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Google announced a preview of Advanced API Security, a new Google Cloud product built on Apigee, Google’s platform for API (application programming interface) management. Advanced API Security specializes in identifying API misconfigurations and detecting bots. “Misconfigured APIs are one of the leading reasons for API security incidents,” said Vikas Ananda, Head of product at Google Cloud, in a blog post. “While identifying and resolving API misconfigurations is a top priority for many organizations, the configuration management process is time-consuming and requires considerable resources. Advanced API Security makes it easier for API teams to identify API proxies that do not conform to security standards.”

The newest version of Apple’s CarPlay software will allow users to purchase gas with a tap on their vehicle navigation screen. When the feature is introduced this fall, iPhone users can download the fuel company’s app to their phone and enter payment details to set up the app.

Google is settling a class-action lawsuit from US app developers, alleging anticompetitive behavior in the Google Play Store, for $90 million. Google will also build an Indie Apps Corner, featuring small startup developers building unique high-quality apps, which will appear in the apps tab on the US Google Play home page.

Niantic, developer of Pokemon GO, laid off 8% of its employees, or 85-90 staffers, as tech companies deal with challenging economic times. Four projects were also canceled, including Transformers game Heavy Metal. On the up side, Niantic launched a new social app, Campfire, that helps users interact with local players and communities.

FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr has asked that Apple and Google remove TikTok from their app stores, following reports that TikTok’s parent, China’s ByteDance, has been able to access sensitive data from Americans who downloaded the app. “I am requesting that you apply the plain text of your app store policies to TikTok and remove it from your app stores for failure to abide by those terms,” wrote Carr in a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google CEO Sundar Pichai.

In response, TikTok said that while China-based employees can have access to user data, access is subject to “robust cybersecurity controls” overseen by a US-based security team. The company also said it is working with the Biden administration on an agreement that would “fully safeguard” user data.

Facebook is introducing “Channels,” enabling users to connect with each other, via chat or audio, in a more personal or targeted way. “Admins can begin to create channels to connect with their groups in smaller, more casual settings where they can have deeper discussions on common interests or organize their communities around topics in different formats,” said Maria Smith, VP of communities at Facebook.

In the wake of the reversal of Roe v. Wade, Google said it will delete data on visits to abortion information and clinics websites. “If our system detects that someone has visited one of these locations, we will remove these entries from the location history immediately after they have visited,” wrote Google’s Jane Fitzpatrick, SVP of core systems experiences, in a blog post.

The IAB Tech Lab announced the finalization of Content Taxonomy 3.0 from its public comment period. Key updates include:
* CTV/Video: CTV buyers and sellers now have more flexibility labeling content via new “entertainment genres” within Content Taxonomy 3.0
* News Content: Taxonomical updates ensure that labeling of news related content is streamlined and clarified.
*Podcasts, Games, and Mobile Apps: more granular categories were added to better support these forms of media, including mappings to the categories supported by the most common platforms within each channel.

Hank, a digital platform connecting adults 55+ with people and activities in their community, has made its debut. “After ten years in the tech industry, I saw a clear and solvable bias problem in how products were developed: age,” said Brian Park, co-founder and CEO, Hank. “I created Hank because I knew there was an opportunity to innovate for empty nesters like my parents, who were looking for ways to build their community and preferred to deepen their friendships in real life and not just behind a screen.” Hank is live in the NYC area with plans to expand nationally in the second half of the year.

To celebrate the newest HBO drama in the “Game of Thrones” franchise, “House of the Dragon” ahead of its August 21 premiere, HBO Max will transport Comic-Con fans to a Targaryen-ruled Westeros with the immersive experience, House of the Dragon: The Dragon’s Den. The immersive activation will be open July 21-24.

Ocient has partnered with government IT solutions provider Carahsoft Technology to bring hyperscale data warehouse, analytics and machine learning capabilities to US federal, state/local governments and higher education organizations. Carahsoft will serve as the US government distributor for Ocient leveraging Carahsoft’s reseller partners and contracts including NASA Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement Information.

