Aereo-backer Barry Diller has stated that the online service may grow to the point that 35 percent of U.S. households subscribe. However, this is largely contingent upon the service’s ability to overcome the legal challenges it currently faces from broadcasters. Individuals in their mid- to late-twenties aren’t highly inclined to pay $100 per month for TV cable packages, rendering Aereo’s $8 package highly attractive, according to Diller. Continue reading Barry Diller Predicts Increase in Number of Aereo Subscribers

Time Warner Cable and Discovery Communications have reached an agreement that will allow the cable company’s subscribers to watch shows from the Discovery Channel and Animal Planet online. Discovery had previously been holding out on letting its shows be streamed because it wanted better ratings measurement for viewers on mobile devices. Now that Nielsen will soon make that data available, Discovery says it is on board. Continue reading Discovery Programming to be Available via Online Streaming

Sources confirm that Comcast, the nation’s largest cable operator with nearly 22 million video subscribers, plans to expand from renting to selling major studio movies directly through its cable boxes by the end of the year. Comcast will join streaming services such as iTunes and Vudu in offering the option to purchase titles in an evolving new window known as “early EST.” While viewers typically pay about $5 to rent a movie through VOD, digital purchases run $15-$20. Continue reading Cable Operator Comcast Has Plans to Sell Hollywood Movies

Hulu is reportedly in talks with pay TV providers including AT&T, Comcast, Cox, Time Warner Cable and Verizon regarding potential partnerships. Among the ideas being discussed is for pay TV operators to sell Hulu Plus as part of their television bundles, said people familiar with the situation. In addition, Hulu hopes that consumers would have access to the service via cable set-top boxes, providing Hulu Plus subscribers with the option to watch full current seasons of broadcast TV shows. Continue reading Hulu Discusses Bundling Possibilities with Pay TV Providers

Disney and Netflix have inked a deal for multiple original live-action series based on Marvel characters to be streamed exclusively on Netflix, which has committed to streaming at least four 13-episode series and a miniseries. Marvel will develop series based on characters Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist and Luke Cage, leading to a miniseries event for “The Defenders.” The programming is planned to begin on the streaming service starting in 2015. Continue reading Marvel Series to Stream via Netflix Through New Disney Deal

Intel has invested heavily in its plan to stream television over the Internet, but securing access to channels has been a challenge. The company is reportedly now in advanced negotiations to sell all or part of its yet-to-be-launched venture to Verizon, according to a person familiar with the talks. Intel was originally hoping to launch its service by year’s end. Tech companies including Sony and Google have plans to launch similar services, but have encountered some of the same challenges as Intel. Continue reading Intel in Talks to Hand Over its Internet TV Project to Verizon

Netflix posted its third quarter earnings yesterday, announcing that it has added 1.3 million U.S. customers. The video service ended the quarter with 29.93 million paid domestic users. While Netflix’s latest figures suggest the service has surpassed HBO and Showtime in number of U.S. customers, the company’s profit margin remains low in comparison to leading premium cable networks. Regardless, stock was up nearly 10 percent following the earnings results. Continue reading Netflix Sees Spike in Subscriber Base, Profits Remain Slim

Netflix is in talks with several pay TV providers, including Comcast and Suddenlink Communications, to offer its online video service as an app on pay TV set-top boxes, according to those familiar with the talks. Netflix and cable operators are competitors, but both may be open to the possible benefits in combining their services. However, some cable operators have concerns regarding Netflix technology on their network and where that may lead.

Continue reading Netflix in Talks with Cable Companies to Combine Services

The Dyle mobile digital TV venture announced that its service is now positioned to reach a wider range of smartphones and tablets following the debut of the new “mobiletv” receiver from Audiovox, developed by Siano. When paired with the Dyle app, the new receiver captures Dyle TV signals and sends them to iOS and Android mobile devices using an integrated Wi-Fi radio. Earlier Dyle-compatible receivers could only plug into iPads and iPhones via 30-pin hardline interfaces. Continue reading New Audiovox Receiver Cuts the Hardline for Dyle Mobile TV

Comcast and Twitter announced a deal yesterday that will allow Comcast customers to access TV programs from Twitter messages related to specific shows. The two companies hope that the “See It” feature will eventually become an industrywide practice. While the feature will initially only be available for Twitter posts published by Comcast-owned channels, the companies are talking with distributors and channel owners about extending it to additional content. Continue reading Comcast Deal Could Turn Twitter into TV-Watching Service

Sunday’s series finale of AMC’s “Breaking Bad” led to unprecedented social media activity, especially on Twitter and Facebook. While AMC was running a marathon of the Emmy-winning drama leading up to the finale, Twitter experienced more than 100,000 tweets a day, sparked in part by interaction with cast and crew. Additionally, Facebook says that more than 3 million users generated about 5.5 million interactions on its social network during the finale. The activity comes as both social platforms are pursuing television dollars. Continue reading “Breaking Bad” Fans Flock to Social Media for Series Finale

DirecTV is entering the world of film financing through a new partnership with startup movie studio A24 Inc. Through the deal with A24, the satellite operator will acquire independent films in exchange for exclusive rights to offer them on DirecTV’s video-on-demand services 30 days before the indies are released theatrically. DirecTV will initially commit $40 million to co-finance and market independent films; the first acquired with A24 is the thriller “Enemy,” starring Jake Gyllenhaal. Continue reading DirecTV to Co-Finance Indie Films in Exchange for VOD Rights

Intel executives have spoken with Amazon and Samsung in search of a strategic partner willing to back its Web-based pay TV service that it hopes to launch by the end of 2013. If Intel cannot find a backer to help fund and distribute the service, it is possible that the plan will be dissolved. Earlier in the year, Intel executive Erik Huggers disclosed that the company plans to sell an OTT pay service that includes a wide array of broadcast and cable TV networks. Continue reading Intel Looking for Backers to Help Keep Pay TV Service Alive

DirecTV is increasing its rates in 2014 due to the rising costs of television programming. In addition to programming costs, sports broadcasting prices have risen, while DirecTV subscriptions have fallen. The pay TV company is considering more focused, over-the-top options, but not a broad video-on-demand service. However, some are questioning claims of rising programming costs and suggest there are actually increases in premium channel subscribers. Continue reading DirecTV To Increase Rates in 2014 While Subscriptions Fall

Pay TV operators such as Comcast and Verizon FiOS are expanding their on-demand TV services. This is in response to Netflix, through which many users “binge” on a full season of programming in one viewing. Cable operators and media content companies differ on where they should distribute their on-demand content and are cautiously moving forward. A concern for many is the pricing structure if cable companies offer expanded on-demand services. Continue reading Cable Operators Expand On-Demand to Compete With Netflix