• After two years, Amazon will start selling the Google Chromecast and Apple TV streaming devices.
• The move comes after Google removed the YouTube app from Amazon devices.

Amazon will start selling Google Chromecast and Apple TV streaming devices again, after unlisting them from sale two years ago, the company confirms to Business Insider. 

The move comes as Amazon and Google battle over YouTube— the search giant recently pulled support for the very popular YouTube app from Amazon Echo Show and Fire TV devices, undermining Amazon's streaming strategy going into the holiday shopping home stretch.

In general, Amazon has signaled that it's willing to open up its streaming strategy, recently launching a long-promised Amazon Prime Video app for the Apple TV, too.

In 2015, Amazon characterized the decision to stop selling the Google and Apple streaming devices because, at the time, there was no Amazon video app for either. The retailer said that this was confusing customers, and that it wanted to make sure that customers could only buy devices that would support its own in-house video services. 

While the Apple TV now supports Amazon Prime Video, the Chromecast still does not. It remains to be seen if Amazon and Google will clear up their differences: Perhaps this ends with YouTube coming back to Fire TV, and Amazon Prime Video on the Chromecast. Or perhaps, this will end up as just another front in the brewing Amazon/Google war.

Apple and Google did not respond to a request for comment at the time of publication. 

SEE ALSO: The Google vs Amazon fight over YouTube is the perfect reason why you should buy a Roku

DON'T MISS: Forget Mac versus PC, or iPhone versus Android — the next great battle is between Google and Amazon

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NOW WATCH: Scott Galloway says Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google should be broken up

A popular new mobile game show called HQ Trivia is shutting down offices and classrooms, and creating quite a buzz in the mobile gaming world with its innovative format. The game is simple: you tune in at a specific time and try to answer 12 questions to win a real cash prize.

It was started by one of the founders of the popular video app, Vine, and the host is a stand-up comedian named Scott Rogowsky. We spoke with Scott to find out some more about his background and get his thoughts on the rapid success of the game. Following is a transcript of the video.

Scott Rogowsky: It all boils down to this!

I am the host with the challah French toast. The trap Trebek. Scott Rogowsky, host of HQ trivia.

My background is in comedy. I started doing stand-up comedy in college. Moved to New York City after college. Did the open mic thing for a few years. Transitioned to hosting talk shows. A sports talk show and then "Running Late with Scott Rogowsky" for the past 6 years.

About 2 years ago, I made a YouTube video showcasing some fake books on the subway. That went viral in a way that I never experienced before.

I auditioned for HQ back in April. It has been overwhelmingly positive. I can't even describe the amount of tweets, and the comments, and people on the street stopping me, and just the joy of the fans of HQ. They love to play the game.

Their offices are shutting down at 3 p.m. Classrooms are stopping what they're doing to play at 3 p.m. 9 p.m., people are gathering with their family. We saw it on Thanksgiving.

HQ kind of hearkens back to that old method of watching live television, when you couldn't DVR it.

I'm sort of an old soul, and "You Bet Your Life" with Groucho Marx is the best game show of all time, in my opinion. "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," of course, was a huge, huge phenomenon. Loved watching Regis. Still love Regis. Regis! Can you believe it?

Before the game, there's a prep session with the producer and the writers. We kinda go through the quiz, the questions of the day. I make my notes to myself of ways to maybe transition from question to question. Or throw in an extra tidbit here and there. I try to throw a few slices of dried mango down my throat. And some date bars. Maybe some yerba mate. Get energized.

My suit is my uniform. To be honest, I really wanted to wear a suit with question marks covering the whole thing, but there was a guy giving away free money who already beat me to it. Shout out Matthew Lesko. So we had to pivot towards the black blazer, black tie.

The teleprompter has the questions. I'm not that good to where I could memorize all 12 questions and their answers. But there's a fair amount of ad-libbing.

"Sherry! Oooh Sherry baby ...Sherry! Is that Frankie Valli?"

"In the year 2000!"

Things pop into my mind when I'm in there that I don't know where they come from sometimes. And sometimes I don't know where they're going. And sometimes I wish I didn't say them.

Do I know most of the answers myself? Well, it depends on the category. I'm good with geography, history, sports, politics. When it gets into the gaming, the video games, the tech ... those are my weak spots.

I don't know how far I would get if I were to actually play HQ, but I like to think I would win at least one or two games.

The way the game works is I asked 12 questions, and you have 10 seconds to answer the question from when I start reading it. So it's not a lot of time. Obviously, you can very easily have another device next to you, typing the answer.

"Siri! Where is Suriname located?"

You know? And they could give you the answer. Googling is happening. I think it's happening. Frankly, I think it runs counter to the game. You know? If it's really, truly a test of your wits, why would you rely on Google? We recommend that you Ask Jeeves.

Because this is such a new thing that has grown so quickly, there are going to be growing pains. And we've experienced that with some of the lag and so many people wanting to play, which is incredible, that you have the demand there. Obviously, the engineers are working around the clock, trying to do their best. There are times when the game glitches or freezes. And I have to sort of tap dance around that, do a little a little song and dance for the HQ-ties watching at home. But I'm used to struggling on stage. Let's put it that way. From my 10 years of doing stand-up. So it actually helps when there's no one there to heckle. It's a heckle-proof environment.

What HQ brings is that idea of FOMO. Right? If you're not playing the game, you're missing out. And yeah, I think we're going to start seeing other networks, other companies trying to come into the space. Maybe competitors to HQ. We're already seeing some of those those pop up.

But could this move beyond trivia? I mean what makes this work is that we're giving out money. Would people watch a talk show with no stakes? If it was live and in the moment? I dunno. Would they watch a cooking show?

The coolest thing about HQ is that after the games, you see that water cooler effect. You know, "Oh question 4! That was savage!" "Oh man, I completely guessed wrong on that one!" "I knew it, but I didn't get it in time."

It's just a positive, joyous jubilation on the internet, which is so rare! It's usually a very sad and angry place. But I think HQ is injecting some positivity back into the mix.

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• Rupert Murdoch walked through the thinking behind the Disney-Fox deal.
• Murdoch thinks that entertainment TV programming supported by advertising will be a tough business moving forward.
• His point of view raises questions about the future of ventures like Hulu, and also his own broadcast network Fox (which wasn't sold to Disney).

