Media Play News reports: “Nearly a third of U.S. consumers (31%) pay for a subscription service across home entertainment, health and wellness and related services, according to new data from Bango. According to the online study, which surveyed 5,000 U.S. subscribers, a sizable percentage are looking beyond mainstream streaming platforms in search of specialist services.”
Cord Cutters News reports: “Today marks the 29th anniversary of MSNBC’s launch on July 15, 1996, a pivotal moment in cable news history when Microsoft and NBC joined forces to create a groundbreaking news channel blending technology and journalism. As the network celebrates nearly three decades on air, it faces a new chapter with Comcast’s plan to spin off MSNBC and other cable networks into a new publicly traded company, signaling a transformative shift for the liberal-leaning outlet.”
TechCrunch reports: “As AI systems become more capable, speech is fast becoming the default way we communicate with machines. French AI startup Mistral has jumped into the audio race with its first open model, aiming to challenge the dominance of walled-off corporate systems with open-weight alternatives. On Tuesday, Mistral announced the release of Voxtral, its first family of audio models aimed at businesses.”
The Hollywood Reporter reports: “Broadcast viewing nearly always falls off in June after the traditional TV season ends, but the summertime blues are particularly pronounced this year. For the first time since Nielsen began tracking TV use by platform four years ago — and probably the first time ever, considering broadcast’s dominant place for much of television history — over-the-air networks accounted for less than 20 percent of viewing in June.”
CNBC reports: “SiriusXM, the audio entertainment company that’s long been known as a commercial-free option for in-car radios, is betting on advertising to propel its business. On Tuesday the company launched its first ad-supported subscription plan for car listening called SiriusXM Play. It’s a cheaper option than its long-standing offering and will cost less than $7 each month for in-car and streaming.”
Business Wire reports: “Deltatre, a leading international provider of streaming, digital, data, and graphics solutions for the sports, media, and entertainment industries, today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Endeavor Streaming from Endeavor Group Holdings, Inc.”
Cord Cutters News reports: “In a strategic move to bolster its artificial intelligence capabilities, Google has agreed to pay approximately $2.4 billion to license technology from AI coding startup Windsurf and hire its CEO along with a select group of employees, according to sources familiar with the matter. The deal, finalized after stalled negotiations between Windsurf and OpenAI, marks another chapter in the fierce competition among Silicon Valley giants to dominate the rapidly growing field of AI-driven coding solutions.”
Dataconomy reports: “Meta has acquired Play AI, a startup specializing in the generation of human-sounding artificial intelligence voices, as confirmed by a Meta spokesperson to Bloomberg. An internal memo indicated the entire Play AI team will integrate into Meta next week. The memo reportedly highlighted Play AI’s capabilities, stating its “work in creating natural voices, along with a platform for easy voice creation, is a great match for our work and road map.” This integration is expected to bolster Meta’s initiatives across “AI Characters, Meta AI, Wearables and audio content creation.”
Yahoo! Finance reports: “Discord announces the global launch of Orbs, a new virtual reward players can earn by completing Quests – the platform’s opt-in reward-based advertising experience. This milestone launch marks the next evolution of Discord’s advertising offering, which invites players to engage with brands through actions that fit authentically within their gaming experience.”
The Hollywood Reporter reports: “Podcasting company Kaleidoscope is looking to produce more original shows and turn titles from its audio content library into Hollywood movies and TV series after raising $5 million in a Series A funding round. The fundraising was led by Burda Principal Investments, a division of Hubert Burda Media, the German publisher, and North Base Media, the investment firm launched by former Washington Post editor Marcus Brauchli and Saša Vučinić, who started the Media Development Loan Fund.”
