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After months of negotiations leading to a public showdown last week between NBCUniversal and Roku, NBCUniversals streaming service, Peacock, is now on Roku.

Peacock, which offers a combination of entertainment, news, and sports, launched nationwide in July. It was available to stream on a number of different set-top boxes and video game consoles, but it was absent from Roku. Neither NBCUniversal nor Roku could come to an agreement over a split in advertising revenue, leading to a standoff between the two companies. Tedd Cittadine, vice president of content acquisition at Roku, called the newfound agreement a very positive and mutually beneficial partnership in a statement to The Verge.

We are excited by the opportunities to integrate NBC content within The Roku Channel while we also work together with Peacock on the development of a significant and meaningful advertising and ad tech partnership, Cittadine said.

(Disclosure: Comcast, which owns NBCUniversal, is also an investor in Vox Media, The Verges parent company.)

Its unclear just how much Roku and NBCUniversal compromised on the advertising inventory split in order to make the deal work. Ad inventory, the biggest holdup in this situation, refers to the percentage of ads Roku takes control over once theyre served on its platform. On Rokus website, the company says a channel controls 70 percent of its ad inventory, with Roku controlling the remaining 30 percent. Despite counteroffers that both parties brought to the table, neither Roku nor Comcast and NBCUniversals team believed them to be fair.

Cittadines comment also notes that Roku will work with NBCUniversal on a significant advertising tech partnership, which is important. NBCUniversal executives reportedly had concerns about having Peacock streamed on third-party software the companys in-house team couldnt control. Plus, NBCUniversal built an entirely new form of advertising tech explicitly for Peacock. The technology NBCUniversal built helps to better track user data, sell hyper-targeted ads, and increase revenue.

NBCUniversal was far from the only company stuck in a game of never-ending negotiations with Roku. AT&T and WarnerMedia are currently trying to work out a deal with Roku to bring their new streaming service, HBO Max, to the platform. As negotiations continue, WarnerMedia has also begun shuttering some of its other HBO apps (like HBO Go), leading consumers to wonder when HBO Max will finally be available on Roku devices.

Who knows? Maybe this is the beginning of a new era.

The rest is here:
NBCUniversals Peacock streaming service is now available on Roku - The Verge

Both companies will expand their deep existing technology collaboration to create and deliver new solutions to help customers, suppliers and other businesses lower emissions.

Redmond, Washington 22 Sept. 2020 Shell International Petroleum Company Limited and Microsoft Corporation, building on a history of three decades of working together, are embarking on a new strategic alliance to support progress towards a world with net-zero emissions. This builds on the strong foundation of decades of technology collaboration between the two companies. This type of strategic alliance is a model for how companies can work together to achieve their net-zero ambitions.

Microsoft and Shell both have rich histories of innovation and bold ambitions to decarbonise, said Huibert Vigeveno, Downstream Director of Shell. We are proud of the work we have already done together. Our strategic alliance will enable us to push the boundaries of what can be achieved. We believe we can unlock tremendous progress for Shell, Microsoft, our customers and beyond.

We are building on our work with Shell by establishing a deeper alliance to further accelerate innovation in support of decarbonization and energy industry transition, said Judson Althoff, executive vice president of Microsofts Worldwide Commercial Business. Cross-industry collaborations like this are fundamental to help society reach net-zero emissions by 2050, and digital transformation is key to tackling this important issue, within the energy sector and beyond.

This strategic alliance will support Shells ambition to be a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050, or sooner, in step with society and its customers. Shells supply of renewable energy will help Microsoft deliver on its renewable energy supply goals and its broader ambition to be carbon negative by 2050.

It is expected that over time the alliance will enable the two companies to achieve even more together.

Highlights of the expanded alliance include:

Shell and Microsoft have already achieved important results through their long-standing technology collaboration:

The alliance will deepen the co-operation that has existed between the two companies for more than three decades. It will enable Microsoft and Shell to accelerate the progress they are making on reducing carbon emissions.

Enquiries:

Shell Media Relations

International: +44 207 934 5550

US & Brazil: +1 832 337 4355

Microsoft Media Relations

WE Communications for Microsoft

(425) 638-7777

rrt@we-worldwide.com

About Royal Dutch Shell plc

Royal Dutch Shell plcis incorporated in England and Wales, has its headquarters in The Hague and is listed on the London, Amsterdam, and New York stock exchanges. Shell companies have operations in more than 70 countries and territories with businesses including oil and gas exploration and production; production and marketing of liquefied natural gas and gas to liquids; manufacturing, marketing and shipping of oil products and chemicals and renewable energy projects. For further information, visitwww.shell.com.

