The Future Of Television. Dissected Daily.
Streaming Wars Enter The Volume Phase As Services Look For Differentiation
With streaming services already staking out content lanes over the last couple years, the “streaming wars” now shift toward volume-based conflict.
Disney Plus Needs ‘More Content For More People,’ Iger Says. Yep.
Disney Plus needs more programming, and more kinds of programming that appeal to a broader audience, says retiring Chairman Bob Iger. But it won’t be easy to preserve the brand while stretching its programming offerings.
As Big Names Exit, Cable News Operations Grapple With Streaming Future
The Big Three cable news networks have all seen big names depart in the past two weeks, part of a crucial period of realignment as they prepare to transition to their streaming future. And the questions are just as plentiful for local broadcast news organizations too.
Churn, Baby, Churn: Streaming Services Gird For A Challenging 2022
Major streaming services could face a hurricane of cancellations and churn rates past 30 percent, a new report suggests. They better figure out some new tactics less dependent on their legacy operations.
Comcast Should Be All-In Or All-Out On Hulu
If Comcast feels strongly enough about the need to pull content from Hulu and move it to Peacock, it might as well be all the way out on service it currently co-owns with Disney.
Is Disney’s Eye-Popping $33 Billion Production Plan Actually Enough?
Disney says it will spend $8 billion more on its streaming programming next year. But with deep-pocketed competitors such as Netflix, Amazon and Apple –none of which have to pay for legacy operations – is that gargantuan increase enough? Warner Bros. Discovery faces some of the same questions as it prepares to merge.
Even Amid Reopening, Streaming Video Revenues Continue To Grow
U.S. home-entertainment revenues set more records in the last quarter, led by a burgeoning streaming-video sector, according to trade group DEG. The overall jump of 9.5 percent came despite increasing access to alternate entertainment options as the pandemic’s strictures continued to ease.
The Big Picture. Top TV Trends 2021: What We’re Seeing
TVREV Co-Founder and Lead Analyst Alan Wolk hosted Mediaocean’s “The Big Picture” event this week and kicked it off by providing a ten-minute overview of the big trends he’s seeing in TV this year. It’s a spin off of an article from earlier this month called Nine Big TV-Related Things We’re Looking At Right Now.
Hulu’s Future Could Get Much Brighter If Comcast Stays Involved
If Comcast truly intends to keep its 33% stake in Hulu, the service suddenly becomes a much bigger priority for Disney.
‘Squid Game’ Is King But Netflix Has A LOT Of Other International Hits Coming
Netflix has a huge international hit with ‘Squid Game,’ but with 45 production and acquisition teams around the globe, its overseas content pipeline is a huge competitive advantage.
Is Netflix The New Cable?
In a July 6 Wired article titled “Is Netflix Losing Its Cool?,” Katie Knibbs refers to Netflix as “the Kleenex of streaming.” She goes on to explain that while the streamer is “so dominant it can stand for the whole of the market,” she feels the service “no longer shines,” has “too much filler and not enough appointment television,” and is facing, for the first time, real competition from the likes of HBO Max and Disney+.
Peacock Gets A New President, Hulu Gets More Questions
This week Kelly Campbell left Hulu to take a similar job as president of Peacock. She may have left a bigger, more lucrative and more established Hulu to take over for stumbling Peacock, but given the many uncertainties hovering over Disney's streaming service, the move is no surprise. It adds even more uncertainties to Hulu though.
Apple’s Playing A Different Game Than Everyone Else On TV
Apple in the streaming wars, but also playing a completely different game than its competitors.
Kelly Day On Putting Paramount Plus, Pluto Across The Planet
It’s a big planet, with a lot of TV watchers. And getting as many of them a chance to watch Paramount Plus, Pluto, and now, SkyShowtime, is Kelly Day’s job as ViacomCBS’ president of international streaming services.
With Linear TV Out-Innovated by Streaming, Can it Go Back to What it's Good At? (Entertaining People)
Following a streaming-focused TV season, Sunday's 73rd Emmy Awards being so streaming focused was no surprise. Streaming had been knocking on the door of this moment for half-a-decade and the pandemic's production challenges for linear TV broke that door wide open. But again, this was predictable.
What's Old Is New Again In Fast-Changing FAST Video Sector
What worked two years ago in linear streaming services is now already out of date compared to fast-evolving and stiff competition. More weirdly perhaps, successful free, ad-supported services (FAST for short) are dipping into a very old playbook to optimize the audience experience and keep viewers coming back.