L.A. Tech Updates: Peacock Will Play on Android and Google; Snap Debuts at NewFronts

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Here are the latest updates on news affecting Los Angeles' startup and tech communities. Sign up for our newsletter and follow dot.LA on Twitter for more.

Today:

  • Peacock Will Be Available on Google and Android Devices in July
  • Snap Debuts at 'NewFronts' Showcase for Potential Advertisers

      Peacock Will Be Available on Google and Android Devices in July

      upload.wikimedia.org

      NBC's new streaming service Peacock has added Google and Android devices — including Andriod TV and Chromecast — to the apps that will stream its nearly 15,000 hours' worth of content beginning July 15. NBC has already announced plans to launch on Apple and Xbox.

      Streaming will be free (but not ad-free) through October 15. Viewers can also level-up to the ad-free service for an additional $5/ month.

      The service launched in mid-April across Comcast's platforms, where it hopes to add value for its parent company's 28.6 million customers.

      Peacock's library will include a flock of NBC favorites like Parks & Recreation, 30 Rock and Law & Order: SVU; movies from Universal Pictures and Dreamworks Animation such as Jurassic Park, E.T. and Shrek; and news segments, talk shows, original series and content from Telemundo. Peacock will also offer a selection of live sports (once those migrate back), and in 2021 will have exclusive rights to The Office.

      As we reported in April, speculation is that part of Comcast's strategy is to retain Pay-TV customers while also guiding a controlled move toward streaming, so it doesn't lose out as more customers shift toward cord-cutting.

      Snap Debuts at 'NewFronts' Showcase for Potential Advertisers

      For the first time, Snap is presenting at today's NewFronts, the digital media world's annual summit of presentations to woo prospective advertisers. The event is being held virtually this year.

      The Santa Monica-based firm describes the occasion as "a culmination of hard work that's been happening at Snap around content and video advertising for years."

      Snap will be highlighting a collection of data points:

      • As of June 22, Snapchat reaches over 100 million people in the U.S., including 90% of people aged 13-24
      • 229 million people worldwide reportedly use the app every day
      • The company now also has more daily users aged over 25 than all of Twitter's self-described "monetizable user base"
      • Total daily time spent watching shows on Discover more than doubled from Q1 2019 to Q1 2020
      • Average time spent watching by people over 35 also doubled from Q1 2019 to Q1 2020

      Snap will also share results of a study from Nielsen that found, for example, that a Bud Light ad campaign on Snap was nine times more efficient at reaching the target audience than television advertising. Nielsen also found that the platform provided an average 23% bump on top of TV campaigns, across 20 separate ad campaigns that appeared on Snap.

      The company will also be announcing a new unscripted original series at the event, as well as the renewal of Driven, a docuseries that the company says reached over 15 million viewers in its first installment.

      Across all Discover, 45 shows have reached monthly audiences exceeding 15 million viewers, the company says, and the platform now operates with over 350 partners in 15 countries.

      Subscribe to our newsletter to catch every headline.

      From AI to Layoffs, Here's Why College Grads No Longer Want Tech Jobs

      Lon Harris
      Lon Harris is a contributor to dot.LA. His work has also appeared on ScreenJunkies, RottenTomatoes and Inside Streaming.
      From AI to Layoffs, Here's Why College Grads No Longer Want Tech Jobs
      Evan Xie
      A new report in Bloomberg suggests that younger workers and college graduates are moving away from tech as the preferred industry in which to embark on their careers. While big tech companies and startups once promised skilled young workers not just the opportunity to develop cutting-edge, exciting products, but also perks and – for the most talented and ambitious newcomers – a relatively reliable path to wealth. (Who could forget the tales of overnight Facebook millionaires that fueled the previous dot com explosion? There were even movies about it!)
      Read moreShow less

      Are a Vehicle’s Features More Important Than It Being Electric?

      David Shultz

      David Shultz reports on clean technology and electric vehicles, among other industries, for dot.LA. His writing has appeared in The Atlantic, Outside, Nautilus and many other publications.

      Are a Vehicle’s Features More Important Than It Being Electric?
      Photo by Jannes Glas on Unsplash

      The state of California wants 100% of new passenger vehicles sales to be fully electric by 2035. Last year, the state hit a nation-leading 16%. That’s pretty good, but 84% is still a long way to go.

      A new study, published Monday in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, investigates which factors have been responsible for the rise in new EV sales nationally. The findings indicate that consumers are increasingly likely to choose an electric vehicle, and nearly all of the gains can be explained simply by improving technologies.

      Read moreShow less

      Colleen Wachob On Navigating Her Wellness Journey As An Entrepreneur

      Decerry Donato

      Decerry Donato is a reporter at dot.LA. Prior to that, she was an editorial fellow at the company. Decerry received her bachelor's degree in literary journalism from the University of California, Irvine. She continues to write stories to inform the community about issues or events that take place in the L.A. area. On the weekends, she can be found hiking in the Angeles National forest or sifting through racks at your local thrift store.

      Colleen Wachob On Navigating Her Wellness Journey As An Entrepreneur
      Courtesy of Behind Her Empire

      On this episode of Behind Her Empire, mindbodygreen co-founder and co-CEO Colleen Wachob shares her perspective on managing stress and navigating self-worth as an entrepreneur and the importance of celebrating the wins in your business.

      Read moreShow less
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