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DOJ Winding Down Google Investigation; Fortnite Flexes Marketing Muscle

By AdExchanger

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Ducks In A Row

The US Justice Department’s antitrust investigation of Google is coming to a close. By the end of July, the DOJ seeks to have final documents and data from competitors that have allegedly been hurt by Google’s dominance in online advertising, Reuters reports. State attorneys general are still investigating Google, but many will likely join the federal suit. Some AGs reportedly held a virtual meeting with the DOJ on Friday. “They’re not joined at the hip but there is a lot more coordination,” an anonymous source tells Reuters. While the DOJ is looking into Google’s advertising clout, state AGs are considering going after the company for privacy violations under state statutes that bar deceptive practices.

Screens Within Screens

The video game Fortnite is flexing its muscles with new marketing partnerships. As with Amazon’s Twitch, Fortnite is emerging as a go-to spot for music promotions and movie trailers, a major advertising category for platforms such as Twitter, Snapchat and YouTube. This past weekend, Fortnite, which is owned by Epic Games, aired three Warner Bros. Christopher Nolan films. A month before, the trailer for the upcoming Nolan movie “Tenet” premiered on Fortnite. The movies played in “Party Royale” (Fortnite gaming takes place in “Battle Royale”). Diplo also headlined a promotional “Party Royale” concert last week with Young Thug and Noah Cyrus, guest singers on Diplo’s new record. Fortnite has slow-rolled its push into marketing deals, focusing on blue-chip partners including the NFL and Disney’s Star Wars and Marvel’s Avengers franchises.

Made You Twitch

Tencent is rolling out a livestreaming platform in the United States similar to Amazon’s Twitch, a rare move by the Chinese tech giant into American social media. Called Trovo Live, the mobile-first streaming network caters to gamers and mirrors Twitch’s interface and functionality, Bloomberg reports. Trovo will highlight popular games from Tencent including Fortnite and PUBG Mobile, as well as outside franchises such as Grand Theft Auto. Last week, the network publicized plans to sign popular gamers through a $30 million partnership program starting in July. While Tencent certainly has popular games and the resources to take on Amazon, Trovo is nascent compared to Twitch, with low recognition in the gaming community.

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