Is Netflix Breaking Hollywood, Or Will Its Mounting Debt Break the Bank?
Another big day at Netflix, another big quarter, another big debt deal. What’s happening here? Is the company, as some Hollywood insiders charge, “a big Ponzi scheme” of locked-in, long-term... Read More
Week In Review: fuboTV Get More Funding. AT&T’s Skinniest Bundle Yet
1. fuboTV Gets More Funding The vMVPD world’s Little Engine That Could, fuboTV, just picked up another $75M in funding from the likes of AMC. That’s not nothing, especially for... Read More
On Television, Will Blockchain Become The Anti-Facebook?
“We can have the dystopian future Facebook represents or we can have a decentralized version where we’re more in control of our destinies.” While I’d spent a lot of time... Read More
‘Scandal’ Has Come to an End: Here Are the Characters That Drove the Most Emotion
Gladiators united around the series finale of ABC’s smash hit Scandal on Thursday night to raise a final glass of red to their favorite characters. We worked with emotion measurement... Read More
Skinny No More: How ‘Mesomorph Bundles’ Are Fueling vMVPDs’ Explosive Growth
Ask most observers about vMVPDs (virtual MVPDs, or pay-TV that’s delivered via the open internet rather than via cable or satellite), and they’ll tell you all about skinny bundles and how... Read More
Did Zuck Open a Window in Time for Upfronts?
As we enter the big ad media buying season, some might think TV networks are licking their lips. The Facebook privacy fiasco, if nothing else, sets the stage for reminding... Read More
The Frenemy Report: TBH, We Have Nothing to Hide
In the midst of #DeleteFacebook, new analysis show that social media use continues to rise & savvy nets are using social video to build buzz around linear shows, such as... Read More
Why Don’t Networks Use YouTube Like a Farm Team?
It’s no secret that TV networks are searching for ways to find and keep loyal audiences. It’s why 10% of ad inventory still goes to drive tune-in. It’s why show... Read More
The Even Skinnier Bundle: OTT Apps Partner Up Ahead of Coming Glut
It looks like every company trying to sell online streams of video and music just noticed we’re about to have a lot more competition for viewer eyeballs and dollars. The initial response... Read More
Bleacher Report, ESPN+ Mobile Video War Heats Up
ESPN has lost roughly 12 million cable subscribers over the past six years, so they needed to do something. On Thursday, ESPN launched its ESPN+ direct-to-consumer streaming service that sits... Read More
Week In Review: ESPN Launches ESPN+ App, Comcast And Netflix Get Even Cozier. Ditto Hulu and Spotify
1. ESPN Launches ESPN+ App Disney launched its first app this week. Dubbed ESPN+, the name is an apt description of how ESPN sees the app—an add-on for super fans... Read More
Fox Searchlight, Bravo Deals A Peek at Old Media Getting Ready for OTT, Disney
In something of a one-two punch of the day’s OTT-related news, basic cable network Bravo announced it will begin creating prime-time TV seven days a week, while specialty film unit... Read More
Facebook and Google Find The Limits of Connecting People
A few days ago, a 2016 memo by Facebook Vice President Andrew Bosworth surfaced that, in its secure assertion of the rightness of the company’s mission, has since become both... Read More
Week In Review: ESPN Launches Their OTT App, Shari Redstone Launches Les Moonves
1. ESPN Launches Their OTT App ESPN announced details on their ESPN+ app this week and it’s just as underwhelming as everyone feared it would be. It’s as if TPTB... Read More
Frenemy Report: Not My Data
The Facebook data fallout continues with “improved” privacy, and sibling Instagram is starting to limit how much data developers can collect from its API. Snap makes its TV (commercial) debut,... Read More
Fullscreen’s Reelio Deal Shows Where Brand Marketing Must Go
Fullscreen, the online content and influencer management company owned by Chernin Group and AT&T’s Otter Media, has gone through a lot of changes in its short life. But the company’s... Read More
No More Itchy Thumbs: ShortsTV’s Personalized Linear Feed Aims To Keep Short Film Fans In Place
It takes the average viewer about 19 minutes to decide what they’re going to watch next on Netflix, ShortsTV CEO Carter Pilcher tells me. “But we’ve got catalogs full of five, six... Read More
As Trade War Intensifies, China Film Market May Not Need Hollywood to Keep Booming
As “Black Panther” claws its way atop box office records globally, little noticed is what’s happening right behind. Chances are, even the most ardent U.S. filmgoers know little about No.... Read More
ESPN+ Could be Initial Step on Network’s Streaming TV Roadmap
ESPN+ presents a new way for ESPN to reach consumers for a very affordable price. But is this just the beginning of its streaming ambitions?... Read More