Tuesday 9th March: Big Issue launches video-on-demand subscription

March 09, 2021

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The Big Issue went into innovation overdrive last year. The team launched a massive subscription drive for the weekly and got copies into retail outlets for the first time in efforts to counter lost street sales.

This move, to introduce a subscription-based streaming video service, keeps that ball rolling. The Big Issue TV will stream socially conscious, political, cultural, and environmental documentaries for subscribers paying £3.99 a month. Content on the channel will be curated by The Big Issue’s editorial team from French partner Alchimie's catalogue of 60,000 hours of content from more than 300 broadcasting partners.

Given the growth in streaming video subscriptions - 28% YOY growth - this is a smart move for the Big Issue, both in terms of revenue potential, but also in line with the magazine's mission to raise awareness of the problem of homelessness.

We'll be speaking to Big Issue CEO Paul Cheal for the podcast this week. If you've got any questions for him about the Big Issue's innovation drive, just reply to this email.

This is a seriously comprehensive run through of all the challenges Immediate Media faced and overcame through the worst of 2020. After closing 12 titles and laying off more than 100 staff, the business has bounced back with a 14% print subscription increase. Hopefully there will be a few new hires in 2021.

Not content with newsletters and Super Follows, Twitter is said to be trying out a new shoppable card format that will allow users to link directly to product pages. The shoppable tweets will feature the name of the product, the seller name, a price and a “Shop” button. Get ready all you creators.

ICYMI, yesterday was International Women's Day. When I read this article I was reminded of an Australian lady I worked with many years ago. She had been a war correspondent in Vietnam and remembering her reminded me of all the amazing women I've been lucky enough to work with and learn from over the years. A day late, but hopefully not a dollar short... Thank you all 🙏🏻

This week's podcast:

This week James Stables, Founder and Co-CEO of tech recommendation sites Wareable.com and The Ambient, discusses the meteoric rise of the business, unknown SEO problems, and the precarious nature of affiliate revenues.

The Media Voices Podcast is free, but it's not cheap. We do all our interviews on a remote recording platform, we've got hosting charges and there's editing software and microphones and all sorts of other stuff to buy. Help us reach our funding target with a contribution on our Ko-Fi page.