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With Widevine Acquisition, Google is Poised to Go Hollywood
Just as the week is wrapping up, Google has announced its acquisition of Widevine, a provider of digital content protection and video optimization technologies. Widevine was a private company that had raised over $50 million to date. The acquisition is very noteworthy as Google will now own a
60+ patent portfolio in the critical area of securing digital video delivery to every conceivable type of viewing device. As such, Google has a critical building block in its ability to deliver premium content to devices using its Android, Google TV and Chrome technologies.
In addition to the technology, Google is also inheriting Widevine's customer relationships with many leading consumer electronics, content and distribution companies. Among Widevine's long list of customers are Panasonic, LG, Best Buy, boxee, Sonic Solutions, LOVEFiLM, Samsung, DISH Network, Netflix, Blockbuster and others. All of these relationships give Google further opportunities to drive Google TV adoption and further immerse itself in the video ecosystem.
Categories: Deals & Financings, DRM, Technology
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5 Items of Interest for the Week of Nov. 29th
Following the Thanksgiving break last Friday, VideoNuze's end-of-week feature of curating 5-6 interesting online/mobile video industry news items that we weren't able to cover this week, is back. Read them now or take them with you this weekend!
Categories: Aggregators, Broadband ISPs, Devices, Mobile Video, Regulation, Telcos, UGC
Topics: Comcast, FCC, IDC, Level 3, Magid, Net Neutrality, Nielsen, Verizon Wireless, Viacom, YouTube
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USAToday.com Implements Taboola's Video Recommendations
USAToday.com has begun implementing video recommendations engine Taboola to power videos on all of its News pages. I confirmed with Taboola's CEO and founder Adam Singolda that USAToday.com is using the company's "Text2Video" product on its news pages currently and that a fuller rollout is planned, though he wouldn't provide further details.
With the Text2Video product, Taboola analyzes web pages and uses its proprietary text algorithms to understand the content of those pages. This data is combined with cookies to gain insight into users' interests. Videos are then recommended based on this information using Taboola's EngageRank video solution.
This is the 3rd big recent publisher win for Taboola, following both NYTimes.com and Bloomberg (additional customers include Demand Media, Revision3, Kiplingers and others). What's distinctive about the USAToday.com implementation is that the video recommendations are given the most prominent placement yet (see below), at the top of the right column with 3 thumbnails exposed. That's highly valuable page real estate, and it shows the confidence the USA Today team must have not only in the quality/relevance of the recommended videos, but also in their ability to deliver superior monetization.
Categories: Newspapers, Technology
Topics: Taboola, USAToday.com
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Takeaways From Yesterday's VideoSchmooze Panel
We had a great turnout for yesterday's VideoSchmooze breakfast/panel in NYC focused on how connected and mobile devices are transforming the video landscape. Panelists included Charlie Herrin, SVP, Products and Technology, Comcast Interactive Media, Doug Knopper - Co-CEO and Co-Founder, FreeWheel, Olivier Manuel - Director of Content, Samsung Electronics, Steve Robinson - CEO and Founder, Panache and Jeremiah Zinn, SVP, Digital Products, MTV.
Following are some of my key takeaways from the session:
Topics: VideoSchmooze
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Level 3 Tries to Wrap Itself in the Cloak of Net Neutrality in Comcast Dispute
The phrase, "there's no such thing as a free lunch" is getting a new application this morning, as Netflix's massively popular streaming service and over-the-top online video delivery in general face their first big reality check in the form of the Level 3-Comcast traffic fee dispute.
In case you aren't fully up to speed yet, yesterday Level 3 issued a press release asserting that Comcast was forcing Level 3 to pay it higher rates in order for its traffic to be passed through to Comcast's network, and by extension its subscribers. On this basis alone, this would be a snoozer dispute; few of us are aware of or care about the behind the scenes Internet plumbing that enables the delivery of online content. And as long as it doesn't affect what we pay, we also generally don't care which provider gets paid what or how much.
