Category: Software

BBC launches Fresh Online for short form docs

MUMBAI: UK pubcaster The BBC‘s channel BBC Three has announced the launch of a new initiative to find aspiring directors of the future with the creation of Fresh Online – a BBC online space which will showcase the country‘s best short-form documentaries.

Fresh Online will invite aspiring factual filmmakers to produce and submit their short films, which will then be showcased on a new Fresh Online website due to go live later this year.

The website will provide a platform for aspiring filmmakers to get their work seen, while also becoming the ‘go to‘ place for BBC Three audiences interested in documentaries. A collaboration between BBC Three, BBC Documentaries and BBC Learning, Fresh Online will sit alongside the fresh new directors scheme already run by BBC Three.

BBC Three controller Zai Bennett said, “I‘m thrilled with the success of documentaries on BBC Three – from Bafta-winning ‘Our War‘ and the ‘Body Image‘ season to the recent success of ‘The Call Centre‘, the channel is committed to delivering documentaries on a diverse range of topics specifically for a younger audience.”

“The Fresh directors scheme for up-and-coming filmmakers has played a vital role in BBC Three‘s factual offering, and now we‘ll be extending that with Fresh Online aimed at finding the directors of the future,” he added.

BBC commissioning editor for documentaries Charlotte Moore said, “Fresh Online is a chance for us to find raw talent and the next generation of filmmakers. We‘re looking for people who have stories to tell and something to say about the age we‘re living in. Free from the pressures of schedules, budgets and viewing figures, it‘s a chance to experiment, to create short films and to become part of a community of documentary makers in this country. It could be your first step on the road to an Oscar! We‘re looking for films between two and 10 minutes long which give an insight into what‘s really important for young people in today‘s Britain.”

June 14, 2013
Reliance Communications partners with Star Sports for live streaming of ICC Champions Trophy 2013 matches for 3G customers

MUMBAI: Reliance Communications today announced their partnership with Star Sports to offer unlimited live streaming of all ICC Champions Trophy 2013 cricket matches for 3G and prepaid GSM customers in the country. With this partnership, Reliance customers can now avail unlimited live streaming of all the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 matches on their Smartphones by subscribing for a tournament pass of Rs 301 only to access all the matches of the ongoing tournament without paying any additional data consumption charges.

Reliance 3G and prepaid GSM Smartphone subscribers can now enjoy a video experience and avail unlimited live streaming of any Champions Trophy 2013 matches without any delay and buffering on their mobile screens anytime, anywhere across the country without the burden of paying high data charges while streaming. Customers will also benefit from the package being inclusive of the Rs 50 subscription fee for access.

Commenting on this partnership Reliance Communications chief revenue officer Nilanjan Mukherjee said, "We are delighted to offer the first of its kind seamless experience of unlimited live streaming of all ICC Champions Trophy 2013 matches to our customers powered by Star Sports with no additional data consumption charges. Our exclusive global partnership with ICC further strengthens our offering for cricket enthusiasts on our superior network and is line with our continuous efforts to offer innovative products with incredible affordability. We are confident that this seamless video experience on the go without buffering is set to trigger a significant shift of cricket fanatics using Smartphones to our superior 3G network."

ESPN Software India COO Vijay Rajput said, "We are excited about our partnership with Reliance. We have launchedstarsports.com with the aspiration to create the most compelling sports experience in India. And we are eager for Reliance‘s customers to have access to an outstanding live video experience."

Reliance 3G and prepaid GSM customers can subscribe the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 matches for Rs. 301 and get a tournament access code that can be used for one time registration of online live stream access at <http://m.starsports.com> m.starsports.com and enjoy unlimited live streaming access at no additional data charges.

June 13, 2013
Time Warner Cable to offer content directly to Samsung Smart TVs without STB

NEW DELHI: Time Warner Cable (TWC) has made available its TWC TV application on compatible Samsung Smart TVs to enable customers to see television without a set-top box.

TWC video subscribers will have instant access to 5,000 Video on Demand (VOD) titles from nearly 100 networks.

