Latest news with #monetization
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Cineverse and The Stand Group's Newly-Formed WITZ Podcast Network Launches Slate of Top-Tier Comedy Series Including Jay Mohr's 'Mohr Stories'
Goal to Double Podcast Revenue in Next 24 Months as Comedy Expansion Unlocks New Monetization Opportunities More Than a Dozen Comedy Podcasts also Includes Pay Your Friends w/ Cipha Sounds, Something Went Wrong w/Vinny Guadagnino (Jersey Shore), The Stand Presents: 10 for 10 w/Kieran McCann, Featuring Laughs, Hot Takes, Celebrity Guests and More … LOS ANGELES, Aug. 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Cineverse (Nasdaq: CNVS), a next-generation entertainment studio, and The Stand Group, a leading comedy brand and New York's premier comedy club operator, has announced today the opening slate of shows to join WITZ Podcast Network – a comedy-forward expansion of the Cineverse Podcast Network. Available immediately as part of the network is comedian, actor, and author, Jay Mohr's Mohr Stories which features guests such as Jay Leno, Jerry O'Connell, Steph Tolev, Jim Jefferies, David Mamet, and Flavor Flav. "I'm truly excited to start this journey with the Cineverse/WITZ team," said Mohr. "They are professional and have delivered on all of their promises and more." The Mohr Stories overall deal was brokered by Cineverse/Witz team and Mohr's longtime manager Barry Katz of Barry Katz Entertainment. The slate also includes a plethora of shows spanning interviews, sketch comedy, prank calls, celebrity impressions, pop culture commentary and more, all designed to tap into the fast-growing comedy podcast category. This is part of a significant expansion of Cineverse into podcasting's fastest-growing genre, building on the success of its top-10 podcast network, which has been driven by horror, true crime and entertainment content. According to Edison Research, comedy is the most popular podcasting category in the U.S. The Interactive Advertising Bureau has reported that the genre is now more popular than news or sports, accounting for 17% of total spend, and that by 2026, U.S. podcast ad revenue will reach $2.6B. Other shows joining the lineup include: Axe Lords – Guitar culture meets comedy with comedian and shredder Dave Hill, producer and best-selling author Tom Beaujour, luthier to the stars Cindy Hulej and celebrity guests. Bad Ass Jews – a celebration of legendary Jewish figures with bite and humor, hosted by Aaron Berg and Andrew Davidsburg. Big Wigs – Viral impressionists Andrea Lopez and Anna Roisman bring celebrity comedy to life. Ed Bassmaster Show – The longest running sketch prankster on YouTube brings his comedic talent to podcasting. Pay Your Friends w/ Cipha Sounds – A podcast bridging divides through humor and real connection. Something Went Wrong w/Vinny G.– Jersey Shore star Vinny Guadagnino explores comedy and chaos with influencers and entertainers. The Ken Starrz Project – Social media personality and comedian Ken Starrz, hosts original interviews, pranks, sketches and more with cohost Gastor Almonte. The Stand Presents: 10 for 10 – A time capsule of NYC's comedy scene, hosted by Kieran McCann with season one featuring Jim Gaffigan, Ari Shaffir, Shane Gillis, Janeane Garofalo,Aida Rodriguez and more. Additional shows feature originals "We Don't Judge" with Ian Lara and Corey B. as well as a food series, "Sunday Supper" with youtube chef Stephen Cusato and Alexis Guerreros. Other comedic talent includes Elle Orlando, Mike Recine,, Sean Donnelly, Dan St. Germain, Danny Polishchuk, and other rising comedy voices. More podcasts, including scripted and unscripted originals, will be announced soon. "Bringing our growth strategies from horror podcasting into comedy is a major strategic step for us," said Tom Owen, Vice President Network Strategy, Cineverse. "We have proven we can build, scale and monetize hit shows through our network, and with WITZ and the team at The Stand Group we are presenting a variety of podcasts both with established audiences, as well as new originals we plan to announce soon. Our goal is to double podcasting revenue in the next 24 months, and this slate is the start." "The Stand Comedy Club has long stood for curating some of the best comedy in North America," said The Stand Co-Owner Cris Italia. "When we decided to create a digital arm of our company we knew a podcast network would be part of that growth, giving comedic talent a new platform to create. We look forward to our partnership Cineverse, together bringing professional scale and monetization to a world-class lineup of talent." About The Stand Group, Inc. / WITZ Comedy TV For the last decade, The Stand has been a staple of the New York comedy scene by hosting A-list comedians and becoming