Tag: ott

ComScore Survey Reveals Interesting Netflix Stats

Posted on by Lab Team

Source: Adweek

Data measurement company ComScore released a report on digital viewership trends gleaned from a survey of 1,159 users, revealing some interesting insights about Netflix and the OTT industry.

Dominance Among Millennials

Of those surveyed, overall, 32% subscribed to Netflix. For comparison, 19% had Hulu, and 9% had Amazon Prime. More impressively, nearly 50% among millennials had a subscription to Netflix.

Well-supported By OTT Devices

44% of Netflix users watch through an OTT device like Chromecast or Roku. Add in the other 21% watching on alternative platforms such as gaming consoles or connected Blu-ray players, and that leaves just 27% of users watching Netflix directly on their computers.

Popular With Families

In addition, families with children are more likely to have a Netflix subscription. According to the survey, Netflix reached 25% of households with one to two people, and 40% of households with more than three.

Netflix Will Cost More If You Watch On 4K TV

Posted on by Lab Team

If you’re a proud owner of a 4K TV, take note: Netflix is now charging a premium of $11.99 per month for access to 4K (also called Ultra HD) streaming content, which holds a limited yet growing media library. The introduction of this tiered plan isn’t exactly surprising, as Netflix has clearly been looking to diversify its offering. And if one can afford a pricy 4K TV right now, that extra $3 per month shouldn’t be too painful.

GoPro Cameras Now Support Real-Time Broadcasting

Posted on by Lab Team

With the help of Livestream iOS app, proud owners of GoPro cameras can now broadcast their adrenaline-pumping shenanigans over WiFi or 4G connections in real time. The live-streamed video quality won’t be what you usually expect from a professional HD camera like GoPro, but it does open up new opportunities in experience sharing and news reporting while serving as a potent marketing tool.

Netflix Continues To Push Into Original Content

Posted on by Lab Team

Following the news earlier this week of signing a deal with Weinstein to release “Crouching Tiger 2” simultaneously with select IMAX theaters, Netflix is continuing its push into original content by announcing a deal with Adam Sandler. The comedian will produce and star in four feature-length films set to premiere exclusively on Netflix. Although his recent works have been misses more than hits, Netflix has apparently gathered enough behavioral data to determine that its audience would love to see four more movies from the guy who made “Jack and Jill.”

Netflix To Release “Crouching Tiger 2” On Same Day As IMAX Theaters

Posted on by Lab Team

In a groundbreaking deal, Netflix has signed on to release the sequel to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Ang Lee’s Oscar-winning martial arts flick, simultaneously with select IMAX theaters around the world on August 28, 2015. And it won’t be a one-time deal—it would reportedly lead to several major films being granted a day-and-date release on Netflix and in theaters. In order to cope with the seismic shift in audience behavior fueled partly by rising OTT services, it makes sense for distributor Weinstein Co. to bring on Netflix to help position its upcoming specialized films outside of the usual frame of theatrical releases.

Why AT&T Wants DirecTV

Posted on by Lab Team

AT&T has been in talks to acquire DirecTV for a while now. And considering the continuous rise of OTT services, it makes sense that a major telecom company like AT&T would take interest DirecTV’s subscribers. But that’s not the only reason that AT&T is going after DirectTV—reportedly the negotiation is also heavily depending on the “NFL Sunday Ticket” that DirecTV offers football fans. In this era of time-shifted viewing, live sport is practically the only dependable rating performer left. And now, with 99% of DirecTV’s stakeholders on board, it looks like AT&T may be able to have its OTT cake and eat it, too.

Is Vevo Morphing Into The Old MTV Channel?

Posted on by Lab Team

Besides its vast library of music videos and live performances, streaming website Vevo is betting big on original contents like artist interviews, news recaps, and more. Vevo claims that with pre-roll ads and branded content, original videos now accounts for about a third of the company’s revenue. At a time when MTV has long moved on from its music programming, it’s nice to see a new OTT service picking up the baton.

Why Netflix Shows Are The New Indie Movies

Posted on by Lab Team

Is Netflix is the new Miramax? The same audacious, innovative energy that gave rise to the indie-film movement in the 90’s has now migrated to OTT original programming, with shows like Netflix’s Orange Is The New Black and Amazon’s upcoming Transparent featuring the kind of daring, envelope-pushing content that would be tough to picture on basic cable, let alone the broadcast networks. That, combined with the broad-appealing, mainstream TV and movie content the OTT services carry, will no doubt continue to change the TV industry in this post-DVR era.

To learn more about the upcoming changes in the TV industry, check out our latest white paper on OTT services.

AT&T’s New Bundle Deal Hint At Future of Online Services

Posted on by Lab Team

Mobile and Internet service provider AT&T has announced that its new Internet plan will come with access to HBO Go and a free  subscription to Amazon Prime, which also includes over-the-top (OTT) services. As TV becomes something we watch on the Internet and online video becomes something we watch on our TVs, the line between who makes and who delivers video content has become further blurred. To learn more about how such blurred line is impacting the TV industry, check out our OTT-focused white paper.

On Trend: Car Radio Going Digital

Posted on by Richard Yao

Earlier this week, Clear Channel, the media company that owns most of America’s big broadcast radio stations, changed its name to iHeartMedia, after its fast-growing digital-radio platform iHeartRadio. This rebranding effort puts Internet-based radio front and center, which makes sense in today’s digital age, when digital newcomers like Pandora and Spotify are challenging radio’s relevancy.

The car is the last bastion of traditional broadcast radio because very few cars have access to the Internet. But that’s about to change, as more cars become connected to the Internet and more digital radio services become available. According to a recent study by Edison Research and Triton Digital, over a quarter of U.S. smartphone owners has streamed radio from their handsets in cars, a sharp increase from a mere 6% just 4 year ago.

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In fact, the gradual shift towards Internet-based radio is so evident that even Sirius, the biggest subscription-based satellite radio operator, is reportedly eyeing the move to digital radio. Right now, Sirius heavily relies on their partnership with automakers to get their satellite-radio receivers installed in the cars. But that will have to change if it wishes to compete with the likes of Pandora, which can be easily accessed from mobile devices.

That being said, broadcast FM.AM car radio will probably hang around a bit longer, because it’s free, easy to use, and benefits from a strong broadcast signal. As Internet connectivity in the car improves, however, the trend towards digital radio dominance is basically inevitable.