The Verge reports: “Twitch is bigger than it’s ever been before. The site’s viewership increased a full 31 percent between March 8th and March 22nd, growing to 43 million hours watched from 33 million hours, according to data from Stream Elements and Arsenal.gg.”
VentureBeat reports: “All of that social distancing is helping mobile gaming grow, according to mobile market data and analytics App Annie. Global mobile game downloads were up 20% in Q1 2020 compared to the same period last year.”
Gamesindustry.biz reports: “The games industry has been waiting for virtual reality to explode and finally make it to the mainstream for five years. The release of the Oculus Quest last year, plus the recent launch of Half-Life: Alyx, have been steps in the right direction, but VR headset prices are still too steep for a lot of players.”
Billboard reports: “SoundCloud is taking more action to assist creators affected by the coronavirus pandemic. After previously rolling out a number of support initiatives — including offering its SoundCloud Pro Unlimited subscription for 50% off through March 30 and providing access to Twitch’s Affiliate program — on Thursday (April 2) SoundCloud CEO Kerry Trainor announced a plan worth $15 million to support creators during the shutdown, as well as initiatives designed to bolster their careers long-term.”
The Hollywood Reporter reports: “T-Mobile is giving Jeffrey Katzenberg and Meg Whitman’s Quibi a boost in its bid to lure subscribers, announcing Wednesday that some wireless customers will get a free one-year membership to the mobile-first video service.”
Variety reports: “Taiwan has launched a grant scheme to boost the island’s status as a global hub for virtual reality production. It is offering finance to projects co-produced by companies established in Taiwan and internationally, but excluding those from mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau.”
The Verge reports: “T-Mobile officially owns Sprint. The merger was formally completed today after clearing a number of legal hurdles over the last year, including a Department of Justice review and lawsuits from a number of states. The combination turns the United States’ third and fourth largest wireless carriers into a far more substantial third place competitor to Verizon and AT&T.”
The Hollywood Reporter reports: “The agreement will see Fox’s full suite of channels, including Fox News, FS1, Fox Business and Fox Deportes, as well as the local Fox television stations, remain available to Comcast cable subscribers.”
TechCrunch reports: “Roto VR, startup which markets an interactive, ‘360 degree’ chair, has raised £1.5 million in a funding round led by Pembroke VCT. Others in the round include TVB Growth Fund, managed by The FSE Group.”
Billboard reports: “Eight months after announcing it had renewed licensing deals with “two of our four major label partners,” Spotify ticked a third off its list on Wednesday in a joint announcement with Warner Music Group.”
