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A creator with 4.7 million Facebook followers says her reach has been 'decimated' on the platform, and she fears Instagram is next

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jessica nigri no costume

  • Jessica Nigri is a cosplay creator with millions of followers across various social-media platforms.
  • She has 4.7 million followers on Facebook and says she has seen her reach on the platform get "decimated."
  • She fears the same will happen with Instagram, which Facebook owns.


Jessica Nigri is one of the top cosplay creators in the world, with millions of social followers across various platforms, including 4.7 million on Facebook.

But during a recent wide-ranging interview about her new documentary, Nigri told Business Insider that when it comes to helping her business, not all social platforms were created equal.

Like many creators and online publishers, Nigri has felt the pain of Facebook's algorithm shifts over the past year, especially in reach, a metric that refers to how many people see posts from a page.

"Facebook's reach has been decimated," she said.

While Nigri has 1.2 million YouTube subscribers — far fewer than on Facebook — it has been the more reliable platform. She said she had moved away from Facebook over the past year as she and other top cosplayers have seen decreased reach, with external links they post not getting the numbers they used to.

This echoes the broad changes observed by online publishers, which saw Google overtake Facebook as the largest source of referral traffic last summer.

Nigri said Facebook's emphasis on video last year worked for a while to boost reach, but that it then began to fall off.

"I have noticed that videos in general are receiving less reach than usual," she said. "It's concerning because a lot of people depend on social media to showcase their work and reach new audiences."

Nigri said it was too early to understand how the latest Facebook News Feed shift, announced earlier this month, would affect her.

In a blog post about the shift, Facebook's head of News Feed, Adam Mosseri, said Pages (like Nigri's) "may see their reach, video watch time and referral traffic decrease." He also said, however, that "Pages whose posts prompt conversations between friends will see less of an effect."

So for creators like Nigri, it's a game of wait and see.

What's more worrisome for Nigri is the idea that the same thing that has happened over the past year with Facebook is happening with Instagram, which Facebook owns. She said she felt that Instagram was starting to restrict creators' reach, though it has not publicly declared a strategy shift similar to Facebook's.

SEE ALSO: Cosplay superstar Jessica Nigri talks about turning her passion into a full-time job, and how Facebook's algorithm changes have affected her

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E!'s 'Citizen Rose' series gives an intimate portrait of the activism of Rose McGowan, Harvey Weinstein's most vocal accuser

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rose mcgowan

  • "Citizen Rose," a limited series following the life of activist and actress Rose McGowan, premiered its first episode on Tuesday night.
  • The show revolves around McGowan's activism in the months after the reports of Harvey Weinstein's alleged sexual harassment and assault were published.
  • McGowan, who reached a settlement with Weinstein in the 90s, has accused him of rape.


In one of the most powerful scenes in "Citizen Rose," actress and activist Rose McGowan is at a hotel in New York City with Ronan Farrow, the journalist who broke stories about Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein's alleged sexual harassment and assault in The New Yorker. 

In the scene, Farrow says he started calling women after McGowan told him she knew there were many other victims of Weinstein’s behavior. Farrow says when he spoke to these other women, he told them he didn’t think the story would ever be published, and even if it were, that it wouldn't affect Weinstein.

“Nobody believed that it would change the world," Farrow tells McGowan in the hotel.

“Citizen Rose” is a limited reality series following McGowan, which premiered on E! Tuesday night.

McGowan has been an activist for some time now, but her voice became amplified after the accusations of sexual misconduct surfaced against Weinstein, jump-starting the #MeToo movement that is dominating our culture and Hollywood. While McGowan’s voice is sometimes divisive within the movement, it’s important, poignant, and necessary.

Without the #MeToo movement, which McGowan herself has criticized (specifically the #TimesUp Golden Globes initiative to wear all black), “Citizen Rose” probably wouldn’t have a platform like E!

Rose the activist

McGowan made headlines after The New York Times reported, in its first story on the Weinstein accusations, that McGowan had reached a settlement with him in the late 90s after an incident in a hotel room at the Sundance Film Festival. McGowan didn’t comment in the Times story, but she was vocal on Twitter. She accused Weinstein, without fully naming him ("HW"), of raping her (he has denied it through lawyers).

In "Citizen Rose" McGowan, who refuses to say Weinstein’s name — only calling him “Monster”— contends that saying his name only makes him more powerful. In the series, Weinstein's name is bleeped when spoken and blurred out of headlines, and his eyes are covered with a black rectangle.

While it comes across a bit silly at first, the editing out of Weinstein in “Citizen Rose” shows visual impact of this movement. A man, once everywhere with seemingly unlimited power, is erased and powerless. McGowan doesn’t let her Monster break her anymore: She lets what allegedly happened between them when she was 23 guide her activism, which anchors the emotional two-hour premiere.

