The Dallas Cowboys, the NFL's most valuable team, are considering a move into the e-sports industry.

According to AdAge, the Dallas Cowboys have chosen the Alliance Data-owned marketing agency Epsilon to determine whether it should make a move into the competitive gaming space.

Data from video game specialized research firm SuperData found the eSports industry generated $892.8 million in revenue 2016. SuperData projected the industry will break the $1 billion mark in 2017. The Dallas Cowboys generated $700 million in revenue in 2016.

Last week, Epsilon launched a new practice, called Data Design, which will show which brands are associated with eSports and which of those could be matched to the Dallas Cowboys' fanbase.

Epsilon developed a model for the NFL team to profile the eSports target audience, grouped them by behaviors and, using Amazon, matched brands that appealed the most to each group. The Cowboys will be able to use that information to target sponsors while using its own brand as a way to reach large scale audiences.

"If we thought we could buy a team for — gimme a number — $2 million, $3 million, $5 million or whatever, but get $7 million in sponsorship deals over the next couple years it becomes a no-brainer," Matt O'Neil, the Cowboys' senior VP of brand marketing, told AdAge.

The Cowboys will not be the first professional sports team to make a move into competitive gaming.

The NBA's Philadelphia 76ers acquired and merged two eSports teams in September. Another basketball team, the Houston Rockets, hired a director of eSports development in December.

Multiple athletes, including Magic Johnson and Shaquille O'Neal have also made investments into the competitive gaming space.

In Europe, soccer teams Valencia FC, FC Schalke 04, and West Ham United have also all launched their own eSports teams.

SEE ALSO: Win or lose, Nintendo Switch heralds a big change for the 127-year-old company

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: A new study just blew a hole in one of the strongest arguments against global warming

Sprint just bought a 33% stake in the music-streaming service Tidal.

Tidal, which is co-owned by Jay Z and more than a dozen other artists, will provide Sprint's retail customers with access to exclusive content not available to other Tidal users.

Sprint's CEO, Marcelo Claure, will join Tidal's board of directors.

"Sprint shares our view of revolutionizing the creative industry to allow artists to connect directly with their fans and reach their fullest, shared potential," Jay Z said in a statement.

"Marcelo understood our goal right away and together we are excited to bring Sprint’s 45 million customers an unmatched entertainment experience."

Tidal saw a surge in users after Beyoncé made her 2016 album, "Lemonade," available exclusively on the service.

While Tidal saw net losses of $28 million in 2015, revenue was up 30% from the year before.

Apple — which has its own streaming service, Apple Music — was reportedly in talks with Tidal about a possible acquisition last June, but shut down those rumors in September.

Last week Tidal was accused of inflating its user numbers.

Here's the full press release:

NEW YORK & OVERLAND PARK, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Global music and entertainment platform TIDAL and Sprint (NYSE: S) announced today an unprecedented partnership that will soon give Sprint’s 45 million retail customers unlimited access to exclusive artist content not available anywhere else.

TIDAL and its artists will make exclusive content that will only be available to current and new Sprint customers.

As part of the partnership, Sprint will acquire 33 percent of TIDAL. JAY Z and the artist-owners will continue to run TIDAL’s artist-centric service as it pioneers and grows the direct relationship between artists and fans. The formidable pairing of Sprint and TIDAL will grow customers on both platforms by offering exclusive access for customers who subscribe to TIDAL. Sprint’s chief executive officer, Marcelo Claure, will also join TIDAL’s Board of Directors.

“Sprint shares our view of revolutionizing the creative industry to allow artists to connect directly with their fans and reach their fullest, shared potential,” said JAY Z. “Marcelo understood our goal right away and together we are excited to bring Sprint’s 45 million customers an unmatched entertainment experience.”

TIDAL is a global, experiential, entertainment platform built for fans, directly from artists around the world. Members of TIDAL enjoy unmatched exclusively curated content that directly connects artists with their fans in multiple ways. TIDAL is available in more than 52 countries, with a more than 42.5 million song catalog and 140,000 high quality videos.

The innovative TIDAL platform, combined with Sprint’s award-winning reliable network and best value for unlimited data, talk and text, will deliver a first-of-its-kind experience for music fans.

“Jay saw not only a business need, but a cultural one, and put his heart and grit into building TIDAL into a world-class music streaming platform that is unrivaled in quality and content,” said Claure. “The passion and dedication that these artist-owners bring to fans will enable Sprint to offer new and existing customers access to exclusive content and entertainment experiences in a way no other service can.”

More news on exclusive offers and upcoming promotions from Sprint and TIDAL will be unveiled soon.

Sprint’s dedication to its customers and to artists is at the heart of the partnership. Part of that effort will include the establishment of a dedicated marketing fund specifically for artists. The fund will allow artists the flexibility to create and share their work with and for their fans.

