ITV

Tag: MVPD

  • Disney to take 70 per cent stake in Fubo via Hulu + Live TV merger

    Disney to take 70 per cent stake in Fubo via Hulu + Live TV merger

    MUMBAI: In the enchanted realm of acquisitions, The Walt Disney Company has long been the master storyteller, weaving tales of strategic mergers and blockbuster stakes. With 20 acquisitions averaging $8.71 billion each, Disney has shaped industries and redefined entertainment. Its canvas stretches across four countries, with key brushstrokes in India and the United States. But as the curtain rises on 2025, the entertainment giant pens its boldest chapter yet.

    Disney is acquiring a 70 per cent majority stake in Fubo, the sports-centric streaming platform, and merging it with Hulu + Live TV. This landmark merger will create a new public entity under the Fubo name, poised to challenge the virtual MVPD throne. The deal not only fortifies Disney’s streaming empire but also redraws the map for how audiences consume live sports and entertainment.

    Stay tuned—Disney’s magical kingdom of streaming just got a lot more competitive
    From L to R: Disney executive vice president and head of corporate development Justin Warbrooke; Fubo co-founder & CEO David Gandler

    The combined platform will bring together 6.2 million subscribers across North America, offering a robust catalogue of live sports, entertainment, and broadcast content. The current Fubo leadership team, led by co-founder and CEO David Gandler, will manage the merged operations.

    Speaking on the merger, Gandler said, “We are thrilled to collaborate with Disney to create a consumer-first streaming company that combines the strengths of the Fubo and Hulu + Live TV brands. This combination enables us to deliver on our promise to provide consumers with greater choice and flexibility. Additionally, this agreement allows us to scale effectively, strengthens Fubo’s balance sheet, and positions us for positive cash flow.”

    Disney executive vice president and head of corporate development Justin Warbrooke added, “This combination will allow both Hulu + Live TV and Fubo to enhance and expand their virtual MVPD offerings, providing consumers with even more choice and flexibility. We have confidence in the Fubo management team and their ability to grow the business, delivering high-quality offerings that serve subscribers with the content they want and offering great value.”

    The deal also resolves the litigation between Fubo and Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros Discovery (WBD). As part of the settlement, the three media firms will pay $220 million to Fubo. Disney will also extend a $145 million term loan to Fubo in 2026.

    The agreement includes a new carriage deal allowing Fubo to create a “sports and broadcast” service featuring Disney-owned properties such as ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SECN, ACCN, and ESPN+.

    Upon regulatory and shareholder approvals, the merged entity will be governed by a board of directors, with Disney appointing the majority. Gandler will retain his role as CEO and serve on the board.

    The companies aim to leverage synergies through flexible programming, innovative offerings, and enhanced marketing strategies, setting a new benchmark in the streaming industry.

    With this merger, Disney and Fubo seek to deliver  value to subscribers by combining Hulu + Live TV’s expansive content portfolio with Fubo’s sports-centric programming. This merger also strengthens Fubo’s balance sheet and positions the platform for sustainable cash flow and operational growth.

    The first ball in this high-stakes streaming game is expected to roll once all approvals are finalised, opening a new chapter in virtual MVPD offerings.

  • Sports-first TV service FuboTV receives $ 55 m investment

    MUMBAI: fuboTV (fubo.tv), a leading sports-first streaming TV service in the U.S., has announced that it has raised an additional $ 55 million. The Series C round was led by leading Europe and New York-based VC fund Northzone, which will take a board position at the company. Also participating in the round are 21st Century Fox and Sky – both previously part of fuboTV’s Series B round – and Scripps Networks Interactive. The total investment raised to date by fuboTV is now more than $75 million.

    LionTree Advisors served as financial advisor and placement agent for this round.

