The wait is over for Taylor Swift fans. Tickets for T-Swift's "Reputation" stadium tour are officially on sale, and Ticketmaster is helping her fight the fraud bots. Together, the pair created an exclusive program called "Taylor Swift Tix". Amy Howe, COO at Ticketmaster joined us to discuss how it not only helps the company and the artist, but also the fans.
One problem plaguing the ticket industry is scalpers and fraudulent bots. The goal of the exclusive program is to ensure tickets get directly into the hands of fans. Ticketmaster issued a warning about unofficial sellers who offer to sell tickets before they even have them.
Howe also touched on Ticketmaster's collaboration with the NFL. With the NFL playoffs around the corner, Ticketmaster is working to make sure fans get access to tickets using its 100% Verified Tickets platform, which ensures the ticket is real. The deal also marks a transition to the first fully digital ticketing system in sports.
Self-driving truck startup Kodiak Robotics recently announced a $125 million funding round as the trucking industry is facing major challenges, including growing shipping demand and driver shortages. Kodiak says its autonomous technology can help businesses move goods faster, safer, cleaner, and more efficiently. Kodiak Robotics founder and CEO Don Burnette joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, turned heads on Tuesday when it announced it will block some ad-targeting, specifically those of a political and religious nature.
This is one of the most direct moves the company has made in order to minimize ad-targeting by advertisers on its platforms. Hastie Afkhami, Head of Digital at S-3 Group, joins Cheddar News to discuss the impact of this move.
Sotheby's is getting into the crypto game. The auction house announced it will now be accepting bids in increments of ETH, marking the first time that an auction will field live bids in crypto. This announcement comes just a week ahead of Sotheby's contemporary art auction 'The Now Evening Auction' for two works by Banksy: Trolley Hunters and Love is in the Air. Alex Branczik, Sotheby's Chairman for Modern & Contemporary Art joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss what went into this move.
Autonomous tech developer Embark made its Nasdaq debut on Thursday via a SPAC merger, making its CEO Alex Rodrigues, the youngest chief executive of a publicly-traded company at the age of 26. He joined Cheddar's "Between Bells" to discuss what led to the IPO and what it means for the trucking industry as it looks to navigate ongoing supply chain issues. "I think there are really three major benefits to autonomous trucks. You think about the benefit from an efficiency perspective, from a safety perspective, and from an environmental perspective," Rodrigues noted.
AppHarvest CEO Jonathan Webb joined Cheddar's "Opening Bell" to talk about the company's Q3 earnings, stating sales data showed the indoor farming tech firm remained on track with its 2021 outlook. Webb also discussed a new campaign called "Fight The Food Fight," to encourage consumers to support a more resilient, sustainable food system.
SpaceX and NASA have collaborated on another successful launch sending four astronauts to the international space station. The international crew will stay in orbit aboard the ISS for six months.
