Tech Crunch reports: “Tomorrow is apparently Batman Day. That mostly means promotions from the folks at DC Entertainment and the long awaited launch of the company’s DC Universe streaming service. If nothing else, the site is an interesting mix of multimedia content in a world of video-only sites, including original series, older content and digital comics.”
The Hollywood Reporter reports: “Canadian cinema giant Cineplex on Thursday said it has struck a strategic partnership with Seattle-based VRstudios that includes a ‘significant’ equity investment in the maker of commercial virtual reality arcades.Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the agreement calls for Cineplex to install up to 40 VRstudios arcades in its multiplexes and location-based entertainment centers across Canada by 2021.”
Variety reports: “The initial Snap-approved partners for the Curated Our Stories program span the gamut from traditional news orgs like CNN and NBC News; digital brands like Group Nine’s NowThis and The Dodo, Refinery29, and Mic; existing partners like Viacom, iHeartMedia, Vice Media and Hearst (Cosmo and Harper’s Bazaar); emerging content companies like high-school sports media startup Overtime and The Infatuation; and viral-content aggregators like Jukin Media and LADbible.”
Venture Beat reports: “Beijing-based Cocos-BCX has raised $40 million for its blockchain game development platform. The company was founded by the leaders of Cocos2d-x, one of the largest open-source game development platforms that became popular for the creation of mobile games.”
Variety reports: “Spotify is getting more generous limits for offline listening: The music subscription service has increased the number of songs that can be downloaded to a single device from 3333 to 10,000. Subscribers can now also download songs to up to 5 devices, whereas they were previously limited to 3 devices.”
Deadline Hollywood reports: “European pay-TV giant Sky has teamed with The Walking Dead studio Skybound Entertainment on a mobile gaming venture that will produce ‘comic books for the iPhone generation’. The two companies are launching Skybound Stories, will use new and existing IP to create mobile narrative gaming experiences.”
Billboard reports: “iHeartMedia has entered into an agreement to acquire Stuff Media, the pioneering podcast network behind such programs as Stuff You Should Know, Atlanta Monster and Aaron Mahnke’s Cabinet of Curiosities. The purchase, for a reported $55 million, would nearly double iHeart’s usage metrics and increase its position as the No. 1 commercial podcast publisher globally.”
Venture Beat reports: “Singularity 6 has raised $2.5 million in seed investment from London Venture Partners to build a game studio.The Los Angeles game developer was formed by former Riot Games veterans, and they are working on an unannounced ‘genre-defining’ PC online game. The studio is dedicated to the idea that online games can deliver deeper, more meaningful experiences.”
Digital Media Wire’s Annual Event Connects Innovators & Influencers in Music, Games, Television and Advertising NEW YORK, NY– (September 12, 2018) — New York Media Festival, an innovative two-day event for the digital, games, music, television and video industries, will take place Thursday, October 4, through Friday, October 5, 2018. The Festival provides an intimate environment for deal-making, partnership building and networking for executives, brands, investors, content creators and technology startups.
“We created NY Media Festival to provide a high energy innovative business event for experienced entrepreneurs and executives in the entertainment, media and tech industries,” said Ned Sherman, New York Media Festival Co-Chair and Counsel & Director, Manatt Digital. “This year’s event will cover topics from OTT to AI to eSports to Fan Engagement to Content Marketing to VR/AR to Music Rights to Startups and provides high end networking opportunities for the executives working in these markets.”
The Festival hosts more than 200 top speakers who highlight innovations, trends and best practices in their respective industries.
CONFIRMED SPEAKERS
Keynotes and Fireside Chats:
Nick Earl, CEO & President, Glu Mobile
Simon Sim, President, Netmarble US
Dr. Songyee Yoon, President, NCSOFT West
Shahendra Ohneswere, SVP Content Development, Columbia Records
David Gandler, CEO & Co-Founder, FuboTV
Merck Mercuriadis, CEO, Hipgnosis Songs Ltd.
Nile Rodgers, Grammy-Winning Composer, Producer & Guitarist / Co-Founder, CHIC
Panelists and Presenters:
Marcie Allen, President, MAC Presents
Sheryl Allen, Director, Next Big Sound, Pandora
Jon Bahr, VP, Creator Services, CD Baby
Allen Bargfrede, Managing Partner, PDX Media Partners
Jonathan Barzilay, Chief Operating Officer, PBS
Alexandra Bear, Entertainment & Digital Media, Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP
David Beck, EVP, Corporate Strategy and Operations, Turner
Noah Becker, President, AdRev
Dwayne Benefield, VP & GM, PS Vue, PlayStation
Virginie Berger, CEO, Armonia Online
David Berkowitz, Head of Marketing, Storyhunter
Dae Bogan, CEO, TuneRegistry
Hale Boggs, Chairman, Manatt Venture Fund
Susan Borst, Vice President, Mobile, IAB
Jordan Bromley, Partner, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips
Jeff Bronikowski, SVP, Business Development, Head of Innovation & Emerging Tech, Warner Music Group
Josh Brooks, SVP, Brand Strategy & Marketing, Jam City
Alex Bulkin, Co-Founder & Chief Alchemist, CoinFund
Ina Burke, Vice President, Original Content, iHeartMedia
Tom Christie, Chief Operating Officer, Showtime Networks
Cédric Cobban, President and Founder, PeerTracks Inc.
