- YouTube has overhauled its algorithm for kids content to promote “quality” videos (Bloomberg)
- Facebook has reportedly approached both Netflix and Disney about working together on a new TV device (CNET)
- Amazon Prime Video is suffering from a diluted brand identity—no one knows what the SVOD is trying to do (Business Insider)
- The jury is still out on what social media addiction really is, but the US is trying to combat it with new laws anyways (Recode)
- ABC, CBS, Fox and NBCUniversal have teamed up to sue streaming nonprofit Locast (Variety)
- How the new Warner Bros. CEO is approaching the future of media…beginning with a tour of the studio’s lot (Variety)
- Remember when a billion-dollar film was rare? Disney has already landed four this year, as The Lion King roars at the box office (CNN)
- YouTubers are looking to create a union of sorts, but can they pull it off? (Vox)
- The chorus of voices pushing for more LGBTQ representation in kids shows is growing even louder (Associated Press)
- After all the talk of Amazon killing Toys “R” Us, could it be the internet that can save the physical store? (Toronto Star)
- Inside WarnerMedia CEO John Stankey’s plans for the newly merged company (Variety)
- Following a deal with Smartisan earlier this year, social media darling TikTok is planning to produce a smartphone (The Verge)
- Amazon is forcing businesses to make their boxes smaller and easier to open or risk fines (Wall Street Journal)
- Despite the fact that Switch sales are still soaring, Nintendo’s profit dropped 46% (The Hollywood Reporter)
- Disney has set a new record for the highest-grossing year for a studio, with five months left (CNN)
- …Meanwhile, in China, homegrown Nezha is about to overtake Zootopia as the country’s biggest animated film ever (The Hollywood Reporter)
- Australia is looking at new regulations that would force streamers like Amazon and Netflix to film more Aussie content (Wall Street Journal)
- The British Gambling Commission is worried the gaming industry isn’t taking loot boxes seriously enough (Games Industry)
- As the streaming war continues, will the new players be able to take advantage of Netflix’s deficit-driven spending? (Tubefilter)
- …Though, maybe Apple should scrap its content plans and just buy Netflix (USA Today)
- How a website dedicated to famous birthdays has become the front page of the Gen Z internet (The Atlantic)
- The social effects of TV and why Sesame Street has changed cognitive abilities (New York Times)
- How will streaming services compete, when Americans are only willing to pay US$21 for all platforms combined? (The Hollywood Reporter)
- AT&T could be bringing live sports to HBO Max as its linear TV business continues to lose subscribers (Fast Company)
- Epic Games kicks off the first Fortnite world cup tomorrow, which is offering a US$30 million prize (The Verge)
- Bandai Namco is launching a new edtech platform that combines physical games with digital apps (Games Industry Biz)
- If you’re not an Apple-created app, good luck competing in the App Store as the techco thwarts competitors (Wall Street Journal)
- Since Stranger Things was littered with product placement and no one seemed to mind, Netflix could lean into the strategy (Fast Company)
- The Lion King is a technical marvel, but it doesn’t have the power of hand-drawn animation (Vulture)
- Never count Snap out: The social app’s stock soared as it added 13 million daily active users (Variety)
- TikTok is quite secretive, but it may have bought an AI music startup (Tech Crunch)
- The whole point of Facebook’s Messenger Kids was to only let users chat with pre-approved people, but that feature stopped working (The Verge)
- …And on that note, maybe this is a good time discuss whether smart speakers are actually safe for children to use (Tech Radar)
- MIPTV unveiled plans to change the event, including moving inside the Palais and unbundling with MIPCOM (Variety)
- Apple has submitted a patent for a new AR/VR headset (9to5Mac)
- Disney had a big weekend that culminated in Avengers: Endgame becoming the highest-grossing movie of all time (Variety)
- …But it was The Lion King that earned top spot at the box office with a US$185-million domestic opening (CNN)
- To keep kids TV going, should major networks kick in some money for public broadcasters? (Philadelphia Inquirer)
- Why closed captioning isn’t just for the hard of hearing anymore (The Guardian)
- How you can help Kyoto Animation after last week’s deadly fire (Fast Company)
- Japan’s animation industry is reeling following a studio arson attack (The Hollywood Reporter)
- The FTC doesn’t just want to slap YouTube on the wrist—the org is aiming to change all children’s privacy law (Tech Crunch)
- As the lunar landing anniversary looms, new content abounds, but the event has been influencing games since ’69 (The Guardian)
- The new Lion King is paving the way for a VR-fueled future in cinema (WIRED)
- …And why are audiences only going to see Disney movies? Because kids are driving household spending decisions (Variety)
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