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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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Anthropic has introduced Claude Opus 4 and Claude Sonnet 4, its latest generation of hybrid-reasoning AI models optimized for coding tasks and solving complex problems. (The Verge)
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After nearly a decade of planning and $7B in cost, Universal opened its new Florida theme park, Epic Universe, to the public this week. (Blooloop)
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A record 45M Americans are expected to travel at least 50 miles from home Memorial Day weekend — an increase of 1.4M travelers from last year. (Hotel Dive)
Audiences
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51% of global shoppers say the top reason they shop in-store is to experience products firsthand before buying. (Emarketer)
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72% of the time US viewers spend with TV is ad-supported, and streaming represents 42% of that viewing. (Nielsen)
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29% of US adults say they’ll likely cut back on beauty/personal care spending if tariffs raise prices, leading major retailers to boost their beauty offerings to drive sales and increase customer loyalty. (Emarketer)
Platforms
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Meta is testing 3D photos on Instagram when viewed through a Meta Quest VR headset. (The Verge)
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After a month of successful testing, Reddit’s Dynamic Product Ads are now available to all advertisers. (Social Media Today)
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SoundCloud is the latest streaming app to integrate with TikTok's "Add to Music App," a feature that allows users to save music they hear on TikTok directly to their streaming app of choice. (Music Business Worldwide)
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Meta is developing a new program that will enable advertisers to try out new generative AI creative features before they’re broadly rolled out. (Social Media Today)
Content
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Fubo launched a "Women’s Sports Zone" hub, making it easier for viewers to discover coverage of major events on the platform and offering new options for advertisers eager to capitalize on the rising popularity of women’s sports. (SportsPro)
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The final season of "You" premiered at No. 1 on the Nielsen US streaming charts, and "Andor" scored a series high with its season 2 premiere. (THR)
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"Lilo & Stitch" is expected to open with over $165M at the US box office in its opening weekend. (Forbes)
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The Indiana Fever's win over the Chicago Sky drew 2.7M viewers on ABC, the most-viewed WNBA regular-season game in 25 years. (NY Times)
Tech &
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Microsoft confirmed it is expanding its Azure AI Foundry models list to include Grok 3 and Grok 3 mini from xAI. (The Verge)
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Amazon is testing short-form AI-powered audio product summaries on select product pages that discuss key product features, customer reviews and information from across the web. (Tech Crunch)
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Google announced that it's rolling out "Project Mariner," the company’s experimental AI agent that browses and uses websites, to more users and developers. (Tech Crunch)
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Meta launched its Ray Ban AI glasses in Mexico, the UAE and India in its biggest hardware expansion yet. (Social Media Today)
Location-based
entertainment-
FIFA is reportedly planning to sell general sale tickets for the 2026 World Cup under a dynamic pricing model. (Ticketing Business)
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Nearly five months after devastating wildfires destroyed parts of Southern California, the iconic Pacific Coast Highway and neighboring attractions such as the Getty Villa reopened to the public. (Deadline)
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Despite current economic uncertainty, the US box office is projected to hit $4B this summer. (Vulture)
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AMC Theatres is slashing Wednesday adult evening ticket prices by 50% beginning July 9. (THR)
Travel &
hospitality-
85% of global travelers admit they’re at least “somewhat concerned” about geopolitical instability or civil unrest affecting their travel plans. (Global Travel Media)
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Marriott International launched a new global brand, "Series by Marriott," aimed at midscale and upscale hotel segments, debuting it in India. (Skift)
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Royal Caribbean unveiled its new private destination, “Perfect Day Mexico,” opening for cruise passengers in 2027. (Blooloop)
Gaming
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Microsoft has announced that a new “Retro Classics” collection is now available to Game Pass subscribers. (The Verge)
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Mattel has partnered with Uken Games to develop “Mattel Match: Toybox Unlocked,” a free-to-play match game that brings together all of Mattel’s iconic brands in a brand-new digital experience. (Variety)
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Blumhouse and Meta announced “Blumhouse Horrorverse,” a new immersive horror game featuring “M3GAN,” “Wolf Man,” “The Black Phone” and “Happy Death Day.” (Variety)
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"Fortnite" has returned to iOS on Apple's App Store five years after it was first removed. (gamesindustry.biz)