a home to the city's funniest performers as well as the best comedy fans. By offering exceptional service, high-end cocktails, and rustic American cuisine, The Stand has become a hub in the Gramercy Park / Union Square area of New York City. Headed up by brothers Cris Italia, Paul Italia and Patrick Milligan, The Stand was named the best comedy venue by New York Magazine and TimeoutNY. These three also own and operate a management and production company, representing some of the best names in comedy while producing for TV and film. Due to their success at The Stand, they were tapped as stand-up comedy bookers for the The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon in 2015 and have collaborated with Just for Laughs and SXSW festivals. Their produced comedy specials and series have been featured on HBO, Comedy Central, Showtime among many other streamers and on Demand platforms. The Stand has also created a digital comedy network you can follow called Witz Comedy TV. Witz can be found as a Fast Channel on most platforms. Witz's library is distributed on Amazon, LG, Xumo, Plex and many more. About Cineverse Podcast Network Cineverse operates a top-10 podcast network ( with more than 35 audio series. It leverages owned-and-operated brands like Bloody Disgusting, Midnight Pulp and RetroCrush to deliver hit shows in horror, true crime and entertainment, and recently expanded into comedy programming with the launch of WITZ Podcast Network in partnership with The Stand Group. A growing division of the Company, the Cineverse Podcast Network generates advertising revenue from brands across key categories, including movie studios, retailers and consumer products. In its most recently reported quarter, Cineverse podcast and related revenue was up 39% versus the prior year. Top series include Mayfair Watchers Society, Creepy Places: A True Crime Podcast, The Dead, Murder in America and more. About Cineverse Cineverse (Nasdaq: CNVS) is a next-generation entertainment studio that empowers creators and entertains fans with a wide breadth of content through the power of technology. It has developed a new blueprint for delivering entertainment experiences to passionate audiences and results for its partners with unprecedented efficiency, and distributes more than 71,000 premium films, series, and podcasts. Cineverse connects fans with bold, authentic, independent stories. Properties include the highest-grossing unrated film in U.S. history; dozens of streaming fandom channels; a premier podcast network; top horror destination Bloody Disgusting; and more. Powering visionary storytelling with cutting-edge innovation, Cineverse's proprietary streaming tools and AI technology drive revenue and reach to redefine the next era of entertainment. For more information, visit Press Contact: For MediaThe Lippin Group, cineverse@ For InvestorsJulie Milstead, investorrelations@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Cineverse Corp. Sign in to access your portfolio
CNA
2 days ago
- Business
- CNA
Duolingo surges as AI-led growth, forecast raise boost investor confidence
Duolingo shares surged nearly 30 per cent before the bell on Thursday, after its annual forecast increase buoyed investor confidence in its ability to drive user growth through AI features and social engagement, while enhancing monetization. The company is maintaining user growth by experimenting with app features, using social engagement strategies and optimizing its subscription offerings to retain users and attract new ones. Duolingo runs experiments to determine which of its subscriptions are shown to which user and when, with the goal of maximizing long-term platform value rather than pushing any single plan. Average revenue per user grew 6 per cent in the second quarter, driven largely by users migrating to Duolingo's higher-priced Max tier, which offers features such as AI-powered video calls for practicing conversational skills. It also saw growth in its $12.99-per-month Super plan. "While we maintain a more cautious stance on near-term user growth, we see several sources of upside still in the model, most notably across monetization efforts (price and improving paid conversion) and margins," Raymond James analysts said in a note. Duolingo's gross margin declined 100 basis points during the quarter, less than the 300-basis-point fall it had anticipated, due to lower-than-expected AI costs and stronger performance in ads business. "We did better on gross margin, in part because AI costs that power Max were lower than we expected, the cost of calling AI tools has come down a lot," Chief Financial Officer Matt Skarupa told Reuters. The company posted adjusted profit per share of 91 cents, surpassing analysts' estimate of 58 cents, prompting them to boost earnings expectations. It is set to add roughly $4.6 billion to its $15.62 billion market valuation, if premarket levels hold. Still, as of Wednesday's close, Duolingo shares traded at 85.21 times profit expectations before the results, above internet services companies such as Uber's 26.54 and DoorDash's 79.38.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Shopify Q2 Preview: Tariff Noise and GMV Leverage in Focus
