ITV

Tag: Hulu

  • Warner Bros’ Chad Kennedy joins Lionsgate as SVP current programming

    Warner Bros’ Chad Kennedy joins Lionsgate as SVP current programming

    MUMBAI: Lionsgate has roped in former Warner Bros. television director of current programming Chad Kennedy as SVP of current programming. His hiring represents Lionsgate’s increased presence in the scripted TV world. Kennedy will direct several reports focused entirely on current.

    “The scripted team in our television group has consistently turned out high quality, award-winning series on every platform, including broadcast, cable and streaming,” said Lionsgate EVP-television Chris Selak. “Chad’s experience working with critically acclaimed, fan-favorite series makes him the perfect fit for our existing team, which has done an incredible job of successfully shepherding all of Lionsgate’s series from conception to air.”

    Lionsgate’s scripted programming slate includes OWN’s recent breakout Greenleaf; Hulu’s dramedy Casual; Orange is the New Black, now entering its fifth season on Netflix; E!’s first scripted series The Royals, and Nashville, returning for its fifth season on its new home on CMT and Hulu.

    The studio also has upcoming comedy Graves, its first original series for Epix; the sci-fi anthology series Dimension 404, which begins streaming on Hulu this fall; Dear White People for Netflix, Lionsgate’s first series for YouTube Red, Step Up, and the anthology series Manifesto, the story of the hunt for the Unabomber for Discovery.

    A report reads that in the previous executive structure, SVP television Andy Richley and SVP development A.J. Morewitz, had been juggling both development and current. They now will focus squarely on development.

  • Face-off between Amazon Prime, Netflix & Hulu

    Face-off between Amazon Prime, Netflix & Hulu

    MUMBAI: Folks at Amazon India are popping champagne bottles. The e-commerce giant has launched its Prime service for a free 60 day trial after which the annual subscription will be available at a special introductory price of Rs 499. Though Prime in the US and UK, offers more than the free one or two day deliveries, early access to offers and same day deliveries, the company also promises to bring its streaming video and music services here soon. Prime Video will include Amazon original TV series and movies besides other Indian and global content, is expected to be launched as a part of this service later.

    The Prime membership subscription fee in India might later be increased to Rs 999., which is much lower as compared to its other market like $99 (Rs 6,633) for US and £96 (Rs 8,691) for UK. Benefit to the US subscribers being that they can also enjoy other features like access to over a million e-books via Kindle Owners’ Lending Library and free unlimited photo storage, in addition to music and video.

    Prime will be available to customers in 100 cities, and members in 20 cities can also choose same-day, morning or scheduled delivery at a discounted fee of Rs 50 per order on over 10,000 products. These deliveries typically cost Rs 150.

    Amazon is not launching their content service which includes Amazon Video and Amazon Music. Although the company said that the video streaming is coming soon. Amazon Prime Video includes shows such as Mr. Robot and The Man In The High Castle. Reports suggest that the company will be investing a huge sum of $300 million for the original Prime video content in India.

    The biggest prime competitor for Amazon still would be Flipkart who also has a similar service called Flipkart first. The membership fees of Flipkart first is 500 per year. Like Amazon Prime, it also offers free fast deliveries and discounted one-day deliveries. Although, Flipkart customers get a Priority Customer Service or early access to deals and offerings. But returns, replacements and exchange policy remains the same.

    But the streaming showdown does not stop here. In the past, we have seen global streaming services Netflix and Hulu Plus entering Indian markets. With subscription fee of Rs 650 per month, Netflix offers a wide selection of movies and TV shows, with several series being exclusive to the platform or even made and funded by Netflix like House of Cards, Orange is the New Black and Marvel original TV shows, like Daredevil and Jessica Jones. In terms of films, it is mainly back catalogue stuff, although the occasional partnership deal will throw up a modern movie, such as The Hobbit trilogy. It has also started to produce and release films on Netflix at the same time as a cinematic release for example Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny. Adam Sandler flick, The Ridiculous 6, was made by and especially for Netflix.

