The stock was down 9.2% before the opening bell, extending its losses to more than 44% since reaching a record high in June 2025.

The latest forecast is the second straight quarter in which Netflix has guided below analysts’ estimates. Following the update, at least 11 analysts lowered their price targets for the company’s shares.

Although Netflix has expanded beyond its traditional subscription business, adding advertising, live programming and higher subscription prices to increase revenue per user, investors are still focused on whether it can continue attracting new subscribers.

Jeffrey Wlodarczak, an analyst at Pivotal Research Group, said subscriber growth remains the company’s biggest challenge as younger viewers spend more time on free social media platforms than on long-form streaming services.

“The story lacks excitement,” he said.

He added, “We believe this will result in slower subscriber growth and attempts by the company to offset this via more aggressive price increases and investment in content.”

Analysts also pointed to stronger competition from established streaming rivals such as Disney as well as YouTube, which continues to attract younger audiences with free video content.

Jefferies analysts said Netflix’s content line-up for the second half of 2026 is weaker than the one it offered a year earlier, which could make it harder to reassure investors.

Netflix has also reduced the amount of performance data it shares with the market. The company stopped publishing quarterly subscriber figures in 2025 and announced that, from January 2027, it will release its viewing-hours report once a year instead of twice.

Despite the recent decline, Netflix still trades at a premium compared with some of its biggest rivals. Its shares are valued at about 19.9 times expected earnings over the next 12 months, compared with 13.5 times for Disney and 6.6 times for Comcast.

With the decline, investors are currently concerned that Netflix may find it difficult to maintain the strong growth that once set it apart, especially as viewers have more entertainment choices and free online platforms continue to gain ground.

The post Netflix Shares Fall 9% as Weak Earnings Forecast Disappoints Investors appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

Announced on Wednesday, the partnership will allow fans to stay connected to the festival before, during and after the event through Spotify, even if they are unable to attend in person.

Afro Nation Portugal will take place from July 3 to 5 in Portimão, Portugal. Over the years, the festival has grown into one of the biggest global events celebrating African music and culture, attracting thousands of fans from different parts of the world.

Through the collaboration, Spotify will launch a dedicated Afro Nation destination on its platform. The hub will feature the festival’s official playlist, participating artists, music discovery content and selected performance videos captured during the event.

The partnership also builds on both organisations’ support for African music and its growing international audience. While Afro Nation has helped introduce African artists to wider audiences through its live events, Spotify has continued to support music discovery and streaming across global markets.

Rifumo Mdaka, content marketing manager for Spotify in sub-Saharan Africa, said the collaboration is designed to keep the festival experience alive beyond the closing performances.

“Afro Nation is more than a festival, it’s a global expression of African music, fan culture and creative influence. Our partnership is about helping that moment travel further through our first collaboration with Afro Nation of this nature. 

“By bringing the festival to Spotify, we’re giving fans a place to connect with the artists, performances, and stories that define the festival, long after the final set.”

Spotify said the partnership is part of its goal to support African music through artist discovery, playlisting, live performance content and fan engagement.

As part of the campaign, the streaming platform will also document the journey of a leading fan travelling to Afro Nation Portugal, highlighting the excitement around the festival and the growing global community built around African music.

Clémence Blum, director of Global Partnerships at The Malachite Group/Afro Nation, said the partnership is an important step for the festival.

“Afro Nation has always been more than a festival. It is a platform built to celebrate African music, support artist breakthroughs and connect a global community through culture. 

“Our partnership with Spotify is a significant moment for us because it reflects the shared role we both play in discovery, helping artists reach new audiences and giving fans deeper ways to engage with the music they love. This collaboration marks an exciting evolution of the Afro Nation experience, extending the energy of the festival beyond the live event.”

Spotify said selected performances from Afro Nation Portugal will become available on the platform after the festival, giving fans another way to relive the event and discover more African music.

The post Spotify Partners Afro Nation Portugal 2026 to Bring Festival Experience to Fans Worldwide appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

This is one of the biggest changes in its history as it separates its broadband and technology operations from its media and entertainment assets.

The tax-free spin-off, which is expected to be completed within the next year, will see NBCUniversal and Sky become an independent company, while Comcast continues as a standalone technology and connectivity business. 

Existing Comcast shareholders will own shares in both companies after the separation.

The media company will include Universal’s film and television studios, NBC, Telemundo, streaming platform Peacock, Sky, Bravo and Universal’s theme parks. 

Comcast, meanwhile, will focus on broadband, wireless services, business connectivity and its technology platforms.

