The 11th Hour Dispatch — Thursday, September 20, 2018
BINGE WATCH
SPORTS!! ESPN’s streaming service ESPN+ just hit the one million subscriber mark only five months after its launch. ESPN+ features over 10K live sports events, including everything from MLB to MMA fights, and has secured several major content deals for ESPN, including multi-year agreements with boxing company Top Rank and the home of the bedazzled jean/Affliction t-shirt combo, the UFC. Big W here for sports bros everywhere and also The Big Mouse (all hail), which owns ESPN.
YOUNG MONEY
Eventbrite raised the target price for its upcoming IPO to $23, putting its projected raise at $230 million. The ticketing company had originally priced its IPO at $19-$21 per share. On top of that $230 million, Eventbrite can also choose to sell an additional 1.5 million shares to its underwriters, adding an additional $34.5 million to that total. According to the company’s most recent S-1/A filing, the price raise will value the company at $1.76 billion (not including the potential 1.5 million share addition).
BIG BUSINESS
It’s official. There’s now an Alexa-enabled microwave, among other things. Today, Amazon released a line of new Alexa-enabled products, as well as updates to the Echo Dot, Plus, and Show, at its hardware event. There’s too much information for me to breakdown each, so you can find all the juicy details here. But I will at least breeze past the new products, so you’re not the idiot at the water cooler that doesn’t know about the new Echo Toilet (jk that’s not real).
- Amazon Echo Sub — an Alexa-enabled subwoofer to annoy your neighbors with
- Amazon Fire TV Recast — a blatant Chromecast copycat that allows you to cast content to your devices
- Ring Stick Up — a security camera that’s compatible with, you guessed it, Alexa
- Amazon Smart Plug — a voice-controlled power plug because what could go wrong there (“Alexa, set the house on fire”)
- Echo Auto — a Bluetooth-esque feature for your car that brings Alexa to your commute because the GPS voices weren’t annoying enough
- AmazonBasics microwave with Alexa — a voice-enabled microwave so you can talk to your Hot Pockets or something
- Amazon Echo Wall Clock — a smart clock that pairs with Echo devices to keep you from burning down the house while you cook Grandma’s famous casserole
- Amazon Echo Input — a connector that allows you to add Alexa to external speakers
- Amazon Echo Link Amp — an Alexa-enabled 60V x 2-channel amplifier to blast all your hot jams from
On top of these products, Amazon also launched new behaviors for Alexa including Alexa Guard, which allows her to spy on your surroundings and alert you when something is off, and the unfortunately named Alexa Hunches, which uses neural networks to predict your needs. In conclusion, take note, Apple. THIS is how you have a product release event.
NOTHIN’ BUT ‘NET
Oreo will release a special cookie for Mickey Mouse’s 90th birthday.
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