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LONDON The Premier League will take an estimated 1 billion (S$1.76 billion) hit because of the coronavirus pandemic, with empty stadiums and lingering safety fears awaiting its clubs as they prepare to restart the season.

The English top flight has been suspended since March 13 and while it will resume next Wednesday, three months of no live football is expected to weigh heavily on its revenue for the 2019-2020 financial year.

According to an annual review of the game by Deloitte Sports Business Group that was published yesterday, around 500 million of the lost revenue will be the result of rebates to broadcasters, a reduction in ticket sales due to games being played behind closed doors and reduced commercial contracts.

Another 500 million will be deferred to the following financial year.

With a reported total revenue of 5.2 billion in the 2018-19 term, the Premier League is the world's richest football competition by far and it continues to attract interest from overseas buyers.

Despite a projected rapid recovery in finances, the pandemic could force Premier League clubs to reassess cost controls and focus on long-term stability, according to Dan Jones, partner and head of the sports business group at Deloitte.

"The decisions taken now will determine if the 2019-20 season is seen in future as the end of a golden age or the start of a better, stronger new era," he said.

Separately, all the Premier League clubs yesterday approved a range of match-day protocols for the resumption, starting with the Manchester City v Arsenal and Aston Villa v Sheffield United games.

The latest shareholders' meeting discussed the details of medical and operational rules, including how many backroom staff will be allowed to attend away games.

Clubs will also have a minute's silence for those who have died in the pandemic while kits will also sport a heart-shaped badge in honour of the work done by the National Health Service and front-line staff.

English Premier League 5.2 billion (S$9.1 billion)

Spanish La Liga 3.4 billion (S$5.4 billion)

German Bundesliga 3.3 billion (S$5.2 billion)

Italian Serie A 2.5 billion (S$4 billion)

French Ligue 1 1.9 billion (S$3 billion)

All the remaining 92 games will be played behind closed doors and a strict limit of 300 people - including broadcast staff, media personnel, commentators, doping officials and scouts - will be allowed in stadiums on match days.

Stadiums will be split into red, amber and green zones with the red zone to include 20 players, 12 coaching and medical staff and a further five "essential staff" per team.

Other measures involve the deep cleaning of corner flags, goal posts, substitution boards and match balls, while safe distancing must be observed when appropriate.

These are among the requirements imposed by the British government so that professional sports, including top-tier football, can safely resume.

BLOOMBERG, REUTERS

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Premier League revenue will suffer $1.8b virus shock - The Straits Times

Facebook has begun labeling media outlets that are wholly or partially under the editorial control of their government, following an announcement of the policy in 2019. It will start labeling ads from these outlets later this year, as well as banning state-controlled media from advertising inside the US.

The company is labeling these pages because they combine the influence of a media organization with the strategic backing of a state, and we believe people should know if the news they read is coming from a publication that may be under the influence of a government.

Facebook labels state-controlled media outlets based on a variety of factors, including information about their ownership and funding, the level of transparency around their sources, and the existence of accountability systems like a corrections policy. Outlets can appeal with evidence that they operate independently, including laws that protect editorial freedom and a credible assessment from an outside source. Otherwise, Facebook will add a notice to the outlets pages worldwide, and labels will appear on News Feed posts in the US.

You can already see labels on the pages and posts of some outlets that have been blamed for spreading propaganda in the US, including Sputnik and RT. Theyre both now defined as state-controlled media, along with other outlets like China Daily. Facebook isnt the first to do something like this; YouTube experimented with labeling state-funded news channels in 2018, although enforcement has been inconsistent.

Facebook says state-controlled outlets rarely advertise in the US. But its blocking those ads out of an abundance of caution to provide an extra layer of protection against various types of foreign influence in the public debate ahead of the November 2020 election in the US. This supplements Facebooks existing removal of inauthentic pages that spread propaganda or disinformation.

This labeling feature is part of a larger effort to protect the 2020 elections integrity. However, Facebook has still faced criticism for choosing not to fact-check politicians including President Donald Trump on its platform.

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Facebook starts labeling state-controlled media pages - The Verge

Fully managed solution that enables touchless interaction with in-store large-screen displays using a viewers personal smartphone, reducing potential contact exposure to COVID-19

Alpharetta, GA, June 09, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Convergent Media Systems Corporation, a Ballantyne Strong, Inc. (NYSE American: BTN) company and award-winning leader in delivering digital signage experiences (Convergent), has teamed up with BrightSign LLC, the global market leader in digital signage media players, to offer an integrated solution that delivers interactive digital signage experiences using the viewers phone to control content on a digital sign. This solution allows retailers, banks and other businesses to enable viewers to navigate and access information on a large digital display without touching it thereby reducing potential exposure to COVID-19.

