The Reading Garden: 4/4/25
What We’re Reading, and Why It Matters to Legacy Media
Welcome to the Reading Garden, where every Friday we spotlight three must-read pieces we're paying attention to and explore what they mean for legacy media.
Jumping right in…
Ted just raised the stakes in the Netflix vs. Youtube battle by taking a public swipe at the app. That’s right, time to grab your popcorn… Still, this feels more like a not-so-subtle pitch to creators than an attack. And he did bring up a good point, i.e. Youtube doesn’t give any money up front to creators, which greatly increases their risk. Our favorite comment? Youtube is a place to “cut your teeth on” before coming home to Netflix. Ouch.
To play devil’s advocate (sorry, Ted), this better monetization comes at a cost – less flexibility, limited control, no ownership, and weaker direct engagement, a.k.a. the very aspects creators thrive on.
So yes, the Netflix model still has kinks to work out, and both platforms will continue to emulate each other. But Netflix can’t and shouldn’t be the only one. The rest of legacy media needs to be exploring other ways to woo creators. Speaking of…
Here’s an interesting idea worth tracking. Channel 4 is about to launch an original drama on its streaming platform and linear TV service. The twist? It will simultaneously launch on its Youtube channel. Episodes will air in their entirety (45 minutes) on linear, but be broken into three 15-minute segments online.
It’s a smart move, and it sets a good example for Hollywood by leaning into digital-native episodic storytelling. Even if the show doesn’t find instant success, by experimenting with format, Channel 4 will gain important lessons for how to find the white space.
We couldn’t resist bringing up this treat of a story. Here at Open Gardens, we’ve talked a lot about how opening up access to fan communities can increase engagement and loyalty, but Jojo Siwa has taken it a step (or a thousand steps) too far…
The singer is offering astronomically priced tickets so fans can truly get the full access experience. The perks? Free labor. Or should we call it reverse paid labor? Who knows.
We just hope you don’t get any ideas. The last thing we want to see in Hollywood is inviting fans to PA on set…
See you next week.