TL;DR

• US Gen Z adults are more likely to pay attention to social media advertising than US adults overall. (Insider)

  

• Spotify is redesigning the core homescreen of its app, integrating more imagery and vertical scrolling. (The Verge)

• Netflix is set to invest $1.9B on APAC content in 2023 to expand its footprint in the region and tap into the growing demand for local-language content. (Digital TV Europe)

• LATAM AVOD revenues will match SVOD revenues with each adding $3B between 2022 and 2028. (Digital TV Research)

• ESPN plans to launch a hub for all live sports streaming including for its competitors. (Digital TV Europe)

Industry updates

Ad Vendors / Platforms / Data

• Consumers can now use Outlook on macOS for free without a Microsoft 365 subscription or Office license. (The Verge)

• At the end of 2022, advertisers could reach 98% of US households through programmatic buys. (Media Post)

  

• 56% of US Gen Alpha parents report that their kids watch shopping content like haul and unboxing videos where they get ideas about new products and brands. (Morning Consult)

Artificial Intelligence

• Salesforce launched ChatGPT Einstein, a new chatbot app for Slack that automates tasks, answers customer queries, and provides personalized recommendations. (CNBC)

• DuckDuckGo announced a new AI tool, DuckAssist, that automatically pulls and summarizes information from Wikipedia. (The Verge)

• YouTube teased AI tools that can virtually swap creators’ outfits and locations. (The Verge)

• Its new AI chat feature has pushed Bing over 100M active users. (The Verge)

• Discord will expand its AI offerings, incorporating the technology into functions such as its chatbot and moderation systems. (Bloomberg)

• Despite not being officially available in China, via VPNs, ChatGPT is helping Chinese cross-border sellers communicate better with Western customers. (Rest of World)

Awards / Festivals

• Amazon Fire TV launched a dedicated Oscars hub that gave viewers access to live events, red carpet highlights, and nominee interviews for the 2023 Academy Awards. (Tech Crunch)

• “Everything Everywhere All At Once” continued its awards sweep at the Film Independent Spirit Awards, taking home prizes for best picture, screenplay and editing, among others. (AP)

• Billboard’s 2023 Women In Music Awards captured an all-time record of 60M views, 8M more than last year. (Billboard)

• Taylor Swift will receive the 2023 iHeartRadio Innovator Award at the iHeartRadio Music Awards on March 27. (AP)

Cinemas / Theatrical

• “Creed III” debuted at the box office with $58.7M in the US over its opening weekend, setting a franchise record, and $41.8M internationally. (Variety)

• Premium large formats comprised 38% of the opening weekend total for Creed III, including 14% from IMAX. (Box Office Pro)

• The average US movie ticket price hit a record $10.53 in 2022, up from $9.16 in 2019. (THR)

Gambling / Casinos

• WWE has held discussions with state gambling regulators to legalize betting on scripted match results. (CNBC)

• FanDuel is prioritizing its igaming offerings by launching new games and features. (Casino.org)

Live Events / Attractions

• Chatbots will be the hot tech topic at this year's SXSW festival, which kicked off March 10th in Austin, TX. (THR)

• Bad Bunny, BLACKPINK and Frank Ocean will headline this year's Coachella Music Festival. (USA)

• A stage adaptation of Sufjan Stevens' 2005 album Illinois will make its world premiere this summer in a production by The Fisher Center at Bard. (Deadline)

Music / Audio / Podcasts

• SoundCloud is testing a new feature called "The Feed" to improve music discovery for users by providing a TikTok-like feed of music clips based on user preferences and activity. (Tech Crunch)

• SiriusXM has laid off 475 employees, reducing its workforce by 6%, as part of the company's ongoing efforts to streamline operations and cut costs. (THR)

• K-pop superstars BLACKPINK became the most streamed female band of all time on Spotify. (NPR)

• iHeartMedia is launching a podcast network dedicated to featuring LGBTQ+ voices with stars like JoJo Siwa, Rosie O’Donnell, Laverne Cox, and more. (THR)

• Apple is launching a new music streaming service focused on classical music which is currently available for preorder. (Tech Crunch)

Crypto / NFT / Metaverse

• Meta has cut the price of its Quest Pro VR headset by $100 to boost sales and compete with other VR companies. (WSJ)

• Royal Caribbean is activating in the metaverse, revealing what will be the world’s largest cruise ship on Fortnite. (The Drum)

• Amazon will launch an NFT marketplace, likely dubbed “Amazon NFT Marketplace” or “Amazon Digital Marketplace,” that may be available to customers in April. (Gizmodo)

• Crypto trading volumes on Indian exchanges shrank sharply after the government levied high taxes on virtual digital assets. (Rest of World)

OTT / Streaming

• Netflix’s “All Quiet on the Western Front” has surpassed over 150M hours viewed since its release in October 2022. (Variety)

• Paramount is exploring a potential sale of a majority stake in its BET business, which includes BET, VH1 and the BET+ streaming service. (THR)

• Norwegians will be spending around $50 more per household on TV and film than Americans by 2025. (Deadline)

• The majority of US millennials would sign up for a streaming service if one of their favorite musicians were to release a concert on that platform. (Morning Consult)

  

• Streamers can’t focus so much on cost-cutting that they overlook opportunities to expand original franchises or lock down rights to classic TV shows to help position them well for long-term growth. (Morning Consult)

• Amazon’s action spy series, Citadel, will premiere on Amazon on April 28, with planned spin-offs around the world. (Vanity Fair)

• Netflix users can now customize the appearance of subtitles and closed captions on their content. (The Verge)

• Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. will add thousands of new titles to HBO Max and will begin charging $10 a month for the ad-supported tier. (Bloomberg)

• Netflix’s APAC revenues are expected to increase by 12% this year to $4B, up from 2022’s 9% growth. (World Screen)

Retail / Lifestyle / Travel

• JetBlue and Spirit Airlines are preparing for a lawsuit from the US Department of Justice that seeks to block their planned merger. (WSJ)

• Amazon is closing some of its Amazon Go stores, which use a cashierless system and allow customers to scan their items and pay through a mobile app, as it shifts its focus to other retail formats. (CNN)

• Hospitality companies are reviving their hiring after making pandemic cuts, offsetting slower jobs growth in the technology industry. (WSJ)

  

Social Media

• Meta has rolled out new features for its Facebook Reels platform, including the ability to upload videos up to 90 seconds long and add music to Reels created on desktop. (Tech Crunch)

• Meta is testing bringing messaging capabilities back to the Facebook app so users can more easily share content without having to use the Messenger app. (CNN)

• Reddit has added new features including a TikTok-style video feed and separate feeds for video and text. (The Verge)

• TikTok's new paywalled 20-minute video feature lets creators monetize their longer videos for subscriptions starting at $0.99 per month. (CNBC)

• TikTok will spend about $1.3B a year on measures to safeguard European users. (WSJ)

• Meta is working on a decentralized text-based social app but hasn't released any details about when it plans to release it. (Tech Crunch)

Sports

• Prime Video will present the first-ever Black Friday NFL game for free in 2023, offering viewers a chance to watch a regular-season game live from the comfort of their own homes. (Streamable)

• Sports Illustrated has launched a dedicated esports vertical, aptly named Esports Illustrated. (Digiday)

Video Games

• Sony might be forced to detail its PlayStation exclusivity deals and how much it pays for “blocking rights” to keep games off rival services like Xbox Game Pass. (The Verge)

• Instead of building its own platform, Google is pursuing live-service games to support using its Cloud infrastructure. (IGN)