The Sprint-TIDAL partnership comes on the heels of TIDAL’s recent announcement revealing the availability of “Master” quality recordings. A wide variety of content from labels and artists, including Warner Music Group’s world-renowned music catalogue, is now available in Master audio across all of TIDAL’s available markets worldwide.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: We got our hands on the $44,000 watch that only 352 people can own

"The Young Pope" has finally arrived on HBO, and while it's got plenty of bizarre moments in the plot to buzz about, the basic premise and title of the show alone have caused quite a stir on Twitter.  Before the show even premiered, people were making fun of it, and these memes have gotten the attention of the lead actor in the series, Jude Law. Here's a look at some of the funniest ones out there.

Follow Tech Insider:On Facebook

Join the conversation about this story »

Liam Neeson admits he wasn't impressed with Shūsaku Endō's novel "Silence" when Martin Scorsese offered him a role in the movie adaptation two years ago.

"It was very dull," the Oscar-nominated actor recently told Business Insider over the phone.

But after reading the movie's script, he said, "the issues in the book really came alive for me." And so Scorsese had the final piece in his latest attempt in 26 years to make the movie.

Neeson gives an incredible performance as Father Ferreira, a Jesuit priest who in attempting to spread Christianity in 17th-century Japan is captured by samurai who are keeping the religion out of the country and put Ferreira through numerous types of torture until he renounces his faith.

Neeson talked to Business Insider about the role, preparing for a grueling torture scene, how the experience was different from working with Scorsese on "Gangs of New York," that time he almost played Lincoln in Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln," and why we will probably never see his Qui-Gon Jinn in any upcoming "Star Wars" movies.

Jason Guerrasio: A major scene for Father Ferreira is the torture scene. What were the discussions you and Scorsese had about tackling it?

Liam Neeson: It was an actual torture — many martyrs lost their lives that way and were punished that way in Japan. We knew exactly what happened and what the pit was filled with, which was human excrement, and they were hung upside down. Then these boards put around them so after some time you didn't have a sense of where you were in space or time and you were constantly suffering. You didn't die, but there was an agony, and you couldn't move your body because you're harnessed in like a straightjacket.

Guerrasio: Did you experience it yourself outside of the shots we see of your doing it?

Neeson: Beforehand, to get some type of feel for it, I hung upside down on that machine that you'll find at the gym, inversion table, and you can hang upside down. So I did that in preparation.

Guerrasio: Did you use any of your experience making "The Mission" in helping to prepare for "Silence"?

Neeson: Very much. I think we made it in 1985, I believe. Our technical advisor was Father Daniel Berrigan, who just passed way last year. I was pals with Father Dan, he was a famous Jesuit in his time. Myself, Bob De Niro, Jeremy Irons, we talked with Father Dan about the gospel and how it relates to today's world, then being the '80s. It was really, really enlightening. We did preparation in Jesuit training, which they still do to this day. Namely the spiritual exercises. So my research on "The Mission" played very heavily in this film.

Guerrasio: Was it a different experience working with Scorsese this time around?

Neeson: I knew how important "Silence" was for Martin. He spent 26 years putting the film together. The sets on "Silence" were incredibly quiet. He did demand from all the crew, especially when he was talking to his actors before we do a scene, he did demand absolute silence, and he got it. He did create this space for you to do your best work. To really focus.

Guerrasio: That was different from "Gangs of New York"?

Neeson: I'm not saying on "Gangs of New York" he was walking around telling jokes — it was a different subject matter. There were always crowds of actors. It was a different energy.

Guerrasio: Did you have to wait around for a call from Scorsese that it was time to finally shoot "Silence"?

Neeson: No. I met with Martin around 2015 and this is when he was very close to shooting. It wasn't like I was waiting around for years and years.

Guerrasio: You have such an incredible filmography, but I want to bring up a project you didn't take on: Any regrets not doing "Lincoln" with Steven Spielberg?

Neeson: I have absolutely no regrets about that at all. The script I was involved with Steven on was totally different than what he shot. I thought I was past my sell-by date with this. This just isn't me anymore. And I'm glad it happened. When I saw the film and what Steven had done and certainly what Daniel [Day-Lewis as Abraham Lincoln] had done was f---ing extraordinary. I thought it was beautiful. I was so pleased I made that decision. Dan was superb.

Guerrasio: Deep down do you want to go back and play Qui-Gon Jinn again?

Neeson: No. No. That was 20 years ago. No, and nor have I been approached. And with all these spin-offs they are doing who knows what's going to happen.

Guerrasio: That's why I bring it up — the character may have a reason to get back in the mix.

Neeson: I would certainly take their call, let's put it that way, but I think that ship has sailed. 

"Silence" is currently playing in theaters.