    InstantWatcher.com, a site plugged into the databases of both Netflix and Amazon Prime. On one hand, Amazon Prime offers more than 17,000 standard- and high-definition movies and TV series, significantly more than Netflix, which had more than 10,000. But Netflix pulled ahead overall by offering more than 7,500 HD videos vs. almost 3,500 for Amazon Prime.

    The one thing Netflix and Amazon both falter at is recent shows. There’s almost always a several month long delay between a season wrapping up and its arrival on streaming services. This is where Hulu Plus picks up the slack. Hulu Plus had 92 of the 250 shows surveyed. However, only 40 of them included backlogs of older seasons. 52 of the shows Hulu Plus carried were either the most recent season or a rotating set of the most recent few episodes of a show.

    It offers a one-week trial period in which if the viewers dislike the service, they must cancel it before the week is up otherwise will automatically be charged for a full month of service. It has original content which mostly comes from other countries and production companies, including the UK’s BBC. There are a few original web series that have made a dent, however, at the service, including The Awesomes, Deadbeat and Behind The Mask. However, Hulu Plus needs to buck up seeing the competition it has.

    Talking about compatibility, Netflix leads as you can watch it via your PC, Xbox 360, PS3, Nintendo Wii, Internet-ready TV, Roku, Android, Blu-ray player, Nook or other e-reader table, and iOS devices.

    Hulu Plus comes in at a close second, offering compatibility and support for many of the same devices that Netflix does. Unfortunately, Hulu currently lacks compatibility for many Internet-ready TVs and Blu-ray players. Still, it can show movies through gaming devices, Android, iOS devices, Roku, and various tablet computers.

    Amazon Prime doesn’t yet feature the extensive compatibility of the other two services, but it is slowly building its network. Presently, you can watch shows via internet-ready TV, Blu-ray player, Roku, Kindle Fire tablet, and iOS or Android phone. However, it cannot yet be streamed via any gaming devices.

    With this new entry, Amazon Prime is set to further intensify the competition and the intensity will only compel Amazon, Flipkart and others to improve services that can be offered to customers.

  • Face-off between Amazon Prime, Netflix & Hulu

    Face-off between Amazon Prime, Netflix & Hulu

    MUMBAI: Folks at Amazon India are popping champagne bottles. The e-commerce giant has launched its Prime service for a free 60 day trial after which the annual subscription will be available at a special introductory price of Rs 499. Though Prime in the US and UK, offers more than the free one or two day deliveries, early access to offers and same day deliveries, the company also promises to bring its streaming video and music services here soon. Prime Video will include Amazon original TV series and movies besides other Indian and global content, is expected to be launched as a part of this service later.

    The Prime membership subscription fee in India might later be increased to Rs 999., which is much lower as compared to its other market like $99 (Rs 6,633) for US and £96 (Rs 8,691) for UK. Benefit to the US subscribers being that they can also enjoy other features like access to over a million e-books via Kindle Owners’ Lending Library and free unlimited photo storage, in addition to music and video.

    Prime will be available to customers in 100 cities, and members in 20 cities can also choose same-day, morning or scheduled delivery at a discounted fee of Rs 50 per order on over 10,000 products. These deliveries typically cost Rs 150.

    Amazon is not launching their content service which includes Amazon Video and Amazon Music. Although the company said that the video streaming is coming soon. Amazon Prime Video includes shows such as Mr. Robot and The Man In The High Castle. Reports suggest that the company will be investing a huge sum of $300 million for the original Prime video content in India.

    The biggest prime competitor for Amazon still would be Flipkart who also has a similar service called Flipkart first. The membership fees of Flipkart first is 500 per year. Like Amazon Prime, it also offers free fast deliveries and discounted one-day deliveries. Although, Flipkart customers get a Priority Customer Service or early access to deals and offerings. But returns, replacements and exchange policy remains the same.

    But the streaming showdown does not stop here. In the past, we have seen global streaming services Netflix and Hulu Plus entering Indian markets. With subscription fee of Rs 650 per month, Netflix offers a wide selection of movies and TV shows, with several series being exclusive to the platform or even made and funded by Netflix like House of Cards, Orange is the New Black and Marvel original TV shows, like Daredevil and Jessica Jones. In terms of films, it is mainly back catalogue stuff, although the occasional partnership deal will throw up a modern movie, such as The Hobbit trilogy. It has also started to produce and release films on Netflix at the same time as a cinematic release for example Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny. Adam Sandler flick, The Ridiculous 6, was made by and especially for Netflix.

