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Google filed a response and counterclaim against Epic Games, accusing it of pre-meditated breach of contract. The plan included Epic Games opening a third-party payment processing system within the Google Play version of Fortnite without telling Google, then filing an anti-trust lawsuit when Fortnite was subsequently removed from the Google Play Store for DDA violations. Google says the plot began in 2019 when Fortnite profits went down, and is demanding a jury trial.

Apple is hosting an event, “Unleashed,” livestreamed from Cupertino HQ today at 10 am PT. This comes ahead of Google’s Pixel 6 launch event tomorrow.

Facebook will begin removing “severe sexualizing content” targeted at public figures on Facebook and Instagram, an update to its bullying and harassment policies. Facebook already removes attacks on public figures that encompass a range of harms, but will now specifically remove content, profiles, pages, groups or events dedicated to sexualizing a public figure; derogatory, sexualized photoshopped images and drawings; and attacks through “negative Physical descriptions” that are tagged to, mention or are posted on a public figure’s account.

Following recent outages caused by configuration changes, Instagram is testing a feature that will notify users of technical issues. “We know how confusing it can be when temporary issues happen on Instagram,” said the company in a blog post. “When they impact engagement or distribution, we also know that it can lead people to think that the problems are unique to them, based on what they post. That lack of clarity can be frustrating, which is why we want it to be easier to understand what’s going on, directly from us.” Instagram is also launching a new feature, “Account Status,” described as a “one-stop shot to see what’s going on with your account.”

TikTok has added a new control for live broadcasters that allows them to mute comments from individual streamers. “The host or their trusted helper can temporarily mute an unkind viewer for a few seconds or minutes, or for the duration of the LIVE,” said the company. “If an account is muted for any amount of time, that person’s entire comment history will also be removed.”

TikTok has also welcomed The Beatles to the platform. Creators will be able to soundtrack their videos with 36 songs from the Fab Four, including “Hey Jude,” “The Long and Winding Road,” and “Day Tripper,” and an account dedicated to the group, @TheBeatles, will feature exclusive footage and interviews.

WhatsApp is rolling out a new feature enabling users to encrypt their chat history backup in iCloud or Google Drive. The move is aimed at protecting users’ privacy amid reports that law enforcement agencies have accessed private communications between suspects on WhatsApp.

Viacom CBS struck a partnership with NFT startup Recur to create a fan-focused platform that will feature the company’s IP and franchises. It’s set to debut in spring 2022 and will allow consumers to buy, trade and collect NFTs as digital products and collectibles.

Games on! Thirty-six percent of respondents to a new Hub Entertainment Research survey play console games, about the same as in 2019 (33%), but the engagement among those who do play is much higher: 51% of gamers play every day, up from 39% two years ago. Forty-two percent of console gamers who play at least once a week say they are playing their console more this year than last, versus 32% who said the same thing in 2019, and game sessions are about 20 percent longer – in 2021 weekly console gamers estimate their average session is about 110 minutes, up from about 90 minutes in 2019.

Centro, Inc., a provider of cloud-based workflow automation and business intelligence software for marketing and advertising, has changed its corporate name to Basis Global Technologies, Inc. The company is rebranding to position its core technology as a focal point of its automation and intelligence vision for enterprises.

Social media network Bright is set to launch later this year in the US and UK, with a system for avoiding misinformation built in. “We built Bright to be a platform that prioritizes trust, transparency, accuracy, and real human connections,” said CEO and Founder Taryn Ward in a statement announcing the company’s deal with NewsGuard, a misinformation ratings service. Bright promotes itself as “a social app based on the idea that our members deserve to be happy, healthy, and safe online.”

Fandango digital storefront Vudu is now available in an app for Facebook’s Oculus Quest 1 and Quest 2 VR headsets. Users of Oculus devices can rent or buy over 200,000 titles on the service.

Software platform and data provider Whip Media has partnered with Glance, the global audience and content insights specialist, to provide global data and insights for its Glance VOD Landscape Report. Part of Médiamétrie, Glance provides official TV ratings for over 7,000 channels in more than 120 territories. Through the partnership with Whip Media, Glance will utilize BB Streaming Availability Data to analyze VOD trends across over 600,000 pieces of content on 1,800 streaming platforms globally.

HyperX announced Queued Up, a showcase that identifies and celebrates in the digital entertainment space including gamers, musicians, artists, and more. The inaugural 2021 Queued Up showcase will focus on elevating and empowering rising content creators across social channels like Twitch, YouTube Gaming and Facebook.

Customer data platform Treasure Data announced the global launch of CDP for Service, the first in a new suite of solutions for applications beyond marketing. The new platform unifies privacy-protected data across all customer touchpoints, empowering customer service teams with real-time data and insights needed to personalize and optimize every interaction.

Microsoft announced it will pull professional network LinkedIn from the Chinese market later this year. The news comes amid regulatory changes in the Asian nations, as well as rising tensions between the company and the country.