In one scene, McGowan is in Detroit. She talks to a man on the sidewalk about the Weinstein story, which just broke. The man tells McGowan that he finds it disturbing that some powerful men are sexual predators, and speculates that there must be something mentally wrong with them. McGowan tells him that the most disturbing part is all the enablers, the people who let it happen and cover it up.

“The enablers aren’t crazy like them, so what’s their excuse? They’re more guilty,” she says.

Rose the victim

The episode’s other powerful moments also stem directly from McGowan’s "Monster."

Later in the episode, McGowan meets with Asia Argento, who spoke to Farrow for his story in The New Yorker. Argento told Farrow that Weinstein sexually assaulted her in a hotel room in the 90s. 

“I can’t even remember. I blocked everything,” Argento tells McGowan in the episode.

“I remember,” McGowan says.

“I remember only the first,” Argento says. 

Making unique experiences accessible

The series feels a little clumsily shot and edited, with a handheld feel that sometimes doesn't quite work. But it is, after all, reality. This makes McGowan, who does most of her confessionals from her bathtub, human. She’s had a unique life: she grew up in a cult, then worked in Hollywood, which she also refers to as a cult.

In “Citizen Rose,” McGowan makes her unique experiences relatable to all women, and hopefully others as well. In one scene that I related to in particular, McGowan is filmed in her home in no makeup wearing a Taco Bell sweatshirt, saying directly to the camera that her weapon is “truth.”

“Citizen Rose” isn’t perfect, but it succeeds in one of the primary goals of the #MeToo movement: making women feel less alone.

You can watch the trailer here:

SEE ALSO: 'Black Panther' had its world premiere last night, and people say it's a 'thoughtful masterpiece' and the first Marvel movie with a political message

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JEFFERIES: Nintendo's explosive Switch sales should continue to be a rainmaker for the company

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Nintendo Switch

  • Nintendo reported third-quarter 2017 earnings on Tuesday that beat analysts' expectations.
  • The company sold 7.23 million Switch units in the third quarter, driving most of the upside for its stock.
  • A Jefferies analyst believes that we will continue to see the company beat expectations and prompt higher forward guidance in the next two to three years.
  • View Nintendo's stock price in real time here.


Nintendo's Switch consoles have helped the company handily beat earnings expectations on Tuesday, which is boosting Wall Street optimism that the trend will likely continue in the coming years.

Its stock was up 5.34% on Wednesday morning at 50,530.74 yen per share.

Wall Street continues to be impressed by the sales streak of the Switch consoles. The company has nearly doubled its stock price since it launched the hybrid home-portable device last year. 

Nintendo announced that it sold 7.23 million Switch consoles in the third quarter, already outdoing lifetime sales of its predecessor, the Wii U, which had been on the market for five years before being discontinued last fall. Since Nintendo launched the Switch in March 2017, the Japanese video game maker has sold nearly 15 million Switch units. The company raised its full-year guidance to 20 million Switch consoles sold in 2018.

The objective doesn't seem too out of reach for the company given Nintendo is already 900,000 units ahead of its 2017 target, and it still has three months left in the fiscal year.

Aside from the Switch, the company also has revenues from its smart devices and IP-related revenues, which have increased 26% year-over-year. Those areas also represent the biggest potential for growth over the next three to five years, according to Jefferies analyst Atul Goyal.

"Given how conservatively Nintendo guides and how street estimates mirror that conservatism, we believe the 'Beat and Raise cycle' will continue for the next 2-3 years," Goyal wrote in a note.

He sees the company as continually beating estimates and prompting Wall Street, as well as the company itself, to raise its guidance in a constant cycle.

Goyal also believes a large part of the market may have missed out on the upside because they are looking at the company's guidance, which he views as conservative, rather than the track record of the company. 

The analyst said that video game stocks as a whole are part of a "vibrant cycle" that combined with a structural upside due to consumers' digital transition, has helped all the major video game companies gain in the market.

Jefferies has raised its price target to 69,200 yen (or $635.25), a 44% increase from its current price of 47,970 yen.

Nintendo's stock was up 11.02% for the year. 

Read more about how another secret weapon that Nintendo has in its arsenal besides the Switch.

