A quarter of people in countries with access to high-speed broadband are streaming their television, although more than 80 percent are also still watching broadcast television as well. According to data from Ericsson, fewer people are watching broadcast TV while Internet-options are on the rise. Read more »
There’s been a rash of speculation about which of Netflix’s competitors will bid for the streaming rights of TVs and movies from Starz. The most likely outcome, however, probably has the network keeping those rights to itself and making them part of its TV Everywhere play. Read more »
Discerning TV viewers take note: Apple just turned on HD availability for many HBO television shows in the iTunes Store. Customers in the U.S. and Canada can now purchase HD episodes and seasons of many HBO series, including Eastbound & Down, Rome, Entourage and Big Love. Read more »
Anyone who’s ever subscribed to Cinemax might know it better for the availability of softcore porn during late-night hours than its Hollywood movie library. Now it’s bringing that content to the iPad through its Max Go app. But does that violate Apple’s strict anti-porn policy? Read more »
Time Warner’s HBO Go service has been a big hit, and it’s helping to drive more viewers to the premium cable network. With that in mind, the TV Everywhere service will soon be available on connected TVs and video game consoles. Read more »
If you’ve missed the first two episodes of Breaking Bad: Full-length episodes have quietly been added to online video portals of Comcast and Dish Network. But to access those episodes you have to be a cable or satellite subscriber. Read more »
With plans to expand into 43 Latin American countries and a dramatic change to its pricing plans, Netflix has a lot of big changes expected. Through management commentary and Q&A with financial analysts, CEO Reed Hastings will try to quell any fears. Read more »
CNN unveiled a new live online video service on its website, as well as on new versions of its popular iPad and iPhone applications. But it isn’t available to everyone — to view it, users have to be pay TV subscribers with access to the news network. Read more »
Hulu has made its first pitch to a number of prospective buyers, but Netflix didn’t come to the party: The popular subscription service apparently has no interest in buying its catch-up TV competitor. However, there are plenty of other well-known suitors still in the game. Read more »
Viacom and Time Warner Cable have called a truce in their fight over streams of live TV on the iPad. With a standstill agreement approved by a New York federal court, they will be able to negotiate without having to worry about court deadlines or proceedings. Read more »
HBO is giving viewers one more reason to tune into its shows on its TV Everywhere portal: The premium cable network has added a number of interactive features to episodes of hit fantasy series Game of Thrones on HBO Go. Read more »
Netflix CEO Reed Hastings said this morning that one of the things he’s most proud of is beating BitTorrent, at least in the U.S. Now, he says, the challenge is to beat copyright infringement in places like Korea, where it runs rampant. Read more »
Good news for fans of HBO’s new series Game of Thrones: This weekend, subscribers will be able to watch the show a whole week early. The show will be available on the HBO Go website, as well as mobile apps on iOS and Android devices. Read more »
Cox is the latest provider to join the TV Everywhere party, introducing a new site enabling its subscribers to view tens of thousands of videos online. Cox subscribers can now sign in and watch more than 15,000 pieces of content from cable and broadcast networks. Read more »
TV ownership has fallen for the first time in 20 years, according to Nielsen. But is that decline due to poorer, rural consumers who couldn’t afford to keep up with the digital transition? Or due to young, hip urbanites who are watching video on different screens? Read more »
Surprise! HBO has made its on-demand streaming application available on the iPad, a few days ahead of its expected launch date. While not expected until early next week, the HBO Go iPad, iPhone and Android apps are now available for download. Read more »
Netflix may have more subscribers than Comcast, but that doesn’t mean it sees itself as a replacement to traditional cable. In a letter to shareholders and on the company’s quarterly earnings call, CEO Reed Hastings argued that Netflix viewing is complementary to cable networks. Read more »
After a year in which over-the-top video services grabbed most of the media’s attention, some of the online video headlines shifted back to traditional pay-TV providers in the first quarter of 2011. Device manufacturers rolled out new offerings, while cable-TV providers moved to expand their in-home footprint beyond the TV itself. But over-the-top continued to encroach, with Roku adding its first linear channels to the Roku store and Netflix acquiring exclusive rights to high-profile original series House of Cards. Finally, traditional web powers like Google, Yahoo and Apple made moves to reassert their presence in the living room after their early stumbles. Additional companies mentioned in this report include Comcast, Cablevision, Viacom and VUDU. For a full list of companies, and to read the full report, sign up for a free trial. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
It looks like HBO will soon make its TV Everywhere service available … everywhere. According to a teaser video on HBO’s YouTube channel, it will soon launch mobile apps that bring its HBO Go online video service to the iPad and other mobile devices. Read more »
Many were surprised to learn this week that Netflix is wading into the expensive waters of original content. However, in an era of rising distribution costs, Netflix is simply doing what it needs to do to survive by offering original content. Read more »
Netflix confirmed its first foray into original programming, striking a deal to license House of Cards, starring Kevin Spacey and directed by David Fincher. But the bigger news is that Netflix could be leading the charge to bring original scripted content online. Read more »
Today on the Net: Apple & Disney may just be a tad too cozy, HBO Go is coning to Samsung TVs and U.S. viewers only like Al-Jazeera if they’re told it’s CNN. Read more »
