Live broadcasting site YouNow, which uses social media in order to control live streaming content, has combined with a similar counterpart. The company recently acquired blogTV to increase views on its real-time platform. Will the combined effort increase traffic to the site, or will it continue to operate in the shadows of more established video sites like YouTube? Continue reading YouNow and blogTV Combine for Live Social Broadcasting

Comedian Ricky Gervais has negotiated a deal to create new original content for his own channel on YouTube. The deal is a co-production of Derek Productions and Channel Flip, which currently runs approximately 140 YouTube channels. Gervais has expressed excitement about creating the new content and plans to resurrect popular character David Brent form the BBC mockumentary “The Office.” Continue reading Ricky Gervais Produces New Content for YouTube Channel

AMC introduced its new streaming movie service Yeah! this week at South by Southwest. The online streaming service features supplementary content for iconic movies such as “Superman,” “Reservoir Dogs,” “Clerks” and “A Nightmare on Elm Street.” Content is comprised of bonus materials including interviews with directors, interactive polls, film facts and quizzes. According to AMC, there are 400-500 new pieces of content per film. Continue reading AMC Launches Streaming Movie Site with Bonus Features

Twitter is leveraging last year’s acquisition of music discovery service We Are Hunted to build a standalone music app. Twitter Music could be released on iOS as early as the end of this month, suggest insiders. The service will reportedly recommend artists and songs based on the accounts a user follows on Twitter. The music will be streamed to the app via SoundCloud. Continue reading Twitter Expected to Soon Launch Standalone Music App

With the launch of Vevo TV — a 24-hour live stream of curated programming — Vevo has taken an additional step toward becoming a full-fledged music television network. The new channel uses MTV-like VJs and is available on the Web and mobile devices, as well as via Roku boxes and Xbox 360 gaming consoles. Looking ahead, the company hopes to take Vevo TV to cable distributors and have it compete with the likes of MTV and VH1. Continue reading Vevo TV Streaming Music Platform is All About Devices

At South by Southwest this week, BitTorrent officially launched the open beta for its BitTorrent Live streaming service, which allows anyone with a camera to stream live video to an unlimited number of viewers. Those broadcasting can either stream with a webcam or use an app such as Flash Media Encoder to stream their content. Users will need to download the BitTorrent Live plugin to view others’ streams. Continue reading BitTorrent Launches Live P2P Streaming Service at SXSW

YouTube competitor Vimeo launched its Vimeo on Demand service this week at South by Southwest. Vimeo on Demand is an open self-distribution service allowing members to charge those who view their posted videos. The company plans to let members choose their own prices for their videos. The creators will get 90 percent of the profits while Vimeo takes in the other 10 percent. Continue reading Vimeo On Demand Allows Creators to Charge and Set Rules

Digital Cinema Distribution Coalition announced that it has reached agreements with five movie studios to provide digital delivery services to theaters in North America. The DCDC satellite and terrestrial digital distribution network will deliver feature, promotional, pre-show and live digital cinema content from Lionsgate, Universal Pictures, Disney, Warner Bros. and Paramount Pictures. Continue reading Five Studios Team with DCDC for Satellite Movie Delivery

Amazon and Apple, today’s biggest forces in electronic goods, are separately pursuing a digital marketplace, where items such as e-books, music, movies and software can be bought, sold and exchanged. The Apple system would enable this to happen through file transfers. However, the system would limit the digital copy to one user at any given time. Will content producers eventually see their work devalued in such a marketplace? Continue reading Are We Closer to a Marketplace for Used Digital Content?

With the growing popularity of streaming video and original Web content, the Internet is becoming a place of disruption for the TV industry. Amidst other signs, one is significant: Nielsen ratings standards will begin to include online streaming audiences in their metrics in the coming fall. And another report from Ooyala suggests a very real change is on its way for the TV and ad industries. Continue reading Advertisers Set Their Sights on Transition to Online Video

Apple CEO Tim Cook met with Beats Electronics CEO Jimmy Iovine during a recent visit to Los Angeles, according to three people familiar with the matter. The execs met to discuss the business model and rollout plans of Beats’ Project Daisy, a subscription music service announced in January with little detail. The sources suggest Apple may be interested in a potential partnership. Continue reading Will Apple Team with Beats for Streaming Music Service?

Subscription Video On Demand services are helping ease the film industry’s pain regarding slumping DVD sales. But is it happening fast enough? Speaking at the Film Finance Forum West, Eli Baker, a partner at Hemisphere Capital Management, noted that determining whether the industry is making that money back dollar-for-dollar is a difficult thing to pinpoint — though he does say there’s reason to be optimistic. Continue reading Subscription VOD Earnings Do Not Offset Falling DVD Sales

YouTube is reportedly planning to launch a subscription streaming music service later this year, that could take on existing services such as Spotify and Pandora. The company is expected to offer a subscription plan that will likely overlap with new features coming to its Android music platform, Google Play. With the subscription, users will have access to new features, including ad-free music streaming. Continue reading YouTube May Launch Subscription Streaming Music Service

Online streaming companies are beginning to pursue primetime programming. Amazon is producing original content now; Netflix is following its successful “House of Cards” with four more original programs; Microsoft is working on programming for the Xbox gaming console; while AOL, Sony and Twitter are all likely to follow in these footsteps. Will these companies change the way we watch TV? Continue reading Original Online Content: TV Pilots Finding New Audiences

After being in development for about five years, video streaming service HitBliss is finally launching in beta this week. Aimed at users with more time than money, it offers viewers the chance to sit through targeted ads in exchange for virtual funds they can redeem to access new streaming movies and TV shows. The service is launching with content from The CW, Universal, Paramount, Starz Media and the Weinstein Company. Continue reading HitBliss Service Offers Free Streaming if You Watch Ads