Snap, Blue Apron, Stitch Fix, and Roku all have one thing in common...2017 was the year they went public. Ross Barrett, Founder of the Prime Unicorn Index, and Max Cherney, MarketWatch Tech Reporter, join Cheddar to discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly IPOs of 2017.
Due to the tight supply of tech IPOs in 2017, companies like Snap and Roku popped as soon as they went public. Snap, though, seemed to go downhill rather quickly after debuting at the NYSE, pressured by continuing losses and disappointing growth. Roku meanwhile reported positive earnings before going public and is now up since its IPO.
As for 2018: Cherney says many people are expecting it to be a banner year for IPOs. However, some say the hype is overdone. With that being said, there are a lot of unicorns that could go public this year: WeWork, Airbnb, Spotify, and more.
Disney content has gone dark on YouTube TV, leaving subscribers of the Google-owned live streaming platform without access to major networks like ESPN and ABC. That’s because the companies have failed to reach a new licensing deal to keep Disney channels on YouTube TV. Depending on how long it lasts, the dispute could particularly impact coverage of U.S. college football matchups over the weekend — on top of other news and entertainment disruptions that have already arrived. In the meantime, YouTube TV subscribers who want to watch Disney channels could have little choice other than turning to the company’s own platforms, which come with their own price tags.
President Donald Trump said he has decided to lower his combined tariff rates on imports of Chinese goods to 47% after talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on curbing fentanyl trafficking.
Universal Music Group and AI platform Udio have settled a copyright lawsuit and will collaborate on a new music creation and streaming platform. The companies announced on Wednesday that they reached a compensatory legal settlement and new licensing agreements. These agreements aim to provide more revenue opportunities for Universal's artists and songwriters. The rise of AI song generation tools like Udio has disrupted the music streaming industry, leading to accusations from record labels. This deal marks the first since Universal and others sued Udio and Suno last year. Financial terms of the settlement weren't disclosed.