Rupert Murdoch doesn’t see much of a future for anything on linear TV that’s not news or sports — and even for sports he sees an impending challenge from Facebook.

On Thursday, the media mogul went into detail about the thinking behind his blockbuster sale of 21st Century Fox’s entertainment and TV assets to Disney for $54.2 billion. And he didn't paint a rosy future for a lot of traditional TV.

“People watch television differently, not ‘news’ or ‘business,’ but ‘entertainment’ they watch very differently,” Murdoch said in an interview on Fox Business. Basically, Murdoch said people like to watch programs like TV dramas or comedies at their own pace, in a “nonlinear” way. To Murdoch, the only “must-see” TV anymore is news and sports, which are inherently live. (Sorry, “Game of Thrones.”)

This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who has watched the rise of Netflix, but it gets more intriguing when Murdoch walks through the implications.

“There is no loyalty to them,” Murdoch said of individual broadcast networks, presumably including Fox (Fox Broadcasting Company), which he is actually not selling to Disney. “There’s loyalty to individual programs.”

From Murdoch’s point of view, individual shows are what customers are loyal to, and they want to watch them on-demand (unless those programs are sports games).

That isn’t just bad news for TV networks, but also for anyone trying to sell advertising against entertainment programming.

“It’s very hard to monetize that with advertising,” Murdoch said of the on-demand trend in customer behavior.

If Murdoch is right, and that type of programming lends itself more to an ad-free model like Netflix or HBO, what does that mean for Hulu (now 60% owned by Disney)? And what does it mean for Facebook and YouTube, which are pushing toward “premium” ad-supported video? Heck, what does it mean for the Fox broadcast network Murdoch's company still owns (beyond sports or news programming)?

Murdoch didn't address these questions, but he did assert that as far as news and sports were concerned, the remaining assets of Fox were “preeminent and strong.” Still, how long can that last? Murdoch also mentioned a challenge coming for sports rights, particularly from Facebook, which is ready to shell out hundreds of millions of dollars. If sports rights get stripped away, will the remaining assets of Fox transition into purely a TV news company?

Whatever happens will be largely dictated by the moves of giants coming from Silicon Valley. Murdoch pointed out Apple, Netflix, and Facebook as three companies he thought would be big players in the battle over the future of TV.

SEE ALSO: IT'S OFFICIAL: Disney will buy 21st Century Fox film and TV assets for $52.4 billion

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NOW WATCH: Why planes are de-iced

• While Democrats and Republicans have diverged in their response to allegations of sexual misconduct, leaders on both sides of the aisle have delivered inconsistent messages.
• Politicians are being forced to clarify their positions on the issue as a national spotlight on sexual harassment and abuse is shone on Capitol Hill. 

Amid an intensifying national conversation about sexual misconduct, political leaders and media commentators are speaking out about the issue and, in some cases, delivering inconsistent messages.

On the left, some top lawmakers, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, have been hesitant to condemn political allies accused of sexual misconduct, while other liberal leaders, including Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, have made advocacy for survivors of sexual assault central to their policy agenda.

Political leaders on the right, most prominently President Donald Trump — whom 19 women have accused of sexual misconduct — have flip-flopped on the issue, promoting accusations made against political foes and undermining those made against allies.

As the spotlight on sexual misconduct shines on Washington, Democrats are attempting to seize moral authority in the debate, by ousting members of their own party stained by accusations, and strengthening their attacks on Republicans accused of sexual misconduct, chief among them the president and Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore.

Here's what four top Republicans and four top Democrats have said about sexual misconduct:

SEE ALSO: Democrats are setting themselves up perfectly to pummel Republicans on sexual harassment in 2018

DON'T MISS: All the prominent Democrats who have called on Trump to resign over sexual misconduct allegations

On the right: President Donald Trump

Trump is arguably the most powerful person in the country facing allegations of sexual misconduct.

The president maintains that all 19 women who allege he sexually harassed or abused them are "liars," and the White House has argued in official statements that his election settled the issue of whether Americans care about the accusations.

In the same breath, Trump has praised the women who have come forward across the country with their stories of sexual abuse, and endorsed Moore. The Alabama Senate candidate was accused of sexually pursuing and molesting teenage girls when he was in his 30s. Moore lost the election on December 12.

"I think it's a very special time, a lot of things are coming out, and I think that's good for our society and I think it's very, very good for women," Trump said last month of the #MeToo movement. "I'm very happy it's being exposed."

Trump has publicly called out Democrats and members of the media, including NBC host Matt Lauer and Sen. Al Franken, who were both ousted for sexual misconduct allegations, but consistently defended his friends and political allies stained by similar allegations, including former Fox News chief Roger Ailes and Moore.

On the left: House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi

Pelosi, a longtime advocate of women's rights, has at times hesitated to condemn men, particularly Democrats, accused of sexual misconduct.

She initially refused to criticize Rep. John Conyers, a Michigan Democrat accused of sexually harassing former employees, calling him a civil rights "icon," and arguing that he deserved "due process."

After more allegations against Conyers surfaced, Pelosi changed her position, calling the stories "very credible," and pressed the 88-year-old lawmaker to resign.

"Zero tolerance means consequences for everyone," she said. "No matter how great the legacy, it is no license to harass or discriminate."

Back in 2013, Pelosi was also reluctant to condemn a former 10-term member of Congress, Rep. Bob Filner, who later became the mayor of San Diego, after 13 women came forward to accuse him of sexual misconduct.

"What goes on in San Diego is up to the people of San Diego," she said at the time.

But in early December, Pelosi immediately called for Rep. Ruben Kihuen, a Nevada Democrat, to resign after allegations surfaced that he sexually harassed a former aide.

On the right: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell

A longtime promoter of a no-tolerance policy on sexual misconduct, McConnell has recently wavered on this position.

In 2007, McConnell helped force Sen. Larry Craig from office after the Idaho Republican was arrested in an undercover sex sting at the Minneapolis airport.

And as the head of the Senate Ethics Committee in 1995, he helped oust Sen. Bob Packwood of Oregon after the powerful Republican was accused of sexual abuse and harassment by his female staffers.

