People familiar with the matter say Amazon is exploring the creation of an online pay TV service to complement its existing video offerings and has reached out to major media companies including CBS and NBC about carrying their channels.
IAC’s video platform Vimeo, which lets creators sell ad-free content directly to fans, is commissioning its first set of original, exclusive projects, including the Web show The Outs.
NBC announced Thursday that all 13 episodes of Aquarius, starring David Duchovny, will be available online after the drama’s two-hour NBC premiere. NBC Entertainment Chairman Bob Greenblatt said the unprecedented move acknowledges viewer interest in watching TV episodes at will.
The Wall Street Journal now has a 40-person team producing videos for its site producing 30-40 videos a day, resulting in 6 million monthly video views according to comScore. The paper has been emphasizing shorter videos, along with more interactive videos to keep readers on site longer.
Exclusives
The daytime talk show host announced Thursday the launch of Ellentube, an online video portal and iOS app that features exclusive clips from The Ellen DeGeneres Show and gives fans the opportunity to upload user-generated content. Ellentube — which was created by DeGeneres and Ellen show executive producers Mary Connelly, Ed Galvin and Andy Lassner — will be organized around video playlists based on popular Ellen video categories.
There’s a battle being waged for that much-maligned piece of furniture we all end up in front of sooner or later. Call it the Idiot Box, the Boob Tube or whatever you want — the majority of media consumption still happens in front of the television, and whether it’s gaming, movie watching, Netflix or just listening to the stereo, tech giants are fighting tooth and nail for a seat on your couch. Here’s what they’re bringing to the party.
After being canceled by ABC in 2011, All My Children will be back starting Monday with much of its august cast intact, but this time it will be online. Joining AMC the same day will be One Life to Live, another venerable soap cut down by ABC after 44 seasons. Each serial will unveil four daily half-hours per week, plus a recap/behind-the-scenes episode on Fridays, with 42 weeks of original programming promised for the first year.
CBS Sports will again simulcast a run of college hoops games gratis on the Web and mobile devices, while adding a social-media component. A series of live games from three conferences — highlighted by Kentucky-Louisville and the Big Ten championship — will be available.
With no fanfare, Walt Disney Co. launched Disney Movies Online, which lets consumers buy or rent digital versions of Disney and Pixar films and watch them on the Internet. The site was conceived as a bridge to step the family entertainment company’s mainstream consumers gently from the physical to the digital world.
