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More Americans are listening to podcasts regularly — but 40% still don't know what they are

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Podcasts predate the iPhone, Spotify and Netflix's streaming service. But thanks to such things, they're finally starting to catch on with the general public. 

The term "podcast" was first coined by a Guardian journalist in 2004 in an article about online radio, and the first ones appeared even earlier than that, even if they weren't called "podcasts." For years, few people tuned in. But, as we can see in this chart from Statista, which is based on data from Edison Research and Triton Digital, podcast listening has finally started to take off. Six in 10 Americans now know what a podcast is, and four in 10 have listened to one at some point.

The increase in podcast consumption could be attributed to a rise in the overall consumption of digital media. The proliferation of smartphones has also helped make downloading and listening to shows easier than ever.

But the format got a big boost in 2014 with the first season of Sarah Koenig's show, "Serial," which reached 5 million downloads faster than any other podcast before it. Now everyone from Snooki to Goldman Sachs has a podcast, and major media companies like HBO and the BBC are upping the game by bringing big budgets and talent to the format. 

COTD 8/17

 

SEE ALSO: One chart shows how different the internet landscape looks in China

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NOW WATCH: Watch this documentary short about a tragic crime featured on the hit podcast 'Serial'


Everything you ever wanted to know about MoviePass, the $10 a month service that lets you see one movie per day in theaters

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Moviepass

Though MoviePass has been around since 2011, it didn't break into the mainstream until Tuesday. That's because the company announced it would slash the price of its all-you-can-watch movie buffet to a mere $9.95 a month. 

As someone who has been a MoviePass subscriber for the better part of the past two years, and who until this week was paying $50 a month for my unlimited moviegoing privileges, I was thrilled to hear the news. 

Over the past few days, however, I've found myself fielding countless questions from friends, colleagues, and Business Insider readers about the service and whether it's really as good a deal as it sounds. With that in mind, here's are the answers to the questions I've been asked most: 

SEE ALSO: Here's how to use MoviePass, the $10-a-month service that lets you see one movie per day in theaters

What exactly is MoviePass?

MoviePass is a subscription service that allows you to see up to one movie a day in theaters. 



How much is it?

As of Tuesday, MoviePass now costs $9.95 a month. 



Can I really see as many movies as I want for $10? Or does that guarantee a price of $10 per movie?

Nope! You really get to see as many movies as you like for the flat monthly rate. 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Arnold Schwarzenegger to white supremacists: 'Your heroes are losers'

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EMBARGOED arnold scharwzenegger

In a new video, Austrian-born Arnold Schwarzenegger calls on President Donald Trump to reject the support of white supremacists and neo-Nazis.

Tracing the violent and "losing ideology" of Nazism and white supremacy, in the wake of the violence in Charlottesville, Schwarzenegger condemns the presence of hate groups in the United States.

"I knew the original Nazis, because you see, I was born in Austria in 1947, shortly after the second world war," Schwarzenegger says.

"I can tell you that these ghosts [hate groups] idolize spent the rest of their lives living in shame and right now, they're resting in hell," he continues. 

Schwarzenegger addresses Trump's "moral responsibility" to repudiate racist groups and suggests a speech that the president should give.

"The world is watching. Now, let me help you write your speech a little bit," Schwarzenegger says. "'As President of the United States and as a Republican, I reject the support of white supremacists. The country that defeated Hitler's armies is no place for Nazi flags. The party of Lincoln won't stand with those who carry the battle flag of the failed Confederacy.'"

The video is part of a string of issue-driven shorts Schwarzenegger has made with new media company ATTN. His last video, on the Paris Climate Agreement, has more than 77 million views on Facebook so far.

Watch the rest of Schwarzenegger's response to Charlottesville below:

SEE ALSO: 'There is only one side': Obama and Biden weigh in on Charlottesville violence

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NOW WATCH: 7 details you might have missed on season 7 episode 3 of 'Game of Thrones'

UVA alum Tina Fey returns to SNL armed with cake to take down Trump and 'chinless turds' in Charlottesville

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Tina Fey SNL Cake

Tina Fey, a former "Saturday Night Live" Weekend Update co-anchor, returned to the studio Thursday night to offer her thoughts on President Donald Trump and the violence last weekend in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Fey graduated from the University of Virginia, which is in Charlottesville, in 1992. The college town was the site of a white nationalist protest that turned deadly last Saturday.

"It broke my heart to see these evil forces descend upon Charlottesville," Fey said, appearing with current Weekend Update co-anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che.

After seeing Trump public ally condemn violence "on many sides," Fey said she felt "sick."

"I've seen 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' and I wasn't confused by it," Fey said. "No, Colin, Nazis are always bad, I don't care what you say."

In the face of upcoming rallies this weekend, Fey's advice is to avoid the "screaming matches and potential violence," and instead, order a cake with the American flag on it and "just eat it."

"Then next time when you see a bunch of white boys in polo shirts screaming about taking our country back and you want to scream, 'It's not our country, we stole it. We stole from the Native Americans. And when they have a peaceful protest at Standing Rock we shoot at them with rubber bullets, but we let you chinless turds march the streets with semi-automatic weapons,'" Fey said.

"And when you want to yell that, don't yell it at the Klan, Colin, yell it into the cake."

Fey explained that "sheetcaking is a grassroots movement ... Most of the women I know have been doing it once a week since the election."

Her final advice to "all sane Americans" is to treat the upcoming rallies "like the opening of a thoughtful movie with two female leads."

"Don't show up. Let these morons scream into the empty air," she said.

Watch Fey's full Weekend Update appearance below:

SEE ALSO: Trump's top advisers are reportedly 'despondent and numb' and unsure how his presidency will recover after Charlottesville

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NOW WATCH: A drone captured shocking footage of inequality in Mexico City and South Africa

Millions of people are watching Steven Lim, star of the BuzzFeed show 'Worth It,' eat his way across the globe

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Steven Lim acknowledges two major worries in his job: Trying to avoid putting on an extra 20 pounds or so, and trying not to become a total restaurant snob.

"This is going to ruin me," he said.

