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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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Hundreds of thousands of conversations that users had with xAI chatbot Grok are now being indexed by search engines like Google and Bing. (TechCrunch)
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July was the sixth consecutive month that streamers have taken a record-high share of viewing, with 47% of all US TV use. (THR)
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Universal opened its first Las Vegas property last week, Universal Horror Unleashed, featuring a haunted house themed to “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.” (OC Register)
Audiences
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32% of US CTV users find traditional TV ads helpful for holiday gift info, while 34% say the same about streaming TV ads. (EMarketer)
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65% of US movie-goers plan to see three or more films this fall, with “Tron: Ares” being the most-anticipated fall movie. (Media Play News)
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47% of former Netflix subscribers, 45% of previous HBO Max subscribers, and 40% of former Disney+ users said they canceled their subscription because it was too expensive. (Media Play News)
Platforms
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TikTok instituted a five hashtag limit on posts, restricting the number of topic tags that a user can append to their TikTok clips. (Social Media Today)
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Fox launched its new streaming app, Fox One, which will bring the company’s live news programming, sports, and entertainment content together in one place. (THR)
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Instagram added a new feature that will enable Reels creators to effectively build their own series by linking Reels to one another in-stream. (WeRSM)
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ESPN launched its new streaming service app, making ESPN’s full suite of 12 networks and services available directly to fans for the first time ever. (ESPN)
Content
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Netflix’s “Squid Game” took the No. 1 spot for most-streamed title in July with 5.4B minutes, followed by Peacock’s “Love Island USA” with 5.3B minutes. (THR)
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Australia's National Basketball League extended its multi-year media rights deal with ESPN, with all games now available to stream live on Disney+. (AdNews)
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Netflix’s highest-viewed animated movie, "KPop Demon Hunters," is coming to US theaters and is expected to top the weekend box office with $22M in ticket sales. (Media Play News)
Tech &
AI-
Google is rolling out Search's AI Mode to 180 countries and territories, allowing the AI-powered search feature to expand beyond the US, UK, and India. (The Verge)
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Meta rolled out AI-powered audio translations of video content using tools that are able to simulate lip movements to line up with the translations. (Social Media Today)
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Google announced their new Pixel 10 phone series with some major AI-powered upgrades, including a "Visual Overlays" feature for the camera, a proactive "Magic Cue" feature, and a voice translator for calls. (TechCrunch)
Location-based
entertainment-
Formula 1 launched F1 Box in London, a brand-new immersive racing experience from the creators of F1 Arcade. (F1)
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Georgia Aquarium partnered with ReBokeh Vision Technologies to become the first US aquarium to offer free access to assistive technology that allows users with low vision to enhance what they see in real time. (Yahoo)
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Walt Disney World's beloved Aerosmith attraction, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, is getting a Muppets rebrand in 2026. (Attractions Magazine)
Travel &
hospitality-
Google launched a feature called “Magic Cue” for its Pixel 10 phones that makes it easier to surface your airline and hotel information. (Skift)
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Southwest Airlines launched "Getaways by Southwest," offering vacation packages with flights, hotels, and ground transportation in over 30 markets. (Travel Weekly)
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Carnival Cruise Line announced their new ship, Carnival Festivale, which is scheduled to launch in 2027. (Blooloop)
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Alaska Airlines launched a joint loyalty program with Hawaiian Airlines and plans to install Starlink Wi-Fi across its fleet to attract more travelers. (USA Today)
Gaming
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Sony raised the price of its popular PlayStation 5 video game console in the US by $50 due to tariffs. (Media Play News)
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"Fortnite" was the biggest game of July, topping the PC and console games chart by both monthly active users (MAU) and revenue. (gamesindustry.biz)
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Microsoft and Asus confirmed that the ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X, their new handheld consoles, will be released in the US on Oct. 16. (PC Mag)
