A handful of NFL fans are getting a chance to see Verizon’s enhanced 5G service in tandem with the new iPhone 12 phone. But the company is playing it up big.

The Verizon 5G SuperStadium experience lets fans see up to seven different camera angles on the field, bringing them closer to the on-field action. Augmented reality lets viewers create video overlays of favorite players--they’re called ”holomojis’ -- complete with their current stats and other current game data.

Games where the experience will be featured are Sunday’s match-up between the Los Angeles Chargers and Miami Dolphins, and the Monday game matching the New York Giants and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Only viewers beamed the Chargers-Dophins game in their area will see the Super Stadium experience. Viewers nationwide can see the Giants-Buccaneers game.

But like a quarterback threading the needle to complete a pass, there’s only a small window of opportunity for people to catch Verizon’s 5G show. They’d have to have the new 5G iPhone 12 and Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband service, and watch it over the NFL Network app.

That is an extremely small universe of viewers, though Verizon recently expanded Ultra  service to 19 additional US cities, 19 stadiums and six airports. The trouble is, Ultra operates on an mmWave band, which is very fast. It just doesn’t extend very far--blocks, not miles.

Verizon has also just improved its more expandable standard 5G service. Officially, this week it is widening 5G availability so the nifty new NFL features could, in theory, be viewable by a larger pool. Verizon says the new 5G service closer to Ultra could reach 200 million people, according to its new coverage map.

In a promotional video, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says, “Today we don’t have as many fans in our stadiums as we want,” referring to the COVID-19 limit on attendance. “But we’re able to deliver an experience [as if it was] in the stadium. The 5G platform is going to do it with lower latency and higher speeds. We’re going to be able to make that experience like you’re sitting on the 50-yard line.”

The video exclaims, “Feel the action on the field with Verizon 5G Super Stadium.”

Though Verizon 5G Ultra has not been not widely available, it has been widely promoted. Chris Rock appears in new Verizon spots, proclaiming, “5G just got real” and touting those simultaneous multi-angle shots in NFL games--and the incredible speed of 5G Ultra.

“Remember when the song of the summer’ took a whole summer to download?” he asks.  “One time I waited 51 minutes for Janelle Monáe’s ‘Dirty Computer’ to download. That’s longer than the whole album!”

Congress should prevent telecoms from discontinuing older internet access technology without offering an equivalent replacement, a coalition of advocacy groups urged Friday.

“The FCC has prevented itself from taking action against internet service providers who retire broadband services without having a suitable replacement ready,” the groups wrote to lawmakers. “If Congress does not want consumers, particularly those in rural and low-income areas, to lose their connectivity, it will have to take action.”

The letter, addressed to leaders of the Senate Commerce Committee and House Committee on Energy & Commerce, was signed by 11 groups including the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society, Next Century Cities and Public Knowledge.

The letter comes in response to news that AT&T plans to stop accepting orders for new DSL service.

While the company's DSL service is slow, ranging from speeds of .768 Mbps to 6 Mbps, it's the only wireline option for more than 200,000 households, according to the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.

“When DSL is retired, consumers will look for fixed alternatives such as fiber or cable. However, these substitutes are not available to many,” the advocacy groups write.

“For nearly a third of the 653,000 households connected to AT&T’s DSL service, the only alternative is mobile or satellite broadband,” the groups add. “However, current satellite technology is slow and expensive, and it’s difficult to do homework with data caps.”

The groups add that other telecoms, including Verizon, are likely to also end DSL service.

The organizations note that the greatest proportion of DSL users is in rural areas, and that median household income in areas where DSL is the only wireline option is lower than in areas where fiber service is available.

“Not only will consumers have trouble finding other broadband options that are physically available to them, but also many will likely be priced out of those alternative options scarcely available in rural and low-income areas,” the organizations write.

They add that the FCC effectively stripped itself of authority to intervene by reclassifying broadband access as an "information service" in 2017, when the agency voted to repeal the Obama-era net neutrality rules. 

“In order to ensure that consumers are protected when internet service providers retire older technologies, Congress must step in,” the organizations write.

They are asking lawmakers to either require the FCC to regulate broadband, or prohibit internet service providers from discontinuing DSL service without an equivalent replacement.

Hispanics comprise just 19% of the U.S. population but are “by far one of its fastest-growing segments,” according to research from Claritas.

“Hispanics are in their prime spending years and will be major contributors of consumer spending growth for years to come,” David Mesas, vice president of sales and business development for Claritas’ multicultural insights unit, wrote in a recent report.

These insights help to explain why more CPG brands are turning their focus to the Hispanic community or solidifying their presence therein.

In the walkup to next month’s American Music Awards, Frito-Lay’s Cheetos has partnered with Puerto Rican music star Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio—best known by his Bad Bunny stage name.

Cheetos is sponsoring the four new Latin music categories that will debut during the AMA’s Nov. 22 telecast. The snack brand’s initiative is titled deja tu huello—or “leave your mark,” says Marissa Solis, Frito-Lay North America senior vice president of marketing.