Samsung Electronics America content & product solutions VP Eric Anderson said: “The application will provide existing Time Warner Cable subscribers with more control and choice for how they access their Time Warner Cable content over their Samsung Smart TVs without having to be tethered to their cable box.”

“SmartTV is an important product for Samsung in the TV market. In April 2012, global market research agency IHS said shipments of televisions in 2012 amounted to 238.5 million units, down 6.3 per cent from 254.6 million in 2011. Shipments aren‘t expected to rise back to the 2011 level until 2015, when they will amount to 253.1 million units,” he adds.

“Time Warner Cable is giving customers more flexibility in how they watch the content they love through our TWC TV application for Samsung Smart TVs,” said Video for Time Warner Cable senior VP & GM Mike Angus.

The TWC TV application will be available for download initially on 2012 Samsung Smart TVs and the 2013 Samsung Smart TVs soon afterwards. Channel line-ups vary by market and depend on the video subscription package to which a customer subscribes.

June 13, 2013
Social media to exert growing influence on TV viewing in the US

MUMBAI: Consumers‘ interaction with social media in relation to their television viewing in the US is relatively modest compared to other forms of communication and lags behind other online media, TV promotions and, especially, offline communication, according to a new study. Only 12 per cent of respondents use social media one or more times per day concerning TV.

However, the number jumps to 37 per cent using social media one or more times per week-suggesting growth potential for social media as an influence on TV viewing. Half of these respondents report viewing TV concurrently with using social media.

The research also identified several groups who are highly connected to social media and television, and who represent an important opportunity for marketers. These are among numerous findings from a multi-pronged study, entitled ‘Talking Social TV, to help determine how social media interaction impacts television viewing‘. The research was spearheaded by the Social Media Committee of the Council for Research Excellence (CRE), and included a quantitative study by the Keller Fay Group, an ethnographic study by Nielsen Life360, and social media analyses by NM Incite and Bluefin Labs.

An academic team including Peter Fader of The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Mitch Lovett of the Simon School of Business at the University of Rochester, and Renana Peres of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem was engaged to undertake statistical modeling.

Among the study‘s many findings:

In terms of social-media influence, only 1.5 per cent of study respondents report being drawn to existing TV shows by social media -but that number increases to six per cent when asked about new shows; Social media use varies by genre; Sci-Fi, Sports and Talk/News show strong interaction overall, both while people are watching and while they are not watching.

Reality programming‘s interaction is much stronger while People are watching, less so before or after the programme. Comedy follows an opposite pattern, with less interaction during the programme and more interaction in reaction to the programme;

“Super Connectors”, defined as those most actively involved in social media usage related to TV viewing, are 12 per cent of the public, and tend to be younger and are more likely female. Other groups also are active, although Super Connectors are not well represented among adults over 45 years of age

“Super Connectors” are far more likely to be involved with all means of communication about television (online, marketing and word of mouth). They were two-to-three times as likely to interact with social media related to television as the general population.

“Hispanics” are more involved with social media than the general population, especially while watching television. However, they did not approach the level of interaction of the Super Connectors. While watching, Hispanics are 50 per cent more likely to interact with social media related to television, and to interact with most television genres, led by sports programming

Mobile device ownership (smartphones and tablets) increases social media interaction; in on-demand and online watching occasions, social media played a role twice as often;

People use social media to discuss TV shows even when others are watching with them.

June 13, 2013
18-34 year olds in the US becoming ‘broadbanders’: Pivot Study

MUMBAI: Pivot, which is Participant Media‘s new cable network, launching in over 40 million homes in the US on 1 August 2013 has released its first annual Industry Report about millennials‘ consumption of TV content.

Among broadband subscribers 18-34 years old, 13 per cent (8.6 Million) are currently broadband-only customers. 27 per cent (17.9 million) of millennial pay TV/broadband subscribers – aka ‘Cross-Platformers‘ – are at risk of cutting their pay TV subscriptions.

The study examined how the current pay TV ecosystem could be impacted if programmers and MVPDs provided consumers with a new distribution alternative that speaks specifically to this demographics lifestyle and viewing habits.

