streaming

Streaming feels like the future, while CBS, NBC, ABC and Fox evoke a time when you needed to get off the couch to switch channels, and maybe adjust the rabbit ears for better reception. Even with ratings a fraction of what they were in the glory days of monopoly, the broadcast networks say their chief advantage is the opportunity to offer creators a large audience. Networks are still the only distribution system capable of delivering a perfect picture to virtually every home in America, said John Landgraf, FX Networks chief.

The British public broadcaster and commercial network have set a strategic partnership to launch BritBox streaming service in the second half of 2019. It will be a mix of library shows from the BBC and ITV and will also include new commissions from British production companies.

Hulu has hired Emmy-winning casting director Barbara Fiorentino to serve as head of talent and casting, marking the first time that the streamer has hired an in-house head of casting. In this role, Fiorentino will oversee the casting of all Hulu Originals projects and work closely with external creative partners on key talent searches for upcoming and current original series.

Netflix didn’t end up winning a best picture Oscar last night for Roma, but the service can take solace in knowing that its originals are a hit with consumers. According to new figures from the American Consumer Satisfaction Index, as of Feb. 7, 2019, Netflix earned an ACSI score of 81 (out of 100) for its original content. The group said that Netflix’s ACSI score is up 2.5% since May 2018.

Nexstar’s Bay Area MNT affiliate debuted KRON-ON, a new 24/7 digital news subscription service for mobile, desktop, tablet and OTT platforms, including Apple TV and Amazon Fire.

The streaming service landscape is growing. The industry, once dominated by a few companies, is now more than a dozen strong, and more players keep entering the game. Comcast, Warner Bros. and Disney are the latest entries, signifying a major shift in strategy for traditional cable television companies. And that could be bad news for Netflix, in particular.

Charter Communications said it plans to launch an over-the-top streaming video service at the end of March dubbed TV Essentials to its broadband-only customers without a video service, in the cable industry’s latest effort to recapture pay TV subscribers.

Viacom has struck a carriage agreement to make its portfolio of networks available on Fubo. Through the deal, Viacom’s nine media networks — BET, CMT, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., Paramount Network, TV Land and VH1 — will be available as part of Fubo’s base $45-per-month offering.

Onetime film and television CEO Barry Diller offered an apocalyptic vision of the entertainment business during a podcast interview, arguing that in the face of Netflix and Amazon, “Hollywood is now irrelevant” and yet “those who chase Netflix are fools.”

Brightcove and Ooyala, online video tech rivals that were used to throwing fists, are now joining hands. Brightcove announced a deal to acquire the online video platform business of Ooyala Inc. for about $15 million — $6.25 million in cash and the remainder in Brightcove shares.

Subscription video on demand (SVoD) is projected to pull even with broadcast TV globally in hours viewing per day by 2023, according to a new report from Rethink Technology Research, with Netflix getting a big chunk of that influx.

Apple is targeting April to debut a new streaming product that will include original content free for Apple device owners and a platform to subscribe to other digital media services. HBO hasn’t signed on to the service due to a disagreement over revenue sharing with Apple. Netflix and Hulu aren’t expected to be a part of the “Channels” service.

WarnerMedia’s forthcoming streaming service will bring together its “treasure trove” of 42,000 hours of content from HBO as well as brands such as DC, Looney Tunes, Turner, The CW and CNN after Kevin Reilly for the first time lifted the lid on the content that will fuel the platform.

Walt Disney Co’s Marvel superhero studio will produce four new adult-oriented animated series for the Hulu streaming service, Hulu said on Monday. Disney is reserving new programming for its own online platforms as the company works to transform into digital entertainment.

At Sinclair’s new OTT service, online streaming is STIRRed and may be shaken. As GM of Sinclair’s newly launched streaming service STIRR, Adam Ware is hoping to inspire stations to binge on new production. If the plan works, it could touch off an explosion of innovation, creativity and original programming from local TV newsrooms.

One surprising new entrant is Vudu, the Walmart-owned streaming video company. Vudu has been ramping up its content offerings in a bid to directly take on Amazon Prime Video and other streaming offerings.

Hulu has hired two senior advertising executives who will head up two of four new sales units at the video streaming service — Jennifer Donohue and Tracie Maffei.

The service was supposed to be a high-growth live TV offering, but a sudden drop in subscribers is causing alarm as traditional cable companies scramble to offer Netflix-like streamers.

In the local news world, we’re good at chasing that shiny object. And sometimes that shiny object can take us down rabbit holes as we lose focus on our real goals and strategies. The latest shiny object is OTT – Over The Top. I applaud those who are investigating the opportunities, but I suggest you ask a few questions and do research before launching your efforts to conquer OTT.

Sunday night’s Super Bowl may not have broken any TV ratings records, but it broke new ground for consumers who preferred to stream the game online. CBS says the game drew an average minute audience (one of the closest digital metrics to the Nielsen average viewership standard) of 2.6 million viewers, up 31% from last year’s Super Bowl, and a new streaming record.

NBC Sports Group and golfer Rory McIlroy have teamed to launch Golfpass, a $10-a-month subscription package that bundles video streaming of golf tournaments and instruction with travel, shopping and tee-time benefits. The founders are calling it a “first-of-its-kind” direct-to-consumer initiative.

PBS, already offering programs on streaming outlets such as Amazon, Netflix and Roku, is considering additional agreements with Sling TV and YouTube TV. “We’ve been in discussions with them,” said PBS President Paula Kerger Saturday during the PBS portion of the annual winter press tour for TV writers. “I’m not making any announcements today, but stay tuned. … We think that’s certainly a place that our viewers would appreciate.”

FX Networks chief John Landgraf has long criticized Netflix’s quest to dominate television, and has advocated for the streaming giant’s shows to be evaluated, numbers-wise, in the same way that broadcast and cable series are.  But now that Netflix has finally begun selectively touting its’ audience, he’s labeling its claims as bogus.

The second season averaged 1.9 million viewers during its first seven days, according to Nielsen, which released an Amazon show’s figures for the first time.