According to a new research report, Hollywood’s TV studios are strong enough to fend off disruption, even from Apple.
And that’s largely because of syndication. “Barclay’s says the TV syndication business has doubled its value over the past decade to an estimated $20 billion this year,” reports Variety.
“While cable’s aggressive licensing of broadcast series Stateside has largely fueled that increase, analyst Anthony DiClemente projects continued growth stemming from digital buyers and international syndication, which he says represents the ‘biggest opportunity’ for the studios,” notes the article.
Because there exists such a tangled web of rights controlled by studios across windows and territories, Apple won’t be able to control the living room, according to DiClemente.
“It would be very difficult, not to mention expensive, for new entrants to secure the requisite digital and linear rights to provide consumers with a one-stop content offering,” he writes. “We therefore don’t expect Apple to attempt the costly and logistically daunting task of standalone distribution.”
DiClemente predicts that instead of Apple manufacturing its own TV, as has been the rumor, it will make a set-top box that would integrate with other Apple devices, an approach that would not disrupt TV programmers or distributors.
After an initial failed attempt in June, New York-based startup MoviePass is back, offering 75,000 wait-listed users the opportunity to pay between $19.99 and $34.99 a month to watch up to one in-theater movie per day.
MoviePass users will be able to see movies at any theater in the U.S., so long as it accepts major credit cards.
“Subscription prices are based on MoviePass’s three zoning areas: Members who live by theaters that charge an average of $8 to $10 per ticket can subscribe to the $19.99 tier, while those in Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco, where tickets can run around $13 to $15 a pop, pay for the most expensive, $34.99 plan,” details Fast Company.
MoviePass has no theater or ticket brokerage partners. So how will it survive?
“Its newest workaround is a MoviePass-branded payment card that members will use like a regular credit card to purchase tickets at theater kiosks,” notes the article. “Starting today, MoviePass members will use its new iOS app to select a theater, a movie, and a showtime. Once you’re within 100 yards of the selected theater, you can check in within the app, which activates your MoviePass debit card using geolocation technology.”
“This doesn’t need to go through anyone’s API, it runs on existing credit card rails, and it allows customers to have mobility and access to more theaters, so we think we’ve solved everyone’s issues,” explains MoviePass CEO Stacy Spikes.
Facebook is getting pressure from privacy advocates to lock down user information while also receiving a push from investors to ramp up digital advertising. In a move that reportedly complies with privacy laws, Facebook has released new ad offerings that allow marketers to more effectively target users.
One method uses email addresses and phone numbers listed on profiles. Another option, called retargeting, pulls information from Internet surfing outside of the social network to be “retargeted” as ads.
Facebook has also teamed up with data-mining company Datalogix to study the correlation between Facebook ads and users’ shopping habits at brick-and-mortar stores. According to Facebook, the research shows every dollar spent on its advertising equates to $3 in incremental sales.
Using its massive user data, Facebook has also expanded its ads to other websites and apps. “Analysts think the experiments point to Facebook eventually establishing its own advertising network, making Facebook ads omnipresent across the Web and smartphones,” reports the Wall Street Journal.
Even though some of Facebook’s new methods aren’t new to the world of online advertising, privacy concerns have been raised. “Facebook maintains it doesn’t sell data about individual users to advertisers, or even let them directly see the data,” notes the article. “But privacy advocates say Facebook deserves special scrutiny because it has in many cases more personal information about people’s real identities than other Internet companies, raising the potential for abuse.”
Better-targeted ads have better click-through rates, and retargeting has shown increased ROI.
Previously, Facebook “has not been the best place for us to advertise,” says Shoebuy CMO James Keller. “Now we are taking whatever inventory we can in the Facebook Exchange because it is working.”
In a recent presentation at the IAB MIXX advertising conference, Joel Lunenfeld, Twitter’s VP of global brand strategy, said that 88 percent of Twitter users follow at least one brand. More than half follow six or more, he said.
“Twitter also studied the reasons why someone follows a brand, and as you might expect, freebies and discounts are definitely a factor. But according to Lunenfeld, people also said they were interested in getting access to exclusive or promotional content,” writes TechCrunch.
