The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Perlberg & Seetharaman report Facebook "has inked contracts with nearly 140 media companies and celebrities to create videos for its nascent live-streaming service." The company "has agreed to make payments to video creators totaling more than" $50M. Celebs include actor Kevin Hart, chef Gordon Ramsay, author Deepak Chopra and Seahawks QB Russell Wilson. The arrangements "are a way to encourage publishers to produce a steady stream of high-quality videos until Facebook figures out a more concrete plan to compensate creators, such as through sharing of ad revenue." The value of individual contracts "varies widely" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 6/22).
FEELING BULLISH: AD AGE's Jack Neff noted PBR activation in and around Walmart stores is "back with a vengeance" after having "faded in recent years." The events, such as bull riders signing autographs and having bulls in parking lots, "are operated and funded entirely by third parties backed by brand sponsors." After bulls and riders showed up at Walmart stores in Sioux Falls, Little Rock and Las Vegas earlier this year, they "made enough impact that the league will take its show on the road to 40 more Walmart stores later this year, with plans to hit another 200 next year" (ADAGE.com, 6/20).
KLAY MAKER: China-based sportswear company Anta Sports Products has passed the 650,000 pair mark for Warriors G Klay Thompson's Anta KT sneakers, becoming the fastest growing among all NBA player endorsed Anta products (Anta).