Nintendo stock price

SEE ALSO: JEFFERIES: Nintendo has another secret weapon besides the Switch

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NOW WATCH: Microsoft President Brad Smith says the US shouldn't get 'too isolationist'

Harvey Weinstein's estranged wife runs one of the most exclusive fashion labels — and now it's in jeopardy

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Harvey Weinstein Georgina Chapman

  • Harvey Weinstein's estranged wife has pulled her brand out of New York Fashion Week.
  • Georgina Chapman is a co-founder of the fashion label Marchesa.
  • Chapman's career at Marchesa is tightly tied to her husband's success. Stars of Weinstein-backed productions, including Renée Zellweger, Cate Blanchett, and Blake Lively, have worn Marchesa designs on the red carpet.

 

Harvey Weinstein's estranged wife has pulled out of New York Fashion Week, the New York Post reported.

The sexual-harassment allegations against film producer Harvey Weinstein have put his wife, fashion designer Georgina Chapman, in a difficult position. Chapman, who co-founded the fashion label Marchesa, left Weinstein in October and is set to receive $15-$20 million in a divorce settlement that has yet to be filed in court.

According to the New York Post, Chapman was too afraid to go through with the Fashion Week show, which was scheduled for February 14.

Marchesa did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

Chapman's career as the co-founder of Marchesa is tightly tied to her husband's success. Stars of Weinstein-backed productions, including Renée Zellweger, Cate Blanchett, and Blake Lively, have worn Marchesa on the red carpet, and rumors have floated for years that Weinstein pushed actresses to wear the fashion brand. With the allegations of sexual harassment and assault against Weinstein, many are wondering whether Marchesa will disappear from the red carpet altogether.

"No star is ever going to want to wear the brand again," The Hollywood Reporter quoted an unnamed New York fashion publicist as saying in October, after Weinstein was ousted from The Weinstein Company, the studio he founded.

Here's the story of how Chapman's Marchesa became a red-carpet mainstay — and how her fate became intertwined with her husband's.

SEE ALSO: The Weinstein Company is reportedly close to being sold — here's who's bidding and what they'll likely pay

Georgina Chapman founded Marchesa with Keren Craig in 2004. The same year, Chapman, then a 28-year-old former model from England, began dating Harvey Weinstein.

Source: Jezebel



A 2007 Teen Vogue article — spotted by Jezebel — says Marchesa caught on with Hollywood starlets after Renée Zellweger wore a gown from the line to the premiere of "Bridget Jones." "Bridget Jones" was distributed by Miramax, which Weinstein founded, and Zellweger thanked Weinstein during her Oscar speech in 2004.



"Maybe I helped, but just very, very little, with Renée Zellweger," Weinstein told Vogue in 2013.

Source: Vogue



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Stephen Colbert ripped Trump's first State of the Union speech in a live broadcast: 'Better luck next year'

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colbert

  • Stephen Colbert ripped into Trump's first State of the Union in a live broadcast following the speech on Tuesday night.
  • The "Late Show" host joked on a variety of topics including Trump's continued interest in "beautiful, clean coal." 

 

Stephen Colbert's "Late Show" went live for the first time in nearly a year following President Trump's first State of the Union speech on Tuesday night.

Trump's speech clocked in at around 90 minutes, and the "Late Show" host opened his show with a 14-minute monologue ripping into Trump's policy stances in the speech, and various aspects of the event. 

Noting that First Lady Melania Trump took a separate vehicle to the speech, Colbert quipped, "Apparently, [she] didn't want anything from the Burger King drive-thru."

In the speech, Trump addressed some of the tragedies and natural disasters that have occurred over his tenure, saying, "We have endured floods, and fires and storms." Colbert added to the list, "and Stormys," in reference to Trump's alleged affair with and reported $130,000 payout to the porn star Stormy Daniels.

Colbert went on to play a clip of Trump touting the end of "the war on beautiful, clean coal," to which Colbert added, in a mock-Trump voice, "If I weren't burning coal, I might be dating it."

Toward the end of the monologue, Colbert blasted Trump's assertion that his administration has "sought to restore the bonds of trust between our citizens and their government." 

"Well, better luck next year," Colbert joked.

Watch the monologue below:

SEE ALSO: Porn star Stormy Daniels teases, dodges questions in suggestive Jimmy Kimmel interview on alleged Trump encounter

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Greg Kinnear and Diane Lane have joined Netflix's 'House of Cards' following Kevin Spacey's firing, and the show is back in production

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Diane Lane

  • After firing Kevin Spacey in November over accusations of sexual misconduct, Netflix's "House of Cards" has returned to production on the sixth and final season.
  • Diane Lane and Greg Kinnear have joined the cast.
  • The final season will focus on Claire Underwood, played by Robin Wright.

 

Kevin Spacey was fired from Netflix's "House of Cards" in November, after accusations of sexual harassment and assault surfaced against him from multiple men.