Lunenfeld gave some examples of successful brand engagement on Twitter, summarized by TechCrunch: “A tweet from Old Spice asking, ‘Why is it that fire sauce isn’t made from real fire? Seems like false advertising.’ To which Taco Bell responded, ‘Is your deodorant made with really old spices?’ (Old Spice: ‘Depends. Do you consider volcanoes, tanks, and freedom to be spices?’).”
This example showcases the potential for brand-to-brand and brand-to-customer interaction, as well as the potential for conversational ad campaigns.
“As for where the Twitter advertising goes from here, Lunenfeld noted that brands are trying to become more mobile, more real-time, and more local — all strong points for the company,” suggests the post. “He added that Twitter is working to develop ‘more and more ways to get a message across inside a tweet.'”
LinkedIn previously had a deal with Twitter that allowed tweets to appear in LinkedIn streams. That partnership has since ended, but LinkedIn hopes to continue a more relevant type of engagement on its platform with the launch of promoted accounts.
“Yes, it’s sort of like Twitter — if Twitter were only for following bigwigs like Sir Richard Branson, Tony Robbins, even President Barack Obama. And instead of reading what these guys are having for breakfast, LinkedIn says they’ll share things that you actually care about,” Mike Isaac writes for AllThingsD, suggesting users could access valuable business tips and advice.
While the previous Twitter feeds “weren’t always germane to what users were visiting LinkedIn for in the first place,” the promoted accounts have noticeably less (but more targeted) content now, the article notes.
“It’s a small beginning, mind you; the product kicks off with only so many launch partners,” notes Isaac. “If the idea works, though, I imagine the product will scale and become available to more over time. More people to follow means more content flowing through the pipes, which could result in increased engagement on the site.”
The success of the venture relies on these promoted people sharing quality content, he adds.
The promoted accounts allows users to “follow” influencers without requiring a LinkedIn connection request, much like the “Subscribe” feature on Facebook.
Yahoo, AOL and YouTube are working together with the Commission on Presidential Debates to launch “The Voice Of” depots for the general election debates, allowing people to watch the debates live and interact via online tools.
“The 2012 debates can be the foundation for a season of conversation, and the Internet initiative will provide unprecedented access for citizens to participate in that conversation,” explains CPD co-chairs Michael McCurry and Frank Fahrenkopf in a statement.
A counter will keep track of how many viewers are tuned in via the depots. “For example, if 100,000 people are watching, the headline on the sites will read ‘The Voice Of 100,000,'” reports Politico.
The debates will also showcase the debut of Microsoft’s Xbox LIVE Election, which allows subscribers to watch a raw feed of the debates while using motion sensors or Xbox controllers to register moment-to-moment reactions,” notes the article.
Facebook hosted three-and-a-half hours of live programming the night before the first presidential debate, featuring notable guests and panel discussions. Questions were submitted by Facebook users for panelists and interview subjects.
And according to Politico: “While the rest of the social media crowd is striving to be nonpartisan, the news-sharing site Reddit is using the debates as a moment for tech-industry and Internet freedom activism. Reddit is co-sponsoring the Internet 2012 Bus Tour, an eight-day, nine-city tour from Denver to Danville, Ky., the site of the vice presidential debate on October 11.”
The bus will stop for community events along the way to promote “more high-skilled visas for tech companies and better trade agreements to benefit American startups,” while highlighting concerns about legislation that could threaten Internet freedom.
YouTube has announced that for the first time the October general election debates will be available online via live streaming.
“You can watch the debates live and in full on the YouTube Elections Hub, via our partners at ABC News, who will be live streaming all four debates on the ABC News YouTube channel,” notes the YouTube Blog.
“No matter where you are in the world or how you’ll be accessing the Internet, you’ll be able to watch the most important events of the 2012 election on YouTube.”
In addition to the live broadcasts, YouTube will provide commentary and analysis via the eight YouTube Election Hub partners: ABC News, Al Jazeera English, BuzzFeed, Larry King, The New York Times, Phil DeFranco, Univision and the Wall Street Journal.
Each of these partners “will be providing their own unique live and on-demand coverage of the four debates before, during and after. And Univision will also offer a version of the debates translated into Spanish, live,” according to the blog.
For those who may have missed last night’s first Presidential debate from the University of Denver, YouTube has the full debate — in addition to highlight clips — available at youtube.com/politics.
Samsung can begin selling its Galaxy 10.1 tablet after a federal judge lifted the sales ban that had been in effect since June.
