Simon Owens's Media Newsletter
@simonowens.skystack.xyz
A newsletter about how publishers create, distribute, and monetize their digital content. This newsletter is free to subscribe to.
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This is an automated Substack Account of https://simonowens.substack.com
Discover more/Create at: @skystack.xyz
The Atlantic’s CEO enters his influencer era • PLUS: Why a business news outlet ditched advertising to focus entirely on paid subscriptions
The Atlantic’s CEO enters his influencer era
PLUS: Why a business news outlet ditched advertising to focus entirely on paid subscriptions
simonowens.substack.com
October 6, 2026 at 2:40 AM
The Atlantic’s CEO enters his influencer era • PLUS: Why a business news outlet ditched advertising to focus entirely on paid subscriptions
Apple’s podcast app tries to gain ground on YouTube and Spotify • PLUS: Has the Conde Nast magazine empire lost its influence?
Apple’s podcast app tries to gain ground on YouTube and Spotify
PLUS: Has the Conde Nast magazine empire lost its influence?
simonowens.substack.com
October 2, 2026 at 11:40 PM
Apple’s podcast app tries to gain ground on YouTube and Spotify • PLUS: Has the Conde Nast magazine empire lost its influence?
How a few local meetups spawned a B2B media company that spans across podcasts, events, and a 40,000-member Slack community • Startup CPG founder Daniel Scharff explained how the pandemic helped transform a local events company into a national community.
How a few local meetups spawned a B2B media company that spans across podcasts, events, and a 40,000-member Slack community
Startup CPG founder Daniel Scharff explained how the pandemic helped transform a local events company into a national community.
simonowens.substack.com
September 30, 2026 at 8:40 PM
How a few local meetups spawned a B2B media company that spans across podcasts, events, and a 40,000-member Slack community • Startup CPG founder Daniel Scharff explained how the pandemic helped transform a local events company into a national community.
The editorial and revenue teams at media companies should talk to each other • PLUS: Direct access to the White House has never been less relevant to producing actual journalism.
The editorial and revenue teams at media companies should talk to each other
PLUS: Direct access to the White House has never been less relevant to producing actual journalism.
simonowens.substack.com
September 30, 2026 at 2:40 AM
The editorial and revenue teams at media companies should talk to each other • PLUS: Direct access to the White House has never been less relevant to producing actual journalism.
The combined Paramount-WBD needs a free streaming tier • PLUS: What’s Apple TV’s true business model?
The combined Paramount-WBD needs a free streaming tier
PLUS: What’s Apple TV’s true business model?
simonowens.substack.com
September 26, 2026 at 8:41 PM
The combined Paramount-WBD needs a free streaming tier • PLUS: What’s Apple TV’s true business model?
This company is building the world's largest platform for B2B creators • Workweek CEO Adam Ryan explained how his company is making the transition from media network to a scaled publishing platform.
This company is building the world's largest platform for B2B creators
Workweek CEO Adam Ryan explained how his company is making the transition from media network to a scaled publishing platform.
simonowens.substack.com
September 24, 2026 at 2:39 AM
This company is building the world's largest platform for B2B creators • Workweek CEO Adam Ryan explained how his company is making the transition from media network to a scaled publishing platform.
David Ellison’s pyrrhic victory • PLUS: An unprecedented sports broadcasting deal
David Ellison’s pyrrhic victory
PLUS: An unprecedented sports broadcasting deal
simonowens.substack.com
September 23, 2026 at 2:39 AM
David Ellison’s pyrrhic victory • PLUS: An unprecedented sports broadcasting deal
AI slop will not save legacy newspapers • PLUS: Will The New York Times lose its top journalism talent?
AI slop will not save legacy newspapers
PLUS: Will The New York Times lose its top journalism talent?
simonowens.substack.com
September 22, 2026 at 2:39 AM
AI slop will not save legacy newspapers • PLUS: Will The New York Times lose its top journalism talent?
How a niche magazine turned print into a competitive advantage • Editor in chief Jeremy Smart explained how Design Anthology stays laser focused on attracting and monetizing an affluent audience.
How a niche magazine turned print into a competitive advantage
Editor in chief Jeremy Smart explained how Design Anthology stays laser focused on attracting and monetizing an affluent audience.
simonowens.substack.com
September 17, 2026 at 2:39 AM
How a niche magazine turned print into a competitive advantage • Editor in chief Jeremy Smart explained how Design Anthology stays laser focused on attracting and monetizing an affluent audience.
Is Google now sending higher quality traffic? • PLUS: Will smaller creators get access to Google’s AI licensing program?
Is Google now sending higher quality traffic?
PLUS: Will smaller creators get access to Google’s AI licensing program?
simonowens.substack.com
September 15, 2026 at 2:39 AM
Is Google now sending higher quality traffic? • PLUS: Will smaller creators get access to Google’s AI licensing program?
The Creator Economy keeps stealing away veteran journalists • PLUS: How ESPN capitalizes on Pat McAfee’s fandom
The Creator Economy keeps stealing away veteran journalists
PLUS: How ESPN capitalizes on Pat McAfee’s fandom
simonowens.substack.com
September 11, 2026 at 11:40 PM
The Creator Economy keeps stealing away veteran journalists • PLUS: How ESPN capitalizes on Pat McAfee’s fandom
Is CNN in even worse shape than we thought? • PLUS: How the mobile push alert became the most important distribution channel for subscription publishers
Is CNN in even worse shape than we thought?