This, in this case, is "Worth It," a BuzzFeed original series Lim helped create and stars in. "Worth It," features Lim and co-star Andrew Ilnyckyj comparing high end menu items like $70 cheesecakes with $4 variations. 

That means suffering through multiple variations of high-end and low-end burgers, lobster tails, tacos and donuts while getting to hang with celeb chefs like Marcus Samuelsson and David Chang.

"Worth It" is one of a new breed of shows that BuzzFeed is touting as its answer to TV hits in hopes of landing budgets from traditional marketers, as Business Insider reported.

Ironically, Lim's first job out of school was at Procter & Gamble as an engineer working on the Tide Laundry Pods.

worth itAround 2013, he left P&G and took a shot at becoming a YouTube influencer, an endeavor he says did not go well. But then he posted a video featuring people telling Asian parents that they love them, and it went wild, generating half a million views in its first week. BuzzFeed came calling.

Initially Lim wasn't sure. "I really wanted to make sure I could make videos featuring Asian-American themes," he said. BuzzFeed assured him he could, while promising to help him experiment with lots of other formats.

In 2016 he had an idea for a video asking the question about whether taking someone on a date at a super-expensive sushi restaurant was worth it compared to California-roll takeout. In one week it got 10 million views.

So he made a similar video the next week. Then another the following week. By episode four, it was clear the audience loved the concept and "Worth It" was born.

"Food is the ultimate cultural touchpoint. Anybody can relate to it," Lim said between bites of an off-the-menu, cured-bacon-topped burger at New York's Gramercy Tavern in New York, one of the spots featured on "Worth It." "I'm not a burger guy, but this one is my favorite."

Season 3 of "Worth It" – which debuts on Aug. 27 – will bring Ilnyckyj and Lim to locales like Syndey, Australia and features the pair sampling caviar. Yeah, he may already be ruined.

 

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NOW WATCH: How the US's futuristic new aircraft carrier will change naval warfare forever

Marvel's 'The Defenders' has a slow start, but its complex characters save it from being 'The Avengers'

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Netflix The Defenders

What happens when four weirdos — who just happen to be superheroes and the most stubborn people on television — get together and fight Oscar-nominee Sigourney Weaver (and her ninja army) to save New York City?

Not a lot, at least at first.

Netflix only made four of eight episodes of Marvel's "The Defenders" available to critics before the premiere on Friday, and not much has happened yet. Just a lot of build-up.

That build-up starts out a little rough. "Here’s-what-everyone-is-up-to" scenes in the opening episode are filled with cliche dialogue.

But by episode four, the series proves it’s filled with action and necessary character development for these incredibly flawed heroes.

The set-up

"Defenders" unites the protagonists of Netflix’s Marvel shows: "Jessica Jones," "Luke Cage," "Daredevil," and "Iron Fist." 

As expected, the series starts with each Defender doing his or her own thing. 

The story begins after the end of "Fist," with Danny Rand hunting down members of the Hand. Rand — who annoyingly insists that he is The Immortal Iron Fist in every conversation he has, despite no one really knowing what that is or questioning him — is searching for members of the Hand, and finds that the biggest threat is in New York City.

Meanwhile, Jessica Jones reluctantly investigates a case, and finds herself in need of a lawyer. And you’ll never guess who shows up as her lawyer. It’s Matt Murdoch: Daredevil.

Luke Cage is mostly off doing his own thing, just coming out of prison. Cage and Danny Rand — The Immortal Iron Fist, in case you forgot — have a fight that mostly exists to prevent these heroes from realizing they're on the same side. At least for a little big longer.

Eventually, these two pairs pair together, somewhat accidentally.

Weaving compelling characters

Sigourney Weaver makes the otherwise boring Hand more captivating than it's been in “Daredevil” and “Iron Fist.” Weaver's character, Alexandra, who has an excellent and enviable cape collection, brings Elektra back from the dead, and turns her into her little warrior. This plot, and the reveal when Murdoch sees her for the first time, fall a bit flat, since her storyline was one of the weakest points in season two of "Daredevil."

But what really separates "Defenders" from its blockbuster movie counterpart, "The Avengers," is its subtlety. No matter how super these heroes get, the characters and the world they're in always feels grounded in reality. And that's a testament to the writing, especially of the main characters. The Defenders team does not have a Tony Stark, a Thor, or a Captain America. They're pretty much all Hawkeye — but with personalities, flaws, and purpose. They're stubborn, they're scared, they're confused, and they're real. The super powers are just a sidebar. 

So while it gets off to a slow start, "Defenders" is definitely worth your time, especially if you're already a fan of any of the standalone shows. Even if the action and story moving forward is a bit dull, these characters are worth exploring, especially when they're together. 

SEE ALSO: Emma Stone jumps above Jennifer Lawrence — these are the top 10 highest-paid actresses in the world

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NOW WATCH: 7 details you might have missed on season 7 episode 2 of 'Game of Thrones'

Take a look at Pixar's beautiful new movie 'Coco,' which explores the afterlife

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Screen Shot 2017 08 16 at 2.14.44 PM

Pixar's newest film, "Coco," follows the journey of aspiring 12-year-old musician Miguel, as he makes his way through the Land of the Dead. 

Miguel, along with his canine sidekick Dante, end up being transported to the Land of the Dead on Dia de los Muertos — also known as the Day of the Dead — a Mexican holiday that honors friends and family members who have passed away.

Together they find themselves in the company of Hector, who leads them on an adventure that reveals some of Miguel's family secrets.

"Coco" will hit theaters on November 22, and Disney has released five photos of the film to give viewers an idea of what's to come.

Here's your first look at "Coco":

SEE ALSO: RANKED: Every Pixar movie from worst to best

Miguel and Dante.



Here's a closer look at Miguel's goofy companion Dante.



Miguel singing with new friend from the Land of the Dead.



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Grizzly Bear's first album in 5 years, 'Painted Ruins,' is an intricate rock masterpiece — and one of the best albums of the year

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Grizzly Bear

The virtuosic indie-rock quartet Grizzly Bear has returned from a five-year hiatus with the most densely layered, accomplished, and instantly accessible work of its career. 

