ITV

Tag: OTT

  • CBeebies programming block to launch on BesTV New Media in China

    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.

  • Shemaroo signs a deal with Jadoo TV

    Shemaroo signs a deal with Jadoo TV

    MUMBAI: Pearl Media Group Ltd (PMG) has closed an international distribution deal for Bollywood films with Shemaroo Entertainment Limited – one of the largest content houses of India.

    Shemaroo is known for its strength in content aggregation and distribution in the industry across multiple platforms including new media and broadcast television among others.

    PMG content acquisition and distribution, co-founder & VP Sumit Ahuja said, “We‘re excited about partnering with established distribution brand names like Shemaroo who have been leaders in bringing content to the digital space. Access to their large array of high quality content, allows us to offer our customers the best selection of Bollywood films in the market.”

    “Consumers today want on-demand access to content across multiple devices. Our tie up with PMG‘s leading edge OTT platform JadooPLUS is a step in that direction. We will offer JadooPLUS customers easy and legal access to high quality south Asian content across the globe. Consumers can choose from a wide array of films that range from the latest Bollywood hits like Dirty Picture, Kya Superkool Hain Hum and I M 24 to classics like Mughal-E-Azam, Khuda Gawah, Kaalia and Shiva” said Shemaroo Entertainment director Jai Maroo.

    Through this deal, Shemaroo‘s content will be offered on PMG‘s premium OTT entertainment service, JadooPLUS. The service consists of live TV and on-demand content offerings, targeting south Asian expatriates worldwide via connected devices such as smart TVs, PCs and Macs, tablets, set-top boxes, gaming consoles and mobile devices.

  • Netflix to join Nasdaq 100

    Netflix to join Nasdaq 100

    MUMBAI: OTT subscription service Netflix will become a component of the Nasdaq-100 Index, the Nasdaq-100 Equal Weighted Index and the Nasdaq-100 Ex-Technology Sector Index prior to market open on 6 June 2013.

    Netflix will replace Perrigo Company.

    The California headquartered Netflix has a market capitalisation of approximately $12.1 billion. The move comes at a time when its stock price has more than doubled since the start of the year. The company is looking at creating more original content.

  • Samsung supposedly working on CableCard video set top box

    Samsung supposedly working on CableCard video set top box

    MUMBAI: Samsung is planning to bring to the market a new Smart Media Player set top box with a CableCard slot for traditional subscription video services and a broadband connection for over-the-top (OTT) streaming video services, according to a recent filing with the FCC.

    The device is slated for a summer release, though no other launch details have been confirmed since the filing still has to meet FCC approval.

    TiVo already makes a DVR set top box with CableCard that covers both traditional TV and OTT video, and actually requested the same allowance from the FCC previously, but the governing body has yet to make a ruling.

    The FCC stipulated new rules in December 2012 that allows cable operators to add basic tiers to their all-digital systems. Samsung‘s proposed media player would apparently include a QAM digital tuner, but not an analog one. The company cites fall in demand now that cable operators are almost fully digital as its reason. Adding analog tuners to conform to the FCC rules would make the device more expensive because of power requirements and other factors.

    Samsung hopes the FCC can expedite the waiver to enable the company to launch the box this summer. Since TiVo also petitioned for a similar change, it might give the regulatory body the chance to broaden the scope of the waiver so as to cover CableCard-enabled devices in one fell swoop.

    Eager to get the device to market, Samsung issued a statement: “If Samsung cannot provide Smart Media Players to retailers by the end of the summer, it risks losing the opportunity to obtain any shelf space in 2013, including during the all-important holiday season. This would delay consumer access to the Smart Media Player until early in 2014, an unnecessary wait that would be unfair to consumers and serve no purpose.”

  • Netflix, Disney/ABC Television Group in multi-year licensing deal

    Netflix, Disney/ABC Television Group in multi-year licensing deal

    MUMBAI: OTT subscription service provider Netflix and Disney/ABC Television Group have announced a new multi-year licensing agreement that will make Netflix the exclusive US subscription television service for the Disney Junior show ‘Jake and the Never Land Pirates‘, as well as the Disney XD show ‘Tron: Uprising‘.

