Mixed Signals from Semafor Media The Great Rebundling — With Peter Kafka and Brian Morrissey
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Jun 12, 2025 
Brian Morrissey, creator of The Rebooting and former Digiday editor, joins Peter Kafka, Chief Correspondent at Business Insider, for a deep dive into the media landscape. They tackle the future of media bundles and the pervasive trend of subscription fatigue. Streaming services face a battle to retain viewers as nostalgia for cable wanes. The duo also critiques Substack's business model, pondering its viability as a platform. Insights on the loneliness of independent journalism versus institutional support round out their compelling conversation.
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Peak Unbundling Calls for Rebundling
- Consumers are reaching "peak unbundling" with too many streaming services and newsletters.
- The media world is likely to undergo a "great rebundling" to ease fragmentation and subscription fatigue.
Media as Value-Add in Tech Bundles
- Media rebundling may be driven either by media organizations or tech platforms.
- Media might become add-ons within larger tech bundles rather than standalone purchases.
Autonomy vs. Bundling Scale Tension
- Individual creators value autonomy and may hesitate to join bundles that dilute their direct connection to audiences.
- Bundlers benefit from scale, but most writers prefer independence despite challenges of selling advertising solo.