Meta Connect just wrapped after showcasing the company’s latest offerings in XR, Meta AI wearables, and more. The long-awaited reveal of the Meta Ray-Ban Display smart glasses confirmed they are the first Meta glasses with a built-in high-resolution HUD color screen and use an EMG wristband for controls. Meta’s high-performance sports eyewear got an upgrade with the Oakley Meta Vanguard, offering Garmin and Strava integration and video recording in 3K Ultra HD. The Quest VR headset’s new beta feature, Hyperscape, was previewed, turning real-world spaces into virtual worlds. Also, the Quest now features a Horizon TV entertainment hub for streaming. Continue reading Meta Platforms Unveils New Smart Glasses and AI Wearables

The Walt Disney Company has teamed up with Webtoon Entertainment to create a new digital comics platform that will host more than 35,000 Marvel, Star Wars, Disney, Pixar and 20th Century Studios digital comic books, including current runs and archival issues from decades past as well as original new material. The deal sees Disney taking a two percent stake in Webtoon, which will run the new venture. Disney+ subscribers will have access to a curated selection of material as part of their subscription through Disney+ Perks. The format will include a mix of vertical and traditional screen presentations. Continue reading Disney Invests in Webtoon with New Comics Platform Planned

The Walt Disney Company and Fox Corporation are joining forces to market their sports streaming services. In addition to being sold separately, ESPN’s upcoming direct-to-consumer platform and FOX One will be offered as a $39.99 monthly bundle starting October 2. Both individual services debut August 21, with ESPN charging $29.99 per month and FOX One priced at $19.99 monthly. FOX One will include Fox’s NFL and MLB telecasts as well as FOX News, FOX Weather, FOX Business, FOX Broadcasting and more, while the ESPN DTC service will include access to ESPN’s linear networks, ESPN+ and ESPN on ABC. Continue reading ESPN DTC and FOX One Merging into Mega Package This Fall

Disney’s fiscal Q3 earnings and full year projections have topped expectations, with its Streaming and Parks businesses leading revenue streams. Operating income from streaming hit $346 million for the quarter, a significant increase over the same period last year. Disney ended Q3 with 183 million Disney+ and Hulu subscriptions, an increase of 2.6 million from Q2. Overall, revenue was up 2.1 percent to $23.7 billion for the three-month period ending June 28. In addition, the company announced that it plans to integrate Hulu into Disney+ for a new streaming app to be available next year. Continue reading Disney Reports Jump in Profit, Plans to Fold Hulu into Disney+

The Walt Disney Company concluded its Upfront advertising sales with notable increases in sports and streaming commitments and an overall figure consistent with 2024’s number. Sports was a bright spot, generating close to $4 billion through both linear and addressable platforms including ESPN and others, propelled by double-digit growth in volume for “Monday Night Football” and College Football and a “high single-digit” increase in NBA volume driven largely by the NBA Finals and the half-time and post-game analysis series “Inside the NBA” that ESPN landed starting this year. Continue reading Disney’s Upfront Ad Commitments Led by Sports, Streaming

Comcast’s Xfinity broadband service has launched StreamStore, an online destination for discovering, purchasing and managing streaming apps. Available to Xfinity TV and Internet customers, StreamStore puts a retail spin on a selection of 200,000-plus programs and more than 450 apps. StreamStore is available on a subset of devices that run the Comcast Entertainment OS platform, including X1 set-tops and media players, the Xumo Stream Box and the Xfinity Flex box, and is also being made available via Xfinity.com. Apps for services including Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, Apple TV+ and others purchased through StreamStore can now be added to Xfinity customer bills. Continue reading Xfinity Bows StreamStore on Web, Comcast Entertainment OS

ABC News will debut an original weekday news show on Disney+. Anchored by James Longman and Rachel Scott, “What You Need to Know” debuts July 21, streaming Monday through Friday beginning at 6:00 a.m. ET and available for 24 hours thereafter on demand. ABC News describes the show as a “short-form series” and “a fast, fresh way to stay ahead of the conversation as viewers start their day.” Formatted for young attention spans, the anchors will deliver headline highlights in an 8-to-10-minute recap. Disney+ President Alisa Bowen says the show offers “smart, bite-sized commentary on the stories that matter most.” Continue reading ABC to Produce Weekday Anchored News Show for Disney+

