📺 Streaming goes cable

…and Google’s cookie-cutter move   Feels familiar… (Beata Zawrzel/Getty Images)   [Sponsored by]( Last Week’s Market Moves   Dow Jones 37,466 (-0.59%) S&P 500 4,697 (-1.52%) Nasdaq 14,524 (-3.25%) Bitcoin $44,010 (+4.63%) Dow Jones 37,466 (-0.59%) S&P 500 4,697 (-1.52%) Nasdaq 14,524 (-3.25%) Bitcoin $44,010 (+4.63%) Hey Snackers, TikTok is [captivated]( by videos from guests aboard Royal Caribbean's nine-month round-the-world cruise. #UltimateWorldCruise posts have 180M views as landlubbers follow along for high-sea tea. It’s like #BamaRush but with more drama(mine). Markets had a rough start to the year (didn’t we all). Stocks snapped their nine-week win streak, the longest since 2004. On Friday, the December jobs report came in surprisingly hot, and Treasury Secretary Yellen said the US economy had achieved a soft landing. But investors worried the strong jobs market could mean rate cuts get pushed further out. Btw... Do you want to start getting Snacks daily? Or prefer to unsubscribe? Manage your subscription preferences [here](. CORDPLUS Streaming’s morphing into cable as companies introduce bundles and ads to keeps subs Bundlin’ up for winter… People are tired of paying for a jumble of subscriptions with “+” at the end. Now streamers are testing new tactics to keep customers. One is bundling: last week, cable giant [Spectrum]( added a free Disney+ basic plan for its premium TV subscribers. [Verizon]( debuted a bundle option for its cell-plan customers, offering [Netflix]( and [Max]( ad-supported tiers for an extra $10/month (cheaper than subbing individually). [Apple]( and [Paramount]( are also reportedly considering cozying up to offer hits like “Ted Lasso” and “Yellowstone”" for one discounted monthly rate. Bundles could be the future: - Signed out: While over three-quarters of US households have at least a Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Hulu sub, nearly a quarter of streaming subscribers have axed three or more plans in the past two years as show binges get pricier. Streaming’s the new cable… but it’s starting to look a lot like old cable, and not just because of bundles. Ads have crept in, with streamers rolling out cheaper ad tiers to keep thriftier viewers. Disney+ and Netflix (which once vowed never to do ads) launched ad plans in 2022. This fall, both streamers hiked prices to their ad-free subs, possibly to nudge users to downgrade. Though ad tiers cost customers less, they tend to have [better]( profit margins than premium subs. Cue: this month Amazon will launch ads in Prime Video, and if you want to stay ad-free, you’ll have to pay $3/month. THE TAKEAWAY Bundles are harder to unwind… It’s easier to ditch a single subscription than one that comes with cell service, cable, two streamers, and a fresh season of “The Crown.” A recent survey from EY suggested that nearly half of Americans were interested in streaming bundles. And Paramount’s CEO said its subscribers watched 40% more content in the months following the streamer’s team-up with Showtime. Experts say this could be the year of the bundle. Sponsored by The Fundrise Flagship Fund Buy low, sell high Arguably the most famous mantra in investing is, as we all know, easy to say and hard to do. For example…In 2023, interest rates reached the highest levels we’ve seen in over two decades. The effects were widespread, but the real estate market in particular suffered major losses as demand dropped like a rock. The classic investing question…do falling prices mean it’s time to bail or time to buy? [For the Fundrise Flagship Fund, it’s time to buy.]( The Fund is gearing up to take advantage of today’s market by expanding its $1+ billion private real estate portfolio and plans to [invest hundreds of millions into well-located residential and industrial assets]( over the next 12 months. [You can add the Flagship Fund to your portfolio right now, starting with as little as $10.]( Carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses of the Fundrise Flagship Fund before investing. This and other information can be found in the Fund’s [prospectus](. Read them carefully before investing. This is a paid advertisement. Fundrise Flagship Fund is the marketing name for Fundrise Real Estate Interval Fund, LLC. Events Coming up this week Interest-ing quarter… Banks will kick off Q4 earnings szn with names like JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo reporting on Friday. In Q3, the mega money managers’ earnings boomed as rising rates supercharged interest income from loans, deposits, and credit-card debt. And with those elevated rates sticking around last quarter, banks may’ve been sitting pretty. Still, the Fed’s expected to cut rates several times this year. That could shift banks’ balance sheets as they earn less interest on mortgages and your savings account. Meet me at the tech-spo… 130K tech heads are expected to attend the Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas this week. The yearly event has given the world its first look at innovations like VCRs, CDs, and Oculus Rift VR headsets. AI is a big theme this year: Microsoft said it’ll show off PCs with a dedicated AI button, and Samsung’s expected to power up AI-fueled — wait for it — vacuums and refrigerators. (One conspicuous absence: OpenAI.) Beyond AI, Hyundai’s demo’ing flying-car tech while TV makers will introduce crisper “microLED” screens. Zoom Out Stories we’re watching Rattling global markets… Oil prices have spiked and shipping costs have soared following dozens of Houthi attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea, which facilitates 15% of all seaborne trade. Last week, the US, UK, and other allies issued a “final warning” to the Iran-backed Yemeni rebel group — but it attacked again. FYI: the turmoil started after Hamas’ attacks on Israel. Shipping titans including Maersk have halted Red Sea shipping. To move between Europe and Asia, they’re taking a longer route around Africa (no Suez shortcut). How the cookie crumbles… Google killed the cookie — the tech used to track web users and target ads — for 30M Chrome users last week, and plans to ax cookies for the other 99% of Chromies later this year. Apple’s Safari and Mozilla’s Firefox already limit cookies, but Google has delayed its plans because of Chrome’s outsized share (65%) of web traffic. Cookie lovers, including the $600B/year online ad industry, aren’t psyched. But regulators argue that cookies are invasive and allow companies to build profiles (with sensitive info) on unaware scrollers. What else we're Snackin' - [Alley-oop]( Disney’s ESPN struck an eight-year media deal with the NCAA last week. At $920M, it's 3x the current deal’s value, largely thanks to the record ratings of women’s college basketball. - [Breezy]( For the first time, two offshore wind farms are powering US electric grids. Wind power is integral to the US’s renewable-energy goals, but projects have faced financial and regulatory setbacks. - [Slink]( Meta’s controversial new “Link History” lets users see everything they’ve clicked on the FB app — unless they opt out. FB has long tracked links for ad targeting, but it may be seeking more protections as privacy regulators crack down. Want your Snacks daily? The Daily Newsletter Get fresh takes on financial news every week day. Try a sample: 🚢 [Red Sea instability]( • Jan 5, 2024 🛰️ [T-Mobile’s SpaceX bars]( • Jan 4, 2024 ⚡ [Tesla loses its crown]( • Jan 3, 2024 [Subscribe to the Daily]( Snack Fact Of the Day Half of the beef eaten daily in the US is consumed by just 12% of Americans [Read more]( This Week - Monday: College football national championship. Earnings expected from Jefferies - Tuesday: CES tech expo begins. UK’s six-day doctors’ strike set to end. Earnings expected from Albertsons, Tilray, and WD-40 - Wednesday: Earnings expected from KB Home - Thursday: Earnings expected from Infosys - Friday: Earnings expected from Bank of America, BNYMellon, BlackRock, Citigroup, Delta, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, and UnitedHealth Authors of this Snacks own shares of: Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Delta, Disney, and Microsoft Sherwood Media, LLC produces fresh and unique perspectives on topical financial news and is a fully owned subsidiary of Robinhood Markets, Inc., and any views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of any other Robinhood affiliate... [See more]( [Sherwood Terms and Conditions]( • [Our Editorial Principles]( • [Contact Us](mailto:hellosnacks@sherwoodmedia.com) • [Privacy Policy]( • [Advertise with us](mailto:advertising@sherwoodmedia.com) [Unsubscribe](