Twitter’s turbulent takeover: The Twitter-Musk saga is one of the biggest stories for 2022 that will likely continue into 2023. It could strangle other Musk-owned businesses like Tesla, which Musk is using to sell stock to keep Twitter afloat.
Apple’s sports ambitions take a hit: YouTube TV has won NFL Sunday Ticket rights over the consumer tech giant.
We look at 2022’s biggest tech flexes that changed the landscape of business or left us scratching our heads. The year saw Tesla’s CEO buying Twitter, Google exiting games, Amazon bringing back the dead, and TikTok expanding into various other segments.
2022’s outages increased and took longer to resolve: Wired and wireless networks continue to be under duress as Big Tech, streaming services, and cloud gaming proliferate while legacy infrastructure and overloaded systems buckled.
A fragmented world is tech’s undoing: The post-pandemic global landscape is experiencing geopolitical friction that could derail decades of technological progress rooted in collaboration. Tech companies should be worried.
US government intensifies stance against TikTok: A permanent ban from government devices could push the public sector to further remove TikTok from devices. But some fear the service is too big to fail.
The long goodbye for TV advertising: The longtime de facto ad channel kicked off a slow death that will take years to complete as digital channels claim the throne.
Meta’s data center cancellation could hint at AI pivot: The sudden surge of interest in generative AI and its applications could be the outlet Meta needs to generate profit while it mulls its metaverse opportunities.
Netflix experiences growing pains as an ad platform: It misses some viewership guarantees by a mile—though it’s trying to make up for it.
European Commission probes Broadcom’s VMware acquisition: Investigations could derail consolidation and spur the UK’s CMA and the US' FTC to undertake their own antitrust queries, possibly delaying the merger.
There were 559 original scripted TV series made in the US in 2021, according to FX Networks. That’s more than twice the number made a decade prior.
A reality check for consumer confidence on cybersecurity: Consumers give too much trust to companies and services handling their data. A study reveals security education needs to be updated.
Microsoft’s attempt to acquire Activision Blizzard in what could essentially create a video game monopoly has many, including the Federal Trade Commission, keeping a close eye on the gaming industry. The $68.7 billion acquisition would give Microsoft a leadership position with franchises like Call of Duty, Candy Crush Saga, World of Warcraft, Diablo, and Overwatch.
FTC’s biggest antitrust test: Successfully blocking Microsoft’s $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard could define Lina Khan’s tenure in the FTC. A legal skirmish with Big Tech will be long and expensive.
Time spent with cable and broadcast TV is decreasing, a trend that’s been particularly pronounced over the past year. Streaming accounted for 36.9% of US time spent with TV as of September 2022, up from 27.7% in the same month in 2021, according to Nielsen. Streaming stole share from all other TV categories.
Cloud defense contract divided by four: AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, and Oracle are official government cloud contractors under the JWCC, which leans on collective technology to develop strategic defense.
Government resistance against TikTok intensifies: The list of states banning TikTok on government devices keeps growing. Could intensifying scrutiny lead to an all-out US TikTok ban?
Nearly half (47%) of marketers worldwide would spend more on connected TV (CTV) advertising if they had access to higher-quality targeting data, according to Lotame. Meanwhile, 36% are looking for a more efficient buying or planning process.
China eases COVID-19 mandates: Restrictions are lifting as Beijing softens its stance on zero-COVID, but uneven implementation, worker shortages, and production migration could prolong economic recovery.
This year has been a tough one for advertisers as inflation impacts consumer spending, causing ad spending to fall. Here are three insights about the state of audio advertising and what’s in store.