But the top Republican has not abided by the same principled stance in the cases of Trump and Moore.

While he initially advocated for the Alabama Senate candidate to withdraw from the race, saying he believes the women have accused Moore, McConnell later refused to take sides, saying he's "going to let the people of Alabama make the call," after Trump officially endorsed Moore and the Republican party reinstated its support for the embattled candidate.

McConnell's wife, Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao, said recently that she's experienced sexual harassment in the workplace, but warned women that dredging up past bad experiences "holds you back."

• Celebrity chef Mario Batali has been accused by multiple women of groping and sexual misconduct. 
• Target, Walmart, and Eataly (which Batali invested in) have cut the chef's products. 
• However, Kmart, Amazon, and other stores are still carrying the line. 

Companies including Target and Eataly have pulled Mario Batali's products after multiple allegations of groping and sexual misconduct were made against the celebrity chef. 

Walmart said in a statement Thursday that it would be cutting ties with Batali's brand, while Target announced Wednesday it would pull Batali's pasta sauces and cookbooks from stores and online, Eater reported. Eataly, the 50,000-square-foot mecca of Italian food Batali helped bring to the US, pulled the chef's products from shelves on Tuesday.

On Monday, Eater reported that four women had shared stories of Batali touching them inappropriately, with reports of improper behavior spanning two decades. 

However, many other retailers are still stocking the chef's products. Here are the retailers that haven't caved to customers' protests— yet. 

SEE ALSO: Mario Batali's pastas, sauces, and cookbooks have been removed from Eataly, the massive Italian food store he helped bring to America

Costco

Costco sells Mario Batali sauces and hasn't indicated it plans to stop. The retailer did not respond to Business Insider's request for comment. 

Kmart

Searching Kmart.com for "Mario Batali" yields no results, though if you go manually through the site, you can find Batali's balsamic vinegar. The retailer didn't reply to Business Insider's request for comment.

Whole Foods

Whole Foods has sold Mario Batali products in the past, but a current search on the company's website doesn't turn up any pastas or sauces. The Amazon-owned grocery chain did not respond to Business Insider's request for comment, so it is unclear if Whole Foods is planning to also cut the products from shelves. 

• Walmart is cutting ties with celebrity chef Mario Batali. 
• Batali has been accused by multiple women of groping and sexual misconduct. 
• Target and Eataly have similarly announced they will stop selling Batali's products. 

Walmart is cutting ties with Mario Batali after multiple allegations of sexual misconduct by the celebrity chef. 

"The recent sexual misconduct allegations against Mario Batali are unacceptable," the company said in a statement to Business Insider on Thursday. "We're ending our relationship with Batali and will discontinue our business with his brand." 

Target announced Wednesday it would pull Batali's pasta sauces and cookbooks from stores and online, Eater reported. Eataly, the 50,000-square-foot mecca of Italian food Batali helped bring to the US, pulled the chef's products from shelves on Tuesday.

On Monday, Eater reported that four women had shared stories of Batali touching them inappropriately, with reports of improper behavior spanning two decades. 

As of Thursday morning, Walmart was still selling Mario Batali products online, with offerings like sauces, pastas, and Batali's cookbooks. The landing page for the line, however, had been taken down.

SEE ALSO: Here are the retailers that are still selling Mario Batali’s products in the wake of sexual misconduct claims

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 7 things you shouldn’t buy on Black Friday

• Rupert Murdoch called the series of sexual harassment allegations made against men at Fox News "largely political" in a recent interview.
• Several prominent Fox News employees were ousted in recent years over sexual misconduct allegations, including former CEO Roger Ailes, and hosts Bill O'Reilly and Eric Bolling.

In an interview about the Disney-Fox deal with Sky News on Thursday, media mogul Rupert Murdoch called the series of sexual harassment allegations at Fox News in recent years "largely political."

Several high-profile men at Fox News were ousted in the past two years after sexual misconduct allegations, including former Fox News CEO Roger Ailes, and hosts Bill O'Reilly and Eric Bolling.

"That's all nonsense," Murdoch said, when asked whether sexual harassment allegations had harmed Fox News. "There was a problem with our chief executive, sort of, over the years, outside incidents. Soon as we investigated it, it was out of the place in hours. Well, three or four days. And there's been nothing else since then."

"But that was largely political, because we're conservative," Murdoch continued. "Now, of course, all the liberals are going down the drain. NBC is in deep trouble. CBS, their stars."

Murdoch, who currently is executive co-chairman of 21st Century Fox, did not go into further detail on NBC and CBS. For context, NBC fired "Today" host Matt Lauer in November after a series of sexual misconduct allegations were made against him; CBS fired Charlie Rose in November over sexual misconduct allegations. 

Murdoch's comments on sexual misconduct at Fox News addressed only the allegations Ailes faced. He neglected to mention that O'Reilly and Bolling were also ousted over alleged sexual misconduct.

Watch the full interview over at Sky News.

SEE ALSO: Rupert Murdoch laid out his vision of TV's future after the Disney-Fox deal, and it raises a lot of questions

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The 'Avengers: Infinity War' trailer is finally here

• A woman who says she had a brief relationship with former "Today" host Matt Lauer has come forward with details of their alleged affair.
• The story includes print-outs of flirtatious messages Lauer allegedly sent her in 2000, when she was a production assistant at "Today."
• Although the alleged "encounters" were consensual, the story brings up questions about the complex power dynamics between powerful men and the women who work for them.

A former "Today" show employee told Variety she had secret sexual encounters with Matt Lauer, the former host who was fired after allegations of sexual misconduct in the workplace surfaced last month.

Addie Zinone gave details to Variety, which published her story on Thursday. 

Zinone (then Collins) started at "Today" as an intern, then became a production assistant. Zinone said that Lauer kept their working relationship professional until she was about to leave the show for a job as a local anchor in West Virginia.

In June of 2000, Zinone said that Lauer sent her a message on the office instant messaging system:

“hey,” Lauer allegedly wrote. “i hope you won’t drag me to personnel for saying this. but you look fantastic. i don’t know what you have done, or what is going on in your life…but it’s agreeing with you.”

