Locast vs. the Media Giants

Locast a nonprofit startup service that launched in 2018 which grabs over-the-air channels and streams them free over the internet said late Thursday that the ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC's "sham litigation" against it, is an antitrust conspiracy to drive it out of business and they are colluding to deny consumers over-the-air signals they once committed to make freely available. 

The suit was the first attack against a company that many see as a successor to Aereo (see past stories), a for-profit streaming service that five years ago offered consumers livestreams of broadcast channels for a monthly subscription. The difference between the cases is Locast's nonprofit status. US copyright law has allowed certain nonprofit institutions to grab over-the-air TV signals and retransmit them to nonpaying viewers, such as a university setting up an antenna that can retransmit to students in its dorms.

Locast's first official answer to the copyright suit goes beyond simply rejecting the companies' accusations of copyright infringement to accuse them of collusion and it's bringing Google's YouTube into the fight. Locast stated that executives at YouTubeTV a paid service that streams live TV channels, met with the Big Four broadcasters suing Locast in April. According to Locast, the YouTube executives were told that if YouTubeTV provided access to Locast, then YouTubeTV would be "punished" by the media giants when YouTube renegotiated the licensing deals allowing its streaming service to carry media giants' cable networks.

In full disclosure, although Locast relies on donations from viewers, it accepts money from corporations and recently received $500,000 from AT&T, which also operates the DirecTV satellite service. When a fee dispute blacked out CBS for more than 6.5 million AT&T television subscribers for a few weeks this summer, AT&T encouraged its users to try Locast.

No doubt this story will continue for some time and we look forward to seeing how it ultimately plays out. More:  The Hollywood Reporter 09/26/19 - Locast Accuses the Major Broadcasters of Antitrust Violations and The New York Times 09/27/19 - Locast, a Free Streaming Service, Sues ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox

As Millennial's enter their prime spending years - What industries will benefit?

Millennial's, also known as Gen Y, are the demographic cohort following Generation X and preceding Generation Z. Pew Research Center has projected that by the end of 2019, Millennial's will be the largest generation in history. 

Over the next few decades, Millennial's will enter their prime spending years and the generation is set to receive over $30 trillion in wealth from baby boomers and Gen X. This enormous transfer of wealth has already begun transforming a range of industries. Some industries benefiting from millennial's’ increased spending power, such as travel, reflect well-worn Gen Y tropes like the general preference for “experiences” over things. Others, like car ownership and camping, show that many of the claims about millennial's’ different spending habits are overblown, and that significant continuities exist between Gen Y and their parents and grandparents. However, these industries won’t thrive unchanged. The companies that will come out on top are those that are reorganizing and re-prioritizing around Generation Y. This means they’re embracing changing preferences to offer more sustainability, affordability, and flexibility in their products and services. They’re also embracing new technology and the unprecedented discoverability and customer connections it allows.

In this report from CBInsights, they dive into twelve of the industries that they predict could benefit the most from the rise of GenY. Check them out and feel free to add your own in the comments.

Activities & Hobbies

1. Camping
2. Fitness
3. Travel

Consumer goods

4. Fast casual dining
5. Coffee
6. Frozen foods
7. Seltzer
8. Houseplants
9. Skincare

Transportation

10. Automotive
11. Micromobility

Finance

12. Personal finance

Study: Most location-based ad spending is wasted on bad targeting

Analysis completed by Location Sciences found that up to $65K of every $100K spent on location advertising fell outside of the targeted area or is based on signals of insufficient quality to deliver targeting requirements. According to the report, 29% percent of location-based media spending went to delivering ad impressions outside of the geotargeted area, while 36% was wasted because of a lack of quality location signals.

Reaching consumers with location-based ads is considered one of the most powerful promotional strategies, underpinning the increased spending on mobile, out-of-home (OOH) and experiential marketing. The ability to connect with on-the-go customers when they're ready to shop, or to direct them to nearby stores, restaurants and entertainment venues is a key advantage for mobile platforms. However, those capabilities are undermined when location-based ads are misdirected because of poor-quality data or signals. Read more here in this short article in Mobile Marketer:  https://www.mobilemarketer.com/news/study-most-location-based-ad-spending-is-wasted-on-bad-targeting/561908/