PLUS: How the mobile push alert became the most important distribution channel for subscription publishers
simonowens.substack.com
September 11, 2026 at 2:39 AM
Is CNN in even worse shape than we thought? • PLUS: How the mobile push alert became the most important distribution channel for subscription publishers
How should TV networks structure deals with podcasters? • PLUS: How newspapers are adapting their written content into shortform video
How should TV networks structure deals with podcasters?
PLUS: How newspapers are adapting their written content into shortform video
simonowens.substack.com
September 4, 2026 at 11:40 PM
How should TV networks structure deals with podcasters? • PLUS: How newspapers are adapting their written content into shortform video
How an Instagram meme page became a social-first entertainment empire with 95 million followers • CEO Reid Hailey explained how Doing Things developed its own IP factory.
How an Instagram meme page became a social-first entertainment empire with 95 million followers
CEO Reid Hailey explained how Doing Things developed its own IP factory.
simonowens.substack.com
September 3, 2026 at 8:39 PM
How an Instagram meme page became a social-first entertainment empire with 95 million followers • CEO Reid Hailey explained how Doing Things developed its own IP factory.
Why news outlets are suddenly launching live shows • PLUS: How a bestselling crime novelist bypassed the book industry’s gatekeepers
Why news outlets are suddenly launching live shows
PLUS: How a bestselling crime novelist bypassed the book industry’s gatekeepers
simonowens.substack.com
September 3, 2026 at 2:39 AM
Why news outlets are suddenly launching live shows • PLUS: How a bestselling crime novelist bypassed the book industry’s gatekeepers
Why fashion influencers love tennis • PLUS: The problem with media outlets adopting AI disclosure policies
Why fashion influencers love tennis
PLUS: The problem with media outlets adopting AI disclosure policies
simonowens.substack.com
September 1, 2026 at 2:39 AM
Why fashion influencers love tennis • PLUS: The problem with media outlets adopting AI disclosure policies
Why media outlets are investing more in longform reporting • PLUS: How Netflix transformed the documentary into a booming format.
Why media outlets are investing more in longform reporting
PLUS: How Netflix transformed the documentary into a booming format.
simonowens.substack.com
August 28, 2026 at 8:40 PM
Why media outlets are investing more in longform reporting • PLUS: How Netflix transformed the documentary into a booming format.
Why does YouTube want to win an Emmy so badly? • PLUS: Was BuzzFeed always doomed to fail?
Why does YouTube want to win an Emmy so badly?
PLUS: Was BuzzFeed always doomed to fail?
simonowens.substack.com
August 28, 2026 at 2:40 AM
Why does YouTube want to win an Emmy so badly? • PLUS: Was BuzzFeed always doomed to fail?
How a Yankees podcast grew into a 60-person media company • CEO Courtney Hirsch explained how Jomboy Media grew its viral videos into a diversified sports business.
How a Yankees podcast grew into a 60-person media company
CEO Courtney Hirsch explained how Jomboy Media grew its viral videos into a diversified sports business.
simonowens.substack.com
August 26, 2026 at 11:40 PM
How a Yankees podcast grew into a 60-person media company • CEO Courtney Hirsch explained how Jomboy Media grew its viral videos into a diversified sports business.
X hasn’t won over many mainstream creators • PLUS: What was the point of BuzzFeed’s HuffPost acquisition?
X hasn’t won over many mainstream creators
PLUS: What was the point of BuzzFeed’s HuffPost acquisition?
simonowens.substack.com
August 26, 2026 at 2:40 AM
X hasn’t won over many mainstream creators • PLUS: What was the point of BuzzFeed’s HuffPost acquisition?
Every streaming company suddenly wants to become a marketplace • PLUS: Should Netflix start licensing music videos?
Every streaming company suddenly wants to become a marketplace
PLUS: Should Netflix start licensing music videos?
simonowens.substack.com
August 25, 2026 at 2:40 AM
Every streaming company suddenly wants to become a marketplace • PLUS: Should Netflix start licensing music videos?
Is Patreon actually helping creators find new audiences? • PLUS: Why YouTube pivoted back to upfront creator payments
Is Patreon actually helping creators find new audiences?
PLUS: Why YouTube pivoted back to upfront creator payments
simonowens.substack.com
August 21, 2026 at 8:39 PM
Is Patreon actually helping creators find new audiences? • PLUS: Why YouTube pivoted back to upfront creator payments
How 60 Minutes is being transformed by Bari Weiss • PLUS: Was Amazon the actual winner of the streaming wars?
How 60 Minutes is being transformed by Bari Weiss
PLUS: Was Amazon the actual winner of the streaming wars?
simonowens.substack.com
August 21, 2026 at 2:39 AM
How 60 Minutes is being transformed by Bari Weiss • PLUS: Was Amazon the actual winner of the streaming wars?
Did the Washington Post finally figure out how micropayments can actually work? • Global head of subscriptions Anjali Iyer walked through the experiments that produced a true micropayments success story.
Did the Washington Post finally figure out how micropayments can actually work?
Global head of subscriptions Anjali Iyer walked through the experiments that produced a true micropayments success story.
simonowens.substack.com
August 19, 2026 at 5:39 PM
Did the Washington Post finally figure out how micropayments can actually work? • Global head of subscriptions Anjali Iyer walked through the experiments that produced a true micropayments success story.
Why YouTube video essays keep getting longer and longer • PLUS: The book publishing industry’s AI witch hunts are silly.
Why YouTube video essays keep getting longer and longer
PLUS: The book publishing industry’s AI witch hunts are silly.
simonowens.substack.com
August 19, 2026 at 2:39 AM
Why YouTube video essays keep getting longer and longer • PLUS: The book publishing industry’s AI witch hunts are silly.