GigaOM » FiOS TV

What the shift to the cloud means for the future EPG

Tue, 30 Oct 2012 19:17:53 +0000

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FIOS TV exec: Cord cutting is growing, and changing the TV biz

Janko Roettgers — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 20:36:21 +0000

Cord cutting is real, and it continues to grow: You might have heard that opinion before — but not necessarily from someone in the business of selling pay TV subscriptions. However, Verizon’s director of consumer video services Maitreyi Krishnaswamy, who is responsible for the company’s FIOS TV service, said as much in an interview with The Tampa Tribune Thursday (hat tip to Karl Bode).

Asked whether cord cutting is losing steam, Krishnaswamy said:

“No, that trend is not stopping. It’s growing. The question is: Is it growing enough for us?”

Of course, many traditional TV services vendors would rather see cord cutting just go away, but Verizon seems to have a slightly different take on the matter. That’s not just because the company is rolling out a Netflix competitor in cooperation with Redbox later this year, but also because cord cutting is fundamentally changing the parameters of Verizon’s TV business. Again, Krishnaswamy:

“Is the migration to a-la-carte enough that we can go that route? It has a way more important impact that (sic) just on them. It impacts how we negotiate TV contracts with studios. It’s not something we can do overnight, but definitely something we’ve been looking at.”

Krishnaswamy didn’t spell out all the details, but here is what I read between the lines of this statement: Cord cutting isn’t just about some people not paying for TV anymore, but also about enabling new and innovative business models, including unbundled subscriptions to individual channels. And Verizon is apparently ready to take the plunge as soon as the wave is big enough.

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Apple’s iTV and the carrier question

Ryan Lawler — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:26:46 +0000

Evidence is slowly emerging that Apple could be working with operator partners for the introduction of its upcoming iTV product. Last week, Bloomberg reported that Apple may get access to programs through partnerships with carriers such as AT&T and Verizon. And on Tuesday the Globe and Mail reported that Apple is pursuing partnerships with Canadian operators Rogers and BCE. But why would Apple feel the need to partner? Because doing so would give it a more complete lineup of content, enable it to offer a better user interface, and give it wider distribution than if it went it alone.

Interestingly enough, I was discussing the possibility of Apple’s partnering with operators the other day at lunch, before the Bloomberg piece came out. That first piece might seem like a fluke, as it was written based on an analyst note. But with Tuesday’s Globe and Mail story, it seems more likely that the hardware giant is indeed considering some sort of partnership approach to tackling the TV market.

The move isn’t totally unprecedented: After all, Dish Network was one of Google TV’s launch partners, and Verizon has partnered with Microsoft to make its FiOS TV service accessible through the new Xbox Live user interface.

All the content, none of the fuss

By partnering with pay TV operators, Apple would immediately gain access to all the TV content that viewers have come to expect, without having to strike up carriage deals of its own. It is not alone in pursuing this strategy: Microsoft’s Xbox 360, for instance, can be used as a set-top box by AT&T U-Verse and Verizon FiOS subscribers.

In the FiOS case, the program data and channel lineup will be deeply integrated with the Xbox Live service and Bing search engine, which will let viewers discover live TV and video-on-demand content alongside streaming content from services like the Zune Marketplace, Netflix, Hulu Plus, Vudu and YouTube.

I could see Apple’s doing something similar by allowing operator partners to build integrated apps into the new device, which could be used to control channel lineups and program discovery. For Apple, such a move would give it the content it needs to be relevant but allow it to control the overall user experience of search, discovery and navigation.

But what would the operators get out of it? Well, for one thing, integration with the Apple iTV could potentially give them a competitive advantage over their peers. In the U.S., Apple already has relationships with AT&T and Verizon, both of whom could stand to benefit from having the best new iDevice available for customers as they pitch their IPTV services against the more traditional cable offerings. Those operators could be incentivized to push the iTV to their customers and could act as an additional distribution outlet, on top of Apple Stores and the company’s existing big box retail partnerships.

Could AT&T help you buy an iTV?

There is even the possibility that Apple could bring the same subsidy model that exists in the mobile space to TV operators. To a certain extent, carriers already subsidize TV hardware by making set-top boxes available to customers. Assuming an Apple TV product would enable those carriers to deliver cloud- and IP-based programming guides, it could act as a set-top box replacement. Whatever money was being put toward that hardware could be committed to reducing the cost of an Apple iTV purchased by subscribers.

