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Pay TV Operators Time Warner Cable and DirecTV Eye Hulu

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May 21, 2013

The number of potential bidders for Hulu grew late last week when it was reported that Time Warner Cable and DirecTV are both interested in the six-year-old online video site. Other firms that have expressed interest in Hulu include Guggenheim Partners, Yahoo and Peter Chernin’s investment group. The video site — jointly owned by Comcast, Disney and News Corp. — has reportedly been considering a range of strategic options, including a sale. Continue reading Pay TV Operators Time Warner Cable and DirecTV Eye Hulu

Pinterest: Hollywood Studios May Go Social to Market Films

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May 21, 2013

While retailers continue to successfully use content sharing service Pinterest to help boost product sales, the strategy has drawn the attention of major Hollywood studios. Marketers are experimenting with ways that would help movie posters and promotional stills that are pinned to the site translate into ticket sales. Although transactions do note occur directly on Pinterest, clicking a pinned image can redirect users to other sites. Continue reading Pinterest: Hollywood Studios May Go Social to Market Films

Yahoo Announces $1.1 Billion Acquisition Plan for Tumblr

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May 20, 2013

Yahoo announced early this morning that it has agreed to pay $1.1 billion for Tumblr, the six-year-old blogging site that touts more than 100 million users, but little in the form of revenue. While Tumblr users have already expressed concerns that the site could end up cluttered with ads, Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer promises “not to screw it up.” The deal marks the largest social acquisition in years, surpassing last year’s $1 billion purchase of Instagram by Facebook. Continue reading Yahoo Announces $1.1 Billion Acquisition Plan for Tumblr

I/O: Google Play In-App Purchases Increase by 700 Percent

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May 20, 2013

During day three of its I/O developers conference on Friday, Google announced that in-app revenues via the Google Play store are up 700 percent since the same period last year. The company’s recently launched Google Subscriptions model is also seeing progress, doubling inbound revenue each quarter since its launch about 12 months ago. Some apps using Subscriptions as their revenue model, such as Pandora, have reached the top grossing list. Continue reading I/O: Google Play In-App Purchases Increase by 700 Percent

Google Cries Foul Over New Windows Phone YouTube App

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May 16, 2013

Google has sent Microsoft a cease and desist letter, demanding that the YouTube app for Windows Phone be removed from the Windows Phone Store by May 22nd. The letter alleges that the app, unveiled just over a week ago, blocks advertising and allows local downloads of content, both clear violations of YouTube’s terms of service. The application was authored by Microsoft, without consultation or collaboration with Google. Continue reading Google Cries Foul Over New Windows Phone YouTube App

ESPN and Twitter Expand Collaboration with Video Clips

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May 14, 2013

ESPN plans to post sports-related highlight videos on Twitter in the coming year. Sports fans can expect clips from soccer matches leading up to the World Cup, college football and the X Games. The videos will be made available on Twitter’s site and mobile apps shortly after the live television broadcasts. The collaboration is part of a bigger movement by TV networks and the microblogger to discover new approaches to advertising revenue. Continue reading ESPN and Twitter Expand Collaboration with Video Clips

TV Networks Face Unprecedented Challenges in Digital Era

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May 13, 2013

As the upfronts roll out this week in New York City, television networks are facing new challenges: prime time ratings for major broadcasters have been dropping, ad spending is increasingly turning to cable, original programming from the likes of Amazon and Netflix are creating more competition, government regulators are seeking changes to spectrum allocation, and startups like Aereo may impact the subscription revenue of stations. Continue reading TV Networks Face Unprecedented Challenges in Digital Era

New Model: YouTube Launches Paid Subscription Channels

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May 10, 2013

Google’s YouTube yesterday unveiled its much anticipated paid-subscription channels, that will enable some of its video content partners to charge a monthly fee for access to programming. The channels could become a new revenue stream for the video site and its content partners. The subscription model has attracted producers who have been seeking an option to YouTube’s online advertising model. Continue reading New Model: YouTube Launches Paid Subscription Channels

CES 2013: Second Screen Use On The Rise, But Revenue Is Not

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January 15, 2013

During CES last week, representatives from television networks, software companies, cable providers and advertising firms gathered for the Second Screen Summit. 2012 was a busy year for second screens, as multiple companies, along with the Olympics, came out with companion products. But the direction and profitability of second screens remain in question. Continue reading CES 2013: Second Screen Use On The Rise, But Revenue Is Not

Is Modern Warfare 3 the Most Successful Franchise of All Time?

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November 15, 2011
  • “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3” has set a new entertainment launch record, selling 6.5 million units within 24 hours after its release last week. The first-person shooter raised $400 million in sales revenues in the Unites States and United Kingdom.
  • This marks the third consecutive sales record for game publisher Activision Blizzard with the “Call of Duty” series. “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2” sold 4.7 million copies during its first day of availability in 2009, and last year’s “Call of Duty: Black Ops” hit 5.6 million in its first 24 hours.
  • “We believe the launch of ‘Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3’ is the biggest entertainment launch of all time in any medium, and we achieved this record with sales from only two territories,” said Activision Blizzard chief exec Bobby Kotick.
  • “Other than ‘Call of Duty,’ there has never been another entertainment franchise that has set opening day records three years in a row,” he added. “Life-to-date sales for the ‘Call of Duty’ franchise exceed worldwide theatrical box office for ‘Star Wars’ and ‘Lord of the Rings,’ two of the most successful entertainment franchises of all time.”

Spotify Reports Significant Losses, Despite Increase in Subscribers and Revenue

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October 12, 2011
  • Streaming music service Spotify, which recently partnered with Facebook, saw its revenue more than quintuple last year. However, the British company still showed losses totaling $42 million, an increase from $26 million in 2009.
  • “Spotify’s performance has been closely monitored by the music industry, which sees it as a kind of litmus test for the viability of digital music by subscription, which pays labels each time a listener streams a particular song,” reports The New York Times. “That system brings in lower royalties per song than downloads, but with a large enough listener base could in theory bring in substantial amounts.”
  • Spotify subscriptions cost about $10 to $15 per month and includes an ad-supported free version. Daniel Ek, Spotify’s chief executive, recently announced that the service had reached the 2 million mark with paid subscribers, although there are believed to be more than 10 million total users.

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