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Though YouTube is a hotbed for video podcasts, the Google-owned platform hasn’t cracked straight-up audio shows just yet. YouTube podcasting head Kai Chuk announced Thursday that podcasts will be added to YouTube Music soon. “We will soon start to bring both audio and video-first podcasts to YouTube Music for users in the U.S., making podcasts

Google TV today announced the launch of four new content pages in the U.S. — the Family page, the Movie page, the Shows page and the Español page — which gives users quicker access to family-friendly titles, movies, TV shows and Spanish-language entertainment. Instead of navigating from app to app, users can now select from

Google has launched tests that block access to news content for some users in Canada in response to the Canadian government’s online news bill. Bill C-18, or the Online News Act, would require platforms like Facebook and Google to negotiate deals that would pay news publishers for their content. The bill is currently before the

Amazon teamed up with hearing implant company Cochlear to launch Audio Streaming for Hearing Aids (ASHA) support to compatible Cochlear devices, the company announced today. Now, select Fire TV devices — such as Fire TV Omni Series, Fire TV Omni QLED Series, Fire TV 4-Series, Fire TV Cube (2nd Gen) and Fire TV Cube (3rd

Netflix today announced its first deal with the NFL—and no, it’s not live sports. The streamer is getting an exclusive, new docuseries called “Quarterback,” in which fans will get to see behind-the-scenes action from NFL quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes, Kirk Cousins and Marcus Mariota. “Quarterback” will debut on Netflix this summer. It will show not only

Ahead of Spotify’s upcoming Stream On event, where the company is expected to announce a redesigned home feed and other updates, the company today launched a new AI feature called “DJ” to better personalize the music listening experience for its users. Similar to a radio DJ, Spotify’s DJ feature will deliver a curated selection of

Hey, TechCrunch besties. After a week in Korea and the Philippines, it’s great to be back in the States — and slightly more tan (i.e., burnt) than before. Massive thanks to Henry, who was forced to step in over the past two weeks thanks to my failing to realize that Korean Air does not offer

Season 3 of “Ted Lasso” officially has a premiere date at Apple TV+. The streaming service announced that the popular sports comedy will return on March 15. New episodes will be released weekly following the premiere. The third season of the Emmy-winning series will consist of 12 episodes and the finale will be released on

Following the major integration of Showtime into Paramount+ two weeks ago, Paramount reported its quarterly earnings this morning, announcing that Paramount+ gained 9.9 million subscribers in Q4 to bring the total to 56 million subs, up from 46 million in the previous quarter. This means Paramount+ has more customers than Hulu, which recently reported 48

Apple TV+ released the first trailer for its — shall we say, block-busting — movie “Tetris,” based on the origin story of the popular puzzle video game. The movie will first premiere at South by Southwest (SXSW) film festival in March. Apple will then release it worldwide on the streaming service on March 31. Starring

Susan Wojcicki is stepping down as YouTube CEO after nine years at the helm. In a letter to employees (first published by Recode), Wojcicki says that she’s leaving in order to “start a new chapter focused on my family, health and personal projects I’m passionate about.” “Today, after nearly 25 years here, I’ve decided to

Marvel’s top boss Kevin Feige thinks the company might adjust its plans when it comes to releasing shows on Disney+ and space them out for better consumption. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Feige said that there is too much content on the internet and he wants Marvel stuff to stand out. “I do think

Over a month after Roku announced its first Roku-branded TVs, which will launch in the U.S. in spring 2023, the hardware company reported its quarterly earnings this afternoon, which showed Roku beat its own revenue expectations, reporting a total net revenue of $867.1 million for Q4. The company previously cautioned investors of a shaky fourth

Janky and Guggimon, “synthetic” celebrities conceived in a studio and big on social platforms like TikTok and Instagram, where they exist as influencers with millions of followers, hyping up other brands, music acts and themselves, are soon coming to a streaming screen, and maybe a Whole Foods, near you. Superplastic, the startup that created and

Peacock continues to shift its focus to paid subscriber growth. Yesterday, the streamer began notifying Xfinity customers that on June 26, 2023, Peacock Premium will no longer be bundled in at no extra charge, an NBC Universal spokesperson confirmed to TechCrunch. Plus, starting on April 3, new Xfinity subscribers will be able to get six