About Microsoft

Microsoft (Nasdaq MSFT @microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

Cautionary note

The companies in which Royal Dutch Shell plc directly and indirectly owns investments are separate legal entities. In this release Shell, Shell Group and Royal Dutch Shell are sometimes used for convenience where references are made to Royal Dutch Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general. Likewise, the words we, us and our are also used to refer to Royal Dutch Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general or to those who work for them. These terms are also used where no useful purpose is served by identifying the particular entity or entities. Subsidiaries, Shell subsidiaries and Shell companies as used in this release refer to entities over which Royal Dutch Shell plc either directly or indirectly has control. Entities and unincorporated arrangements over which Shell has joint control are generally referred to as joint ventures and joint operations, respectively. Entities over which Shell has significant influence but neither control nor joint control are referred to as associates. The term Shell interest is used for convenience to indicate the direct and/or indirect ownership interest held by Shell in an entity or unincorporated joint arrangement, after exclusion of all third-party interest.

It is important to note that as of September 22, 2020, Shells operating plans and budgets do not reflect Shells net-zero emissions ambition. Shells aim is that, in the future, its operating plans and budgets will change to reflect this movement towards its new net-zero emissions ambition. However, these plans and budgets need to be in step with the movement towards a net zero emissions economy within society and among Shells customers.

This release contains forward-looking statements (within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) concerning the financial condition, results of operations and businesses of Royal Dutch Shell. All statements other than statements of historical fact are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements of future expectations that are based on managements current expectations and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. Forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements concerning the potential exposure of Royal Dutch Shell to market risks and statements expressing managements expectations, beliefs, estimates, forecasts, projections and assumptions. These forward-looking statements are identified by their use of terms and phrases such as aim, ambition, anticipate, believe, could, estimate, expect, goals, intend, may, objectives, outlook, plan, probably, project, risks, schedule, seek, should, target, will and similar terms and phrases. There are a number of factors that could affect the future operations of Royal Dutch Shell and could cause those results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements included in this release, including (without limitation): (a) price fluctuations in crude oil and natural gas; (b) changes in demand for Shells products; (c) currency fluctuations; (d) drilling and production results; (e) reserves estimates; (f) loss of market share and industry competition; (g) environmental and physical risks; (h) risks associated with the identification of suitable potential acquisition properties and targets, and successful negotiation and completion of such transactions; (i) the risk of doing business in developing countries and countries subject to international sanctions; (j) legislative, fiscal and regulatory developments including regulatory measures addressing climate change; (k) economic and financial market conditions in various countries and regions; (l) political risks, including the risks of expropriation and renegotiation of the terms of contracts with governmental entities, delays or advancements in the approval of projects and delays in the reimbursement for shared costs; (m) risks associated with the impact of pandemics, such as the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak; and (n) changes in trading conditions. No assurance is provided that future dividend payments will match or exceed previous dividend payments. All forward-looking statements contained in this release are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to in this section. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Additional risk factors that may affect future results are contained in Royal Dutch Shells Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2019 (available atwww.shell.com/investorandwww.sec.gov). These risk factors also expressly qualify all forward-looking statements contained in this releaseand should be considered by the reader. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this release, September 22, 2020. Neither Royal Dutch Shell plc nor any of its subsidiaries undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or other information. In light of these risks, results could differ materially from those stated, implied or inferred from the forward-looking statements contained in this release.

We may have used certain terms, such as resources, in this release that the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) strictly prohibits us from including in our filings with the SEC. Investors are urged to consider closely the disclosure in our Form 20-F, File No 1-32575, available on the SEC websitewww.sec.gov.

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Shell and Microsoft form alliance to help address carbon emissions - Stories - Microsoft

Tampa, FL, Sept. 22, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NewMediaWire--B2Digital Incorporated (the Company or B2Digital) (OTCMKTS:BTDG), the premier development league for mixed martial arts (MMA), is excited to announce that the Companys application for a promoters license has been approved by the Kansas Athletic Commission. B2Digital is now immediately eligible to hold and operate fights in the state.

The B2 Fighting Series also has received an official fight permit from the Kansas Athletic Commission to hold its first LIVE MMA B2 Fighting Series event. The event will take place on November 21 in suburban Johnson County, Kansas, which is located in the Greater Kansas City Metropolitan Area, under the newly formed Blaze MMA brand, which is solely the property of B2 Digital.

