Media Play News reports: “While the trend of stacking subscription streaming VOD services seems to be cooling, consumers continue to gravitate toward niche streaming platforms. New data from Antenna found that 31% of SVOD consumers transacted with
the specialty SVOD platform by the end of the second quarter, ended June 30. Amazon Channels generated 58% of specialty SVOD sign-ups through the first six months of the year.”
GamesBeat reports: “Moth, a startup bringing quantum technology games, has hired prominent researcher James Wootton as its first chief science officer. London-based Moth wants to build the future of gaming by putting quantum technology directly into the hands of game developers (and other creative people in art and music). Wootton was formerly working in quantum error correction at IBM, and he’s been a pioneer in quantum gaming for years.”
Music Business Worldwide reports: “Universal Music Group and B2B music streaming technology provider Tuned Global have struck a global licensing agreement for UMG’s catalog of recorded music. The expanded agreement builds on a long-standing relationship between the two companies and, according to Tuned Global Managing Director Con Raso, marks “a significant milestone” for Tuned Global and the companies it works with.”
Seeking Alpha reports: “Adobe (NASDAQ:ADBE) on Wednesday previewed advancements to its generative AI video capabilities. Designed to be commercially safe, the all-new Adobe Firefly Video Model will extend the company’s range of foundational generative AI models for imaging, design and vector creation, establishing its footprint in the market for AI-based video generation tools which is already targeted by OpenAI’s Sora.”
TechCrunch reports: “Verse, a new AI-powered creative app, is aiming to help Gen Z users create hyper-visual and expressive content. The iOS app allows users to design and publish multimedia content on an interactive canvas with the help of an AI assistant. You can create a mini website, called a Verse, for things like moodboards, greeting cards, invitations, storefronts, fan pages, blogs, and more. Verse also gives content creators and influencers a creative way to connect with their audience and share information via a link-in-bio format.”
Games Industry Biz reports: “PUBG firm Krafton has invested KRW 120 billion ($89.3 million) in streaming company Spoon Labs. This is its largest investment to date in a non-gaming area, the firm noted. Seoul-based Spoon Labs owns an audio platform called Spoon, and recently launched a service dedicated to short-form videos called Vigloo, in particular focusing on K-drama.”
Broadband TV News reports: “TiVo’s personalized content discovery platform for smart TV, operator and automotive solutions is now available in 38 European markets and across 18 major brands, the Xperi company said Tuesday. The announcement follows findings in the UK Video Trends Report for Q2 2024, which is expected to say UK consumers use an average of 6.5 content sources, with an average monthly spending of nearly £75.”
Next TV reports: “Streaming continued to gain share of viewing on smart TVs in the second quarter and made big gains with people watching live sports and news, according to a new report from Inscape. In the second quarter, streaming-only viewers account for 60% of viewing, compared with 36% of people with streaming, traditional pay TV and over-the-air TV and 4% who have only over-the-air delivery available to them.”
TechCrunch reports: “Spotter, a startup that underwrites creators and offers AI tools, raised $7.4 million, according to a Form D filing viewed by TechCrunch. A representative for Spotter confirmed the filing’s legitimacy, but did not offer further details. This additional funding is much smaller than Spotter’s most recent raise, a $200 million Series D round led by SoftBank in 2022. Spotter, then valued at $1.7 billion, raised that funding to underwrite YouTubers’ businesses.”
Variety reports: “Amazon Prime Video is working to pull back the curtain on what NFL teams might do next on “Thursday Night Football.” The streaming giant is adding to the number of on-screen guide features powered by A.I. offered during “TNF.” While Amazon already presented “defensive alerts” that track the movements of defensive players prior to the snap and identify players likely to rush the quarterback, it is making new elements available at the start of a new season for the gridiron series.”
