Philly weekly roundup: Comcast vs Tubi; Drone mania explained; Drexel’s new president

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This week in Philly, a guide to the region’s top startup accelerators and incubators, ramifications of the rescinded federal grant freeze and more.

Read on for Technical.ly’s weekly roundup of top news in the region.

📰 News Incubator: What else to know

• Here’s why telecom giant Comcast isn’t worried about losing Super Bowl viewers to streaming services. [Technical.ly]

• Collaboration and early outreach are key to expanding workforce development in Philadelphia, panelists said at PACT’s annual foundation breakfast. [Technical.ly]

• Remember the drone mania in December? The White House said last week that the drones flying over New Jersey were authorized by the Federal Aviation Administration. [6ABC/Technical.ly]

•  Philadelphia-area hospitals are using AI to improve patient care, become more efficient and help take the load off of healthcare providers. [Philly Biz Journal]

• Drexel University announced Antonio Merlo as its new university president. Merlo will be replacing interim president Denis P. O’Brien, who took over after John Fry left to run Temple University last year. [Drexel University/NBC10]

•  The Wistar Institute received a $600,000 PA Smart grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Education to expand its apprenticeship programming. [Wistar Institute]

• A Gwynedd Mercy University survey found that 59% of US adults think AI will improve healthcare outcomes. [BusinessWire]

•  Jon Beschen will be the next managing director of Ben Franklin Technology Partners’ Tech Investment Group. Beschen will take over the role from Omar Mencin, the tech startup resource org announced. [BFTP]

• Center City District released its 2025 Center City Real Estate Development report, including updates about 66 development projects in the works. [Center City District]

• Technical.ly team members Chris Wink, Katie Malone and me, Sarah Huffman, are nominated for the 2025 Philly News Awards! Vote here. [The Pen & Pencil Club]

🗓️ On the Calendar

•  DC215 Meetup is gathering at Iffy Books on Feb. 5. Hackers, cybersecurity professionals and tech enthusiasts are all welcome. [More details]

• Startup Valley is hosting a tech networking event on Feb. 6 at 6 p.m. [Buy tickets]

• Venture Cafe is back on Thursday, Feb. 6. The evening will feature a session about IP strategy and a lecture for healthtech founders. [Register here]

• Philly Game Mechanics is having an in-person playtest night on Feb. 6 [More details]

• DC215 is having an open house at the TOOOLBox for an open house on Feb. 7 [Details here]

• Code and Coffee returns on Feb. 8 at the Yard. [More details]

• Partner event: Join Temple’s Innovation & Entrepreneurship Institute for the return of its Innovation Leader Speaker Series on Feb. 11. Comcast NBCUniversal’s Luke Butler will be sharing his insights for how startups can work with some of the biggest companies in the world. Submit your questions here. [Register]