A month later, he allegedly sent her another message: “OK…NOW YOU’RE KILLING ME…YOU LOOK GREAT TODAY! A BIT TOUGH TO CONCENTRATE.”

(Zinone provided print-outs of Lauer's alleged messages to Variety, which are included in the article.)

Zinone told Variety that Lauer invited her to lunch that same month to give her career advice. Instead, Zinone said that Lauer, who was in his 40s and newly married, started to hit on Zinone at the lunch. She was 24 at the time. Zinone said she was so intimidated by his advances and power that she gave into them. They allegedly had multiple "encounters" in his office and his dressing room. 

Zinone then entered what she said was a month-long secret relationship with Lauer. Lauer would arrange for her to meet him in his dressing room or his office, she said.  

Zinone said that while her encounters with Lauer were consensual, reading other women's stories when the allegations against him surfaced last month were familiar, including when he pressed the button on his desk that locked his office. 

"The situation really took its toll on me. I changed physically," Zinone told Variety. "I changed emotionally. Fear crept into my life. I became unsure of myself. Any confidence I had was gone. For him, it was a conquest."

The brief affair followed Zinone for years, even after she left news and joined the army, she said.

"Even though my situation with Matt was consensual," Zinone said, "I ultimately felt like a victim because of the power dynamic."

Matt Lauer and NBC did not immediately respond to a request for further comment (NBC declined to comment to Variety).

For more, and to view the messages Lauer sent, read the full article in Variety. 

SEE ALSO: How Hollywood will fundamentally change after the Disney-Fox deal

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NOW WATCH: THE BOTTOM LINE: Bitcoin mania, a Nobel Prize-winning economist talks Trump, and a deep dive on unstoppable tech stocks

• Two more women have alleged Dustin Hoffman sexually assaulted them.
• A third woman has accused the actor of exposing himself to her when she was 16 years old.

Two more women have accused Dustin Hoffman of sexual assault, and a third said the actor exposed himself to her when she was 16 years old, Variety reported Thursday.

Hoffman's attorney called the allegations "defamatory falsehoods" in a statement to Variety.

This report comes on the heels of multiple women making similar accusations against the actor, including actress Kathryn Rossetter, who alleged in a Hollywood Reporter column that Hoffman groped her constantly when the two starred in the 1983 Broadway revival of "Death of a Salesman."

"He was standing there naked"

Cori Thomas told Variety that she was a high schooler when Hoffman exposed himself to her in a hotel room in 1980. Thomas was 16 years old and a classmate of Hoffman's daughter, Karina. The three spent a Sunday afternoon together in New York while Hoffman was in the midst of a divorce from his first wife, she said. While waiting to get picked up by her parents after Hoffman's daughter had gone to her mother's, Thomas said Hoffman went to the bathroom, started the shower, and came out of the bathroom with a towel around his waist — which he then dropped.

“He was standing there naked," Thomas told Variety. "I think I almost collapsed, actually. It was the first time I had ever seen a naked man ... He stood there. He took his time." Hoffman asked for her to massage his feet, which she did, she said. Then her mother arrived to pick her up.

"He literally just stuck his fingers down my pants”

Melissa Kester told Variety that she was a recent college graduate working on the film "Ishtar" (1987) when Hoffman allegedly sexually assaulted her. Her boyfriend at the time was doing music for the movie, and she went with him a few times to the studio where Hoffman was recording vocal tracks for one of the film's songs, she said. During one visit while Hoffman was in the recording booth, he suddenly put his hands down her pants, she said.

"As he’s doing that, he literally just stuck his fingers down my pants,” Kester told Variety. “He put his fingers inside me. And the thing I feel most bad about is I didn’t know what to do. I just stood there. I just froze in the situation like ‘Oh my God, what is happening?’ It’s shocking when that happens to you.” She said it went on for 15-20 seconds and after he was done with the take, she left the booth and went into the bathroom and cried.

In a crowded car

A third woman, who asked to remain anonymous, also told Variety that Hoffman assaulted her while working on "Ishtar." The woman was 22 at the time and didn't have a speaking role in the movie. She said Hoffman offered her a ride home from the wrap party, and in a car filled with people, Hoffman put his hand up her skirt and stuck his fingers inside her. Later, she met Hoffman at his hotel where he preformed oral sex on her and they had sex, she said.

When Variety asked if the encounter in the station wagon was non-consensual, she said, "Yes." When asked if the encounter in the hotel room was also, she said, "I don't know."

Business Insider contacted Hoffman's representative for comment but did not get an immediate response. In a letter to Variety’s owner Penske Media Corp., Hoffman’s attorney Mark A. Neubauer of Carlton Fields Jordan Burt said the accusations against Hoffman “defamatory falsehoods.” 

SEE ALSO: How Hollywood will fundamentally change after Disney-Fox deal

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NOW WATCH: LL COOL J: The biggest workout mistakes people make at the gym

• Hulu's Live TV service could be on the chopping block following the massive Disney-Fox deal.
• That's because Disney will suddenly have control of a pay-TV service, even as it does business with a slew of other pay-TV offerings.
• Plus, a "skinny bundle" package may not be a priority for Disney given its direct-to-consumer subscription plans.
• "It's still a bit early right now to determine fully what direction we'll take that," Disney CEO Bob Iger said of Hulu.

Hulu's fledgling live TV service could be the first casualty of the massive Disney-Fox deal.

Anything seems on the table given the size and scope of this deal, which has many moving parts. One big, immediate outcome of the transaction: Disney now controls a majority of Hulu, which has long operated as a joint venture between Comcast's NBCUniversal, Fox, and Disney.

That's led to lots of speculation about what happens next with the streaming service, which lags far behind Netflix in terms of subscribers but scored Emmy gold this year with the buzzy drama "The Handmaid's Tale." Some have speculated that Disney could use Hulu as a launchpad for its planned subscription streaming service.

But CEO Bob Iger indicated today that he sees Disney's soon-to-launch streaming offering aimed at families, while Hulu could cater to more an adult and serious-drama crowd, reported Deadline.

"We'll have the ability to direct Hulu in ways that we haven't been able to, as essentially equal partners," said Iger on CNBC Thursday.

