We’re back from our holiday break and excited to dive into this week’s Friday Five! From TikTok’s uncertain future to the surge in history content, bundled news deals, antitrust battles, and shifting online traffic trends, we’ve got plenty to cover. Let’s get to it!
Biden And Trump Both Consider Stopping TikTok Ban, Reports Say
The drama surrounding TikTok's potential ban intensifies as both President Biden and President-Elect Trump reportedly consider halting the app's shutdown. With ByteDance facing a January 19th deadline to divest its U.S. operations or risk a ban, both Trump and Biden are weighing various options, including executive orders to delay the decision. Meanwhile, TikTok, preparing for a possible shutdown, has informed users to download their data as the situation unfolds, leaving the app's fate in limbo. Read more on Forbes.
The Business of History is Booming
History-focused content is experiencing a surge in popularity, with podcasts like "The Rest is History" achieving 12.5 million monthly downloads and hosting live shows worldwide. Book sales in the history genre have also increased significantly, with the UK and Ireland seeing the highest spending on history books since 1998. This trend reflects a growing public appetite for historical knowledge across various media platforms. Read more on Bloomberg.
Exclusive: Reuters, Gannett to sell bundled subscriptions
Reuters and Gannett have announced a collaboration to offer bundled subscriptions, providing consumers with combined access to their news services. The new offerings, set to launch in the first quarter of 2025, will be sold by Reuters, with Gannett receiving a share of the sales revenue. This initiative aims to enhance content delivery and offer more value to subscribers, reflecting a trend among news organizations to partner in order to expand their reach and adapt to changing consumer habits. Read more on Reuters.
Referral traffic from Google Discover increases in 2024 amid the steady decline of referrals from social platforms
In 2024, publishers experienced a shift in referral traffic dynamics, with Google Discover emerging as a growing source of visits, while traffic from social media platforms continued to decline. Despite concerns about the impact of Google’s generative AI on search results, it did not negatively affect publishers' site traffic. Social platforms like Facebook and Instagram saw diminishing contributions to referral traffic (e.g., Facebook's share dropped from 6.4% to 4%), reflecting a continuing trend of reduced reliance on social media for audience engagement. Read more on Digiday.
Apple sued with Visa, Mastercard in card-fee antitrust case
Apple, along with Visa and Mastercard, is facing an antitrust lawsuit alleging that the companies conspired to inflate card fees. The lawsuit alleges that their practices have driven up costs for both consumers and merchants, highlighting concerns about competition within the payment processing industry. Read more on Reuters.