Netflix is testing a new recommendation engine that uses OpenAI technology to suggest viewing options based on input that goes beyond the usual parameters of cast and genre. The system is being introduced gradually and is already available in Australia and New Zealand where subscribers must opt-in to try it out, reports say, noting it allows input of more nuanced parameters, including mood, to populate search results. The partnership underscores OpenAI’s efforts to have its technology applied practically and commercially as it seeks to transition from a non-profit to a for-profit public benefit business structure. Continue reading Netflix Tests Content Recommendations Powered by OpenAI

ByteDance is testing TikTok for Artists, a free feature performers can use to manage music and mesh with fans. Aimed at generating exposure and building engagement, the feature also provides analytics — from fan insights to performance metrics and trend reports. The Artists platform is now being tested in Australia, Indonesia, Japan, Korea and New Zealand. Though the U.S. deadline for ByteDance to remove TikTok from Chinese control was extended by 75 days (a second time) from April 5 to June 19, the social media app’s future here is more uncertain than ever. Continue reading ByteDance Tests TikTok for Artists with Its U.S. Fate in Limbo

The QVC Group has launched TikTok U.S.’s first 24/7 live third-party social shopping stream with a berth on TikTok Shop. The move builds on QVC’s existing presence on TikTok Shop, a tab within the TikTok app where it debuted in August 2024. QVC, which launched in 1986 as the Quality Value Channel, built its business around live cable TV shopping but has seen the sector contract due to cord cutting. QVC Group CEO David Rawlinson is tasked with reinventing the network by engaging younger shoppers through social media. QVC Group is a subsidiary of John Malone’s Liberty Media. Continue reading QVC First with Live 24/7 Branded Shopping Stream on TikTok

Netflix has gone multilingual, adding a feature that lets viewers choose from a list of more than 30 languages for dubbing or subtitles on any title. The option has previously only been available via mobile and Web browsers, with TV options limited to a handful of choices deemed relevant based on geographic location. Referencing some of its most popular programming — such as South Korea’s “Squid Game,” Spain’s “Berlin” and France’s “Lupin” — Netflix explains, “we know that language availability is what helped these stories and characters find fans beyond their country of origin.” Continue reading Netflix Expands Dubbing and Subtitle Options to 30 Languages

Ad measurement firm iSpot has launched Outcomes at Scale with Paramount as its first customer. Designed to speed performance tracking across TV and streaming by helping brands see campaign results almost instantly, allowing them to optimize on the fly, iSpot says Outcomes at Scale makes “attribution” (consumer response to commercials) available rapidly, while making low-funnel insights — metrics occurring closer to the conversion point — more accessible. The company’s new offering aims to provide advertisers with access to conversion-rate tracking, allowing them to see how audience segments are responding to campaigns throughout the ads and dayparts. Continue reading Paramount Adopts iSpot’s New Ad Tech: Outcomes at Scale

Tech firm Infinite Reality — which specializes in AI-powered 3D immersive experiences — has agreed to pay $207 million for Napster, the 26-year-old music streaming service. The sellers are crypto investment firm Hivemind Capital Partners and blockchain firm Algorand, that acquired the platform in 2022. Infinite Reality is privately held, listing among its investors Liberty Media, Live Nation, MGM, T-Mobile and Barry Diller’s IAC. The company plans to steer Napster to superfan experiences, making it “more immersive, more social, and more shoppable.” Napster CEO Jon Vlassopulos, former global music chief at Roblox, will continue in his current post. Continue reading Infinite Reality Agrees to Acquire Napster in $207 Million Deal

Netflix has begun streaming HDR10+ programming for AV1-enabled devices, enhancing the customer viewing experience for subscribers at the $25 per month Premium level. Previously, high-definition content had been limited to HDR10 and Dolby Vision, which it will continue to offer. Netflix has been “a pioneering adopter of High Dynamic Range (HDR) technology” starting nearly a decade ago, not only streaming in the format but also producing and encoding in it. “In the last five years, HDR streaming has increased by more than 300 percent” on Netflix while HDR-configured devices have more than doubled, according to the company. Continue reading Netflix Enhanced Viewing Supports HDR10+ on AV1 Devices