Judge Lucy Koh originally issued the injunction “based on the likelihood that a jury would find that a specific Apple design patent had been infringed,” reports AllThingsD. But the jury has since found that the tablet did not infringe a specific patent design, so Koh lifted the injunction.
“We are pleased with the court’s action today, which vindicates our position that there was no infringement of Apple’s design patent and that an injunction was not called for,” said Samsung.
Koh originally did not lift the ban, as the issue remained before an appeals court. She can choose to reinstate the ban after a December hearing if she sees fit.
In a separate case, Samsung filed court papers to include the iPhone 5 in another lawsuit between the two tech giants. Samsung claims it prefers to allow the market to dictate success, but says it cannot do so because “Apple continues to take aggressive legal measures that will limit market competition.”
David Watson, director of product innovation at Netflix, writes about his children and their relationship with the iPad.
On the official Netflix blog, he comments about good news for families: “Netflix ‘Just for Kids’ is now available on iPad, the first mobile version of this special kid-friendly Netflix experience. Now parents, including myself, can be sure their kids find what they want and won’t straggle into something that isn’t appropriate.”
The movie and TV content is geared towards kids aged 12 and under in a “friendly way with large images of their favorite characters and genres such as superheroes, girl power and sing-alongs,” he explains.
“Just for Kids” is available on the iPad 2 and newer versions. It will be available on the original iPad and on Android devices at a later date.
Tech companies such as Apple, Google, Microsoft, Facebook and Twitter are targeting the living room TV, while second-screen experiences for our smartphones and tablets are being introduced by the likes of GetGlue and Shazam.
According to Fast Company, the interest-sharing (and soon-to-be e-commerce platform) Pinterest has been meeting with various TV networks including MTV, VH1 and Bravo.
“While it’s too early to say what such meetings could yield, they serve as a sign of the two-year-old startup’s increasing interest in brands and media,” notes the post. “But what would Pinterest TV look like, should such a thing exist?”
Fast Company was told that the meetings were generally about relationship building (not uncommon with startups) and how to optimize the platform for third parties. “In other words, it’s not likely the 70-person shop is already looking to expand to on-screen TV engagement — it only just landed on the iPad.”
However, it’s worth noting that television brands have played a significant role in nurturing social media platforms.
“Twitter and Facebook have become intertwined with live-TV viewing; Instagram has worked with broadcast networks like CNN; and Foursquare has helped devise interesting applications with the History and Weather channels,” explains the post. “On Pinterest, for example, we’re already seeing popular feeds from MTV and the Food Network.”
Could there come a time when we find ourselves pinning kitchen devices featured on Bravo’s “Top Chef” to Pinterest? “I don’t know yet — maybe,” responds Lisa Hsia, EVP of digital for Bravo, with a smile. “Watch what happens.”
The DSLR is becoming “one of the more interesting tools in the 21st century journalist’s kit,” according to TV Technology.
“Everyone wants the shallow depth of field that DSLRs offer, and it works so well in low-light situations,” says Art Donahue, an editor and producer at WCVB in Boston. “With the fullframe sensor, you’re downsampling to HD. The noise virtually disappears and you’re able to shoot in low-light situations that you couldn’t do with a standard 2/3-inch imager — this is a huge, huge advantage.”
“It’s really hard to monitor audio properly, even with an outboard adapter,” counters Carl Mrozek, an independent shooter based in Buffalo, New York. “Also, the audio adapters make the DSLR package clunky and harder to handle.”
Many new film and video students have abandoned conventional camcorders for DSLRs. “They cost less, produce great pictures and offer a ‘film look’ because the glass is better,” notes Chuck Gloman, chair of DeSales University’s TV and Film department. “I think that eventually it will be universally accepted for news work.”
“It would be good for special applications such as war-zone shooting, where a larger camera would be too conspicuous,” admits Mrozek. “DSLRs have obvious advantages for news applications involving stealth and traveling light. Getting a DSLR through customs shouldn’t be a problem either, where carrying a conventional video camera might.”
However, drawbacks include issues with the sensor overheating, the need for some operators to use an external monitor for better focusing and the comparative lack of handling comfort based on form factor (which may change in the future). Yet its form and size can provide access in terms of shooting news.