    InstantWatcher.com, a site plugged into the databases of both Netflix and Amazon Prime. On one hand, Amazon Prime offers more than 17,000 standard- and high-definition movies and TV series, significantly more than Netflix, which had more than 10,000. But Netflix pulled ahead overall by offering more than 7,500 HD videos vs. almost 3,500 for Amazon Prime.

    The one thing Netflix and Amazon both falter at is recent shows. There’s almost always a several month long delay between a season wrapping up and its arrival on streaming services. This is where Hulu Plus picks up the slack. Hulu Plus had 92 of the 250 shows surveyed. However, only 40 of them included backlogs of older seasons. 52 of the shows Hulu Plus carried were either the most recent season or a rotating set of the most recent few episodes of a show.

    It offers a one-week trial period in which if the viewers dislike the service, they must cancel it before the week is up otherwise will automatically be charged for a full month of service. It has original content which mostly comes from other countries and production companies, including the UK’s BBC. There are a few original web series that have made a dent, however, at the service, including The Awesomes, Deadbeat and Behind The Mask. However, Hulu Plus needs to buck up seeing the competition it has.

    Talking about compatibility, Netflix leads as you can watch it via your PC, Xbox 360, PS3, Nintendo Wii, Internet-ready TV, Roku, Android, Blu-ray player, Nook or other e-reader table, and iOS devices.

    Hulu Plus comes in at a close second, offering compatibility and support for many of the same devices that Netflix does. Unfortunately, Hulu currently lacks compatibility for many Internet-ready TVs and Blu-ray players. Still, it can show movies through gaming devices, Android, iOS devices, Roku, and various tablet computers.

    Amazon Prime doesn’t yet feature the extensive compatibility of the other two services, but it is slowly building its network. Presently, you can watch shows via internet-ready TV, Blu-ray player, Roku, Kindle Fire tablet, and iOS or Android phone. However, it cannot yet be streamed via any gaming devices.

    With this new entry, Amazon Prime is set to further intensify the competition and the intensity will only compel Amazon, Flipkart and others to improve services that can be offered to customers.

  • Discovery Networks appoints Jay Trindad as senior VP & GM for northeast business

    Discovery Networks appoints Jay Trindad as senior VP & GM for northeast business

    MUMBAI: Discovery Networks Asia Pacific has hired Jay Trindad as senior vice president and general manager for its northeast business. He will be based in Tokyo and will report to Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific managing director and president Arthur Bastings.

    “As we inject digital into our DNA, I am thrilled to have someone of Jay’s calibre join our team,” said Bastings. “His expertise in pure-play digital and consumer-centric innovation is invaluable as we evolve and take Discovery to the next stage of growth, particularly in northeast Asia, where we are looking to meaningfully invest and take full advantage of the region’s sophisticated and widespread wireless infrastructure.”

    The hire highlights the company’s wide bet on digital as a driver of business in coming years.

    At Discovery, he will focus on delivering compelling brand experiences to the millennial audience by redefining Discovery’s suite of products, the company said in a statement.

    International president J.B. Perrette in part landed his post thanks to his expertise in digital, having been on the launch team of US VOD platform Hulu. Korean country manager Hee-Man Lee and his team will be folded into the new group, which will also include Japan. Whereas, Discovery’s Japanese chief Louis Boswell, will now lead the cable giant’s southeast Asia operations.

    Hoekstra subsequently joined Vice Media to roll out its linear channel, Viceland, across Europe.

    Trindad has a varied CV, having worked at search giant Google for ten years, recently leading a push to promote the Google Chrome browser in Asia; translation platform Gengo; and mobile payment gateway Square Inc.

    He was most recently VP, digital at McDonald’s Japan, where he led strategy and increased customer engagement through digital initiatives.