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Twitter is testing a new ad format and placement. Revenue Product Lead Bruce Faick said the social media site will begin showing ads on mobile devices inside conversation threads, after the first, third and eighth replies. The company stopped short of confirming the change would be permanent, noting it would experiment with the formula to determine the insertion points and layouts that made the most sense. Twitter also said it would consider making the display of ads something creators would opt into, rather than forcing them to accept ads in their threads.

iSpot.tv has acquired TV ad measurement company DRMetrix, in a bid to boost DTC and addressable advertising capabilities. DRMetrix has a system for monitoring all TV ad formats as well as addressable advertising, and can detect locally based advertising inventory sold by local pay TV providers such as cable systems that sell inventory to D2C and DR marketers.

US digital advertising spend is expected to grow by 8% in 2022, predicts the IAB, reaching $165.5 billion next year. An increase of 11.8% is expected in 2023, and a total of $200.3 billion is expected by 2025. But there’s a caveat. “Today’s modern consumer is fleeing bad ad-supported media experiences,” notes the report. “For both buy-and-sell-side marketers, the consumer migration to ad-light and ad-free content offerings indicates an expectation that advertising delivers a useful and contextually relevant experience, and providing ways to easily and quickly engage (i.e., explore/transact) is demanded.”

Ad executives have bumped up a spot in the latest Ipsos Global Trustworthiness Index, going from the least-trusted profession to the second-least-trusted – after politicians. Doctors are the world’s most trusted profession, followed by scientists and teachers.

STREAMING

South Korean series “Squid Game” has become a surprise sensation on Netflix. Diesel Labs offered some data about the audience: 68% of the Squid Game engaged audience is under 24 years old and driving much of the buzz. Comparing premiere weeks across Netflix titles, “Squid Game” has brought in the biggest net new audience (engaged audience lift of 1.4%), versus a 1.1% lift for “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina,” 0.6% for “The Kissing Booth” and 0.5% for “Bridgerton.” The audience skews female (56%), and over-indexes in engagement with gaming (+20%) versus the average audience.

How big is “Squid Game”? The drama is expected to generate $891.1 million in impact value for Netflix, according to data leaked to Bloomberg. The first season cost $21.4 million to produce.

Adele set a Spotify single-day record for her new single “Easy On Me,” with 24 million listens in its first 24 hours. That tops the record of 11 million streams held by BTS for their 2021 song, “Butter.” Adele’s album, 30, comes out November 19.

ClixTV has launched its free streaming service on over 80 channels, web, and apps, including Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, IMDb TV, Box One, LG Smart TV, and all Plex TV channels as well as on ClixTV.com, IOS and Android. “We believe it’s a critical time to use fast-forward tech and savvy marketing to turn the pain of what-to-watch into a fun, fast and free experience,” said ClixTV Chief Marketer and co-founder, Stacy Jolna.

Cinedigm has extended its agreement with Hallmark Channel to distribute the network’s content on TVOD and Physical. As part of the renewal, Cinedigm and Hallmark will open up digital rental on select titles for the first time. “Hallmark is a special studio because their content does more than just entertain, they evoke a feeling of joy and warmth with their passionate fan base,” said Yolanda Macias, Chief Content Officer and Head of Digital Sales. “With so much uncertainty in the world, they remind us of the values we all have in common: the importance of friendship, family and love.”

On a different note, Cinedigm is releasing a series of horror-based NFT-based trading cards branded as Bloody Disgusting Blood Packs. In association with Dark Arts Emporium, Cinedigm has commissioned horror artists to create original paintings based on their favorite death scenes from iconic horror movies. Thirteen collectible NFTs will be sold at auction on a limited-run basis. Cinedigm has also re-launched subscription-based streaming service Screambox. In addition to getting a new look and branding, the service will see wider distribution via Cinedigm’s broad digital footprint and expansive list of distribution partners. As part of the relaunch, the horror channel has migrated from the former Vimeo platform to Cinedigm’s proprietary Matchpoint Blueprint platform, allowing the company to expand the channel’s catalog of film and episodic titles more efficiently.

FuboTV inked a distribution deal with AT&T’s SportsNet Rocky Mountain that will have it stream coverage of the Utah Jazz, Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Rockies regional game telecasts, in addition to programming and behind-the-scenes content. The RSNwill initially launch on fuboTV in Nevada, Utah and the surrounding areas with additional markets to roll out in the future.

Canela.TV announced the availability of Canela Music. Featuring a combination of linear and VOD, it will offer a unique blend of Latin music programming. Verizon, Nissan and Target are among the partners who have teamed up with Canela Media to support the launch.

Redbox struck a multi-year deal with Lionsgate to distribute Redbox Entertainment titles across home entertainment windows in addition to subscription video on demand licensing for select titles under the Redbox Entertainment brand. Recently released Redbox Entertainment films include “Capone,” “Shadow in the Cloud” and “SAS: Red Notice,” with the company expected to release 36 original movies annually.

Cynopsis Team