Simon Owens
@simonowens.bsky.social
Media industry journalist who runs a newsletter and podcast. You can reach me at [email protected]
PREDATOR: BADLANDS is pretty good. Dan Trachtenberg is doing for the Predator franchise what Tony Gilroy did for Star Wars.
November 16, 2025 at 3:22 AM
PREDATOR: BADLANDS is pretty good. Dan Trachtenberg is doing for the Predator franchise what Tony Gilroy did for Star Wars.
Trump just directed his Justice Department to look into Epstein's ties to Democrats.
November 14, 2025 at 9:04 PM
Trump just directed his Justice Department to look into Epstein's ties to Democrats.
Francesca Donner grew frustrated by the lack of female voices at the mainstream media outlets she worked for.
simonowens.substack.com/p/why-a-form...
simonowens.substack.com/p/why-a-form...
Why a former New York Times editor launched her own women-focused magazine
Francesca Donner grew frustrated by the lack of female voices at the mainstream media outlets she worked for.
simonowens.substack.com
November 14, 2025 at 4:40 PM
Francesca Donner grew frustrated by the lack of female voices at the mainstream media outlets she worked for.
simonowens.substack.com/p/why-a-form...
simonowens.substack.com/p/why-a-form...
I think I’m going to need to find a business partner at some point soon. It’s so hard to go the independent media route alone.
November 14, 2025 at 2:26 PM
I think I’m going to need to find a business partner at some point soon. It’s so hard to go the independent media route alone.
If the AI bubble is indeed bursting, it'll be the first time I can remember that many people got the timing largely correct.
November 14, 2025 at 1:34 PM
If the AI bubble is indeed bursting, it'll be the first time I can remember that many people got the timing largely correct.
It's almost comical how little engagement there is on Bluesky compared to other platforms like LinkedIn, Threads, and even Substack Notes. This place just doesn't have the juice.
November 14, 2025 at 12:54 PM
It's almost comical how little engagement there is on Bluesky compared to other platforms like LinkedIn, Threads, and even Substack Notes. This place just doesn't have the juice.
Reposted by Simon Owens
The funniest thing about Twitter these days is that right wing dipshits still think their content is being suppressed by some unseen liberal forces.
Elon Musk has owned the site for over three years now.
Elon Musk has owned the site for over three years now.
November 14, 2025 at 2:15 AM
The funniest thing about Twitter these days is that right wing dipshits still think their content is being suppressed by some unseen liberal forces.
Elon Musk has owned the site for over three years now.
Elon Musk has owned the site for over three years now.
Absolutely bizarre headline and framing, and I can guarantee you the NYT would have gone with a more direct headline ("Matt Gaetz paid for sex with 17-year-old homeless girl") if it didn't involve one of Trump's most loyal sycophants.
November 14, 2025 at 1:23 AM
Absolutely bizarre headline and framing, and I can guarantee you the NYT would have gone with a more direct headline ("Matt Gaetz paid for sex with 17-year-old homeless girl") if it didn't involve one of Trump's most loyal sycophants.
Webtoon has grown a massive online audience for its web comics, but it's struggled to gain traction in the US market. Now it's partnering with major American media companies like Disney to adapt their IP into new formats. It also hopes to benefit from the rising US interest in Korean content.
With a Disney Lifeline, Can Webtoon Finally Win Over America?
The company that popularized scrolling web comics is tapping Spider-Man and Darth Vader as part of its most ambitious move yet to crack the US market.
www.bloomberg.com
November 13, 2025 at 11:36 PM
Webtoon has grown a massive online audience for its web comics, but it's struggled to gain traction in the US market. Now it's partnering with major American media companies like Disney to adapt their IP into new formats. It also hopes to benefit from the rising US interest in Korean content.
