News
Streaming, Entertainment and Media have never presented more opportunity for new business models, new partnerships and new products. Find out more about M.E.S. MediaRe-imagined, email Rob Chambers
20 November
• Streamlining streaming – despite the explosive growth of the streaming market, this doesn’t necessarily spell good news for jobs. US cable broadcaster, AMC Networks is the latest to annouce cuts to its workforce as it refocuses its business. This follows similar actions by others including WarnerMedia and NBCUniversal reports Deadline.
• So is the joining of BuzzFeed and HuffPost setting the pair up for financial success, or just another opportunity for a rebrand (HuffBuzz?) Interesting analysis of the deal from Flashes & Flames
18 November
• Indian censorship legistlation could threaten growth of streaming services like Netflix. ZDNet reports that digital media will now be regulated by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
• RTL and Deutsche Telekom have announced a collaboration to enahnce their streaming offering and intention to develop joint solutions for the delivery of targeted advertising via MagentaTV
17 November
• Slingbox Slung – advances in streaming technology have led to time being called on the groundbreaking TV service reports Broadband TV News.
• 73 million subscribers and counting – their themeparks might be shut, but Disney have been buoyed on Wall Street by the stella performance of the streaming service (New York Times).
26 October
• Cinema boss calls for industry shakeup. Curzon not only operates cinemas, but runs an online pay-per-watch film service and a distribution arm, says cinemas must embrace streaming to survive.
• Total Telecom editor, Harry Baldock spoke with the SVP of Communication and Media from Salesforce ahead of Total Telecom Congress – view the interview here.
• Financial backing tof $1.75 billion couldn’t keep short-form streaming service Quibi afloat. So where did this all go wrong?
16 October
• Google are leading innovation in the games space. Project Stream renders the game on Google’s own servers, and then streams the video just like streaming a movie. Researchers MobiusTrend Group from Hong Kong issued this brief report.
13 October
• Growing pains – the growth of streaming TV is highlighting the infrastructure failing of the mediumas an advertising platform. Measurement and ad-verification company, DoubleVerify, is leading the way in developing the health of the market sector by delivering creating inclusion and exclusion lists to target or avoid specific streaming TV apps reports the Wall Street Journal.
• Mobile gaming is expected to be one of the big winners in the 5G global rollout. Companies such as GIZER are enabling users to experience ‘real-life’ play and faster connectivity.
8 October
• Tech giant Qualcomm could be about to come out of hiding. The company best known for powering other peoples devices could be about to launch its own gaming smartphone in partnership with ASUS.
• London’s Carnaby Street has become a giant graffiti canvas and augmented reality experiment for Snapchat as it trials large scale, collaborative uses of augmented reality. Read more from Wired.
• Disney+ could have more subscribers than Netflix according to activist investor Daniel Loeb, urging Disney to focus more on growth in streaming reports the FT
6 October
• DISH Network Corporation, the parent company behind satellite DISH TV and streaming SLING TV services is going shopping with a ‘blank check’.
• The FT have taken a look at how podcasting – a ‘nerdy niche industry’ – has become the new frontline for streaming wars with companies like Spotify, ScoutFM and Amazon Music wading in.
• Consumer credit reporting giant TransUnion is betting big on the connected TV future and the explosion in streaming as the next driver of growth for their business and their vision of an omnichannel view of identity. Report from Beet.TV
5 October
• Canal+ builds 6.5% stake in Multichoice Group reports Broadband TV News.
• Talking AT&T – HBO, the CEO told The Wall Street Journal some of the company’s bets will take years to pay off but were the right choices long-term.
2 October
• Growing demand for video services in Asia leads Minerva Networks to scale up presence in the region.
• Google has another pop at Roku and Amazon with the launch of a new improved Chromecast. Fast Company reveal why it might work this time.
• Another video streaming app launches – vRockk – but this one thinks it can can leverage social media to make celebrities out of a diverse group of people.
30 September
• Consumers are shifting away from traditional broadcasters towards streaming and direct to consumer players and are capitalising by stealing advertising dollars, but content players are also gaining reports Benzinga.
• Virgin TV adds Hopster for customers who have the Ultimate Oomph bundle.
• US-based media company Castalia Communications and Mexican investment fund Innokap have announced the launch of a new OTT service Europa+.
29 September
• The stakes are getting higher in streaming TV as the fraudsters cash in. DoubleVerify Inc. says it has detected 780 fake streaming-TV apps this year, but the risks impact both the service providers and the advertisers reports the WSJ.
• CDN provider G-Core Labs has opened new points of presence in Argentina to speed delivery of even the heaviest types of content in this region, aiming to target e-commerce, gaming and media industries.
28 September
• The future of gaming is a subsciption argues FT report "Is it game over for the console"? Recent deals by Amazon and Microsoft reflect an ability to play games across multiple devices such as smartphones, tablets and TVs.
• Media heavyweight, Andrew Neil fronts Discovery backed, presented-led right leaning UK news channel
25 September
• ION Media who claim viewers in 100 million plus US households are to be acquired by E.W. Scripps in a transformational view backed by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. WSJ reports the deal will double Scripps TV station footprint.
• BBC Sounds app is now available on Humax
• Amazon aims to be the “Netflix for gaming” with the launch of Luna
23 September
• State owned gambling organisations are making horse racing streaming service a reality in France following deal with Red Bee Media reports SportBusiness
• Peacock – the streaming service from Comcast – as well as other NBCUniversal apps have kept their presence with 43 million Roku users after a last minute deal
22 September
• Tipsport – the largest betting agency in the Czech Republic is aiming at delivering around-the-clock services following a deal with Betgenius for a streaming service reports European Gaming news
21 September
• Microsoft has unveiled its third largest aquisition as it buys gaming giant, ZeniMax. Nadella says gaming [revenues] "now larger than Hollywood and the music industry combined". Report FT
• Trump thwarted in bid to block WeChat from Apple and Google app stores. WeChat Users Alliance that sued praised the ruling “as an important and hard-fought victory”
