Google Intensifies Push into the Sports & Entertainment Sectors

For the first time ever, the Democratic National Convention will be streamed on YouTube, TikTok, Twitch, and Instagram. Set for Aug. 19-22 in Chicago, more than 200 content creators will attend to help the party digitally reach a new audience.

A peek into today’s edition:

How Google is honing in on sports and entertainment
SAG-AFTRA inks new deal to let members license their voices
Could Apple be entering another new product category?

The annual Made by Google event took place this week, and most notably, Google announced all the cool features that come with its new lineup of Pixel mobile devices, smartwatches, and earbuds. We said goodbye to Google Chromecast and hello to its predecessor, Google TV Streamer, which will be the Big Tech giant’s premier streaming device.

Despite this exciting time at Google, its parent company’s stock dipped as much as 4% on Wednesday after investors feared what the Department of Justice would do to Alphabet‘s business empire following its historic antitrust lawsuit loss. Many think the court will force Alphabet into “structural remedies” such as divestiture, while others don’t think it will go that far.

Still, Google didn’t stop the show this week, and the tech firm has been powering ahead with some significant movements across sports and entertainment.

How Google is Honing in on Sports and Entertainment

Google leans on partnerships to continue expanding into growing industries like sports and entertainment. During the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, Google was named the official search AI partner of Team USA, and I often spotted athletes using Pixel devices throughout the games.

Before that, Google Pixel synced with OneTeam Partners to become the official mobile phone of the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA), the National Women’s Soccer League Players Association (NWSLPA), and the US Women’s National Team Players Association (USWNTPA). The Big Tech firm has several other sports partnerships with notable leagues, including the WNBA, NBA, McLaren Racing, MLB, and NWSL, many of which have come more to light this year.

At sporting events, I often see #TeamPixel ambassadors around me, including content creators, athletes, and other essential sports industry influencers. Google isn’t just encouraging its partners to use its devices, it’s making sure that they do by putting them in the rooms where it matters most.

I’ve said it before, but Google always goes all out with its activation at WNBA All-Star, which is typically a playground for endless digital content creation. During W All-Star in Phoenix, I saw sports reporter and digital creator Aliyah Funschelle everywhere, and it didn’t surprise me to see she was #TeamPixel. Aside from content creators, Google Pixel works with notable athletes, including Jimmy Butler, Kelsey Plum, Jalen Green, Trinity Rodman, and more, to promote its devices.

When it comes to entertainment, I’d say Google has been a lot more subtle with its movements until recently. I’ve been a Love Island stan for a while and clocked it that the UK version of the popular show has always used Pixel mobile devices. The same is true for Love Island USA, and after I did some digging last month, I found that Google Pixel became the exclusive technology partner of the show last summer through a partnership with Peacock. That couldn’t have come at a better time since the sixth season of Love Island USA became the most watched of the series as it broke many streaming records this summer. Google Pixel devices were often on display throughout the season, and contestants recorded their time in the villa through the lens of their mobile phones.

But Peacock isn’t the only streamer that Google is syncing up with on the entertainment front. The Google Pixel team hosted an exclusive media event in New York last week ahead of Made by Google so media folks like me could get up close with its new devices and offerings.

When I was checking out Google TV Streamer, I was intrigued to see that the only app buttons on the device’s remote are for YouTube and Netflix. This made me think that Google and Netflix may have some bigger business dealings brewing, and I was right about that. Netflix and Google confirmed a new partnership on Thursday, though the pair have been working together for some time.

In a press release, Netflix announced that Google is the title sponsor for season four of Emily in Paris and that the Big Tech giant also sponsored the previous three seasons of the popular show. This marks the first time Netflix has had a title sponsor on its existing library of shows, which is a big deal. The new partnership also includes a shoppable pause ad feature encouraging users to scan images using Google Lens and new commercials with customized ads for Emily in Paris and Google Shopping.

It’s worth noting that Google’s marketing tactics go far beyond ads for its devices; it’s gaining traction by forming new partnerships to reach potential customers more organically.

SAG-AFTRA inked a deal with the online AI platform Narrativ, allowing its members to license their digital voice replicas for audio ads. The union’s members can use Narrativ to set their licensing prices, select ad categories they want to promote, and oversee how their digital voice replicas will be used.
Meta and Universal Music Group announced a multi-year global partnership to evolve creative opportunities for artists across Meta’s family of apps, including Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and WhatsApp. In a press release, the pair said they are teaming up to “advance social music opportunities.”
The Intuit Dome, which will be home to the Los Angeles Clippers, finally opened its doors on Thursday with a Bruno Mars concert. The $2 billion venue in Inglewood is equipped with tech to enhance the fan experience, including a connected fan identity program for entrance and cashier-less checkout, seats with phone chargers, and remote-controlled LED lights to rally fans.
The White House hosted its first-ever creator economy conference this week, where President Joe Biden told 100 digital content creators and industry leaders that they are the future. The group discussed how AI, pay equity, TikTok, privacy, Big Tech, mental health, and more impact the creator economy.
LinkedIn Co-founder Reid Hoffman predicts that AI will shake up the conventional 9-to-5 job structure, which he says will be obsolete by 2034. He also thinks the gig economy and remote work environments will grow with workers maintaining multiple contracts due to flexibility.
Social media platforms are releasing new features to attract more users. Threads is working on a feature that will allow posts to disappear in 24 hours, including replies, while TikTok debuted group chats and tests Amber Alert displays in-feed.

Bloomberg reported that Apple is still developing a large tabletop device equipped with a robotic arm that could debut as soon as 2026. I don’t know if Apple will leap into another new product category this soon after introducing the Apple Vision Pro. Still, I will bet that Apple will introduce this tabletop device before it debuts a foldable phone model.