  • Discovery Networks appoints Jay Trindad as senior VP & GM for northeast business

    Discovery Networks appoints Jay Trindad as senior VP & GM for northeast business

    MUMBAI: Discovery Networks Asia Pacific has hired Jay Trindad as senior vice president and general manager for its northeast business. He will be based in Tokyo and will report to Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific managing director and president Arthur Bastings.

    “As we inject digital into our DNA, I am thrilled to have someone of Jay’s calibre join our team,” said Bastings. “His expertise in pure-play digital and consumer-centric innovation is invaluable as we evolve and take Discovery to the next stage of growth, particularly in northeast Asia, where we are looking to meaningfully invest and take full advantage of the region’s sophisticated and widespread wireless infrastructure.”

    The hire highlights the company’s wide bet on digital as a driver of business in coming years.

    At Discovery, he will focus on delivering compelling brand experiences to the millennial audience by redefining Discovery’s suite of products, the company said in a statement.

    International president J.B. Perrette in part landed his post thanks to his expertise in digital, having been on the launch team of US VOD platform Hulu. Korean country manager Hee-Man Lee and his team will be folded into the new group, which will also include Japan. Whereas, Discovery’s Japanese chief Louis Boswell, will now lead the cable giant’s southeast Asia operations.

    Hoekstra subsequently joined Vice Media to roll out its linear channel, Viceland, across Europe.

    Trindad has a varied CV, having worked at search giant Google for ten years, recently leading a push to promote the Google Chrome browser in Asia; translation platform Gengo; and mobile payment gateway Square Inc.

    He was most recently VP, digital at McDonald’s Japan, where he led strategy and increased customer engagement through digital initiatives.

  • Sky invests in US online TV company TV4 Entertainment

    Sky invests in US online TV company TV4 Entertainment

    MUMBAI: Sky has invested $0.3 million, via convertible debt security, in LA-based TV4 Entertainment, which owns a growing portfolio of special-interest television channels aimed at audiences which are typically underserved by traditional TV companies.

     

    The channels are distributed across multiple online platforms in the US including Hulu, Amazon, Sony, Vimeo, YouTube and Roku. 

     

    TV4’s portfolio includes a dozen channels, reaching millions of unique users every month. It has more than 30 new channels in development. The current portfolio includes: DocComTV aimed at documentary devotees; All Warrior Network for fans of the warrior genre; Motorland, a video network for automotive enthusiasts; the Ultimate Champion Network which has programming for combat sports fans; and The Clarity Project, a channel exploring child illness. 

     

    TV4’s strategy has been to acquire and aggregate high-quality video content into recognisable channel brands. Through more than 200 content partners, TV4 has licensed over 5,000 feature length and short form titles as well as many TV and web series. 

     

    The investment in TV4 builds on Sky’s ongoing programme of investing in innovative startups that help Sky bring new ideas, insight and services into its business. This follows recent investments in leading online sports network Whistle Sports, Pluto TV, the online video aggregator and the US ad tech firm Sharethrough. Sky has previously invested in a number of other pioneering US technology companies, including the IP streaming service provider Roku, the immersive 360 video specialists Jaunt and the OTT video delivery firm 1 Mainstream.

     

    Sky director – corporate business development Emma Lloyd said, “This exciting investment will help us develop our understanding of niche content genres and what audiences are most passionate about. We are committed to developing partnerships right across our business that support and extend our leadership position in content and innovation. We look forward to working with the team at TV4 Entertainment as they continue to grow.”

     

    TV4 Entertainment founder and CEO Jon Cody added, “Our goal in this round of investment was to bring on strategic global investors that could unlock business opportunities as we expand internationally over the next year. Bringing Europe’s top entertainment company in Sky into the TV4 Entertainment family is the perfect fit for this mandate. We look forward to growing the value of the Company for our shareholders while bringing tomorrow’s television to viewers across the globe today.” 

  • Turner Broadcasting inks multi-year SVOD deal with Hulu

    Turner Broadcasting inks multi-year SVOD deal with Hulu

    MUMBAI: Turner Broadcasting System and Hulu have entered into an extensive, multi-year licensing agreement that will grant Hulu the exclusive SVOD rights to previous seasons of Turner’s popular programming from Cartoon Network and Adult Swim as well as select current and upcoming series from TNT and TBS.

