Top News:
Kayla Cobb / The Wrap:
Cannes Lions: YouTube CEO Neal Mohan says YouTube Shorts now averages 200B daily views, up 186% from the 70B average daily views YouTube reported in March 2024 — CEO Neal Mohan also shares that AI model Veo 3 will be coming to the social media platform this summer — YouTube has crossed another major milestone.
Discussion:
The Desk and Tubefilter
RELATED:
Alex Weprin / The Hollywood Reporter:
At Cannes, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan says YouTube plans to integrate Google's most advanced AI video generation tool, Veo 3, into YouTube Shorts later this summer — The Veo 3 video generator is capable of creating both videos and sound based on text prompts, with YouTube CEO Neal Mohan saying the …
Discussion:
YouTube Official Blog, Mashable and Creative Bloq
Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:
The Economist reports revenue up 2% YoY to £368.5M for FY ending March 31, operating profit up 2% to £48.1M, subscribers up 3% to 1.25M, and digital subs up 8% — Economist says latest finances provide “foundation for our future”. — The Economist has reported a record year for revenue fuelled by growing subscriptions.
Elsa Keslassy / Variety:
London- and Paris-based Animaj, a kids' media company that uses proprietary generative AI production tools to automate animation pipelines, raised $85M — HarbourView Equity Partners is leading a $85-million investment in Animaj, the AI-powered media company specializing in kids & family entertainment.
Discussion:
Advanced Television
Megan Graham / Wall Street Journal:
A look at the media company Breaking and Entering, whose “60 Seconds of Advertising News” videos have become vital morning viewing for ad industry executives — Breaking and Entering has expanded from a podcast for young creatives to a daily must-watch news roundup for ad leaders
Financial Times:
Major US brands like Bud Light have shifted advertising strategies away from DEI themes, sources say due to fears of a Trump administration backlash — During this year's Super Bowl, American viewers were given a blast from the past when food chain Carl's Jr once again rolled …
Discussion:
@robertscotthorton.bsky.social and @eicathomefinn.bsky.social
Financial Times:
Netflix signs a landmark deal with France's TF1 to show linear TV for the first time; TF1 will broadcast all five of its channels, showing live sports and more — Deal will be closely watched by broadcasters, who are losing millions of viewers to streaming giants — Daniel Thomas and Hannah Murphy in Cannes
Discussion:
The Hollywood Reporter, The Wrap, Deadline, TVBEurope, Broadband TV News, The Desk, The A.V. Club, TVNewsCheck, Maria Ferreras on LinkedIn, Media Play News, Thurrott, Barron's Online, Telegraph, The Verge, Spyglass, Agence France-Presse, @feelinglistless.bsky.social, @jonathankey.bsky.social, @danielthomasldn, Maylis Çarçabal on LinkedIn, Advanced Television, The Hollywood Reporter, Screen, @charlesubaghs.bsky.social, Variety, Bloomberg and Semafor, more at Techmeme »
Jason Del Rey / Fortune:
A profile of LA-based Whatnot, a livestream marketplace valued at ~$5B, which has raised $700M+ since 2019 and expects its GMV to grow 100%+ YoY to $6B+ in 2025 — On a Wednesday night in early June, Rene Nezhoda leaned back in a Secretlab gaming chair, fiddled with a computer keyboard …
Discussion:
@lexnfx, @simonowens and @delrey
Dan Milmo / The Guardian:
Deezer says AI-made music accounts for just 0.5% of streams on the music streaming platform, but up to 70% of those streams are fraudulent — According to the French streaming platform's analysis, fraudsters use bots to listen to AI music and take the royalties
Jennifer Maas / Variety:
Warner Bros. Games restructures its operations into teams based on its four key franchises: Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, Mortal Kombat, and the DC Universe — Per WBD, three current studio heads have been promoted to Senior Vice President as part of the restructure: Warner Bros Games …
Discussion:
Deadline, Rock, Paper, Shotgun, TechRaptor, Push Square, Eurogamer.net, GamingBolt, Game Developer, GamesIndustry.biz, Gameranx, Tech Times, Video Games Chronicle, Gamereactor UK, Game Informer, Comic Book, The Wrap, The Hollywood Reporter, @ethangach.bsky.social, PC Games Insider and Blue's News
Samantha Schmidt / Washington Post:
El Salvador President Nayib Bukele, emboldened by his Trump administration ties, is cracking down on journalists along with dissenting lawyers and activists — While the Trump administration deepens ties with El Salvador, its millennial president is cracking down on dissenting lawyers, activists and journalists.
Discussion:
TVNewsCheck, @doggett.house.gov and @matthewhaybrown.bsky.social
Max Goldbart / Deadline:
The BBC appoints Director of Unscripted Kate Phillips as Chief Content Officer, replacing Charlotte Moore, who announced her exit in February — Director General Tim Davie said Phillips' “passion for delivering world-class content to our all audiences shines through in everything she does.”
Discussion:
Advanced Television, Variety, TVNewsCheck, Screen, BBC and The Hollywood Reporter
