Billboard reports: “French entertainment and telecom conglomerate Vivendi said Tuesday that it has closed its sale of a 10 percent stake in Universal Music Group to a consortium led by Chinese online giant Tencent.”
The Hollywood Reporter reports: “With the NBA, NHL, MLB and NFL all currently inactive, virtual sports tournaments now stand alone in a vacant market, and organizations are taking advantage as dealmaking heats up and broadcast networks welcome live competitive content.”
nScreenMedia reports: “Many people are turning to Pluto TV in this time of crisis. News, already the services most popular category, has seen channel usage increase 100% in just 21 days. Will the increased usage persist after life returns to normal?”
Gamesindustry.biz reports: “Hyper casual games are taking over the mobile market, representing 78% of the most downloaded new mobile games of 2019.”
Deadline reports: “Broadcaster Tenga broke its silence about a swirl of suitors, acknowedging it received four unsolicited offers but saying it’s not currently in talks after two bidders withdrew and the process is stalled with the other two.”
Gamesindustry.biz reports: “Artificial intelligence and data processing firm Anybrain has received €1 million investment from venture capital firm Trust Esports.”
VentureBeat reports: “A new PC VR app called Spaces enables users to join Zoom meetings and other video calls from within VR. The app was developed in light of the recent COVID-19 pandemic, which has seen many people around the world working from home and using virtual meeting tools such as Zoom.”
The Verge reports: “Facebook has pledged to invest $100 million in the news industry at a time when the ongoing coronavirus pandemic means that accurate reporting is more important than ever. $25 million will be provided in grant funding for local news through the Facebook Journalism Project, while the remaining $75 million will come in the form of “additional marketing spend” to worldwide news organizations.”
Variety reports: “The BBC will donate £700,000 ($856,000) to the U.K.’s Film and TV Charity in support of coronavirus relief. The donation is aimed at those out of work because of halted production caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, with an emphasis on freelance workers.”
Billboard reports: “Sony Corp. issued its first statement Friday outlining how its myriad business lines have been impacted by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The conglomerate didn’t provide detailed estimates of the financial toll of the global health crisis, but summarized how its various business units have been affected, including its entertainment divisions.”
