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Is Apple Planning to Pair 99-Cent TV Show Rentals With Its $99 iTV?
Bloomberg is reporting that Apple is in "advanced talks" with CBS, Disney and Fox about making available TV programs for 99-cent rental. The programs would be offered within 24 hours of when they aired and once rented, the viewing window would be just 48 hours. It's not clear whether the iTunes rental model would be targeted only to Apple's "i" devices, or if it would be more widely available. If the program deals happen, could it be that Apple is planning to pair availability of 99-cent rentals with the unveiling of its $99 iTV device at its rumored Sept. 7th keynote event?
In my earlier post, "Pondering the (Potential) Impact of Apple's New iTV Device," I speculated that the iTV device would have little impact on the pay-TV ecosystem, since major cable TV networks and pay-TV providers will resist Apple's attempts to reinvent their business models. However, I suggested that Steve Jobs could have a trick or two up his sleeve for the iTV's launch. Sure enough, 99-cent broadcast TV rentals, announced just weeks prior to the Fall TV season kickoff, would be a very good trick indeed.
Categories: Broadcasters, Devices
Topics: Apple, CBS, Disney, FOX
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Clicker's iPhone App Goes Live
Clicker, the online video guide and social check-in service, had its free iPhone app go live today, which it had previously announced last month as part of its
Clicker Social launch. The app allows iPhone users to search iPhone-compatible videos, take advantage of the Clicker Social features (comment, rate, share, check-in, follow friends, etc.), create and manage playlists for later viewing and check their account.
By way of comparison, I've played around some with the Clicker Android app on my Droid X. I've mainly focused on the search/discovery features, which are Clicker's key differentiator vs. other services that offer check-in for TV shows. It's incredibly handy, though the big issue for now is the limited assortment of videos actually available for viewing on the Droid X, which does not yet support Flash.
Still, as more videos become available (particularly the Netflix and Hulu Plus Android, sooner rather than later hopefully), a unified mobile search experience like Clicker offers is going to be even more valuable. The DVR/playlist function also offers another tantalizing glimpse into how multi-platform interactivity will work (set here, record there, watch somewhere else). Clicker also says an iPad app is in the works for early October. Lots of good stuff ahead.
Categories: Mobile Video, Social Media, Video Search
Topics: Clicker
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Webinar Today: Independent Online Video and Syndication
Please join The Diffusion Group and VideoNuze today at 11am PT/2pm ET when we will present the fourth complimentary webinar in our 2010 "Demystifying" series, with this session's focus on demystifying independent online video and syndication models. The series is exclusively sponsored by ActiveVideo Networks.
TDG's Colin Dixon and I will be hosting and moderating the webinar, which will include guests Jim Louderback, CEO of Revision3, and Rich Bloom, SVP of Business Development for 5Min. Jim and Rich will each do short presentations and then we'll have moderated Q&A followed by plenty of time for audience Q&A.
Jim and Rich will cover what's working for their companies and what's in store for the broader online video industry going forward. If you're an independent video producer, or part of an established media company looking to succeed in the online medium, this webinar is for you!
Click here to learn more and register about this complimentary webinar
Categories: Events, Indie Video, Syndicated Video Economy
Topics: 5Min, ActiveVideo Networks, Revision3, TDG, Webinar
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Pondering the (Potential) Impact of Apple's New iTV Device
Once again it's the silly season, when rumors and pronouncements about still-shrouded-in-secrecy Apple products start flying around the Internet, often forecasting a future radically changed by another wave of Steve Jobs' magic wand. The latest Apple product in the speculative crosshairs has been dubbed "iTV," and was originally described back in May by Engadget as an "iPhone without a screen" (and a phone for that matter), that would bring the world of Apple's App Store to the big screen and would also be capable of playing some flavor of HD video. It would also carry a surprisingly low (for Apple products anyway) $99 price tag.
It's easy to see an iTV device being a volume success for Apple, though given its low price point, profit margins could be a different story. The groundwork for iTV's success has been laid by the massive success of Apple's App Store and iTunes, which would now would be inexpensively connected to the TV. The concept "apps on TV' is getting a lot of attention lately, with Samsung making a big push, and of course Google TV being primed to deliver apps from the Android Market.
Categories: Devices
Topics: ABC, Apple, Google TV, iTV, Netflix
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Pay-TV Industry Loses Subscribers in Q2 '10 For First Time Ever; Cable Bears Brunt
Research firm SNL Kagan is reporting today that the U.S. pay-TV industry (cable/satellite/telco) lost 216,000 multichannel TV subscribers in Q2 '10, the first time the industry as a whole has lost subscribers. Cable operators bore the brunt of the losses, dropping 711,000 subscribers, with Kagan saying 6 of the 8 operators reporting suffered record quarterly losses. By contrast, telcos added 414,000 subs in the quarter and satellite providers gained 81,000. The losses leave cable's industry share at 61%, down from 63.6% a year ago.
Kagan analyst Mariam Rondeli ascribed the quarterly losses to low housing formation and high unemployment due to the ongoing recession, coupled with churn due to promotions from last year's broadcast digital transitions expiring. Rondeli pointed out that over-the-top video alternatives were not the cause. By comparison, the pay-TV gained 378,000 subscribers in Q2 '09, meaning there was a swing of 594,000 subscribers year-over-year. U.S. Pay-TV providers as a whole ended Q2 '10 with 100.1 million subscribers.