Jeff Clyburn, Managing Director, Mass Appeal Records
Richard Conlon, Chief External Affairs Officer, SoundExchange
Emma Cooper, Global President- Nonfiction, Pulse Films
Russ Crupnick, Managing Partner, MusicWatch
Jarrod Dicker, CEO, Po.et
Domenic DiMeglio, SVP of Distribution and Operations, Digital Media, CBS Interactive
Colin Dixon, Chief Analyst & Founder, nScreenMedia
Chris Donohue, Senior Director, Strategic Alliances, AMD
Craig Donato, Chief Business Officer, Roblox
Daniel Doubrovkine, CTO, Artsy.net
Bernarda Duarte, Director, Content Acquisition, Roku
Matt Edelman, Chief Commercial Officer, Super League Gaming
Ahmed Elgammal, CEO, Artrendex
Lori Feldman, EVP of Strategic Marketing, Warner Bros. Records
Tim Fields, CEO, Kabam
Kristen Finney, EVP, EMEA, Television Distribution, 20th Century Fox
Chuck Fletcher, Chief Technology Officer, Barbarian
Taishi Fukuyama, Co-Founder & COO, Amadeus Code
Seth Geiger, President, SmithGeiger LLC
Sean Gibbons, SVP Product and UX, SiriusXM
Michael Gold, Co-Founder and CEO, Holojam
Allison Goldberg, Group Managing Director & Senior Vice President, Time Warner Investments
Eric Goldberg, Managing Director, Crossover Technologies
Harold Goldberg, Founder, The New York Videogame Critics Circle
Jesse Grushack, Co-founder, UJO
Nader Hamda, CEO, Ozobot
Rick Heitzmann, Founder & Managing Director, FirstMark Capital
Brian Anthony Hernandez, Senior Editor of Music & Culture, ONE37pm.com
Gabrielle Heyman, Head of Global Brand Partners, Zynga
Ian Howe, CEO, Skybound Games
Rick Howe, The iTV Doctor, Interactive TV Today
Grace James, Vice President, Marketing, Atlantic Records
Mike Jbara, CEO, MQA
Jesse Kirshbaum, CEO, Nue
Todd Klein, Partner, Revolution
Paul Kontonis, CMO, WHOSAY
Keith Kupferschmid, President, Copyright Alliance
John Lasker, Vice President of Digital Media Programming, ESPN
Damon Lau, Head of Esports, United Talent Agency
Seth Ladetsky, SVP, Sales & Head of Digital Sales Strategy and Revenue, Turner Sports
Craig Levine, Global Chief Strategy Officer, ESL
Sophie Liao, Managing Partner, Oyster Ventures
Jason Lipshutz, Editorial Director, Billboard
Mitch Liu, CEO and Co-Founder, Theta
Stephanie Llamas, Head of XR, SuperData Research
Amir Lotan, Creative Director and Head of Production, FTX Games
Jennifer MacArthur, SVP, Global Marketing and Strategic Partnerships, Treeti
Jim Mahoney, General Manager, US, MERLIN
Damian Manning – Founder, CEO, Hifi
Brandon Martinez, VP, Live Nation Video Network, Live Nation Entertainment
Paul Martino, General Partner, Bullpen Capital
Curt Marvis, CEO & Co-Founder, QYOU Media
Pete Mathias, Bertelsmann Entrepreneurs Program, Bertelsmann
Nari Matsuura, Partner, Massarsky Consulting
Richard McBeath, VP, Marketing, Masterworks.io
J.R. McCabe, Chief DIgital Officer, Poker Central, PokerGO and ESP Gaming
Ben McEwen, Commercial Director, ICE (London)
Andrew McInnes, Founder, TMWRK
Vaughn McKenzie-Landell, CEO and Co-Founder, JAAK
Marty Moe, President, Vox Media
Soniya Monga, Global Agency Partnerships, Snap
Eugene Mopsik, CEO, American Society for Collective Rights Licensing
Dan Murray, President, Skybound Interactive
Vida Myslon, Sr. Director, Brand Sales & Marketing, Electronic Arts
Jacob Pace, CEO, Flighthouse
Sahil Patel, Senior Reporter, Digiday
Brian Pass, Partner, Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP
Annie Pei, Associate Producer, CNBC
Mario Pena, Product Manager, Safe Creative
Cheryl M. Potts, Founder & CEO, Cleerkut
Jennifer Prenner, Global Head of Marketing, Growth & Engagement, Amazon Fire TV
Erick Opeka, Executive Vice President, Digital Networks, Cinedigm
William Quigley, CEO, WAX and OPSkins
Jon Radoff, CEO, Disruptor Beam
Shane Rahmani, EVP & GM, Electus Digital Networks
Thai Randolph, EVP & General Manager, Laugh Out Loud
Jeff Ratner, Chief Media Officer, iCrossing