    Launched in January 2015 as a streaming soccer service, fuboTV has evolved into one of the top virtual MVPDs in the U.S., bringing subscribers access to dozens of sports, entertainment, and news channels. The company launched its expanded “Fubo Premier” entry-level bundle in April 2017 with a line-up of 55-plus channels, including 31 that feature sports content – more than any competitor’s similar package. This live streaming TV line-up features coverage of the most popular sports teams, leagues, and tournaments in the world, as well as both professional and collegiate local teams via regional sports networks (RSNs) from Fox Networks Group and NBCUniversal. All channels available via Fubo Premier, as well as several add-on options, can be found at fubo.tv/welcome/channels; and a list of channels, broken down by sports carried, can be seen on this chart.

    With the closing of this fundraising round, Fubo plans to expand its basic line-up with new programming offerings; grow its engineering and product teams to continue to improve its state-of-the-art, back-end technology and build additional features focusing on its sports fan enthusiasts; and expand marketing efforts.

    Pär-Jörgen Pärson, partner at Northzone, who is joining the fuboTV Board, commented: “Fubo is at the apex of capturing a fundamental shift in consumer behavior. Just like we saw as early investors in Spotify within the music business, this will be potentially an even bigger game changer as television consumption moves online to mobile devices, computers and TV apps. Sports represents prime real estate in the television market, with a massive and engaged audience share, and Fubo has already achieved market-leading coverage of the best live sports content. David and his team have achieved incredible growth in the two years since launch, and we are excited to be partnering with Fubo as they take the next steps in building the online live sports experience of the future.”

    fuboTV co-founder and CEO David Gandler said: “Closing this latest round of funding is testament to our ability to execute efficiently in a very competitive market, and to our investors’ acute understanding of the future of our industry. Long term, we are best positioned to drive value for all major media companies and consumers in the U.S. and abroad.”

    Scripps Networks Interactive president of content distribution & marketing Henry Ahn added: “At Scripps Networks Interactive, we believe that defining and responding to changing consumer behavior is essential to our continued success. David and his team have created an exciting and innovative global platform that helps engage a new generation of consumers, and our investment in the team and their technology will enable them to continue to develop their offering and reach for the long-term.”

    Currently being offered at a discounted introductory rate of $34.99 per month, Fubo Premier is available with no long-term contract and for a free seven-day trial. In addition to streaming their favorite programming live, on demand or via DVR on fubo.tv, and through Fubo’s mobile and over-the-top (OTT) apps (see below for a full list of compatible devices), it was recently announced that subscribers can also use their Fubo credentials (name and password) to log directly into several popular channels’ websites and apps. This includes authenticated access to live and on demand programming – including additional content exclusive to these platforms – at no additional cost.

  • Nielsen to acquire TV, music & movie metadata firm Gracenote

    Nielsen to acquire TV, music & movie metadata firm Gracenote

    MUMBAI: It was just a couple of years ago that Gracenote went ahead and acquired Indian TV listings and data company What’s On. Now, Gracenote has been acquired by TV viewing monitor Nielsen for a tab of $560 million (Rs 3,805.6 crore) from Tribune Media Services. The two companies announced this earlier today in the U.S.

    The transaction is expected to close during the first quarter of 2017. The transaction is expected to be financed through a combination of cash and debt. Nielsen was advised on the transaction by PJT Partners and worked with Baker & McKenzie as legal advisors.

    With this transaction, Nielsen will acquire the data and technology that underpins the programming guides and personalized user experience for major video, music, audio and sports content. The acquisition extends Nielsen’s footprint with major clients by including Gracenote’s global content database which spans across platforms including multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs), smart televisions, streaming music services, connected devices, media players and in-car infotainment systems.

    Gracenote provides reference information for over 12 million movie and television listings and 200 million music tracks, and drives the interfaces of the major streaming digital media services, as well as the connected technology systems in over 75 million automobiles. The company is the industry standard for automatic content recognition (ACR) technology, powering the discovery and recommendation engines used by world’s largest television, music and automotive companies.

    By bringing Gracenote’s capabilities into its measurement framework, Nielsen will have the ability to provide clients with deeper analytics on consumer behavior and offer an unprecedented view of audience engagement from discovery to consumption. As part of the Nielsen Total Audience measurement framework, Gracenote’s intelligent metadata will help meet the viewership monitoring agencies clients’ needs in an addressable world where marketers target customers and optimize campaigns in real time. The inclusion of this data will also allow media companies to optimize their content for specific audiences.

