Tune in for an exclusive Media Play News podcast on the future of streaming platforms and how they can best utilize viewer data to develop content that leads to growth. Join Whip Media Group’s Eric Steinberg, Media Research and Insights Lead, and Accenture Media and Entertainment Lead John Peters, as they talk with MPN publisher … Continue reading “Exclusive Podcast: Streaming’s Three Pain Points”

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment will release Justice League on Digital HD Feb. 13, and on DVD, Blu-ray, 3D Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray March 13. Directed by Zack Snyder, the film stars Ben Affleck as Batman, Henry Cavill as Superman, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, Ezra Miller as The Flash, Jason Momoa as Aquaman, … Continue reading “‘Justice League’ Coming to Digital HD Feb. 13, on Disc March 13”

Random Media has announced the acquisition and release dates for 12 new films in early 2018. The initial 2018 slate includes worldwide debuts bowing on a variety of platforms including DVD, streaming and video-on-demand. “We’re excited to start 2018 with a star-studded line-up of films from the extraordinary worldwide pool of filmmakers who are telling … Continue reading “Indie Random Media Announces Early 2018 Slate”

Lionsgate’s stock took a mid-morning bounce Jan. 18 following media reports the studio/distributor is in the M&A crosshairs of media giants Amazon, Verizon, CBS and Viacom. Shares increased 5% the day after a Deadline.com report – citing sources familiar with the situation – said the Santa Monica, Calif.-based company was in active merger discussions. Lionsgate … Continue reading “Lionsgate Stock Jumps on Acquisition Scuttlebutt”

TiVo Jan. 18 announced an updated patent license agreement with Google that includes the search behemoth’s online television service, YouTube TV. The deal covers Google’s use of TiVo’s technologies worldwide and offers a license for Google’s products and services across Internet-based platforms and devices. Launched last spring, You Tube TV offers access to more than 40 … Continue reading “TiVo Ups Google Deal to Include YouTube TV”

Amazon this morning announced it has narrowed to 20 the number of locations in the running as the site of the e-commerce giant’s second headquarters. Finalists include the country’s three biggest cities, New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, as well as one Canadian city, Toronto. The company said it has reviewed 238 proposals from across … Continue reading “Amazon Narrows List of Second HQ Contenders to 20”

Redbox has filed a counter-claim against The Walt Disney Co.’s lawsuit claiming the kiosk vendor is illegally selling digital codes to select movies. Filed Jan. 16 in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, Redbox claims it has the right under the “first sale doctrine” to sell digital codes included in packaged media retail releases. The … Continue reading “Redbox Cites ‘First Sale Doctrine’ Defense Selling Disney Digital Movie Codes”

It’s becoming a subscription streaming media world. Consulting firm Deloitte suggests 2018 began with about 375 million SVOD subscribers worldwide – a tally projected to increase further as traditional pay-TV operators expand over-the-top video platforms. By comparison there were about 1 billion pay-TV subscribers globally in 2016, according to Dataxis. Deloitte predict that 20% of … Continue reading “Deloitte: Global SVOD Subs Approaching 400 Million”

Verizon and the National Basketball Association Jan. 17 announced an expansion on their three-year partnership that includes subscription streaming video and access on Yahoo. Beginning with the NBA All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles (Feb. 16-18), the NBA and Verizon will unveil a series of collaborations leveraging Verizon’s 5G network and technology. Verizon subs will direct … Continue reading “Verizon CEO: ‘We’re Going to Completely Change the Way People View Sports’”

As of the third quarter of 2017, 12% of U.S. broadband households were using a live streaming platform such as Facebook Live or Periscope, and more than a third of households live-streaming TV shows or sports indicated they opted for live-streaming because they did not want to pay for access, according to a new report … Continue reading “Report: Live Streamers Skirting Payment for Programming”

Roku Jan. 17 announced a new service for over-the-top advertising measurement. Ad Insights allows marketers to measure campaign reach and effectiveness across linear and OTT, and more accurately plan their OTT ad investments, according to Roku. The insights are derived from Roku’s first party data as well as the linear and streaming viewership habits of … Continue reading “Roku Introduces New OTT Ad Measurement”

Click here to read the latest edition cover to cover