April 21, 2021

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Netflix Eyes Billion-Dollar Gaming Business

Netflix/Design: Alex Brooks

Netflix has teased the idea of entering the video game market, and for good reason: It has the potential to add to its subscriber base by attracting the interest of the 3.24 billion gamers worldwide. 

“We do want to expand,” said Netflix founder and co-CEO Reed Hastings. “We’ve got a lot to do in terms of different types of entertainment.”

The news came during a company earnings call on Tuesday as the streaming giant looks to add to its portfolio of entertainment offerings.

“There’s no doubt that games are going to be an important form of entertainment and important modality to deepen that fan experience, so we’re going to keep going,” said Greg Peters, the COO and chief product officer at Netflix. 

Following its latest earnings report, Netflix may have a sense of urgency in establishing itself in the $160 billion video game market. Despite year-over-year revenue growth of 24%, Netflix added only 3.98 million subscribers versus an expectation of 6.2 million for Q1 2021, according to Factset. 

The company says it didn’t meet expectations due to the pandemic and expects to add just 1 million new subscribers in Q2 2021.

Netflix is reportedly wary of entering a market that is dominated by longtime industry leaders Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo. Amazon Game Studios has been unable to make any headway into gaming, despite spending $500 million annually on myriad gaming projects since 2014.

BetMGM Anticipates Massive Revenue Jump

BetMGM/Design: Alex Brooks

BetMGM isn’t being shy about the potential of sports betting.

The sportsbook and iGaming platform said on Wednesday that it foresees net revenue climbing to $1 billion in 2022 – more than five times its $178 million net revenue for 2020, and double the $500 million forecasted for this year.

MGM Resorts and Entain, which jointly own BetMGM, are expected to invest $450 million in the company this year.

While its main competitors in the sports betting world, FanDuel and DraftKings, started as daily fantasy sites, BetMGM has its roots in the casino industry. iGaming — app-based casino-style gambling — is a key component of its revenue stream. 

BetMGM has around 16% of the sports betting market, compared to 30% and 35% for DraftKings and FanDuel, respectively, but adding in iGaming brings their share of the online gambling market up to around 23%.

BetMGM is now live in 10 states, while another 10 currently allow sportsbooks and five more have pending legislation on sports betting. Another 21 states, including Texas and California, have introduced legislation to legalize sports betting.

BetMGM sees the North American online gaming market eventually reaching $32 billion — and it’s looking for a substantial piece of that pie.

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Microsoft-Discord Sale Worth Billions Called Off

Discord/Design: Alex Brooks

Discord has ended talks of a sale to Microsoft, and may pursue an IPO. 

The company  has a valuation of roughly $7 billion due to a user base that has reached 140 million, double last year’s total. The instant messaging platform would have garnered at least $10 billion in a sale to Microsoft.

Discord has experienced substantial growth over the past year due to its ability to offer a safe platform for people to connect amid the pandemic. Its accessibility has made it a popular tool for gamers. 

The free online platform, which allows users to communicate through text, audio, and video, generated $130 million in revenue in 2020, up from $45 million in 2019. 

Discord has yet to turn a profit, and Microsoft was hoping to change that as part of a bigger plan to expand its reach to more consumers. 

Last year, Microsoft considered acquiring TikTok from China-based tech company ByteDance. The negotiations eventually dissolved following the Trump administration’s desire to turn TikTok into a U.S.-based company. 

Now, another round of talks has fallen through for the multinational tech company. 

Not all hope is lost for a future Discord acquisition. The company has provided no timetable for a sale, but its ability to field interest from at least three companies shows ample market interest, should they pick talks back up. 

Conversation Starters

Conversation Starters

  • MLB and the MLB Players Association met Tuesday for their first official negotiations roughly six months before the league’s collective bargaining agreement expires. The players may seek structural changes to deter teams from suppressing player salaries.
  • The NFL announced a deal with Hulu to carry the NFL Network and RedZone. The two popular channels will be available to Hulu’s live television subscribers by Aug. 1. 
  • NFL running back LeSean McCoy has started a real estate firm, developing properties using opportunity zones in lower-income communities. McCoy and his brothers have 60 properties in Harrisburg and Philadelphia.
  • Zion Williamson debuted  the Zion 1, the signature shoe in his partnership with the Jordan brand, last night against the Nets . The shoe will be available in limited quantities starting Friday.
  • April Subscriber Giveaway: We’re giving away two tickets to watch a live conversation with former MLB star Wade Boggs on Thuzio on May 6. For every friend or colleague who subscribes to FOS with your custom referral link by the end of April, you get one entry into our giveaway.
    • Share in one tap (Email // Twitter // Facebook) or copy-and-paste your custom referral link: [RH_REFLINK]

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Market Movers

Market Movers

U.S. stocks experienced gains across all three major indexes for the first time in three sessions on Wednesday. Here’s a look at how sports-related stocks performed:

Up:

ViacomCBS Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAC) gained 7.73%

fuboTV Inc. (NYSE: FUBO) gained 6.51%

Scientific Games Corporation (NASDAQ: SGMS) gained 6.03%

Down:

Peloton Interactive, Inc. (NASDAQ: PTON) dropped 6.17%

Activision Blizzard, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI) dropped 1.37%

Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO) dropped 0.82%

(Note: All as of market close on 4/21/21)

What to Watch

What to Watch

The Philadelphia 76ers (39-18) host the Phoenix Suns (41-16) tonight at Wells Fargo Center. The teams last met in February, when the Suns won 120-111.

How to Watch:

7 p.m. ET on NBA TV

Betting Odds:

Suns -1 || ML -110 || O/U 220.5

Pick: Coming off a loss to Golden State on Monday, Philadelphia will look to protect home court before embarking on a two-game road trip. However, the Suns are hot having won five of their last six games. Despite the 76ers having a 4-8 record against the spread in their last 12, take Philadelphia to cover and lean under.

Who ya got? Reply to this newsletter with your prediction for the Suns-76ers winner, final score, and high scorer. Nail it, and you get a mention in Thursday’s FOS PM. Don’t forget to include your Twitter handle.

Shoutout: On Tuesday, we asked FOS readers to pick the winner, final score, and high scorer of the Clippers-Trail Blazers tilt. The Clippers handed the Tail Blazers a 113-112 loss and Paul George finished with a game-high 33 points. FOS readers David Nagelberg (@SportsGuruDave) and Matt Noskow (@edjsports) both predicted Los Angeles to leave Portland with a win!

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Written by Justin Byers, Owen Poindexter

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