But while the show lost its star, it's now gained two new ones to join Robin Wright in the sixth and final season. According to Netflix, Diane Lane ("Unfaithful") and Greg Kinnear ("Little Miss Sunshine"), both Academy Award nominees, will appear in the season six. (Netflix did not reveal any details about their characters.)

greg kinnear

When the accusations agianst Spacey surfaced in October, "House of Cards" had just begun production on the sixth season, which was already planned as its last. Production was halted. Then Spacey was fired, and the wrtiers had to rewrite the story without his character, Frank Underwood.

Production for the new season resumed on Tuesday, after three months hiatus for rewrites. 

Wright, who plays Frank's wife, Claire Underwood, has long been considered one of the best parts of the show. She will be at the center of the season. 

SEE ALSO: E!'s 'Citizen Rose' series gives an intimate portrait of the activism of Rose McGowan, Harvey Weinstein's most vocal accuser

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Here's how easy it is for the US president to launch a nuclear weapon

Cardi B, Anthony Hopkins, and Jeff Bezos himself star in Amazon's new Super Bowl ad (AMZN)

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Cardi B Amazon Super Bowl ad

  • Amazon's voice assistant, Alexa, loses her voice in a new Super Bowl ad. 
  • In the ad, Amazon brings in a few well-known replacements — including Cardi B and Anthony Hopkins — to fill in while Alexa recovers. 
  • The ad will air during Super Bowl LII on Sunday. 


Amazon's new Super Bowl ad envisions a world where Alexa loses her voice — and is replaced by some well-known voices. 

The new ad — which was released on YouTube Wednesday — begins with Amazon's voice assistant, Alexa, losing her voice after seemingly getting a cold. Amazon is forced to bring in some temporary replacements, which include rapper Cardi B, reality TV chef Gordon Ramsay, and actors Rebel Wilson and Anthony Hopkins. 

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos himself even makes an appearance in the ad. 

The ad will also air during Super Bowl LII on Sunday, but you can watch the full video below:

SEE ALSO: Bitmoji, Snapchat’s best feature, just got its first major update in years

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Fox nabs Thursday Night Football in a massive 5-year deal, reportedly worth $660 million a year (FOXA)

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nfl end zone

  • Fox has agreed to a five-year deal with the NFL to broadcast "Thursday Night Football."
  • It will air 11 regular season games.
  • The deal is reportedly valued at $660 million annually.


The NFL and Fox Sports have agreed to a five-year deal to broadcast "Thursday Night Football," according to a joint press release sent out by the network and league on Wednesday. 

The network will air 11 regular season games between weeks 4-15 beginning in the 2018 season. (This excludes the Thanksgiving night game, which will still air on NBC). Fox will also have all digital rights, meaning Fox Sports will be able to stream Thursday night games for the first time ever. The NFL Network will air the other Thursday night games.

The last two seasons, CBS and NBC paired up for the rights to air 10 Thursday night games (simulcast on the NFL Network). It cost them $45 million per game for a deal valued at a combined $450 million. This new deal is "worth an average of more than $660 million a year," according to ESPN's Darren Rovell.

The average audience for a 2017 regular season NFL game was 14.9 million, down 9.7% from 16.5 million in 2016, and the Thursday night games suffered the most. According to The Wall Street Journal, CBS Sports Chairman Sean McManus believes the addition of Thursday night games as well as NFL games in London have "diluted the Sunday afternoon packages and affected the ratings." 

However, NFL games are still one of the most valued live-sports assets. The league boasts that the NFL had nine of TV’s 10 most-watched programs in 2017.

Fox Sports is one of the remaining pieces for 21st Century Fox after the company sold a good portion of its assets to Disney for $52.4 billion. Live sports seems to be something that Rupert Murdoch and his family wants to prove to the market that Fox is still interested in, people familiar with the Thursday Night Football deal told Bloomberg

SEE ALSO: E!'s "Citizen Rose" gives an intimate portrait of the activism of Rose McGowan, Harvey Weinstein's most vocal accuser

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un is 34 — here's how he became one of the world's scariest dictators


Amazon is reportedly on the hook for 4 more Woody Allen movies, and considering a 'hefty payout' to kill the deal

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woody allen

  • Amazon is reportedly considering a "hefty payout" to end a five-movie deal it signed with Woody Allen in 2016, according to The Hollywood Reporter. 
  • The studio is currently on the hook for four movies from Allen, including his upcoming film, "A Rainy Day in New York."
  • Allen has recently come under renewed scrutiny over allegations that he sexually abused his adoptive daughter, Dylan Farrow, when she was seven years old.

