If you are unsure what legalized sports gambling will look like for live attendance at the NBA, Major League Baseball, NFL or NHL, more in-your-face surrounding upgrades are coming.

Think a horse-racetrack.

In Washington, D.C., the big William Hill sports wagering operation, owned by Caesars Entertainment, just opened full-time sport-wager operation inside the venue where the Washington Wizards and Washington Capitals play -- the Capital One Arena.

And this is not just for gambling -- but includes all the comforts surrounding gambling.

The William Hill Sportsbook will include a restaurant and 100 large TV screens. The owners claim it’s the first in-arena sportsbook operating in the U.S -- one that will be open 365 days a year.

Even if you are not attending a live game at the arena, you can still go. And no, this isn’t just a little out of the way booth at an arena where one can make wagers. Think 17 different windows and 12 betting kiosks where fans and others can make all kind of wagers.

Legalized gambling while attending live sports events isn’t new. Mobile gaming/betting apps on phones have existed for some time in states where wagering is allowed. But if you are unsure, or just new to wagering, seeing a casino-like operation live at your favorite sporting arena -- where there are no starting gates, jockeys, or parading horses -- will signify a major change in professional sports.

All this adds to the growing sports wagering efforts around TV-related content and programming, carried on ESPN, Fox Sports and a host of other media.

The goal for these legacy TV networks is finding new, more engaged viewers in a media world where there is consistent linear TV viewer erosion.

Just look at the ESPNews channel. It runs seemingly nonstop betting odds data -- in graphics around its programming and advertising content -- provided by William Hill’s Caesars Sportsbook.

What will in-arena sportsbooks bring to the part of the sports consumer world that is unfamiliar with this type of gambling?

Finding a delicate thread around all this, at the bottom of a press release announcing the Capital One Arena deal, there is this message: “Must be 18 or older to gamble. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-522-4700 (call or text), or chat at ncpgambling.org/chat.”

So this can be dangerous -- like getting hit by an errant puck or a baseball line drive? Maybe I’ll just watch, but not play, from home. I’ll leave the gambling to the pros.

Although Roku and Amazon Fire TV are the two biggest streaming app/CTV platforms, each with over 50 million monthly active users, the two services are quite different when it comes to their respective national TV advertising messaging.

Over the past year, May 2020 to May 2021, Amazon Fire TV has spent $57 million in national TV advertising from among 6,711 airings, according to iSpot.tv. By comparison, Roku spent a tiny fraction of that amount -- $54,453 over the period from 574 airings.

Earlier this month, Roku said it had 53.6 million MAUs.

The latest estimates of Amazon Fire TV show the service has over 50 million MAUs.

Some of this might be explained by Roku's recent growth from licensing deals made with TV set manufacturers that placed the Roku technology inside smart TV makers platforms.

The Roku platform can be found on low-cost U.S. TV set makers, such as Haier, Hisense, Insignia, Sharp and TCL. In addition, Roku is also more focused around advertising revenues.

In the fourth quarter of 2020, advertising revenue on Roku’s platform was estimated to be $265 million, according to MoffettNathanson Research -- or about 56% of total platform revenue, which Roku says was $471.2 million. First quarter set-top-box revenue from the sale of players hit $107.7 million.

And while Amazon Fire TV’s platform is on some manufacturers -- Toshiba, Insignia, and JVC TV sets -- much of its business is directed at selling an array of set-top box devices/TV sticks.

Many virtual pay TV providers also have similar deals with TV set providers. For example, Sling TV has agreements with Samsung and LG for example, as well as TV set top players, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV and Chromecast.

Last year, Sling TV spent $20.9 million in national TV advertising coming from 16,211 airings.

Looking at other video streaming/virtual pay TV providers with a device component: Samsung TV Plus, spent $56,425 in national TV advertising; the short-lived T-Mobile TVision virtual pay TV service, which came with an accompanied set-top device, had 39 TV commercial airings totalling $3.3 milloin in estimated national TV spend.

Google TV -- which uses the Google Chromecast device to access entertainment apps -- spend $7.7 million from 32 airings.

While we can count on every move made by Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Hulu, Peacock and the other streaming services from the major entertainment players being dissected on a daily basis, we don’t hear nearly as much about the rest of the streaming market. 

Yet, there are hundreds of streaming services worldwide, including at least 300 in the U.S., according to Parks & Associates. 

