The dealmaking windfall the pandemic unleashed on gaming companies just keeps piling up as the global economy sputters its way to a recovery. With two months still to go for the year, the dollar volume for deals announced or closed is already more than double compared to last year. For investors and dealmakers, gaming and esports has never been hotter. Read more below.

• Investors are no longer just making a macro bet on the industry at this point, they’re identifying which business models are working and targeting the organizations figuring them out.
• Perhaps the biggest advantage that Habbo offers brand activators is an older skewing loyal, baked-in user base.
• The Digiday+ Future of TV Briefing this week looks at how TV networks like AMC Networks and Discovery and ad buyers like WPP's GroupM are developing the infrastructure for targeted ads to become the norm on traditional TV.
• Recent research from IPG’s MAGNA unit and Disney Ad Sales, indicates that news content still delivers value for advertisers because of the way news is valued by consumers.
• Billboard's singing competition on TikTok is part of a push to become a more consumer-facing brand.
• Zoom communication technology community saw explosive growth over the course of the pandemic. Digiday caught up with Zoom's CMO to talk about what's next and the future of work.