TBS comedy “Angie Tribeca,” TNT drama “Public Morals” and NBC drama “Aquarius” are among the broadcast TV shows that have experimented with binge releases, replicating the distribution model popular with streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon. Premium cable offerings will try the same this month. On April 10, all episodes of Steven Soderbergh’s “The Girlfriend Experience” and Andrew Dice Clay’s comedy “Dice” will be made available for streaming, but not on Netflix. According to Variety, “‘The Girlfriend Experience’ will premiere on Starz, and ‘Dice’ will bow on Showtime, dropping on their respective digital and on-demand platforms hours ahead of their cable-television debuts.” Continue reading Networks Join Streaming Services by Testing Binge Strategy

Amazon’s live streaming video channel Twitch announced yesterday that it is forming an e-sports league with Super Evil Megacorp, the startup behind battle game “Vainglory.” The three-year initiative will be the first of its kind for Twitch involving a mobile game. Nick Allen, director of e-sports operations at Twitch, said the tournaments could be held at public venues for in-person viewing as well as online broadcasts. “Twitch said viewers watched 150 million minutes of people playing ‘Vainglory’ last year, which debuted on iOS in late 2014 and Android last July,” reports The Wall Street Journal. Continue reading Twitch Plans its First Mobile E-Sports League with ‘Vainglory’

Sony is slated to roll out its 4K movie streaming service on Monday, April 4. First announced at January’s CES in Las Vegas, the new service will be called Ultra. Viewers will be charged $30 to purchase new Sony-produced films and $12-15 to upgrade pre-owned movies from their UltraViolet cloud locker. Ultra will also offer 4K HDR content such as extras previously only featured on discs. Consumers who buy a 2016 4K Sony TV will get four UHD movies bundled with their new television. Transactional VOD rentals are not expected to be an option featured with the launch. Continue reading Sony to Launch Ultra 4K Movie Streaming Service Next Week

According to a new study from Defy Media, teens and young adults still watch television content, but more commonly turn to YouTube, Netflix and other Internet sources for their video. The research indicates that “YouTube is must-have service for 67 percent of consumers 13-24,” reports Variety, “while only 36 percent cite pay TV.” In addition, the majority of respondents say they can live without cable or satellite TV. Younger consumers typically watch 12.1 hours of video each week on YouTube, social media and other online sources; 8.8 hours on Netflix and other subscription services; and 8.2 hours on television. Continue reading Study Notes Young Viewers Watch More Online Video Than TV

Foxconn, the Taiwan-based factory operator best known for assembling Apple’s iPhones, is acquiring two-thirds of Japanese electronics manufacturer Sharp, which supplies phone screens to Apple. The $3.5 billion deal, which follows a slew of public negotiations, rumors and setbacks, could provide Foxconn with leverage to make it a more attractive Apple partner. However, some analysts suggest that the acquisition will hand Foxconn an ailing and costly business. Foxconn is facing rising labor costs in China and a global slowdown in smartphones, while Apple diversifies its supply chain. Continue reading After Months of Setbacks, Foxconn Strikes Deal to Buy Sharp

Facebook has developed new equipment that will enable publishing partners to broadcast high-quality live video content over the social network. “Whereas before a live video on Facebook only required a smartphone or tablet to record the content, major publishers will now be able to integrate this technology into their control rooms, allowing for videos that have multiple cameras, remote segments and a more polished look,” reports Digiday. ABC News, the Denver Broncos and TMZ are among those that have been successfully using Facebook live streaming. Sources indicate Facebook plans to unveil the updated version during its F8 developers conference next month in San Francisco. Continue reading Facebook Readies TV-Quality Live Videos Over Social Media

Vimeo is promoting the original video content available for rent or purchase on its network by allowing viewers to access the same shows and movies directly from their TVs for the first time. Via an updated Roku app, viewers can now pay for and instantly stream selections from 30,000 titles. According to TechCrunch, when you “choose to buy from the new Roku app, you will be able to stream to any supported device — that way you can start watching on the big screen, then later return to view the programming on your smartphone or tablet.” In addition, Vimeo’s creator community should now be able to reach a wider audience. Continue reading Vimeo’s Roku App Makes it Easier to Watch Original Content

The Justice Department revealed it has learned a way to unlock Syed Rizwan Farook’s iPhone without help from Apple. Farook was a gunman in the San Bernardino shooting that killed 14 people. The announcement stalls the legal standoff between the federal government and Apple; the Justice Department will withdraw its efforts to enlist the tech company’s help in the investigation. While the news suspends the privacy vs. security debate, at least temporarily, law enforcement’s ability to open the device without Apple’s assistance raises new concerns. Continue reading Government Says iPhone Unlocked, Apple No Longer Needed

