Mediagazer: YouTube plans a major connected TV app revamp, with a new UI and features like immersive previews for creator pages and a more prominent subscribe functionality (Alex Weprin/The Hollywood Reporter)

David Pierce / The Verge:

YouTube launches Communities, a space where creators can let fans post content and chat, and Community Hub, which shows creators all their channel's activity — Many creators post videos on YouTube but take to other platforms to actually interact with their fans and viewers.

Discussion: YouTube Official Blog, Business Insider, Fast Company, The Information, Android Central, Thurrott, The Keyword, Neowin, Deadline, TechCrunch, Tubefilter and 9to5Google, more at Techmeme »

Alex Weprin / The Hollywood Reporter:
YouTube plans a major connected TV app revamp, with a new UI and features like immersive previews for creator pages and a more prominent subscribe functionality

Discussion: AV Club, Variety, Engadget, Brynn Evans on LinkedIn and JR Futrell on LinkedIn, more at Techmeme »

Lauren Forristal / TechCrunch:
YouTube integrates Google DeepMind's AI video generation model Veo into Shorts, letting creators generate high-quality backgrounds and 1080p six-second clips

Discussion: Guohui on LinkedIn, Google DeepMind and Wired, more at Techmeme »

David Pierce / The Verge:
YouTube adds an Inspiration tab in the YouTube Studio app that lets creators use AI to generate video concepts, create titles and thumbnails, and write scripts

Discussion: Business Insider, Android Authority, The Wrap, @Faintdreams@dice.camp and @baekdal, more at Techmeme »

David Pierce / The Verge:
YouTube unveils Hype, a promotional system that lets users boost smaller creators with a hype button after liking; the most-hyped videos appear on a leaderboard

Discussion: Business Insider, TechCrunch and TechCrunch, more at Techmeme »

Reuters:

Sources: Google tried to end an EU antitrust probe by offering to sell its ad marketplace AdX, or Ad Exchange, but European publishers rejected the proposal — Alphabet's (GOOGL.O) Google earlier this year offered to sell its advertising marketplace AdX to allay EU competition concerns …

Discussion: Engadget, The Information, Breitbart, Financial Times and Associated Press, more at Techmeme »

Foo Yun Chee / Reuters:

The EU's General Court annuls a €1.49B antitrust fine imposed on Google in 2019 for abusing its dominance to prevent websites from using non-AdSense ad brokers — Alphabet (GOOGL.O) unit Google won a legal challenge on Wednesday against a 1.49 billion euro ($1.7 billion) …

Doric Sam / Bleacher Report:

ESPN's NBA reporter Adrian Wojnarowski is leaving after seven years to become general manager of the men's basketball program at his alma mater St. Bonaventure — In a stunning turn of events, ESPN lost arguably the best basketball insider in media on Wednesday.

Amanda Silberling / TechCrunch:

Patreon adds Autopilot, which predicts free members that are most likely to upgrade and offers discounts, after finding upgrade rates grew by ~19% in testing — Patreon is rolling out new automated features for creators to convert free members to paid ones.

Discussion: Carlos Faham on LinkedIn, Tubefilter and Patreon

Jessica Toonkel / Wall Street Journal:

Lionsgate, the studio behind The Hunger Games, John Wick, and Twilight, signs a deal with Runway to use generative AI in the creation of its movies and TV shows — Hollywood studio will give the tech company access to its library of movies and shows in exchange for a custom-built AI model

Anna Washenko / Engadget:

Substack now lets creators with its Bestsellers badges start live videos within its app, and plans to roll out the feature to all users in the coming months — It's just for top users at the start, but will the general audience tune in? — Substack is adding a live video component to its newsletter service.

Discussion: The Verge, Tubefilter, On Substack, @ryansingel@writing.exchange and @taylorlorenz, more at Techmeme »

Benjamin Mullin / New York Times:

Sources: TelevisaUnivision weighs immediately replacing CEO Wade Davis and Daniel Alegre is under consideration to be new CEO; the board plans to meet this week — Wade Davis led an acquisition of Univision in 2020, buying out a consortium of private-equity owners.

Hadas Gold / CNN:

Online outlet The Haitian Times' staff face threats and attacks since Donald Trump and JD Vance amplified conspiracy theories about Haitian immigrants in Ohio — New York CNN — — Macollvie Neel, editor of the Haitian Times, was ready to start her workday from home on Monday when her doorbell rang.

Discussion: Media Nation, Mediaite, Vibe, KVIA-TV, WKYC-TV and Associated Press

Podnews:

WARC forecasts Spotify's global advertising revenue to grow 13% YoY to $2.1B in 2024; podcast ad revenue growth outpaced increases in music ad monetization — Spotify, the world's most popular audio streaming subscription service, is now turning to opportunities in the video advertising space whilst making …

Discussion: Radio & Television …

Axios:

Major US networks are eyeing local sports rights as part of their streaming and broadcast portfolios, while NBA and MLB explore ways to nationalize local rights — - That has allowed local TV giants like Scripps and Gray TV to compete for sports rights. — While teams are striking …

Todd Spangler / Variety:

Memos: Spotify VP and Head of Content Business Sahar Elhabashi plans to leave at the end of 2024; Roman Wasenmüller will become interim podcast head — Sahar Elhabashi, VP and head of the podcast business at Spotify, will leave the streaming giant at the end of 2024 after six years at the company.

Discussion: Radio Ink and Podnews