    In addition, Gracenote’s long-term client relationships across TV, audio, sports and auto will be further amplified through Nielsen’s global reach and position as the leader in audience measurement and intelligence.

    “Gracenote’s metadata and content recognition technology fuels the interfaces of the major video, music and in-car infotainment systems that consumers engage with every day. This acquisition provides Nielsen with a significant asset in our mission of measuring and understanding consumer behavior,” said Nielsen expanded verticals president Karthik Rao in a press release.

    Added Gracenote CEO John Batter: “For the past decade, Gracenote has connected millions of people every day to the TV shows, sports, movies and music they love, making entertainment more accessible and discoverable. We are excited for the opportunity to take the next step with Nielsen and expand our global reach by continuing to deliver innovative, insights-based solutions to clients.”

  • Nielsen to acquire TV, music & movie metadata firm Gracenote

    Nielsen to acquire TV, music & movie metadata firm Gracenote

    MUMBAI: It was just a couple of years ago that Gracenote went ahead and acquired Indian TV listings and data company What’s On. Now, Gracenote has been acquired by TV viewing monitor Nielsen for a tab of $560 million (Rs 3,805.6 crore) from Tribune Media Services. The two companies announced this earlier today in the U.S.

    The transaction is expected to close during the first quarter of 2017. The transaction is expected to be financed through a combination of cash and debt. Nielsen was advised on the transaction by PJT Partners and worked with Baker & McKenzie as legal advisors.

    With this transaction, Nielsen will acquire the data and technology that underpins the programming guides and personalized user experience for major video, music, audio and sports content. The acquisition extends Nielsen’s footprint with major clients by including Gracenote’s global content database which spans across platforms including multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs), smart televisions, streaming music services, connected devices, media players and in-car infotainment systems.

    Gracenote provides reference information for over 12 million movie and television listings and 200 million music tracks, and drives the interfaces of the major streaming digital media services, as well as the connected technology systems in over 75 million automobiles. The company is the industry standard for automatic content recognition (ACR) technology, powering the discovery and recommendation engines used by world’s largest television, music and automotive companies.

    By bringing Gracenote’s capabilities into its measurement framework, Nielsen will have the ability to provide clients with deeper analytics on consumer behavior and offer an unprecedented view of audience engagement from discovery to consumption. As part of the Nielsen Total Audience measurement framework, Gracenote’s intelligent metadata will help meet the viewership monitoring agencies clients’ needs in an addressable world where marketers target customers and optimize campaigns in real time. The inclusion of this data will also allow media companies to optimize their content for specific audiences.

    In addition, Gracenote’s long-term client relationships across TV, audio, sports and auto will be further amplified through Nielsen’s global reach and position as the leader in audience measurement and intelligence.

    “Gracenote’s metadata and content recognition technology fuels the interfaces of the major video, music and in-car infotainment systems that consumers engage with every day. This acquisition provides Nielsen with a significant asset in our mission of measuring and understanding consumer behavior,” said Nielsen expanded verticals president Karthik Rao in a press release.

    Added Gracenote CEO John Batter: “For the past decade, Gracenote has connected millions of people every day to the TV shows, sports, movies and music they love, making entertainment more accessible and discoverable. We are excited for the opportunity to take the next step with Nielsen and expand our global reach by continuing to deliver innovative, insights-based solutions to clients.”

  • lost 2.5 mn viewers between 2010 and 2012: FCC

    lost 2.5 mn viewers between 2010 and 2012: FCC

    MUMBAI: According to recently released FCC data from their annual report on cable industry competition, the cable industry lost roughly 2.5 million video subscribers between 2010 and 2012. According to the FCC, cable operators laid claim to 57.3 million pay TV subscribers at the end of 2012, down from 59.8 million in 2010. 

    Most of these customers flocked to telcoTV, with AT&T U-Verse increasing their subscriber total from three million to 4.1 million between 2010 and 2012, and Verizon FiOS’s total subscriber total going from 3.5 million to 4.5 million during the same stretch. Verizon and AT&T recently announced they’ve both passed the five million cable TV subscriber mark, giving them more TV customers than all but the nation’s two largest traditional cable companies: Comcast and Time Warner Cable.

