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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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Max‘s long-awaited stand-alone launch in Southeast Asia proved to be a success, with streamer capturing 1.4M subscribers in the region in Q4 2024. (THR)
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Plans for a Reddit paywall of some kind have now been confirmed by CEO Steve Huffman, after hints about it last summer. (9to5 Mac)
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OpenAI is rolling out its AI agent, Operator, to ChatGPT Pro subscribers in Australia, Brazil, Canada, India, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, the U.K., and several more countries. (Tech Crunch)
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Mistral’s Le Chat AI tool topped 1M downloads in just 14 days and reached the top spot for free downloads on the iOS App Store in France. (Tech Crunch)
Audiences
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Koreans' streaming minutes increased 18% from '23 to '24, with Netflix still #1 in viewership share at 35%, but homegrown platform Tving closing in on 34%. (Vitrina)
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Australians are increasingly seeking culture, adventure and connection on their vacations, with solo female travelers driving the trend, and 58% of cycling and 78% of walking bookings being made by women. (Karryon)
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After being inspired by something they saw on TV, almost three-fourths of US viewers (71.5%) either searched online to consider purchasing it, purchased it, or both. (eMarketer)
Platforms
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Instagram’s rolling out a range of DM updates in order to build on messaging engagement, which has now become the primary way that users connect within the app. (Social Media Today)
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Apple TV+ and Paramount+ were the fastest-growing streaming services globally in 2024. (PMW)
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Meta is once again trying out a dislike button for comments, this time on Instagram, in the hopes of establishing more signals that it can use to downrank comments that users find to be overly negative and/or harmful to their in-app experience. (Social Media Today)
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Amid ongoing discussions about its future in the U.S., TikTok has now been reinstated for download in both the Google Play and Apple App stores in America. (Social Media Today)
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A new $6/mo “Music Pro” tier on Spotify could include lossless audio and perks like discounted concert tickets. (The Verge)
Content
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Australian Netflix series Apple Cider Vinegar ranked #3 in the Top 10 English TV shows worldwide the week of 2/10, while hitting the #1 spot in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Lithuania, and Latvia. (Media Week)
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ESPN and Major League Baseball have decided to part ways after the upcoming MLB season, ending a 35-year relationship between the sports TV giant and league and bringing some prime sports rights to the market. (THR)
Tech &
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Meta announced its latest subsea cable initiative called “Waterworth” and will eventually connect five major continents and span over 50,000 km, making it the world’s longest subsea cable project. (Social Media Today)
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Humane is shutting down the AI Pin and selling its remnants to HP. (The Verge)
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Spotify is partnering with ElevenLabs to expand its library of AI-narrated audiobooks. (Tech Crunch)
Location-based
entertainment-
Cinemark reported record fourth-quarter revenue of $814M, up 27% YoY and 3% above pre-pandemic levels. (THR)
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Kentucky Kingdom will open Discovery Meadow this spring, a new family-friendly land with three new rides, a shaded playground and more. (Attractions Magazine)
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Blooloop's 2025 attraction trends include immersive wellness, themed food, nostalgic experiences and more. (Blooloop)
Travel &
hospitality-
Travelers from around the world are feeling priced out of Europe, a new report shows - and big-spending Americans are no exception. (Bloomberg)
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New Zealand’s latest tourism campaign has sparked widespread ridicule, with critics likening its slogan “Everyone Must Go!” to a clearance sale advertisement rather than an invitation to explore the country’s breathtaking landscapes. (Media Week)
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Dave & Buster's and Chuck E. Cheese's are working to enhance their menus to better appeal to today's consumers, as food and beverage have evolved in the LBE industry to become as important a draw as entertainment itself. (Leisure eNewsletter)
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The new trade war with Canada could prove costly to the US travel industry as Canadians rethink US travel. (Pax News)
Gaming
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Consumer spending on the Epic Games store reached $1.09B in 2024, an increase of 15% from last year. (Games Industry)
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Niantic Inc., creator of Pokémon Go, is preparing to sell its games division to Saudia Arabia-owned Scopely Inc. (Polygon)
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Call of Duty's collaboration with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles received backlash from gamers as costs to access expansions topped $90. (IGN)
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Final Fantasy has partnered with tabletop giant Magic the Gathering for a fan-favorite collaboration. (Magic)
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70% of mobile gaming user acquisition dollars are spent in just 10 countries. (PMW)