We continue to aggressively pursue geographic expansion in terms of our LIVE event footprint, and our move into the Kansas marketplace will tap into a wealth of value and continue to drive exciting growth for our brand and shareholders, commented Greg P. Bell, Chairman & CEO of B2Digital. Kansas has a tremendous MMA, fitness, and live sports culture, and we look forward to building our new Blaze MMA brand of the B2 Fighting Series in the fighting sports community.

Management notes that the Company is now licensed in eleven (11) total US states. The Blaze MMA brand has been created specifically for this expansion step. This business model is different than in the past where the company has typically acquired an existing fight brand for expansion.

This new model allows the Company to capitalize on its proprietary operational, technical, and intellectual property assets, along with the Companys current gym and fighter relationships, to receive the MMA fight license and fight permits from the state. This approach will lower the cost of expansion on a state-by-state basis by eliminating the initial fixed cost investment of acquiring an existing fight group.

Adam Roorbach, Executive Director, Kansas City Athletic Commission, added, We are excited to bring the B2 Fighting Series into Kansas for compelling live sports action. We are constantly working to attract MMA sports organizations to bring their events to Kansas, and the growing success of the B2 Fighting Series made it a natural choice. Kansas has become a destination for some of the top MMA organizations in the world, and our tremendous fight fans are a large reason why. We also welcome the exposure that B2Digital will bring as it broadcasts Kansas-based live events out to the world. The KAC is committed to the health and safety of all involved, and will work with B2 Fighting Series to ensure a healthy environment for all.

For more information about B2Digital, visit the Companys website atwww.b2digitalotc.com.

About B2Digital Inc.

With extensive background in entertainment, television, video and technology, B2Digital (OTC: BTDG) is now forging ahead and becoming a full-service live event sports company. Capitalizing on the combination of B2Digital CEO Greg P. Bells expertise and involvement with more than 40,000 live events over his career for major sports leagues and entertainment venues, B2Digital is in the process of developing and acquiring MMA and sports-related companies to build an integrated Premier Development League, Expand the B2 Official Training Facility Program Network and Continue the growth of the B2 Social Media Network for the multibillion-dollar mixed martial arts (MMA) industry.

B2Digital intends to create and develop league champions that will move on to the MMA major leagues from the Companys B2 Fighting Series brand. Each year, the top fighters will be invited to the annual B2 Fighting Series National Championship live event.

B2Digital has developed and deployed the systems and technologies for the operation of the B2 Fighting Series, B2FS. This includes social media marketing, event management, digital ticketing sales, digital video distribution, digital marketing, PPV, FTV (Free to View), merchandise sales, brand management and financial control systems. B2Digital owns all rights for TV, internet, social media, media, merchandising and trademarks, and branding for the B2Digital companies.

B2Digital: MMAs Premier Development League

http://www.b2digitalotc.com

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the securities laws. These statements relate to future events and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements since they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond our control and which could, and likely will, materially affect actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Any forward-looking statement reflects our current views with respect to future events and is subject to these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to our operations, results of operations, growth strategy and liquidity. We assume no obligation to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future.

For more information, please contact:

information@b2fs.com

Public Relations:

Tiger Global Marketing & Branding Agency

info@TigerGMP.com

http://www.TigerGMP.com

See the original post:
B2Digital Gains Official License to Expand B2 Fighting Series LIVE MMA to Kansas - GlobeNewswire

LOS ANGELES (FIELD LEVEL MEDIA REUTERS) - Vanessa Bryant has sued the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, contending deputies shared photos of the helicopter crash in which her husband, basketball legend Kobe Bryant, and their teenage daughter died in January.

The lawsuit is seeking unspecified damages for negligence, invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Kobe Bryant, 13-year-old Gianna Bryant and seven others were killed Jan. 26 when the helicopter they were riding in crashed in Calabasas, California, en route to a youth basketball tournament.

In May, Vanessa Bryant filed a claim, which is a precursor to a lawsuit, against the department.

In the claim, Vanessa Bryant contended that Sheriff Alex Villanueva "personally assured her" that the family's privacy would be protected as it related to the crash site.

"In reality, however, no fewer than eight sheriff's deputies were at the scene snapping cellphone photos of the dead children, parents, and coaches," according to the claim.

"As the department would later admit, there was no investigative purpose for deputies to take pictures at the crash site. Rather, the deputies took photos for their own personal purposes."

In the lawsuit, Vanessa Bryant alleges that one of the deputies shared the crash-site photos with a woman at a bar in suburban Norwalk.