On "Painted Ruins," the group's fifth album and first project since 2012's "Shields," the band moves further from the sprawling, steady instrumentation of its past, and toward an inventive synthesis of influences from '60s psychedelia and '70s-era progressive rock.  

Founded in the early 2000s in Brooklyn as a lo-fi solo project by singer Ed Droste, Grizzly Bear has evolved drastically over the course of its five LPs.

The band's early era was defined by the moving and meandering work of its idiosyncratic albums "Yellow House" and "Veckatimest," both of which the group compiled to soundtrack Derek Cianfrance's devastating 2011 film "Blue Valentine."

grizzly_bear painted ruinsWith "Painted Ruins," Grizzly Bear has completed its transformation from an indie anomaly that dealt in subtlety, to one of the most inspired rock bands in music.

The new album teems with shape-shifting production that makes for a rewarding headphone listen, and its dynamic approach to songwriting recalls the late work of The Beatles, in its more intricate and studio-focused era.

"Painted Ruins" commences with a pulsating synth, a musical signature that courses throughout the album. Daniel Rossen, one of the band's two singers, is the first up to bat with "Wasted Acres," a peculiar and inviting ode to riding a DRX-250 motorcycle through an open field, and a cryptic symbol of the group's adapting relationship with its audience.

"Were you even listening? / Were you riding with me? / Were you even listening, DRX-250?" Rossen inquires of his bike and, seemingly, the fans the group may have lost through its evolutions. 

Of the album's four stellar singles, "Mourning Sound" epitomizes the band's strengths and diverse talents. Here Droste and Rossen trade verses, as the former sings plaintively of heartbreak and the latter poetically of walking to the "mourning sound" of "distant shots and passing trucks."

Grounded in a propulsive guitar and laced with sharp melodies, the song is a standout track on a highlight-filled album.

Grizzly bear listening session

At an intimate New York listening session for "Painted Ruins" this week, Grizzly Bear's four members stood in a single-file line across a small stage as they briefly introduced the album — the same horizontal, unified formation that the musically egalitarian band always performs in. 

As I listened to the album for the first time in its entirety that night, I was most struck by the cataclysmic build-up of the song "Aquarian," the acrobatic, "Sgt. Peppers"-esque transitions of "Glass Hillside," and the haunting melodies of "Neighbors," another great single.

Over 11 tracks, "Painted Ruins" manages to meld wildly divergent styles into a coherent whole, and though it loses a bit of momentum on its last two tracks, the album is the most well-wrought work in the band's catalog, and definitely one of the finest in music this year.

Give it a listen below, or purchase it here.

SEE ALSO: The 25 best songs of 2017 so far, ranked

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NOW WATCH: 7 details you might have missed on season 7 episode 3 of 'Game of Thrones'


This Marvel comic could be great source material for the Obi-Wan Kenobi movie

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Star Wars ObiWan1

News broke Thursday that Lucasfilm is in the early development stage of a standalone Obi-Wan Kenobi movie.

And it got us thinking: What would a movie on the Jedi Knight will look like?

Many fans of “Star Wars” have always been curious what Obi-Wan Kenobi did all that time between “Revenge of the Sith” and “A New Hope.” That would presumably be the ideal setting for the standalone movie.

A comic book released by Marvel in 2015 brought some clarity to what Ol' Ben was doing at that time.

Following “Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith,” we found Obi-Wan Kenobi (played by Ewan McGregor) heading out alone after bringing twins Luke and Leia to safety from their father Anakin Skywalker — who by then had become Darth Vader.

The original film in the sage, “Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope,” shows “Ben” Kenobi (played by Alec Guinness) as an elder Jedi living in seclusion on Tatooine until he’s thrust back into the Rebel cause after crossing paths with the adult Luke.

Kenobi dies by the hands of Vader in “A New Hope” and that looks to be where the comic book "Star Wars #7" begins.

In the comic, Skywalker comes across Kenobi’s journals after returning to his home world of Tatooine following the events that occur in "A New Hope." The writings he uncovers are his master’s experience on the planet during “a time when injustice reigned.”

star wars darth vader obi wan kenobi

From the synopsis:

“As villainous scum runs rampant over the blistering sands, only a Jedi Master stands any hope of liberating the planet from the grasp of gangs, thieves and thugs. But would Ben risk everything to do what was right? Even if it meant revealing himself to those searching for his whereabouts?”

Some of the pages Marvel teased of the comic back in 2015 shows Kenobi living an isolated existence on Tatooine.

Star Wars 7 Comic

And here it looks like he's come across a young Luke Skywalker (perhaps keeping tabs on him?).

Star Wars 7 Comics2

 

Seeing this is canon, it seems like an obvious starting point for the director attached to the Obi-Wan movie, Stephen Daldry. But the bigger piece to this puzzle is the involvement of Ewan McGregor. Currently the actor isn't attached, which shows how early the project is in its life. But signs are good that the actor would want to take on the role. He's said for years (and told us last year) that he wants to play the character again. 

Don't expect anything to happen overnight on this project. Lucasfilm has a mountain of stories in different stages of production outside of the continuation of the main "Star Wars" saga, like a long-in-development Boba Fett movie and a standalone on Yoda.

In the meantime, seek out this Obi-Wan comic, and imagine McGregor in these kind of poses from its multi-covers.

Star Wars ObiWan2

Star Wars ObiWan3

This post has been updated from its original version.

SEE ALSO: How to get the new "Star Wars" emojis

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NOW WATCH: 8 details you might have missed on season 7 episode 4 of 'Game of Thrones'

Snap seems to (finally) have a good story to tell (SNAP)

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  • evan spiegelSnap seems to be having success with original shows.
  • The company, struggling with user growth and impatient investors, should be shouting about this story more often.
  • The problem is, none of the data on Snapchat shows is validated by third parties, traditionally a must for big advertisers.

Snap has been hit with a lot of rough news of late, but the company seems to have a really good story to tell regarding its original shows. The question is, should they be the ones telling it?