Shopify (NASDAQ:SHOP) reports second-quarter 2025 earnings before the open on August 6. Analysts forecast EPS of $0.29 on approximately $2.54 billion in revenue, about 25% YoY growth. Shares are up roughly 92% over the past 12 months and 9% below its 52-week high hit in February 2025. Investor focus remains on GMV, monetization, and merchant exposure to trade friction. Last quarter, total GMV grew 23% to $75 billion. Analysts will look for continued momentum in platform sales, take?rate stability, and revenue per merchant, particularly within Merchant Solutions, where margins are more exposed to cross-border trade costs. Tariffs have become a merchant-level risk. Shopify executives highlighted at Q1 earnings that just 1% of GMV originates from Chinese imports, but cross-border commerce contributed 15% of total GMV. The elimination of the U.S. de minimis exemption for China means merchants now face duties on low-value imports. Shopify has responded with AI-powered tariff guidance tools and expanded duties?collection functionality at checkout to help merchants mitigate cost exposure and friction. AI and international merchant expansion also matter. Shopify continues to roll out AI tools to drive merchant efficiency and boost international cross-border sales. Investors will assess whether Q2 commentary confirms traction in these segments, especially Europe, Managed Markets, and new logistics partnerships, all critical to sustaining profitability as trade friction rises. At a valuation pricing in robust growth, Shopify needs Q2 commentary that reaffirms GMV momentum, merchant loyalty, and the value of its trade?navigation toolkit. Any sign of softening volume or take?rate pressure could signal vulnerability. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
A top designer was banned from Dribbble. Now he's building his own competitor.
Dribbble has permanently banned dozens of designers from its platform following a new effort to pivot to a marketplace and chase monetization. This includes one of the platform's most well-known designers, Gleb Kuznetsov, founder of the San Francisco-based design studio Milkinside. Dribbble deleted his account with its over 210 million followers because he shared his contact information with prospective clients through the platform in violation of its new rules. Remarked Kuznetsov in a post on X, 'I brought 100,000+ monthly users. 15 years of work. 12,000+ shots. All instantly deleted, because a client asked for my email. One warning. No appeal.' Fed up with the changes at the company, which helps product, UX, web, and other digital designers showcase their portfolios and find new clients, Kuznetsov says he's been talking to investors about launching a competitor. Shortly after his social media post, Dribbble users expressed their shock and anger over the decision, crediting Kuznetsov as being one of their biggest inspirations and lamenting that the platform would make such a misguided move. Dribbble, meanwhile, says Kuznetsov was actually warned multiple times that he was violating the new rules and the email was the final notice. Dribbble's pivot to a marketplace The issue has to do with a more recent policy change first announced on March 17, 2025. In an email shared in March with Dribbble's some 750,000 approved designers — meaning those who are authorized to communicate with others on the platform — the company said it was no longer allowing designers to share their contact information with prospective clients until after their client sent payment through its platform. The company positioned this change as one meant to protect designers from non-payment, as well as one that allows Dribbble to continue to sustain its business. The announcement was also posted to social media and the company blog. However, Kuznetsov claims that non-payment isn't a very common problem, and really, this update is about Dribbble attempting to take a larger cut of designers' business. Dribbble doesn't dispute that. Before the policy change, Dribbble made money in one of two ways. Starting in September 2024, Dribbble began pivoting to a marketplace that connected designers and clients. Designers could communicate freely on the platform and then either share a 3.5% revenue cut on clients they converted, or they could pay for a Pro subscription to skip the rev share. In March, the company tightened the rules further, saying that anyone finding clients on Dribbble would need to offer the platform a cut of their revenue. 