Xumo, the streaming joint venture formed by Comcast and Charter, has teamed with Westinghouse to launch a new U.S. line of Xumo smart TVs that will initially be sold through Walmart and Amazon. Initial models offer 4K UHD (in 43- and 50-inch versions) that support HDR10, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, and 2K HD (in 24-, 32-, 40- and 43-inch models). Prices range from $120 to $290. Expected later this year are 55-, 58- and 65-inch 4K models. The new televisions run Xumo OS, featuring a tiled menu interface, voice search and more than 250 built-in streaming apps. Continue reading Streamer Xumo Launching Smart TV Line from Westinghouse

U.S. streaming viewership exceeded cable and broadcast audiences combined in May, an industry first. Streaming amassed a record 44.8 percent of total U.S. television usage, inching past cable and broadcast’s combined 44.2 percent of audience according to Nielsen. In the four years since Nielsen launched The Gauge measurement report in May 2021, U.S. streaming viewership grew by 71 percent while cable and broadcast viewing declined by 39 percent and 21 percent, respectively, with traditional TV showing “surprising resilience,” the current report notes. During those four years, “Netflix has gone wire-to-wire as the leading SVOD provider,” according to The Gauge. Continue reading Streaming Viewership Tops Cable & Broadcast for First Time

Disney has become the latest entertainment giant to put ad inventory on offer through Amazon DSP, the tech giant’s demand-side platform that connects advertisers to channels for programmatic as well as premium ad purchasing and analytics. The integration, to be implemented in the coming months, links the Disney Real-Time Ad Exchange (DRAX) with Amazon DSP, providing direct access to inventory across platforms including Disney+, ESPN and Hulu along with data insights from both companies. The deal is one of many such alliances announced in proximity to the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, where Roku, Netflix and Yahoo also signed up with Amazon DSP. Continue reading Disney Integrates Real-Time Ad Exchange with Amazon DSP

Disney+ has toggled its one-off promotions to Always-On Perks that aim to build subscriber loyalty and boost renewals for its flagship streaming service and Hulu. Simultaneously, the company is also launching a program called Disney Pinnacle with game developer Dapper Labs. Disney+ subscribers will have early access to a monthly mystery capsule called Disney Pinnacle by Dapper Labs that comes with a $10 Dapper Credit. Subscribers will have access to discounts and various perks from the entertainment giant and its partners. Always-On Perks participants could win tickets to the “Freakier Friday” world premiere or a four-night cruise on the Disney Destiny. Continue reading Disney+ Offers Perks and Fan Experiences with New Program

Disney revenue hit $23.6 billion during the recent quarter, a 7 percent increase year-over-year, with net income vaulting to $3.28 billion, up from a $20 million loss during the same period last year. The results outperformed on the top and bottom lines, sending shares surging by about 10 percent on Wednesday morning. Disney’s strong fiscal second quarter was propelled by better-than-expected Disney+ subscriber growth of +1.4 million subscribers and energetic overall performances in Entertainment as well as Experiences. The icing on the earnings cake was news of a new theme park planned for Abu Dhabi, announced by CEO Bob Iger. Continue reading Disney Reports Strong Quarter, Announces New Theme Park

Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max streaming service has followed Netflix’s lead in battling password sharing by selling Extra Member subscriptions in the U.S. for $8 per month. The move aims to give existing subscribers “greater flexibility and control over how they manage sharing their Max accounts,” the company says, promising a seamless transition from subscription squatting to authorized account user with “profile transfer available for extra member add-ons.” Those in the midst of binging, say, “White Lotus” will not see their viewing disrupted, according to WBD. Continue reading WBD Adds ‘Extra Member’ Option for Max Password Sharers

DirecTV is competing in the budget streaming service space with new Genre Packs available now via streamtv.directv.com and, in the coming months, through device partners. The three new Genre Packs — MyEntertainment, MyNews and MiEspañol — are available starting at $35 a month. They join other new streaming offerings, MyFree DirecTV and DirecTV’s MySports, released in November and January, respectively. Subscribers to any Genre Pack gain access to 100+ channels available through MyFree DirecTV. Only MySports customers can also bundle two new Mini-Packs — MyCinema for $10 a month or MySports Extra for $13 monthly. Continue reading DirecTV Invites Skinny Bundles with Streaming ‘Genre Packs’

Optoma has announced the Photon Go, a tiny ultra short-throw laser projector that throws a 100-inch image from a distance of just 9.8 inches. Releasing in April, the portable device is “designed to bring big-screen entertainment just about anywhere,” the company says, emphasizing the device’s 10 x 6 x 2.5-inch size and 3.8-pound weight — notable because UST projects are not typically very portable. Featuring RGB triple laser technology for vibrant colors and nuanced contrast, the Photon Go “can transform any wall into a screen,” according to the Taiwanese manufacturer. Continue reading Optoma Photon Go: Portable UST Projector with Triple Laser