 

Amazon Studios is reportedly considering a "hefty payout" to end a five-movie deal with Woody Allen, according to The Hollywood Reporter

Allen signed the deal with former Amazon Studios boss Roy Price in 2016. The studio is reportedly on the hook for four more releases from Allen, including his upcoming 2018 film, "A Rainy Day in New York," which does not yet have a release date. 

At this point, Amazon is contractually obligated to release "Rainy Day," which has recently seen its stars Timotheé Chalamet and Rebecca Hall publicly disavowing the director over allegations that Allen sexually abused his adoptive daughter, Dylan Farrow, when she was seven years old.

But the renewed wave of protest against Allen reportedly has Amazon Studios strongly considering cutting ties with the director:

"Internally, the consensus is that Amazon will have no choice but to sever ties with the director, even if that means a hefty payout," writes THR's Tatiana Siegel. 

THR notes that Amazon likely won't make a decision on the matter until it finds a replacement for former studio head Roy Price, who resigned in October after being accused of sexual harassment. 

Despite the prospective loss of a payout to Allen, the move could likely be a cost-effective one for the studio in the long run. Allen's last four films have taken in a cumulative $26.9 million domestically while carrying a collective $85 million in production budgets, according to a recent report from The New York Times.

Amazon Studios did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

SEE ALSO: 10 actors who have publicly denounced Woody Allen or donated their salaries to charity after working on his movies

Join the conversation about this story »

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EA gets a boost from FIFA and Madden players crowding into a new way to play games (EA)

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Shares of Electronic Arts jumped 8% on Wednesday morning to $128.11 per share after the company posted an earnings beat and raised its forward guidance. But the main highlight of the report was the acceleration of its live game services segment, largely driven by "FIFA" and "Madden" users, a Credit Suisse analyst noted.

The live services segment allows users to subscribe to a version of a game that updates automatically and runs as a 365-day service instead of purchasing new copies each year. Revenue from live services has increased 39%, compared to 26% a year ago, according to Credit Suisse analyst Stephen Ju.

According to Ju, growth in the live services segment was primarily due to the popularity of "FIFA's Ultimate Team," which allows users to build their own team and compete in single player or online modes, and "Madden's" recent addition of a single-player campaign mode, as well as the growing adoption of its own "Ultimate Team."

The live services segment drives revenue through ongoing purchases instead of relying on consumers to buy new versions of games.

"The trade-off for better-than-expected recurring revenue in Live Services versus unit volume sales from a new release is one that we will gladly make as it creates a greater upward bias to our long-term estimates," Ju said.

Ju maintained an Outperform rating on the company and raised the price target to $143 per share, compared to the previous target of $131 per share.

He adds that there are other beneficial factors that could boost EA's stock, including the further shift to digital, the widespread adoption of microtransactions as driving monetization, and the expansion of its addressable market to a global online user base.

EA's stock was up 16.81% for the year.

Read more about how there's another key area that can help video game makers explode in growth.

EA stock price

SEE ALSO: Activision Blizzard climbs as an analyst predicts it will dominate the video game industry by pivoting to mobile

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Microsoft President Brad Smith says the US shouldn't get 'too isolationist'

The legendary founder of Atari had a lifetime achievement award revoked over his sordid past — and he applauds the decision

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nolan bushnell

  • One of Atari's co-founders and most prominent faces, Nolan Bushnell, was set to get an award at this year's Game Developers Conference.
  • The "Pioneer Award" was being given to Bushnell, "which honors breakthrough business and game design milestones."
  • Following backlash citing Bushnell's history of conduct at Atari, specifically with regard to female employees, GDC has rescinded the award.
  • "I apologize without reservation," Bushnell said in a statement on Wednesday.


Atari co-founder and prominent video game industry icon Nolan Bushnell is most well-known for having helped create "Pong" — one of the most important and influential games ever made.

Bushnell was scheduled to receive a "Pioneer Award" at the prestigious Game Developers Choice Awards this March at the annual Game Developers Conference. That award has now been rescinded amid backlash to the choice.

Rather than Bushnell, there will be no recipient this year. Instead, the award will be dedicated to honoring, "the pioneering and unheard voices of the past."

So, what happened?

As Kotaku's Cecilia D'Anastasio highlights, Bushnell has a long history of unsavory professional contact — specifically with female subordinates:

"Bushnell also gave 'Pong' the codename Darlene after a woman at the company whom he said in Playboy 'was stacked and had the tiniest waist.' 'Some ladies feel comfortable around me, and some don’t,' Bushnell told the San Francisco Chronicle at the time. 'I find the aura of power and money is very intimidating to an awful number of girls.' In response to these widely-circulated stories, some Twitter users created the hashtag #notnolan."

The awards were announced on Tuesday. By Wednesday morning, the GDC 2018 page announcing the award had disappeared. Soon after, a new page appeared without Bushnell's information.