That's why Level 3 cleverly decided not to depict this as a commercial dispute, but rather as a violation by Comcast of "net neutrality" regulations. To drive its point home further, it chose to use highly-charged language, accusing Comcast of "putting up a toll booth," "enabling it to unilaterally decide," "threatens the open Internet" and "preventing competing content" among other things. These are exactly the kinds of terms that net neutrality advocates have been using for years to justify new, stricter net neutrality regulations and Level 3's choice of words is a blatant play to transform this into a net neutrality spark. Trying to set the record straight, Comcast replied that in fact this is a commercial dispute, centered around an imbalance of traffic being exchanged (5:1 by its estimate), and that by convention a separate payment from Level 3 is warranted.
Categories: Broadband ISPs
Topics: Comcast, Level 3, Netflix
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Is Microsoft Planning to Join the Pay-TV Party?
Reuters is reporting this morning that Microsoft is exploring a range of options to get into the pay-TV business through a new over-the-top service. The article points to a potential "virtual cable provider" model whereby Microsoft would license multiple networks, which would be delivered to Xbox gaming consoles and other devices. Also under consideration are creating "content silos" to sell specific premium channels.
If Microsoft were to join the pay-TV business aggressively it would further alter industry dynamics. The number one issue in play right now is whether consumers are forsaking traditionally packaged pay-TV services and instead opting for some mix of free and paid online-delivered alternatives. Yet while Internet options are gaining in popularity (with Netflix's explosive growth to nearly 17 million subscribers at the end of Q3 the primary beneficiary), hard data supporting cord-cutting is still scarce.
Categories: Broadcasters, Cable Networks, Cable TV Operators, Devices
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"Demystifying 2011" Complimentary Webinar on Wed., December 15th
With Thanksgiving upon us, it's time to start thinking about the year ahead. To help you understand what to expect in 2011, Colin Dixon from The Diffusion Group and I are hosting our final complimentary webinar of the year, "Demystifying 2011: Key Trends in Online and Mobile Video" on Wed., Dec. 15th at 11am PT / 2pm ET.
2010 has been a breakout year for online and mobile video, and all indicators suggest that 2011 is going to be even bigger as the content, devices, technology, monetization models and consumer behavior in online and mobile video continue to grow and mature.
In 2011 what will happen with online and mobile issues like cord-cutting/cord-shaving, over-the-top services growth, net neutrality, TV Everywhere rollouts, Netflix's Hollywood clout as it approaches 20 million subscribers, the rollouts of super-fast LTE/4G mobile networks, the tablet computing craze, advertising and paid monetization, and lots more? In the webinar Colin and I will discuss these and take a stand on how things will play out next year. There will be plenty of time for audience Q&A so bring your questions! Learn more and register for this complimentary webinar.
And if you're looking for a deep dive discussion on how connected and mobile video devices are transforming the video landscape, join me at the next VideoSchmooze breakfast/panel discussion, coming up 1 week from today on Wed., Dec. 1st at the Samsung Experience in NYC. We have a huge crowd and it promises to be both educational and lots of fun. Learn more and register for VideoSchmooze.
In the meantime, have a Happy Thanksgiving!Categories: Events
Topics: VideoSchmooze, Webinar
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British OVP vzaar Gets Investment From Oliver Stone
vzaar, an online video platform company based in England has announced the director Oliver Stone has invested an undisclosed sum as part of its most recent financing round. Stone was so enthusiastic about the company that he recorded a short commercial for no fee (see below) in which he says that "vzaar is one of those lightning bolts that hit me right between the eyes" in a serious yet somewhat menacing tone.
vzaar's CEO Stephen McCluskey told me that Stone got involved via one of vzaar's key investors John Moreton. Stephen himself joined the company in March of this year and turned its focus onto profession and mid-sized users in vertical markets including fashion, media, corporate communications, sports and government, as well as for direct marketing applications. The company recently raised its entry tier from $15/mo to $49/mo and 60% of its customers are in the U.S. Stephen said that monthly revenue is growing by 20-30% and is already more than the whole of last year.
Categories: Deals & Financings, International, Technology
Topics: Oliver Stone, vzaar
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