US Millennials and Gen Zers have been primarily responsible for driving discretionary services spending growth in recent months and could be responsible for a drop in the fall. (Morning Consult)

81% of hardcore gamers in the US believe the metaverse is the future of online interaction compared to 31% of non-gamers. (YouGov)

Younger travelers in the US are more motivated by values-oriented considerations than older generations are. (Morning Consult)

Instagram is testing an expansion of its Close Friends feature, making it available for the feed in addition to stories. (Insider)

The Economist introduced a new podcast subscription tier called Economist Podcasts+ for $4.90/mo. (Axios)

TikTok has quietly been inserting Wikipedia snippets into search results for people, places and events. (The Verge)

After launching keyword search on Threads with users in Australia and New Zealand last week, Meta is now expanding the functionality to more markets. (Social Media Today)

Instagram added a new “Following” feed in the Reels tab, which enables you to only see Reels from accounts that you follow in the app. (Social Media Today)

SiriusXM is preparing to launch a new streaming app as it tries to get listeners to tune in outside of their cars. (THR)

ESPN+ and Disney+ will present a fully animated, real-time alternate telecast of the Oct. 1 game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Atlanta Falcons. (THR)

Disney and Charter reached an agreement that restored popular channels, including ESPN and ABC, to the cable operator’s nearly 15M subscribers, ending a blackout that lasted for over a week. (WSJ)

Spotify is releasing a new personalized playlist offering called Daylist, which is an ever-evolving playlist that adapts to your moods throughout the day. (Tech Crunch)

Half of the Billboard Hot 100 songs today are in a minor key, up from roughly 30% at the turn of the 21st century and 15% in the 1960s. (HonestBroker)

The NFL claims Sunday Ticket already has more subscribers this year than it did in 2022, though it hasn't released any figures to support that claim. (Streamable)

The NFL gave creators access to its archives for content creation with pre-approved footage. (Digiday)

Apple showcased its iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, which have titanium bodies, Action Buttons and USB-C ports. (The Verge)

Dentsu launched a paid search tool called d.Scriptor that uses AI to speed up creativity and optimization. (Digiday)

Meta is adding some better customization features to its avatar creator as part of the latest update for its Quest headsets. (The Verge)

Dentsu created an "artificial client" to give AI-generated feedback on creative work. (AdAge)

The SEC charged the creators of the NFT cartoon series "Stoner Cats," Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher, for an unregistered offering of NFTs. (THR)

Following several months of beta testing, Adobe's Firefly generative AI model is now commercially available across Adobe Creative Cloud, Adobe Express and Adobe Experience Cloud. (The Verge)

Roblox aims to revolutionize creation on their platform by introducing advanced AI-driven tools and technologies that empower creators to build more immersive and dynamic experiences. (Roblox)

Microsoft announced a new conversational question answering model that outperforms other methods, answering questions faster and accurately while using significantly less resources. (Search Engine Journal)

KULTURA has integrated a new tool called Art Whisperer, which turns ChatGTP into an art explainer that answers users' questions about hundreds of artworks. (KULTURA)

The future of creative practices surrounding the museum industry is expected to be greatly influenced by the integration of AI and generative techniques, revolutionizing traditional artistic approaches and enabling new innovative possibilities. (Blooloop)

A musical adaptation of a midcentury story about a loving marriage destroyed by alcoholism, “Days of Wine and Roses,” will come to Broadway early next year. (NYT)

Rachel McAdams will make her Broadway debut in the premiere of “Mary Jane,” a new play by Pulitzer Prize finalist Amy Herzog. (Variety)

Bally’s temporary casino at Medinah Temple in Chicago is now open to public, featuring more than 750 slot machines and table games. (CBS)

Cinemark is offering private Swiftie Parties, letting fans reserve auditoriums for the "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour" concert film. (Deadline)

At least 7M tickets have been bought by fans at below face value prices on ticket resale marketplaces in the span of just one year. (Ticket News)

Dave & Buster’s is struggling to boost customer visits following a post-pandemic spike in traffic, as same-store sales for Q2 were down 6.3% YoY. (NRN)

About 800 of the 4K pubs owned by the UK company Stonegate Group are either using dynamic pricing or may use it in the future to help cope with higher costs for staffing and licensing requirements, (NYT)

Delta Airlines is revising its loyalty program to favor high-spending customers, with a new structure that allocates rewards based on money spent rather than miles traveled. (WSJ)

To address overtourism and promote sustainability, destination marketing organizations are redirecting visitors from overcrowded hotspots to lesser-known but equally appealing attractions. (PhocusWire)

Carrefour is introducing 'shrinkflation' warnings on food products to draw attention to brands that are reducing their product sizes while maintaining the same prices. (Guardian)