Business

Josh Constine is a technology journalist who specializes in deep analysis of social products. He is currently a writer for TechCrunch. Previously, Constine was the Lead Writer of Inside Facebook, where he covered Facebook product changes, privacy, the Ads API, Page management, ecommerce, virtual currency, and music technology. Prior to writing for Inside Facebook, Constine graduated from Stanford University... ? Learn More If Facebook could collect its 30% tax on what we pay monthly for Spotify, Hulu, or Netflix using the subscription payments system it’s rolling out today, it’d have nice new revenue stream to swim in. But that’s a deep cut for developers to give away just to smooth out friction in the one-time subscription set-up for material services. So far, the only partners listed in the subscription payment beta started in June Facebook has listed are game companies like Zynga and Kixeye offering discounted virtual good and currency packages as beta partners. Facebook is a huge...

Billy Gallagher is a writer for TechCrunch. He is also the president and editor in chief of The Stanford Daily. Billy previously worked at The Stanford Daily for two volumes as a managing editor of news. He has also worked in sports and staff development at The Daily. In March of 2012 the Friends of The Stanford Daily awarded him... ? Learn More Buried a few pages into the Netflix earnings report was an open door to a very interesting possibility: Netflix and HBO GO collaboration. “As for HBO, they continue to do great work with HBO GO, which is now available to most US households that subscribe to the premium service,” the report read. “While we compete for content and viewing time with HBO, it is also possible we will find opportunities to work together – just as we do with other networks.” Now, this is a far cry from announcing a partnership, but it would be a game-changing collaboration if it happened.  Netflix has over 24 million streaming members in the U.S. HBO GO has over 29 ...

Ryan has spent more than five years covering business, technology, and telecom-related subjects for a variety of publications based in New York and San Francisco. Ryan currently works as a writer for TechCrunch. ? Learn More Netflix announced that it returned to profitability in the second quarter, after a slight dip into the red during the prior three-month period. But despite slower-than-expected subscriber growth, the company said it is committed to pushing forward into a new market in the fourth quarter. Netflix added almost 600,000 international streaming customers in the second quarter, ending with 3.6 million outside the U.S. But that’s lower than its forecast from the first quarter. Nevertheless, Netflix remains committed to adding an additional market by year-end, which is expected to push it into the red again. Nearly two years ago, Netflix streaming launched in Canada, its first international market. It’s already hit 10 percent of Canadian households in that market and it’...

Ryan has spent more than five years covering business, technology, and telecom-related subjects for a variety of publications based in New York and San Francisco. Ryan currently works as a writer for TechCrunch. ? Learn More Netflix announced that it has named former Warner Bros. executive Kelly Bennett as its chief marketing officer, six months after it lost its last longtime marketing head Leslie Kilgore. After 12 years on the job, Kilgore stepped down from the position in January. The resignation occurred after Netflix received an unprecedented uproar over a split of its streaming-only and DVD-by-mail services, a rate hike due to the separation, and the kerfuffle surrounding the re-branding of the DVD business, which it later backed off from. While the moves were driven by Netflix CEO Reed Hastings, the company’s communication with its customers proved to be the company’s real downfall. Recently, the company has been in the midst of a turnaround, but it was still in need of a new ...