     

    The deal marks the first-ever licensing agreement between Turner Broadcasting and Hulu.

     

    All episodes from past seasons of TNT’s The Last Ship and Murder in the First will be available to stream exclusively for Hulu subscribers. Additionally, all episodes from past seasons of popular Adult Swim original series including Rick and Morty, Black Jesus, NTSF:SD:SUV and Cartoon Network original series such as The Amazing World of Gumball, Steven Universe, Over the Garden Wall and Clarence will be made available to stream through an SVOD service for the first time ever on Hulu. All Cartoon Network series will be available to stream ad-free in the Hulu Kids environment.

     

    Full prior seasons of Adult Swim and Cartoon Network series such as Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Dexter’s Laboratory and Ben 10, as well as current juggernauts Robot Chicken, The Venture Bros., Adventure Time and Regular Show will be available to stream exclusively to Hulu subscribers for the first time through the deal. Hulu will also become the exclusive SVOD destination to stream Adult Swim and Cartoon Network classics, including Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!, Sealab 2021 and The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack.

     

    Through the agreement, Hulu obtains exclusive SVOD rights to certain future series that will launch on TNT, TBS, Adult Swim and Cartoon Network over the coming years – including TBS’s upcoming series Angie Tribeca, which will be available to stream exclusively on Hulu after its full-season run on TBS.

     

    “This deal with Hulu demonstrates the power of Turner Broadcasting’s branded networks and the high demand for our programming in the marketplace. This is a great opportunity to grow the reach of the networks’ original programming and complements our strategy of utilizing multiple platforms – including SVOD – to drive sampling, introduce new viewers to our content and give current fans the opportunity to explore and enjoy Turner’s new and existing series in a branded environment,” said Turner Broadcasting president David Levy.

     

    “The addition of multiple titles from Cartoon Network represents a significant step forward in continuing to build a strong programming offering for the kids audience on Hulu. The adult animation series from Adult Swim, as well as the additional series from TNT and TBS, are a perfect addition to our current offering,” added Hulu senior vice president and head of content Craig Erwich.   

  • Online presence, a must for TV channels, says PepperMedia’s Radhakrishnan Ramachandran

    Online presence, a must for TV channels, says PepperMedia’s Radhakrishnan Ramachandran

    MUMBAI: Narendra Modi dreams of a ‘Digital India’ as do many others who are working towards achieving the same goal. One of them is PepperMedia founder and CEO Radhakrishnan Ramachandran.

     

    Ramachandran entered the digital space almost 15 years ago, when it was in its nascent stage. With the launch of India Syndicate, which was later followed by iStream.com, Ramachandran has seen the online video segment grow from scratch in India.

     

    “With iStream.com, we ventured into the world of online video segment with Youtube and established a good platform. Through this initiative we helped the likes of MTV and Colors launch their channels on Youtube. We also worked on MSN videos and Yahoo for Yahoo Cricket. We had raised $5 million from SAIF for launching istream.com as a VOD play. However, had to shut it down in 2013 since the second round of funding didn’t  happen. ,” recalls Ramachandran, adding he didn’t lose faith in the medium and went on to launch his third venture, an MCN, (PepperMedia) with personal financial backing.

     

    Talking about the plans ahead, Ramachandaran says, “The next 12-18 months, our focus will be on Youtube because nobody else has been able to crack the model. Of course, we have Netflix and Hulu aboard but in India, it is only Youtube, which has been able to successfully monetise and hence we will focus on that.”

     

    In the online video segment, where monetisation is the biggest challenge, consumption pattern has changed over the years. Making revenue with plans in place, a startup focused on creating original online video content and building video solutions for brands and media entities, aims to marry content and technology. To achieve the same, PepperMedia recently appointed Milind Naik as its director of technology.

     

    “If you are looking at building a sustainable business model in the MCN space, technology is one of the core accelerators. It will play a key role in simplifying the model for brand managers, by helping them analyse the impact of their video campaigns on platforms like Youtube,” says Ramachandran. He adds, “Our team is building tools, which will help brands monetise.”

     

    The startup is looking at enhancing the MCN model by bringing together TV networks, celebrities, content creators and brands.

