Weekly Subscription News: Streaming, Gaming and Ad Blocking

Featuring Steam, Netflix, Fair, Birchbox and Literati

This week, we’ve got streaming, gaming and ad blocking news: Steam grows to nearly 95 million monthly active users, Netflix plans to use animation to complete with Disney Plus, and Google Chrome’s new feature will block the most annoying video ads. Also this week, the 165-year-old Montgomery Sentinel closes up shop, Birchbox lays off half of its New York City staff, and Paystand raises $20 million to give businesses a frictionless, open infrastructure option for commercial finance.

The End Comes for a 165-Year-Old Newspaper – The Montgomery Sentinel
Washington Post

Steam Grew to Nearly 95M Monthly Active Users in 2019
Tweak Town

Netflix Plans to Use Animation to Challenge Disney Plus
CNBC

Fair Is Ending Weekly Rental Program with Uber
Automotive News

Beauty Retailer Birchbox Cuts Half of Its NYC Staff
Crain’s New York Business

How Literati’s Subscription Services Teaches Kids to Love Literature
Cheddar

Google Chrome Will Soon Block the Web’s Most Annoying Video Ads
TechRadar

Paystand Raises $20M to Give Businesses a Frictionless, Open Infrastructure for Finance
Yahoo Finance

Filed in Auto-renew Subscription, Business Operations, Business Services, Business Strategy, Consumer Services, Entertainment and Streaming, News, Payment Processing, Product Development, Revenue and Sales, SaaS and Cloud Services, Subscription Boxes, Subscription Gaming

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!