Embed from Getty Images Michael Paull, a long-time digital media veteran who spent the last three years heading up Amazon’s ambitious video efforts, is joining Major League Baseball’s streaming service. Paull is now CEO of BAMTech, the tech and video streaming arm that helps the league, as well as clients like NHL and HBO, stream content online. BAMTech, which spun out of MLB Advanced Media, was valued at $3.5 billion last year after Disney — which owns ESPN — announced that it would buy a 33 percent stake in the unit. It currently serves more than 7.5 million people who use the platform to stream content online. In… Read More
Alexa must like underdogs. Amazon’s virtual assistant, which powers the company’s Echo devices, is predicting a Falcons victory in today’s Super Bowl — despite Atlanta being a 3-point underdog to New England. If you own an Echo, try asking Alexa who will win the Super Bowl. “I think it’ll be a really exciting game with lots of scoring,” she responded today. “The Patriots were favored to win by three points the last I checked, but honestly I think the Falcons offense is going to soar and they will fly home with the win.” It’s not clear as to why Alexa is… Read More
Amazon’s fashion ambitions may be expanding as the company appears to be preparing to produce its own line of workout clothes. Amazon posted a trio of job listings in late December for brand managers and senior brand managers working on “Amazon Active Apparel.” The listings, first spotted by Recode, indicate that Amazon is just getting started in this business as most of the duties relate to creating strategies for a stable of private label activewear brands to succeed. “The candidate will collaborate with leadership to build authentic activewear private label brands that have compelling and unique DNA and deliver amazing consumer… Read More
Ex-Seahawks star running back Marshawn Lynch was at CenturyLink Field in Seattle today, but this time he was there to drive Amazon’s Treasure Truck and hand out Beast Mode-skinned Amazon Echo devices and Beast Mode hats. That was the surprise promotion from Amazon’s Treasure Truck, the Seattle-based company’s rolling “deals on wheels” that periodically hits the streets of Seattle. Marshawn was clearly enjoying himself, sticking around until every customer got an autograph this afternoon. He drove in on the Treasure Truck wearing the blaze orange parka that the Amazon employees wear, and came out with a boom box blaring hip-hop tunes… Read More
The Treasure Truck is going Beast Mode. Amazon’s deals-on-wheels truck has a cool offering for customers today with an extra special guest: former Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch. Lynch, who spent six seasons in Seattle and helped the team win a Super Bowl in 2014, drove the Treasure Truck to CenturylinkLink Field today with throngs of Hawks fans looking on. With hip-hop music blaring from his boom box and donning the blaze orange Amazon Treasure Truck parka, Lynch was signing autographs and handing out a Beast Mode-skinned Amazon Echo and Beast Mode Hat for $139.99. That’s $40 off the sticker price for Amazon’s popular voice-activated… Read More
