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TL;DR
In a hurry? Here's our pick of the top news items of the week.
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Watching YouTube on television has surpassed mobile viewing in the US, marking a significant shift in how people consume YouTube content. (The Hollywood Reporter)
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TikTok returns to US app stores as Trump grants 75-day extension for ByteDance to comply with sale requirements, temporarily averting ban for 170M American users. (BBC)
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The Trade Desk's stock plummets 33% after missing revenue targets for the first time in eight years, despite 22% YoY Q4 growth. (AdWeekly)
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Roku beats expectations in a strong Q4 with $1.2B in revenue and first-ever $1B+ platform revenue quarter, while streaming hours on Roku Channel grew 82% YoY despite competitive challenges. (The Hollywood Reporter)
Audiences
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Netflix is set to become Australia's third-largest ad-supported streaming platform by 2027, generating AUD$150M in ad revenue with over 2M subscribers expected on its hybrid ad tier. (Mi3)
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YouTube leads podcast listening platforms, with 31-33% of listeners preferring it over Spotify and Apple, largely due to it video capabilities and growing consumer preference for visual podcast content. (Emarketer)
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Gen Z leads digital gaming adoption, favoring multiplayer shooting and action games, with Discord emerging as their preferred platform for gaming communication and community building. (Emarketer)
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ITV achieves biggest audience peak of 2025 with 6M viewers watching Six Nations England vs France match, contributing to network's most-watched weekend since Euro 2024. (Advanced Television)
Platforms
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Major tech companies like Oracle and Amazon emerge as frontrunners to acquire TikTok's US operations, with just under two months left before potential ban takes effect. (Social Media Today)
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BuzzFeed plans to launch "BFisland," a new AI-enhanced social platform aimed at spreading joy and combating internet negativity and doom-scrolling through human curation and positive content. (TechCrunch)
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Meta plans to cut 4K jobs while ramping up AI engineer hiring as part of Zuckerberg's $65B push to dominate AI development in 2025. (Forbes)
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India emerges as Snapchat's powerhouse for AR development, with Indian creators leading lens creation and over 85% of local users engaging with AR features. (Social Media Today)
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TikTok launches its shopping platform in Mexico as first step into Latin American market, aiming to replicate its massive $500B Chinese e-commerce success. (Social Media Today)
Content
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The NFL will stage its first-ever regular season game in Australia, with the LA Rams confirmed to play at Melbourne's 100K-seat MCG from 2026 as part of a multi-year commitment. (The Guardian)
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Study reveals accelerating shift to streaming for live sports, with 74% of UK CTV users now streaming sports content, while maintaining strong linear TV preference and showing increased engagement with betting and multitasking. (Advanced Television)
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Amazon leverages NBA rights acquisition to expand sports advertising portfolio, aiming to attract advertisers with multi-sport packages and new studio sponsorship opportunities. (Variety)
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Netgem TV partners with Tubi to bring its free, ad-supported streaming library of movies and TV shows to UK viewers through various ISP partners. (Advanced Television)
Tech &
AI-
Elon Musk's $97.4B cash offer to buy OpenAI reveals key details about deadline, financing, and access requirements, while potentially complicating his lawsuit against the company. (TechCrunch)
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Amazon Prime Video releases major Apple TV app update featuring faster scrolling, improved gestures, enhanced search, and better accessibility features for a more native tvOS experience. (9to5mac)
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A new YouTube integration allows creators to generate and add AI video clips to Shorts with enhanced realism and automatic AI watermarking. (The Verge)
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Chinese AI company DeepSeek gains international attention with viral chatbot app and efficient AI models that rival U.S. competitors, despite facing export restrictions and regulatory challenges. (TechCrunch)
Location-based
entertainment-
The UK's top dark rides ranked: from Alton Towers' Hex to Blackpool's Valhalla, highlighting ten standout immersive attractions that blend storytelling, technology, and nostalgia. (blooloop)
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Los Angeles' new Cosm venue features a massive 87-foot, 12K+ LED dome offering immersive sports and entertainment experiences, including Super Bowl viewing and Cirque du Soleil shows. (Attractions Magazine)
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2025's top immersive trends span year-round horror attractions, nostalgic experiences, tech-enhanced environments, innovative wellness spaces, and gaming IPs, with a focus on creating deeper, multi-sensory guest experiences. (blooloop)
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Brooklyn Museum announces major cost cuts including 40+ layoffs, reduced exhibitions, and canceled events to address projected $10M deficit amid post-pandemic challenges. (ArtForum)
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Netflix launches "Netflix Bites," a year-long themed restaurant in Las Vegas's MGM Grand, serving dishes inspired by its shows and partnering with Mastercard for exclusive perks. (Marketing Brew)
Travel &
hospitality-
Coldplay's latest music video "Man in the Moon" showcases 10 iconic Singapore locations, featuring local talent and a floating stage at Marina Bay during the band's January 2024 tour stop. (KarryOn)
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High-income consumers are reducing their restaurant visits, with only 41% dining out weekly in late 2024 (down 2% from early 2024), signaling a concerning shift in behavior for the $1.1T restaurant industry. (Morning Consult)
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The upcoming third season of HBO's "The White Lotus" is set in Thailand's Koh Samui island, raising expectations of increased tourism similar to the surge in visitors experienced by previous filming locations Maui and Sicily after their respective seasons aired. (The New York Times)
Gaming
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Nintendo's Fire Emblem Heroes has generated $1.3B in lifetime revenue over eight years, making it the company's most successful mobile game by far, outearning Mario Kart Tour ($390.9M) and Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp ($387.5M) combined. (PocketGamer.biz)
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Sony's February 2025 State of Play revealed several major announcements, including Housemarque's new game Saros, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater's August 28 release date, Days Gone Remastered coming April 25, and updates on upcoming titles like Borderlands 4 (September 23). (Playstation)
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Take-Two CEO says the company will carefully space out its major 2025 releases, including Borderlands 4 (September) and GTA 6 (Fall), to give players enough time with each game, despite the Borderlands movie's box office failure not impacting the franchise's strength. (IGN)