The original NBC/Snapchat news show "Stay Tuned" has put up some pretty eye-popping numbers thus far: 29 million unique viewers in less than a month, reported Axios.  It's so eye-popping that Snap's stock is up as of Friday morning.

To be sure, that's not the same as 29 million people watching a TV news show at the same exact time for 30 or 60 minutes straight. Snapchat isn't saying how many people are watching or for how long.

Still, as Axios notes, it's impressive for anybody to get a predominantly under 25-year old audience to tune in regularly for anything, let alone news. It's unrealistic to throw up a half hour, Peter Jennings-behind-a-desk type series on Snapchat.

Indeed, the early success of "Stay Tuned" is the latest in a series of positive, albeit random numbers for Snapchat Discover and particularly for series. On its most recent earnings call, Snap executives said the reality dating show "Phone Swap" reaches more 10 million viewers per episode. Networks like MTV would kill for a show with that kind of following.

Again, 10 million people checking out a few seconds of a short form Snapchat series is way different than 10 million people waching a show on TV for an extended duration. But still, it's eye-opening.

There have been other indicators that some Discover content draws big audiences. ESPN told Business Insider last year that it has 18 million viewers a month on Discover. Hearst's Cosmopolitan has similarly crowed about big numbers on Discover.

All this chatter raises two questions:

1) Why isn't Snapchat shouting about how big its shows are all the time? This is a good narrative for the embattled public company when it desperately needs one. Snapchat has talked about shows like E's "The Rundown" (7 million viewers an episode) and A+E’s "Second Chance" (over 8 million an episode). Yet we rarely hear about how Comedy Central's originals, or shows from Jimmy Fallon or the NFL, are doing on Snapchat.

Do you think if CBS has a few hits shows this fall it's going to keep quiet about them? After all, there seems to be good ad money in video content. Everyone's pivoting that way. 

2) How do we know if any of these numbers are true? The viewership numbers for Snap shows often come from partners, Snapchat itself, or unnamed sources. Nobody's saying anybody is making things up. But when a company tells the world about its audience, it's probably going to spin the data to put it in the best light possible. 

Do 29 million people watch NBC's Snap show ever day? Or did 29 million people watch it once for a few seconds, and only a few hundred thousand watch regularly? Only Snapchat and NBC know. To be fair, it's still very early in Snapchat's and its partners' foray into these kinds of shows, so reporting may be a work in progress.

Business Insider has reached out to Snap for comment and has yet to hear back.

Say what you want about the flaws in Nielsen ratings– and there are plenty (they are based on a very small sample of the U.S., for instance, and they are limited technologically – in some markets, people still fill out paper diaries. Seriously). But the numbers come out every day, and nobody in TV can hide from them.

Snapchat likes to talk about the dozen or so measurement partners it has inked deals with over the last few years. But it needs someone like Nielsen or comScore or Moat grading how well it's shows are doing, so the world (and advertisers) can actually dig in and figure out how people are really watching content on Snapchat.

To be fair, Snapchat isn't the only company that self reports. Facebook loves to crow about how many daily video views it generates, and we often just take their word for it. And TV networks are masters of taking Nielsen data and making it sound better than it is ("the number one new comedy among adults 75-plus on Tuesdays this summer!")

The problem is, as we've seen of late, between video ads running next to hate videos on YouTube to Facebook admitting to a series of self-inflicted measurement mistakes, marketers are less inclined to take anybody in digital media at their word.

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NOW WATCH: How the US's futuristic new aircraft carrier will change naval warfare forever

This startup wants to stop you from being bored at the airport while you wait for your flight

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If you've ever been to an airport, you've most likely spent some time very bored.

A familiar scene: You're through security and have nothing to do before your plane boards, except go to one of the overpriced restaurants, or bars, and watch a bunch of TVs showing sports. Or, instead, you can sit at your gate and watch the TVs hanging from the ceilings, which likely are only showing CNN.

ReachMe.TV thinks it's figured out how to make waiting at the airport more tolerable.

The startup is an in-airport mobile entertainment network that provides thousands of hours of content — including original programming, local news, sports, and weather — to the top 50 airports in the US and Canada (and 750,000 hotel rooms). But it's not just regular TV.

If you come across a ReachMe.TV screen at the airport, it could be playing anything from a brief recap of last night's sports highlights, to a three-minute profile about a fashion blogger. It's programming designed to be watched in short bursts.

And here's the best part: ReachMe.TV allows people in airports to sync their phones or tablets with airport screens, so they can take the content they were just watching with them.

reachmetvmobileHere's how it works.

If the airport you're at has ReachMe.TV, and you're enjoying the content on it, but have to walk away from the screen, just go to ReachMe.TV on your mobile device or tablet and type in the channel you're watching (which is shown on the screen) and it will show up. For free. No need to download an app. That's it.

The spark

The company is the brainchild of entrepreneur Ron Bloom, who a few years ago saw the importance personalizing televisions in public places. What started as a dongle he made and attached to TVs at some beauty parlors has now turned into a company that reaches more than 100 million viewers a month.

"Imagine being a producer and discovering that if you make something it will be seen by 100 million people a month guaranteed? This is really exciting," Bloom, who is the cofounder and CCO of the company, told Business Insider.

After signing up around 20 airports last year, ReachMe.TV went to market earlier this year and quickly grabbed the attention of the networks. In June, CBS signed a 10 year exclusive partnership with the company to provide local news, weather, and sports from its CBS TV stations, as well as other programs under the CBS umbrella like "Entertainment Tonight," and a newly created news package called "CBS On The Go."

Ron BloomBut what is the programming on ReachMe.TV like?

Brevity is one of the keys to the network. Most of the content on ReachMe.TV is short and concise, ranging from a minute or two for news segments, to six to 12 minutes for documentaries or a scripted comedy.

"I love 'Law & Order,' but if I have to catch my plane and I only have 40 minutes, I can't watch that because I know I won't be able to see the end of the episode," cofounder and CEO Lynnwood Bibbens told Business Insider. "So by creating content that's six to ten minutes, now I can consume two to three different episodes."