While more than 50% of Cheetos’ sales “are in the Hispanic base,” there’s a broader strategy behind the Bad Bunny partnership, Solis tells Marketing Daily. 

“He’s making such a mark on mainstream culture. It was important for us to partner with a strong Latino artist who goes beyond just the Hispanic, but really touches a broader base.”

Cheetos is contributing $500,000 to the Good Bunny Foundation, which Solis describes as an organization that “prides itself in educating young Latinos and making sure [they] get into the arts and make their mark on the world as well.”

The contribution is incremental to the more than $170 million that Frito-Lay parent PepsiCo says it will invest in Hispanic communities, businesses and efforts to increase Hispanic representation within the company.

Ocean Spray Cranberries just launched its first national Hispanic marketing campaign. It’s called “Sabor Único. Bueno Para Todos” (“Unique Flavor. Good For Everyone.”) 

it was designed to introduce cranberries to “new audiences” based on insight indicating that “Hispanic audiences were not familiar with cranberries as a fruit,” Ocean Spray said when announcing the initiative earlier this month.

A 15-second campaign spot highlights Ocean Spray’s Cran-Mango and Cran-Pineapple variations with a Spanish-language voiceover.

Beer marketer Modelo—whose brands include Corona Extra and Modelo Especial—is rolling out its second iteration of augmented reality outdoor murals in eight cities to celebrate the annual Dia de Los Muertos (Day Of The Dead) Mexican holiday.

The holiday runs from Nov. 1-2.

The murals feature three-dimensional artwork of skeletons playing music. They can also be viewed at a dedicated website by scanning QR code with a mobile device.

“In recent years, we have seen an incredible 50% increase in general market drinkers,” Greg Gallagher, Modelo’s vice president of marketing, tells Marketing Daily. “Today, 55% of Modelo drinkers are Hispanic and 45% are general market. That said, 70% of the volume is still from Modelo’s Hispanic base.”

Moving to the soccer field, Post Consumer Brands’ Honey Bunches of Oats cereal announced this month that it is partnering with the LeagueSide organization to sponsor 16 U.S. youth soccer leagues. 

The move comes amid a cutback in scholarships and financial aid for youth players as a result of COVID-19. According to a Honey Bunches of Oats rep, more than 60% of league players are Hispanic or people of color.  In addition to the sponsorship, the cereal is awarding $1,000 scholarships to three players via an online contest, a move meant to help them defray the cost of soccer playing. League registration costs range from $250 to $500, not including equipment and travel expenses.

2020 was destined for big events, such as the Olympics. And the media and entertainment industry, entire marketing, advertising, and even streaming platform launches, were coordinated with this in mind. 

COVID-19, however, had other plans and the calendar quickly turned vacant. And while the industry made up some lost revenue by being creative with virtual events, the lack of big releases still came at a costly price. This year, PwC data forecasts the industry will contract by 5.6%.

Fortunately, there is still one major moment remaining that is perhaps the biggest event of all: the presidential election.

This political opportunity provides a rare time period to capitalize on an event of interest to a nation. The first.  first presidential debate in September drew 73 million viewers.

And as head into the final election stretch, here are top considerations for media companies.

Ramp Up Content and Focus on New Audience Retention

Distributing new content with the fast-changing news cycle is important to keep viewers engaged. Covering the election this year doesn’t require a massive production, given the pandemic. It doesn't require an elaborate set to recap the day’s news.

A massive, timely topic also means the opportunity for reaching an audience you may not normally engage. Gen Z and Millennials are both audience segments many media companies will continue to work to attract and maintain. From enticing them with original programming in commercial breaks to investing in short video content perfect for mobile, media companies need to get creative to build loyalty with a wider audience.

But all companies will face the reality of competition.

The fundamentals to break through noise centers around the viewer experience. Keeping content libraries personalized to meet the needs of each consumer is important, which comes with continued investments into algorithms that help direct a viewer to content. Prioritizing easy-to-navigate interfaces, like in the form of an election-only section of a website or platform, is another way to enable consumers to find the content that interests them.

Building Trust through Content Moderation

Another key consideration is that politics is divisive and sensitivity around this election is high with a rampant spread of misinformation paired with a growing sense of distrust.

Consumers want authentic content they can trust and any misstep along the way can completely erode a brand’s reputation. Even late-night shows, which don’t traditionally have the expectation to follow strict journalistic standards, must ensure authenticity and a level of accuracy with each joke told.

Considering media companies are concerned about increased data and regulation, regardless of which candidate wins; it’s critical the industry prioritizes content moderation. With content often shared on social media, comment sections of posts quickly spin out of control and fuel misinformation and further division. Companies should consider investing in AI to help.

The media brands that recognize this landscape, the need to meet the demands of consumers in a trustworthy fashion, and the importance of sticking to fundamentals to keep audiences engaged will be the ones that not only offer great election content but end an unpredictable year on a high note.

