Hello
Here’s your Last Week in Digital Media and all the news you may have missed:
2021 FORECASTS & TRENDS
It was CES week, and there’s a lot that I could write about it, but instead, I recommend you read the excellent IPG Media Lab CES Trend Report. Or, if you prefer, the award winning IPG Media Lab podcast.
Staying with the forward-thinking theme:
- if you want a hint of optimism for 2021, Pinterest has a list of consumer behavior predictions for 2021. Pinterest claims an 80% success rate for 2020, not bad given last year was anything but predictable.
- if you’re after broader macro trends, Facebook commissioned some global research and identified 4 broad trends. There are also local market specifics call-outs across the US and some countries in EMEA and APAC.
GENERAL
- there’s a Snapchat patent that suggests that Snap is making progress on an Events offering. The patent hints at integration with lenses, filters, and SnapMaps. If you find the whole adtech patent space interesting, worth subscribing to PatentDrop.
- Apple is rumored to be considering a paid subscription service for podcasts. It’s not a surprising move given how hot the space is and because podcasts could serve as a good source of ideas for Apple TV+ originals.
- Google has concluded its acquisition of Fitbit. Something to commit to memory, the media release reiterates that “(Google) has made a series of binding commitments with global regulators, confirming that Fitbit users’ health and wellness data won’t be used for Google ads and this data will be kept separate from other Google ad data.”
ONLINE VIDEO / STREAMING
- Disney has taken full control of Hulu, with Comcast agree to sell its stake. The sale is still 5 years out, but Disney now has full operational control. Hulu will still have access to NBCU content until late 2024.
- “AT&T TV Now” will now be known simply as “AT&T TV.” As part of the change, there are price increases and the deprecation of the skinny bundle. Whether this will be enough to save the service is unknown, as AT&T TV has been steadily losing subscribers.
- brand safety provider Integral Ad Science (IAS) has acquired Amino Payments, a company focusing on using blockchain to improve digital supply chain transparency. IAS plans to integrate Amino into IAS’s viewability solution.
- Univision is launching its own Hispanic TV streaming service called “PrendeTV.” The service will be free and ad-supported. The launch date is slated for Q1 2021, and PrendeTV site is live, where you can pre-register interest.
- NBCU’s Peacock TV service is reported to be on track for 52MM subscribers by 2024, according to research by an investment bank. For 2021, In 2021, Peacock TV is estimated to hit $604 million in revenue (~40% from ads/~60% from subscriptions).
- streaming tools provider, StreamElements, released their “State of the Stream” (PDF link) report for December and year in review. Some highlights in the report include that twitch still dominates in game streaming (about 5-6x the nearest competitor), and the top 3 categories on twitch for 2020 were Just Chatting, League of Legends, and Fortnite.
REGULATORY
- TikTok has won another reprieve, with the TikTok ban deadline shifted to February 18th. This means the next decision will be during the Biden administration.
- in other TikTok news, the company has strengthened privacy controls for users aged 13-15. This includes more restrictive default settings on how content can be shared, messaging, and limiting social network features, e.g., such as account suggestions.
- New York City has a draft proposal that would seek to regulate algorithms used in hiring. The “Sale of automated employment decision tools” bill (here) would require, amongst other things, both an audit for bias and disclosure to candidates that such tools were used.
- there’s a lot of public debate about WhatsApp’s new Privacy Policy (forcing WhatsApp to respond with an infographic). The noise hasn’t escaped attention, with Turkey’s antitrust regulator and India’s Privacy Regulator starting an investigation into the revised terms. In the face of what WhatsApp has called “confusion,” WhatsApp has now decided to give people more time to agree to the policy.
PRIVACY, TRUST, and SAFETY
- as the US approaches the inauguration of President-elect Biden, platforms are making changes to protect the integrity of the inauguration. Facebook has made a public statement, Snapchat made permanent bans and YouTube temporary suspensions. From twitter, Jack Dorsey shared a series of tweets that provided a thoughtful, and worth reading, perspective on the decision-making process and consequences of bans.
- Facebook has addressed one of the #StopHateForProfit organizers’ concerns and hired a VP of Civil Rights. Roy L Austin Jr will join the company on January 19th.
Stay safe and have a great week.
Joshua