Pivot, Participant Television president Evan Shapiro, who unveiled the data during The Cable Show in Washington, DC said, “Our goal with this study was to start a conversation about attracting a new generation of MVPD customers. The future of our industry isn‘t just about staving off decline, but growing the video business by showing the 100 million plus audience under 30 that our products can fit their media lifestyle.”

“The data clearly shows that a bundled next-gen TVE offering – with both Live streamed channels plus VOD TV content, anywhere/anytime – would be a Killer App for keeping many millennials at risk of leaving our ecosystem and wooing those college kids and recent grads we‘re now losing,” he added.

Many Cross-Platformers are looking to stray from the ecosystem (17.9 million 18-34s as well as 32 million 18-49s). However, data indicates that they can be attracted to TV through new offerings. 87 per cent of at-risk Cross-Platformers (aka ‘Strayers‘) would consider keeping their Pay TV Subscriptions if offered programming streamed Live and On Demand anywhere/everywhere, while 58 per cent of Broadbanders would consider subscribing to TV for a bundle of networks from their broadband provider, streamed Live and On Demand.

Miner and Co. Studio president Robert Miner said, “Research indicates that offering customers bundles of services including VOD and live streaming where they want, when they want, and at a price point that is acceptable to their life stage could keep a number of Cross-Platformers at the table with the potential of bringing Broadbanders into the fold.”

Data shows that if offered channels that streamed not just VoD content but Live programming anywhere/anytime, 85 per cent of Cross-Platformers ages 18-34 noted they would feel better about MVPDs. Among 18-34 year olds, 51 per cent of Broadbanders say they would consider paying as much as $20 per month for such a bundle (that includes the Pivot APP).

In March, Pivot had announced a distribution model, offering pay TV subscribers TV Everywhere Live and On Demand, on any device, anywhere, anytime; as well as offering Broadband-Only Subscribers the channel Live and On Demand through their Pivot APP, via subscriptions, which will be available only through their broadband providers.

Ramspacher said, “It is clear from our study that the industry at large could make a substantial dent in the attrition of Pay TV subscribers by offering VOD and live streaming products that would retain and attract this specific group of video customers.”

Additional results below for 18-34 year olds:

· 92 per cent want VoD streamed everywhere and anywhere
· 86 per cent want Live streaming TV everywhere
· 94 per cent would feel more positively about networks that offer VOD streamed everywhere
· 91 per cent would feel more positively about networks that offer Live streaming TV everywhere
· 89 per cent of Cross-Platformers are more likely to keep their cable, satellite, or telco TV subscription if they were offered TV networks/channels that provided VOD streamed everywhere
· 85 per cent of Cross-Platformers are more likely to keep their cable, satellite, or telco TV subscription if they were offered TV networks/channels that provided Live streaming TV everywhere
· 87 per cent of at-risk Cross-Platformers (aka “Strayers”) would consider keeping their Pay TV subscriptions if offered programming streamed Live and On Demand anywhere/everywhere
· 55 per cent of Loyal Cross-Platformers intend to keep Pay TV primarily because they like the option of watching Live TV
· 44 per cent of Pay-TV-Craving Broadbanders miss their favorite Live shows, while only 19% say they miss Live sports
· 31 per cent of Pay-TV-Craving Broadbanders miss watching Live TV as an option
· 58 per cent of Broadbanders say they are likely to subscribe to a bundle of TV networks from their ISP if offered
· 51 per cent of Broadbanders and 85% of potentially straying Cross-Platformers say they would consider paying as much as $20 per month for such a bundle (that includes the Pivot APP)
· 84 per cent are interested in Pivot, Participant Media‘s new network
· 52 per cent of Cross-Platformers and 41 per cent of Broadbanders are very interested in the Pivot APP

June 13, 2013
Media companies’ digital revenues will overtake traditional by 2015: Ernst and Young

MUMBAI: The average revenue of media and entertainment (M&E) companies will shortly cross the 50 per cent mark from majority traditional to majority digital, according to a new report, ‘Digital agility now! Creating a high-velocity media and entertainment organisation in the age of transformative technology‘, released by Ernst and Young. It has surveyed more than 550 senior executives from global M&E companies.

