Speculation about The Athletic’s future took another turn Tuesday when Axios reported that The New York Times is in discussions to acquire the subscription-based sports media company. 

The Athletic was valued at around $500 million after a $50 million funding round in 2020. It also generated roughly $80 million in revenue in 2020, though it’s not profitable, per Axios.

In late March, Axios itself was reportedly in discussions with The Athletic about a possible merger. The Wall Street Journal later reported that Axios talks were off and that The Athletic was interested in doing business with The Times.

Axios said this week that once word of the potential Axios-Athletic merger leaked in March, The New York Times approached The Athletic about a possible acquisition.

Vox Media also reportedly held talks with The Athletic about a merger.

The Athletic has about 1.2 million subscribers. The New York Times has 8 million subscribers and a market cap of $7.11 billion. Its stock closed at $43.59 on Tuesday, up 3% for the day.

The fate of the App Store now rests with one judge in Oakland, California.

Apple and Epic Games, maker of “Fortnite,” wrapped up their closing arguments on Monday before Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers. It could take months before a verdict is rendered.

The case could have massive implications for the $100 billion iPhone app market, and last week brought Tim Cook to the witness stand for the first time as Apple CEO. 

Over the course of the trial, it was revealed that:

• “Fortnite” alone brought in $9 billion in revenue over 2018 and 2019, and Epic made over $5.5 billion in profit during that period.
• Epic CEO Tim Sweeney indicated that the company made $5.1 billion in gross revenue in 2020.

Still, the game maker is relatively tiny in the fight against Apple, which posted $89.6 billion in revenue for the fiscal quarter ending March 27 and has a market value of $2.1 trillion.

Judge Gonzalez Rogers appeared open to Epic’s notion that Apple’s store is a market unto itself, as opposed to one player in a competition with Google, Samsung, and others.

The verdict, which Judge Gonzalez Rogers hopes to deliver in mid-August, could force Apple to allow alternate payment systems or even rival app stores on its devices.

However, Gonzalez Rogers also seemed unwilling to fully buy into Epic’s case, noting a lack of precedent for courts changing the business models of monopolistic companies.

Antitrust cases like the one it is bringing have historically favored the defendant.

Millions of people are dropping traditional TV for streaming services, and now Disney is, too.

The Mouse announced Monday it is terminating 100 international TV channels this year, continuing a restructuring that’s funneling the bulk of its content into its Disney+ service. 

The company also closed 30 overseas stations last year and has been consolidating major TV and movie production studios. 

Disney’s streaming empire focuses on a few key properties:

• Disney+ — which holds a large library of original, classic, and acquired programs — has over 103 million subscribers.
• ESPN+, with around 14 million subscribers, recently acquired broadcast rights to MLB and La Liga, adding those to a portfolio that includes Bundesliga, PGA Tour, MLS, UFC, Wimbledon, and other major tennis tournaments.
• India-based Hotstar, which is bundled into Disney+ and known for its cricket coverage, accounted for a third of new signups to Disney+ in the fiscal quarter that ended April 3.

Disney CEO Bob Chapek said that the network is being proactive in remaking its content for a streaming-focused world.

Chapek noted earlier in May that Disney+ is on pace for 230-260 million subscribers by the end of 2024. Disney’s Hulu subscriptions grew 30% year-over-year to 41.6 million.