World Cup, World Stage

PRESENTED BY TIMEPLAST

Happy Friday, Future Party. With Daylight Savings kicking in on Sunday, you’re about to lose an hour of precious sleep. In a savvy marketing move, Calm has teamed up with Taskrabbit to give away free one-hour Taskrabbit service credits. So, instead of doing those morning chores when you’ll inevitably feel groggy, you can stay in bed and get someone else to do them for you. Sleep is priceless, after all.

FIFA announced that the 2026 World Cup — which will take place in various cities across the US, Canada, and Mexico — will be the first tournament to feature a halftime show during the final match.

Why It Scores: In case you weren’t just reminded during last month’s Super Bowl, halftime shows are a big deal — big viewership drivers, big marketing plays, and big cultural moments. Soccer just so happens to be the biggest sport in the world. So, a halftime show during the biggest match of its biggest tournament is… well… big. (We promise not to use that word for the rest of the newsletter.)

Behind the Play: MetLife Stadium in New Jersey will host what could be the bi… err… the most in-demand single concert in modern history on July 19th, 2026.

The Future: It’s amazing that FIFA hasn’t organized a halftime show until now. While this year’s Super Bowl scored a record 127.7 million viewers, Kendrick Lamar’s halftime show notched even more — 133.5 million viewers. That’s a major win for all involved. Considering the global audiences for the World Cup, don’t be surprised if the competition for the halftime-show slot becomes the international battle of the year.

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Robert Rodriguez — the renegade filmmaker behind genre classics like From Dusk Till Dawn, The Faculty, and Machete — is launching a new banner called Brass Knuckle Films, allowing fans to directly invest in movies in exchange for various perks.

The Big Picture: Trying to boost fan involvement in movie slates has taken off in recent years, whether through platforms like Legion M or on the blockchain with NFT franchises like Runner. Brass Knuckle Films differentiates itself, though, by being the first organized directly by a renowned filmmaker. If the bet pays off, other entrepreneurial-minded talent working outside of the studio system may try something similar.

Behind the Scenes: Robert Rodriguez wants you to get in on the action.

Closing Credits: Since the beginning of his career, Rodriguez has always prioritized a DIY approach to getting movies off the ground, which turned him into an inspiration for a generation of filmmakers. While Rodriguez has worked in a variety of genres, action has always been his mainstay, making hits on a relatively shoestring budget. That’s the same ethos he hopes to bring to Brass Knuckle. It’s like Kickstarter on steroids… but one that could be more financially sustainable than a one-off project.

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70.1% of you voted The classics in yesterday’s poll: Do you prefer buying “functional beverages” (aka wellness drinks) or sticking with the classics?

“Most functional beverages are a scam. When it comes to health, nothing works better than a balanced diet of whole foods, plenty of rest, proper hydration, and moderate exercise.”

“The only true functional beverage is water.”

“I purchase functional beverages when they’re on sale, and I want a fun alternative to alcohol, but I don’t buy into the hype or claims.”

Let’s keep the conversation going. Join our Poll Of The Day newsletter, so your opinions can shine. Discover how your views line up with your peers’, check out cool insights, and have some fun. It’s data with personality.

🤑 Netflix announced that it plans to spend over $18 billion on content this year… and it could spend even more in the future.

🤝 Ryan Reynolds and George Dewey have bought back their Maximum Effort marketing business from MNTN… although Reynolds will remain MNTN’s chief creative officer.

📺 Amazon Prime Video is testing AI-generated dubbing for movies and shows in English and Spanish.

📱 Discord is reportedly exploring an IPO after being valued at $15 billion in 2021.

🤖 OpenAI is looking to charge $20,000/month for access to agentic chatbots with a PhD-level intelligence.

💻 Y Combinator revealed that a quarter of its startup cohorts this year have 95% of their code generated by AI.

😵‍💫 ByteDance has reportedly had zero discussions with interested buyers about selling TikTok…despite the ban taking effect in less than a month.

🤔 On the heels of Digg’s return, Reddit is rolling out new tools to help plug users into communities.

👀 Want to become a US citizen? The federal government would like to take a peek at your social media history first.