Today, revenue from digital is 47 per cent and survey respondents say that by 2015 it will account for 57 per cent of revenue – thus making digital the new norm and the primary source of revenue for M&E companies.

    Over 550 senior executives from global media and entertainment companies see 57 per cent of their revenue coming from digital by 2015, up from 47 per cent today
    Organisational agility singled-out as a leading success factor in the digital era
    The study indicates that “digital leaders” have embraced smart mobile-social-cloud and big data analytics technologies to achieve agility

The study goes on to identify the characteristics of M&E ‘digital leaders‘ – companies that are using new technology not only to deliver digital products and services, but to build more agile organisations capable of sensing and responding far faster to shifting customer expectations and marketplace opportunities and risks. The digital leaders are pioneering the path to a higher level of organisational agility as the M&E industry transitions to digital as its new norm.

Ernst and Young global technology industry leader Pat Hyek said, “Mobile-social-cloud and big data analytics technologies are game-changers for M&E firms. These technologies can help M&E digital leaders who broke ahead of the pack in the early stages of digital to extend their advantages, as well as offer opportunities for those who fell behind to adapt quickly and catch up.”

According to the report a major differentiator between these digital leaders and other survey respondents is a greater emphasis on mobile-social-cloud and big data analytics technologies for internal collaboration. For example, digital leaders are 60 per cent more likely than all other respondents to emphasise the importance of social media for internal communication among employees: 67 per cent said it was ‘very‘ or ‘extremely‘ important, versus 42 per cent of all others. The study points to the kind of rapid collaboration that is enabled by social networks and characteristic of an agile organisation, where silos are broken down by the ready flow of information.

The study shows that digital leaders‘ advanced social listening programmes, leading-edge analytics and cloud-based infrastructure enable rapid deployment of new products and resources, and give companies the ability to quickly learn from and fix mistakes. This organisational agility is necessary to meet the demands of rapidly evolving digital consumer behavior.

Ernst and Young Global Media and Entertainment Leader John Nendick said, “Media and entertainment companies no longer live in a world where everything lives in ‘their‘ world. It‘s a connected eco-system with consumer technology leading the way”.

Other results from the survey include:

    Technology alliances: Digital leaders emphasise alliances that let them act faster than “going it alone”; 51 per cent rank alliances with technology and other M&E partners among their top three strategic priorities for digital transformation, versus 30 per cent for others.

    Second-generation deployments: Digital leaders were generally more than twice as likely to incorporate lessons learned from initial technology deployments to achieve more advanced functionality. For example, 49 per cent of digital leaders use second-generation mobile technologies to develop products/services versus 16 per cent of all others.

    Smart mobility: Similarly, 32 per cent of digital leaders use second-generation or later techniques in mobility to enhance employee engagement and communication, versus 13 per cent of all others.

    Cloud: Digital leaders emphasise the importance of cloud computing to enhance internal and customer-facing flexibility. For example, 74 per cent of digital leaders say it‘s important to host business tools in the cloud, versus 49 per cent of all others; and 43 per cent of digital leaders use second-generation cloud solutions to speed product/service development vs 12 per cent of all others.

    Big data analytics: Digital leaders are three times more likely than other respondents to use second-generation big data analytics techniques to improve customer engagement (26 per cent versus nine per cent). Among all respondents, 66 per cent rely on in-house resources to get insight into customers yet 41 per cent say they gain no insight from their data, suggesting they don‘t have the right big data analytics tools or skills in place and may be better off partnering to access external resources.

Agility Index:

The report concludes with an agility index that ranks the relative organisational agility of different M&E segments as well as enabling technology and digital leaders. The average score of all respondents is indexed to 100. A score of 110 denotes performance 10 per cent above average; 90 is 10 per cent below average.