The company said the decision reflects changes in the communications and entertainment industries, arguing that each business will be better placed to pursue its own growth plans and respond to changing market conditions.

Brian Roberts, chairman and co-chief executive officer of Comcast, will remain involved in both businesses after the separation. 

Mike Cavanagh will become CEO of the new NBCUniversal, while former Comcast Chief Financial Officer Michael Angelakis will return as Comcast’s CEO after the transaction is completed. He will first rejoin the company as a strategic adviser.

Announcing the decision, Roberts said: “This is a very exciting day for our company. The transaction we are announcing will unlock a more entrepreneurial management approach and open up a multitude of new opportunities for each business. I very much look forward to helping guide our collective growth for this next chapter.”

Speaking about the leadership changes, he added: “Mike Cavanagh will lead the new NBCUniversal media and entertainment company as CEO. Mike is one of the finest executives I’ve ever worked with and a trusted partner. His vision is for a unique, independent, focused company that will be home to some of the industry’s most valuable brands and assets across theme parks, film, television, streaming, sports and news.”

Roberts also welcomed Angelakis back to the company, saying, “I am also incredibly pleased to welcome back Michael Angelakis as Comcast CEO. As our widely admired former CFO, Michael’s deep knowledge of the business and passion for technology – combined with the leadership of Steve Croney, Jason Armstrong and the entire Comcast management team – will serve us well as we continue to take bold actions in today’s competitive environment.”

Cavanagh said both companies would begin operating independently from a position of strength.

“Both companies begin this next chapter from positions of strength. Comcast will continue to build on its leadership in connectivity, while NBCUniversal, together with Sky, will have the scale, brands, content and financial resources to compete as a premier global media and entertainment company,” he said.

He added, “I’m personally thrilled to continue leading NBCUniversal into the future. With our iconic brands and theme parks, leading franchises and incredible creative talent, we are well-positioned for long-term value creation.”

Angelakis said he was looking forward to returning to the company.

“I have had the privilege of working alongside Comcast’s talented leadership team for many years, and am excited to return to partner with Brian, Steve, Jason and the entire organisation. Comcast’s exceptional assets, entrepreneurial roots, deep customer relationships and strong track record of innovation and technological leadership provide a powerful foundation for the future.”

The separation reverses years of consolidation that brought content production and distribution under one company. Comcast first acquired a controlling stake in NBCUniversal from General Electric in 2011 before taking full ownership two years later.

The move also follows growing pressure on traditional media companies as cable television subscriptions continue to decline and streaming services reshape the industry. At the same time, Comcast’s broadband business has faced increasing competition from wireless internet providers and expanding fibre networks.

Industry analysts believe the split could also make NBCUniversal more attractive for future mergers or acquisitions, although no potential deal has been announced.

Comcast said the transaction remains subject to regulatory approvals, board approval, financing arrangements and other customary conditions. The company also plans to retain up to a 19.9% stake in NBCUniversal for up to one year after the spin-off before gradually selling that holding in a tax-efficient manner.

The post Comcast to Split Into Two Public Companies as NBCUniversal Becomes Independent appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

Over 60 million sports content creators globally already feed a constant stream of commentary, reactions and culture-driven storytelling on the platform, running alongside live sport rather than waiting for it to end.

At the #SportsOnTikTok Mixer recently hosted by TikTok in Lagos, Nigeria, the platform showed what this actually looks like realistically, with a one-liner that changes everything about how sport is consumed online: “We don’t just have followers on TikTok, we have fans.”

This explains why sports on the platform no longer behave like traditional media, but more like an always-on public square where football, fashion, music, food and even injury analysis are all found in the same feed without hierarchy.

Keagile Makgoba, head of Communications for sub-Saharan Africa at TikTok, said sports content in Nigeria is still driven largely by football, while also expanding into other areas that were initially not part of traditional sports broadcasting.

What is emerging, she said, is not just highlight culture but lifestyle sport, where the focus is not solely on what happens during the game but also off the pitch.

These include dressing room moments, coaching conversations, match-day meals, stadium fashion, and even the music fans are listening to while the game is on.

That expansion has encouraged participation in ways traditional sports media never fully captured, especially among women. Data from TikTok revealed that 64% of women now choose the platform as their primary destination for sports content.

This means increased viewership and a change in who feels included in sports conversations in the first place.

Makgoba linked that change to something way more than content variety, explaining that sport is no longer defined strictly by the 90 minutes on the pitch but by everything that surrounds it. These include music trends, player personalities, and the social reactions that build around every big moment.