SEE ALSO: Here are the must-see movies that are going to win Oscars in 2017

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: How to use Meitu — the Chinese selfie-enhancing app that the Internet is obsessed with

People in Hollywood might start changing their tune about director M. Night Shyamalan after his latest, "Split," made a surprisingly massive haul over the weekend.

The "Sixth Sense" director's latest thriller, which stars James McAvoy as a man with 23 different personalities who kidnaps three girls, earned $40.2 million over its opening weekend, giving it the No. 1 spot at the box office. That's more money than "The Sixth Sense" made in its debut weekend ($26.7 million) and marks one of Shyamalan's best openings — though it doesn't quite match the impressive $60.1 million "Signs" took in over its 2002 opening weekend.

The exact budget of "Split" is unknown but is estimated at about $9 million, according to Forbes, which is much lower than Shyamalan's big-budget features like "Signs" and "The Village."

Shyamalan collaborated with Blumhouse Productions on the film, following their previous movie together, "The Visit" (2015), which received positive reviews and was seen as a return to form for the director.

Before "The Visit," Shyamalan had seen diminishing box-office returns and sagging critical opinion on movies like "Lady in the Water" (2006) and "After Earth" (2013), a mega-budget flop starring Will Smith and son Jaden Smith, which grossed only $60.5 million total in the US.

"Split" is also getting some more favorable reviews for Shyamalan, with a 76% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes as of this writing.

SEE ALSO: Here are the must-see movies that are going to win Oscars in 2017

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Everything we know so far about the next season of 'Game of Thrones'

I spent almost two years researching a new audio setup for my house. By way of background, I don't own any TVs and although we pay for a variety of video-steaming services, I don't watch them all that much (everybody else does, on laptops, tablets, and iPhones).

However, I do listen to a lot of music. Before I moved from Los Angeles a couple of years ago, I had a kind of evolving hybrid old-school/new-school audio setup. At any given time, there was a component hi-fi stereo plus a Wi-Fi streaming rig and of course the car radio. There were CDs and even some survivors from my once-vast vinyl record collection. There were cassette tapes. There were iTunes libraries and a stray iPod or two.

When I came back to New York, I decided to commit to a simple Bluetooth setup. So for a while, it was iPhone + Bluetooth speaker. But it wasn't a very good Bluetooth speaker. I missed the old component configuration I had lugged around for two decades, in the 1980s and 1990s. I realized that I wanted to listen to music and have it sound good.

So began the quest. Fortunately, I wasn't in a hurry. And I had reference points. It boiled down to whether I had in mind a static or dynamic listening experience. Or perhaps better stated as stationary or ambient. 

A key point of reference was my father-in-law's budget audiophile arrangement, with NAD components mated to a pair of excellent Ohm speakers. Good sounds!

But to really enjoy that setup — which I was familiar with from my own systems — you have to commit to sitting in a chair or on a couch, figuring out how to best position the speakers, and in this day and age go for an amplifier-turntable-speakers rig and start rebuilding the vinyl. It's also a wired system, so there are, you know ... wires.

The listening experience is unparalleled, of course. But as I worked through my options, I realized that I don't listen to music that way anymore — unless I'm in a car, where I get to sample no end of multi-speaker, high-end audio systems.

We listen to music holistically, and we want to fill our house with it. So you can probably guess where I'm heading here.

Yep, we took the Sonos plunge. But what an odyssey it was before we finally made that decision!

SEE ALSO: The best audio system I've ever heard in a car also sounds amazing at home

We have a kind of medium-sized, three-story house, with small and medium-sized rooms. Acoustically, the living room or family room is quite good, but it's also not an ideal place in which to locate an elaborate audio system.

We had been making do with a group of Bluetooth speakers. We had some old component systems and some refugee speakers, but they weren't going to work as the main rig.

I used to own about 500 vinyl records. But I sold them and made the switch to digital, not always with great results, audio-wise. So I explored setting up a new, vinyl-centric system.

Over the weekend, Aziz Ansari performed the first "Saturday Night Live" monologue of Donald Trump's presidency and inspired praise among many of its viewers.

The post-inauguration episode attracted the show's highest ratings since the episode that aired after the November 8 elections, according to Deadline.

Ansari kicked off his hosting debut on the NBC sketch show by delivering his monologue in a stand-up style. He addressed fears surrounding Trump's presidency, growing racial tension, and the patriotism that immigrants (like his own parents) feel for the US.

"My parents moved from India to South Carolina in the early '80s," Ansari said. "They didn’t move until nine years ago. You know where they moved? North Carolina. They love it here. They’re not leaving."

He also coined the term "lowercase kkk" for those Americans who suddenly feel empowered to express their racist views in response to Trump's anti-immigrant rhetoric.