    Cord cutters make up a very small but growing part of the equation as well, with even the industry’s biggest cord cutting deniers now acknowledging the glacial but inevitable trend toward less expensive internet options for many users.

    Meanwhile, the FCC report also pointed out that the soaring costs of programming is slowly but surely driving many of the nation’s smaller cable operators out of business. “800 cable systems serving over 35,000 subscribers have closed mostly in small and rural communities, leaving those communities without any wireline MVPD (cable video) service,” claims the report.

  • 18-34 year olds in the US becoming ‘broadbanders’: Pivot Study

    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

  • The future of television rests in apps: Netflix

    The future of television rests in apps: Netflix

    MUMBAI: OTT subscription service Netflix has published a report called Long Term View. The report says that the evolution to Internet TV apps is already starting. It notes that existing networks, such as ESPN and HBO that offer amazing apps will get more viewing than in the past, and be more valuable. Existing networks that fail to develop first-class apps will lose viewing and revenue.

    “Apps that provide on-demand viewing are critical because people don‘t love the linear TV experience where channels present programmes at particular times on non-portable screens with complicated remote controls. Finding good things to watch isn‘t easy or enjoyable. In addition to Netflix, most of the world‘s leading linear TV networks are moving into Internet TV,” Netflix says.

    It has given the examples of HBO and ESPN. ESPN, Netflix notes will keep improving their app to try to stay ahead of MLB.tv, which it says is another terrific Internet TV sports app.

    “The HBO Go app makes HBO‘s films and series much more accessible than on HBO‘s linear channel. The BBC iPlayer app in the UK provides a rich and popular on-demand interface for a wide range of BBC programming. The other major linear networks are not far behind,” according to Netflix.

    Netflix adds that while Internet TV is only a very small per cent of video viewing today, the expectation is that it will grow every year because:

    1. The Internet will get faster, more reliable and more available;
    2. Smart TV sales will increase and eventually every TV will have Wifi and apps;
    3. Smart TV adapters (Roku, AppleTV, etc.) will get less expensive and better;
    4. Tablet and smartphone viewing will increase;
    5. Tablets and smartphones will be used as touch interfaces for Internet TV;
    6. Internet TV apps will rapidly improve through competition and frequent updates;
    7. Streaming 4k video will happen long before linear TV supports 4k video;
    8. Internet video advertising will be personalized and relevant;
    9. TV Everywhere will provide a smooth economic transition for existing networks;
    10. New entrants like Netflix are innovating rapidly.

    Netflix goes on to note that eventually, as linear TV is viewed less, the spectrum it now uses on cable and fibre will be reallocated to expanding data transmission. Satellite TV subscribers will be fewer, and mostly be in places where high-speed Internet (cable or fibre) is not available. The importance of high-speed Internet will increase.
     
    It cites examples of this transformation taking place in different nations. “In the UK, for example, the BBC is already starting to programme more for its iPlayer app than for its linear channels, given the large and growing viewing on the iPlayer. For most existing networks, this economic transition will occur through TV Everywhere. If a consumer continues to subscribe to linear TV from a multi-channel video programme distributor (MVPD), they get a password to use the Internet apps for the networks they subscribe to on linear.”

    The key to avoid cord cutting for networks, according to Netflix, is to keep their prime-time programming behind the authentication wall. It proposes that same consumer who today finds it worthwhile to pay for a linear TV package will likely pay for a ‘linear plus apps‘ package. Netflix further says that Internet TV apps will improve just like the mobile phone over the next 20 years.

    In addition to creating opportunity for linear networks, the emergence of Internet TV also enables new apps like Netflix, YouTube, MLB.tv, and iTunes to build large scale direct-to-consumer services that are independent of the traditional MVPD bundle. Netflix notes that while it competes for entertainment time with traditional networks, the scope of such time is quite large. Consumer time devoted to web browsing and video games, for instance, has expanded hugely over the last two decades without a corresponding diminution of TV viewing.