The Hollywood Reporter reports: “As work-from-home mandates become a new normal for many professionals across the globe, staying connected while self-isolating has become a new challenge. To help build a virtual space for employees and colleagues to congregate, UTA, one of Hollywood’s largest talent agencies, has turned to video games as a way to bridge the gap.”
TechCrunch reports: “It takes either audacious self-confidence or reckless hubris to build a completely asocial video app in 2020. You can decide which best describes Quibi, Hollywood’s $1.75 billion-funded attempt at a mobile-only Netflix of six to 10-minute micro-TV show episodes.”
The Hollywood Reporter reports: “With people across the U.S. stuck in their homes amid the spread of the new coronavirus, what will the impact of the pandemic be on cord-cutting?”
Billboard reports: “As the music industry reels from lost touring income, SoundExchange has some positive news on the streaming front today (April 9).”
VentureBeat reports: “The remote working shift spurred by COVID-19 continues to drive explosive growth for companies providing the tools and platforms to connect people across distances.”
Variety reports: “E-sports and gaming company FaZe Clan today announced an exclusive partnership with e-commerce and culture platform NTWRK.”
Variety reports: “Sony is to pay $400 million for a minority stake in Chinese online entertainment platform Bilibili. The deal values Bilibili at $8 billion.”
Deadline reports: “VENN, a lifestyle channel for and about gamers, will launch in July with 30 hours of original programming, its founders said. That’s several months earlier than planned to help connect fans at a time when video game popularity and TV viewing are soaring.”
Variety reports: “Chernin Entertainment has signed a first-look deal for feature films with Netflix. The companies confirmed the deal on Tuesday. Chernin’s previous first-look deal had been through 20th Century Fox, but that agreement went away earlier this year after Disney absorbed the Fox feature film operations last year.”
VentureBeat reports: “N3twork, the maker of the popular Legendary: Game of Heroes mobile title, has launched a $50 million fund to help third-party games grow their businesses with user acquisition, engagement, and retention techniques.”