A survey by Applicaster of 95 decision-makers involved in building streaming video apps at broadcasters (52% of the sample), D2C video brands (27%), multichannel aggregators (20%) and video game developers (1%) offers some directional insights on these other players’ plans and business models. 

Most (75%) of the respondents were from North America, with the rest based in Europe (12%), Latin America (8%) and Asia (5%). 

For context: Applicaster offers a platform designed to help broadcasters, content publishers and OTT providers create, distribute, and manage multimedia applications across multiple mobile and TV devices. Its clients are broadcast, sports and kids video providers, including Viacom and Disney. 

Most respondents (84%) said they expected audience growth in the first quarter (the survey was conducted in January) — with a third expecting organic growth, 28% expecting growth from added platforms, and 23% expecting growth from increased marketing. Just 12% expected no change, and 4% a decline in audience. 

Going forward, 30% said they expect their audiences to grow by up to 25% and 27% expect growth of up to 50%. About 19% expect growth of up to 75%, and another 18% expect growth of more than 75%. Just 6% expect no growth. 

Asked if they were seeing OTT ad-fill rates return to pre-pandemic levels, 70% of those that take ads reported that was happening with mobile in early 2021, versus only 56% saying the same about TV.

Multiple Platforms Are Mandatory

The responses confirmed that a mobile-only strategy (the one initially used by the now-defunct Quibi) won’t cut it anymore. Brands that hope to monetize the tide of streaming growth have to be everywhere their viewers are, and adding new platforms is the most efficient way to add significant volumes of users to increase ad revenue and/or subscriptions, as the report notes.

So while two-thirds of participants cited mobile as a top monetization platform for this year’s first half, 53% cited smart TVs, 44% gaming consoles, 42% boxes/sticks and 40% the web.

In addition, launching on more platforms was the most-cited (by 66%) goal for 2021 — followed by creating more content for apps (57%), launching more properties and apps on existing platforms (55%), and licensing more content (49%). 

‘Pure’ Monetization Models Are Rare 

The services reported using an eclectic mix of business models. Most use both AVOD and SVOD, combined with other revenue streams as well. 

More than two-thirds (67%) use AVOD. But of those, just 19% rely solely on advertising — the other 81% combine ads with other strategies. 

Of the 58% who use SVOD, only 22% rely only on subscriptions, with 78% also using other revenue streams. 

Forty percent use TV everywhere (TVE) and 39% use product placement. Again, in each case, the great majority (roughly 90%) combine TVE and product placement with other strategies. 

Of those who take advertising, more than a quarter (27%) report using sponsorships and product placement. 

Everywhere authentication is popular with U.S. cable brands, most of which use a matrix of monetization formats to serve cable viewers and reach the growing audience who have cut the cord. 

All in all, the participants reported 19 different combinations of revenue tools being used across platforms. 

Ad-Supported Model Trends 

Among those that take advertising, 40% reported that local advertising was outpacing national advertising in Q1. 

About half (49%) said that ad revenue generated by in-house sales teams is more valuable than programmatic. Only 20% said they have no sales teams, and rely on programmatic. 

Ongoing Model Honing Is Standard

Consumers’ evolving habits and learning based on their use of specific apps is driving continual honing of streaming apps. 

More than half (54%) said they were planning to change their monetization models within the next six months, and another 22% said they might do so. 

Here’s the breakdown on what models respondents are considering in the next six months: 

Reliance on App Stores Remains High

Nearly half (46%) say they are managing new subs for mobile and TV platforms via in-app signups that require revenue-sharing (generally 30%) with app stores, versus just 20% relying only on websites in order to avoid the app-store cut. 

Another 23% are still trying to figure out how to manage subscriptions without having to revenue-share with the app stores, while 11% don’t plan to offer subs. 

Nearly a third (27%) reported considering a combined AVOD-SVOD model over the next six months.

Californians using Google’s Waze ride-share app to get to airports, beaches, and parks and perhaps even bars this Memorial Day holiday weekend could see a Heineken USA ad — not for alcohol, but for a free Uber ride. As businesses begin to re-open and people travel to see friends and family across the state, reminding people to stay safe — not drink and drive —  becomes important to save lives. 