A statement from GDC followed soon after:

And then, on Wednesday afternoon, Bushnell himself offered a statement on Twitter regarding the change.

Here's that statement:

It's unclear how many people voted for the award that Bushnell was awarded, or how the group who chose him wasn't aware of Bushnell's past. He's widely credited as a driving force in the history of video games, and no doubt was an early pioneer of the medium. At the same time, Bushnell has been repeatedly quoted making salacious remarks and having been involved in questionable acts — one such moment from Atari's history involves Bushnell and another executive inviting a female coworker into a hot tub for a meeting.

SEE ALSO: Xbox is in trouble — and Microsoft is considering a major acquisition to fix it

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NOW WATCH: You've never seen a bridge like this before

A look inside the marriage of Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and supermodel Gisele Bundchen, who are worth $540 million, planned their wedding in 10 days, and have spoken every day for 11 years

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Tom Brady Gisele Bundchen

• Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen met through a friend back in 2006 — and it was pretty much love at first sight.

• The couple married in a tiny wedding ceremony in 2009.

• Today, Brady and Bundchen largely live outside of Boston with their two children.



Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen give new meaning to the phrase "power couple."

The Patriots quarterback is the only NFL player to win five Super Bowls playing for the same team. On Sunday, he'll see whether or not the sixth time's the charm, as the New England Patriots square off against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII.

Going into the game, Brady's definitely not the underdog. As Business Insider's Cork Gaines put it, he's already established himself as "the greatest quarterback of all time."

Meanwhile, Bundchen has frequently ranked on lists of the wealthiest and most powerful women in entertainment. In 2016, she made Forbes' list of highest paid celebrities.

According to Celebrity Net Worth, the couple is worth a total of $540 million. NESN.com and The Week reported Bundchen often out-earns her husband by a margin of millions.

Here's a look inside their eight years of marriage:

SEE ALSO: Inside the marriage of Bill and Melinda Gates, who met at work, live in a $124 million home, and will leave their children only a small fraction of their fortune

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The two met through a friend back in 2006. For Bundchen, it was pretty much love at first sight.

Source: Vanity Fair, PopSugar



"The moment I saw him, he smiled and I was like, 'That is the most beautiful, charismatic smile I've ever seen,'" Bundchen told Vanity Fair.

Source: Vanity Fair



The pair spoke for three hours that night, and they haven't stopped since. "From the first day we met, we've never spent one day without speaking to each other," Bundchen said.

Source: Vanity Fair



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Pandora lays off 5% of its staff and shifts its focus away from California because it's too expensive (P)

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RogerLynch

  • Pandora laid off 5% of its workforce Wednesday as part of cost-cutting efforts to boost the slumping company.
  • The music streaming service, which is headquartered in Oakland, California, is looking to expand its presence in Atlanta, Georgia due to a lower cost of living.
  • The company expects this reorganization to save $45 million annually. 

 

The $1.2 billion internet radio company Pandora laid off 5% of its employees on Wednesday in order to "prioritize its strategic growth initiatives and optimize overall business performance," according to a federal filing by the company.

It's not immediately clear how many jobs these layoffs will affect. The last time Pandora disclosed an official headcount was December 2016, when it had 2,488 employees. We've reached out for clarification from Pandora and will update if we hear back.

Wall Street responded favorably to the announcement, however, with Pandora shares up nearly 4% to $4.78 in after-hours trading at the time of writing.As part of this restructuring, the company will shift away from investments in its Oakland, California headquarters, and expand its workforce in Atlanta, Georgia, where the cost of living is lower. The layoffs, however, are company-wide and will impact employees across its six main offices, as well as regional sales and support staff throughout the US. 

“Atlanta is a city with a rich history in music and a large pool of diverse tech talent that we can tap into as we scale,” Pandora CEO Roger Lynch said in a statement. “While we are committed to having Oakland remain our headquarters, we’re excited to build on the great foundation of our awesome team there and expand our presence in Atlanta over time.” 

Lynch took over as CEO of Pandora in August 2017, replacing company cofounder Tim Westergren.

Pandora said in a press release that it expects the job cuts and "other cost-savings measures" to save the company $45 million annually in adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA). 

The reduction plan, which was approved by the board of January 11 and shared with the impacted employees on Wednesday, will cost the company $6.5 million to $8.5 million in severance and benefit costs, according to the form. 

"The redesign shifts resources to focus on ad-tech and audience development efforts while positioning the company for improved operating leverage over time. It also simplifies the organization into a flatter structure for smarter, faster execution," the company wrote. 

