1. Twitter Launches Paid Live Audio Rooms For iOS Users (TheVerge)

Twitter said that some hosts on Spaces, its live audio feature, will now be able to sell access to Ticketed Spaces. Twitter previously said it will take a 3% cut of creators’ earnings but since the feature is currently available only on iOS, Twitter will be subject to Apple’s 30% in-app purchase fee, so a creator will only see 67% of each ticket sale.

2. ESPN Is Exploring A $3B Sports Betting Deal (WSJ)

ESPN is looking at licensing its brand to major sports-betting companies for at least $3 billion over several years to capitalize on the fast-growing online gambling industry. The sports-media giant was in discussion with major sportsbooks, including casino operator Caesars Entertainment Inc. and online gambling company DraftKings Inc.

3. Tesla Investing Huge On Paid Organic Social Media Content (MediaPost)

Elon Musk’s Tesla is spending huge on paid organic content, according to BrandTotal. While 52% of Tesla’s overall social media engagement occurred across Instagram, 29% was on Twitter, 13% on YouTube, and 6% on LinkedIn. 41% of Tesla’s social media video views are on Twitter, followed by YouTube with 27%, Instagram with 26%, and LinkedIn with 6%.

4. Clubhouse Rolling Out Spatial Audio For A More ‘Lifelike’ Experience (TechCrunch)

Clubhouse introduced new messaging features and an Android app in recent months, and it is now focusing on improving its fundamental audio experience. On Sunday, the company announced that rooms in its program will now be equipped with spatial sound to provide users a more immersive feeling of hanging out live with others.

5. MMI Uncovers A $20M A Month CTV Ad Scam (AdExchager)

Ad-measurement and verification company Method Media Intelligence uncovered a connected TV fraud scheme that drains off $10 million a month in ad revenue. The scheme, dubbed as “RapidFire,” feeds counterfeit bid requests into ad exchanges running open auctions for CTV inventory, across a large number of apps, IP addresses, and devices.

6. Google Play App Store Revenue Hit $11.2B In 2019 (Reuters)

Google gained $11.2 billion in sales from its mobile app store in 2019, giving a clear picture of its financial success. Attorneys general for Utah and 36 other US states/districts suing Google over alleged antitrust violations said it made $8.5 billion in gross profit and $7 billion in operating income in 2019, for an operating margin of over 62%.

7. New Laws For Apple, Google, WeChat Digital Wallets In Australia (Reuters)

The Australian government is proposing new legislation that would tighten regulation of digital payment systems provided by internet giants like Apple and Google. Services like Apple Pay, Google Pay, and China’s WeChat Pay, which have been popular in recent years, are not officially designated as payment systems, leaving them unregulated.

Samien Kidwai

Hailing from an academic background, I have been an Assistant Professor in Mass Communication with an additional decade of experience in creative writing. I’m passionate about music and theatre with an inclination towards movies. Being an avid reader, I love to scribble my thoughts and ideas when I’m not running behind my 8 year old daughter.