• VideoNuze Report Podcast #125 -- Colin Reports From Brazil About Netflix

    I'm pleased to be joined once again by Colin Dixon, senior partner at The Diffusion Group, for the 125th edition of the VideoNuze Report podcast, for Mar. 16, 2012. This week finds Colin on business in Brazil, and he's been doing some sleuthing on how Netflix's rollout is going there. Back on the domestic front, we also discuss Intel's rumored TV plans and the latest on Aereo's rollout.

    Colin reports that anecdotal feedback on Netflix's content selection in Brazil is underwhelming as it is perceived as mostly older titles. He raises the critical question of whether Netflix was wise in choosing not to partner with any established players which might have brought content as well as an understanding of local conditions. Colin points out that the landscape is very different in Brazil vs. the U.S., with pay-TV penetration of just 20% and over-the-air broadcast viewing dominant. All that said, Colin has heard that Netflix is advertising heavily to build its brand. And Brazil is of course an enormous market, representing big long-term opportunities.

    Switching topics, we also discuss Intel's rumored interest in rolling out an over-the-top subscription video service to compete with incumbent pay-TV operators. On the surface, it's a little incongruous for a chip-maker to want to pursue a consumer-facing subscription service, but the really big issue facing Intel is gaining economic access to cable and broadcast TV networks, given today's bundling strategies.

    Last but not least, we note that Aereo (which we have discussed on prior podcasts) launched this week, despite broadcasters' lawsuits and threats of injunctions. Aereo also retained the same copyright attorney that prevailed in the Cablevision network DVR case (Colin has said previously that this precedent will be crucial in Aereo's defense).

    Listen in to learn more!

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