| News covering the digital entertainment industry |  |
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- Who is battling in, winning the content wars?
Every day, more consumers turn to mobile devices to watch video content, creating opportunities for content providers. But so far, the potential of forfeiting retransmission fees or running into copyright tangles has kept most local television stations out of the game. In their absence, companies such as Ivi, FilmOn and Aereo have popped up, which is leading TV networks to seek legal means to stop what they see as an intrusion. Variety.com (free content)
(4/30)     
- Analysis: Studios fret over Google's high-speed-network potential
Google's move to build a super-high-speed Internet service in the Kansas City, Mo., area has made Hollywood studios nervous because it may encourage users to download content illegally and create more avenues to distribute content that circumvents them, according to analysts. "Google Fiber will definitely be a disruptive force. The studios know that if we stick our heads in the sand, we will fail, pure and simple," said Mitch Singer of Sony Pictures Entertainment. Bloomberg Businessweek
(4/26)
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- Source: Senate has no plans to take up online video again soon
Congress reportedly will take no action to regulate the online-video marketplace at this time, despite a hearing looking into the potential effects of over-the-top services on the digital divide and future carrier responsibilities. The Senate Commerce Committee hearing last week looked at the limitations of the 1996 Telecommunications Act to properly legislate next-generation digital services and whether online providers should have the same market responsibilities as terrestrial and cable broadcasters. Multichannel News (subscription required)
(4/30)
- Disney, News Corp. said to be acquiring Providence's stake in Hulu
Providence Equity Partners is close to agreeing on final terms to sell its 10% stake in Hulu to partners Walt Disney and News Corp. for about $200 million, sources say. The sale of the stake would put Hulu's overall value at about $2 billion. Disney and News Corp. control more than half of Hulu. Partner Comcast has a 30% stake but ceded its management role in the service as part of the conditions of its takeover of NBC Universal. Hulu did not comment on the deal. Bloomberg
(4/26), The Wall Street Journal
(4/26)
| Monetizing Content | | |
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- HuffPost co-founder says it's time to give up on display ads
The days of lucrative display-advertising deals are over for providers of online content, according to new-media expert Jonah Peretti, who says early marketing techniques such as banner and skyscraper ads are no longer relevant. Instead, Peretti insists that publishers and marketers need to cater their messages to a demographic that uses social media to find what it's looking for and share it with others. PaidContent.org
(4/28)
- Will the "newfronts" persuade marketers to open their wallets?
The Digital Content NewFronts are proving a hit, with Web platforms eager to pitch themselves to brands, and marketers saying they're ready to invest serious money in digital video outreach. It's unclear how much of brands' $70 billion TV-advertising budget will be diverted into online video, but online video is increasingly being seen as a powerful marketing tool. The "newfronts" were originally conceived as a way "to beat a drum for change," said Mark Beeching, chief creative and strategy officer at Digitas, but "now, it's servicing a need." The New York Times (tiered subscription model)
(4/26)
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- Game advertising is growing despite measurement challenge
Conde Nast is among the publishers working on social games, such as "Self Workout in the Park," as a way of extending their magazine brands. Unilever and McDonald's are among those brands placing products within games. Although measurement remains dubious, brands are enthusiastic about pursuing the game space further. Mindshare digital gaming specialist Geoffrey Greenblatt predicts that the next big thing will be advertising in games played with others. Reuters
(4/29)
| eBooks, Tablets and More | | |
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- Can Punch create a knockout system for tablet advertising?
Punch Media, the iPad-native magazine service, is hoping to create a new model for tablet-based advertising. Rather than featuring conventional pop-up or display ads, Punch is working with brands to develop application-style advertorial units, encouraging user engagement by offering media-rich, genuinely interesting or useful content. "We wanted to do an ad unit, but we wanted to reinvent how it works for the tablet's more deep, immersive experience," says CEO and co-founder David Bennahum. Adweek
(4/26)
| Spectrum/Broadband | | |
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- Bill introduced in House to let carriers bid on spectrum
A bipartisan bill that would allow the federal government to auction spectrum in the 1755 MHz to 1780 MHz frequencies to commercial wireless carriers has been introduced in the U.S. House. The proposed Efficient Use of Government Spectrum Act is designed to give a boost to an initiative by the Federal Communications Commission to free up those frequencies for commercial purposes. CNET
(4/26), Broadcasting & Cable
(4/26)
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Gary Shapiro to keynote 6Sight Future of Imaging Conference at CE Week
Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association® and author of The New York Times best-selling book "The Comeback: How Innovation Will Restore the American Dream," will deliver the keynote address at the 6Sight Future of Imaging Conference. 6Sight will lead off CE Week on June 25 to 26, at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City. Shapiro will speak about innovation in the imaging industry. His keynote is scheduled for 9 a.m. Eastern time on June 26. Find out more.
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