DVRs and Netflix have taught a generation to hate television commercials. Anthony Wood should know—he created one of the first DVRs that allowed viewers to skip commercials, and he also worked briefly at Netflix, directly under its cofounder Reed Hastings. But Wood’s latest pivot, in the midst of the streaming media revolution, has been to bet the future of his streaming device company, Roku, on the very thing consumers are said to loathe: advertising.
It’s a necessary pivot. Roku’s original business, selling inexpensive dongles that let TV viewers tap into the internet to stream 500,000 movies and TV episodes from Netflix, Disney and many more, is a low-margin one that has never turned a profit. Even worse, streaming has become a commodity, with streaming apps integrated into anything that can get online, from PlayStation consoles to tablets to smart TVs.
Wood, 54, is now betting that Roku will be able to move beyond its hardware business into a more lucrative software business: measuring the reach and effectiveness of ads on streaming apps.
Denne historien er fra February 2020-utgaven av Forbes Indonesia.
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Denne historien er fra February 2020-utgaven av Forbes Indonesia.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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BACK ON TRACK
Collective wealth gets a 21% boost to a record $162 billion amid an economic uptick.
Championing Locals
The wave of social commerce is enabling inclusive digital economies beyond urban areas.
Boys in the Bubble
Startups are supposed to specialize, but OPENSEA’s founders thrived by building a wide-open market for creating and trading all manner of NFTs, whether art, music or gaming. Now that they’re centimillionaires and poised to become billionaires, they have other worries: competitors, fraudsters and the next crypto crash.
Enduring Relations
The implementation of IA-CEPA amid the pandemic signifies the Indonesia-Australia’s commitment to recover and counter future challenges together.
Sweet Success
Steven Erwin envisions Unifam to become a major global player in the confectionery and F&B industry.
Marathon Man
Across America, scores of municipal pension funds remain scandalously underfunded. But not the pension fund of Tampa’s police and firemen, thanks in large part to JAY BOWEN, whose no-frills approach to stock picking has protected and served them for more than 45 years.
Gold Rallies on Inflation Fears
During September the price of gold rallied to $1,868 per ounce following the release of figures on US inflation by the Bureau of Labor Statistics which indicated that, as of September, CPI inflation had rocketed to 6.2%, above the 5.8% which economists had been predicting.
Set Off to A New Start
Bank Aladin has two main ingredients for success: establish trust and offer better customer experiences.
The Daily Intake
YOUVIT plans to invest further into marketing and grow into one of the leading vitamin brands in Indonesia.
THE CROESUS OF CRYPTO
FTX COFOUNDER SAM BANKMAN-FRIED BUILT A $22.5 BILLION FORTUNE BEFORE HIS 30TH BIRTHDAY BY PROFITING OFF THE CRYPTOCURRENCY FRENZY—BUT HE’S NOT A TRUE BELIEVER. HE JUST WANTS HIS WEALTH TO SURVIVE LONG ENOUGH TO GIVE IT ALL AWAY.