“People don’t know you’re shooting video — they think you’re shooting stills,” explains Geoff Poister, faculty member at Boston University’s Film and Television program. “These cameras let you get away with it. You look like a tourist and are not likely to be stopped as a professional shooter might. Plus the images are great — high-definition, which can be downscaled.”
When Windows 8 launches later this month, Microsoft will also launch its own news operation as part of its new MSN website.
In July, Microsoft sold its 50 percent stake in MSNBC.com to its longtime partner NBCUniversal in order to do its own coverage.
According to Bob Visse, GM of the MSN Product Management Group, MSN plans to primarily aggregate news from sources including Reuters, the Associated Press and NBC, but also expects to produce its own content.
“Microsoft’s flagship website, which gets about 480 million visitors per month worldwide, is one of the biggest portals on the Internet, alongside Yahoo and AOL, and serves as the gateway to other Microsoft online services such as Outlook mail and Skype online calling,” explains Reuters.
The site is being dramatically overhauled to integrate with the October 26 launch of Microsoft’s touch-optimized Windows 8 system and Internet Explorer 10.
“The new look is designed to appeal to tablet and touch-screen PC users, who can manipulate large icons across the screen and tap on items they want to read,” details the article. “For the first time, the site will have a uniform look across all its sections, from news and sports to money and job listings.”
Bernstein Research analyst Craig Moffett predicts shifts in the satellite television model, “as increases in the cost of programming are also outpacing cable or satellite providers’ ability to support them,” reports TechCrunch.
As the satellite television subscriber rate remains relatively static, programming costs have risen 32 percent over the last five years, and continue to rise at a rate of 10 percent per year.
“According to Moffett, part of the reason that per-subscriber programming costs are rising at DirecTV is that subscriber growth is flat to down,” notes the post. “Meanwhile, programmers continue to ask more for their content, with no signs of letting up.”
Moffett says this combination is “a train wreck in the making” and suggests “something’s gotta give.” He believes the change could come either as a rise in price for subscribers, or a cutback in offerings.
Some providers have already begun offering bundles of channels that do not include higher-priced networks like ESPN. This allows customers who are not interested in these channels to pay less while allowing the provider to remain profitable.
TBS announced it will present its postseason Major League Baseball programming with added features like 3D holographic images.
“Specifically, TBS says it will use ‘innovative 3D imagery [to] illustrate detailed examples of pitch grips while demonstrating the pressure points, release points and rotation. Analysts will use the tool to explain how pitches work and how the hitter approaches each type of pitch,'” TV Technology reports.
“The network will also triple the number of super slo-mo cameras it typically uses during the postseason,” notes the article. “It will again integrate Bloomberg Sports statistics into the telecasts, and use Pitch Trax in-game pitching location technology during its coverage.”
The 2012 MLB postseason will kick off this week with TBS’s first-ever Wild Card game coverage on October 5.
“In the first year of the new postseason format, two Wild Card teams in each league will play a single-elimination game with each winner advancing to compete with the three division championship from its respective leagues in the Division Series,” the article explains.
Turner Sports has created a Facebook page as well as Twitter accounts and hashtags to increase participation.
Fewer than 115,000 American households watch 3D TV channels at any given time, reports Businessweek.
After “Avatar” became the highest grossing film of all time, many expected 3D to make a successful transition into homes. But disappointing content, uncomfortable glasses, and increased costs have led to a lack of 3D TV penetration.
Currently only 2 percent of American televisions can show 3D content. IHS Screen Digest expects this number to increase to 6 percent during the holiday season, but only because newer televisions come with the technology.
“While operators like DirecTV and Comcast Corp. don’t charge specifically for channels like ESPN 3D, they are generally bundled in packages that require other spending,” notes the article. Packages that include 3D channels can cost an additional $10 in some cases, and include upfront costs of up to $200.
IHS analyst Tom Morrod says that because 3D technology is typically bundled with other technologies, like motion-smoothing and better color contrast, some people buy 3D capable televisions and never even buy 3D glasses. “There’s very little direct consumer demand,” he says.
From a business standpoint, it is difficult to justify shooting in 3D with such low demand. 3D shoots require extra cameras and about double the labor.
ESPN 3D’s business leader Bryan Burns suggests 3D adoption will eventually take hold, just as HD made it into homes. “It took five years before reporting systems caught up and we knew who actually had the service,” Burns says of HD. “It’s not unfamiliar territory to us. We’ve been down this road before.”