Heineken launched an anti-drunk driving campaign that will serve messages to Waze users if they enter a destination in the GPS-enabled mapping app that is likely a place where alcohol is consumed.

The campaign, which begins this weekend, uses targeted in-app notifications and offers a voucher to encourage consumers not to drive when they drink. 

Heineken USA is the first alcohol company to partner with Waze in the United States, and serve the message “when you drive, never drink” in the spot where app users can tap to redeem a free Uber ride. One smart thing both companies do, get the buy-in from users who download the app to collect their data. 

The campaign focuses on moderation and reminds consumers through messages that there is always a choice to drive safe and not get behind the wheel if they consume alcohol.

Of course, there are options to drink at home, buying the alcohol in advance or ordering it through a delivery service such as Drizly.

But after being stuck at home for more than a year as a result of COVID-19 government lockdowns, the chances of people traveling and visiting friends this weekend becomes greater. 

Drunk driving is still the number one cause of death on American roads, and while research from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicates that drunk driving fatalities have declined 21% during the past five years, there is still work to be done, according to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).

This partnership is part of a broader anti-drunk driving campaign — Heineken’s "When You Drive, Never Drink" global campaign — and adds to its growing list of collaborations aimed at encouraging better decision-making on the road.

The company first joined the Techniques for Effective Alcohol Management (TEAM) Coalition in February 2015, an alliance that allows the company to promote messages about responsibility and encourage positive fan behavior at sports and entertainment facilities.

Heineken, which pledges to serve messages to 1 billion consumers annually, last month announced its 2030 Brew a Better World program — a new set of ambitious commitments aimed at driving a positive impact on the environment, social sustainability and the responsible consumption of alcohol.

Brew a Better World includes pledges to decarbonize its production by 2030, cutting its overall emissions by 30%.

The company plans to reduce its carbon footprint working closely with customers, consumers and suppliers, and pledges to eliminate sending waste to landfills from its 166 production sites by 2025. 

The plan also means reducing its average water use to 2.6 hectoliters per hectoliter (hl/hl) in water-stressed areas and 2.9 hl/hl worldwide, and balance its water use in products in water-stressed areas as it is doing in Mexico, Spain, Egypt and Malaysia.

As the first step in its global rollout, HBO Max has announced a June 29 launch date for its debut in 39 Latin American territories and the Caribbean.

The service will be offered with a mobile option, as well as an OTT plan.

The plans start at $3 per month. Specific prices by plan and country are listed on HBOMax.com.

The standard plan includes access to three simultaneous users, five personalized profiles, content downloads and some titles in 4K. The mobile plan has a single standard definition stream with optimized image quality, on supported smartphones and tablets,

HBO Max will also offer subscriptions for recurring periods of three or 12 months, at discounts of up to 30%.

Offers include a 7-day free-trial period and an option to sample a limited selection of TV episodes at no cost.

Partners for these regions include AT&T Mexico, DirecTV Latin America, Sky Brasil, DirecTV GO and Grupo América Móvil, which will offer HBO Max to its subscribers.

Current HBO linear subscribers through distributors such as Claro Video (Mexico), Claro (Brazil), Claro (Latam), Oi (Brazil), Tim (Brazil), TotalPlay (Mexico), VIVO (Brazil) and VTR (Chile), will be given access to HBO Max at no additional cost.

The service will include access to Warner Bros. movies, at no additional cost, 35 days after their release in theaters in Latin America. UEFA Champions League matches live-streamed in Brazil and Mexico.

Facebook has made no secret of its opposition to Apple's new privacy settings, which prohibit app developers from tracking iPhone and iPad users without their permission.

The social media company not only ran a recent ad campaign imploring Apple to reverse course, but reportedly considered bringing an antitrust lawsuit against Apple.

Now, continuing its anti-Apple initiative, Facebook has funded a paper that claims Apple's new privacy settings somehow deprive consumers of choices.

“Apple’s update goes beyond any legitimate protection of users’ privacy interests,” University of Florida law professor D. Daniel Sokol and Harvard Business School associate professor Feng Zhu write in their analysis of Apple's new mobile privacy settings. “Apple’s iOS 14 policies reduce consumer choice under the guise of privacy.”

Their conclusion rests on a series of assumptions that appear questionable, at best.

First, the authors contend that Apple's interface -- which tells consumers that an app is seeking permission to track them, and asks people to choose whether or not to allow tracking -- is “ominous and misleading” and will result in low opt-in rates.

