Category: News
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XFL and USFL Say They Will Merge Football Leagues, Which Tangles Up the TV Rights
The XFL and USFL said on Thursday that they intend to merge into a single football league. The two leagues offered a short statement on the deal, and said that more details about the new league would come at a later time. “Subject to customary regulatory approvals and if the transaction is consummated, the new…
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YouTube TV Glitch Causing Unskippable Ads on Recorded Programs Returns
A bug that is forcing unskippable ads into YouTube TV’s recorded programs seems to have made a return. A number of users on YouTube TV’s Reddit thread have complained the shows and movies they’ve recorded to their library get served up as a video on demand — complete with ads that they can’t fast forward…
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Sling TV FreeStream Adds Five Free Channels, Including For a Hit Anime
Sling TV has been steadily growing its FreeStream ad-supported service, which is accessible to anyone and can be found on various platforms like Roku, Fire TVs, smart TVs and more. Over the last week, five new channels popped up on the service. Sling TV Freestream is just one of the myriad of free, ad-supported streaming…
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HBO CEO on Why Hollywood Strike Lasted So Long: ‘Existential’ Fear Over Industry Changes
Hollywood writers have gone on strike before. But this one, which lasted nearly five months, was different, largely because of some of the fundamental shifts going on in the entertainment industry. That’s according to HBO CEO Casey Bloys, who spoke at Vox’s Code Conference on Wednesday. He addressed a number of topics while at the…
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Spotify Will Use AI To Translate Podcasters Using Their Own Voices
You’ll soon be able to listen to your favorite podcast on Spotify in another language “spoken” by the show’s host. Spotify this week unveiled artificial intelligence-powered Voice Translation for podcasts. The pilot feature taps Microsoft Open AI’s new voice generation technology to clone the original speaker’s style and create a “more authentic listening experience” in…
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Nextdoor Rolls Out Localized In-App Alerts From the Weather Channel
Nextdoor is teaming up with The Weather Channel to issue relevant in-app forecast content and weather warning alerts to its users. The feature is currently rolling out. The collaboration aims to provide vital hyper-local details and severity of impending weather events, the alert’s date and time, and a link to The Weather Channel’s forecast page…
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Disney+ Will Start Restricting Password Sharing in Canada
Disney+ will start cracking down on password-sharing in Canada starting November 1. Canadian subscribers will have to pay extra if they want to continue sharing their accounts with non-household members. The stricter rules will coincide with Disney’s launch of ad-supported plans in parts of Canada and Europe. The Disney+ news mirrors the recent changes made…
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T-Mobile Will Pay $7.5 Million To Settle FCC Probe Over Sprint’s Lifeline Business
T-Mobile has agreed to pay $7.5 million to settle a Federal Communications Commission investigation into Sprint’s alleged misuse of government funds. When T-Mobile acquired Sprint in 2019, the carrier also inherited Sprint’s tangled legal web. Friday’s agreement looks to have closed the chapter on any unresolved billing issues from the investigation, which began in 2019.…
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Comcast’s Xumo Play Adds Speedvision as a New Free Streaming Channel
Today, Speedvision launched a new free channel on Xumo Play, Comcast’s ad-supported streaming platform. Gearheads can now watch programming from the network’s lineup of diverse “blue-chip vehicle entertainment.” “The Speedvision channel on Xumo Play will appeal to millions of auto enthusiasts and car aficionados alike with its unique, original content,” said Stefan Van Engen, vice…
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DIRECTV & DIRECTV STREAM Add 2 New Channels
Yesterday, DIRECTV and DIRECTV STREAM added two new channels with the additions of Tastemade Travel and Tastemade Home. Here is how DIRECTV describes these new channels: Tastemade Travel is described as a “trusted confidant in finding new adventures that make the local, global! Featuring off-the-beaten-path series with diverse hosts that you can trust, this streaming channel…