'It went from it was optional to use our transactional features to it was required for non-advertisers to use our transactional features, if they were on Dribbble, to find clients,' explains Dribbble CEO Constantine Anastasakis, in an interview with TechCrunch. 'If a user is on Dribbble to find inspiration or to get feedback on their work, or to talk shop with their peers, none of this affects them,' he added. The exec, who joined the company after working at direct-to-consumer lender Lower, video marketplace Pond5 (exited to Shutterstock), and freelancer marketplace Fiverr, was hired last April to pivot Dribbble into a marketplace. While the company is profitable under parent company Tiny, it's still a small 20-person team and isn't reliant on venture backing to serve its 7.5 to 10 million monthly unique visitors. 'Dribbble was something that really accelerated our business dramatically back in the day,' Kuznetsov told TechCrunch. Before Dribbble, there was no platform where designers could share their work wth others, he says. It helped designers receive feedback that came specifically from their peers and allowed newer designers to learn from those at the top of the industry. Kuznetsov is now part of the latter group. At Milkinside, Kuznetsov has worked with companies like Apple, Google, Amazon, Scandinavian Airlines, United Airlines, Honda, Mitsubishi, Mercedes-Benz, and other large companies in the Bay Area. As a result, he likely didn't feel that Dribbble would risk banning him for not abiding by the new terms. Anastasakis essentially confirmed this to be true. He told TechCrunch that Kuznetsov received 83 work inquiries since the new terms rolled out in March, and responded to 61. In each message, the site shows a warning that reminds users that contact details should not be shared before project payment. However, Kuznetsov shared his contact information in six messages, which would have displayed a stronger warning at that time. The company then followed up with a warning email on July 22 about his repeated terms-of-service violations, which informed him he was risking permanent suspension. Kuznetsov told us he didn't see this email initially, but Dribbble says it tracked that the email was opened three times before his suspension. 'I believe that Dribbble — it was their goal to hurt me so I can spread that [news] so they can give a harsh lesson to everyone who tries [to break the rules],' Kuznetsov says. Dribbble's CEO Anastasakis confirmed as much to TechCrunch. 'There's there's really no conceivable way in which he did not realize that what he was doing risked permanent suspension of his accounts,' Anastasakis told us. 'I think that ultimately it was that he believed that we wouldn't take action against a designer of his caliber,' he continued. 'As a side note, I actually think that he's done us a big favor as far as getting the word out about how seriously we take the terms.' For Kuznetsov, or any designer who was banned for similar reasons, the only option to come back to Dribbble is by joining as an advertiser, which requires a minimum campaign budget of $1,500 per month for at least three months. A new competitor to Dribbble emerges? Kuznetsov has decided to forge his own path, saying that he's hurt by Dribbble's change. 'It's not going to be a copycat of Dribbble,' he says of his pending startup. Instead, it will be a resource for designers that will also leverage AI. While there has been a lot of backlash about AI models training on creatives' work without compensation, Kuznetsov believes there's a use case for the technology in terms of inspiration, creation, and design. 'It's a big hole right now in the market…Everybody's doing AI startups, but nobody's really doing AI startups for designers,' Kuznetsov notes. 'AI is something that really can elevate our ability to create, and make it on a much higher level of quality. It's going to help us to not only earn more money and grow, but also create something we never even thought was possible to create without a specific skill set.' Kuznetsov says he expects to have an MVP (minimum viable product) ready in three or four months. However, he notes the goal is not to 'kill' Dribbble, even though investors offered him money to do so. 'It's not like that. I'm trying to do something good for the community because I'm a designer. So I know how painful it is to be a designer in this world,' says Kuznetsov. 'We need to be really smart about how we invest our time — how we give our best and give our life to other platforms. Diversification of that investment should be something that everyone should be thinking about,' he adds.
