Netflix is launching its much anticipated reboot of Fox comedy “Arrested Development” on Sunday. According to social analytics firm NetBase, the show has already generated more than 170,000 social mentions since April 26 (a month before its return), essentially tripling the early social buzz of Netflix series “House of Cards.” However, it’s worth noting that “Arrested Development” has the benefit of being a critically acclaimed show and cult favorite with a rabid fan base. Continue reading Netflix: Arrested Development Return Generates Social Buzz

Amazon announced Kindle Worlds yesterday, a digital publishing platform that enables fan fiction authors to publish under official licenses and receive royalties. The current deal is limited to “Gossip Girl,” “Pretty Little Liars” and “The Vampire Diaries” from Warner Bros. Television Group’s Alloy Entertainment, but Amazon promises licenses for more Worlds in the future. Stories will be made available via Amazon.com, Kindle devices, iOS, Android and Kindle Free Reading apps. Continue reading Kindle Worlds: Amazon Debuts Fan Fiction Publishing Platform

Twitter is capitalizing on the growing trend of television viewers using social media while watching TV. Its new product called Twitter Amplify will allow marketers to match TV advertisements with Twitter commentary by viewers who are watching specific programming. Brands can then forward messages to selected Twitter users who have already watched the TV ads. The company offered a presentation on Twitter Amplify in New York yesterday. Continue reading Advertising: Twitter Amplify Will Target Social TV Viewers

CBS Interactive’s GameSpot.com announced its plans yesterday for comprehensive coverage of next month’s E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo). The coverage will feature more than 100 hours of original live and on-demand programming from the Los Angeles Convention Center in addition to on-air integration with CBS Television stations. This marks the first time GameSpot will produce pre-show programming for a television audience. Continue reading CBS and GameSpot to Offer Extensive E3 Coverage in June

Dish Network has received signed commitment letters from five banks, according to people familiar with the matter, bringing it closer to arranging $9 billion in committed financing for a planned $25.5 billion acquisition bid for Sprint Nextel. Dish has raised nearly $12 billion for the deal, which will compete with October’s $20.1 billion offer by SoftBank to acquire 70 percent of Sprint. The financing arrives a few days after Sprint agreed to enter into negotiations with Dish. Continue reading Dish Goes Up Against SoftBank to Purchase Sprint Nextel

“Downloaded” is a new documentary that examines the rise and fall of music file-sharing service Napster. The film tells the story of Napster co-founders Shawn Fanning and Sean Parker while providing details of the service’s launch in 1998 through its eventual 2011 acquisition by Rhapsody. It examines the downloading generation, resulting changes to the music industry, piracy and legal arguments, and the impact of services such as Spotify and iTunes. Continue reading Napster Documentary: The Music, the Battle, the Revolution

Quantum dot technology reportedly makes displays more colorful while consuming less power, and development by 3M and Nanosys is nearly ready for use in smartphones, tablets and TVs. 3M issued a press release on Tuesday announcing that its Quantum Dot Enhancement Film (QDEF), which allows up to 50 percent more color than current levels in LCD devices, will be made available to manufacturers starting late in the second quarter of this year. Continue reading 3M and Nanosys to Bring Quantum Dot Tech to CE Devices

Discovery is launching its first online video network today in an attempt to attract largely young, male viewers who are becoming more challenging to reach through traditional TV. Called TestTube, the new online network will initially offer 15 original short-form shows that focus on science and adventure, available for free via YouTube, Xbox and TestTube’s website. The network was developed with online video producer Revision3, which Discovery acquired last year. Continue reading Discovery Launches Online Science and Adventure Network

Ted Sarandos, chief content officer for Netflix, has met with some criticism for not playing by traditional media development and distribution rules, but has remained unapologetic as Netflix has emerged as one of the most attractive buyers of original programming. In an interview for the May 31 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine, Sarandos discusses the future of online streaming and his disdain for the existing TV model. Continue reading THR Interview: Ted Sarandos Discusses the Future of Netflix

Twitter has rolled out a new component to its #Music service for the Web that offers charts based on genre and artist popularity. The service is powered by the San Fancisco-based company We Are Hunted, which Twitter acquired in 2012. The charts provide compelling data that should be of interest to record labels and could potentially lead to artists engaging more directly with their fans on Twitter. Continue reading Twitter Introduces New Music Charts that Track Popularity

Google has announced a new data tracking service for Google Trends that offers information and related charts regarding the most-searched people, locations and assorted topics across more than 40 categories. The Top Charts feature provides those interested with details based on rankings by search interest for topics from movies to cities to sports teams to tourist attractions. The service is updated monthly and goes back to 2004. Continue reading Google Trends Adds Charts Feature for Tracking Searches

The Entertainment Technology Center @ USC will announce the launch of “Production in the Cloud” today, a new project that brings together key media and cloud-resource leaders to develop guidelines and accelerate innovation and adoption of next-gen cloud-based content creation, production, and distribution tools and processes. Senior executives from the six major studios in coordination with Rackspace, EMC, EVault, Dell and other cloud companies convened recently to serve as governing body to collectively guide this process. Continue reading ETC Announces Launch of Production in the Cloud Project

As promised, Microsoft announced its Xbox One yesterday, the successor to the Xbox 360 and the company’s eighth generation gaming console. Scheduled for release by the end of this year, the Xbox One will compete with Nintendo’s Wii U and Sony’s upcoming PlayStation 4. While the update touts plenty of power and rich features for gaming, Microsoft is emphasizing the Xbox One as a lifestyle device designed for streaming an array of entertainment media. Continue reading Microsoft Unveils Xbox One, Emphasizes More Than Gaming

Microsoft has announced a partnership with the NFL to develop technology that will make football games more interactive for Xbox Live subscribers. The deal, reportedly worth $400 million over the next five years, was announced yesterday during Microsoft’s unveiling of its next-generation Xbox One gaming console. It marks the latest digital step by the NFL to enhance its live game broadcasts. Continue reading Microsoft and NFL Team Up for Interactive Game Broadcasts

NBC News announced on Monday that Deborah Turness, formerly the editor of ITV News in the UK, will become the news division’s president beginning August 5, filling the seat vacated by Steve Capus in February. Turness will report to Pat Fili-Krushel, chairman of NBCUniversal News Group. The appointment marks the first time a female executive has been named network news division president in the United States. Continue reading Turness Appointed President of NBC News in Industry First