Kimari Rennis, Intern, New York Videogame Critics Circle
Benji Rogers, Chief Strategy Officer, Dot Blockchain Media
Raymond Roker, Vice President, AEG Studios
John Rosso, President, Market Development, Triton Digital
Scott Ryan, Global VP Music, Gracenote
Zihla Salinas, CEO, Trailer Park Group
Seth Schachner, Managing Director, Strat Americas
Russ Schafer, SVP General Manager, Technology, THX
Daniel Schnapp, Partner, Entertainment & Digital Media, Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP
Fabrice Sergent, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, BandsinTown
Evan Shapiro, Founder, eshapTV
Ned Sherman, Counsel & Director, Manatt Digital / Founder, Digital Media Wire
Jeff Shultz, Chief Business Officer, Pluto TV
Julie Shumaker, VP, Business Development, Unity Technologies
Lee Simpson, Head of TV & Entertainment, ustwo
Howie Singer, Special Technology Advisor, Universal Music Group
Jason Sklar, Managing Director, Shamrock Capital
Jonathan Skogmo, CEO, Jukin Media
Pete Soldinger, Sr. Director of Strategy, Fullscreen
Todd Spangler, New York Digital Editor, Variety
Christopher Sprigman, Professor, New York University School of Law
Brad Spychalski, Creative Strategy Lead, Pinterest
Sarah Stringer, SVP, Head of Innovation, Carat USA
Jonathan Stringfield, Global Head of Business Marketing, Measurement, and Insights, Activision Blizzard
John Sutyak, Executive Vice President of Business Development, Digital Development Management
Christy Tanner, Executive Vice President and General Manager, CBS News Digital
Erin Taylor, CEO, Musiconomi
Daniel Tibbets, President & GM, El Rey Network
Rasty Turek, CEO, Pex
Benoit Vatere, CEO & Co-Founder, Mammoth Media
Christoffer Wallin, Founder & CEO, Pindify
Matthew Wang, Managing Director / Deputy COO, U.S. Investment Banking, Evercore
Andy Weissman, Managing Partner, USV
Megan West, VP, Content Relations, Soundcloud
Mark Willis, Co-Founder and Chief Design Officer, Texel
Dick Wingate, Principal, DEV Advisors
Matthew Yazge, Head of Brand Partnerships, Music & Film, Nielsen Entertainment
The Festival kicks off with Digital Music Forum and NY Games Conference on Thursday, featuring artists, managers, record label executives, and game influencers and executives. Wednesday’s Future of Television and RightsTech Summit include broadcasters, content creators, digital studios, and executives in rights management, blockchain and enterprise.
Support for the 2018 New York Media Festival is provided by TribalScale, Tivo, Sheppard Mullin, Jukin Media, Jam City, Digital ReLab, Manatt, SoundExchange, Variety, WITI, IAEL, NYWIFT, AListDaily, MEA, XLive, EventBrowse, All That Matters, IGDA, Parks Associates, NATPE, Canadian Music Week, Fusicology, and G.A.N.G.
About NYME
The New York Media Festival (NYME) is an event designed to bring together experienced influencers and digital leaders to learn more about their respective fields and to network across New York City. The 2-day event includes industry leadership lunches, conferences, summits and open houses for the gaming, video and music industries. NYME’s founding team includes seasoned conference and event producers Ned and Tinzar Sherman. Over the past 15 years, the team has produced more than 200 events including some of the biggest and most impactful entertainment, tech and digital industry conferences, concerts, launch parties, intimate VIP dinners and networking events. Visit www.mefest.com for more information. www.mefest.com
Media Contacts
Moriah Mason
Digital Media Wire
moriah@digitalmediawire.com
The Verge reports: “The Nintendo Switch’s online service is launching in less than a week. In a tweet today, Nintendo revealed that the service will be available on September 18th, and users will be able to download a seven-day trial from the Switch store before committing to a subscription.”
