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The Paul-Tyson fight in November (Tayfun Coskun/Getty Images)

Netflix’s ad-tier subscription is getting more expensive — and seemingly more ads

Netflix just posted a blockbuster earnings report, and it’s not letting go of the throttle.

During its latest earnings report, Netflix announced it was hiking subscription prices, both for its ad-free and its ad-supported tiers. For those opting for the still cheaper ad-supported service, it likely means they’ll have to pay more money to see more ads.

“We’ve been able to shift more of our focus, more of our attention on making the offering better for advertisers to increase monetization of that growing inventory,” co-CEO Gregory Peters said on the earnings call, (emphasis ours). “This is going to remain a priority and part of our road map for at least the next several years, likely years to come after that.”

I interpret that to mean that the company could charge advertisers more for serving more ads, though it’s possible it’s one or the other.

Peters said that the company, which launched its ad service in late 2022, exceeded its ad-revenue target last quarter and doubled ad revenue in 2024 over 2023. “We expect to double it again this year,” he added.

As Sherwood News’ Jon Keegan recently reported, Netflix had the lowest percentage of ads per program out of its competitors. That’s probably more a result of not fully scaling its relatively new ad service, rather than choosing to show fewer ads.

As it stands it seems consumers are happy with the state of ads at least.

“The engagement of those ads members remains healthy,” Peters said. “View hours per member on the ads plan is similar to engagement on our standard non-ads plan in our ads country, which is a really good marker.”

The company didn’t spell out how the average revenue per membership differs now between the ad-supported and ad-free tiers.

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Starbucks issues apology after viral “Bearista” cup meltdown

Holiday cheer turned into chaos this week for Starbucks after the coffee giant’s new “Bearista” holiday cup sent fans into a frenzy. 

Dropped alongside its 2025 holiday menu, the $30 beanie-wearing glass bear tumbler sparked long lines, sellouts, and even in-store scuffles before Starbucks stepped in with an apology.

“The excitement for our merchandise exceeded even our biggest expectations,” the company said in a statement to People. “Despite shipping more Bearista cups to our coffeehouses than almost any other item this holiday season, the Bearista cup and some other items sold out fast.”

Within hours of launch, frustrated fans flooded Starbucks’ social media pages and even store hotlines. Some customers waited in line before dawn and others said their stores received only a handful of cups. In one Houston location, the craze even turned physical, with police reportedly called to break up a brawl. Meanwhile, the cup is already reselling on sites like eBay, with listings topping $600.

“We understand many customers were excited about the Bearista cup and apologize for the disappointment this may have caused,” Starbucks said. While in-store customers may be upset, investors seem happy about the viral hit, as the stock has risen over 3% on Friday.

If you’re still hoping for a Bearista at market price, that may not be on order: the chain didn’t disclose how many cups were made or whether a restock is planned.

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Target tells workers to smile, wave, and greet shoppers if they come within 10 feet of them

Target just rolled out a new rule for store employees: smile, make eye contact, and greet or wave when a shopper comes within 10 feet — and if they get closer, within four feet, ask whether they need help or how their day is going, according to a new Bloomberg report.

Dubbed the 10-4 program internally, the rule mirrors rival Walmarts own 10-foot policy, formalizing behavior Target had previously only encouraged.

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Monster surges on energy drink buzz, while Celsius sinks on distribution concerns

Shares of Monster Beverage climbed 5% after the bell on Thursday, and held most of those gains into early trading on Friday, following strong Q3 results.

The energy drink giant topped market expectations, with quarterly sales up 17% year over year to $2.2 billion and adjusted net profits growing 41% to $524.5 million — 11% ahead of Wall Street’s estimates. In the report, Monster highlighted its zero-sugar line and new product launches, with a stack of novel flavors already released this year, as bright spots.

During a call with analysts, Chief Executive Hilton Schlosberg said that the global energy drink category “remains healthy with robust growth,” The Wall Street Journal reported, adding that demand for more affordable caffeinated drinks is rising as coffee has become “really expensive.”

Meanwhile, rival beverage business Celsius saw shares fall as much as 23% on its Q3 results yesterday — despite beating expectations, with revenue jumping 173% — largely due to concerns about a change in the company’s distribution channel, as its newly acquired Alani Nu brand joins the PepsiCo distribution network.

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