Pandora's last major layoffs were in January 2017, with a restructuring that affected 7% of its workforce

SEE ALSO: Pandora will now let free listeners play the exact song they want on-demand, something people have requested for years

Join the conversation about this story »

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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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Nintendo has officially announced a 'Super Mario' movie (NTDOY)

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Miyamoto

  • Nintendo is producing a "Super Mario" movie.
  • The animated title will be supervised by Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto, as well as Illumination Entertainment.
  • There are no details with regard to its release date, but rumour has it the film might hit theaters in 2020.


Nintendo has officially announced that a "Super Mario" movie is happening, BBC News first reported.

Legendary game designer and Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto is involved in the project, and so is Illumination Entertainment, the studio behind big names such as "Despicable Me" and "Minions."

Back in 2016, CEO Tatsumi Kimishima expressed his desire for major Nintendo characters like Mario, Luigi, and Princess Peach to hit the big screen, and that's now becoming a reality.

The news comes amid a general period of momentum for the company, which reported a strongly successful third quarter on Tuesday.

Nintendo hit its target of 14 million Switch consoles sold about three months in advance, and Mario-related titles like "Super Mario Odyssey," with its 9.1 million copies, and "Mario Kart 8 Deluxe," with 7.3 million, were among the biggest drivers of the console's success, signaling a general interest in both Mario and Nintendo as a whole.

The are no official details about the movie's release date, but — according to the BBC — "speculation, based on Nintendo's current schedule, is that the earliest the film will hit cinemas in 2020."

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'Knocked Up' and 'Grey's Anatomy' star Katherine Heigl has confirmed she's joining the cast of 'Suits' as Meghan Markle departs

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  • Hollywood actress Katherine Heigl is joining the cast of 'Suits' as Meghan Markle and co-star Patrick J. Adams depart.
  • Heigl will join the cast in season 8 playing a new partner at the legal drama's Pearson Specter Litt law firm.
  • Markle and Adams will leave the show at the end of season 7.

 

"Grey's Anatomy" and "Knocked Up" star Katherine Heigl is officially set to join the cast of legal drama "Suits" as royal-to-be Meghan Markle departs.

The USA Network announced on Wednesday that Heigl will become a series regular in the show's eighth season, which is due to begin filming in Toronto in April.

She'll be playing the character of Samantha Wheeler, "a talented new partner at the show’s Pearson Specter Litt law firm."

According to Fox News: "Her role will challenge the status quo of the office as she becomes either its greatest asset or most powerful enemy."

It was revealed last year that Markle would be leaving the show as Markle prepared for life as a royal — she's set to marry Prince Harry in May, after all.

Her co-star Patrick J. Adams — her on-screen fiancé — announced he was also leaving the show earlier this week.

In a statement from USA Network, long-time "Suits" fan Heigl said: "Joining 'Suits' was the perfect organic way to not only collaborate with an EP I admire deeply, but to also become part of a show and cast that I am an immense fan of. I have watched 'Suits' from the very beginning and feel incredibly lucky to be the newest member of the Pearson Specter Litt family."

SEE ALSO: The royal family has a squad WhatsApp group chat — and they use it to talk about weddings and babies

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The 100 best movies on Amazon Prime right now

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BI Graphics_The 100 best movies on Amazon Prime_4x3 Samantha Lee

If you aren’t using your Amazon Prime account to sit back and binge some of the best movies ever made, you are really not using it to its full potential.

The library of movie titles that are available for Prime members is vast and has an impressive mix of old classics and current releases.

We get it. You’re busy with your life, it’s kind of tough to scroll through all the titles. So we did it for you.

Here are the 100 best movies available right now on Amazon Prime:

Note: Numerous Amazon Prime titles drop off the streaming service monthly so the availability of titles below may change.

SEE ALSO: The 17 biggest Oscar snubs of 2018

“10 Cloverfield Lane” (2016)

This sneaky sequel to 2008’s “Cloverfield” looks at a whole new set of characters (and isn’t shot as a faux documentary — thankfully!) who have a lot more to worry about than an alien invasion.



“20th Century Women” (2016)

Partly based on director Mike Mills’ childhood, Annette Bening plays a single mom who tries to raise her son into a good man along with the help of two women (Greta Gerwig and Elle Fanning).



“Abacus: Small Enough to Jail” (2016)

A small financial institution in Chinatown is the only company to be indicted in the wake of the 2008 mortgage crisis. But this Oscar-nominated documentary, directed by Steve James (“Hoop Dreams”), shows that the company wasn’t going to go down without a fight.



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The 50 best TV show seasons of all time, according to critics

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Breaking Bad

The most critically acclaimed TV shows in history have earned their praise by repeatedly producing innovative and memorable seasons.