It's a viewing habit younger, digital-native people have already been doing for years, and Bloom and Bibbens believe that it's perfect for the traveling adult.

The demographic of the ReachMe.TV viewer is someone in their mid-30s to mid-50s, an on-the-go executive who spends a lot of time either at airports or hotels. Their time is precious, and Bloom and Bibbens believe they have reworked how a TV network can find that audience.

"We took the same programming zeitgeist that the major networks use, but broke the format barrier: the length of content," Bloom said. "Let's not have the 22 minutes of content for eight minutes of advertising, let's take any length we want."

Lynnwood BibbensBibbens had experience on the hardware side, including deploying over 200,000 screens in retail spaces and over 100,000 screens in hotels, so he knew how to make them all talk on one network. And Bloom had decades of experience on the content side. He is the creator and executive producer of "Hollywood Today Live," and produced the first webcast of the Grammys in 1995. Bloom built the original content for ReachMe.TV, which currently has a broadcast studio in the heart of Hollywood. There the company is producing its own news programs and even reality shows. ReachMe.TV also has a closed-circuit rights agreement to acquire content (like the Super Bowl).

The company recently landed a deal with HMS Hosts, the premier airport food-service company that handles all the major restaurants and bars at US airports. So if you haven't seen ReachMe.TV when you travel, you will soon.

"We took an aging, rusted concept of slapping a TV in a public place, and we put a new dress on it and took it back to the prom," Bloom said. "Doing that we got companies to not think about it not just as a screen, but as a gateway to their customers."

SEE ALSO: RANKED: The 21 best heist movies of all time

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NOW WATCH: 7 details you might have missed on season 7 episode 2 of 'Game of Thrones'

These 10 'Game of Thrones' characters disappeared, but could come back in a major way

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Game of Thrones Danearys Targaryen Meeting Khal Drogo

There are tons of characters on "Game of Thrones," and it's hard enough to remember all the main names sometimes, let alone the minor ones.

And on this show, anyone could come back unexpectedly. So to help you be the one who can tell your friends exactly who that character you haven't seen a while is, here's our guide to forgotten "Game of Thrones" characters who could return in the future  some in a very big way. 

Here are some forgotten "Game of Thrones" characters who could return in season seven or season eight:

SEE ALSO: 'Game of Thrones' cinematographer describes shooting that battle of roasting Lannisters, including trouble with an HBO safety officer

Salladhor Saan

Don't remember Salladhor Saan? Fair enough. He's barely in the show. He's a pirate and friend of Davos from his days as a pirate. In fact, he's a pirate lord and sellsail who commands a fleet of thirty ships. Salladhor is recruited by Stannis Baratheon (thanks to Davos) to help in the Battle of the Blackwater, but abandons the cause after Stannis loses. 

In season five, Stannis and Davos secure a loan from the Iron Bank of Braavos. This allows Davos to pay Salldhor for his service to Stannis' cause, but that's the last time we see him.

Will Davos recruit Salladhor for Team Dany to replace the ships and people lost in Euron Greyjoy's attack on Yara's fleet? It's certainly a possibility, and would explain why we got that scene between Davos and Salladhor in season five. 



Illyrio Mopatis

Illyrio is a Magister in Pentos and a supporter of House Targaryen. In season one, he sets up the marriage of Daenerys Targaryen and Khal Drogo, and feeds Varys information on Dany and Viserys, who both support the latter's claim to the Iron Throne. In season five, though unseen, he lets Varys and Tyrion stay in his home in Pentos after their escape from King's Landing together.

Varys could bring Illyrio onto Dany's team for some more foreign support. He's also super wealthy, which could prove helpful to Dany. 

 



Edmure Tully

Where is this guy now that his niece Arya Stark brought winter to House Frey? The last we saw him he was in Riverrun, a captive of the Freys. We're guessing he's somewhere in the Riverlands, doing something. 



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The latest PS4 blockbuster is a gorgeous and dangerous romp through India

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The blockbuster "Uncharted" video game series has always been a mix of "Indiana Jones" with "Tomb Raider," starring a devilish, charming protagonist named Nathan Drake. But in the brand-new "Uncharted: The Lost Legacy," the series' formula is finally getting mixed up: Instead of the same old Drake, two new female protagonists are taking the lead.

Uncharted: The Lost Legacy

Rather than attempting a sequel to the notably conclusive "Uncharted 4: A Thief's End," the story of "The Lost Legacy" is a spin-off set in the wake of the last game. But don't get things twisted: This is definitely an "Uncharted" game still, from third-person shooting to swinging on vines to exotic locales. 

Better yet: "Uncharted: The Lost Legacy" arrives this coming Tuesday, August 22, on the PlayStation 4. As such, we've put together everything we know about the game ahead of launch.

SEE ALSO: The best game of 2017 is getting a huge expansion this November — here's everything we know

This is Chloe Frazer, one of the two protagonists in "Uncharted: The Lost Legacy." She's who you'll actually play as, while your compatriot assists (like Sculley in previous games).



This is Nadine Ross, a mercenary with ties to the game's antagonist (who we'll meet in a moment). The relationship between Chloe and Nadine isn't exactly positive, which is one of the central tensions in the story of "The Lost Legacy."



This bespectacled gentleman is known only as Asav. He's a rebel leader, and he's got a past with Nadine — he's also the bad guy.

In a Game Informer piece from March, the game's creative director Shaun Escayg said Asav "has history with the government; he feels left out in solving the conflicts the government solved at one point and he’s now a lone rebel trying to create war and profit from it." 

We know he also used to work for the government, so it sounds like he has a chip on his shoulder about something from the past. Could that "something from the past" have involved Nadine as well? We shall see.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 11 characters mostly likely to get killed on 'Game of Thrones' this week, ranked by who's the most toast

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Jon and Beric Dondarrion Beyond the Wall

Note: The author of this post has not watched the leaked episode of "Game of Thrones."

On "Game of Thrones," basically anyone can be killed — and at any time. 

