloomberg that the new version will make the service easier for Spotify’s mobile users, giving them more control over which songs they hear on top playlists, similar to the company’s premium tier.

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BMW and Lexus Launching Car Subscription Services

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Two more automakers – BMW and Lexus – have announced they want to get in on the subscription economy, each with their own version of a car subscription service. BMW first revealed their plans during the Detroit Auto Show, but details were not disclosed at that time. BMW has now launched its pilot program, called Access by BMW, an exclusive service that gives members unlimited access to their choice of BMWs for one monthly fee which includes insurance, maintenance, taxes, car washes, detailing, personal delivery by a concierge and roadside assistance.

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MyFitnessPal Reveals Data Breach of 150 Million User Accounts

Auto-renew Subscription, Consumer Services, Data and IoT, Freemium, Industry Announcements, News, Regulation and Compliance, SaaS and Cloud Services, Subscription Apps /

MyFitnessPal, owned by Under Armour, Inc. (NYSE: UA, UAA), notified users via email and in-app messaging that a data breach occurred at the company. According to the email sent to users, on March 25, 2018, MyFitnessPal learned that an unauthorized party acquired data from MyFitnessPal users during the month of February. The data included user names, email addresses and hashed passwords. MyFitnessPal said it is working with ‘leading data security firms’ to assist in the investigation, and they are coordinating their efforts with law enforcement.

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