A carrier subsidy could potentially boost adoption for an Apple device’s being launched in a market with traditionally long replacement cycles. Some believe that any introductory Apple TV product would be sold at a premium over existing smart TVs, and a recent Best Buy survey lends some credence to this belief, polling users if they would spend $1,499 for a 42-inch Apple TV device. I personally doubt that Apple would introduce a new product priced so far above existing products, but if there is any premium a subsidy could bring products within parity. And if there isn’t a premium, a subsidy could make the product all that more attractive.

ITV is not just for partners

I don’t believe that any operator partnerships Apple strikes would be exclusive. In the U.S., Apple would likely partner with multiple providers, since their services are only available in certain geographies. As noted above, AT&T and Verizon are the most likely partners in the U.S., but I don’t think Apple would shy away from the same type of deal with a company like Comcast.

Nor would the Apple TV be “broken” if purchased direct from a retailer or if a consumer doesn’t subscribe to an Apple partner. She will get all the same third-party apps and TV coming from her set-top box. There is even the possibility that non-partners could build their own apps for device search and navigation, in the same way that Comcast, Time Warner Cable and others have built iPad apps that can be used as remote controls. But it won’t have the same tight program guide integration. And if there are subsidies involved, it wouldn’t be as cheap as it would be from Apple’s partners.

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Vid-Biz: Redbox, Canoe, Netflix

Ryan Lawler — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 16:06:25 +0000

Warner, Fox Try to Get Redbox Lawsuits Dismissed; the film studios asked a US district court to throw out Redbox’s lawsuits, saying that it has failed to show any antitrust violations or any illegal agreements with retailers such as Walmart or Best Buy. (Video Business)

Canoe Pushes Back Interactive Ad Launch; after expecting to debut interactive ads before the end of 2009, the MSO-backed company now says it’s on track to launch a request for information next spring. (Multichannel News)

Netflix Envoy Pitches Online Films to Wary Studios; the company is counting on chief content officer Ted Sarandos to cut deals with studios giving Netflix rights to show more films over the Web. (Bloomberg)

D-Link to Introduce iPhone App for Boxee Box; D-Link will showcase the app at CES next month, and make the software available for free from Apple’s App Store. (9to5 Mac)

News Corp to Exit Serbia; Greece’s Antenna Group has agreed to buy a 49 percent stake in the Serbian station Fox Televizija from News Corp for an undisclosed fee. (Broadband TV News)

Mediacom Turns To Mediator To Resolve Retrans Dispute; the cable operator held a negotiation session with a third-party mediator from outside the FCC in an attempt to resolve its retransmission- consent dispute with Sinclair. (Multichannel News)

FiOS TV’s Top 10 VOD Movies for 2009; Twilight takes the top spot, with Taken and Gran Torino close behind. (Verizon FiOS blog)

FCC Preserves Retrans ‘Good Faith’ Provision; the provision prevents broadcasters “from engaging in exclusive contracts for carriage or failing to negotiate in good faith.” (Multichannel News)

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Vid-Biz: Comcast, uTorrent 2.0, Simpsons

Chris Albrecht — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:27:02 +0000

Comcast/NBCU Announcement This Week? Two sides have reportedly reached a tentative deal wherein the cable company would own 51 percent of NBC Universal. (The New York Times)

uTorrent 2.0 to Be a Network Friendly BitTorrent Protocol; will eliminate the need for ISPs to throttle BitTorrent traffic because the protocol will be network-aware and will throttle itself. (TorrentFreak)

FOX to Do On-Air Scavenger Hunt for The Simpsons; during the week of Nov. 9 – 13, viewers can watch for Simpsons shout-outs, tributes and clues, and enter to win a prize package. (TV by the Numbers)

TV Networks Tuning In to Google Video Box Ads; the ad, which brings up video when clicked on, being used by The CW, ABC, and USA. (MediaWeek)

FiOS TV Growth Slowing Down; telco added 191,000 video subscribers, and is now at 2.7 million overall. (Multichannel News)

Can Twitter and Social Marketing Save the Movies? Revision3 CEO says his company was able to help Paranormal Activity become a hit by using social media in conjunction with Rev3′s shows and talent. (Jim Louderback)

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Epix Picks a Launch Date

Chris Albrecht — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:13:14 +0000

Epix, the forthcoming pay TV and broadband channel from Lionsgate, MGM and Paramount, will launch on Oct. 30, the company announced yesterday. Though strangely, Verizon, which is the network’s only announced carrier, said on its Verizon at Home Blog that the telco will “announce soon the date when the Epix channel will officially launch on FiOS TV,” while linking to the Epix launch press release.