SafeStore Screen Control is a turnkey solution, complete with all the hardware, software and services necessary, including installation, support and maintenance for quick deployment and reliable operation at scale.

Retailers, banks and other enterprises had been investing in large-screen touch interactive experiences long before COVID-19, said John Campbell, President of Convergent. SafeStore Screen Control now delivers touchless engagement without the need for contact with frequently touched surfaces or touchscreens.

This solution exemplifies how AV integrators can leverage our technology to create innovative digital signage solutions, said Jeff Hastings, CEO of BrightSign. This capability gives businesses a quick, cost-effective way to provide interactive experiences without the need to replace expensive touchscreen displays and lets partners like Convergent deliver greater value by providing sophisticated integration and content development services.

SafeStore Screen Control also lets businesses leverage the viewers phones for advanced functionality, like registering for events, downloading and saving product information, and calling, texting and sharing via social media, explained Greg Davis, SVP Sales & Marketing at Convergent. This opens up a wide range of marketing opportunities for businesses to engage with their customers in new ways that enhance the omnichannel experience.

SafeStore Screen Control offers the following benefits:

Widely AccessibleWorks with IOS or Android phones utilizing phones web browser, so no need to download an app.

Easy to UseUser simply joins WiFi and launches web browser, and user interface appears on the viewers phone.

InnovativeWide range of programming options to handle almost any controller/display content scenario, including use of the phones calling, texting, sharing and file downloading capabilities.

FlexibleUse new or existing displays of almost any size, make or model.

Choose displays that best suit your budget and store environment Various display mounting options (wall, pole, ceiling) The user interface on the phone and the content on the display can be updated remotely

Convergent brings over 35 years of AV engineering and creative expertise to the development of innovative solutions like our SafeStore suite of products said Campbell. Our commitment is to deliver engaging digital experiences that combine function, scale and reliability.

For more information on this and other SafeStore products, visit http://www.convergent.com/safestore or call (770) 369-9000.

About ConvergentConvergent Media Systems Corporation, a Ballantyne Strong, Inc. company, is changing expectations about how to create and manage digital signage experiences. With over 35 years of innovation, we challenge clients to think differently about how they engage with their customers and employees and the technology they use to do it. Clients rely on us to eliminate complexity by integrating and managing best of breed technologies into single source solutions. And our award-winning creative captivates, engages and motivates buyers. Today our digital experiences reach thousands of locations around the world and are seen by millions of people each day. More information is available at http://www.convergent.com.

About BrightSignBrightSign LLC, the global market leader in digital signage media players, is headquartered in Los Gatos, California, with offices in Europe and Asia. BrightSignmanufactures media players and provides free software and networking solutions for the commercial digital signage market worldwide, serving all vertical segments of the digital signage marketplace.From entry-level BrightSign LS players to BrightSign XT players offering state-of-the-art technology and unsurpassed performance, BrightSigns products areknownfor their signature reliability, affordability, ease-of-use, and market-leading technology. For more information, visit http://www.brightsign.biz. Follow BrightSign at http://twitter.com/brightsign and http://www.facebook.com/BrightSignLLC.

About Ballantyne Strong, Inc.Ballantyne Strong, Inc. (www.ballantynestrong.com) and its subsidiaries engage in diverse business activities including the design, integration and installation of technology solutions for a broad range of applications; development and delivery of out-of-home messaging, advertising and communications; manufacturing of projection screens; and providing managed services including monitoring of networked equipment. The Company focuses on serving the entertainment, retail and advertising markets.