"Hey, I know it’s been a rough couple of years," Ansari said to the "lowercase kkk." "It's just been hit after hit after hit. 'Star Wars' movies where the only white characters are stormtroopers. I get it! It's been rough! But you’ve got to stop."

Ansari ended his monologue by giving props to the huge turnout for the women's marches held in Washington, D.C., and other cities across the US and the world.

"If you look at our country's history," he said, "change doesn’t come from presidents. Change comes from large groups of angry people. And if day one is any indication, you are part of the largest group of angry people I have ever seen. Good luck."

Here's a look at the praise showered on Ansari's monologue:

SEE ALSO: Malia Obama is going to intern with hotshot Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein

DON'T MISS: Seth Meyers jokes Trump's inauguration day will end with his impeachment hearing

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Watch protesters and Trump supporters get into a fiery argument on the National Mall right after the new president was sworn in

You no longer have to keep calling the next "Star Wars" "Episode VIII," because Lucasfilm/Disney have finally revealed the title of the movie.

The official "Star Wars" Twitter account posted Monday morning saying that the next chapter in the "Skywalker saga" is known as "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," a clear nod to Luke Skywalker's role in the film.

"The Last Jedi" will be released on December 15, 2017. Mark Hamill will return as Luke Skywaker, as will Princess Leia star Carrie Fisher, who finished filming before her death at the end of 2016.

The movie is written and directed by Rian Johnson, and is expected to pick up right where "The Force Awakens" left off.

SEE ALSO: Here are the must-see movies that are going to win Oscars in 2017

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: How Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson makes and spends his millions

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said Monday that he believes pop icon Madonna should be jailed for saying she had thought about "blowing up the White House."

"Frankly, the truth is, she ought to be arrested," Gingrich said on "Fox & Friends."

Madonna said at Saturday's women's march in Washington, DC, that she had "thought an awful lot about blowing up the White House," but decided to "choose love" instead.

"What you have is an emerging left-wing fascism," Gingrich told Fox News. "She's part of it."

Gingrich, a top supporter of President Donald Trump, said Madonna was "parallel to the young fascists who ran around breaking windows" in DC to protest of Trump's inauguration as the 45th president.

The Secret Service, in accordance with how the agency normally handles threats against the president, said it would investigate the singer's outlandish remarks.

SEE ALSO: The 'Deploraball' bash laid bare the fractious tension between the 'new right' and the 'alt right'

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Here are some incredible things you didn’t know about Putin's life

Stacey Dash and the Fox News Channel have parted ways.

FNC decided not to renew Dash's contract, an FNC representative told Business Insider on Monday. The rep pointed out that Dash had not appeared on the network since September.

NPR Media Correspondent David Folkenflik broke the news on Twitter Friday.

Dash, a Donald Trump supporter, served as a contributor to FNC since 2014, and is known for expressing her controversial views with strong language. The network had previously suspended her in 2015 for profanity after she said that President Barack Obama "didn't give a s--t" about terrorism.

Last year, she once again found herself in the middle of controversy when she expressed doubt around the lack of ethnic diversity at the Oscars, and called for an end to the BET awards and Black History Month.

Dash is best known for playing Cher's (Alicia Silverstone) best friend in the 1995 movie "Clueless." She has also held roles on the TV comedies "The Game" and "Single Ladies."

In addition to Dash, FNC reportedly decided not to renew contributor contracts for longtime political commentator George Will and Republican strategist Ed Rollins.

A representative for Dash didn't immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

SEE ALSO: People are calling Aziz Ansari's response to President Trump on 'SNL' 'perfect'

DON'T MISS: Malia Obama is going to intern with hotshot Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 'I don't like tweeting': Trump addresses his Twitter use amid tweetstorm aimed at NBC

PARK CITY, Utah — Comedies are shining at this year's Sundance Film Festival, and one that's getting high marks is "Ingrid Goes West," a dark comedy starring Audrey Plaza as Ingrid, who is so addicted to her Instagram account that she becomes dangerously obsessed with the "Insta-famous" Taylor (Elizabeth Olsen).

With the help of Taylor's account, Ingrid knows everything from where Taylor lives to her favorite shops and restaurants. After inheriting over $60,000 following the death of her mother, and trying to put her life together after ruining her friend's wedding because she wasn't invited, Ingrid decides to start a new life out in California, in the same neighborhood Taylor lives in. The movie then chronicles Ingrid's "Single White Female"-like lengths to become Taylor's friend.

Plaza and Olsen talked to Business Insider at Sundance about the movie's commentary on social media, their realization that being internet famous can be a good business model, and the story behind one of the movie's funniest scenes (if you were a fan of K-Ci & JoJo, keep reading).

Jason Guerrasio: You aren't on social media at all, right, Elizabeth?

Elizabeth Olsen: Right.

Guerrasio: Aubrey, you've recently ended your Twitter account, right?

