Why Selling Film Downloads Is So Difficult
photo: Getty Images / David McNew
Though the whole notion of ownership is called into question by the nature of streaming video, consumers would do more buying than renting o… Read more »
Why Netflix Won’t Do A Tiered Deal With Starz
There’s plenty of time before Starz’s controversial streaming deal with Netflix (NSDQ: NFLX) runs out, but that hasn’t stopped analysts from… Read more »
Why Studios Should Spark A Premium VOD War
photo: lanuiop
Dem’s fighting words in The Los Angeles Times from theater-chain honchos, who are threatening to halt exhibition if DirecTV (NYSE: DTV) foll… Read more »
YouTube Has No European Movie Rental Plans
A curious NY Post “exclusive” reports: “YouTube (NSDQ: GOOG) is eager to launch an unlimited subscription service for movies similar to Netf… Read more »
Outlook For Cloud-Based Video Storage Is, Well, Cloudy
photo: Flickr
If Hollywood had its druthers, we’d all be buying–not renting–movies and TV shows by the bushel. But some new research from In-Stat offers… Read more »
Updated: Chart: How Amazon Prime Video Stacks Up To Netflix & Hulu Plus
What are some of the programming differences between Amazon (NSDQ: AMZN) Prime Videos, Netflix (NSDQ: NFLX) and Hulu Plus? Amazon has some p… Read more »
Streaming Begins For Amazon Prime Members; One-Month Free Trial
Amazon’s anticipated video streaming service launched this morning with nearly 5,000 movies and TV shows.. Instead of starting from scratch… Read more »
Bankrupt Blockbuster Puts Itself Up For Sale
photo: Corbis
Blockbuster (NYSE: BBI), which filed for bankruptcy in September, is now putting itself up for sale. The video rental chain says in a statem… Read more »
Why Warner Bros. Bypassed iTunes With App Editions
Warner Bros.’ intent to distribute movies as standalone apps packed with all sorts of content extras may seem like just a high-end treat for… Read more »
Premium VOD Is Doomed If This Piracy Study Is Correct
photo: lanuiop
A new PricewaterhouseCoopers study casts serious doubt on consumer willingness to pay for movies on digital platforms. Warning: Film-industy… Read more »
Howard Stern Shows His ‘Private Parts’ On Twitter
It may have been the most captivating series of entertainment tweets since Kanye West took to Twitter with his apology to Taylor Swift. Howa… Read more »
Netflix Surges In Nielsen’s First Video Data In 7 Months
photo: AP Images
Welcome back, Nielsen, which publicly issued late Friday its first set of online video metrics since June 2010 due to computer glitches that… Read more »
Disney Interactive Revenues Surged As Segment’s Loss Widened
photo: AP Images
All in all, The Walt Disney (NYSE: DIS) Company’s fiscal Q1 was solid, buttressed by strong performance at its cable networks, theme parks a… Read more »
iTunes Faces New Threat In Film Rentals
While new data out today from IHS Screen Digest shows Apple’s iTunes is as dominant as ever in the electronic-sell-through business, the sou… Read more »
Gogo Plans An Expansion Into In-Flight Content
photo: Flickr / kossy@finedays
Aircell, the parent of in-flight WiFi provider Gogo has raised $35 million in its latest big round of funding. The funding comes as the fast… Read more »
Viacom Ad Gains Canceled Out By Lower Home Video Sales
Viacom’s cable properties benefitted from the advertising recovery of the past year, but lower DVD sales erased any of its gains in the last… Read more »
Why Bewkes’ Q4 Bluster Won’t Rattle Netflix
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It wouldn’t be a Time Warner (NYSE: TWX) earnings call without some tough talk from CEO Jeff Bewkes, who suggested he’ll put the screws to N… Read more »
Time Warner Turns In Strong Q4 But DVD Sales, Magazine Subs Take A Hit
photo: Flickr / Michael McDonough
Time Warner (NYSE: TWX) beat revenue and earnings estimates, but the fine print has a few items that aren’t so rosy. Following the same patt… Read more »
Voddler Picks Up Another $8 Million In Funding For VOD, Led By Nokia
Nokia (NYSE: NOK) may be rethinking how it delivers mobile music — shuttering its Ovi Unlimited music service — but it is not giving up on… Read more »
Amazon Appears Ready To Challenge Netflix
If these screen grabs unearthed by Engadget on Saturday are as legitimate as they appear to be, Netflix (NSDQ: NFLX) could have a new rival… Read more »