After a bartender reported what he witnessed to the sheriff's department, Villanueva went to the sheriff's substation that handled the crash and told the deputies they would not be disciplined if they deleted the photos, the Los Angeles Times reported on Tuesday (Sept 22).

It was only after the Times reported the existence of the photos earlier this year that the department acknowledged an investigation, Vanessa Bryant's original claim said.

USA Today reported that social media users have cautioned Vanessa Bryant that photos of the remains of her late husband and daughter exist online.

"Mrs Bryant's fear has been exacerbated by the fact that, despite knowing about the photos within days of the crash, Sheriff Villanueva took none of the steps that a reasonable supervisor (let alone a highly-trained professional investigator) would take to prevent dissemination of harmful photos... it is impossible to rule out that the photos will surface and go viral online.

"This uncertainty has caused Mrs Bryant severe stress and anguish," the lawsuit reads, as per USA Today.

Read more from the original source:
Basketball: Vanessa Bryant sues sheriff's office over crash photos - The Straits Times

HONG KONG/LONDON (REUTERS) - Shares in HSBC and Standard Chartered fell on Monday (Sept 21) to their lowest in over two decadesafter media reports that they and other banks, including Barclays and Deutsche Bank, moved large sums of allegedly illicit funds over nearly two decades despite red flags about the origins of the money.

The BuzzFeed and other media articles were based on leaked suspicious activity reports (SARs) filed by banks and other financial firms with the US Department of Treasurys Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN).

HSBCs Hong Kong shares on Monday slid 5.3 per cent to close at HK$29.60, reaching their lowest since 1995. The stock has nowhalved since the start of the year. In London, HSBC shares fell as much as 3.6 per cent in the morning compared with the 1.7 per cent decline in the benchmark FTSE 100 Index.

StanChart closed down 6.2 per cent to HK$34.90 in Hong Kong, a 22-year low. Its London shares dropped as much as 3.6 per cent, against the backdrop of a broader selloff in the market with the STOXX European banks index, down 4 per cent.

More than 2,100 SARs, which are in themselves not necessarily proof of wrongdoing, were obtained by BuzzFeed News and shared with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) and other media organisations.

In a statement to Reuters on Sunday, HSBC said all of the information provided by the ICIJ is historical. The bank said that as of 2012 it had embarked on a multi-year journey to overhaul its ability to combat financial crime.

StanChart said in a statement it took its responsibility to fight financial crime extremely seriously and have invested substantially in our compliance programmes.

Barclays said it believes it has complied with all its legal and regulatory obligations, including in relation to US sanctions.

The most number of SARS in the cache related to Deutsche Bank, whose shares fell 5.2 per cent on Monday. In a statement on Sunday, Deutsche Bank said the ICIJ had reported on a number of historic issues.

We have devoted significant resources to strengthening our controls and we are very focused on meeting our responsibilities and obligations, a spokesperson for the bank said.

London-headquartered HSBC and StanChart, among other global banks, have paid billions of dollars in fines in recent years for violating US sanctions on Iran and anti-money laundering rules.

The media reports come at a tough time for HSBC and StanChart, both of which make the bulk of their profits in Asia, and are reeling from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, US-China tensions, and political uncertainty in Hong Kong.

The files contained information about more than US$2 trillion (S$2.7 trillion) worth of transactions between 1999 and 2017, which were flagged by internal compliance departments of financial institutions as suspicious.

The ICIJ reported the leaked documents were a tiny fraction of the reports filed with FinCEN. HSBC and StanChart were among the five banks that appeared most often in the documents, the ICIJ reported.

The SARs showed that banks often moved funds for companies that were registered in offshore havens, such as the British Virgin Islands, and did not know the ultimate owner of the account, the report said.

Staff at major banks often used Google searches to learn who was behind large transactions, it said.

In some cases the banks kept moving illicit funds even after US officials warned them they could face criminal prosecutions if they continued to do business with criminals or corrupt regimes, it said.

Global banks in the recent years have boosted investments on technology and staff to deal with tighter anti-money laundering and sanctions regulatory requirements across the world.

Thousands of clients were booted out of bank accounts in major wealth hubs including Hong Kong and Singapore after a money laundering scandal in Malaysia, the Panama Papers expose, and a global push for tax transparency.

FinCEN said in a statement on its website on Sept 1 that it was aware that various media outlets intended to publish a series of articles based on unlawfully disclosed SARs, as well as other documents.

Read more:
HSBC, StanChart shares fall to over 20-year lows after 'FinCEN' leak reports - The Straits Times