    In addition, Handy Manny, special agent Oso and JoJo‘s Circus will also be available for members in the US to watch instantly later this month.

    Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos said, “Disney and Netflix have shared a long and mutually beneficial relationship and this deal expands on the incredible line-up of Disney content already available for our members. Families love Netflix and we know they especially love the imaginative and high-quality TV shows and movies from Disney. We‘re excited to bring Jake and the Never Land Pirates, a terrific show for families with preschoolers, to our members.”

    Disney-ABC domestic television president Janice Marinelli said, “We are delighted that Netflix‘s members and their young children will be able to experience a selection of tremendously popular original series from Disney Junior and Disney XD. Netflix is a highly valued partner and a terrific platform for families to enjoy these heartfelt characters and entertaining stories.”

    Disney Junior‘s series, ‘Jake and the Never Land Pirates‘ is a music-filled interactive treasure hunt that introduces a crew of kid pirates — leader Jake and pals Izzy and Cubby — and follows their Never Land adventures as they work to outwit two infamous characters, the one and only Captain Hook and Mr. Smee, from Disney‘s Peter Pan. Like all Disney Junior programming, ‘Jake and the Never Land Pirates‘ is guided by an established curriculum that nurtures multiple areas of child development: physical, emotional, social and cognitive; thinking and creative skills, as well as moral and ethical development.

  • Fashion One Goes Multi-screen with Toggle in Asia

    Fashion One Goes Multi-screen with Toggle in Asia

    MUMBAI: The international channel for fashion, entertainment and lifestyle ‘Fashion One‘ announced its first top service deal in Asia with personal entertainment service MediaCorp‘s Toggle in Singapore.

    The channel has debuted in Singapore and is now available on numerous devices with a continuous and engaging viewing experience to the subscribers.

    The international market would be covering the very latest fashion, entertainment, and lifestyle news, profiles of A-list celebrities, luxury brands, holiday destinations and red carpet events which would be more female oriented. Viewers also get to enjoy an on-going fashion news series Fashion Frontline and lifestyle series on yoga, health and well-being.

    Fashion One CEO Ashley Jordan said, “We are happy to launch the service with MediaCorp‘s Toggle which allows our subscribers to choose where and how they want to consume our programmes. With our full multi-screen rights on all contents on the channel, Fashion One will continue reaching out to more female viewers in the world and giving them an enhanced, comprehensive and engaging viewing experience with our new expanded suite of services.”

    Fashion One will also have a line-up of original programming consisting of reality shows, documentaries, beauty tips and street styling. All of these can now be availed on Toggle online, on iPads and iPhones. The app for connected TVs and Android devices will be available soon.

    “Toggle is proud to be the first in Singapore to offer Fashion One and make it available on multi-screens. We kickstart the partnership with two original programmes Eco Fashion Season 2 and Kick Up Your Heels. Eco Fashion is a groundbreaking docu-series that will take you on a mind-opening journey into the realm of environmentally sustainable fashion while Kick Up Your Heels is a fun lifestyle series that brings the high-heeled workout phenomenon right into the living rooms,” said OTT vice president – programming and marketing Julian Lit.

  • 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.

  • Netflix has 36 mn subscribers; posts $3 mn profit

    Netflix has 36 mn subscribers; posts $3 mn profit

    MUMBAI: OTT subscription service Netflix has reported better than expected first quarter results resulting in its stock appreciating by over 20 per cent. It now has 36 million subscribers. During the first quarter three million were added.

    For the first time the company‘s revenue in a quarter touched $one billion. The company managed to record profits of $ one million compared to a loss of $five million during the same period last year.

