Media and telecom companies reported a mix of strategic shifts, executive transitions, and technology trials. Microsoft adjusted its Xbox Cloud Gaming pricing structure, while T-Mobile announced a long-term CFO succession plan. Meanwhile, SmarTone achieved a 10 percent profit increase despite declining core service revenue.
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Microsoft Limits Xbox Cloud Gaming Hours and Introduces Pay-As-You-Go Option
Capping cloud streaming converts an unmetered server-cost center into a tiered bandwidth toll, protecting Game Pass gross margins as infrastructure demands outpace flat subscription pricing.
Microsoft is placing monthly time limits on Xbox cloud gaming for Game Pass subscribers, ending years of unlimited access as infrastructure costs climb. Ultimate subscribers will receive 15 hours of cloud playtime per month, while Premium users get 10 hours and Essential members are capped at 5 hours. Players exceeding these thresholds can purchase additional hour bundles starting in November, though Microsoft has not yet disclosed pricing for extra time. Non-subscribers will simultaneously gain access to a pay-as-you-go to stream games they already own. Microsoft states that only 4 percent of Game Pass subscribers currently exceed these proposed monthly caps through heavy cloud streaming. The restrictions could push Xbox One owners to upgrade physical hardware or deter casual users from trying out games via the cloud.
Amazon MGM and 'Criminal' Showrunner Sued by Production Assistant
A showrunner lawsuit alleging unaddressed physical threats exposes Amazon MGM to reputational liability that directly jeopardizes its strategy of relying on elite creative talent for prestige streaming.
hollywoodreporter.com reports that former production assistant Ijaaz Noohu has sued Amazon MGM Studios and Big Indie Pictures over a hostile work environment on the upcoming crime drama series Criminal. The lawsuit, filed in California state court, names showrunner Ed Brubaker and accuses the companies of ignoring pervasive sexual, racial, and religious harassment, assault, and battery. According to the complaint, Brubaker subjected Noohu to inappropriate physical contact, demeaning stereotypes, and repeated questioning about Hamas. The harassment allegedly culminated when Brubaker pointed a working firearm at Noohu's face and pulled the trigger, an incident witnessed by senior producer Phillip Barnett. Noohu claims his exit date was accelerated and he was barred from the set after asking for a promotion and challenging the misconduct. His employment ended in September 2024 without receiving production credits. The complaint faults Amazon MGM and Big Indie for failing to investigate the allegations, noting that executive producers actively avoided documenting complaints. Representatives for Amazon MGM declined to comment, while Brubaker and Big Indie did not respond to requests for comment.
An unusually long handover prevents telecom capital expenditure and network integration plans from suffering the market volatility that typically accompanies c-suite executive changes.
lightreading.com reports that T-Mobile US, Inc. appointed Jessica Uhl as CFO Designate effective mid-September, setting up her succession to current Chief Financial Officer Peter Osvaldik in February 2027. Uhl brings experience from her prior roles as Chief Financial Officer of Shell and President of GE Vernova. Osvaldik will transition to a Strategic Advisor role following the handover until his planned retirement on July 1, 2027. The extended transition period aims to maintain continuity across T-Mobile's financial organization and markets relationships following Osvaldik's tenure that began with his appointment as CFO in 2020.
Relying on hardware sales and CapEx cuts to protect profits exposes SmarTone’s structural erosion while competing Hong Kong operators successfully expand their core service revenues.
Light Reading reports that SmarTone posted a full-year net profit of 525 million Hong Kong dollars, even as its chairman warned that falling service and average revenue per user require urgent strategic fixes. The telecom operator lifted overall revenue by 6 percent to HK$6.60 billion, though that top-line expansion was driven primarily by a 29 percent surge in handset and accessory sales. Core mobile and broadband service revenue instead slipped 3 percent, while postpaid ARPU dropped by HK$2 to HK$220. Chairman Raymond Kwok noted that six years after the commercial rollout of 5G, only half of the carrier's customer base has migrated to the network. Profit growth was achieved largely through cost discipline rather than organic top-line momentum, with operating expenses falling 6 percent and expenditures slashed by 21 percent. Rival operators Hutchison Telecom and HKT expanded their respective service revenues by 6 percent and 5 percent over the same period. CEO Fiona Lau told a results briefing that the company intends to pivot away from competing purely on price, focusing instead on enterprise solutions and 5G home broadband to offset traditional mobile erosion.
SmarTone FY Financial Metrics (HK$M)
Net profit reached HK$525M on total revenue of HK$6.60B.
Integrating edge servers directly onto stratospheric base stations bypasses satellite backhaul latency, unlocking near-terrestrial network performance for non-terrestrial coverage models.
Lightreading.com reports that SoftBank completed a high-altitude platform station trial in Japan ahead of a commercial launch slated for 2027. Partnering with US aerospace company Sceye, the operator flew a HAPS vehicle 15,000 kilometers into the stratosphere from Roswell, New Mexico, across the Pacific Ocean to Japan over a 13-day period from August 3 to August 23. The vehicle hovered over Muroto City in Kochi Prefecture within a 5-kilometer radius, where SoftBank linked its core network to an onboard 4G LTE-equivalent base station via a ground gateway. Tests confirmed stable voice calls, text messaging, video streaming, and emergency alert messaging systems, alongside communication tests with automated drones. The trials also integrated an edge computing processing server onto the platform, achieving an average round-trip response time of 68 milliseconds and reducing communications latency by more than 40% compared to cloud processing.
Minnesota operator adopts MoCA Access technology for MDU connectivity
Reusing legacy coax via Nokia and InCoax integration allows regional cable operators to capture MDU broadband demand without absorbing the high capex of in-building fiber rewiring.
Lightreading.com reports that Sjoberg's Inc. is deploying InCoax Networks technology to connect approximately 30 to 40 buildings across its network in Thief River Falls, Minnesota. The deployment uses Nokia Gigabit Connect with MoCA Access to deliver multi-gigabit broadband over existing in-building coaxial infrastructure in multiple-dwelling units. This setup allows the family-owned cable operator to bypass the costs and complexities of running new fiber lines throughout apartment buildings. Sjoberg has also integrated the Nokia DPU and InCoax hardware into the TruVizion diagnostics platform to monitor network performance.
Entertainment Platform aTwist Launches Microseries
Ex-network chieftains entering short-form streaming validates microdramas as a mainstream distribution model, shifting mobile video from user-generated clips to professionally produced episodic monetization.
channelnewsasia.com reports that entertainment platform and studio aTwist launched on Thursday with 10 original series and curated library content. The platform, formerly known as MicroCo, offers serialized stories designed for mobile viewing consisting of 40 to 60 episodes running one to three minutes each. Microdramas are projected to generate $1.5 billion in U.S. this year according to research firm Omdia. aTwist is available across major app stores in the United States, United Kingdom, India, Canada, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand and the Philippines. Viewers can watch select episodes for free with ads or unlock full seasons using coins or a subscription. The company was founded by former media executives Jana Winograde, Susan Rovner and Lloyd Braun.
Telecom and media firms are adjusting pricing models and infrastructure strategies to defend margins. Whether microdrama platforms and new cloud gaming caps can drive sustained growth against structural ARPU pressure unresolved.
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