Netflix is reportedly going up against the big cable networks for a new show called House of Cards. But what will adding original programming to its video library mean for Netflix, and what does it mean for the future of cable programming? Read more »
TV Everywhere services are finally taking off, and some cable networks — like HBO — are fully invested in pursuing that strategy to increase revenues. But is TV Everywhere by itself a safe bet, when Netflix and others offering the possibility of additional revenues to cable networks? Read more »
With HBO’s relationship with cable providers rockier than usual, thanks to its subscriber base dropping by 1.5 million, statements by Chairman and CEO Jeff Bewkes indicate that the premium cable offering may be looking for alternative means of distribution. But that doesn’t include Netflix. Read more »
Microsoft is reportedly in talks to bring more TV content to its Xbox Live service. One option on the table is to directly license cable networks like HBO and Showtime, another is to compete with Comcast & Co. on their home turf by selling cable-like subscription bundles. Read more »
The live-stream video market is entering an upturn in the typical hockey stick growth chart. Tens of millions of desktop viewers use browser-based players to find live-streaming content on an ever-increasing number of web sites and mobile devices. Raw viewership will grow fastest in the consumer segment, where sites like Justin.tv and Qik are focused. Those like Kyte, Livestream, Ustream and BitGravity, meanwhile, primarily offer platforms to commercial content providers seeking a mass audience. And as the market grows, both in terms of viewers and of the number and type of content providers, it will support both those with a diverse, one-stop-shop approach and those who specialize in particular content and audiences. Additional companies mentioned in this report include YouTube/Google, Sony, HTC, Vivu, Facebook and Apple. To see a full list of companies and to read the full report, sign up for a free trial. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
The television business is on the cusp of the biggest technological upheaval since the introduction of cable TV. The addition of Internet connectivity to living room devices will enable new functionality around programming services, program discovery, social networking, ad targeting and measurement — aspects of the TV viewing experience that have remained largely unchanged for decades. These trends have the potential to become the foundation for new economic models around how viewers pay for video service and how program creation is financed. In this report, we examine the leading contenders’ strategic positioning, relative strengths and weaknesses, and provide the early line on their odds of success. Companies mentioned include Google, Apple, Boxee, Roku, Vudu, Samsung, Microsoft and Sony. To see a full list of companies and to read the full report, sign up for a free trial. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Today on the Net: The four things live YouTube needs to succeed, HBO subscribers have declined for the second straight quarter to their lowest level in four years and Warner Music Group’s go-it-alone video strategy might be hurting it while Vevo is growing dramatically. Read more »
The iPad is getting some love with prominent mentions by leading media companies in their plans to expand delivery of video content. Both HBO and Verizon FIOS discussed plans to bring streaming video apps to the iPad. Read more »
HBO has plans to make its online on-demand video service available to more cable providers and on more devices, including the Apple iPad. But one place you won’t see HBO movies and TV shows is on Netflix, according to an interview with HBO co-president Eric Kessler. Read more »
When Microsoft announced that ESPN would make live and on-demand video available through its Xbox Live service, the news had strong implications for mass adoption of cable services being delivered ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Comcast-owned social TV site Tunerfish is going live today, and it already has a major media company on board to help cross-promote the service. According to a media alert, cable programmer HBO has teamed up with Tunerfish to promote the season premiere of True Blood. Read more »
Today on the Net: the BBC seeks to block third parties from building iPlayer applications, Sony will offer HBO shows for sale on the PS3 gaming console, and Rovi makes a play to get on the Google TV platform. Read more »
FiOS TV users won’t get their Epix and HBO Go content from a third-party CDN, but from Verizon’s own servers. This could save cable networks money, and help Verizon to manage its network. Read more »
Viacom vs. YouTube Is a Microcosm of the Entertainment Industry; even as thousands of artists and labels are embracing the internet, the top management at the big labels are behind laws that could give their companies the power to shut down any tech firm that attempts […] Read more »
HBO In Discussions For ‘TV Everywhere’ Deals; Eric Kessler, co-president of HBO, said that the programmer is engaged in conversations with a number of different distributors to enable authenticated subscribers to access content from multiple touch points. (Multichannel News) Blockbuster Dips a Toe in the Mobile […] Read more »
Not the first site to get a TV deal, and probably not the last, Funny or Die is the latest online studio attempting to finding the secret of transferring short-form comedy to OldTeeVee. OldTeeVees with HBO subscriptions, anyway — Funny or Die Presents, announced in October […] Read more »
Yesterday HBO took the wraps off its new online video portal, HBO Go, which was designed to offer its subscribers access to additional online video content on demand. The site, which is part of parent company Time Warner’s broader TV Everywhere strategy, became available to Verizon […] Read more »
Cable programmer HBO has launched its own TV Everywhere portal, enabling paying subscribers to its cable channels to watch on-demand movies and TV episodes online. The HBO Go service, which was first introduced nearly a year ago as a complement to its linear cable programming, is […] Read more »