Speaking in San Francisco during the Game Developers Conference this week, Netflix Games President Alain Tascan discussed how its gaming content can keep the platform’s 700 million-plus customers entertained between seasons. “We are not yet the Netflix of games, but that is where we are headed,” the executive said, calling gaming “the biggest shift in entertainment in the last 30 years.” In light of global youth’s involvement with games, “we see we need to be there,” Tascan said. Netflix added its first mobile games in 2021 and has since expanded by purchasing video game studios and building one from scratch. Continue reading Netflix Execs Discuss a Continued Push into Gaming Business

Warner Bros. Discovery is updating its Discovery+ technology to offer expanded streaming features, initially for subscribers in the U.S. and Canada. As the service migrates to the same technical platform and infrastructure that powers WBD’s Max service globally, customers will gain features including more personalized recommendations, improved homepage and navigation, better in-app discovery and a mobile “share” to social media, among other things. “A singular unified platform has been central to our technology strategy, and this marks a major milestone in that journey,” WBD CTO Avi Saxena said of the change. Continue reading WBD Updates Discovery+ Tech Stack and Adds New Features

Amazon is experimenting with AI dubbing so Prime Video customers globally can experience content from other territories, gaining access more quickly and efficiently to licensed films and TV series. The company is using a hybrid “AI-aided” system in which localization professionals oversee the AI output to ensure quality control. Currently limited to a dozen movies and series that will be AI-dubbed in English and Latin American Spanish, the pilot will expand if the results prove popular with audiences. In December, Netflix experienced backlash against AI-assisted dubbing, with viewers complaining generative mouth adjustments looked unnatural. Continue reading Amazon Prime Video Tests AI Dubbing for Movies and Series

Netflix revealed plans to boost its 2025 original programming expenditure to $18 billion, a more than 10 percent increase over 2024, which could place pressure on other streaming services. Additionally, the company notes that this spending plan does not represent its cap by any means. In the wake of this news, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos joined Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to unveil a plan to spend $1 billion producing content over the next four years south of the border. The company will also invest $2 million upgrading Mexico City’s Churubusco Studios, its new home base there. Continue reading Netflix Spending $18B on Originals, Commits $1B to Mexico

John Gaeta, the Bay Area digital disruptor who won an Oscar as VFX supervisor for “The Matrix,” has launched Escape (escape.ai), a neo cinema hub where global filmmakers, artists and game creators can showcase and monetize original work. Offering a “curated viewing experience” in story, art and experiential content, Escape styles itself as an “experimental” space. “If you like edgy-fun shows like ‘Love Death + Robots’ or the type of stories spun from game worlds, escape.ai is your place,” Gaeta said, describing it as a hybrid platform where premium streaming meets the creator economy. Continue reading Escape.ai, Streaming Hub for Digital Content, Debuts in Beta

DirecTV is competing in the budget streaming service space with new Genre Packs available now via streamtv.directv.com and, in the coming months, through device partners. The three new Genre Packs — MyEntertainment, MyNews and MiEspañol — are available starting at $35 a month. They join other new streaming offerings, MyFree DirecTV and DirecTV’s MySports, released in November and January, respectively. Subscribers to any Genre Pack gain access to 100+ channels available through MyFree DirecTV. Only MySports customers can also bundle two new Mini-Packs — MyCinema for $10 a month or MySports Extra for $13 monthly. Continue reading DirecTV Invites Skinny Bundles with Streaming ‘Genre Packs’

Comcast Technology Solutions is launching MediaExpress, which aims to make it easier for content owners to get distribution on premium VOD tiers. MediaExpress offers program suppliers a pipeline to leading broadcast, streaming, social and digital platforms. It provides “a single ingest point for videos, metadata and supporting files, facilitating title management and distribution for both long form and short form video with CTS handling certified delivery,” according to Comcast. It also allows library holders to streamline “VOD distribution and monetization efforts across subscription VOD (SVOD), advertising VOD (AVOD), transactional VOD (TVOD) or FAST partners.” Continue reading Comcast MediaExpress Will Distribute Premium VOD Content

Substack has enabled video publishing directly from within the Substack app. The move is designed to increase user engagement while helping its authors monetize, including with smartphones. Each video post can be formatted to reach subscribers instantly through email, app notifications, or both. “With millions of weekly active users and 1 million posts discovered daily, the Substack app has become the leading driver of subscriber and revenue growth for publishers building sustainable, independent businesses,” the company claims. The Substack network has also become a discovery ecosystem, helping creators find potential subscribers. Continue reading Substack Now Lets Creators Monetize with Video Publishing