“I enjoy seeing what’s happening in the change rooms, what the coaches are saying to the players,” she said, describing how audience interest has expanded into behind-the-scenes moments that used to be inaccessible or filtered through traditional media.

This change in consumption is also measurable in behaviour, with 54% of users following pre-event sports news on TikTok, and another 54% scrolling and engaging during live matches, effectively turning a single game into two parallel experiences.

These are the broadcast itself and the social reaction around it, creating what TikTok describes as a second-screen culture.

In simple terms, it means viewers don’t just watch sports anymore, they are also watching how other people are reacting to sports in real time. That constant loop of content and response has created a feedback system where engagement usually influences what gets attention next.

Makgoba explained it through her own experience, saying that exposure to tennis content on TikTok moved her from a passive viewer to someone who actively participated. Eventually, she began watching documentaries, following tournaments, and even playing the sport socially.

This, she said, shows a general pattern across the platform.

That link from content to action is paramount to TikTok’s sports strategy, especially as 42% of users who engage with sports content on the platform are more likely to tune into live matches afterwards. We could say from this, that discovery on TikTok functions as a gateway, rather than an endpoint.

But perhaps the most revealing part of the data is not just how people consume sport, but what they consume around it. With 66% of users engaging for entertainment and 50% for team support, the mix places sport firmly within entertainment culture rather than treating it as something separate or purely competitive.

This becomes more obvious when looking at the volume of activity. Every day, around 5 million sports-related posts are published globally on TikTok, feeding an ecosystem that now spans nearly 60 million sports creators.

That level of activity has allowed smaller voices to speak alongside mainstream coverage without needing traditional media approval or access.

Makgoba also pointed to the growth of unexpected categories such as sports medical creators. These are individuals who break down injuries and physical performance in ways that were previously limited to professional analysis rooms, but now circulate freely across the same feeds as match highlights and fan reactions.

It is in that mixture that TikTok sees its strongest disruption, not in replacing broadcasters, but in layering new forms of storytelling over existing ones. Here, analysis, humour, fashion, music and commentary all compete for the same attention window.

That layering is especially visible during global tournaments. The Paris 2024 Olympics, for instance, generated more than 1.9 million posts and 49 billion views across Olympic-related hashtags. Opening day alone saw over 43,000 creators posting content, a surge of more than 1,200% compared to Tokyo 2020.

This showed just how quickly sports moments now scale when they enter algorithm-driven distribution.

Looking at Africa’s football ecosystem, the expansion has gone beyond borders. During AFCON 2025, approximately 1.2 million posts were created globally, with 28.6% coming from sub-Saharan Africa. A significant engagement, however, also came from France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and Spain.

This revealed that African football content is now being consumed in real time far outside the continent, not just after it has been broadcast.

Makgoba described this as cultural export, where sport is not only watched globally but interpreted globally through music, fashion and online conversation. This is specially as clips, chants and stadium moments travel faster than traditional match reporting ever could.

There is also a structural reason for that reach. TikTok does not operate as a follower-based network but more as a recommendation system.

Meaning content is distributed based on interest rather than audience size, ultimately allowing even small creators to achieve large-scale visibility if the content resonates.

Such structure is why sports content behaves differently on the platform, where a single reaction clip, analysis video or fan moment can travel far beyond its origin without relying on established media amplification.

Interestingly, TikTok is scaling beyond a viewing platform to a participation layer for sport itself, particularly through initiatives like “Game Plan”, developed in partnership with FIFA.

The initiative, created with a goal to turn interest into action, is designed to connect fans directly to teams, tickets, schedules and interactive experiences inside the app.

Someone watching a clip from a match can go on to join a fandom from passive consumption into direct engagement, where watching a clip can lead to buying a ticket, joining a conversation, or interacting with official content hubs in real time.

What emerges from all of this is not a replacement of traditional sport coverage, but a redistribution of where attention lives, and more importantly, who gets to enhance it.

The post Why 64% of Women Now Turn to TikTok for Sports Content appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

The feature gives listeners a way to save short sections from podcasts and send them to friends or post them on social media without searching through an entire episode.

Spotify said the rollout has started globally for both free and Premium users on mobile devices, while support for more shows will expand gradually.

Users will now see a scissors icon in the “Now Playing” screen while listening to supported podcasts. Once tapped, the tool allows them to capture a segment, trim it, preview it and either save or share it immediately.

Spotify also explained that listeners can share a full episode, chapter, timestamp or a clip through the updated sharing menu. Saved clips will also appear in a dedicated section inside the user’s library and can be added to podcast playlists.