Forward-Looking Statements This press release may include forward-looking statements, such as our expectations regarding future sales, the impact, length and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the adequacy of the actions taken in response to the pandemic, which involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to those discussed in the Risk Factors section contained in Item 1A in Ballantyne Strong, Inc.s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, the Companys subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the following risks and uncertainties: the Companys ability to maintain and expand its revenue streams, potential interruptions of supplier relationships or higher prices charged by suppliers, the Companys ability to successfully compete and introduce enhancements and new features that achieve market acceptance and that keep pace with technological developments, the Companys access to capital, the Companys ability to successfully execute its capital allocation strategy, the Companys ability to maintain its brand and reputation and retain or replace its significant customers, the impact of a challenging global economic environment or a downturn in the markets (such as the current economic disruption and market volatility generated by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic), economic and political risks of selling products in foreign countries (including tariffs), risks of non-compliance with U.S. and foreign laws and regulations, potential sales tax collections and claims for uncollected amounts, cybersecurity risks and risks of damage and interruptions of information technology systems, the Companys ability to retain key members of management and successfully integrate new executives, the Companys ability to complete acquisitions, strategic investments, entry into new lines of business, divestitures, mergers or other transactions on acceptable terms or at all, the Companys ability to utilize or assert its intellectual property rights, the impact of natural disasters and other catastrophic events (such as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic), the adequacy of insurance and the impact of having a controlling stockholder. Given the risks and uncertainties, readers should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statement and should recognize that the statements are predictions of future results which may not occur as anticipated. Many of the risks listed above have been, and may be further be, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, its impact on the cinema and entertainment industry, and the worsening economic environment. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements and from historical results, due to the risks and uncertainties described herein, as well as others not now anticipated. New risk factors emerge from time to time and it is not possible for management to predict all such risk factors, nor can it assess the impact of all such factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Except where required by law, the Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect actual results or changes in factors or assumptions affecting such forward-looking statements.

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Convergent and BrightSign Introduce SafeStore Screen Control - GlobeNewswire

As the world adjusts to life under lockdown, simulation games have soared in popularity, offering players a welcome distraction from the coronavirus pandemic and a way to stay connected with friends.

A simulation game is any game where the primary goal is sort of replicating everyday life, said Adrienne Shaw, an associate professor in the Department of Media Studies and Production in the Klein College of Media and Communication.

[Simulation games] let you construct a world and you get to be in control of it, said Donald Hantula.

Games like The Sims, in which players create and care for virtual people, and Animal Crossing, which drops players into a virtual village and asks them to make a home for themselves, mimic real life and provide a sandbox individual users can explore however they choose.

A lot of what people like about them is that sort of open-endedness, Shaw said. Theres no particular goal, theres no particular winning of the game. Its just sort of an everyday, ongoing, regular interaction.

Simulation games also put players in charge. You decide what your characters wear, what flowers to plant in your garden and which furniture goes where. It lets you construct a world and you get to be in control of it, said Donald Hantula, associate professor of psychology at the College of Liberal Arts.

This combination of freedom and control has proved especially popular as people try to keep themselves entertained during quarantine. U.S. launch sales for Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the newest instalment in the series, were the best in the franchises history and the game has become ubiquitous on social media. Its a particular favorite with Owls.

Games like Animal Crossing are appealing partly because they arent too demanding. They dont require a particularly high level of investment, which is why I think people also tend to gravitate toward those sorts of games during stressful times, Shaw said.

New Horizons also had the good luck to be released right as people were being told to shelter in place. It happened to be the game that came out, Shaw said. Had a new version of The Sims come out at the same time, or a new, popular other Nintendo franchise, she said, it could have been any one of them.

Simulation games are easy to play thanks to their sense of familiarity. If it takes you a long time to learn how to play a game, that means it takes you a lot longer to actually be able to enjoy it, Hantula said. Games that map very closely onto things we already know are those you can jump in[to] very quickly.

With its emphasis on daily routines, Animal Crossing encourages players to enjoy chores they might avoid in real life. The game makes it rewarding. It makes it fun to do those chores, Shaw said. Your family might thank you for doing the dishes, she said, but you dont get a prize. Animal Crossing rewards you for doing your daily tasks.

More significantly for players during lockdown, simulation games can act as a stand in for the interaction we all lack. Social interaction is crucial for our species. If we dont have it, were going to look for ways to get it, Hantula said.

The immediate substitute for many people was video conferencing. But when you look at someone on a screen, youre searching for all those [non-verbal] cues. A lot like when your cellphone is constantly looking for a Wi-Fi signal, Hantula said. And you know what happens when your cellphone does that? It runs the battery down.

Games arent a perfect substitute for in-person contact either, but they do help. When you physically cant go over to your friends house, Shaw said, having two avatars in a virtual space near each other fulfills some of that want and desire to be physically close.

While the lockdown continues, simulation games will likely remain popular. Shaw knows several people who arent regular gamers but bought Animal Crossing as a way to spend time with their friends. It gives you a fun space to be in that isnt just sitting on Zoom calls and watching Netflix together, she said.