Aubrey Plaza: Yeah, I kind of did a little switcheroo. I got off Twitter and I started a public Instagram.

Guerrasio: Is it frightening to think that there might be a person like Ingrid out there trying to connect with you through social media?

Plaza: I don't think about that. I wouldn't think about that.

Olsen: I just don't want people to know what I'm doing. [Laughs] And not that I think I have a stalker, I just want to stay private.

Guerrasio: What do you guys think of social media in general? The movie is kind of a commentary on where we are.

Plaza: I think it's its own animal that is evolving and it's something that in years to come we'll look back on and learn a lot about it. We're in it right now so it's really hard to have a perspective on it, but it feels scary to me.

Olsen: I think it's advancing so fast and there's something always new, I think we're still exploring how it's most beneficial. "Black Mirror" is a show that shows you the scariest version, it's almost a cautionary tale.

Guerrasio: I feel this movie is the same way, too. I mean, there are things you want to tell your fans, but you also want privacy and not to be trolled.

Plaza: Yeah, I'm a private person and don't like sharing my private life with people, but as a producer and being in a professional business, there is a part of it where you need to give back. It's nice to emote something and you want to make things for those people, so having that is good sometimes.

Olsen: I keep thinking about maybe doing it —

Guerrasio: Really?

Olsen: Yeah, but I probably won't.

Plaza: [Laughs]

Olsen: Though I think about doing it.

Plaza: It's like coming up with something to post and then going, "Forget it, I'm not doing it."

Olsen: Yeah, I mean, honestly, from a specific business point of view, it would help me. But not in film or acting, it would help me in the other picture of all this, which is branding. Using it when I do a cover story, that would be helpful for me. And inevitably that is helpful for your projects. So there is a cycle and social media is very important to all those companies that you want to be on good terms with so you can promote your projects. I understand it from a business point of view and I have friends who handle it like a business, like you Aubrey. But I just don't know how to commit to it.

Guerrasio: You can always start one and have someone else be in charge of it.

Olsen: No, I would want to do it.

Guerrasio: Aubrey, did you do a lot of research to play Ingrid?

Plaza: I definitely did a lot of thinking about it. I think the script was well-written and the character just jumped off the page. I think [director] Matt [Spicer] and I had so many conversations about what's wrong with her — it's never really stated.

Guerrasio: How about you, Elizabeth?

Olsen: Yeah, I did research. Matt actually had a list of 35 people on Instagram who we could model Taylor off of. When Matt first told me to do it, I was like, if I'm playing someone who does drugs, I don't have to go and become a drug addict, but at a point I was like, "Eh, lean into it." So I learned how to take Instagram-pro quality pictures with my phone.

Guerrasio: Doing the perfect selfie.

Olsen: Well, I'm not good at that. So Matt set up a fake account for me and I followed 35 people and it's fascinating. I have no clue who these people are, but they have millions and millions of followers and they get paid for it and they all look fabulous and they get invited to very prestigious things. I thought it was fascinating and humanizing. I try not to place judgments as a general rule of thumb but I think I had a little bit of judgment before and now I understand it's a potential career just like any other career.

Guerrasio: One of the funniest scenes is when you two are in the car singing the K-Ci & JoJo song "All My Life." How did that come together?

Olsen: I think there was another song first, but they couldn't get the rights for it.

Plaza: Yeah, it was Seal's "Kiss from a Rose."

Olsen: Oh, right! And doing this song was so much better.

Plaza: Wasn't that our first day together?

Olsen: Yeah, first scene we shot. I had practiced those lyrics so many times.

Plaza: I had not practiced. But yeah, you knew it. We were just in a desert in that truck in the middle of the night just singing that song.

Olsen: It was so much fun.

Guerrasio: How many renditions did you do?

Plaza: We did numerous versions. All different levels of energy from both of us. I'm sure we did real weird stuff, even weirder than the finished cut.

Olsen: We smoked so many cigarettes.

Plaza: It was so trashy, I loved it.

Olsen: [Laughs] It was great.

Plaza: It was this "Thelma & Louise" vibe.

Guerrasio: Aubrey, you are a producer on this film and your other Sundance entry "The Little Hours." How does that feel, having work that you started from the ground up playing here?

Plaza: It's really exciting. I've never produced before so it's always exciting as an actor to see your movie at Sundance, but as a producer it's even more exciting because you were there from the very beginning. It's like your child.

Guerrasio: Is the next step directing?

Plaza: I mean, I went to film school for writing and directing and I definitely want to direct, but I don't know when that will be.

Guerrasio: Any directing aspirations, Elizabeth?

Olsen: No.

Plaza: Really?

Olsen: I like acting. Though right now I'm developing two things and I have never had more fun pitching and being on projects from the beginning. It's frustrating but it becomes this thing that you fall in love with.