I definitely agree with the thesis of the piece. When people claim that the media is "dying," what they're mostly referring to is the legacy media. But if you broaden your definition of media, then you'll quickly learn that it's actually expanding. Not only is advertising and sub
The Future of Media Is Being Built on YouTube
The platform, thanks to a constellation of factors, is becoming the preeminent incubator for new media ventures
www.adweek.com
November 13, 2025 at 10:36 PM
I definitely agree with the thesis of the piece. When people claim that the media is "dying," what they're mostly referring to is the legacy media. But if you broaden your definition of media, then you'll quickly learn that it's actually expanding. Not only is advertising and sub
Most major streaming services are raising their prices at a rate that far outpaces inflation, and it just seems clear that a large part of this strategy involves just hoping that most customers are too lazy to cancel their subscriptions. My guess is this will result in more and m
Streaming Prices Are Soaring—and Consumers Are Still Paying
The menu of options for how to watch shows and movies without cable continues to grow—as do their price tags. But viewers have generally been sticking with their subscriptions.
www.wsj.com
November 13, 2025 at 9:20 PM
Most major streaming services are raising their prices at a rate that far outpaces inflation, and it just seems clear that a large part of this strategy involves just hoping that most customers are too lazy to cancel their subscriptions. My guess is this will result in more and m
It's hard to comment on Disney allowing user generated content onto Disney+ without knowing more details, but my initial read on this is it's a recognition that the company's current business model will never let it compete with YouTube on scale. No matter how many hit movies and
Disney+ to Allow User-Generated Content Via AI
Disney CEO Bob Iger hinted at "productive conversations" with unnamed AI companies that would protect IP but add new features to the studio's flagship streaming service.
www.hollywoodreporter.com
November 13, 2025 at 4:20 PM
It's hard to comment on Disney allowing user generated content onto Disney+ without knowing more details, but my initial read on this is it's a recognition that the company's current business model will never let it compete with YouTube on scale. No matter how many hit movies and
I've always admired TPM because it stayed pretty laser focused on just building a sustainable media business and never made a play for massive scale. Founder Josh Marshall was incredibly prescient in realizing early on that the programmatic ad market would just gradually chip awa
How Talking Points Memo lasted a quarter century.
Josh Marshall reflects on building “a tabloid for smart people” and how his politics blog survived in a “chaotic and unstable and bad business.”
www.cjr.org
November 13, 2025 at 3:23 PM
I've always admired TPM because it stayed pretty laser focused on just building a sustainable media business and never made a play for massive scale. Founder Josh Marshall was incredibly prescient in realizing early on that the programmatic ad market would just gradually chip awa
We keep seeing more and more YouTubers sign licensing agreements with FAST streaming services. As far as I can tell, these are mostly revenue-sharing deals, but they're for videos that already ran on YouTube anyway, so it's just additional revenue for the creator. I think
Mark Rober, a Top YouTube Creator, Sets FAST Channel on Samsung TV Plus (Exclusive)
Rober joins Dhar Mann, Michelle Khare and Mythical Entertainment as creators on the free streaming platform.
www.hollywoodreporter.com
November 13, 2025 at 2:50 PM
We keep seeing more and more YouTubers sign licensing agreements with FAST streaming services. As far as I can tell, these are mostly revenue-sharing deals, but they're for videos that already ran on YouTube anyway, so it's just additional revenue for the creator. I think
Some self-published authors have seen success selling their books directly on TikTok Shop, but it seems like a pretty big logistical headache, since TikTok will punish any retailer who falls behind on fulfillment. You have to put aside a lot of time to package and mail out your books, which can be s
[The Bottom Line] Indie authors selling on TikTok Shop
mailchi.mp
November 13, 2025 at 1:07 AM
Some self-published authors have seen success selling their books directly on TikTok Shop, but it seems like a pretty big logistical headache, since TikTok will punish any retailer who falls behind on fulfillment. You have to put aside a lot of time to package and mail out your books, which can be s
While Netflix is just starting to dip its toes into creator-led video podcasts, Tubi has been incredibly aggressive at signing licensing deals with creators. Fox really has been ahead of the curve in building out its streaming presence, even as it continues to dominate
variety.com/2025/digital...
variety.com/2025/digital...
Fox Corp.’s Tubi Unveils First Slate of Creator-Led Series, Which Includes a Revival of Joey Graceffa’s ‘Escape the Night’ Murder-Mystery Show
Fox Corp.'s Tubi announced its first slate of exclusive creator series from Joey Graceffa, KevOnStage, Rock Squad, TheOneShu, Bigg Jah and Dan & Riya.
variety.com
November 12, 2025 at 4:01 PM
While Netflix is just starting to dip its toes into creator-led video podcasts, Tubi has been incredibly aggressive at signing licensing deals with creators. Fox really has been ahead of the curve in building out its streaming presence, even as it continues to dominate
variety.com/2025/digital...
variety.com/2025/digital...
