Weekly Highlights: World Cup Ratings, Automated Journalism And More
After a month of major announcements, the first week of July came and went without any Earth-shattering developments.
This can be partially attributed to the holiday, but it may also be a byproduct of the numerous conferences that were held in June. Now that those are over, there aren't many products left for companies to announce this summer.
There were still some interesting developments this week, such as the record-breaking streaming video ratings for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
In other news, Sony (NYSE: SNE) and Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) allocated millions of dollars to their video game divisions in 2013 -- and could spend even more this year.
Speaking of ad budgets, Nintendo (OTC: NTDOY) spent millions promoting Mario Kart 8.
Elsewhere, the Associated Press has found another way to automate content production.
And Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) might target emerging markets outside of India.
Disclosure: At the time of this writing, Louis Bedigian had no position in the equities mentioned in this report.
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BBC, ESPN Win Big With World Cup Video Streams
ESPN and the BBC Live won big this summer after streaming the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
The two online networks reached new ratings milestones after millions of fans turned to the Internet for their World Cup fix.
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Earnings Reports Will Soon Be Automated At AP
The Associated Press will soon begin using automated technology to produce thousands of short earnings stores.
Unlike other forms of automation, AP insists that its computer program won't replace any jobs.
Rather, its employees will now be free to focus on in-depth reporting and analysis of the quarterly earnings reports.
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Sony, Microsoft To Spend Big Money Promoting Video Games
Sony and Microsoft spent $100 million promoting their video game hardware and software last year.
The two tech giants are expected to spend $120 to $125 million promoting games this year.
Note that these budgets only apply to national TV ads. They do not include print, billboard, Web or online video ads. Hulu is also excluded from the list.
When all other forms of advertising are factored in, Sony and Microsoft could easily spend a couple hundred million promoting video games.
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Nintendo Bolstered 'Mario Kart 8' With Massive Ad Campaign
Nintendo's Wii U enjoyed a sales boost last quarter after the company released Mario Kart 8.
The long-awaited racing game was accompanied by a massive ad campaign.
Nintendo spent $9.7 million promoting its games and hardware in May and June. Most of those funds went to promoting Mario Kart 8 and the Nintendo 2DS.
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Google Thought To Be Planning Next Expansion
Android One hasn't hit India yet, but Google is already planning its next move.
The company is reportedly planning to move into other emerging markets after Android One's Indian release.
Little else is known about the unconfirmed plans, but Google is expected to replace non-authorized Android devices with official, certified products.
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Street Lights Could Be Very Green By 2023
LED lights are getting cheaper -- not just for consumers but for the public and private sectors as well.
The positive consequence is that LED bulbs could capture 94 percent of the street lighting market by 2023.
This applies to new sales, so consumers may still see the old, inefficient light bulbs on some city streets.
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More Stories You Can't Miss
The preceding slideshow was just the beginning. Check out these other hot stories right here on Benzinga.
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