"It's still a bit early right now to determine fully what direction we'll take that," he said. "We think it's actually quite a compelling opportunity for the company, and we think it's really compelling from a consumer perspective."

Meanwhile, Recode's Ed Lee said Hulu could essentially outlive its usefulness over time and simply just go away.

Somewhat overlooked in this discussion is Hulu's $40-a-month cable-TV alternative. Recode says it has roughly 250,00o paying subscribers.

It was one thing when Hulu was a joint venture. Now that Disney's in charge, is a pay-TV skinny bundle a strategic priority, particularly when Disney seems so focused on taking on Netflix with its new stable of Fox studio properties?

Moreover, Disney could be forced to get rid of Hulu's Live TV offering, Rich Greenfield, BTIG media and tech analyst, told Business Insider.

That's because Disney will both be looking to sell its programming and networks to other "skinny bundle" pay-TV services like Sling TV and YouTube TV. Owning and controlling its own skinny bundle in Hulu Live could open up Disney to anticompetitive questions.

"While Disney is a minority owner of Hulu, moving to majority owner would likely increase its incentive to harm competitors," Greenfield wrote on Monday.

Therefore, to make sure regulators don't find any reason to fight the Fox acquisition, Disney could simply elect to kill Hulu TV, or maybe sell it.

"If Disney were willing to shutter the [Live TV] portion of Hulu, it could cure the potential vertical antitrust concerns," Greenfield wrote.

But it's complicated. Comcast, which also owns a stake in Hulu, will likely get to weigh in on any big Hulu decisions. In the past Comcast didn't have a say in how Hulu was operated — which was part of an agreement made with regulators when Comcast purchased NBCUniversal roughly a decade ago.

Would Comcast want to keep Hulu TV alive? Buy it? Hard to say at this point.

And Disney CEO Bob Iger probably has a long list of things to work through before he gets to this decision.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: How couples improved their sex lives in one week

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have set a date.

Kensington Palace announced on Friday that the pair will marry on Saturday, May 19, next year at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, Berkshire.

St George's Chapel has been the site of many royal weddings throughout history, including, most recently, Harry's cousin Peter Phillips' marriage to Autumn Kelly in 2008.

It follows Prince Harry and Markle announcing their engagement in November. 

Many world leaders, politicians, and celebrities were amongst the well-wishers to congratulate the happy couple at the time of the announcement, including Prime Minister Theresa May and even 10 Downing Street's cat, Larry.

SEE ALSO: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle just got engaged

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NOW WATCH: 10 things you missed in the 'Avengers: Infinity War' trailer

• "The Last Jedi" is a powerful "Star Wars" movie because it breaks all the usual sequel rules.
  
• Writer-director Rian Johnson has created a story that is worthy of the saga, but also has the feel of a powerful standalone movie.

If you are wondering why director Rian Johnson has been handed the keys to the “Star Wars” franchise, and been allowed to create a whole new trilogy, look no further than what he’s accomplished in “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.”

After J.J. Abrams helmed the first “Star Wars” movie beyond "Return of the Jedi" 32 years ago with 2015's “Episode VII: The Force Awakens” — an entry that featured new characters but also included many familiar hallmarks from the original three movies — Johnson has essentially delivered a sequel that forges a new path in the “Star Wars” saga, as it extends the mythology without using the original three as a crutch.

“The Last Jedi” (opening in theaters on Friday) breaks the usual rules sequels live by. Put simply: It doesn't just take the things the audience loves about the previous movies and amplify them.

Unfortunately, going into detail on how“The Last Jedi” breaks these rules would divulge things about the movie that would spoil it for you, but what I will say is that all the fan theories that sprung from “The Force Awakens” mean very little.

Johnson, who also wrote the screenplay, proves there are greater things to explore — more complex and fascinating subplots. And to get to those he gives us a movie with the kind of moments you usually never see in the second film of a trilogy.

Adam Driver's multi-layered performance as Kylo Ren is a highlight of the movie

We left off in “The Force Awakens” with the Resistance destroying the First Order’s Starkiller Base and Rey (Daisy Ridley) going off to track down Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill). At the start of “The Last Jedi,” Rey is still on the island Skywalker has purposely used to hide from the universe, and the First Order has tracked down the Resistance and is looking to wipe them out.

This is the foundation of “The Last Jedi,” as both settings are where we stay for most of the movie. But thanks to multiple characters we care about and a surprising amount of lightheartedness, the 2.5-hour running time never gets boring or stagnant.

We follow Rey delving deeper into the power of the force, under the reluctant guidance of Skywalker. Poe (Oscar Isaac) and General Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) are together for most of the movie, with the legendary Resistance leader trying to make the talented fighter pilot understand the difference between heroism and leadership. Finn (John Boyega) finds a new girl to go on adventures with, Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran). But out of the new crop of characters, the most fascinating is Kylo Ren (Adam Driver).

Ren is still trying to prove to Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis) that he can be as evil as Darth Vader. But more importantly, Johnson further explores the mysterious connection Ren has with Rey. This is done using a heightened way of the force that has never been fully fleshed out in the saga before.

The complexities, anger, and manipulation that Driver gives Ren are a major highlight of the movie. It’s far from the only thing that’s impressive, but it’s just refreshing to see a fleshed out villain in this era of blockbusters and superhero movies where the bad guy character feels hastily put together.

Mark Hamill gives Luke Skywalker an aging samurai feel

Hamill’s return as Skywalker does not disappoint, either. The master Jedi has tried to block himself entirely from the legendary life he once lived, and the tipping point was Skywalker's failure to train Ren (aka Ben Solo). This is explained to Rey by both Skywalker and Ren, with Johnson cleverly using a “Rashomon”-like storytelling style to do it.

And this isn’t the only time in the movie when Johnson uses the feel of classic Asian cinema to influence his storytelling. The sections that involve Skywalker’s story have the feel of old samurai movies, with Luke as the elderly teacher who has nothing left in his life but the past, and the knowledge of his craft, neither of which he wants anymore. Johnson also shows this visually with a striking shot of Skywalker’s X-Wing resting at the bottom of the shallow water by the cliffs where he lives.

That's another thing "The Last Jedi" has a lot of: beautiful wide lens shots.