The feature builds on the growth it has already seen with podcast Chapters, which launched earlier this year. According to Spotify, Chapters are now being saved and added to playlists more than two million times every month.

The update also shows how podcasts are becoming a bigger source of news, interviews and online discussions, especially in the technology industry where company executives appear on podcasts instead of traditional interviews.

Spotify believes clips could help podcast creators attract new listeners by making key moments easier to discover and circulate online. The company said early testing showed that podcast saving activity increased when clips were enabled.

In a statement announcing the launch, Spotify said: “Whether it’s a piece of advice that reframes how you think, a conversation that makes you laugh, or a segment you know a friend needs to hear, those moments are often what turns a casual listener into a devoted fan.”

“With clips, listeners can now capture, revisit, and share the exact moments from podcasts that resonate most, without having to search through an entire episode to find them,” the company added:

Spotify also noted that users can access the feature by tapping the scissors icon while listening, trimming the audio segment they want, then choosing to save or share it through the app’s sharing options.

The post Spotify Launches ‘Clips’ to Let Users Cut and Share Podcast Snippets appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

The shutdown took effect on May 26, 2026, and from that point, players could no longer access online multiplayer. Destruction Points, the game’s premium currency, stopped being sold, while the title also disappeared from the PlayStation Store.

Single-player content is not gone yet, as Sony has confirmed that owners can still access offline and Arcade modes until 25 November 2026 at 15:00 UTC.

After that date, full server support ends. Only offline Arcade challenges will remain, and even those may not work smoothly once servers go down completely.

Sony linked the multiplayer shutdown to “ongoing technical issues.” In the notice describing how services had already been taken offline before the final closure window, it was confirmed that remaining currency can still be used until November 2026.

Sony launched Destruction AllStars with high expectations, first positioned as a PlayStation 5 launch title in 2020, then delayed it to February 2021.

When it finally arrived, it moved from a full-priced release to a PlayStation Plus offering for a limited period, before settling at a lower price point later on.

Lucid Games developed the title, and Sony published it as a first-party project. The studio had previously worked on Geometry Wars and support work on Sea of Thieves. Despite that backing, the game found it difficult to hold attention after launch.

Reviews were mixed. It scored 62 on Metacritic, while user ratings fell below average. Many players criticised the limited content and heavy focus on in-game purchases.

The online base dropped within months, and reports suggested losses of nearly 80% early on. Sony tried to stabilise the game with bots in multiplayer and added only one content season in May 2021.

The shutdown also reveals Sony’s struggles in live-service gaming. Other projects have already faced similar outcomes, including Concord, which closed shortly after launch, and a cancelled The Last of Us multiplayer project that never reached release.

For players still holding trophies, some achievements tied to multiplayer will now be impossible to unlock. Refunds for unused currency are not being issued, although players can still spend remaining Destruction Points until the November cutoff.

The post Sony Shuts Down Destruction AllStars Multiplayer, Delists PS5 Game from PlayStation Store appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

The streaming company said on Tuesday that audiobook users in supported markets will now have access to more than 650 narrated long-form articles in English.

The articles come from publications including Rolling Stone, The Atlantic, Vogue, Variety, Vanity Fair, Billboard and WIRED.

Spotify said the narrated articles are produced by its in-house audiobooks team and each one runs for less than two hours. Premium subscribers can listen through their monthly audiobook allowance, while free users can buy individual articles for $1.99.

The company is expanding the range of content on its platform as competition grows across audio streaming, podcasts and AI-generated music services.

Competitors in the space include YouTube and Netflix, while AI music startups such as Udio and Suno have also entered the market.

Spotify co-chief executive Alex Norström recently said the company now accounts for about 20% of the US audiobooks market.

The new feature is designed to give listeners shorter audio content that can lead them towards longer audiobook listening over time.

“With Articles, we’re introducing long-form journalism in audio as a natural extension of the music, podcasts, and audiobooks people already come to Spotify for, focused on topics we know they love,” said Colleen Prendergast, Licensing Lead at Spotify Audiobooks.

She added: “By bringing shorter form content into the mix, we’re meeting audiences where they are to help build healthy listening habits, ultimately growing engagement with books over time.”

Spotify launched its audiobooks business just over two years ago and says it has since expanded into 22 markets. The company also said audiobook listening hours have risen 60% year on year as it continues adding new features to the service.

The post Spotify Expands Beyond Music and Podcasts with Narrated Magazine Articles appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

The company said the feature works through a new command-line interface tool, now in beta, which connects Spotify with external coding agents such as OpenAI’s Codex, Anthropic’s Claude Code and OpenClaw.