Shows like "The Wire," "Breaking Bad," and "The Larry Sanders Show" consistently won over critics, and their best seasons have set a standard for what great television should look like.

To find out which series have been the most influential, we turned to the review aggregator Metacritic for its list of the all-time best TV seasons, which ranks shows by their composite critical reception. We used audience scores to break any ties.

Check out the 50 best TV-show seasons of all time, according to critics:

SEE ALSO: The 20 most-watched TV episodes ever, ranked

50. "The Hollow Crown" (Season 1)

Metacritic score: 91/100

User score: 6.5/10

Notable episodes: "Richard II," "Henry IV,"Henry V"



49. "Louie" (Season 5)

Metacritic score: 91/100

User score: 8.4/10

Notable episodes: "Pot Luck," "A La Carte,"Bobby's House"



48. "Transparent" (Season 1)

Metacritic score: 92/100

User score: 7.5/10

Notable episodes: "The Letting Go," "Best New Girl,"Why Do We Cover the Mirrors?"



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Actor Robert Wagner is now a 'person of interest' in the mysterious drowning death of Oscar-nominated actress Natalie Wood in 1981

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  • According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, actor Robert Wagner is now a person of interest in the mysterious death of his wife, Natalie Wood, in 1981. 
  • Wagner was never a suspect during the initial investigation: her death was ruled an accident.
  • The case was reopened in 2011, and investigators conducted interviews for a "48 Hours" special on the case, airing on CBS Saturday night.  

 

In November 1981, Academy Award nominated actress Natalie Wood was found dead on a yacht trip off the coast of Catalina Island, California. Wood was found one morning floating in the water, wearing a red down jacket and a flannel nightgown. 

Wood was with her husband, actor Robert Wagner, Captain Dennis Davern, and actor Christopher Walken. After two weeks of investigation, her death was ruled an accident.

In an upcoming interview with CBS' "48 Hours," the LA County Sheriff's Department said that Wagner, who is now 87, is a person of interest because he was the last person to see Wood. 

Wagner is known for his role as Number Two in the "Austin Powers" movies as well as the 1968-1970 television series "It Takes Thief." In his 2008 memoir, "Pieces of My Heart," Wagner wrote that he had a fight with Wood before she disappeared. Initially, Wagner was not a suspect. Davern later admitted that he lied to police about their fight. 

In 2011, Wood's case was reopened. In 2012, the Los Angeles Coroner's Office amended Wood's death certificate, changing her cause of death from accidental drowning to "drowning and other determined factors."  

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said in an upcoming interview with CBS' "48 Hours" that after continuing the investigation over the years, Wagner, now 87, has become of interest.

The circumstances surrounding Wood's death have always been mysterious. It's one of those cases that has spawned a lot of conspiracy theories, especially recently due to the true-crime boom inspired by the podcast "Serial" and the Netflix series "Making a Murderer."

"Natalie Wood: Death in Dark Water" airs Saturday at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CBS.

SEE ALSO: The 100 best movies on Amazon Prime right now

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'The Pioneer Woman' is taking another major step to transform Pawhuska, Oklahoma from a 'ghost town' to a thriving tourist hub — here's what it's like to visit

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Pioneer Woman

  • Ree Drummond is the star of "The Pioneer Woman," a show on the Food Network.
  • The popularity of the show has transformed her hometown, Pawhuska, Oklahoma. 
  • Drummond and her husband, Ladd, are now working on an eight-room inn in town.


A Food Network show is transforming a small town in Oklahoma. 

In 2011, the Food Network aired the first episode of "The Pioneer Woman," starring Ree Drummond. The show, which was based on Drummond's popular cooking blog, quickly turned Drummond into one of the most beloved personalities on the network.  

Now, a small town near Drummond's family's ranch is reaping the benefits of the star's success. 

Pawhuska, Oklahoma — a small town with just 3,600 residents — attracts up to 15,000 visitors a day thanks to the success of "The Pioneer Woman," Thrillist's Khushbu Shah reported. Tourists flood the town to eat at Drummond's restaurant, shop at her general store, and revel in the "Pioneer Woman" lifestyle. 

Shah's piece paints a fascinating picture of an evolving town. And, it got us wondering what it'd be like to visit Pawhuska ourselves. 

Here's a peek into how one television show transformed the Oklahoma town. 

SEE ALSO: 9 American companies with extremely religious roots

Pawhuska isn't easy to get to. The closest airport, Tulsa, is more than an hour away.



Prior to the rise of "The Pioneer Woman," the town's biggest claim to fame was being the site of the first Boy Scout troop.

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More than one person told Shah that Pawhuska was a "ghost town" until recently.

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