Todd Spangler
Variety
New York, NY, United States
Contact Todd
Discover and connect with journalists and influencers around the world, save time on email research, monitor the news, and more.
| Recent: |
|
| Past: |
|
Past articles by Todd:
The Best New Podcasts of 2022
Lend me an ear! The surge in podcasting continued apace this year, yielding a bumper crop of top-shelf audio programming. Variety staff picked 20 podcasts — spanning drama, comedy, true crime and docuseries, interview shows and more — from among the thousands that came out this year that were our favorite listens. Note that these […] → Read More
Disney, Netflix, Paramount, Meta and More Media Companies to Cover Employee Travel Costs for Abortions After Roe v. Wade Overturned
Netflix, Disney, Paramount, Meta and more companies will cover the travel costs for employees seeking abortions. → Read More
Vince McMahon Steps Aside as WWE CEO as Board Probes Alleged Misconduct
Vince McMahon has “voluntarily stepped back” from his responsibilities as WWE CEO and chairman while the board of directors investigates claims of misconduct against the exec, the company said Friday. The board of WWE has launched an investigation into allegations that McMahon offered a $3 million settlement to a former female employee with whom he […] → Read More
The Best, Worst and Weirdest Moments of Upfronts Week 2022
After a long week of in-person schmoozing and spinning, Variety assesses the best, worst and weirdest moments of this year's upfronts. → Read More
Disney Plus Ends 2021 With Nearly 130 Million Subscribers, Smashing Growth Forecasts
Popular on Variety Disney Plus powered to a strong year-end finish, with the media giant’s flagship streaming business blowing past expectations to hit almost 130 million users. At the end of 2021, Disney Plus had 129.8 million paying customers worldwide, gaining 11.8 million for the quarter ended Jan. 1, 2022. Analysts on average had forecast […] → Read More
Inside Critical Role’s Growing D&D Fantasy Empire and the Making of ‘The Legend of Vox Machina’ for Amazon
On the evening of March 12, 2015, Critical Role had its first public showing. In a livestreamed event from a dimly lit studio in Burbank, eight players sat at a table immersed in a Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game for nearly three hours — their first foray in a form of storytelling that would bloom […] → Read More
TV’s Fall Season: Why It Endures Despite Streaming’s Surge and the Content Explosion
The traditional concept of a season is a powerful tool for networks, but navigating the fall launch is more complicated than ever. → Read More
Inside the War on Apple and Google App Stores
Apple's and Google's app stores are facing harsh criticism by businesses saying the tech giants are iron-fisted monopolies. → Read More
Inside the War on Apple and Google App Stores
Match Group, the online dating company that recently spun off from Barry Diller’s IAC, generated $2.4 billion in revenue last year. Its biggest single expense? The 30% app store “tax” charged by Apple for purchases in Match’s apps, which include Tinder, Hinge and OkCupid — fees the company claims are on an annual run rate […] → Read More
Netflix Hires Spotify Co-Head of Music Marian Dicus as VP Marketing for North America (EXCLUSIVE)
Marian Dicus, Spotify VP and global co-head of music, has been hired by Netflix as VP of marketing for U.S. and Canada. → Read More
Amazon Said to Make $9 Billion Offer for MGM
The ecommerce giant has been in talks to acquire the legendary studio and its library for several weeks. → Read More
CrimeDoor Cancels Plans for AR Experience of George Floyd’s ‘Final Moments’
Startup CrimeDoor scrapped plans to produce an augmented-reality depiction of George Floyd's killing for its true-crime app. → Read More
Discovery Plus Launches on Comcast Xfinity Flex Platform, Coming Soon to X1
Discovery Plus, the cable programmer's nonfiction subscription streaming service, is now available on Comcast's Xfinity Flex set-top for broadband-only customers. → Read More
Twitter Sought to Buy Clubhouse Live-Audio App for $4 Billion (Report)
Twitter recently held talks to acquire Clubhouse, the live-audio social media app, for $4 billion, according to a new report. → Read More
Twitch Will Ban Users for ‘Severe’ Offline Behavior, Including Terrorism and Sexual Assault
Twitch formalized a policy to suspend users if they engage in "severe misconduct" that occurs off the platform. → Read More
MrBeast Signs Exclusive Snapchat, Facebook Video Distribution Pact With Jellysmack
MrBeast, the hugely popular YouTube creator famous for his big-money giveaways and stunts, is angling to boost his viewership on Facebook and Snapchat. → Read More
Podcast Staffers at Spotify’s Gimlet, The Ringer Ratify Union Contracts
Writers and producers at Spotify-owned Gimlet Media and The Ringer represented by WGA East have ratified their first collective bargaining agreements, making them among the first podcast workers to unionize with the guild. WGA East negotiated both three-year agreements concurrently. → Read More
Virtual-Musician Startup Authentic Artists, Backed by James Murdoch and Mike Shinoda, Comes Out of Stealth
Authentic Artists, whose investors include James Murdoch and Mike Shinoda, announced its AI-powered virtual artist platform. → Read More
Patreon Says It Has a $4 Billion Valuation After Raising $155 Million in New Funding
Patreon just got a boatload of fresh funding -- and the creator-monetization platform says it now has a valuation of $4 billion. → Read More
YouTube Claims Less Than 0.2% of Total Views Are of Videos That Violate Policies
YouTube released a new Violative View Rate metric, which it says proves banned videos represent a tiny fraction of overall views. → Read More