Another great part of “The Last Jedi” is that Johnson pulls off the difficult task of giving solid screen time to the ensemble, and including the new characters. Rose Tico is a spark plug of energy. Benicio Del Toro was born to be in a “Star Wars” movie, and he pulls off another unique speaking style for his role as the code breaker, DJ. And Laura Dern as Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo has one of the biggest WOW! moments in the movie.

Yes, and the Porgs are fantastic!

Then there’s Leia. “The Last Jedi” marks the final performance in the iconic career of Carrie Fisher. She gets a good amount of screen time, including one scene that will certainly spark some major internet chatter.

If there’s one knock I have on the film it’s that, once again, Captain Phasma (Gwendoline Christie) is given very little screen time. Guess we can only hope that will be rectified in “Episode IX.”

It certainly looks like Disney/Lucasfilm has found the filmmaker who it can use to extend the saga beyond just rehashing the greatness of the original three movies.

That’s perhaps the best part of “The Last Jedi.” Johnson has made something that isn’t just a worthy addition to one of the most fan obsessed franchises ever, but is also a powerful standalone story.

A rare feat for any sequel.

SEE ALSO: After burning out writing blockbuster rom-coms, this screenwriter reinvented himself by tracking down infamous figure skater Tonya Harding

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NOW WATCH: Legislation is being introduced to close a legal loophole that prevents workplace sexual-harassment stories from going public

Great performances stay with you, and in 2017, there were dozens that we can't stop thinking about.

There were so many exquisite performances on TV — in leading roles, supporting roles, and guest roles — that it's impossible to pick a handful as the best. But we narrowed it to the top 21. 

Some of the outstanding dramatic performances of the year include Nicole Kidman's best work of her career on "Big Little Lies," Elisabeth Moss' work on "The Handmaid's Tale," and Cameron Britton's creepy portrayal of serial Ed Kemper on Netflix's "Mindhunter."

Comedy also had a great year, with multiple performances on "The Good Place" that brought heart, soul, and many, many laughs to the clever afterlife comedy. Comedian and podcaster Marc Maron brought his lovable snark to his bitter character on the Netflix comedy "Glow," and Rob Delaney showed he has a dark side in season three of "Catastrophe."

A note: We couldn't include everyone on "Big Little Lies" and "The Handmaid's Tale" because it was important to us to showcase smaller, less talked-about performances that you might have missed.

Here's our list of the best TV performances in 2017:

SEE ALSO: The 21 best TV shows of 2017

21. Rob Delaney — "Catastrophe"

20. Zach Woods — "Silicon Valley"

Woods, who comes from an improv background, has had the best laughs on "Silicon Valley" with his subtle and often very dark comedy. Many fans of the show point to T.J. Miller's Erlich Bachman as the funniest character in the show, but he's been outshined by Woods' character Jared for a while now.

19. Maggie Gyllenhaal — "The Deuce"

Maggie Gyllenhaal is the highlight of HBO’s “The Deuce.” She brings her prostitute-turned-pornographer character Candy to life by being both fierce and vulnerable. It’s clear in her performance that Gyllenhaal understands her character more than anyone, and believes in her, too. Gyllenhaal’s confidence in Candy's ability as a businesswoman in an unconventional business translates into her performance.

• In interviews with Business Insider, Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar, and Twinkle Khanna say that a hushed culture of sexual misconduct exists throughout India's entertainment industry.
• Allegations against Hollywood mega-producer Harvey Weinstein have encouraged other women to detail reports of sexual misconduct.
• Women in Bollywood are cautious to speak up, but some are starting to tell stories of sexual misconduct. 

Hollywood has been roiling with claims of sexual misconduct ever since The New York Times and The New Yorker published accusations in October against mega-producer Harvey Weinstein. Since then, more than 50 women have accused him of rape, unwanted advances, and sexual harassment.

The avalanche of allegations has rocked the film and television world and has even seeped into other industries. In recent weeks, widespread discussions have sprung up among stars in Bollywood.

'Everybody knows about it'

In an interview with Business Insider, Akshay Kumar — one of the most famous actors in Bollywood — said sexual misconduct is "everywhere" and that the allegations against entertainment stars in the US may encourage other women around the world to speak up.

"It's just that when [sexual misconduct] happens in Hollywood, it comes out so big," Kumar told Business Insider. "Everybody knows about it, but it's everywhere."

Twinkle Khanna, an author, film producer, and former Bollywood actor, believes that following the Weinstein allegations, more women in Hollywood are coming forward because they are fed up with mistreatment.

"It's an outreach that's been suppressed for very long," said Khanna, who is also Kumar's wife. "Women are tired of being grabbed and groped. Women are tired of bending over backwards to get ahead in the workforce, bending over backwards to the point where sometimes they have to lie horizontal in order to go forward."

Bollywood is both larger and smaller than Hollywood, depending on whether you measure size by ticket sales and movies produced (larger) or total revenue (smaller). But broadly speaking, the Indian film and TV industry is colossal. And in a country where patriarchal values still wield tremendous influence, sexual misconduct is especially concerning to a number of stars.

"We should not just let it be about 'Oh this man behaved like this' and 'This is so shocking,' or all of that," Shah Rukh Khan, another top movie star who's worked in Bollywood for three decades, told Business Insider. "But we should respect the emotion of the women taking such a strong step in coming out, and being so brave, and help stop this from happening in our individual industries."

Khan admitted his A-list status comes with some blind spots. When asked if he'd encountered or witnessed any sexual misconduct in his industry, he said he hadn't. But he was quick to concede that he is a successful man in a patriarchal system.

"The sad part of it is that you don't know if it could be happening right under your nose," Khan said.

Women are overcoming the culture of shame

Bollywood actresses and producers have reported experiencing harassment before the Weinstein allegations. At the same time, there is a culture of shame for women who come forward.

Kangana Ranaut was one of the first (and very few) women in Bollywood to do so.

"I got harassed and I know a lot of people who got harassed. Sometimes you don't have that liberty to put your career at stake," she recently told The Indian Express. "Why would you say, 'Why now? Are you out of job? You didn't scream at that time. Where's the photo? Where's the video?' I should be allowed to talk about [sexual harassment] even from my death bed." 