At the heart of Nicholas Carlson's new media startup is a simple math problem: “It costs the same to make a video that people want to watch for the next three weeks as it does to make one they’ll want to watch for the next 30 years.”
simonowens.substack.com/p/why-busine...
simonowens.substack.com/p/why-busine...
Why Business Insider's former editor went all in on evergreen video
With Dynamo, Nicholas Carlson is building a library of prestige content designed to appreciate in value over time.
simonowens.substack.com
November 12, 2025 at 3:31 PM
At the heart of Nicholas Carlson's new media startup is a simple math problem: “It costs the same to make a video that people want to watch for the next three weeks as it does to make one they’ll want to watch for the next 30 years.”
simonowens.substack.com/p/why-busine...
simonowens.substack.com/p/why-busine...
Never stops being incredible that the MAGA base obsessed over the Epstein crimes for years despite knowing that their Dear Leader was probably implicated. One of the biggest political own goals in history.
November 12, 2025 at 1:52 PM
Never stops being incredible that the MAGA base obsessed over the Epstein crimes for years despite knowing that their Dear Leader was probably implicated. One of the biggest political own goals in history.
I don’t mean to brag guys, but I just got contacted by a recruiter who works for “[insert relevant companies]”
November 12, 2025 at 1:31 PM
I don’t mean to brag guys, but I just got contacted by a recruiter who works for “[insert relevant companies]”
This YouTube-Disney clash really exemplifies how much the cable industry has changed in just the last few years. Not only is YouTube TV now one of the largest distributors of the cable bundle, its pay TV division is also a relatively small part of its overall business. Even if so
Monday Night Stalemate
Inside the Disney–YouTube TV carriage dispute that’s costing Disney $30 million a week and testing whether streaming platforms can outmuscle traditional cable.
puck.news
November 11, 2025 at 11:32 PM
This YouTube-Disney clash really exemplifies how much the cable industry has changed in just the last few years. Not only is YouTube TV now one of the largest distributors of the cable bundle, its pay TV division is also a relatively small part of its overall business. Even if so
I think one of the understated reasons the New York Times has been so successful -- which Brian Morrissey briefly touches on in this piece -- is that it's one of the few remaining news outlets that offers a relatively clean reading experience. I rarely find myself annoyed by the
Why the NYT won
Chief advertising officer Joy Robbins on why subs and ads mix
www.therebooting.com
November 11, 2025 at 10:02 PM
I think one of the understated reasons the New York Times has been so successful -- which Brian Morrissey briefly touches on in this piece -- is that it's one of the few remaining news outlets that offers a relatively clean reading experience. I rarely find myself annoyed by the
I think it's silly to gatekeep journalism like this. Most of these people have podcasts/shows where they invite on high profile guests and ask them questions. That's journalism!
November 11, 2025 at 5:26 PM
I think it's silly to gatekeep journalism like this. Most of these people have podcasts/shows where they invite on high profile guests and ask them questions. That's journalism!
Netflix continues to stumble when it comes to monetizing its IP outside of its own streaming app.
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
KPop Demon Hunters Is Netflix’s Biggest Hit Ever. Where Are the Toys?
The good news for fans of the wildly popular animated musical is that they can start buying dolls this month. The bad news is they won’t ship until next year.
www.bloomberg.com
November 11, 2025 at 4:48 PM
Netflix continues to stumble when it comes to monetizing its IP outside of its own streaming app.
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Every year, I tell myself this will be the winter I keep running outside — and then the first cold, windy day hits, and I’m like, nope.
November 11, 2025 at 4:40 PM
Every year, I tell myself this will be the winter I keep running outside — and then the first cold, windy day hits, and I’m like, nope.
The pause TV ads are a smart innovation because they offer a way for streaming companies to insert advertising without interrupting the viewership of a TV show or movie. I wouldn't be surprised though if the ad industry figures out how to make these things 10 times more annoying
Big Streamers Bet on Increasingly Aggressive ‘Pause Ads’ to Stop Viewers in Their Tracks
Big streamers are placing more focus on aggressive "pause ads" that pop on screen after a viewer calls for a halt in the action.
variety.com
November 11, 2025 at 4:05 PM
The pause TV ads are a smart innovation because they offer a way for streaming companies to insert advertising without interrupting the viewership of a TV show or movie. I wouldn't be surprised though if the ad industry figures out how to make these things 10 times more annoying