     

    “We are powering TV networks on the digital world as we offer them end-to-end solutions and have revenue sharing deal with them. We hope to rope in celebs and create content with them for the virtual world. Content creators are someone, who have the talent to become stars online across languages and platforms,” Ramachandran says.

     

    He further draws concern over the critical issue of getting brands associated with the entire network. “There are two business models – one, the more views you get on Youtube, the more money you get out of it. Second, can we also have a premium model where you can get brands to marry with the content? So, that will be the primary area of focus,” he informs.

     

    For instance, in July 2014, the company had partnered with fashion retail major Megamart to launch an online reality show for designers. Titled ‘Megamart Fashion Designer of the Year,’ the show aimed at discovering the top talent in the fashion designing space in the country.

     

    Being part of the online video ecosystem for a long time now, Ramachandran believes that it is the company’s job to lure brands to open their minds and their purses. “It would mean building tools that would help brands build engaged audiences and monitor their influence metrics. It would also mean creating customised decks for brands that would help them analyse the impact of their video campaigns on platforms like YouTube,” he states.

     

    Nonetheless, he is happy that things have changed and continue to move towards a better phase. Recalling earlier days, Ramachandaran says, “In 2008-2009, it was very difficult to convince TV channels to put their content online. But today most of them have their own video-on-demand platforms. Its good to know that they have realised if they don’t take this route, there is bound to be trouble in the future.”

     

    Citing the example of the West, Ramachandaran believes that over the coming years, the number of people watching content on television will also decrease. “As more and more people consume content on mobile, especially regional content, VoD needs to be on everyone’s game plan and need to tweak their strategy to suit the consumer,” he advises.

     

    Though there is a huge gap between the West and India’s online monetisation system, there is hope as investors are showing interest in the transparent medium. To build sustainable and monetisable concepts, products and global audiences, the year 2015 will play an important role in PepperMedia’s future plans. “If we get brands on board and have the best technology to do so, then MCN will soon go through a purple patch in our country too,” he concludes.

     

     

  • BroadcastAsia2015 Unveils New TV Everywhere! Zone

    BroadcastAsia2015 Unveils New TV Everywhere! Zone

    MUMBAI: BroadcastAsia2015, slated for 2 – 5 June 2015 will unveil its new TV Everywhere! Zone as increasing consumer expectations place new challenges on the industry to provide more convenient and reliable access to content. With the  proliferation  of  digital  devices  and  today’s  ever-changing  market  of  always-on connectivity, content broadcasters are starting to look beyond TV to stream and monetise their content.

     

    This brings the launch of the new zone, which will be a key attraction at BroadcastAsia2015 and will explore the entire value chain of non-linear broadcasting.

     

    Need for new technologies driven by shift in consumer demands

     

    Recent years have witnessed a dramatic increase in competition in the broadcast industry as providers continue to develop new technologies in meeting consumer demands, to offer a social,  personalised  and flexible TV and video experience. With the evolution of  linear channel brands already underway in Asia, the region continues to grow at an exponential rate and is witnessing an increasing number of traditional broadcasters entering the IPTV, OTT space. This is also emphasised by the growth and influence of aggregated services, such as Netflix, Hulu, AmazonPrime, YouTube and Apple TV.

     

    The recent Multiscreen TV & Video Forecasts report published by Digital TV Research reveals that the number of viewers watching TV and video content on multiple screens will climb from 5.60 billion in 2010 to 11.32 billion by 2020, with TV sets’ share of total viewers falling from 73 per cent to 42 per cent during this same period.

     

    The report also predicts that by 2020, 3.98 billion people will watch content via a PC or laptop over a fixed broadband connection, an increase of 80 per cent on 2013; and smartphones viewers will reach 1.53 billion, triple the number in 2013. Tablet viewers will amount to 1.10 billion by 2020, an impressive five times the 2013 total.

     

    “There is continuous interest in the broadcast industry especially in the areas of OTT, second screen, non-linear broadcasting and social media – all to meet consumers’ demands and enhance users’ experience. BroadcastAsia is already fuelling this space in Asia and with the introduction of our new TV Everywhere!, we hope to bring together even more case studies on how new entrants are adapting to competition, and how incumbents are maturing their  offerings  to  differentiate  themselves  amongst  competitors,”  says  Mr.  Calvin  Koh, Assistant Project Director of BroadcastAsia, from organiser  Singapore Exhibition Services.