Neon acquired "Ingrid Goes West" at Sundance and will release it later this year.

SEE ALSO: A new documentary about Gawker vs. Hulk Hogan trial will change how you see the case

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Here’s a look at the final bloody trailer for the new 'Wolverine' movie

HBO's new documentary about Slender Man — a tall, shadowy monster that has terrified people on the internet for years — will finally premiere on January 23, 2017 .  The character may be fake, but he has also inspired some tragic real-life attacks. Here's a look at the origins of Slender Man and how he has captured the imagination of people online. 

Follow Tech Insider:On Facebook

Join the conversation about this story »

On Monday, Sprint announced it had bought a 33% stake in Jay Z's embattled music-streaming service Tidal — for a whopping $200 million, according to Billboard.

That would value Tidal at $600 million.

This is a huge win for Tidal, which Jay Z bought for $56 million in 2015. While Billboard says he and "each of the company's two dozen artist-owners [like Rihanna] will remain part owners," it seems he's planning an exit from the music-streaming game, with an eventual sale to Sprint.

Sprint buying Tidal would be a best-case scenario for Jay Z.

Since Jay Z bought Tidal, it has faced accusations that it inflated subscriber numbers (3 million at last count, according to the company), a musical chairs of exec departures, as well as reports that it is hemorrhaging cash. Apple and Samsung had both been tossed around as potential Tidal buyers in the last year, but neither seemed to bite. And the service remains much smaller than competitors like Spotify and Apple Music.

All this is not necessarily Jay Z's fault. No one is the music-streaming business appears to be making real profits, even heavyweights like Spotify, Pandora, and presumably Apple. It's a tough business.

But the question is, then, why is Sprint buying a big stake in Tidal at such a hefty valuation?

How exclusive is exclusive?

The best possible answer lies in one word: exclusives. From the start of Jay Z's tenure as owner, Tidal has relied on high-profile exclusives to juice its subscriber numbers.

Here's the playbook.

First, you get big-name artists to agree to give Tidal an exclusive window for their new album. (It helps that they are likely part owners of the service.) Then you use that to sign up new users and then hope they don’t cancel when the free-trial month is up.

Tidal employed this strategy with three high-profile artists in 2016: Rihanna, Kanye West, and Beyoncé. All three made an enormous impact on new downloads for Tidal. You can see just how big that impact was in US data from SurveyMonkey Intelligence, the app analytics platform:

And though that strategy seems to have been effective in the short-term, there is some evidence that Tidal saw a large drop-off in the following months.

In short: many of those subscribers didn't stick around.

But still, the exclusives moved the needle, and seem to be the only likely explanation of why Sprint could think Tidal is worth $600 million. Maybe Sprint is betting that exclusives could not only get someone to sign up for a free trial of Tidal, but actually contribute to someone's decision to switch wireless carriers. In the press release, Sprint said its customers would get "unlimited access to exclusive artist content not available anywhere else." 

But it's unclear how Sprint could leverage this without destroying value.

Rihanna isn't likely to want her next album to be only available on the Sprint network for any period of time — not without some sort of huge deal on top of her presumed Tidal ownership. So when Sprint says that "Tidal and its artists will make exclusive content that will only be available to current and new Sprint customers," it's hard to know how much that could encompass. Will it be a few promo interviews and bonus songs, or conversely, an actual album.

The zero-rating question

Sprint could also go the route of "zero-rating," that is, letting Sprint customers listen to Tidal on the network free of any data charges. 

This would be a boon for Tidal users, particularly for those who use the high-quality streaming option. T-Mobile already lets you stream all major streaming services free through its "binge-on" program, so it's hardly a revolutionary program, and Sprint has done some video zero-rating as well.

But it does fit into an emerging tactic by wireless companies to wring money out of media assets they own.

The clearest example so far is AT&T with DirecTV Now, its streaming TV service that competes with cable and satellite. If you are an AT&T customer, you can stream DirecTV Now all you want without it counting toward your data cap. Critics say this practice is anti-competitive, but AT&T's argument is that it allows any service to be "zero-rated": they just have to pay for it.

The problem with that logic is that when DirecTV is paying AT&T, the company is basically moving money from one pocket to another, while if a service like Netflix were paying the fee, that would be money lost.

Sprint could employ a similar strategy with Tidal. It could set a fee for services like Spotify and Apple Music to pay to be exempted from data caps on its plans. Tidal would have to pay too, but again, that money would just be going from one Sprint entity to another (provided Sprint ended up buying Tidal).

Even so, it's hard to imagine that Tidal, which has fallen well behind its competitors in terms of subscriber numbers, could be worth 10 times what Jay Z paid for it, at a time when even the marquee names in the business are losing money.