Stories from women in India's entertainment industry are starting to trickle out. In a recent report from The Guardian, Bollywood actor Reena Saini accused casting director Sohan Thakur of groping her; Swara Bhasker, now an award-winning actor in India, alleged that, when she was new to the industry, a male director sent her incessant text messages on set and demanded she hug him while drunk.

Khanna said that she has heard rumors of sexual misconduct in Bollywood, and adds that she's "sure it exists in every profession — across the board." Khan echoed her sentiments.

"But I think that times are changing," Khanna said. "It's wonderful that women are standing up for something that's been going on for a long time, and hopefully, within a generation, we will come closer to this equality we're trying to achieve. "

SEE ALSO: TED just launched a TV series in India starring a Bollywood superstar

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NOW WATCH: Why Korean parents are having their kids get plastic surgery before college

• "Star Wars Battlefront 2" launched amid a storm of controversy, with many fans vowing not to buy it.
• Despite that controversy, the game was the second-best selling game of November — the biggest month of game sales all year.
• Strong sales of "Battlefront 2" demonstrate the disconnect between critics and fans.

Against all odds, the new "Star Wars" game is a major hit. It was the second best-selling game in November, according to market research company The NPD Group, just behind the latest "Call of Duty" game.

Take a look:

That's a major surprise given the game's tumultuous debut.

"Star Wars Battlefront 2" launched on November 19 to a storm of controversy. Major changes were made before the game even launched — a response to backlash from fans who played the game ahead of its official release. Those changes continued in the week following launch, arriving against the backdrop of largely negative reviews of the game.

In short, "Star Wars Battlefront 2" is underwhelming. It's graphically beautiful and rife with "Star Wars" fan favorites like Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader, but the game's single-player campaign is shallow and its multiplayer is bland.

Worse: The game's multiplayer section seemingly encourages players to pay additional money for in-game "loot boxes." Much of the controversy around "Battlefront 2" directly concerns the loot-box system — a Hawaii lawmaker is even pursuing potential legislation based on the backlash.

Regardless of this backlash, and regardless of largely negative reviews (including our own), "Star Wars Battlefront 2" was a sales hit in its debut month. 

According to The NPD Group, "Battlefront 2" topped sales of "Assassin's Creed Origins" and "Super Mario Odyssey" — one of the biggest launches of November and one of the biggest launches of the year, respectively. It also topped so-called "evergreen" blockbusters like "FIFA 18" and "Madden 18." It's not clear how many copies of "Battlefront 2" were sold; the game is available on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. The last game in the series, 2015's "Star Wars Battlefront," sold over 10 million copies.

Whether "Battlefront 2" can sustain its initial sales momentum is another question, but it assuredly won't hurt that a major "Star Wars" film just launched. 

SEE ALSO: The new 'Star Wars' game is embroiled in controversy, and fans are furious — here's what's going on

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NOW WATCH: Everything we know about 'porgs' — the penguin-like creatures from 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi'

• Eminem nearly died from an overdose of the drug methadone in 2007.
• On his new song, "Arose," he recounts in troubling detail his hospitalization and near-death experience.
• Listen to the song below.

Eminem nearly died from an overdose of the drug methadone in 2007, as he later recounted to Rolling Stone.

On the poignant song "Arose" off his new album "Revival," the 45-year-old rapper recalls in vivid detail his hospitalization and near-death experience that followed the overdose. 

Narrated retrospectively from the perspective of his comatose body, Eminem relays a series of regrets to his children and family, who stand beside his hospital bed as he drifts toward death: "Nurses lean over the bed, pulling tubes out / Then the sheet over my head, shut the room down," he raps.

Eminem previously rapped about his overdose and drug dependency on his "Relapse" song "Déjà Vu" in 2009, but "Arose" goes deeper into his pain and contrition during the incident. 

It's an emotional, standout track on a 19-song album that is otherwise worth skipping.

Listen to "Arose" below:

SEE ALSO: The 25 best songs of 2017, ranked

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NOW WATCH: Megyn Kelly reveals why she left Fox News

• Following audience thirst for true crime, Netflix has teamed with the master of the genre, Errol Morris, to make his latest documentary, "Wormwood."
• But like all of Morris' work, it's not just a straight doc. "Wormwood" has the most ambitious reenactments the Oscar winner has ever done.
• Morris teases more "Wormwood" to come.

In a moment when we can’t get enough of true crime stories, director Errol Morris has teamed with Netflix to prove why he’s the master of the genre. 

Morris is known best for having a well-trained eye for compelling true-life stories, and using highly stylized reenactments to tell them. The combination has led to legendary documentaries like 1988’s “The Thin Blue Line,” 2003’s “The Fog of War: Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara" (which earned him a best documentary Oscar), and 2013’s “The Unknown Known,” which looked at the career of former US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.

Now, almost one month from his 70th birthday, Morris is unveiling his most ambitious project yet. 

Netflix’s six-part miniseries “Wormwood” (available on the service Friday) examines the 60-years-past death of Frank Olson. Olson was a US scientist for the CIA who for decades was believed to have died after being slipped LSD as part of the agency’s top secret Cold War program MKUltra, which focused on mind control. Supposedly due to the effects of the drug, Olson jumped out of a New York City hotel room and died. 

But it turned out that wasn't the real story. 

Morris tracked down Frank’s son, Eric, who for the last 60 years has dedicated his life to trying to find out what really happened to his father. Morris conducted interviews with Eric, reporter Seymour Hersh — who broke the story about the LSD link to Olson’s death — and did reenactments of Frank’s nine days from taking the drug to his death (casting actors like Peter Sarsgaard, Tim Blake Nelson, and Bob Balaban to be in the scenes). The resulting series “Wormwood” looks at how unreliable memory really can be, and how far conspiracies can go. Morris does this through a collage of documentary interviews, home video footage, archival news material, reenactments, and a clips from a movie version of “Hamlet” — all told with a psychedelic feel.

A potential cover-up and extraordinary interview subject were too much to pass up 

Morris had been wanting to do something on MKUltra for years, but he never knew how to tell it in a way that would work for the screen. The only thing he knew for sure was he wanted to do it in a grand way. Or as he described it, “an everything bagel.” Following a conversation with Netflix over two years ago, the streaming giant agreed to back the Oscar winner’s new project. 