TechCrunch
5 days ago
- Business
- TechCrunch
A top designer was banned from Dribbble. Now he's building his own competitor.
Dribbble has permanently banned dozens of designers from its platform following a new effort to pivot to a marketplace and chase monetization. This includes one of the platform's most well known designers, Gleb Kuznetsov, founder of the San Francisco-based design studio Milkinside. Dribbble deleted his account with its over 210 million followers because he shared his contact information with prospective clients through the platform in violation of its new rules. Remarked Kuznetsov in a post on X, 'I brought 100,000+ monthly users. 15 years of work. 12,000+ shots. All instantly deleted, because a client asked for my email. One warning. No appeal.' Fed up with the changes at the company, which helps product, UX, web, and other digital designers showcase their portfolios and find new clients, Kuznetsov says he's been talking to investors about launching a competitor. Totally agree with @jondschubert . I loved @dribbble. I brought 100,000+ monthly users. 15 years of work. 12,000+ shots. All instantly deleted, because a client asked for my email. One warning. No appeal. They didn't care about the community. Just their 3% cut. Dribbble is… — Gleb Kuznetsov (@glebich) July 29, 2025 Shortly after his social media post, Dribbble users expressed their shock and anger over the decision, crediting Kuznetsov as one of their biggest inspirations and lamenting that the platform would make such a misguided move. Dribbble, meanwhile, says Kuznetsov was actually warned multiple times that he was violating the new rules and the email was the final notice. Dribbble's pivot to a marketplace The issue has to do with a more recent policy change first announced on March 17, 2025. Techcrunch event Tech and VC heavyweights join the Disrupt 2025 agenda Netflix, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Sequoia Capital — just a few of the heavy hitters joining the Disrupt 2025 agenda. They're here to deliver the insights that fuel startup growth and sharpen your edge. Don't miss the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch Disrupt, and a chance to learn from the top voices in tech — grab your ticket now and save up to $675 before prices rise. Tech and VC heavyweights join the Disrupt 2025 agenda Netflix, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Sequoia Capital — just a few of the heavy hitters joining the Disrupt 2025 agenda. They're here to deliver the insights that fuel startup growth and sharpen your edge. Don't miss the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch Disrupt, and a chance to learn from the top voices in tech — grab your ticket now and save up to $675 before prices rise. San Francisco | REGISTER NOW In an email shared in March with Dribbble's some 750,000 approved designers — meaning those who are authorized to communicate with others on the platform — the company said it was no longer allowing designers to share their contact information with prospective clients until after their client sent payment through its platform. The company positioned this change as one meant to protect designers from non-payment, as well as one that allows Dribbble to continue to sustain its business. The announcement was also posted to social media and the company blog. Image Credits:Dribbble However, Kuznetsov claims that non-payment isn't a very common problem, and really, this update is about Dribbble attempting to take a larger cut of designers' business. Dribbble doesn't dispute that. Before the policy change, Dribbble made money in one of two ways. Starting in September 2024, Dribbble began pivoting to a marketplace that connected designers and clients. Designers could communicate freely on the platform and then either share a 3.5% revenue cut on clients they converted, or they could pay for a Pro subscription to skip the rev share. In March, the company tightened the rules further, saying that anyone finding clients on Dribbble would need to offer the platform a cut of their revenue. 'It went from it was optional to use our transactional features to it was required for non-advertisers to use our transactional features, if they were on Dribbble, to find clients,' explains Dribbble CEO Constantine Anastasakis, in an interview with TechCrunch. 