This week, Jon Snow and his Dream Team of Westerosi misfits go beyond the wall to fulfill their mission of capturing a wight, which means they're headed into a brutal fight.

To prepare you (and ourselves) for this intense episode, we put together a list of all the characters who have the biggest chance of dying this week.

Season seven episode six, "Beyond the Wall," airs Sunday night on HBO.

Here's who could die this week on "Game of Thrones":

SEE ALSO: The 7 biggest questions we have after this week's 'Game of Thrones'

11. Jon Snow — 85%

Chance of survival this episode: 85%. Jon Snow is certainly at risk from death going beyond the wall this week, but lucky for him his story is far from over. And Thoros is available for resurrections, so even if he dies he's in pretty good shape.

Chance of survival this season: 85%. He's already died before and his life could be saved again. 



10. Sandor Clegane/The Hound — 84%

Chance of survival this episode: 84%. He's probably sticking around, especially since we already suffered an entire season without him.  

Chance of survival this season: 80%. The Hound's scenes in the season premiere proved that his story is moving forward in a way that makes his character more important than ever. He will be an essential figure in the battles to come, and the end of the series as a whole. 



9. Davos Seaworth — 78%

Chance of survival this episode: 78%. Davos should be fine this week since he's staying at Eastwatch-by-the-Sea, probably eating fermented crab to pass the time while his buddies are fighting the dead. 

Chance of survival this season: 50%. Of any of these people, Davos probably deserves life the most. But the closer Davos gets to Jon Snow and ruling, the more danger he's in. But he has stuck around all this time for a reason: he's an insightful dude.



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Daniel Craig didn't break character or his weird voice while shooting 'Logan Lucky'

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Logan Lucky Daniel Craig

One of the many highlights from the trailer for Steven Soderbergh's "Logan Lucky" is the hilarious voice Daniel Craig uses to play bank robber Joe Bang. 

It turns out, to keep that high-pitched twang on the tip of his tongue, the James Bond star talked like that even off the set for the entire time he was working on the movie.

"He was doing the voice the whole time," Riley Keough, who also stars in "Logan Lucky," told Business Insider while she was promoting her upcoming movie "It Comes at Night" (opening in theaters on Friday). "If I saw him at the hotel after shooting he would be doing the voice. It was really funny."

And Craig wasn't the only comic relief. Between him and costars Channing Tatum and Adam Driver, the jokes were constant, according to Keough.

Logan Lucky Bleecker Street2"When I start laughing I just can't stop, so that was really hard because they were all so funny," the actress said. "And they wouldn't stop bantering between takes. It was ridiculous."

In the movie, Tatum and Driver play brothers who hire Craig's Joe Bang to help them pull off a heist during a NASCAR race.

So why did Craig insist on staying in character off the set?

"I think the thing is because he's English he wanted to not lose the voice," Keough said.

It seems like a good theory.

"Logan Lucky" opens in theaters August 18. Check out Craig's unique voice in the trailer below:

 

SEE ALSO: The 10 biggest box office bombs of 2017 so far

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NOW WATCH: 7 details you might have missed on season 7 episode 2 of 'Game of Thrones'


The 5 best new songs you can stream right now, from the likes of Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant and Grizzly Bear

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Led Zeppelin Robert Plant

This week, Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant and LCD Soundsystem both released new singles, and Grizzly Bear put out one of the year's best albums.

SEE ALSO: The best songs from last week that you can stream right now — Avicii, The National, and more

SEE ALSO: Grizzly Bear's first album in 5 years, 'Painted Ruins,' is an intricate rock masterpiece — and one of the best albums of the year

Grizzly Bear — "Aquarian"

Grizzly Bear's Daniel Rossen sings ominously of "great disaster" amid a tempestuous swirl of electric guitars on "Aquarian," a highlight from the indie-rock band's masterful new LP, "Painted Ruins."

 

 



LCD Soundsystem — "tonite"

LCD Soundsystem singer James Murphy paces and rant-sings through a vocoder about the state of the music industry in the video for "tonite," an '80s-inspired synth anthem from the group's upcoming album, "American Dream."

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KMD — "True Lightyears" (feat. DOOM and Jay Electronica)

DOOM and Jay Electronica, hip hop's two most notoriously reclusive geniuses, team on "True Lightyears," an Adult Swim-released single from DOOM's forthcoming album with his original rap group, KMD. 

 

 



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The eSports competitive video gaming market continues to grow revenues & attract investors

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eSports Advertising and Sponsorships

This is a preview of a research report from BI Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service. To learn more about BI Intelligence, click here.

What is eSports? History & Rise of Video Game Tournaments

Years ago, eSports was a community of video gamers who would gather at conventions to play Counter Strike, Call of Duty, or League of Legends.

These multiplayer video game competitions would determine League of Legends champions, the greatest shooters in Call of Duty, the cream of the crop of Street Fighter players, the elite Dota 2 competitors, and more.

But today, as the history of eSports continue to unfold, media giants such as ESPN and Turner are broadcasting eSports tournaments and competitions. And in 2014, Amazon acquired Twitch, the live streaming video platform that has been and continues to be the leader in online gaming broadcasts. And YouTube also wanted to jump on the live streaming gaming community with the creation of YouTube Gaming.

eSports Market Growth Booming

To put in perspective how big eSports is becoming, a Google search for "lol" does not produce "laughing out loud" as the top result. Instead, it points to League of Legends, one of the most popular competitive games in existence. The game has spawned a worldwide community called the League of Legends Championship Series, more commonly known as LCS or LOL eSports.

What started as friends gathering in each other's homes to host LAN parties and play into the night has become an official network of pro gaming tournaments and leagues with legitimate teams, some of which are even sponsored and have international reach. Organizations such as Denial, AHQ, and MLG have multiple eSports leagues.

And to really understand the scope of all this, consider that the prize pool for the latest Dota 2 tournament was more than $20 million.

Websites even exist for eSports live scores to let people track the competitions in real time if they are unable to watch. There are even fantasy eSports leagues similar to fantasy football, along with the large and growing scene of eSports betting and gambling.

