The Web is opening it up. The Web is also one reason why people are predicting continued cooperation between rival syndicates. Last year, United's site began running comics from Universal, Creators Syndicate, and the Washington Post Writers Group. Meanwhile, Universal's Uclick service started delivering United comics to newspaper sites. And Universal's Andrews McMeel continues to publish many books by creators from other syndicates.
Syndicates also continue to make money via licensing and other spinoffs.
Comics tend to have the most spinoff potential, which is one reason why the Los Angeles Times Syndicate, Copley News Service, and others are signing more strips. Features don't just mean comics and the like. McMeel notes that the success of bigger features shows that space-strapped papers will devote a lot of room to certain topics. And companies such as TMS offer data that would be very hard for a newspaper to gather alone. The comic panel focuses on the title character's dreams and semiconscious thoughts.