OTT/Streaming
YouTube Shifts to Make New Exclusive Shows, Movies Free to Users (Reuters)
YouTube plans to make all future original programing available to users for free with advertising, as the video streaming unit of Alphabet Inc’s Google seeks a bigger audience fo... More
Tiger Woods Signs Deal With Golf Streaming Service (WSJ)
Tiger Woods has signed an exclusive deal to develop programming for the forthcoming golf streaming service Discovery and the PGA Tour are launching, a bet the sports legend will lu... More
DAZN Aims to Introduce Ad Model Without All the Repetition (WSJ)
DAZN, the ad-free sports-streaming service led by former ESPN President John Skipper, aims to score digital rights to major U.S. sports in the coming years and to introduce ad mode... More
OTT Platforms Grab Bigger Ad Gains (Media Post)
In the digital world everyone wants scale -- virtually every platform needs it to survive. How about ad-supported video ventures? Even more so. With all the problems Facebook has, ... More
Murdochs Bet Fox News Superfans Will Follow Network Online (Bloomberg)
Though just a startup, Fox Nation is already an integral part of Murdoch’s reshaped empire. The family is selling much of Fox News’ parent to Walt Disney Co. for $71 billion. A... More
Walmart Rolls Out a Virtual ‘Toy Lab’ to Demo New Holiday Toy Product Lineup (Digiday)
To win over potential young customers, Walmart is getting creative. On Friday, Walmart launched a website called the “Toy Lab” that helps children learn about its products thro... More
Experience Counts (Digital TV Europe)
Keeping audiences engaged is key to any successful video service, but how are traditional content providers adapting to today’s market? Crucially, the SVOD giants notch up screen... More
Wilder-Fury Gives Boxing Streaming Debut on Showtime App (SportsPro)
Pay-TV broadcaster Showtime is selling coverage to next month’s WBC heavyweight title fight between Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury via its digital platform for the very first time... More
YouTube Will Stream ‘The Lego Movie’ Free as an Ad for the Sequel (The Verge)
The length of ads on YouTube can be distressing, but the question is whether people would be okay sitting through a 100-minute commercial if it were actually a full-length movie. Y... More
Spotify: Mexico City is ‘Streaming Music Capital’ (Billboard)
Spotify has named Mexico City the “streaming music capital.” The Mexican metropolis, according to information from the streaming service, has more Spotify listeners than New Yo... More
Consumers, Traditional Media Navigate a Changing OTT Landscape (MediaPost)
Video streaming questions continue. For consumers, it's how many streaming OTT products to own. For media businesses, it's how many OTT partners to have. ... More
Netflix’s Updated iOS Controls Speed Up Your Streaming Marathons (Engadget)
Sometimes it's the simplest updates that can have the most impact. Case in point: Netflix has updated its iOS app with new controls that should help you get to what you want to wat... More
Pac-12 Conference Goes All-In on AWS (MESA)
Amazon Web Services announced that the Pac-12 Conference has extended its strategic relationship with AWS, going all-in on the world’s leading cloud and selecting AWS as its stan... More
The Netflix Effect: Can Rivals Compete by Bulking Up on Content? (THR)
WarnerMedia's library of 7,000 films and 5,000 shows may not alone be enough to face off against a streaming giant that is spending up to $13 billion annually, so an NBCUniversal t... More
NASCAR Contemplating Launching OTT Streaming Service Without Live National Races (AA)
The NASCAR media rights for the top three national circuits are locked up through 2024, but they might launch a OTT service anyway.... More
Disney to Expand Hulu Globally (Rapid TV News)
Chairman and CEO Bob Iger said that once Disney's $52.4 billion acquisition of 21st Century Fox's goes through, it will own 60% of Hulu, up from its existing 30% stake. While Disne... More
Netflix Testing Cheaper Mobile-Only Subscription Tiers (The Verge)
The number of people who use mobile devices as a primary option to stream Netflix is growing worldwide, which makes it no surprise that the company is reportedly testing a new paym... More
Filmstruck’s Fate Signals Dark Days for Classic Movies Online (The Guardian)
These are dark days for online access to classic or specialist cinema. The world of streaming, which once seemed to open limitless possibilities for archiving and access, appears i... More
Spotify, Pandora Turn to Podcasts for Listeners, Profits (WSJ)
Spotify and Pandora are looking to expand beyond music streaming and into the world of podcasting, as they aim to capture more of consumers’ listening time and, eventually, boost... More
MLB in $5B Fox Renewal as It Adds DAZN Cut-Ins Deal (SportPro Media)
The deal, which runs through 2028 and includes the network’s television, digital and Spanish-language rights, will see Fox Sports pay US$714 million annually, according to Bloomb... More