Kevin Hart and his Hartbeat announced the first of a series of Kevin Hart Nation Web3 experiences with the premiere of Roku Original, “Confessions from the Hart,” an animated anthology based on his IGTV series of the same name. The special takes fans inside his virtual universe with a streaming and Metaverse bonus episode release, launching on The Roku Channel on Wednesday, July 6, in honor of Hart’s birthday.

TikTok has joined forces with creator music licensing platform, Track Club, as its new “sound partner.” It marks the first “Certified B-Corp” in the music licensing industry placed on TikTok’s roster.

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM PREMION

PREMION

Viewers are as Dynamic as the Content they Watch
AUDIENCE FIRST

LEADING THE EVOLUTION
IN LOCAL OTT & CTV ADVERTISING

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Measurement and optimization platform VideoAmp will be integrated into Mediaocean, providing clients with the ability to execute currency transactions at scale within Mediaocean’s workflow automation platforms. “We have had a groundswell of positive feedback from clients about the results of our currency tests, but we’ve also heard the need for VideoAmp to be integrated into existing workflows across the industry,” said Nick Chakalos, Chief Strategy Officer, VideoAmp. “A key difference between measurement and currency is the integration into industry billing systems so transactions can happen at scale through automation, so we’re excited about the integration with Mediaocean because it does just that.”

Rogers & Cowan PMK and Mediabrands announced the launch of “UpstreamPOP,” a technology platform providing solutions for agency clients looking for brand integration opportunities and partnerships with content creators and media. UpstreamPOP will utilize Mediabrands’ audience intelligence, paired with R&CPMK’s relationships with studios, networks, producers, directors, and showrunners. “Consumers have significantly shifted their habits, with nearly 75% of viewers under 55 now preferring to consume content on streaming platforms in place of linear TV,” said Mark Owens, CEO, R&CPMK. “UpstreamPOP not only provides brands the most accurate tool in the market to find the best integration opportunities to reach their target audience, whether on linear or streaming, it also provides our clients the ability to secure their deals in real-time.”

Adelaide is integrating DISQO’s Brand and Outcomes Lift measurement data into its platform to enhance its AU attention metric. With DISQO’s insights, Adelaide will be able to provide advertisers with full-funnel impact measurement, from brand awareness, to search and visitation, to sales. Additionally, Adelaide will train its machine learning models with those same insights to better predict a placement’s ability to drive attention and impact on advertiser KPIs.

Integral Ad Science announced the launch of its Quality Sync Pre-bid Segment. Currently accessible in Xandr’s Invest DSP globally and other DSPs soon, the solution allows advertisers to mirror their post-bid advertising campaign settings with their pre-bid settings, for both mobile and desktop across video and display inventory. The Quality Sync Pre-bid Segment is aimed at helping advertisers achieve unified brand safety, keyword blocklists, URL exclusion lists, brand suitability, and invalid traffic avoidance settings.

Speaking of IAS, Clinch has struck a partnership with the company to leverage its automated tag wrapping solution. Clinch now offers third-party verification from IAS to advertisers directly within its platform, Flight Control, including a fast way to wrap ad server tags in seconds.

STREAMING

The merger of Trump Media & Technology Group Corp. and SPAC Digital has hit a snag. Federal prosecutors have served grand jury subpoenas to “certain current and former” TMTG personnel, days after subpoenas were issued to board members of Digital World. Investigators are looking into early discussions between Digital World and Trump Media, and trading activity before the merger announcement in October.

Allen Media Group’s free streaming platform Local Now has teamed with NatureStream.tv, a US-based broadcaster of scenic nature films. Through the partnership, Local Now has added NatureStream.TV to its lineup of FAST channels dedicated toward relaxation.

Corner Gas has launched a FAST Channel on Amazon Freevee in the US. It features all 151 episodes of the Canadian comedy.

ViX+, TelevisaUnivision’s premium SVOD tier, debuts in the US and Latin America on July 21. Available at launch will be series “Maria Felix, La Dona,” “La Mujer del Diablo” and “Me Vecino El Cartel.” Included in the mix will be live soccer matches and coverage in the US and Mexico of world’s top leagues and tournaments.