Looking ahead, I've heard some murmurs that Q3 '10 could be softer than in prior years, again partially due to the recession, but also because seasonal college students' subscriptions may be reduced due to over-the-top alternatives. While we've yet to see any tangible evidence of cord-cutting, the first impact may simply be slower multichannel sign-ups from younger users more accustomed to watching online. We'll see.
What do you think? Post a comment now (no sign-in required).Categories: Cable TV Operators, Satellite, Telcos
Topics: SNL Kagan
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TV Everywhere On Track for 30-50 Million Homes By End of 2010: Turner Exec
TV Everywhere services will be available to 30-50 million U.S. homes by the end of this year, according to Jeremy Legg, SVP of Business Development and Multi-Platform Distribution at Turner Broadcasting whom I spoke to last week. Jeremy characterized the 30 million number as "realistic" and 50 million as "plausible." Turner is part of Time Warner, which has been the most significant proponent among content providers of TV Everywhere services; Jeremy is the point person at Turner for its efforts.
I've thought TV Everywhere was a smart concept since it was unveiled last summer, in a high-profile news conference with Time Warner's CEO Jeff Bewkes and Comcast's CEO Brian Roberts. Since then though, pay-TV distributors in the U.S. have been relatively quiet about their TV Everywhere rollout milestones, leading me to grow skeptical about whether they're putting enough muscle behind their efforts. As I argued recently, the stakes for TV Everywhere success have grown considerably as Netflix in particular has ramped up its online offerings, getting closer and closer to pay-TV players' traditional turf.
Categories: Cable Networks, Cable TV Operators, Satellite, Telcos
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NY Times Gives Online Video High-Profile Coverage With Today's "Sofa Wars" Series
More evidence that online video has gone mainstream, as the NY Times is running a series today, dubbed "The Sofa Wars," includes half a dozen articles looking at online video's incursion into the living room. Included in the series are articles on cord-cutting (or the lack thereof), Sony's bet on Crackle, the range of connected devices vying for market share, the role of 3D in selling TVs and Dish Network's new online initiatives.
The Times' coverage further underscores how online video has burst into the public consciousness in the past few years. In the pre-YouTube era (before 2005), online video was still a fringe activity for people willing to hunt around for valuable video and suffer through often sub-optimal delivery quality. Now, as comScore reports each month, online video is watched by the vast majority of Internet users. It's becoming as common as sending an email. With connected devices proliferating to bring online video to TVs, what additional consumer behavior changes can we expect over the next 5 years?
What do you think? Post a comment now (no sign-in required).Categories: Devices, Indie Video, Satellite
Topics: NY Times
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5 News Items of Interest for the Week of Aug 16th
I've received positive feedback on the Friday feature I introduced 2 weeks ago, highlighting 5-6 of the most intriguing online and mobile video industry news items that I noticed during the week. As a result, I'm continuing on today and look forward to your further reactions.
As a reminder, each day in the right column of both the VideoNuze web site and email you'll find the "Exclusive News Roundup" which includes the most relevant online and mobile video industry articles that I've curated from numerous sources around the web. Typically there are 35-40 links rounded up each week, which means VideoNuze now has thousands of links available, all fully searchable. This is an invaluable resource when doing research and I encourage you to take a look next time you're hunting for a specific piece of online/mobile video information.
Now on to this week's most intriguing news:
Hulu is Said to Be Ready for an I.P.O.
The big news leading off the week was that Hulu is testing the waters for a public offering valuing the company at $2 billion. Investors beware: while ad sales are up, exclusive deals with key TV networks are short-term, subscription service Hulu Plus is still unproven and competition from Netflix and others is intensifying. If the deal works, it will be a huge milestone for the company.
Rumored $99 iTV Could Pave Way for $2,000 Apple-Connected Television
A Wall Street analyst conjectures that Apple is well-positioned to offer a high-end, connected TV. Apple has been on the sidelines as online video makes its way to the TV, surely this won't remain the case forever.
Netflix Lust for "True Blood" Is Unrequited As HBO Blocks Path
Though Netflix just landed Epix, it is unlikely to get a deal with HBO any time soon, as the big premium network is committed to its current distribution partners, and to its own online extension, HBO Go. Netflix will still find plenty of other willing partners given its strong motivation to acquire streaming content rights.
In Battle of Smartphones, Google Has the Right Answer
With Google's Android phones proliferating, the iPhone's market share is slipping. And with Android tablets coming, the iPad will soon be in the crosshairs from competitors. For mobile video this means more choices and flexibility.
Net Profits for BermanBraun
Big ad agency Starcom MediaVest commits up to a $100 million to upstart Hollywood producer for deeper brand integrations. More evidence that ad spending is moving online and in more creative ways.Categories: Advertising, Aggregators, Cable Networks, Deals & Financings, Devices, Mobile Video
Topics: Apple, BermanBraun, Google, HBO, Hulu, Netflix, Starcom MediaVest
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