Spotify’s reserved ticket sales to music superfans are now going live
Spotify is launching “Reserved,” a new system that will hold two concert tickets for an artist’s superfans before they’re on sale to the public.
Streaming
In a big year for horror, Widow’s Bay still stands apart
Horror is having a moment. In 2026, the genre is especially well-represented: new blood is dominating the box office through films like Backrooms and Obsession, established names like Sam Raimi and Damian McCarthy are at the top of their game, and long-running franchises like 28 Years Later and Resident Evil continue to stay relevant. But […]
In Toy Story 5, the problem really is these damn phones (and tablets)
The Toy Story franchise began with a story about a vintage doll feeling threatened by the arrival of an electronic action figure. Woody and Buzz’s rivalry embodied a shift that was happening in the ’90s as children’s toys were becoming more technologically sophisticated, and while toys have gotten even more tech-focused in the years since, […]
Pour one out for Roku City
By this time next year, Fox Corporation CEO Lachlan Murdoch intends to have added Roku to his already expansive media empire. Should the acquisition go through, Fox will gain control of Roku’s modest library of original programming, and the newly combined company will become “the third-largest player in U.S. television” in terms of viewing share. […]
Fox wants to take over your TV — and the tech inside it
Fox is about to take over the TVs in more than 100 million homes worldwide. On Monday, Fox announced that it’s acquiring Roku, the streaming middleman that serves as a portal for viewers to hop into services like Netflix, Disney Plus, Hulu, and more. The $22 billion deal may not change Roku’s familiar purple interface, […]
Fox to acquire Roku in $22 billion deal
Fox says the deal will create the third-largest television company in the United States.
Fox is buying Roku
Fox has announced that it’s acquiring Roku outright, in a deal that values the streaming company at $22 billion. The deal will see Fox’s TV networks and Tubi streamer combine with Roku’s network of streaming devices, smart TV software, and The Roku Channel. The companies say in a press release that by combining they’ll become […]
X-Men ’97 has what Master of the Universe is missing
In 2026, Marvel and Mattel are both releasing projects designed to capitalize on people’s love for iconic animated heroes from their childhoods. Masters of the Universe has put a live-action He-Man on the big screen, and the second season of X-Men ’97 is about to fling some of Charles Xavier’s mutants into an apocalyptic future. […]
Is Apple TV the new HBO?
This is Lowpass by Janko Roettgers, a newsletter on the ever-evolving intersection of tech and entertainment, syndicated just for The Verge subscribers once a week. Severance. Pachinko. Silo. Ted Lasso. Over the past couple of years, a number of Apple TV shows have become hits with audiences and critics alike. And yet, compared to the […]
YouTube is introducing DMs (again)
YouTube is reintroducing private messaging after testing new ways for users to share videos and “have conversations about them” last year. In an announcement on its official blog, YouTube says it’s now starting to expand the in-app video sharing and messaging feature to users in the US and “other global regions” who are 18 or […]