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Recommended Reading: How memes became political weapons
How memes got weaponized: A short history Joan Donovan, MIT Technology Review Memes are entertaining, but they've also become key weapons in politics and the spread of misinformation. This piece starts with just one of many insane stories: "In October 2016, a friend of mine learned that one of his wedding photos had made its way into a post on a right-wing message board," Donovan writes. "The picture had been doctored to look like an ad for Hillary Clinton's campaign, and appeared to endorse the idea of drafting women into the military."
Fox Sports will stream ALCS games in 4K HDR for the first time
Want to watch the American League Championship Series in the best possible quality? You'll need to stream it. Fox Sports is keeping up its recent habits by streaming 2019 ALCS games in 4K HDR through its namesake app and Fox Now. The same caveats still apply. You'll need a 4K-capable Roku device or an Apple TV 4K to watch. And this is technically an upconverted 1080p signal rather than true 4K -- you might not see every dirt smudge on player's uniforms. This could nonetheless be the best view you get, and you can tune into the non-HDR 4K feed using FuboTV and conventional broadcasters.
Fox Sports will broadcast Thursday Night Football in 4K
Fox is expanding its 4K offerings. After it streamed every Women's World Cup game in 4K, it's now doing the same for the NFL's Thursday Night Football -- the new season of which kicks off on September 26th. The game is being captured in 1080p and HDR, then upconverted, so streaming viewers will get the benefit of resolution beyond Fox's usual 720p broadcast plus the improved colors and contrast, if not all of the pixels you'd expect in a true 4K feed.
Comcast sues Maine over a law requiring a-la-carte cable offerings
Cord cutting may seem like the new norm, but plenty of people still pay for cable TV. That doesn't mean they're happy with it though. This summer, in response to complaints that customers had to purchase an entire cable package just to watch one or two channels, Maine passed a law requiring cable companies to offer channels a-la-carte. Now, Comcast and a handful of cable operators, including Fox, CBS and Disney, are suing Maine and 17 municipalities to prevent the law from going into effect.
Fox is the first US sports network to put its name on a gambling app
At the same time as sports hub theScore announced it's launching a new betting app, media giant Fox has unveiled its own gambling platform. Fox Bet rolls out first in New Jersey, and will give users access to sports content, news, expert insight, commentary and analysis, as well as real money wagering experience. Fans can bet on a wide range of live sports and events, including football, baseball, motor sports, hockey, golf, tennis and soccer.
A 'Home Alone' reboot is coming to Disney+
It was clear that Disney's upcoming streaming service, Disney+, would be relying on some familiar names when it first started devouring movie and TV franchises left, right and center. What wasn't apparent at the time, though, was just how heavily the platform planned to lean on existing content -- or more specifically, the "reimagining" of movie classics. In the company's third-quarter earnings call this week, Disney's Bob Iger revealed plans to reboot four franchises from its newly-acquired Fox library, including Cheaper By the Dozen, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Night at the Museum and beloved Christmas masterpiece, Home Alone.
Major broadcasters sue nonprofit TV service over copyright infringement
CBS, ABC, NBC and Fox have joined forces in a fight against Locast, a nonprofit streaming service funded in part by AT&T Inc and Dish Network Corp. The service is marketed as a distribution alternative for people who can't get local TV signals through their antenna, but it's also earned a reputation as a free alternative for consumers who are tired of their cable bills. According to The Wall Street Journal, the four networks claim Locast is retransmitting their local TV signals without permission, therefore violating copyright law.
Fox Sports will stream every Women's World Cup game in 4K
Fox Sports offered 4K streams for the 2018 FIFA World Cup last year, but in order to watch them, you had to own a HiSense TV. For the Women's World Cup that begins Friday in France, those higher quality streams will be more readily available. The network told Engadget that for the first time 4K broadcasts will be available inside the Fox Sports and Fox Now apps. They'll still be somewhat limited though: You'll need an Apple TV or Roku device to watch the action on the pitch in 4K (2160p).
‘The Orville’ will return for a third season on Fox
The adventures of the USS Orville will continue, as Fox has renewed The Orville for a third season. Seth MacFarlane's show concerns the crew of the eponymous spaceship, as it explores the depths of space. The show's second season was not a ratings winner, and viewing numbers dwindled as time went on. But, Fox's close relationship with MacFarlane, and a hefty tax credit from the state of California, made a third season a cheaper proposition.
A multiplayer 'Predator' game is coming to PS4 next year
A new take on Predator is coming to PS4. At yesterday's PlayStation State of Play, we learned that IllFonic, the studio behind Friday the 13th, is working on Predator: Hunting Grounds. Due out in 2020, the game is still in early development, but we know that it will be a competitive, online multiplayer experience. And it's being created by a team of Predator fans, loyal to the 1987 film and subsequent takes on the Predator universe.
Fox Sports will introduce a real money betting app in the US this fall
What's left of Fox after the Disney deal is venturing into uncharted territory for the company -- namely, a betting app. Fox Sports has unveiled a partnership with gambling app giant Stars Group, Fox Bet, that will release a self-titled real money betting app in the US this fall. Precious few details are available, although it'll cover a "wide range" of sports events and place nicely with the law.