So it's understandable why traditional media companies would want to capitalize on this growing trend just before it floods into the mainstream. Approximately 300 million people worldwide tune in to eSports today, and that number is growing rapidly. By 2020, that number will be closer to 500 million.

eSports Industry Analysis - The Future of the Competitive Gaming Market

Financial institutions are starting to take notice. Goldman Sachs valued eSports at $500 million in 2016 and expects the market will grow at 22% annually compounded over the next three years into a more than $1 billion opportunity.

And industry statistics are already backing this valuation and demonstrating the potential for massive earnings. To illustrate the market value, market growth, and potential earnings for eSports, consider Swedish media company Modern Times Group's $87 million acquisition of Turtle Entertainment, the holding company for ESL. YouTube has made its biggest eSports investment to date by signing a multiyear broadcasting deal with Faceit to stream the latter's Esports Championship Series. And the NBA will launch its own eSports league in 2018.

Of course, as with any growing phenomenon, the question becomes: How do advertisers capitalize? This is especially tricky for eSports because of its audience demographics, which is young, passionate, male-dominated, and digital-first. They live online and on social media, are avid ad-blockers, and don't watch traditional TV or respond to conventional advertising.

So what will the future of eSports look like? How high can it climb? Could it reach the mainstream popularity of baseball or football? How will advertisers be able to reach an audience that does its best to shield itself from advertising?

Robert Elder, research analyst for BI Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service, has compiled an unparalleled report on the eSports ecosystem that dissects the growing market for competitive gaming. This comprehensive, industry-defining report contains more than 30 charts and figures that forecast audience growth, average revenue per user, and revenue growth.

Companies and organizations mentioned in the report include: NFL, NBA, English Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, NHL, Paris Saint-Germain, Ligue 1, Ligue de Football, Twitch, Amazon, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, ESPN, Electronic Arts, EA Sports, Valve, Riot Games, Activision Blizzard, ESL, Turtle Entertainment, Dreamhack, Modern Times Group, Turner Broadcasting, TBS Network, Vivendi, Canal Plus, Dailymotion, Disney, BAMTech, Intel, Coca Cola, Red Bull, HTC, Mikonet

Here are some eSports industry facts and statistics from the report:

  • eSports is a still nascent industry filled with commercial opportunity.
  • There are a variety of revenue streams that companies can tap into.
  • The market is presently undervalued and has significant room to grow.
  • The dynamism of this market distinguishes it from traditional sports.
  • The audience is high-value and global, and its numbers are rising.
  • Brands can prosper in eSports by following the appropriate game plan.
  • Game publishers approach their Esport ecosystems in different ways.  
  • Successful esport games are comprised of the same basic ingredients.
  • Digital streaming platforms are spearheading the popularity of eSports.
  • Legacy media are investing into eSports, and seeing encouraging results.
  • Traditional sports franchises have a clear opportunity to seize in eSports.
  • Virtual and augmented reality firms also stand to benefit from eSports.  

In full, the report illuminates the business of eSports from four angles:

  • The gaming nucleus of eSports, including an overview of popular esport genres and games; the influence of game publishers, and the spectrum of strategies they adopt toward their respective esport scenes; the role of eSports event producers and the tournaments they operate.
  • The eSports audience profile, its size, global reach, and demographic, psychographic, and behavioral attributes; the underlying factors driving its growth; why they are an attractive target for brands and broadcasters; and the significant audience and commercial crossover with traditional sports.
  • eSports media broadcasters, including digital avant-garde like Twitch and YouTube, newer digital entrants like Facebook and traditional media outlets like Turner’s TBS Network, ESPN, and Canal Plus; their strategies and successes in this space; and the virtual reality opportunity.
  • eSports market economics, with a market sizing, growth forecasts, and regional analyses; an evaluation of the eSports spectacle and its revenue generators, some of which are idiosyncratic to this industry; strategic planning for brand marketers, with case studies; and an exploration of the infinite dynamism and immense potential of the eSports economy.

Interested in getting the full report? Here are two ways to access it:

  1. Subscribe to an All-Access pass to BI Intelligence and gain immediate access to this report and over 100 other expertly researched reports. As an added bonus, you'll also gain access to all future reports and daily newsletters to ensure you stay ahead of the curve and benefit personally and professionally. >> START A MEMBERSHIP
  2. Purchase & download the full report from our research store. >> BUY THE REPORT

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NOW WATCH: 6 details you might have missed on season 7 episode 5 of 'Game of Thrones'

These $25 headphones with 3D surround sound are perfect for playing games and watching movies

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Even though the future is wireless, it's still handy to keep a pair of wired headphones on you at all times. And for that, I think I've found a new favorite: the Moov 14 in-ear headphones from Vava, which only cost $25.

vava moov 14 headphones

I use in-ear headphones for two things, mainly: to hear music and notifications coming from my laptop when I'm working throughout the day, and to plug into my PlayStation 4 controller so I can play games or watch movies, particularly when my fiancée is asleep so as not to disturb her.

When I saw the Moov 14 headphones, I was instantly drawn by the polygonal design of the metal buds — a hint that they're to be used for gaming — and their deep red accents. They looked beautiful, but I was worried about comfort. I'm one of those people who usually feels in-ear headphones go too far into my ears to the point of discomfort; Apple's earbud design, which simply sits in your ear, feels much more comfortable to me. Still, I wanted to give these buds a try.

I was glad I did.

vava moov 14 headphonesThough I didn't like the comfort of the original earbud tips that came on the headphones, Vava includes three other pairs of different-sized tips, so I tried the smallest tips Vava made — those are still by far my favorite. With those tips, I'd even go so far as to say the Moov 14 is the most comfortable pair of in-ear headphones I've tried that aren't made by Apple. (I still think Apple makes more comfortable in-ear headphones, but everyone's ears, and opinions, are different.)

As for the audio quality, the Moov 14 headphones do tend to favor the higher and mid-range frequencies, which is totally fine for most video games you'll play. You might lose some of the depth in some movies, but after using them for 5 minutes you won't notice a big difference. The most important thing here is that everything sounds clear, and volume isn't an issue at all. The big bonus here is 3D surround sound, which makes movies and games feel that much more immersive. It can sound like action is happening all around you, or just from a specific area — like directly behind you. It's a great effect.