Fox’s free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) service, Tubi, reached 64 million monthly active users, the company announced today. The last time the company reported its subscriber base was in May 2022, when Tubi had 51 million. When Fox purchased the streaming service in 2020, Tubi then had 25 million monthly active users. Fox recently reported

BuzzFeed — the media site that made its name (literally) spinning out viral content — landed in the middle of the buzz itself last month when news leaked out that it would partner with the AI startup of the moment, OpenAI, to build a new AI-powered quiz format, building on the media company’s very popular

There was a slew of movie trailers and TV show teasers that football fans — and Rihanna fans — got to watch during the 2023 Super Bowl last night. Of course, the Super Bowl is often a huge day for studios that want a lot of eyes on upcoming titles just a few months ahead

YouTube today announced its new marketplace, Creator Music, is now fully open to all YouTube Partner Program participants in the U.S. First announced last September, the online destination offers a large catalog of songs that creators can browse, search through, and purchase where the terms of the music rights are spelled out in plain language,

At Super Bowl LVII, the Kansas City Chiefs referees emerged victorious over the Philadelphia Eagles. But maybe the real winner was us, the viewers, who did not have to sit through a bunch of crypto ads this year. (Also, Rihanna. She won.) These ads offer an insight into the way that the companies we write

If every company has become a tech company, then The New York Times is a prime example. Although it launched as a print newspaper 171 years ago, in 1851, today that same company is very much a tech-driven media business. While the transition has been ongoing to some extent for decades, the NYT brought in

Peacock is launching a new interactive experience later this month that allows fans to livestream episodes alongside actors from the show who provide real-time reactions, commentary and a live Q&A. The feature dubbed “Watch With” is set to roll out on February 24, a day after the second season premiere of Peacock’s “Fresh Prince of

Recently, megastar creator MrBeast posted a video to his YouTube in which he spotlights numerous blind and visually impaired people who have undergone a surgical procedure that “cures” their blindness. As of this writing, the video has been viewed more than 76 million times, and the responses have been visceral in both praise and contempt. For

YouTube recently became the exclusive streaming rights holder of NFL Sunday Ticket, a sports package that was reportedly bid on by other tech giants Apple and Amazon. While YouTube will likely charge a high price for the NFL Sunday Ticket, there may be a more affordable YouTube offering for viewers that want access to fewer

Amazon is engaging with Times Internet to explore the acquisition of MX Player, one of the largest on-demand video streaming services in India, according to four sources familiar with the matter, as the American e-commerce group eyes expanding its entertainment ambitions in the key overseas market. The deliberations are ongoing and may not materialize into

Yahoo is laying off 20% of its staff, impacting 1,600 employees in its ad tech business. Yahoo is the parent company to TechCrunch. Employees were notified on Thursday that 12% of the company (1,000 employees) would be laid off before the end of the day. In six months, another 8% — or 600 people —

Regardless of if you’re tuning into the Super Bowl this Sunday to watch the NFL championship game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs or if you just want to watch Rihanna perform, there are plenty of ways for viewers to watch this year’s Super Bowl. The Super Bowl LVII takes place on

Today, Sling TV announced the launch of its free ad-supported streaming TV service, Sling Freestream, which offers access to over 210 channels and more than 41,000 on-demand movies and TV shows across a variety of different genres, including news, sports, crime, home improvement, cooking and more. At launch, Sling Freestream is available through the Sling

Disney’s first quarter with CEO Bob Iger back in command isn’t looking so good. Disney announced its Q1 2023 earnings today, reporting a total of 161.8 million Disney+ global subscribers, a decrease of 2.4 million subs from 164.2 million in the previous quarter. This is the streamer’s first subscriber loss since launching in 2019. The drop

Netflix today announced it’s rolling out paid sharing, otherwise known as Netflix’s crackdown on password sharing, to more countries, including Canada, New Zealand, Portugal, and Spain. The company had previously tested paid sharing in select markets, including Chile, Costa Rica, Peru, and elsewhere in Latin America. It’s also now offering a few details about how