June 13, 2013
CBeebies programming block to launch on BesTV New Media in China

MUMBAI: UK pubcaster The BBC‘s commercial arm BBC Worldwide has announced a deal with Chinese new media company BesTV to launch a CBeebies branded block on their multi screen platform.

The deal, announced at the opening day of the Shanghai TV Festival, is the first collaboration between a UK kids content provider and BesTV New Media.

Commencing this year, the deal will see over 20 million of BesTV‘s new media subscribers, who have access to CBeebies‘ preschool programmes like ‘Teletubbies‘, ‘Sarah And Duck‘, ‘Baby Jake‘ and ‘Andy‘s Wild Adventures‘ as a VOD service. Young learners and parents will be able to enjoy CBeebies programmes via BesTV‘s multi-screen service – through IPTV, Connect TV, OTT, tablets, and mobile.

This will be the first launch of CBeebies as a brand in China. BBC Worldwide VP and GM Greater China Pierre Cheung said, “We have a long term relationship with BesTV, who have been acquiring our BBC documentaries and drama since 2008. We are extremely excited to work with them again to launch the CBeebies brand, and look forward to working with them to promote our award-winning preschool brand in China.”

BesTV New Media VP Zhangyue said, “Family subscribers are our target users, and the deal with BBC Worldwide to provide CBeebies branded programmes on BesTV is important to us. It gives our viewers and subscribers opportunities where families can come together in front of the TV to spend quality time together.”

“CBeebies provides a range of pre-school programming designed to encourage learning through play in a consistently safe environment – attributes that we at BesTV agree and believe in as well. With this deal, we have upped the ante on our international preschool offering,” he adds.

June 13, 2013
SNL Kagan Survey 2012: Videocon d2h is world’s No 1 DTH player in new subscriber additions

MUMBAI: The sky is the limit it seems for Videocon d2h, the direct to home arm of the Videocon group. It apparently has unknowingly managed a unprecedented record of adding the highest number of gross subscribers in 2012 in the DTH category globally.This is one of the findings from a piece of research carried out by US research agency SNL Kagan on leading pay TV operators in the world.

According to the study Viideocon d2h, added 2.33 million subscribers in 2012, while Dish TV added 2.2 million subs and Tata Sky 1.9 million. As compared to that, the next highest additions in 2012 were Russian DTH firm Tricolor which added 1.29 million subscribers and Sky Brasil and Sky Mexico with 1.251 million new subs and 1.12 million sub additions.

One of the youngest Indian DTH operators, the company was buoyed by this news. It says the term, ‘The Fastest Growing DTH Service provider‘, now assumes greater impetus and significance due to the global survey results.

Says Videocon group director Saurabh Dhoot: “Videocon d2h has been constantly topping the charts with highest number of additions in the Indian scenario but achieving this on a global scale that too on an annual basis, is phenomenal and overwhelming. We have always raised the bar in various parameters in the category and this provides another instance for the same. Through all our endeavours we will continue adding value to our customers.”

Adds Videocon d2h CEO Anil Khera: “This is a very proud moment for us as a company. We have not only maintained our lead within the country but have outshined even global competition. I am sure such an accolade will provide a strong motivation to our employees to raise the company‘s flag even higher. It is because of the belief that our customers have placed on the brand that we are able to achieve such success. We aim to delight them always with our services.”

Also Read:
Indian pay TV operators making their mark globally: researcher SNL Kagan

June 12, 2013
Google acquires Waze for over $1 bn

MUMBAI: Google has acquired Israeli technology company Waze for an estimated $1.03 billion.

Waze makes a crowds-sourced traffic app that uses input from drivers. It will complement Google‘s mapping capability. Reports add that the deal is seen by many as a defensive move by Google to keep Waze from being acquired by Apple or Facebook.

Google says that the aim is to help drivers outsmart traffic. Drivers will be able to find the best routes from home to work, every day. The Waze product development team will remain in Israel and operate separately for now. Google Maps will be enhanced with some of the traffic update features provided by Waze. At the same time Waze will be enhanced with Google‘s search capabilities.