Epix will hit the ground running with hit movies like Iron Man, the Madonna concert special “Sticky and Sweet: Live from Buenos Aires,” and a comedy special from Eddie Izzard. Epix will also have such movies as The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and Cloverfield.

Epix’s prospects still face industry skepticism given the company has only announced one carriage deal all year. Some question the timing of another premium channel launch when other premium channels are losing subscribers.

Epix is a bit of a different beast than other pay TV channels as it has made online distribution a key part of its offering from the get-go. The company recently announced that it will deliver 3,000 movies to its Epix Megaplex at EpixHD.com in the first quarter of 2010.

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Vid-Biz: Brightcove, The Lake, Lego

Chris Albrecht — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 17:08:26 +0000

Brightcove Partners with Livestream; the two companies have developed a way for customers to incorporate pre-recorded live video streams into Brightcove’s system, or use its players for new, live streams. (Contentinople)

The Lake Gets Johnson & Johnson Sponsorship; it’s reportedly a six-figure deal for the Generate show. (MediaWeek)

Lego Rejects Use of Spinal Tap Video; toy company says a UGC stop-motion video for the song “Tonight I’m Gonna Rock You Tonight” can’t be part of the concert DVD. (The New York Times)

Verizon Releases DVR Updates; FiOS Media Manager connects customers’ PCs to their TVs for photo and video viewing; and customers with Net-enabled phones can now remotely manage their DVRs. (emailed release)

300 Million DLNA-Certified Components to Ship by 2012; up from 83 million last year; growth spurred by web-connected TVs. (Video Business)

Berliner Philharmoniker to Webcast 33 Concerts Live; the Digital Concert Hall series opens Aug. 28; full season subscription costs $209. (http://dch.berliner-philharmoniker.de/)

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Vid-Biz: Holograms, Limelight, Babelgum

Chris Albrecht — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 18:00:11 +0000

100 DVDs on a Single Disc; breakthrough in storage comes courtesy of G.E., and is a result of the company’s work in holography. (The New York Times)

Court Says Limelight Doesn’t Infringe on Akamai’s Patent; legal battles have been ongoing since July 2006, Akamai says it will appeal this latest decision. (GigaOM)

Babelgum Stakes Its Claim in a Niche; web TV service says it wants to fill in the void between viral video destinations and premium content sites like Hulu, and will go after professionally produced content catered around specific passions. (MediaPost)

CBS Interactive Scores More Than 200 Million Unique Users in March; of course, it got a some help from a little thing called NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament; stats provided by comScore Media Metrix (not Video Metrix). (emailed release) Elsewhere at CBS, an early deployment of mobile DTV will happen on buses near the network’s Raleigh, N.C. affiliate later this year. (MediaWeek)

Documentary Channel Heading for the Web; network will offer 15 percent of its library online and has recently launched channels on YouTube and Sling.com. (Multichannel News)

Verizon Added 299,000 Net New FiOS TV Customers in Q1 of 2009; brings the total number of FiOS TV customers to 2.2 million. (GigaOM)

Hey, Aspiring TV Writers, FOX is Holding a Contest; script contest held in conjunction with the New York Television Festival, and this year it will have a production company participating as well. (The New York Times)

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Verizon to Launch FiOS TV in NYC on Monday

Om Malik — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 17:51:41 +0000

Verizon will start selling FiOS TV in New York City on Monday. The announcement will be made at a glitzy ceremony at the Grand Central Station, and will be webcast as well. NYC had granted Verizon a television franchise in May, and the franchise was confirmed by the New York Public Service Commission on July 16. The company today announced that it was getting into offering web video on its set-top boxes.

On the FiOS NYC announcement, this move should turn the heat on Time Warner Cable which is finally going to see some aggressive competition in its home market. It would need to not only increase broadband speeds, it would need to give consumer a reason to stay with them for cable TV.

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Telcos’ TV Slowly But Surely Doing Better

Om Malik — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 14:48:33 +0000

Thanks to some generous support of their pal, FCC Commish Kevin Martin, and others at the state level, the big bets made by AT&T and Verizon on video — in the form of U-verse and FiOS, respectively — are slowly beginning to pay off. Last week, AT&T reported that it added 148,000 new U-verse subscribers in the first quarter, taking its total to 379,000. Ma Bell hopes to have a million subscribers for its U-verse service by end of 2008.

Today Verizon says it added 263,000 new FiOS subscribers in the first quarter of 2008 for a total of 1.2 million FiOS TV customers. Funnily enough, their presence is causing all sorts of problems for traditional TV providers, the cable and satellite guys. This is resulting in negative advertising campaigns, that while full of hyperbole, are amusing nevertheless.

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