Frost & Sullivan’s newly released report on the size of the Consumer Video Devices Market suggests that sales numbers indicate Apple owned 56 percent of the streaming devices market in 2012, with Roku close behind at 21 percent. TiVo has the next largest base of users. And while Google remains committed to competing in this space, devices based on the Google TV platform have experienced little commercial success so far. Continue reading Apple TV Claims More Than Half of Streaming Devices Market

On Tuesday, the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals refused TV broadcasters’ petition to appeal an earlier ruling that Internet-streaming startup Aereo is legal in New York City. The appeal came from Fox, CBS and others. Judges were polled and a majority did not want to rehear the case, although Judge Denny Chin called Aereo a “sham” and harmful to the TV industry. Fox Broadcasting is reviewing its options and may appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. Continue reading Fox Considering an Appeal to Supreme Court in Aereo Battle

Google is reportedly joining the growing number of technology companies looking to launch online versions of pay TV. According to sources familiar with the matter, Google has been talking with media companies about licensing content for a new streaming Internet TV service. We reported earlier that Intel and Sony are working on similar projects. Apple has also been pitching television licensing deals to media firms in recent years. Continue reading Google Approaches Media Companies with Streaming TV Pitch

Netflix is not just creating popular original content for streaming, it is beginning to have a significant impact on cable television programming. Netflix’s investments are providing new life for shows after cancellation, and securing exclusive rights to stream them. Its efforts may also be improving programming, not just to keep subscribers, but to support shows that will eventually be streamed by providing a source of revenue to the network. Continue reading Netflix is Impacting Both Cable and Internet TV Programming

The bidding process for Hulu concluded on Friday and the Los Angeles-based streaming media company has reportedly narrowed down the list of suitors to DirecTV, The Chernin Group and Guggenheim Digital Media. Previous offers had reached at least $1 billion, people familiar with the dealings said in May. Some reports suggest that DirecTV may be the likely frontrunner, since the satellite TV provider could have the most to gain. Continue reading Hulu Bidding Concludes, Reportedly Down to Three Suitors

Cox Communications is offering a beta version of a broadband TV service that delivers lower-priced live television and DVR storage to subscribers in southern California. The company’s flareWatch trial marks the first time a major U.S. pay TV operator is specifically targeting cord-cutters. The IPTV service uses Fanhattan’s $99 Fan TV set-top box, which features a touch-sensitive remote control. If successful, flareWatch could see a wider rollout. Continue reading FlareWatch: Cox Targets Cord-Cutters with Internet TV Trial

Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei met several weeks ago with Time Warner Cable CEO Glenn Britt to discuss the potential benefits of cable industry mergers, according to a person familiar with the matter. Liberty acquired a 27 percent stake in pay TV operator Charter Communications early last month. Ten days ago, Liberty Chairman John Malone told shareholders that Charter probably has “the best operating team in the business.” Continue reading Chief Execs Discuss Benefits of Mergers in Cable Sector

Television viewers are uploading episodes of their favorite shows and re-editing them, marking the next step in the increasingly interactive relationship with media content. One viewer unpacked the nesting-doll narrative of “Arrested Development” when the new season was released on Netflix, and re-edited it in chronological order before posting links on Reddit. Fans of HBO’s “Game of Thrones” recently posted their versions of a particularly violent scene to YouTube, after setting it to pop music and cartoon sound effects. Continue reading Television Fans Edit Their Own Versions of Favorite Shows

Viacom and Amazon announced a multiyear deal earlier this week that will provide Amazon with exclusive rights to Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. shows aimed at children and preschoolers. The agreement, estimated to be worth several hundred million dollars, also includes content from Viacom networks MTV and Comedy Central. The deal with Amazon was inked after Netflix and Viacom failed to renew their licensing agreement. Continue reading Netflix Competitor Amazon Nabs Exclusive Deal with Viacom

Verizon Wireless will pay the National Football League a reported $1 billion over four years for the rights to make additional football games available on its customers’ smartphones. In a significant move for the mobile industry, the NFL will begin to show Sunday afternoon games on Verizon Wireless phones next year. Select Sunday, Monday and Thursday night games are already available on Verizon phones, but there are typically 10-12 games scheduled on a Sunday afternoon. Continue reading Verizon to Stream Sunday Afternoon NFL Games to Phones

According to PricewaterhouseCoopers’ “Entertainment & Media Outlook 2013-2017” report, consumer spending on mobile Internet access will surpass spending on home broadband connections this year. Combined spending is projected to grow from $91 billion in 2012 to $153.3 billion in 2017. The report also predicts that 87 percent of the U.S. population (286.7 million people) will have mobile Internet devices within four years. Continue reading Mobile Net Spending to Exceed Home Broadband for First Time

The majority of television content viewed on mobile devices is accessed through Netflix and Hulu Plus, rather than via networks or pay TV providers, suggests a new study commissioned by the Council for Research Excellence (funded by Nielsen). About 64 percent of shows watched on smartphones and 54 percent on tablets were accessed through online video-subscription services, while broadcast and cable websites and apps only accounted for 26 percent of TV viewed on mobile devices. Continue reading Netflix and Hulu Plus Most Popular with Mobile TV Viewers

Video discovery startup Fanhattan unveiled Fan TV yesterday at the D: All Things Digital conference in California. The OTT set-top box will enable access to live TV and VOD, in addition to a cloud-based DVR and streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu. Viewers will be able to search and discover TV shows and movies based on genre, actors, social recommendations, etc. Fanhattan plans to partner with pay TV companies to sell the box, which is expected to be available later this year. Continue reading D11 Conference: Fanhattan Unveils All-in-One Set-Top Box

In a new twist to cord cutting, the trend in which consumers cancel their cable subscriptions in favor of Internet video, surveys indicate that hundreds of thousands of Americans canceled their home Internet service last year. As consumers leverage the growth of free Wi-Fi hot spots and fast new wireless networks via their smartphones and tablets, some are cutting their home Internet cord more so than their pay TV cord. Continue reading Cord Cutters Canceling Internet Service More Than Pay TV

Within 24 hours of Sunday’s revival of “Arrested Development,” episodes had reportedly been downloaded more than 100,000 times by file sharers looking to watch season 4 without paying. Copies were made available on various torrent sites shortly after Netflix released all 15 episodes. While the numbers do not compare to downloads of popular shows such as HBO’s “Game of Thrones” and AMC’s “Mad Men,” they still represent a potential issue for Netflix. Continue reading File Sharers Download New Episodes of Arrested Development