Users can generate private audio briefings or podcast-style content from notes, schedules, articles and other personal material, then listen to them inside the Spotify app.

Spotify also explained that the podcasts will remain private and do not appear for other users on the platform.

“People are already starting to use their agents to create personal audio that guides their day: from summaries of class notes before an exam to briefings of what’s on their calendar. And they’re asking for a way to listen to it on Spotify, where they already listen to everything else,” the company said in a blog post.

The tool lets users create different types of audio content depending on what they need. Someone preparing for work can generate a short morning briefing with meeting reminders, weather updates and podcast suggestions for their commute.

A student studying philosophy could also create weekly audio lessons based on saved notes, articles and research material.

Users who already work with coding agents on desktop can install the beta tool through its GitHub page. After signing into Spotify through a browser, they can write prompts describing the kind of podcast they want and ask the agent to save it directly to their Spotify account.

For example, a user could request an audio session explaining the history of the World Cup, including major players, host countries and details about this year’s tournament. The system then creates the podcast and adds it to the user’s library with a Spotify link for playback.

The company further noted that the feature is available to eligible Free and Premium users globally, although limits may apply during the testing period.

Spotify plans to continue adjusting the personal podcasts experience as it receives feedback from listeners and expands the beta programme.

The post Spotify Launches AI Tool for Creating Personal Podcasts Inside Its App appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

The music streaming platform said the feature is now available in more than 75 markets, including Austria, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, South Korea and Switzerland.

Spotify launched the AI DJ feature in 2023. At first, it mainly offered spoken commentary between tracks while recommending music based on a user’s listening habits. Since then, the company has steadily added more interactive features.

Last year, Spotify updated the tool so users could speak with the DJ directly and ask for changes in mood, genre or style during a listening session. Users can now also request specific tracks through voice or text prompts.

The company said each new language version comes with its own DJ personality and voice.

For French listeners, the DJ is called Maïa. Spotify described the character as “Effortlessly cool and treats every listener like a friend who already has great taste.”

The German-language DJ, Ben, is described as “The kind of voice that makes listening feel intentional: warm and present, without trying too hard.”

Spotify said Alex, the Italian DJ, is “Warm and grounded: the voice that bridges the gap between knowing music and truly feeling it.”

For Brazilian Portuguese users, Dani is “Always one song ahead of the moment: eclectic and genuinely excited to share what’s next.”

The company said the feature continually builds on Spotify’s goal towards more customised recommendations inside the app.

“Since launching in 2023, DJ (beta) has helped shape a more personalised listening experience for 94 million Spotify Premium users,” Spotify said.

The DJ tool combines music suggestions with spoken commentary and draws from a user’s listening history to recommend familiar tracks, older favourites and new releases.

Spotify has also been adding other AI-based tools across the platform. These include playlist generation features that allow users to create music or podcast playlists by describing what they want to hear.

Users can access DJ from Spotify’s home page or by searching for “DJ” inside the app. Language settings can be changed through the menu within the DJ card.

The post Spotify Expands AI DJ Feature With French, German, Italian and Portuguese Support appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

The requirement is an increase from the €40 million annual obligation set in 2021.

According to ARCOM, the obligation could increase to €110 million, as a higher figure applies if Amazon releases films on Prime Video less than 12 months after cinema screenings.

The investment is part of France’s cultural policy. Streaming platforms and broadcasters must fund European and French-language content to operate in the country.

However, the level of investment depends on revenue earned in France, so the figure can rise further over time.

While the structure of the policy has been consistent, the scale is what changes this time. Bigger platforms now carry heavier financial obligations.

ARCOM’s system is designed to support local film and television production. It ensures global streaming companies contribute directly to the French creative sector rather than relying on imported content alone.

Amazon is not alone in this arrangement. Netflix already commits hundreds of millions of euros each year to French and European productions. Disney+ also contributes, although at a lower level due to its smaller presence in the French market.

The spending regulations have helped shape what viewers see locally. Series such as Lupin on Netflix and Mixte on Amazon Prime Video benefited from this funding model, and these productions have also strengthened local demand for streaming platforms.

The financial stress on Amazon is growing, with its global content budget exceeding $16 billion in 2025. France is still one of its strongest European markets, with around 12 million Prime Video subscribers.

The current requirement will add to Amazon’s content strategy, as it must balance global production costs with local obligations that vary by country.

France is one of the most demanding regulatory environments in Europe for streaming services.

The post Amazon Prime Video Ordered to Invest $105m in French Content Under ARCOM Requirements appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.