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Happy
Holidays-
AGM Knowledge will be on hiatus for the holidays and will return on January 12 with your next weekly digest of marketing, media and tech news.
TL;DR
In a hurry? Here's our pick of the top news items of the week.
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Atari announced a playable, immersive hotel experience set for Phoenix that blends hospitality with gaming, esports, nightlife, retail, and event spaces opening in 2028. (People)
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Meta rolled out a major update for its AI glasses, adding conversational focus and Spotify integration to enhance real-world usability. (Meta Newsroom)
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Amazon "Rufus" is transforming online shopping, with purchases doubling for users, and 73% of consumers now using AI assistants to help them shop. (Ad Week)
Audiences
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Eurozone consumer confidence declined in December 2025 as households became less optimistic about the economy, signaling weaker spending intentions across Europe heading into the new year. (Reuters)
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Nielsen reported November 2025 the most historic months of U.S. total streaming on record, with more than 103B minutes watched and multiple streaming platforms seeing five of the top ten most-streamed days ever. (Nielsen)
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The Academy Awards announced it will move from traditional TV broadcast on ABC to be streamed exclusively on YouTube starting in 2029, underscoring the ongoing rise of streaming platforms as primary destinations for marquee live content. (People)
Platforms
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Meta is testing a new policy that would restrict non-paying users to sharing only two external web links per month, a move that could reshape link sharing and referral traffic dynamics across Facebook. (The Guardian)
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TikTok’s U.S. divestiture deal was finalized, creating a majority-American-owned entity expected to take over operations, a move that preserves access for over 170 million U.S. users and ensures continuity for advertisers and creators on the platform. (The Verge)
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Instagram launched Reels for TV on Amazon Fire TV, bringing its short-form video format to the big screen with curated channels and social viewing features designed to boost engagement and extend screen time across devices. (Business Insider)
Content
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Netflix’s "Emily in Paris" Season 5 premiered globally on Dec 18 with the romantic comedy returning to Paris and Rome, featuring brand tie-ins and stylish storytelling that sparked fresh audience buzz. (Netflix)
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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry announced a new Netflix film adaptation of "The Wedding Date", expanding their Archewell Productions portfolio into scripted romantic content aimed at broad streaming audiences. (People)
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Blippi teamed up with Dr. Seuss characters in a new crossover YouTube series debuting four holiday episodes that blend educational adventure with iconic storybook IP for family audiences. (People)
Tech &
AI-
Nvidia announced it is acquiring AI software firm SchedMD to expand its open-source AI infrastructure ecosystem and accelerate generative model development across data centers and research clusters. (Reuters)
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The U.S. Department of Energy signed AI collaboration deals with more than two dozen tech organizations including OpenAI, Microsoft, and Google to advance national scientific research and energy innovation through large-scale AI applications. (Reuters)
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Google unveiled an experimental AI assistant called CC designed to deliver personalized “Your Day Ahead” briefings to users’ inboxes by integrating Gmail, Calendar, and Drive to replace morning scroll habits with actionable AI summaries. (The Verge)
Location-based
entertainment-
Six Flags Magic Mountain announced “Looney Tunes Land,” a new immersive themed area set to debut in summer 2026 with multi-zone play experiences and character-driven environments. (People)
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Sky Zone filed plans to open a new 29,000-square-foot trampoline park in Pearland, Texas next spring, expanding its active indoor entertainment footprint in the Houston metro. (Houston Chronicle)
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A new year-round haunted attraction called "The Scream Experiment" is set to open in downtown San Antonio in March 2026, offering an immersive paranormal storyline experience aimed at both families and thrill-seekers. (San Antonio Express News)
Travel &
hospitality-
United Airlines announced it will launch the first nonstop U.S.–Adelaide service from San Francisco in December 2025, expanding direct access between North America and South Australia and signaling growing long-haul demand. (Travel Weekly)
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Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest ship "Viva" embarked on its maiden voyage from Galveston, Texas, kicking off a Caribbean cruise schedule through April 2026 and highlighting growing U.S. cruise demand and port expansion. (Chron)
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AAA forecasted a record 122.4m Americans will travel at least 50 miles this year-end holiday season, surpassing the previous high and reflecting continued strength in leisure travel demand. (Hospitality Today)
Gaming
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Embark Studios released the “Cold Snap” update for "ARC Raiders" with new free permanent content, Frostbite survival mechanics, and a winter event that adds fresh quests, gear rewards, and seasonal gameplay dynamics for players. (Windows Central)
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PC Gamer published its Game of the Year Awards 2025, spotlighting standout titles such as "Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2" as Game of the Year and recognizing genre-defining releases across adventure, RPG, multiplayer, and immersive sim categories. (PC Gamer)
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The 2025 Game Awards drew millions of U.S. viewers across YouTube, Twitch, and TikTok as the show continued to evolve into a hybrid of game reveals, live performance, and mainstream pop-culture spectacle. (Insider)
