ITV

Tag: British Telecom

  • Global revenue from online video will grow to nearly $1.5 billion by the end of 2007

    Global revenue from online video will grow to nearly $1.5 billion by the end of 2007

    MUMBAI: Global revenue from online video sales, rentals or subscriptions will total just $298 million this year, but will grow to nearly $1.5 billion by the end of 2007.

    A report from research firm Strategy Analytics states that With more than 100 million TV shows, movies and other programs downloaded, 2006 will be remembered as the year in which online sales of prerecorded video finally became a real business.

    Kicked off by a strong push from Apple Computer and other media companies, online video sales will be driven by a fast-growing broadband audience seeking new ways to find, watch and pay for video.

    TUsing demand elasticity analysis and feedback from 1,700 broadband users, Strategy Analytics projects that by 2010 global revenue will surge to $5.9 billion, accounting for eight percent of total home video industry revenues. Regions covered in this global forecast report include Asia Pacific, Central and Latin America, Europe, Middle East and Africa, and North America.

    Companies covered in this report include ABC, Amazon, AOL, Apple, BitTorrent, British Telecom, Channel 4, CinemaNow, Deutsche Telekom, Glowria, Google, Guba, LOVEFiLM, Microsoft, MovieLink, Telecom Italia, Telefonica, Starz Entertainment, Viacom, Wal-Mart, the Walt Disney and YouTube.

  • Viacom looking to acquire social networking site Bebo

    Viacom looking to acquire social networking site Bebo

    MUMBAI: In a bid to connect better with youth US media firms are looking to buy social networking sites. Last year, News Corp plonked down $580 million for MySpace.

    Now media reports indicate that Viacom is looking to acquire Bebo, a social networking site. In the UK, reports indicate that it has overtaken MySpace. In the US, though it has fewer users. It has 25 million users globally compared to around 90 million for MySpace.

    On Bebo, members can stay in touch with their college friends, connect with friends, share photos, discover new interests and just hang out. Reports indicate that it also provides video sharing (via VideoEgg widgets) and built-in Skype presence. While the designs may be more controlled than MySpace pages, most of Bebo’s success seems to arise from network effects – users join Bebo because everyone else is using the site.

    The founders of Bebo are said to be looking at upwards of a billion dollars. British Telecom’s offer of around $400 million was reportedly turned down. For the week ending 5 August, Bebo was the most visited social network in the UK, and its market share of visits has grown 17 per cent in the past two weeks. 1 in every 135 UK visits goes to Bebo, which is now the 11th most visited site on the Internet. Viacom was also said to have been looking at one stage to acquire Facebook the second largest social networking site in the US.

  • British Telecom inks VoD deal with Momentum Pictures

    British Telecom inks VoD deal with Momentum Pictures

    MUMBAI: British Telecom has inked a new video-on-demand (VoD) film agreement with independent film distributor, Momentum Pictures, for its next-generation TV service – BT Vision, which is scheduled to launch in August to September 2006.

    Momentum Pictures is one of the UK’s largest independent film distributors. This agreement will provide access to Momentum Pictures’ catalogue including titles such as – Lost in Translation, Racing Stripes, Where the Truth Lies, O, Brother Where Art Thou?, Vera Drake, Lord of War and Broken Flowers, amongst others.

    BT Vision customers will be able to enjoy a vast range of film, music and television programming all available on-demand as well as all the Freeview channels, plus interactive and communications and all available on the TV, with no compulsory subscription.

    BT Vision CEO Dan Marks said, “We are delighted to have concluded this agreement with Momentum Pictures, which has been responsible for distributing some of the most successful and most interesting independent cinema of the past few years. Our agreement with Momentum represents our commitment to bring the best and most varied selection of movies to our customers.”

    Momentum managing director Xavier Marchand added, “We are very pleased that BT’s broadband customers will have access to many of Momentum Pictures’ titles. BT Vision and interactive access to movies are extremely exciting concepts and we eagerly anticipate the launch of the service.”