Edirin Oputu

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Sheltering in place boosts popularity of simulation games - Temple University News

December 17 was a busy day for a Bollywood Twitter handle. For hours the handle lampooned one of Indian cinemas biggest living legends. It started with a request to tweet against the Citizen (Amendment) Act. The request soon turned into poking, then verbal stalking and finally ended in a phoney tweet. The idea was to humiliate a public figure into submission. When that failed, a submission was invented by means that was clever, but only by half an old tweet of the star was tweeted as if it was new.

In times as polarised as these, its not uncommon to see people losing their sanity in a debate. Certainly not on social media where you get rewarded for acting insane or so some people think. One ironic result of such behaviour is that people often display the very behaviour they claim to be fighting intolerance, indecency, self-righteousness, public oral lynching. Celebrities are bigger targets of this public lynching because their large following allows more people to watch the public spectacle in pettiness and reward it with likes, shares and retweets. All thats missing is for somebody to stand up and ask the famous Gladiator question: Are you not entertained?

Free speech not forced speech

The December 17 incident wasnt the most despicable behaviour on social media. There are worse examples. That stalking on Twitter stood out for where it came from a Bollywood director whose recent movies have nuanced treatment of characters and topics. How do people whose work celebrates freedom of thought and expression end up denying that freedom to others? How do they become champions of forced speech? Why does winning a battle on social media become so important that people risk losing the war of ideals?

Sure, silence is not always golden. But sometimes it is. It could be somebodys choice over shallowness. It could be about taking time to reflect, waiting to choose the right words or deciding to keep an opinion in private. Each of these are individual rights we need to respect as much as we need to protect the right to speak. Nancy Gibbs, former editor of Time, had said at the peak of the #Metoo movement, Respect for restraint is a harder right to defend in this age of constant contact and brittle trust. If you tug at the right to not speak, you harm the right to speak too. We can admire those who speak out without judging those who do not.

Celebrities deserve less

Celebrities make millions by hawking all sorts of products, some with unproven and even dubious claims like fairness cream. If they can use their status for personal gain why cant they use it to fight for social good? They surely can and they do. Like we dont always agree with the choice of products they endorse, we can disagree with the cause they support, or dont. Michael Jordan was asked to endorse a black politician at the peak of his popularity. He didnt. Taylor Swift and Scarlett Johansson have been trolled for saying or not saying things expected of them.

In India, apart from the Big B, the Khans have been called out for their silence on some issues. Priyanka Chopra was trolled last week for supporting black rights in the US but being silent on human rights violations in India in the past. Bigger stars have often been termed spineless in comparison to a few smaller celebrities who are more vocal in supporting causes. That ignores the reality that smaller stars arent subjected to the kind of scrutiny and misinterpretation that bigger stars are. Besides, understanding issues, picking a side and having the courage to be vocal is an evolutionary process that can take time. Yet people demand consistent behaviour from celebrities and rush to call them villains on social media and attack them in a pack with cultish zeal.

A strange mix of private and public

One reason for such behaviour is the strange blend of private and public life social media offers. Its like holding a loaded gun thats seducing us to pull the trigger every time our emotions run high. In the endless scroll of our smartphone screen we see people lacing views similar to ours with venom and earning hundreds of likes. If self-control isnt exercised in time, your fingers on their own volition will start picking the worst words to express your thoughts. This unique situation of being private at the time of inflicting abuse and getting public acclaim for your choice of abuses can be arousing, even addictive. Its like getting away with murder again and again reputational murder that is. We start playing psychic underworld don that social media allows us to. If theres ever a tinge of guilt, theres the air cover of ideology or cause to justify your conduct.

Theres one self-correcting element to our primal behaviour on social media. It records our words for posterity. It doesnt allow us to erase and run away from our worst behaviour. By acting as a giant global mirror of our worst (and best) conduct it gives us a chance to reflect and lift ourselves up. To fight with force of argument, and only with that. To make a distinction between criticism and insult. As a song of the star subjected to Twitter bullying on Dec 17 reminds us: Aadmi jo kehta hai, aadmi jo sunta hai, zindagi bhar woh sadayen peecha karti hain. (Whatever you say, whatever you hear will stay with you all your life). On social media, even afterlife.

DISCLAIMER : Views expressed above are the author's own.

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Losing our minds on social media: There are reasons why being Twitter-happy has become the same as being trigg - Economic Times