“It’s an incredibly rich story,” Morris told Business Insider while talking at the New York offices of Netflix. “This is a story that has an extraordinary protagonist and the story in of itself is extraordinary. If you asked me in the outset did I realize how rich it was going to be I would have said, ‘No, not really.’”

Morris knew he had something when he had a phone conversation with Eric Olson before making the movie. The director realized instantly Eric was a documentary filmmaker’s dream: a subject who not only could easily lay out all the particulars of the story, but do it in a way that would entertain the audience. 

But Morris' major interest in doing the project was delving into the movie’s reenactments more aggressively than he ever had before — specifically Frank Olson’s last nine days on Earth and what could have led to a CIA cover-up.

“Often the most interesting part of a story is the cover-up,” he said.

An "everything bagel" worth of information 

The reenactments were where Netflix played a vital role. With its deep pockets the streaming giant was able to provide Morris with a budget the director had never been able to work with for any of his feature movies.

Dishing out between $14 million and $15 million to make the movie, according to Morris’ estimate, Netflix matched Morris’ enthusiasm for the reenactments. It shows. Set in the 1950s, the production design and costumes have the look of something out of a studio movie for the fleshed-out scenes. And then there is the CGI mixed in for the Olson death scene. It’s an embarrassment of riches that Morris previously only tapped into while directing commercials for major brands over his career like Nike, Target, Chevy (to just name a few). 

And Morris loved the experience and the story so much that he wants to continue the “Wormwood” story.

“I should be done with it, but I’m not,” he said. “I’m letting it be known that there’s more to come.”

Morris said that he still has many questions for Seymour Hersh regarding what he knows from sources on the CIA involvement in Frank Olson's death, and there were a lot of reenactment scenes he wrote that didn’t end up getting made.

When asked if Netflix knows of his sequel plans he replied, “I don’t know.” Business Insider contacted Netflix for comment about a sequel but did not get a response.

But outside of another season of “Wormwood,” Morris loves the “everything bagel” approach — where all aspects of the story (and storytelling methods) are explored in a single movie on a topic — and he said he has more projects that he wants to explore this way.

“It means you have these layers, and I believe it's far richer as a result,” he said. “Our attempts to know things, how we know what we know, the efforts to prevent us to know things, and the terrible human costs that come with the pursuit of knowledge. That's all in ‘Wormwood,’ and that makes a difference.”

SEE ALSO: All the "Star Wars" movies ranked from worst to best

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NOW WATCH: Legislation is being introduced to close a legal loophole that prevents workplace sexual-harassment stories from going public

From the bully on the playground to the big-wig in the corner office, power dynamics are everywhere in our lives.

A flood of allegations that powerful men in media, politics, and tech have been abusing their positions of power and preying on those below them have surfaced in recent months. High-profile figures including Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, Matt Lauer, Roy Moore, Senator Al Franken and President Donald Trump have been accused of various kinds of unwanted advances, including exposing themselves to coworkers and employees, groping, and rape. 

People are starting to wonder: Is there something about the rush of being in power that leads people to commit these despicable actions?

Science suggests that there are unusual things happening in the brains of power-holders. Decades of study have shown that the psychology and physiology of powerful people are notably different from those of average people — down to the architecture of the brain's prefrontal cortex, and the way the heart pumps blood. 

Here's what feeling powerful does to your body and your brain, according to science.

SEE ALSO: 36 powerful men accused of sexual misconduct after Harvey Weinstein

Being powerful can dampen your ability to empathize with others.

Dacher Keltner, a psychology professor at UC Berkeley, has been studying the way powerful brains work for decades. He even lent his expertise about emotions to Pixar’s "Inside Out".

Keltner's research has shown that being powerful can disengage your prefrontal cortex — the part of the brain that helps you understand how others are feeling. 

"Power makes it harder to empathize with other people, at the level of the brain," Keltner told Business Insider. 

Powerful people are less able to mirror people they observe or interact with.

Powerful people's "mirroring" systems are not as strong as those of others. That means they're less likely to mimic a person they're having a conversation with, and they'll do less laughing or shrugging along with their companion. 

A 2014 study looked at brains of “high-power” people and revealed that when observing others squeeze a ball, they had less resonance in certain brain areas that should typically light up, suggesting their brains had become less empathetic and able to ‘mirror’ others. The more power someone had, the less resonant they were.

Leaders can find it tough to muster up compassion.

The vagus nerve, which runs from the top of the spinal cord down to the abdomen, has been shown to promote compassion, gratitude and appreciation.

But Keltner's work has shown that this nerve bundle gets "de-activated" in powerful people. He says that could partially explain why "it's harder to know how people feel when you're feeling powerful."

• Apple is making a new space series from the "Star Trek" writer and "Battlestar Galactica" developer Ronald D. Moore. 
• It will be Apple's third original series under its new heads of TV programming. 

Apple has ordered a new space-themed drama series from Ronald D. Moore, a writer and showrunner famous for his work on "Star Trek: The Next Generation," as well his mid-2000s revival of the "Battlestar Galactica" series, Apple confirmed to Business Insider.

As Deadline first reported, the untitled series "explores what would have happened if the global space race had never ended." It will be written by Moore, along with Matt Wolpert and Ben Nedivi, the co-executive producers of the FX series "Fargo."

The hour-long series will be produced by Sony Pictures Television and Moore's Tall Ship Productions, and executive produced by Maril Davis ("Outlander.")

Apple is steadily making a push into the world of original TV programming, led by former Sony TV presidents Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amburg, whom the company hired in June.

Moore's series is now the third original series to be commissioned by Apple following Erlicht and Van Amburg's hiring. The others are an upcoming Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon-led morning show drama, and a revival of the anthology series "Amazing Stories," which will be produced by Steven Spielberg and Bryan Fuller.

Moore is also the executive producer of the upcoming Amazon original series "Electric Dreams," a sci-fi anthology series based on the works of the author Philip K. Dick.

SEE ALSO: The 6 worst Netflix original shows that debuted in 2017, according to critics

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NOW WATCH: Megyn Kelly reveals why she left Fox News

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
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