A majority of marketers from retail, financial services, CPG, restaurant and travel industries are “very” or “moderately” reliant on third-party cookies, tracking codes created by domains other than the one the user is visiting at the time. Both Apple and Google have announced their plans to stop collecting this data.

Publicis’ Epsilon is releasing research to further understand marketers’ perceptions, readiness and concerns regarding the future deprecation of third-party cookies as well as changes to mobile ad identifiers (MAIDs) like Apple’s IDFA.

For one, they are not happy about it. Marketers have a more negative perception of Google (38%) and Apple (44%) as a result of the announced changes, with 67% having negative feelings about the pending changes and 44% responding that they are disappointed with the plans. In fact, 69% of respondents say the impact is bigger than prior privacy changes, the GDPR or CCPA.

Seven in 10 believe digital advertising will be adversely affected by these changes and will take a step backwards.

Marketers, perhaps most notably, feel these decisions will not benefit anyone. Nearly two-thirds believe the changes will not help consumers (62%) or will result in little to no improvement to consumers’ control of personal data (63%). Most think consumers will receive a less personalized ad experience (55%) and feel privacy concerns will persist (50%).

Although less than half (46%) of respondents are “very prepared” for these upcoming alterations, 69% are taking active steps to prepare. Their top three actions include building a customer data platform (67%), strategizing around first-party data (62%), and on building out a private ID graph (60%).

Epsilon partnered with Phronesis Partners to conduct an online survey of 259 U.S. marketers who are “key decision-makers” or “influencers” for digital advertising in their organizations across the retail, financial services, CPG, restaurants and travel industries. The survey ran from August 26 through September 15, 2020. Respondents were screened to be at least “somewhat familiar” with the deprecation of third-party cookies.

The full report can be accessed here.

Video revenue sank 3.2% to $4.2 billion due to customer credits, resulting from less sports programming during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Charter had more business from lower-priced video packages within its video customer base, and lower pay-per-view and video-on-demand revenue.

Charter had a net gain of 67,000 subscribers versus an increase of 94,000 in the third quarter of 2019. Total video subscribers stand at 16.2 million.

Charter’s broadband and internet business continued to see strong results, with revenue 13% higher to $4.7 billion. It added 537,000 new customers in the period -- down from 850,000 in the third quarter of 2019. Total subscribers are now at 28.6 million.

Overall Charter revenue grew 5.1% to $12.0 billion, due to internet, mobile and advertising sales. Net income attributable to the company more than doubled to $814 million from $387 million.

Local cable advertising was up 17% to $460 million -- with big additions from political marketers resulting from this year’s election season. In addition, advertising was boosted by shifted schedules for multiple sports leagues and events in the period.

Charter also says it continues to see “lower local and national sales” -- which are recovering from the effects of the pandemic.

Mobile revenue nearly doubled -- up 92% to $368 million. Landline voice revenue, heading downward, lost 6% to $449 million.

Charter’s stock was up 4.3% in early morning Friday trading to $601.41.

Earlier this week, the Interactive Advertising Bureau France brought an antitrust complaint in the EU against Apple over its planned privacy settings, which will only allow app developers to track users if they explicitly consent.

The U.S. ad industry has made no secret of its opposition to Apple's plans, but the IAB here isn't as eager as its French counterpart to challenge the company on antitrust grounds.

“In the U.S., antitrust is a long, complex, and often cumbersome process that too frequently fails to address pressing competitive needs in a timely manner,” the IAB stated Thursday.

Instead, the group is pushing for what it calls “collective development of technical standards and operating practices by the major browser and OS providers.”

The IAB adds: “This needs to be done together with bodies representing users, with regulation assuring all participants’ compliance, if need be.”

This isn't the first time the industry has suggested it will push for legal restrictions on Apple's new mobile operating system, which will inform consumers when an app wants to track them for ad purposes, and will ask people to either allow or prohibit tracking by that app.

Apple, which originally planned to introduce the setting this autumn, now says it will be available early next year.

Back in August, online ad groups formed a new organization, the “Partnership for Responsible Addressable Media,” in hopes of convincing Google and Apple to reconsider decisions that could limit ad companies' ability to track people across websites and apps. (In Google's case, the plan involves configuring Chrome by 2022 to block cookies set by ad-tech companies and other third parties.)

When the industry announced the new group, Venable attorney Stu Ingis, who will head the legal and policy working group, said ad organizations might push for new legal restrictions on developers of browsers and platforms, if they follow through on plans to restrict tracking.

“If the platforms or browsers are not going to work with the rest of the ecosystem, there's going to need to be regulation,” he told MediaPost at the time.

Despite the industry's talk, it's not at all clear what kind of regulations would require Apple to allow the ad industry to have a say in iPhones' privacy settings.

It's also worth noting that ad industry's desire for regulations seems badly timed, given that the trend in states like California, Maine and Nevada has been to restrict data collection.

In fact, not only did California pass a privacy law in 2018, but state voters appear to be poised to vote in favor of a ballot initiative that would broaden the existing law.

In any event, it seems unlikely that government officials would pass regulations by early next year, which is when Apple's new setting is supposed to roll out.