The much-anticipated Oculus Rift headset is hitting the market and its young inventor Palmer Luckey predicts that virtual reality will mark a more significant turning point in tech than Apple II, Netscape or Google. Luckey’s recent interview with NPR’s Kelly McEvers is available on the KCLU site. “Luckey muses about how VR may be better for the environment, why he recommends the novel Ready Player One despite its dystopian view of the VR future, how VR is facing similar pushback to the one faced by rock ‘n’ roll and swing dancing in their time and what ethical questions are raised by the use of VR for journalism.” Continue reading Palmer Luckey Talks Future of VR as Oculus Rift Hits Shelves

Twitter’s Periscope celebrated its one-year anniversary this weekend by announcing that 200 million broadcasts have been hosted via its app so far, with 100 million in the past three months. “In addition, 110 years worth of live video is watched per day across Periscope’s iOS and Android apps, which represents a 91 percent increase from last August,” reports VentureBeat. While primary competitor Meerkat is pivoting its live-streaming efforts, and new competition is expected from Facebook Live and YouTube Connect, “Twitter has placed a lot of weight on Periscope, especially as it focuses its vision around live events.” Continue reading Periscope Celebrates its First Year, Hits 200 Million Streams

Music streamer Vevo recently introduced more personalized music apps for Android, iOS and Apple TV that use recommendation algorithms. Now, the company is extending that personalization through new integration with Spotify, Twitter and YouTube that helps the platforms learn which artists users want to follow. Rather than reinventing the wheel, Vevo is importing data from Spotify, Twitter and YouTube to create a smarter and faster feed. “In addition, the company says that it has redesigned the overall onboarding experience to utilize machine learning techniques to help get users connected with the artists they like,” notes TechCrunch. Continue reading Vevo Gets Personal with Spotify, Twitter, YouTube Integration

The music industry has experienced an increase in streaming revenue and a resurgence in vinyl record interest. However, “a closer look shows that the big sales numbers that have sustained the recorded music business for years are way down,” reports The New York Times. According to the Recording Industry Association of America, sales revenue for music in the U.S. has remained around $7 billion since 2010. During that time, streaming via Pandora, Spotify, YouTube and others has been taking over CDs and downloads, as the “music industry finds itself fighting over pennies while waving goodbye to dollars.” Continue reading Music Business Faces New Challenges in Shift to Streaming

Following years of planning and testing, Nielsen is launching a digital tracking service for streaming audio called Nielsen Digital Audio Ratings. According to the release, the service will “measure over-the-air radio listening, across mobile apps and Web players, regardless of ad model and device.” The new service, part of Nielsen’s larger Total Audience initiative, will track data from 2,500 digital AM/FM and e-radio stations across 48 markets. A service to track data for on-demand audio services and podcasts is in development. “Nielsen Digital Audio Ratings allows broadcasters, advertisers and marketers to better understand the dynamics of a station’s over-the-air and online audiences,” said Brad Kelly, managing director for Nielsen Audio. Continue reading After Years of Planning, Nielsen Unveils Digital Audio Ratings

Apple announced yesterday that it has tapped entertainer Will.i.am and TV veterans Ben Silverman and Howard Owens for the company’s first original TV project. The unscripted series will focus on the app economy, although details “such as financing, title, timeline, storylines, episode length or how people will watch the show” have yet to be revealed, notes The New York Times. The project marks the company’s first foray outside of music, having “released programming such as Taylor Swift’s 1989 world tour, a docu-series with Vice about the local music scene and exclusive video interviews with artists like Adele.” Continue reading Apple’s First Original TV Series Will Shine a Spotlight on Apps

DVR manufacturer TiVo is reportedly in advanced merger discussions with Rovi, one of the biggest patent owners for digital entertainment devices. TiVo has a market value of $750 million, while Rovi’s value is roughly $1.7 billion. “Shareholders of TiVo would receive a combination of cash and stock,” reports The New York Times, “though the exact price was still being negotiated.” As a result of the deal, say insiders, TiVo shareholders would likely own 30 percent of the combined company. Apple, Google and Microsoft are among the tech giants believed to have previously expressed interest in TiVo. Continue reading Insiders Indicate TiVo and Rovi Currently Discussing a Merger