Google adds that it will also work closely with the Waze community, who are the DNA of this app, to ensure they have what‘s needed to grow and prosper. Google notes that the Waze community and its dedicated team have created a source of timely road corrections and updates. The effort is to make a comprehensive, accurate and useful map of the world.

Waze founder Noam Bardin said, “Larry Page, Brian McClendon and the Google Maps teams have been following our progress closely and are excited about what we‘ve accomplished. They share our vision of a global mapping service, updated in real time by local communities, and wish to help us accelerate. We are excited about the prospect of working with the Google Maps team to enhance our search capabilities and to join them in their ongoing efforts to build the best map of the world.”

“Nothing practical will change here at Waze. We will maintain our community, brand, service and organisation – the community hierarchy, responsibilities and processes will remain the same. The same Waze people will continue to collaborate with you, and we will continue to innovate, our product and services, making them more social, functional and helpful for everyday drivers. Our employees, managers, founders and I are all committed to our vision for many years to come,” he added.

He also wrote on his blog on why the company did not go in for an IPO. “Why not stay completely independent? We asked ourselves: “Will Waze still be a fun project to participate in, and a fun place to work, as a stand-alone public company?” He noted that choosing the path of an IPO often shifts attention to bankers, lawyers and the happiness of Wall Street. “We decided we‘d rather spend our time with you, the Waze community. Google is committed to help us achieve our common goal and provide us with the independence and resources we need to succeed. We evaluated many options and believe Google is the best partner for Waze, our map editors, area managers, champs and nearly 50 million ‘Wazers‘ globally.”

He adds that Waze will continue to make a real impact on drivers globally, helping them save time and money while making everyone‘s daily commute a bit more efficient and fun.

June 12, 2013
TV Everywhere increases the value of Pay TV: Epix Survey

MUMBAI: US TV network Epix which is a JV between Viacom, MGM and Lionsgate has announced key findings of a survey, conducted by global consumer research firm Hub Entertainment.

This show that consumers who view content on multiple platforms and devices attach much more value to service from their pay TV provider than those who watch on a TV set only. Epix made this announcement at the National Cable and Telecommunications Association (NCTA) 2013 Cable Show in Washington, DC.

The survey found that the value that subscribers attribute to their pay TV service increases as the number of devices used to watch programming grows. Pay TV subscribers‘ value ratings increase by up to 83 per cent for viewers who access programming on multiple devices compared to those who watch on TV only. Among pay TV subscribers who view content on a TV plus three additional devices, 71 per cent feel pay TV is an “excellent/good” value; the percentage increases to 88 per cent among pay TV subscribers viewing on TV and four other devices, a true testament to the strength of multiplatform viewing.

Among subscribers who view content on a TV only, 48 per cent believe that they are getting an “excellent/good” value from their pay TV subscription.

The findings also indicate that multiplatform viewing enhances the value that subscribers attribute to Epix. Epix subscribers‘ satisfaction increases by over 50 per cent among multiple platform and device viewers compared with those who watch only on TV. While 62 per cent of Epix subscribers watching only on television are satisfied with the service, 80 per cent of Epix subscribers who view the network via two or three devices are satisfied. Importantly, the highest levels of satisfaction come from Epix subscribers who access the network‘s content on four or more devices, with an impressive 94 per cent satisfied with their Epix subscription.

The value of watching Epix on devices benefits pay TV providers as well. Over 80 per cent of Epix subscribers who view on game consoles or media players say that having that capability makes their pay TV subscription more valuable than it would otherwise be.

Epix chief of staff Nora Ryan said, “The results of this study illustrate the high value consumers are placing on multiplatform viewing and underscores the importance of delivering superior content along with the ability to make it available to consumers at their convenience on any platform. As the entertainment viewing experience evolves, consumers are making new choices about how they want to consume content and forming new habits that include the desire to watch movies and TV shows anytime, anywhere and on multiple platforms. Flexibility is really important in the delivery and packaging of programming services and those distributors who recognise this will be able to increase the satisfaction levels of their customers. We remain committed to working closely with our operating partners to provide our authenticated subscribers access to the best content and extra features in all the ways they want it.

June 12, 2013