Disney+ adds 'The Simpsons' as a streaming exclusive
Among a flood of original and archived Disney programming coming to the Disney+ service when it launches November 12th, the company slipped in one last surprise from Fox: The Simpsons. Once the service launches, it will be the streaming home for all 30 seasons of the series. Right now, all episodes of The Simpsons are available via the FXX-linked Simpsons World site, and also stream on Hulu. Presumably that will change later this year, when they're locked into the $7-per-month Disney+ service, along with content from Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and other Disney properties. Now that Disney owns Fox, we're not surprised to see it put the studio's gems to use, but it's just another reminder of how many big names are under that umbrella now. Other than The Simpsons, Disney+ will also feature some other "family-friendly" titles from Fox: Additionally, Disney+ announced that all 30 seasons of The Simpsons will be available on the service on day one. In the service's first year, audiences will also have access to family-friendly Fox titles like The Sound of Music, The Princess Bride and Malcolm in the Middle as part of an impressive collection of more than 7,500 television episodes and 500 films including blockbuster hits from 2019 and beyond.
Disney+ app and worldwide rollout plans revealed
In the fall of 2017 Disney announced plans for a subscription streaming service of its own that could compete with the likes of Netflix. Last fall, it revealed a name -- Disney+ -- and that it would launch in late 2019. Today we're finally getting more official information about what it's like as Disney makes a presentation for its investors explaining the company's overall internet video strategy, including ESPN+ and Hulu, which will "likely" be offered as part of a bundle at a discounted price. Update: After several hours, Disney finally revealed the price: $6.99 per month or $69.99 per year, launching November 12th. We already know that the company's plans include plenty of expansions on content it owns from properties like Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars, as well as the Disney vault of well-loved family films. But what people are hoping to find out today is how much it will cost, how it will work and what, other than exclusives, it might use to draw customers who are already shelling out for one or more video subscriptions. Disney quickly revealed that all of the content on Disney+ will be ready for subscribers to download and view offline as long as they have a subscription. That's a feature Netflix only added in the last couple of years, and still doesn't apply to everything on its service. It's also going to support 4K and HDR video.
Fox Sports lands US broadcast rights to 'FIFA 19' eSports events
Fox Sports will play host to a number of FIFA 19 eSports events this year. Following the EA Sports FUT Champions Cup last weekend, it will broadcast FIFA 19 Global Series events in the US, including this weekend's FIFA eNations Cup in London and the season finale FIFA eWorld Cup.
Neil deGrasse Tyson will continue with 'Cosmos' after investigation
Fox and National Geographic have completed their investigation into Neil deGrasse Tyson over alleged sexual misconduct, and have decided to give both Cosmos: Possible Worlds and StarTalk the go-ahead. While the channels didn't reveal their findings (they have "no further comment"), they now expect to find a new air date for Cosmos after a last-minute delay and will return Nat Geo's remaining 13 StarTalk episodes in April.
Amazon's next big step in sports: buying into the Yankees Network
As Disney completes its acquisition of Fox there's more than just the Marvel universe at stake. One condition of the purchase is that it will sell off Fox's portfolio of regional sports networks, and as rumors late last year suggested, one interested party is Amazon. Reports from the New York Times and other outlets claim that while the Yankees are completing a deal to become the majority owner of the Yankees Entertainment Sports Network (YES), Amazon and Sinclair Broadcasting are among the groups chipping in to pay part of Fox's $3.4 billion asking price for the 80 percent the Yankees didn't already own. YES Network broadcasts games for the Yankees, Nets and the NYCFC MLS team. According to the reports, Amazon's stake in the business is enough for it to have the right to stream games in their local territories. That may not shift the live sports balance of power nationwide, but as Bloomberg points out a note from one analyst saying this could be a step toward unbundling regional sports networks from cable TV packages.
Fox delays 'Cosmos' season 2 premiere over misconduct investigation
Fox's investigation into sexual misconduct claims against Neil deGrasse Tyson has led to a change of schedule for Cosmos: Possible Worlds. The company has quietly removed the show's season 2 premiere from its March 3 schedule, indicating that it's waiting on the results of the investigation before making a decision on airing the science program. There's no official update on the investigation so far.
Twitter and Fox Sports are making a live show for the Women's World Cup
Following their partnership during the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Twitter and Fox Sports are now teaming up on video content for another major FIFA sporting event. For the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, which is being played in France this summer, Twitter and Fox Sports are bringing back their live soccer (er, football) show from last year, though it'll now be called FIFA Women's World Cup Now. The premise is the same as the original program: It'll be live-streamed on Twitter, feature match previews, recaps, highlights, guest appearances and, naturally, the best tweets from users across the site.
Hiding in plain sight: The YouTubers' crowdfunding piracy
I never imagined I would be watching Kitchen Nightmares, starring the world-renowned chef Gordon Ramsay, in my downtime on YouTube. I knew of Ramsay and his ruthlessness from shows like Hell's Kitchen, but I had never heard of Kitchen Nightmares until a few weeks ago, when an episode popped up on YouTube's Trending section. Next thing you know, I'm hooked and watching full episodes of it on my phone instead of the usual sneaker videos. But aside from Ramsay's rants at owners of filthy restaurants, something else caught my attention -- these uploads weren't from Fox, which owns the rights to the show in the US. Instead, they were from an unofficial channel called "Kitchen Nightmares Hotel Hell and Hell's Kitchen." And as if that wasn't brazen enough, the owner explicitly asked viewers for donations to fund the uploading of copyrighted content.
Fox investigates Neil deGrasse Tyson over sexual misconduct claims (updated)
Astrophysicist and Cosmos host Neil deGrasse Tyson is facing investigations by Fox, National Geographic and show producers in the wake of fresh claims of sexual misconduct. The two networks told Hollywood Reporter in a statement that they were "reviewing" allegations from two women in a Patheos story who accused deGrasse Tyson of groping and making unwanted sexual advances. The Cosmos team, meanwhile, said they would embody the philosophy of the show and "follow the evidence wherever it leads" with its investigation.