Google Prepares To Buy Twitter Based ‘Sentiment Analyst’ fflick
Google (NSDQ: GOOG) may have been experiencing some changes at the top in the past week, but it’s acquisition binge continues unabated. The… Read more »
@ NATPE: How Netflix Will Hurt HBO: Bidding Away Warner Bros. Films
Netflix (NSDQ: NFLX) will attempt to outbid HBO for streaming rights to the movies the pay-TV giant gets from its current output deal with W… Read more »
The Morning Lowdown 01.25.11
photo: Corbis / Patricia Curi
» Oscar.com, the official online home of the 83rd Academy Awards, is promising to make this year the “most interactive Oscar Nigh… Read more »
Hell Hath No Fury Like A Netflix Subscriber Scorned
photo: Flickr / scottfeldstein
Queue-tastrophe? Queue-pocalypse? Whatever you want to call the fallout from Netflix’s decision to drop the DVD queue from streaming devices… Read more »
Interview: Lovefilm Investor Says Amazon Exit Is A Win-Win
photo: Balderton
Lovefilm eschewed a possible IPO option because Amazon (NSDQ: AMZN) gives it a global-scale parent with resources enough to land the rights… Read more »
Amazon Buying Lovefilm To Build European Movie Rentals Business
Amazon (NSDQ: AMZN) has finally confirmed it’s buying the 58 percent of Lovefilm it doesn’t already own – its bid to become a major European… Read more »
TheWrap Buys Film Project Database ItsOnTheGrid
Hollywood business-focused news site TheWrap has made a small acquisition, buying up ItsOnTheGrid, a site which features searchable listings… Read more »
Netflix Enrages Subscribers By Limiting DVD Queue
photo: Flickr / cogdogblog
Converting to a streaming-only business isn’t easy, as Netflix (NSDQ: NFLX) discovered Monday when the company’s blog was bombarded by compl… Read more »
SnagFilms Raises $10 Million From Comcast, NEA; Will Expand Beyond Docs
photo: Corbis
SnagFilms, founded in 2008 by Ted Leonsis, has raised its first major outside capital: a $10 million round led by New Enterprise Associates… Read more »
Google, Weinstein Co. Strike Film Deal
photo: Corbis
Given the pressure Google (NSDQ: GOOG) is under to land premium content deals for YouTube, you would think they would shout from the rooftop… Read more »
For Netflix And Lovefilm, Online Choice Pales Against DVD Business
Reality check: The prospect of Netflix (NSDQ: NFLX) and Lovefilm becoming online-first subscription businesses looks a long way off – they h… Read more »
What UltraViolet Must Get Right To Succeed
The Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem got off on the right foot with UltraViolet by rallying its base with a kickoff gathering of exec… Read more »
@ CES: Could Ye Olde DVD Actually Help Digital Distribution?
While zillions of new products come to CES in hopes of getting noticed, sometimes it’s the technology still in development that captures the… Read more »
Arty Movie Service MUBI Takes $2.4 Million Funding
MUBI, an online access service for independent and artistic films, has taken on a $2.4 million investment round for extra capital and to gro… Read more »
The ‘Lost’ Paradox: Why Some Free Shows On The Web Are So Heavily Pirated
Earlier this week, the popular BitTorrent news blog TorrentFreak published a list of the most pirated TV shows of 2010. The No. 1 most-pirat… Read more »
CES: UltraViolet Set For Mid-Year Deployment In U.S.
After 27 months of development, the Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem is finally deploying UltraViolet, the digital-rights-management… Read more »
New iTunes Features Aim To Outdo DVD
Some of the coolest so-called “extras” embedded only on the iTunes’ version of several recent film releases from Sony (NYSE: SNE) Pictures a… Read more »
Sears Follows Other Big Retailers, Launches Digital Download Store
photo: flickr / julie vasquez
The market for online movie downloads and rentals is getting a bit more crowded this week, as Sears announced it has launched its own video… Read more »
Rovi To Buy Sonic Solutions, Forming New Force In Digital Distribution
Rovi Corp. declared its intent to acquire Sonic Solutions late Wednesday in a deal worth $720 million. The combined company could have the c… Read more »
Google Poaches Paramount Executive For Content Role
Google (NSDQ: GOOG) has turned to Hollywood to fill out its content team, hiring Malik Ducard, who is currently senior vice president of dig… Read more »