    International collaboration

    Regional broadcasting regulators play a vital role in helping to shape the future of the industry, as highlighted by the support shown from the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission of Thailand (NBTC). This symposium initiated and jointly implemented an initiative aimed at studying the trends and market analysis in the broadcasting industry while promoting international cooperation among policy makers, regulators, and Asia’s industry players.

    Healthy industry response to new feature area

    With the opportunity to reach key buyers from the industry, confirmed participants include major players from across the world and region, such as Ali Corp, Aveco, Brightcove, Montage Tech, Quick Play, SPB TV and Vimond among others. TV Everywhere! will place a
    focus on the following technologies:

     

    • Authentication
    • Archive Management
    • Content Delivery Network
    • Connected / Hybrid TV
     

    • Delivery
    • Integration
    • Ingest
    • Interactive TV Apps
     
    • Monetisation
    • Network & Device Management
    • Playout Automation
    • Storage / Security
    • Workflow Glue Application
     

    “Clearly the media industry is in transformation with consumers being able to access content across multi-screens, fuelling unprecedented demand for online video content. The investments being made in bringing TV Everywhere solutions to market is a strong sign that broadcasters and content owners are moving up the adoption curve,” says  Mr. Dennis Rose, Senior Vice President, Asia-Pacific and Japan, Brightcove.

     

    “For those who want to launch and capitalise the TV Everywhere business model, Brightcove’s powerful suite of cloud based online video streaming, trans-coding and monetisation solutions deliver compelling consumer experiences that work across every screen,” he adds.

     

    BroadcastAsia2015, Asia’s definitive exhibition and knowledge platform for the international broadcasting, film and digital multimedia industry, will showcase the newest innovations and cutting edge technologies in 4K / UHD, NextGen Broadcasting – OTT / Hybrid / LTE / IP / Broadband / Cloud, Multi-Platform Streaming, Professional Audio and more.

     

    The BroadcastAsia2015 International Conference and Creative Content Production Conference 2015 will bring together thought leaders and like-minded professionals from the broadcasting and media arenas to share business strategies for future broadcasting and content production.

     

    Both   exhibition   and   conferences   will   be   held   alongside   CommunicAsia2015   and EnterpriseIT2015 in Singapore at the Marina Bay Sands.

     

  • Murdoch wants media to unite against Amazon and Netflix

    Murdoch wants media to unite against Amazon and Netflix

    NEW DELHI: Media magnate Rupert Murdoch has called for a cooperative media response to challenger streaming services Amazon and Netflix.

     

    He said during a technology conference by his flagship Wall Street Journal at Laguna Beach that the media industry needs its own competitor to these giants.

     

    “As an industry, we need a competitor – a serious competitor – to Netflix and Amazon,” Murdoch said and added, “I think we are all on the same page.”

     

    21st Century Fox, which he chairs, is one of the partners in Hulu, a rival to Netflix, alongside Disney and NBCUniversal. Last year, Hulu CEO Jason Kilar left abruptly for a new video startup, Vessel, backed by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos.

     

    Talking of HBO’s new streaming service Murdoch said it would be difficult for HBO to launch a standalone service while negotiating with cable companies. “They do not want to get into conflict with them, so they’re really only aiming at the moment at the 10 million people who don’t get cable.”

     

    Murdoch briefly addressed 21st Century Fox’s failed bid for Time Warner over the summer. “We felt that we needed more critical mass and content and this was a wonderful marriage and fit,” he said. 

     

    Given that the panel was entitled “Bets Won and Lost,” the conversation turned to one of Murdoch’s most notable failed investments, the $580 million purchase of MySpace that ended with the sale of the social media site for $35 million. The mogul reiterated, as he has many times, what happened.  

     

    “We just messed it up,” Murdoch recalled, saying that he helped install a layer of bureaucracy that hindered the growth of the site. “It was a series of expensive, lost opportunities.”