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5 Unexpected Things That Happened This Week in Online Video
Happy Friday! Each day this week seemed to bring another unexpected head-scratching moment related to online video. I suspect I wasn't the only one reacting this way. Following is a recap of the week's top 5 (actually 4, plus 1 tongue-in-cheek). Read on and see if you agree.Categories: Miscellaneous
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1. Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes Flip-Flops, Now Admires Netflix
Certainly top on this week's unexpected list was Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes' newfound affection for Netflix, expressed in an interview with Charlie Rose at the Tribeca Film Festival (see below video, starting at the 4:40 point). Until now Bewkes has been withering in his derision for Netflix, famously comparing them to the Albanian army, and all but saying HBO would only offer its programs for streaming on Netflix when hell froze over.
But this week Bewkes totally flip-flopped, saying things like he looks at Netflix with a certain sense of "fondness," "Welcome brother" to the subscription business, "You've gotta admire them," "They've done a bold thing, a good thing in many ways," "They're offering a subscription service that is very valid and effective" and "They've got a lot of interesting stuff on there mostly that's available in other places but that's no criticism."
Categories: Aggregators, Cable Networks
Topics: HBO, Netflix, Time Warner
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2. Netflix Tamps Down Cord-Cutting Fears
Another unexpected item this week was Netflix dedicating a section of their Q1 '11 report to tamping down fears of cord-cutting that have been aroused due to Netflix's own staggering growth. To my knowledge, Netflix has never suggested in the past that it would prompt cord-cutting, but it has periodically positioned itself as a competitor to pay-TV services. Now however, Netflix is firmly embracing a "we're supplemental to pay-TV" positioning.
Categories: Aggregators
Topics: Netflix
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3. YouTube Getting Back Into the Hollywood Movie Rental Game
This week also brought unexpected news that YouTube is seeking to license movies from top studios for online rental. Hmm, somebody please explain to me how YouTube thinks it can create a differentiated offering relative to what's already available from iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, etc. because I don't get it. Plus, just a few weeks ago it seemed like YouTube was placing its bets on original web-only content, which felt like a viable strategy. Now YouTube wants back into Hollywood. It's hard to see how this will have a happy ending with so many options already available.
Categories: Aggregators, FIlms
Topics: YouTube
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4. Comcast Gets Hit Shows from FOX and ABC for Xfinity TV
This week brought yet another twist in the intriguing relationships between pay-TV operators and broadcast TV networks, as Comcast announced deals with both FOX and ABC to add recent episodes of over 20 hit shows from the networks to its Xfinity TV video-on-demand line-up. The move is a solid step forward for Comcast, giving it access to all 4 major broadcast networks' programs, a first. This is also content that isn't available on Netflix, providing another good differentiator.
Categories: Broadcasters, Cable TV Operators, Video On Demand
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5. Will Richmond Actually Appears In a Video
Ok, this last one is a little tongue in cheek. Since launching VideoNuze, I've taken my fair share of ribbing for not showing up in any videos myself (though why readers are interested in that is still a bit of a mystery to me). The dry spell ended this week, as I joined with my partner Marc Sternberg to release a short promotional video for the ELEVATE: Online Video Advertising Summit on its site. Yes, it's unexpected to actually see yours truly in a video, but there it is. Many thanks to our friends at HealthiNation for making the video possible.
Categories: Events
Topics: ELEVATE
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VideoNuze Report Podcast #97 - Apr. 29, 2011
I'm pleased to present the 97th edition of the VideoNuze Report podcast, for April 29, 2011.
In this week's podcast, Daisy Whitney and I discuss Netflix's robust Q1 '11 results announced earlier this week. Netflix added 3.6 million subscribers in Q1, which is almost double the 1.7 million subscribers it added a year earlier in Q1 '10. Of the total, 3.3 million were in the U.S. bringing Netflix to a virtual tie with Comcast at 22.8 million subscribers (though as I always note, Comcast generates at least 5-6 times as much revenue per video subscriber as does Netflix). Still, with the Q1 growth, Netflix has grown by over 12 million subscribers in the past 6 quarters, an amazing stretch by any measure.
In the podcast we also discuss the more conciliatory tone Netflix struck toward the pay-TV industry, with CEO Reed Hastings going out of his way to tamp down concerns about imminent cord-cutting. We also comment on how Netflix appears to be adopting Apple's approach to under-promising and over-delivering quarterly results.
Click here to listen to the podcast (12 minutes, 53 seconds)
Click here for previous podcasts
The VideoNuze Report is available in iTunes...subscribe today!Categories: Aggregators, Podcasts
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Complimentary Webinar, Tues, May 3rd: Unlocking the Value of Video Content Libraries
Please join me for a complimentary webinar next Tuesday, May 3rd at 11am PT / 2pm ET, as Colin Dixon, senior partner at research firm The Diffusion Group, Mark Lemmons, CTO of Thought Equity Motion and I discuss how media companies can unlock the tremendous value in their video content libraries. At the conclusion of the webinar, a complimentary white paper will be distributed to all attendees.
Media companies have traditionally had to live by the constraint that that once video is archived, it is "stranded," with its best monetization days most likely behind it. A combination of technical and business issues have conspired to limit the total potential ROI. As a result, media companies are sitting on mountains of valuable video content that hasn't been easily shared or monetized.
Now however, a perfect storm of innovation, business model ingenuity and rapidly changing consumer preferences is changing all that. Projects like the NCAA Vault and ACC Vault, which are both powered by Thought Equity Motion, are showing that it is both possible - and profitable - to surface library content in unique and differentiated ways. In this timely webinar we'll explore the processes and best practices involved with media companies bringing video content libraries to life online.
Learn more and register nowCategories: Events
Topics: Thought Equity Motion, Webinar
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