'If a user is on Dribbble to find inspiration or to get feedback on their work, or to talk shop with their peers, none of this affects them,' he added. Image Credits:Dribbble The exec, who joined the company after working at direct-to-consumer lender Lower, video marketplace Pond5 (exited to Shutterstock), and freelancer marketplace Fiverr, was hired last April to pivot Dribbble into a marketplace. While the company is profitable under parent company Tiny, it's still a small 20-person team and isn't reliant on venture backing to serve its 7.5 to 10 million monthly unique visitors. 'Dribbble was something that really accelerated our business dramatically back in the day,' Kuznetsov told TechCrunch. Before Dribbble, there was no platform where designers could share their work wth others, he says. It helped designers receive feedback that came specifically from their peers and allowed newer designers to learn from those at the top of the industry. Kuznetsov is now part of the latter group. At Milkinside, Kuznetsov has worked with companies like Apple, Google, Amazon, Scandinavian Airlines, United Airlines, Honda, Mitsubishi, Mercedes-Benz, and other large companies in the Bay Area. As a result, he likely didn't feel that Dribbble would risk banning him for not abiding by the new terms. Anastasakis essentially confirmed this to be true. He told TechCrunch that Kuznetsov received 83 work inquiries since the new terms rolled out in March, and responded to 61. In each message, the site shows a warning that reminds users that contact details should not be shared before project payment. However, Kuznetsov shared his contact information in six messages, which would have displayed a stronger warning at that time. Image Credits:Dribbble Image Credits:Dribbble The company then followed up with a warning email on July 22 about his repeated terms-of-service violations, which informed him he was risking permanent suspension. Kuznetsov told us he didn't see this email initially, but Dribbble says it tracked that the email was opened three times before his suspension. 'I believe that Dribbble — it was their goal to hurt me so I can spread that [news] so they can give a harsh lesson to everyone who tries [to break the rules],' Kuznetsov says. Dribbble's CEO Anastasakis confirmed as much to TechCrunch. 'There's there's really no conceivable way in which he did not realize that what he was doing risked permanent suspension of his accounts,' Anastasakis told us. 'I think that ultimately it was that he believed that we wouldn't take action against a designer of his caliber,' he continued. 'As a side note, I actually think that he's done us a big favor as far as getting the word out about how seriously we take the terms.' For Kuznetsov, or any designer who was banned for similar reasons, the only option to come back to Dribbble is by joining as an advertiser, which requires a minimum campaign budget of $1,500 per month for at least three months. A new competitor to Dribbble emerges? Kuznetsov has decided to forge his own path, saying that he's hurt by Dribbble's change. 'It's not going to be a copycat of Dribbble,' he says of his pending startup. Instead, it will be a resource for designers that will also leverage AI. While there has been a lot of backlash about AI models training on creatives' work without compensation, Kuznetsov believes there's a use case for the technology in terms of inspiration, creation, and design. Image Credits:Gleb Kuznetsov 'It's a big hole right now in the market…Everybody's doing AI startups, but nobody's really doing AI startups for designers,' Kuznetsov notes. 'AI is something that really can elevate our ability to create, and make it on a much higher level of quality. It's going to help us to not only earn more money and grow, but also create something we never even thought was possible to create without a specific skill set.' Kuznetsov says he expects to have an MVP (minimum viable product) ready in three or four months. However, he notes the goal is not to 'kill' Dribbble, even though investors offered him money to do so. 'It's not like that. I'm trying to do something good for the community because I'm a designer. So I know how painful it is to be a designer in this world,' says Kuznetsov. 'We need to be really smart about how we invest our time — how we give our best and give our life to other platforms. Diversification of that investment should be something that everyone should be thinking about,' he adds.
