Uber is doing a deal with SoftBank, Lyft is going outside the U.S. for the first time, and Netflix dumps a toxic comedian. All that and more in The Daily Crunch for November 14, 2017. 1. Uber confirms SoftBank deal is nearly done Uber has signed an agreement with SoftBank and others on a "potential" investment. This should close once Uber shareholders agree to sell their shares, and it seems like it's all but done. This could be huge for Uber, with a projected $1 billion cash injection direct from SoftBank (on top of $10 billion from a SoftBank-led consortium) which will value the company at around $70 billion. It could be the last private investment the company takes on before going public, too. 2. Lyft expands to Canada Lyft is going international, starting with a logical expansion target: America's hat, Canada. The ride hailing service will expand to Toronto as of next month, with applications open now for potential drivers. 3. Netflix dumps Louis CK Netflix has cut ties with comedian Louis CK, after having worked with him closely on comedy specials and other projects in the past. The company was among a number of former partners to drop CK after it was revealed that he has repeatedly sexually harassed women in the past. 4. Nintendo could make 30 million Switches next year Nintendo is going to make a lot more Switches next year, and it could produce as many as 30 million, depending on capacity and demand. That's a huge increase from its previous generation console sales. 5. Spotify moves into beauty products Spotify is selling merchandise, in case you weren't aware, and now it's selling beauty products from artists. This is a smart extension of its core business, and a good way to make allies of artists, too. 6. Amazon Prime as a free ad-supported service might still happen Could Amazon launch an ad-supported version of Prime for free? We've heard these rumours before, but now it looks like it might actually happen, according to a fresh report. 7. ESPN is launching SportsCenter for Snapchat ESPN is debuting a short version of SportsCenter for Snapchat today at 5 PM ET, and it will come out twice daily henceforth. It's another example of Snapchat hoping to spread its wings in terms of becoming TV for millennials, but we'll see how much traction they can ultimately grab. |