Those low opt-in rates, in turn, will “decimate the ad-based business model” -- apparently because the authors think non-personalized ads won't command enough revenue for developers. The result, according to the authors, will be fewer free apps for Apple devices, which will push consumers toward either purchasing apps, or using Apple's proprietary ones.

There are some obvious flaws in this logic, starting with the idea that people won't opt in to tracking due to a supposedly misleading interface.

First of all, some evidence suggests that many people are opting in to tracking.

As for people who don't opt in, there's a simpler explanation than allegedly “ominous” language: They don't want to be tracked.

That rationale would be consistent with voluminous research dating back to at least 2009, when professors at University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg School for Communication and the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law released a study showing that two out of three web users don't want customized ads.

Subsequent studies confirmed those results. A Pew study from 2012 found that 73% of web users don't want to receive ads targeted based on behavior.

Two years later, Pew reported that around two in three adults want the government to restrict advertisers' use of people's personal information.

More recently, a Pew study from late 2019 found that 81% of American adults believe the risks of data collection outweigh the benefits.

What's more, consumers aren't just expressing these opinions to researchers. People are also doing so at the voting booth.

Last November, California voters approved a ballot initiative that expanded the state's already broad privacy law. That makes it harder for companies to use data about race, ethnicity, health, or finances for advertising, and aims to guarantee that consumers can opt out of ad-targeting based on their online and app activity.

Earlier this year, Virginia passed a new privacy law. Other states, including New York, are considering new legislation.

The authors also assert that Apple's use of the word of “tracking” is misleading, in part because it includes the sharing of email lists (or other identifiers) with ad networks.

“Apple’s definition of 'tracking' extends well beyond what most users would consider 'tracking' (i.e., following their activity throughout the internet),” the authors declare. 

The academics also suggest that ads are either targeted or irrelevant, without taking into account the possibilities of contextual advertising.

While much of their analysis hinges on dubious arguments, Sokol and Zhu raise at least one point that could warrant a closer look. They argue that Apple's policies unfairly advantage its own apps and services, which collect ad-targeting data on an opt-out basis.

“Apple’s own advertising service will play by an entirely different set of rules, giving Apple a significant advantage over competitors, whom Apple requires to adhere to the new policy,” the researchers write.

Apple does draw on data it has about consumers -- including the types of stories they read on Apple News and Stocks, as well as the music, movies and TV shows users download -- to serve them ads, according to its privacy policy.

The company's model -- which appears at least somewhat similar to Google's controversial Fderated Learning of Cohorts -- relies on placing people into marketing segments of at least 5,000 people. Apple also says the data it uses is aggregated and doesn't identify individual users.

American Honda Motor Co. and AT&T have expanded their partnership just in time to lend an assist to summer road trips.

Now included with AT&T unlimited In-car Wi-Fi and available on certain Honda and Acura models, the WarnerMedia Ride app will allow passengers to connect multiple devices in their vehicles to browse, stream and share premium content from the WarnerMedia library.

Honda and Acura owners have been able to turn their compatible vehicles into Wi-Fi hotspots connecting up to seven smartphones or tablets dating back to 2017. With a growing number of compatible vehicles and greater consumer demand for mobile connectivity, American Honda and AT&T have extended their relationship and expanded available entertainment options for subscribers, the automaker says.

Passengers can now access 1,000+ hours of live and on-demand entertainment. The app includes hit TV shows and movies from top brands such as Cartoon Network, CNN, HBO Max, TBS, TNT and TruTV, spanning animation, entertainment, news and sports.

Owners can set up multiple profiles and personalize it with popular avatars from the WarnerMedia library. Profiles also ensure age-appropriate content with options for adults to restrict access to their profiles with an access code. 

Wireless connectivity and connected car services continue to be key features for customers and the automaker’s long-standing relationship with AT&T is one way to deliver new content, says Art St. Cyr, vice president of North American Auto Strategy for American Honda. The automaker plans to continue working to enhance the in-car experience for customers via the app.

WarnerMedia Ride is available in the App Store (iOS 11+) or Google Play (Android 9+) for all U.S. unlimited data plan subscribers. The app is included at no additional cost for existing and new unlimited subscribers and automatically detects AT&T In-car Wi-Fi without the need to log in.