SEE ALSO: Spotify is punishing artists who give exclusives to Apple by gutting their placement on Spotify

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Trump signs three executive orders, including a withdrawal from the TPP

The "Grand Theft Auto" series is just shy of its thirtieth birthday. The first "GTA" game came out in October 1997, and it looked nothing like the series does today.

In fact, it wasn't until "Grand Theft Auto III" on PlayStation 2 that the series really exploded in popularity; that entry also set the standard by which all future "GTA" games would be measured. In many ways, "Grand Theft Auto V" — the latest entry in the long-running series — is the most recent iteration of a formula that began with "Grand Theft Auto III."

And that's not without reason: The same man was at the production helm for every "GTA" entry between 2001's "GTA III" and "GTA V." His name is Leslie Benzies, and he's a Scottish game designer.

Benzies is no longer employed by Rockstar Games (the company behind the "GTA" series) or its parent company (Take-Two Interactive). His employment ended at Rockstar, effectively, in September 2014. According to a lawsuit Benzies filed against Rockstar and Take-Two in April 2016, Benzies claims he was was "enticed by Rockstar" to take a sabbatical starting in September 2014. A little over a year later, in January 2016, Rockstar officially announced that Benzies was no longer with the company.

What happened in the interim depends on who you ask. It's a bit of a he said/she said — here's what we know:

• Benzies charges Rockstar with allegedly pushing him out, suing his former employer for $150 million in what he claims are unpaid royalties. 
• According to Rockstar (via a Kotaku report in January 2016), Benzies "decided not to return to work for the company" at some point during his sabbatical.
• According to Benzies' lawyers, Benzies was terminated. "When attempting to resume his duties upon conclusion of his sabbatical on April 1, 2015, Mr. Benzies found himself unable to enter the Rockstar North office because his facilities access device had been deactivated," a statement from Christopher Bakes, Partner at Locke Lord LLP reads. "After being let inside by building security, Mr. Benzies was then ordered to leave by the Rockstar North office manager without reason."

Regardless, Benzies isn't waiting for his lawsuit to play out — he's getting back into the game industry on his own accord, having just registered several companies. 

As The Scotsman noticed, Benzies registered a handful of different companies starting in January 2016 — soon after Rockstar Games confirmed that Benzies was no longer an employee. Those range from straightforward video game development studios ("Royal Circus Games Limited," "Everywhere Game Limited") to more hardware-focused stuff ("VR-Chitect Limited") — you can see the full listing of companies here on the UK's business registration site.

Of the several companies Benzies registered, only Benzies and one other employee are listed on each filing — a man named Christian Poziemski, who appears to be a financial adviser. Whether or not these companies are anything more than placeholder registrations is another question altogether. Given Benzies' prolific history in game development, we expect this is more than a just-in-case measure.

As for the lawsuit, Rockstar and its parent company Take-Two Interactive are refuting Benzies' claims, as well as counter-suing.

SEE ALSO: This is why Nintendo believes its next console won't fail like its last one did

DON'T MISS: Three years after launch, 'Grand Theft Auto V' just shipped its 70 millionth copy

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Forget 'Westworld' — you can control your own destiny in this upcoming Western from the makers of 'Grand Theft Auto'

PARK CITY, Utah — The first time you ever saw Lakeith Stanfield, he was probably playing Darius, the most comic of comic relief on the hit, Golden Globe-winning TV show "Atlanta." But here at the Sundance Film Festival, the 25-year-old actor has quietly become one of the most sought-after talents on the indie-film scene.

"Last time I came here and landed at the airport there were about three people there with my headshot asking me to sign my autograph," Stanfield told Business Insider over the weekend. "This time I get here there are about 50 people and there were so many things I had to sign my wrist was getting tired, but I love, love, love the love."

Stanfield is in two films at the festival this year: closing-night film "The Incredible Jessica James," which also stars former "The Daily Show" correspondent Jessica Williams, and "Crown Heights," in which he gives an incredible performance as Colin Warner, who in 1980 at 16 years old was tried for a crime he didn't commit and was in prison for a decade until he was finally exonerated.

As in previous titles he's had at the festival — "Short Term 12," "Dope," and "Miles Ahead" — he never plays the same character twice, but always delivers an intensity and authenticity in his characters that make him shine on the screen. That holds true if he's holding his own across from a legend like Don Cheadle playing Miles Davis in "Miles Ahead" or if Stanfield is briefly playing a legend himself, like Snoop Dogg in "Straight Outta Compton."

But in "Crown Heights," directed by Matt Ruskin ("The Hip Hop Project"), Stanfield gives a glimpse of the talents he can bring to a movie that he's the center of. Sporting long hair and a Caribbean accent, he captures Warner's levels of emotion throughout his incarceration including disbelief of his situation, understandable anger and frustration, and finally faith that his name will be cleared.  