    Netflix added a million streaming subscribers in its markets outside the US. It plans to launch in a new European market in the second half of the year. In the US it added 2.02 million new customers. On the content side it has discontinued its deal with Viacom. Netflix will stream content from Nickelodeon, BET and MTV till the end of next month. After that it will let the deal expire. But the company is looking at a deal where it can stream some of Viacom‘s shows. The focus of Netflix is on exclusive content.

    Netflix CEO Reed Hastings and CFO David Wells in a letter to shareholders wrote, “The launch of ‘House of Cards‘ provided a halo effect on our entire service. Customer response to the show increased our confidence in our ability to pick shows Netflix members will embrace and to pick partners skilled at delivering a great series”.

    Netflix‘s share price has crossed $200 compared to a 52 week low of $52 in August.

  • Over 60 per cent growth in worldwide OTT video revenue in 2012, ABI Research

    Over 60 per cent growth in worldwide OTT video revenue in 2012, ABI Research

    MUMBAI: Companies like Netflix, Hulu, Apple, and Amazon have helped drive the over-the-top (OTT) video market past $8 billion in 2012. The three largest markets-North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific-experienced year-on-year (YoY) growth in excess of 50 per cent in 2012. The continued spread of connected CE and increasingly mobile devices, like tablets, are expected to push the market past $20 billion by 2015, according to ABI Research.

    ABI Research senior analyst Michael Inouye said, “The shift to digital and OTT distribution is accelerating, particularly as content providers increasingly warm up to these channels. While Pay-TV services are still afforded many advantages we are approaching the proverbial fork in the road when content owners will decide if they continue down the same path or forge ahead, shaking up the primary means of media distribution as we‘ve known it.”

    The dynamics around revenue generation continue to change and currently vary by region (e.g. subscriptions more significant in North America than Europe or Asia-Pacific). In time, however, we expect a greater diffusion of revenue across the various business models. For instance, in 2012 58 per cent of OTT video revenue came from subscription service, but we anticipate this share to fall to less than 32 58 per cent by 2018. In large part this is driven by a continual shift in consumer demand towards newer forms of digital content distribution.

    ABI Research practice director, Sam Rosen said, “While we still see great value and strength in the Pay-TV sector we are also starting to see the pieces that will accelerate change fall into place .”Whether it‘s Netflix expanding to International markets or ABC and CBS enhancing catch-up services the building blocks that will restructure the how, when, and where consumers view content are starting to give shape to a new media future. This future, however, isn‘t devoid of traditional media nor is it a matter of new channels necessarily winning, but rather a redistribution of wealth within the value chain.”

  • Prime Focus enhances partnership with deltatre

    Prime Focus enhances partnership with deltatre

    MUMBAI: Global digital media and technology firm, deltatre, and, Prime Focus Technologies (PFT), the technology arm of media and entertainment industry services leader Prime Focus, have engaged in a partnership agreement after successfully delivering their first joint project in India, the launch of starsports.com.

    PFT‘s award winning Clear Hybrid Cloud technology platform and digital content services can now be integrated with deltatre‘s digital media technologies including their market leading CMS, Forge, and world renowned data integrated video application, Diva.

    PFT Founder, President and CEO Says Ramki Sankaranarayanan said, “Our customers have been urging us to develop a solution that effectively addresses their need for Over The Top (OTT) platforms and an enhanced consumer experience. We are thrilled to join hands with deltatre to offer our customers a solution that will allow direct consumer outreach and enhanced viewer experience. In this area we are targeting a business of Rs. 100 crore in the next three years.”

    PFT and deltatre have shared local human resources to ensure both teams understand the technologies and have the expertise across the relevant platforms, allowing the best possible coordinated solutions for clients.

    “This new partnership with PFT and our successful Starsports.com project marks our entry in to the Indian market. By working so closely together, our companies benefit from sharing international experiences and knowledge while providing local manpower and expertise to our clients,” says deltatre CCO Paul Bristow.

    The working relationship between the two media companies will provide clients with the most innovative digital solutions using an efficient global workflow at competitive local rates.