NBCU, Google vie for Netflix ad tier deal; Meta building metaverse wallet

TOP NEWS IN TMT

* Comcast Corp.'s NBCUniversal Media LLC and Alphabet Inc.'s Google LLC are competing to get a partnership with Netflix Inc. and help develop an ad-supported tier for its streaming platform, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Both companies are expected to seek an exclusive arrangement, with NBCU also likely to pursue a deal with a revenue-sharing aspect.

* Meta Platforms Inc. has rebranded Facebook Pay as Meta Pay, part of efforts to build a digital wallet for the metaverse, according to a Facebook post by CEO Mark Zuckerberg. The digital wallet will enable users to securely manage their identities, digital items and payment methods.

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TECHNOLOGY

* Microsoft Corp. observed an increase in the pace of Russia-backed cyberattacks against nations supporting Ukraine, with recorded hacking attempts in over 40 countries, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing new research published by the company. Targets included governments and companies in the IT and energy sectors.

* Synopsys Inc. completed its acquisition of WhiteHat Security for $330 million in cash. Synopsys expects the deal to be roughly neutral to its non-GAAP EPS for fiscal year 2022.

* Advanced Micro Devices Inc. appointed Mathew Hein chief strategy officer and senior vice president of corporate development, effective June 27. Hein previously served as a partner at DBO Partners Holding LLC and has experience working as a lead adviser to AMD on a number of opportunities.

* Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co. accelerated its net-zero target date for its entire value chain to 2040 from 2050. The company is aiming for a 70% reduction in emissions within its own operations by 2030, with 2020 as a baseline, and a 90% reduction in its global carbon footprint by 2040.

INTERNET AND OTT

* Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg hopes to get about a billion people in the metaverse spending hundreds of dollars on digital goods and content, CNBC News reported, citing an interview with the executive. Zuckerberg expects the metaverse to become a considerable part of Meta's business in the second half of the decade.

* Meta canceled a sponsorship deal with the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission and its affiliated America250 Foundation, which were planning the federal government's commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the U.S., The Wall Street Journal reported. Meta was the only corporate sponsor that signed on, the report said, citing a source familiar with the issue.

* Meta is testing additional verification requirements for young users of its Instagram platform who may attempt to edit their birth dates to increase their age to over 18, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing Erica Finkle, Meta's director of data governance and public policy. Meta said the move is part of efforts to ensure an age-appropriate social media experience for minors.

* Twitter Inc. and Shopify Inc. are working on a retail partnership that allows Shopify merchants to display up to 50 items on their Twitter profiles, The Wall Street Journal reported. Users clicking on the items will be directed to the merchant's website to complete the purchase.

* Google's plan to run its campuses and data centers on carbon-free energy all the time by 2030 faced headwinds in 2021 amid supply-chain disruptions and grid connection delays that held up clean-energy projects, The Wall Street Journal reported. In 2021, carbon-free energy powered the company 66% of the time on an hourly basis, compared to 67% in 2020 and 61% in 2019.

FILM AND TV

* Comcast is in talks with National Cable Television Cooperative Inc. to deploy its Xfinity Flex platform through more than 700 member operators of the cooperative, Next TV reported.

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