A lot of that came from spending time with the real Warner. But instead of peppering him with questions about his time in jail, Stanfield wanted to get deeper.

"I wanted to know more about his history and his family and where he's situated now because that would give me a lot of information as far as to what kind of persistence this character has in order to exist and the way he existed," he said. "And that's very, very peacefully and very calm and understanding. He pulled out a photo album and started telling me stories about everybody in the photo album and the events in these people's lives that he missed because he was in prison. I could see how this all affected him deeply. It was a very special experience."

Warner also spent years in solitary confinement during his time in prison, so Stanfield would use his trailer on the set of the movie as the space to prepare for those scenes of isolation.

"I would keep my phone away and would be in my trailer with the lights off," he said. "It's been weird because I've been having these reoccurring dreams of being pursued by law enforcement. I never had them before doing this movie. It's pretty weird." 

For audiences who only know Stanfield from his wacky Darius character on "Atlanta" (or doing that insane dance on the Golden Globes stage after the show won best comedy) this serious side of him may come as a shock.

But for Stanfield it's keeping his fans guessing that's the fun. And the added attention he gets since "Atlanta" started is something he's completely fine with.

"The attention is normal because I anticipated it," he said. "There would be at some point a lot of attention and that's okay. I have my quiet time, but the rest I just give it away."

Though we won't see him on "Atlanta" until the show returns in 2018, Stanfield isn't slowing down. He recently shot the anticipated Netflix movie "War Machine" with Brad Pitt.

In fact, though "Atlanta" has only one season under its belt, he thinks the break is a good thing.

"The world's in a very interesting place right now so I feel like for a TV show that's great ammunition," he said. "The writers are going to be sucking this stuff up and getting it really nice, so I'm really excited to see what they come up with and how it changes over time. And how the characters change, too."

"Crown Heights" has its world premiere Monday at the Sundance Film Festival.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: How to use Meitu — the Chinese selfie-enhancing app that the Internet is obsessed with

The creators of the upcoming film "Rings" set up an incredible prank. Watch as Samara — the terrifying girl from "The Ring" — crawls out of a TV set to scare customers in an electronics store.

Follow Tech Insider: On Facebook

Join the conversation about this story »

Every season of "The Bachelor" has its villain, and everyone seems to have unanimously decided that this year's is Corinne. The Internet is obsessed with this business owner from Florida who is in it to win it. She got the first kiss and isn't afraid to bare it all to make it to the end. Here's everything we know about her so far.

Follow Tech Insider:On Facebook

Join the conversation about this story »

CBS has tapped Stephen Colbert to host the 69th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards this year.

It will be Colbert's first time hosting television's biggest awards show. It will air live on Sunday, September 17 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

“This will be the largest audience to witness an Emmys, period,” Stephen Colbert said in a statement on Monday. “Both in person and around the globe.”

“Stephen is the ultimate master of ceremonies with award-winning creative talents, and as we’ve seen the past few months, he has a fearless passion for live television," CBS's executive vice president of specials, music and live events said. "We look forward to honoring television’s best while entertaining audiences with the creative energy and sharp comedy of Stephen Colbert.”

In addition to hosting and executive producing CBS's "Late Show," Colbert hosted the "Kennedy Center Honors," and Showtime's live election night special.

Previously, he won nine Emmy awards while hosting Comedy Central's "Colbert Report" from 2005 to 2014 and writing on "The Daily Show."

SEE ALSO: Stephen Colbert: Why Trump's distrust of US intelligence is 'very strange'

DON'T MISS: Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert nearly left Comedy Central in 2012

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: ‘How can you be this bad at it?’: Colbert joked about Clinton’s trusthworthiness — here’s how she responded

Shia LaBeouf got into an intense exchange with a white nationalist outside the Museum of the Moving Image. The exchange took place at his participatory performance, which is scheduled to continue throughout Donald Trump's presidency. 

Follow BI Video: On Twitter 

Join the conversation about this story »

The Oscars set the conversation about the best of the year in movies. On Tuesday morning, the Academy is releasing its list of nominees for the 2017 awards show. Here are the nominees, updated as they come out:

Best Lead Actor

Casey Affleck, "Manchester by the Sea"

Andrew Garfield, "Hacksaw Ridge"

Ryan Gosling, "La La Land"

Viggo Mortensen, "Captain "Fantastic"

Denzel Washington, "Fences"

Best Supporting Actor

Mahershala Ali, "Moonlight"

Jeff Bridges, "Hell or High Water"

Lucas Hedges, "Manchester by the Sea"

Dev Patel, "Lion"

Michael Shannon, "Nocturnal Animals"

Best Cinematography

"Arrival"

"La La Land"

"Lion"

"Moonlight"

"Silence"

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The story of 'Slender Man' — the internet’s creepiest urban legend