👋 Traveling for the holiday next week? Better buckle up: A record-breaking 80m Americans are estimated to travel for Thanksgiving this year, an increase of 1.7m people from last year, according to AAA projections. The TSA alone might screen 18.3m between Nov. 26 and Dec. 2. Maybe you don’t need to see grandma.
🎧 On the pod:Why a theme park company is partnering with “Minecraft.”
NEWS FLASH
🍔 Burger and a side of skies: Delta is teaming up with Shake Shack to offer the chain’s cheeseburgers to flyers. Starting Dec. 1, first-class travelers on long-distance domestic flights out of Boston will be able to order cheeseburgers with their choice of toppings, a Caesar salad, and a chocolate brownie. The program, set to expand to other cities throughout 2025, is the latest move by an airline to lure customers with expanded food and beverage options. And it’s not the first time an iconic cheeseburger has snuck into a first-class cabin: United Airlines served McDonald’s Happy Meals in the 1990s. 📺 The small apple: Despite spending $20B+ on original content, Apple TV+ nabbed just 0.3% of US screen-viewing time in June 2024. Apple’s catalog includes critically acclaimed content — “Severence,” “Silo,” “Ted Lasso” — but it may just be a numbers game, perArs Technica. Apple doesn’t share its subscriber count, but has an estimated 25m subscribers compared to Netflix’s ~283m; it has ~259 shows and movies, whereas Netflix has ~18k. Apple could net more eyeballs through bundles, like its deals with Amazon Prime Video and Comcast, or by licensing its movies to other platforms. 🎯 Off target: Target lowered its profit forecast amid expectations of a flat Q4, leading to a ~15% stock slump early Wednesday. Target’s sluggish sales go hand in hand with Walmart’s rise: Though Target has been stocking more groceries and essentials as well as slashing prices, more middle- and upper-class consumers, feeling burdened by inflation and a rising cost of living, are shopping at Target’s budget rivals. That old joke about leaving Target with six things you didn’t even need is exactly what shoppers are trying to avoid right now.
MORE NEWS TO KNOW
Comcast is spinning off its cable networks, including MSNBC and CNBC, into a separate company. The new publicly traded company will debut next year, and includes a bundle of channels that generate ~$7B in annual revenue.
Milan’s Via Monte Napoleonebeat out New York’s Fifth Avenue as the most expensive shopping street for the first time — the first European city to top the list in 34 years — with rents jumping 11% YoY to $2k+ per square foot.
Not only will the McRib return next month, but McDonald’s will also wisely sell half-gallon jugs of McRib sauce for ~$20 starting Nov. 25. It’s the perfect gift for your pal who often monologues about how the McRib should be a permanent menu item.
ALL IN ON AI
10 steps to mixing in AI at work
We always encourage excessive experimentation.
So we made a little road map to help you embark on the AI crusade within your own company. This AI adoption checklist is a 10-step system you can use again and again to automate your business to the max.
To make it sound way simpler than it is: you just have to cross things off.
Admittedly, not every video game world would be fun to explore IRL. “Silent Hill?” No, thank you.
But for theme parks, beloved video games offer new IPs to mine for guest dollars:
Comcast saw theme park revenue increase 12.2% in Q4 of 2023, driven by Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood and Japan.
And speaking of mining, “Minecraft” is coming to the real world via a $110m+ partnership with UK-based Merlin Entertainments, which operates 135+ attractions across 23 countries.
This initial deal includes two attractions — either new or additions to existing ones — planned to open in the UK and US in 2026 and 2027, respectively, perThe Guardian. The partnership will later expand globally.
Why “Minecraft”?
Disney CEO Bob Iger has been bullish on IPs over original stories as theme park moneymakers. And with video game IPs taking off and transcending mediums — “The Last of Us,” “The Witcher,” “Fallout” — “Minecraft” seems like a lucrative choice:
It’s the No. 2 bestselling video game of all time, with 300m+ copies sold, and beaten only by “Tetris” with 520m copies sold.
However, “Tetris” has sold multiple editions since debuting in 1984, whereas “Minecraft” is a single game developed by Swedish programmer Markus “Notch” Persson in 2009.
Microsoft acquired the game for $2.5B in 2014, and its sprawling empire now includes loads of media and merch, including a movie starring Jason Momoa and Jack Black due next spring.
Plus, it’s versatile. Merlin also operates Legoland, and much like Lego, “Minecraft” is simple and endlessly playable, allowing players to create whatever they want, alone or with others.
There are myriad directions a theme park designer could go to attract both new and returning guests.
But temper your expectations: A $110m+ budget for two parks is low. Universal Studios Japan spent $578m+ on its Super Nintendo World, while Universal Studios Hollywood spent $275m on its Wizarding World of Harry Potter expansion — half the size of the Orlando park’s.
When life hands you hurricanes, you make… hurricane-ade? How one business owner used her social media influence to help her community after Helene.
It’s almost “let’s circle back after the holidays” season: Here are some power moves to boost your productivity before you set that OOO.
DATA POINT
Do people even care about office holiday parties anymore? Apparently, yes. According to ezCater’s 2024 Workplace Holiday Party Trends Report, 81% of people are planning to attend their company’s holiday party this year.
And with bigger budgets on hand — 92% of decision makers expect to spend the same or more compared to last year — they’d be best spent on the one thing driving attendance: food. Nearly 80% of surveyed workers said it’s what they are most looking forward to; one in 10 have even skipped a holiday party because the food sounded mid.
Another thing exciting employees is — surprise — booze: 69% of employees want alcoholic drinks to be available, though 27% of decision makers reportedly aren’t keen on providing them.
Where can companies skimp? Festive add-ons: Less than 25% of respondents said they’re enticed by extras like activities, entertainment, photobooths, and speeches.
AROUND THE WEB
🎤 On this day: In 1934, future jazz legend Ella Fitzgerald won the opportunity to perform at Apollo Theater’s amateur night. She wowed the crowd when she chose to sing instead of dance.
🗞️ Newsletter:The Signal covers current events with a spirit of curiosity — ideology-free, and with a diverse slate of global contributors.
🦜 Aww: We’re very jealous of this man and his many lorikeet friends.
HOT TAKES
Yesterday, we asked if you’ll be making the migration to Bluesky.
Nearly a third (28%) said they already have, while 15% said they’ll be making a profile soon. Then there were the 25% who said they’re sticking with X, the 10% who are deleting everything (respect), and the 22% who aren’t chronically online and said they don’t know what we’re talking about.
As for what social media apps you do use, the most common answer was good ol’ Facebook with 80%, followed by Instagram (76%) and LinkedIn (75%).
Readers said they’re drawn to Facebook for the groups and keeping up with friends and family.
Others are begrudgingly hooked on LinkedIn, as one reader put it, “For work, easy communications, and to stroke my own ego. It’s a self-admiring Rolodex.”
SHOWER THOUGHT
Any dog can be a guide dog if you don’t care where you’re going.SOURCE
Today’s email was brought to you by Juliet Bennett Rylah,Sara Friedman and Singdhi Sokpo. Editing by: Ben “In it for the potluck” Berkley.