Since these headphones can be used for gaming, they also include an integrated mic and button to skip tracks, if you're listening to music, or even take calls. Voice chat on the PS4 sounded comparable to other in-ear headphones I tried — clear but a little tinny — and my voice came through loud and clear. The microphone on Apple's in-ear headphones isn't compatible with the PS4 controllers, so the Moov 14 headphones win this round.

The only thing these headphones are not built for is exercise. Vava does make some exercise headphones, both wired and wireless pairs, but you might be better off going a bit more upscale with something like PowerBeats, where you get what you pay for in terms of both durability and performance.

My favorite aspect of the Moov 14 headphones, though, isn't even the headphones — it's the adorable palm-sized traveling case they come in, which manages to keep the headphones secure and the various eartips all organized. It's a great way to ensure you don't lose anything, and the case, with its sleek ambigram logo, is just really cool to boot.

vava moov 14 headphones

For $25, the Vava Moov 14 headphones are a great option if want a solid, immersive and comfortable audio experience while watching movies or playing games. You can buy them on Amazon right here

SEE ALSO: The 25 best games every PlayStation 4 owner should have in their library

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NOW WATCH: British special forces are testing out a bulletproof combat helmet that looks like something Boba Fett would wear

This hilarious map shows how far Jon Snow has traveled compared to the White Walkers on 'Game of Thrones'

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Jon Snow Beyond the Wall

As "Game of Thrones" nears its end, it doesn't have time for travel. 

In earlier seasons, we'd spend all ten episodes watching characters travel, some not even getting to their destination by the end of the season.

For example, in season four, Arya Stark and the Hound start out in the Riverlands and don't get to the Vale until the final episodes.

But now, the show is much more fast-paced. With a limited number of episodes left, things have to get done.

That means no more watching characters ride horses on the Kingsroad. This stark (pun somewhat intended) difference in time on the show has confused some viewers, and has inspired a lot of jokes on the internet.

One of the best comes from a Redditor who asked to be credited as Steve H., who created a map depicting Jon Snow's travels since season five, episode eight ("Hardhome"), until season seven, episode five ("Eastwatch"). The White Walkers and the wights have a lot of catching up to do.

Here's the map:

Jon Snow travel map

At this point, Jon Snow might as well start a side gig as a travel blogger. If Instagram likes could kill White Walkers as well as Valyrian steel, that would make things a heck of a lot easier for the King in the North. 

SEE ALSO: The 11 characters mostly likely to get killed on 'Game of Thrones' this week, ranked by who's the most toast

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NOW WATCH: Here's everyone left on Arya Stark's kill list on 'Game of Thrones'

The entertainment industry could become 'the Netflix industry' (NFLX)

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  • shonda rhimes smilingShonda Rhimes' move to Netflix is bad for all of network TV, not just ABC.
  • It's another signal that broadcast TV is seen by big creators as limiting and less lucrative.
  • TV networks need to discover new talent, or risk losing more viewers – and ultimately advertisers.

Shonda Rhimes isn't just good at making good TV.

The creator of hits like "Grey's Anatomy" and "Scandal" is really good at making true broadcast TV.

And if more people like Rhimes decide they don't like that medium as much as Netflix's more lucrative and less rigid one, that spells trouble for major TV networks and their advertisers.

Because if the best creators no longer want to work with CBS, ABC, NBC and Fox, what are these networks left with, but the leftovers?

Rhimes, who just inked a big Netflix deal, has been particularly prolific at a unique, some would say fading, form of TV. Call it the buzzy-but-still-mainstream-enough network drama. Besides "Scandal" and "Grey's," she's responsible for "How to Get Away With Murder" and the former ABC hit "Private Practice." The Wall Street Journal reported that she brought in $2 billion for the network.

Besides tons of revenue, Rhimes filled ABC's schedule with hour-long shows that played out over 22 episodes a year. In an age where TV 'auteures' turn to streaming services to make six episode 'seasons,' making as much TV as Shondaland churns out is a very particular, increasingly rare set of skills.

Some of the top creators in TV have been more vocal about what a grind that kind of schedule is creatively. That's part of the reason why Tina Fey was happy that "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" went from NBC to Netflix. A few months ago, "Gilmore Girls" creator Amy Sherman-Palladino told the Journal that she was probably done with network TV, given its storytelling limitations.

Rhimes hinted at this dynamic in the announcement of her Netflix deal, according to the New York Times. 

"[Netflix chief content officer] Ted [Sarandos] provides a clear, fearless space for creators at Netflix. He understood what I was looking for — the opportunity to build a vibrant new storytelling home for writers with the unique creative freedom and instantaneous global reach."

Of course, beyond the creative freedom, there's the $6 billion or so Netflix plans to spend on shows this year that has a way of attracting talent.

There's a lot of truth in this comment. Netflix is like the Yankees going after whichever free agent it wants. And unfortunately for their longevity, the broadcast networks risk becoming small market teams (or even worse, Netflix's minor league system).

It's why folks like Chuck Lorre (creator of "The Big Bang Theory" and "Two and a Half Men") and 70-year old Dick Wolf ("Law and Order" and umpteen Chicago-set dramas on NBC) can pretty much write their own ticket. It's also part of the motivation for Disney planning direct-to-consumer subscription offerings.

More importantly, it's vital for broadcast networks to find new creative talent that not only knows how to create a show that resonates, but one that plays well in the TV networks' 22-episodes a year business model – and ideally is so good that people have to tune in live. It might be time to keep more of an open mind regarding truly original series like Netflix's "Stranger Things," for example, which was rejected by lots of networks.

Otherwise, the more Shondaland fans that get their crazy twist fix from streaming ad-free shows, the fewer people will flip on ABC on Thursday nights. And eventually there'll be fewer advertisers willing to stick with network TV.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: British special forces are testing out a bulletproof combat helmet that looks like something Boba Fett would wear

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