Comcast’s Xfinity Stream app is now available on Apple TV, enabling customers to use their Xfinity TV subscription without the need for a set top box.

HBO Max ranked number one in an SVOD consumer satisfaction survey from Whip Media. According to the Streaming Satisfaction Report, 85% of respondents were “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with the perceived value of HBO’s content for its price, versus 83% for Disney+; 79% for Hulu; 69% for Paramount+; 68% for Prime Video; 65% for discovery+; 64% for Peacock; 63% for Apple TV+; and 62% for Netflix. Still, Netflix remains the most indispensable service, with 31% of respondents saying they would keep the service if they could only have one SVOD subscription (a 10-point drop from 2021). Apple TV+ made the most significant gain in customer satisfaction in 2022, with a 14-point surge. “As an industry, we are heavily focused on subscriber counts and market share, but there is less coverage of how consumers perceive the platforms and their offerings,” said Eric Steinberg, Whip Media’s media research and insights lead. “By exploring the satisfaction with specific elements of their product, the platforms, and their suppliers, can understand how to better serve their customers.”

CTV ad revenues are expected to jump 35% this year, to $6.41 billion, from upfront sales, and get another 35% lift, to $8.14 billion, in 2023, according to an eMarketer forecast. Linear, prime-time TV upfront ad revenue for the 2022-2023 TV season will tick up 0.9%, to $19.21 billion, from a year ago, and is projected to rise another 2.2%, to $19.63 billion, in 2023. “While these increases show that digital buys are taking a greater share of upfront commitments, the overall upfront TV total will not increase much during our forecast period,” said eMarketer.

CTV growth isn’t about avoiding ads, according to research from Advertiser Perceptions and Hub Research. Instead, most CTV viewers are willing to watch ads if it will save them money, get them access to exclusive content, or both. Among those who consider themselves tolerant of ads, about three-quarters (72%) say they’d watch ad-supported TV if it saved them $4-$5 a month. Even among those who rank themselves the most ad-intolerant, one-third (30%) would choose an ad-supported platform over an ad-free one to save that amount. Additionally, targeted ads are associated with greater enjoyment of the shows they appear in. Among those who had recently watched a show on an ad-supported platform, 44% were highly satisfied – but satisfaction was significantly higher among those who said they saw “ads based on my search history” (56%) or “ads that were customized for me” (60%).

Diverse audiences account for over 40% of wifi-enabled households watching OTT, according to data from Comscore. From March 2019 – March 2022, African American OTT users increased 35%, Hispanic OTT viewers increased 41%, Asian OTT viewers increased 69%, and American Indian OTT viewers increased 66%. When it comes to OTT hours watched per household, African Americans saw a 66% increase, and American Indians an 88% increase during this time period, the most hours per household out of the diverse audiences.

Eight local NBC stations are now available as free offerings on the Roku Channel. It’s the first time local stations—from NY, LA, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas/Fort Worth, Washington DC, Hartford, CT and South Florida—will be on the Roku Channel, which the company says has reach to households with 80 million people.

Cinedigm Corp. announced the launch of The Elvis Presley Channel. In partnership with Elvis Presley Enterprises, LLC and ABG Entertainment, the new streaming channel features films and specials starring The King, along with additional movies, series and lifestyle programming inspired Presley.

Live-action series “ALF” is now streaming on Shout! Factory TV and is available on its own FASTchannel on Amazon Freevee. “ALF: The Animated Series” and 21 episodes of the animated series “ALF Tales” will also be coming soon.

Fuse Media has secured additional carriage for two of its FAST channels. Fuse Backstage and Fuse Beat are now available on Amazon Freevee.

IN MEMORIAM

Star YouTube creator Technoblade died from cancer at age 25. In a video message read by his father titled “so long nerds,” he said, “Thank you all for supporting my content over the years. If I had another hundred lives, I think I would choose to be Technoblade again every single time as those were the happiest years of my life.”

Cynopsis Team