The third quarter saw many parts of the traditional media business in flux. Other developments included the rollout of new device-based content ecosystems, red flags and red ink for traditional consumer electronics makers, and a resurgence of consumer purchases of movies. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
With the launch of Nook Video, Barnes & Noble will begin selling digital movies and TV episodes across devices. The company plans to release Nook Video apps, and the service will be available in the US and UK. Pricing and other details are unclear. Read more at paidContent »
Since the sign-off of its Starz deal in February, Netflix’s streaming service has been largely devoid of new blockbuster movie titles. Can the arrival of top-grossing films like Thor, Transformers 3 and Immortals kickstart Netflix’s sluggish subscriber growth … and stock price? Read more at paidContent »
As of Wednesday, Netflix subscribers don’t have access to the Starz Play live TV feed anymore, effectively ending what could have become Netflix’s live TV streaming business. Never heard of the ability to watch live TV through the Netflix website? You’re not alone. Read more »
On HBO Go, about 75 percent of all viewership is focused on the premium cable network’s original series, as users catch up on current series like Boardwalk Empire or watch older shows like The Sopranos, according to HBO Co-President Eric Kessler. Read more »
The summer of 2011 was accompanied by a great web video pullback, as content owners lengthened distribution windows and demanded more from digital licensees. That’s caused some concern about the viability of the industry, but is probably a small road bump for the booming business. Read more »
Dish Network could soon take on Netflix in the subscription streaming space, with a new service offered through Blockbuster. The service is expected to roll out next month, as Dish seeks to take advantage of Netflix’s recent price hike and steal angry customers away. Read more »
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 »
Starz announced yesterday that it wouldn’t renew its streaming deal with Netflix, sending many Netflix investors heading for the exits. Netflix stock has been down 8-10 percent since the announcement went out. But what do Wall Street analysts think? Read more »
After extended negotiations, Starz Entertainment announced today it will not renew or extend its multi-year deal with Netflix (NSDQ: NFLX).… Read more at paidContent »
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 »
The latest piece of bad news for Netflix? Cable network Starz will no longer negotiate to renew a licensing deal that give Netflix users access to content from Disney and Sony Pictures at the same time as Starz cable subscribers. Read more »
Sony content disappeared from Netflix Friday, after distributor Starz had reached an IP distribution cap in its contract. Starz had reached a maximum number of users that can access the service from online video services — with the vast majority of those subscribers coming from Netflix. Read more »
Reed Hasting’s original deal with the premium cable network Starz is widely seen as a steal, securing Netflix the right to stream major studio content for reportedly just $30 million a year. But at the time Hastings made the deal, he almost pulled out last minute. Read more »
Starz and Disney are suing Dish Network over a year-long free promotion it offered, claiming the satellite TV provider can’t distribute its channels without payment from users. The giveaway also coincides with Starz renegotiating its Netflix deal, which could take away some of its negotiating leverage. 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 »
Want to watch the premiere episode of the new Starz show Camelot on Netflix? Then you’d better be patient: Starz introduces a 90-day window for its content starting April 1st. However, this isn’t really just about Camelot. Starz simply wants a better deal with Netflix. Read more »
Today on the Net: Netflix CEO Reed Hastings said he doesn’t necessarily need to renew the company’s deal with Starz, CBS Interactive head Neil Ashe is stepping down and CBS head Leslie Moonves said Google TV would have to pay up for access to its content. Read more »
Starz has been a key component in the growth of Netflix’s streaming service over the past two years, but it has been woefully underpaid in that time. A new deal could bring Starz more than $250 million a year, according to BTIG analyst Richard Greenfield. Read more »
Today on the Net: NBC creates an ad network for its owned and operated local stations, the iOScars have been announced to honor innovative videos shot on the iPhone 4 and Starz is shuttering Overture Films and handing over marketing and distribution to Relativity Media. Read more »
Execs Downplay Web Video Threat; Cablevision, Rovi and Disney execs dismissed cord cutting fears at the 2010 Media Summit in New York. (Light Reading) Pick Your Favorite Rev3 Shows & Create a Personalized Feed; Revision3 viewers can now generate personalized RSS feeds, combining new episodes from […] Read more »
Netflix’s access to streaming video content from Disney and might be limited come 2012, unless Starz can negotiate a deal that will keep the studio’s new release titles online, according to Bloomberg. That would comes as a huge blow to Netflix, which depends on Starz for […] Read more »
Ex-HBO Head Albrecht Joins Starz As CEO; Albrecht spent more than 20 years at HBO and was credited with a string of successes during his stint as president of HBO Original Programming. (paidContent) ESPN360 Scores Bangladesh Cricket Rights Deal; ESPN and Nimbus Sport International have reached […] Read more »
Over the past three years, the Internet has become a major secondary distribution platform for free-to-air broadcast programming. Whether through network programmers’ own sites, such as ABC.com, or through aggregators like Hulu and TV.com, ad-supported broadcast programming today is generally available online shortly after its initial airing at no cost to the user. However, programming such as ESPN, TNT and the Discovery Channel, which originates on pay-TV platforms (i.e. cable, satellite and telco TV services) has been a different story.
Cable system operators and other multichannel video program distributors (MVPDs) are loathe to see the programming for which they are charging subscribers hefty monthly fees made available “over-the-top” without a subscription. Over time, they fear, consumers would be tempted to drop their expensive cable service if they could access their favorite programs online.
Cable networks, for their part, collect hefty fees from MVPDs for the right to retransmit their programming, from a few cents per subscriber per month, to as much as $3.75 per subscriber per month, for the most popular channels like Disney’s ESPN. In aggregate, cable networks collect about $25 billion per year in “affiliate fees” from MVPDs, about the same amount as they generate collectively from advertising sales.
As a result, much of the original programming on pay-TV networks is not currently available online, and that which is often doesn’t appear until well after its original air date. The popularity of portals like Hulu (not to mention illegal sources of TV content), however, has accustomed consumers to expect access to their favorite shows online, putting pressure on the industry to respond. Network programmers and marketers, meanwhile, are also anxious to extend their programming franchises by tapping the broad, online audience.
TV Everywhere, which aims to make subscription programming available online exclusively to current pay-TV subscribers, represents an effort to square that circle. In this report, we look at the players, potential costs, and emerging opportunities of these efforts. Read more »
Starz announced yesterday that it was joining Comcast’s OnDemand Online trial, making content from its pay TV channels available for viewing online — if you’re a Starz subscriber. Starz joins Time Warner, which announced last month that its TNT and Turner networks would be part of […] Read more »
