live streaming

Ron Stitt, group VP of digital media for Fox Television Stations, says local broadcasters are in a better position digitally now than they were three years ago thanks primarily to their mobile efforts. “Between the screen on the wall, the tablet in your lap and the phone in your hand, you have instant access to a screen at all times. That smartphone in your hand is about to become a television. That changes everything.” Stitt also talks about how TV is catching newspapers on the digital front, how paywalls could work for local TV and how user generated content is about to take a big leap forward.

CNBC is now letting biz-news junkies watch live programming on Apple iOS devices, but customers of two of the biggest subscription TV services won’t be able to access the service for now.

The new app allows users to stream live MSNBC programming, watch clips from past shows, and watch full episodes of The Rachel Maddow Show, Politics Nation with Rev. Al Sharpton, Hardball with Chris Matthews, All In with Chris Hayes and more.

The fortnight at Wimbledon this year will be livestreamed on YouTube. Google’s video site will carry live tennis matches, interviews, press conferences and more.

Using Anvanto’s Media Content Platform, Gray Television stations will stream live and on-demand news on the Web and to mobile devices.

Disney/ABC said that it will launch its Watch ABC service tomorrow featuring the live streaming of WABC New York and WPVI Philadelphia. Hearst is the first station group to sign on to provide the service with its eight ABC affiliates. Disney/ABC said it expects to reach agreements with other affiliate groups before the start of the fall season.

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News Corp. CEO Chase Carey’s declaration that it will turn its broadcast network and stations into cable channels if Aereo is not stopped sends a message — a warning really — that Aereo is a menace to the broadcasting business and to the millions of viewers who enjoy and rely on the over-the-air service. But there are other options for Fox in the fight against online pirates: live streaming and mobile DTV. Establishment of those services won’t leave much room in the marketplace for third parties waving another monthly bill in front of consumers.

HBO Sports president Ken Hershman, speaking at Harvard Law School’s Sports Law Symposium on Thursday, said the premium network’s HBO Go digital service will feature live sports by the end of 2013. An HBO spokesman, however, said the network has “no immediate plans to offer live boxing on the platform.”

Development of mobile DTV is moving slowly, and while I’m not ready to write it off, it’s comforting to know that work on a Plan B is well underway. The Big Four networks and their affiliates are actively discussing live streaming of broadcast signals. Another incentive to begin streaming is Aereo and other startups that think they can stream broadcast signals without the permission of broadcasters and that’s created a sense of urgency among station owners. It’s nice to know that if mobile DTV fails to launch, live streaming is there to keep broadcasting in the mobile game.

The networks tells its affils that it wants to work with them in developing an ABC TV everywhere service that allows cable and satellite subscribers to watch on mobile devices. Each affiliate would be able to offer a locally branded service within its market. ABC would charge affiliates for the programming rights, but they could recoup those fees and perhaps make a profit by charging operators as they do for retransmission consent.

Despite some complaints from users, NBC declared its live stream of Sunday’s Super Bowl to be a success. The number of total live streams is likely to top 1 million. The broadcaster said it would report the total number of streams today.

Cox joins Time Warner, Cablevision and Xfinity in rolling out a companion iPad app (iTunes) for its customers. The free Cox TV Connect app provides a program guide along with live streaming for “more than 35 popular channels.”

In a first, Oscar.com will offer a peek behind the scenes with an ambitious live streaming of all-access coverage from the red carpet to the control room to the press room where Oscar winners get 45 seconds for additional thank-yous. The goal is to make the Academy Awards more inviting for younger audiences.