X falls short on video ambitions

Hey all, it’s Kurt Wagner in Denver. X is having a tough time cracking into the TV business, but first…Three things you need to know today:• [View in browser]( [Bloomberg]( Hey all, it’s Kurt Wagner in Denver. X is having a tough time cracking into the TV business, but first… Three things you need to know today: • Tesla shifts into reverse with a delay of [its robotaxi plans]( • Grocery suppliers are pointing [fingers at Amazon]( • Apple opens its Wallet to reach an [antitrust settlement]( Promises, promises Six months ago, executives from Elon Musk’s X went to CES in Las Vegas and announced that the company was [leaning heavily into highly produced, star-driven video](. X announced new shows with ex-CNN star Don Lemon, sports broadcaster Jim Rome and former US Representative [Tulsi Gabbard](bbg://people/profile/17589088). “Building a whole video ecosystem in plain sight,” [posted X Chief Executive Officer Linda Yaccarino]( a few days later, name-dropping other partners like Tucker Carlson and Paris Hilton. “Who’s next?” That optimism, it seems, was premature. Several of the deals X hyped earlier this year have fizzled in the six months since [Yaccarino](bbg://people/profile/3128584) appeared in Vegas. Lemon’s show very publicly fell apart before it ever got started after his very first interview, which was with Musk, went sideways. Gabbard, whose show was supposed to arrive in April, uses X often but hasn’t posted any of the “documentary style videos” that were promised since her deal was announced. Other early named partners like Carlson and Hilton are active on X, but also appear to have moved on from any formal arrangement. Carlson publishes most of his content to his own paywalled video network, while sharing [some of the free videos]( to X. It doesn’t appear as if Hilton has posted any “original video content programs” to X in at least four months; she was [originally slated]( to create four shows.  The issue, according to a person familiar with the company, has been a lack of advertiser interest in funding these shows. When I tuned into The Jim Rome Show live on X this week, the usual commercial break I saw was filled with rock music and images of X posts instead of messages from sponsors. WWE, which is [producing short three- to five-minute fights]( broadcast first on X, didn’t include any video ads before or midway through the shows when I looked this week either. If there isn’t money flowing in to fund this original content, then the content often doesn’t get made. It’s pretty simple. Emails to X seeking comment weren’t returned. But X has also failed to give the high-quality video it does have the kind of premier treatment that its partners (and advertisers) would no doubt want to see. There is no dedicated video tab or section within the app for people to watch these original programs, though that has [been promised]( by X executives since February. The company publicly announced a [new connected TV app]( in April, pledging it was “coming soon,” though so far it hasn’t arrived. Perhaps there is still time. Khloé Kardashian is [reportedly]( set to host a video podcast exclusively on X beginning this fall. At Cannes Lions, the annual advertising festival in the south of France, Yaccarino said that X is hoping to stream more sport documentaries. “There’s insatiable interest in our company, insatiable interest in Elon,” she [told Axios](. That may be true, but when I [wrote about X’s video push]( back in January, I posed three important questions: - Can X create the kind of unique viewing experience its predecessor failed to develop for NFL games? - Can it find advertisers interested in supporting a show that’s exclusive to X? - Is there even an audience for this stuff? So far, the answer to all three of those questions seems to be “no.”—[Kurt Wagner](mailto:kwagner71@bloomberg.net) The big story OpenAI imagines the AI future [unfolding in five steps](. We’re almost at the second step, the startup told staff members. The AI tiers range from the kind of chatbots available today (Level 1) to AI that can do the work of entire organizations (Level 5). The company has long said it hopes to develop artificial general intelligence, or AGI — essentially, computers that can outperform humans. One to watch Bloomberg’s Max Chafkin discusses Tesla’s decision to delay its planned robotaxi unveiling on Bloomberg Television. Get fully charged Software provider SNP is courting buyers as a possible [takeover looms](. ‘Big Short’ investor Steve Eisman has a [market tip about big tech](. Digital job growth in the UK hit a [decade low](. Startup Fireworks AI raised funds at a [$552 million valuation](. More from Bloomberg Bloomberg Screentime: The entertainment landscape is shifting rapidly. Cable empires are crumbling, streaming giants face new challenges, and innovative forces are on the rise. Join Bloomberg's Lucas Shaw in Los Angeles on Oct. 9-10 for a look at the future of media. Network with industry titans, immerse in live experiences, and enjoy a curated collection of local eats. Get your tickets today. [Learn More](. 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