Netflix reports surge in subscribers, new price hikes

SAN FRANCISCO - Netflix on Tuesday said it added nearly 19 million subscribers during the holiday season to finish out last year with more than 300 million subscribers.Company executives credited steady investments in shows and films with helping power growth at the streaming behemoth, while announcing it is increasing prices in Argentina, Canada, Portugal and the United States."As we continue to invest in programming and deliver more value for our members, we will occasionally ask our members to pay a little more so that we can re-invest to further improve Netflix," the company said in a letter to investors.Premium and standard memberships in the United States will cost $2 more per month, $25 and $18 respectively, while a standard ad-supported tier will be $8 in an increase of one dollar monthly, according to the company.In the final quarter of 2024, the streaming juggernaut said it logged profit of $1.87 billion on revenue of $10.25-billion that grew double digits from the same period the prior year.Netflix shares jumped more than 14 percent to top $993 in after-market trades."We...

Read More........ → January 31, 2025

Disney to complete takeover of Hulu with $8.6bn deal

NEW YORK - The Walt Disney Company announced it will buy Comcast's $8.6-billion stake in Hulu, completing its takeover of the streaming service.The acquisition will "further Disney's streaming objectives," the company said in a press release, and comes as it strives to boost subscriber numbers at its Disney+ streaming service.The deal values Hulu at $27.5-billion in total, according to Disney, which said the transaction will be concluded by December 1.The California-based entertainment giant already sells Hulu as part of bundled offerings with its Disney+ and ESPN+ platforms.An ad-subsidized bundle of the three services is priced at $15 monthly in the United States, with an ad-free version costing $25 per month.The company will release its latest quarterly earnings next week, providing a look at how its cable and streaming services are doing in the fiercely competitive market.Disney in August reported that Disney+ lost more than 10 million subscribers in the recently ended quarter, in large part in the Indian market.Disney+ finished the second three months of this year with 146.1 million...

Read More........ → November 04, 2023

US President-elect Joe Biden gets COVID vaccine live on TV

Newly elected President of United States Joe Biden has received the first dose of Pfizer’s COVID-vaccine. The scene of Biden’s receiving was broadcasted live on television. At the time, newly elected President Joe Biden made sure all Americans had enough vaccines. At the same time, he urged everyone to get vaccinated, saying he was getting the vaccine to show the Americans “it is safe to take”.'“I’m doing this to demonstrate that people should be prepared when it’s available to take the vaccine,” Joe Biden said from Newark, Delaware, where he vaccinated live on TV. “There’s nothing to worry about.” – reports BBC.He said the Trump administration “deserves some credit” for launching the country's vaccine program.Earlier in the day, Jill Biden, wife of Joe Biden, received her first dose, said the US President-elect.Biden’s running mate, Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff are expected to receive their first shots next week.The Biden team has set a goal of 100 million Covid-19 vaccinations in the US during the administration’s first 100 days in the White...

Read More........ → December 22, 2020

BBC experiments with ‘holographic’ TV

By Chris Forrester: The BBC has showcased an experimental ‘holographic’ TV device that “brings to life” some of its archive footage, ranging from the iconic BBC ident globes to giant dinosaurs. Cyrus Saihan is Head of Digital Partnerships at the BBC and explains more on this exciting project in a posting on the BBC’s Internet Blog site: “Although the famous Princess Leia hologram from Star Wars was set a “long, long time ago”, this type of audience experience might not be that far away. Holographic experiences, like Ultra-High Definition or virtual reality, offer audiences a level of detail and realism that only a short while ago seemed virtually impossible but that are now becoming a reality.” “For our experiment, we used existing technologies and simple techniques to explore ‘holographic’ content. The device that we made also gives us an extremely low-fi and low-cost way to assess how the ‘floating’ images of augmented and mixed reality devices, which aren’t readily available for audience testing, might be used to view BBC content in the future.” He added that the BBC has...

Read More........ → September 24, 2016

New UK homes to have superfast broadband

@flickr.com/photos/107803477@N08/14607738627, CC BY 2.0 . The government has worked with Openreach – BT’s local access network business – and the Home Builders Federation (HBF) on an agreement which aims to deliver superfast broadband connectivity to new build properties in the UK. The new deal will see fibre based broadband offered to all new developments either for free or as part of a co-funded initiative. It is estimated that more than half of all new build properties can be connected to fibre broadband free of charge to developers. As part of the agreement, Openreach is introducing an online planning tool for homebuilders. This will tell them whether properties in a given development can be connected to fibre for free, or if a contribution is needed from the developer to jointly fund the deployment of the local fibre network. Effective immediately, the housing industry will have access to a ‘rate card’ from Openreach which details the fixed cost contributions required by homebuilders in those cases where joint funding is required. Openreach will make a significant contribution...

Read More........ → February 05, 2016

India: 20 UHD channels by 2020

"Videocon d2h in use" by Aravind Sivaraj - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons By Chris Forrester. October 9, 2015: A panel at MIPCOM heard Indian broadcasting experts predict a buoyant future for Ultra-HD channels in India. New 4K programming is coming online now, with three India DTH operators about to show their first 4K Bollywood movie, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, on October 11th. Star India will broadcast the film, while Videocon d2h, Tata Sky and Airtel Digital TV will all show the hit movie which stars India’s top male star Salman Khan. The movie will re-open some of India’s 4K efforts which have stumbled somewhat since the ending of this past winter’s International World Cup cricket coverage. But Videocon d2h’s deputy CEO Rohit Jain said Videocon d2h is very much focusing on innovation as a key differentiator and Ultra-HD is a part of this attempt to be better than its rivals. Star, for example, will not continue with 4K after the movie’s screening, at least for the time being. Videocon d2h is believed to have around 8,000-9,000 4K subscribers and currently its 24/7...

Read More........ → February 04, 2016

BBC Trust call for proper funding process

By BBC (BBC) [Public domain or Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons The BBC Trust is arguing that a proper process for setting the BBC’s funding should be built into the new Charter for the first time. To protect the BBC’s independence, the Trust believes the process needs to be fairer, more transparent, and more accountable, and give the public a formal say in setting the BBC’s funding in future. An independent report commissioned from the Policy Institute at King’s College London shows that over time, there have been successive risks to the independence of the BBC or to the perception of its independence, most recently in the process by which the July 2015 funding agreement was made. It suggests practical ideas to protect independence in the future. The Trust also commissioned reports from Oxford University economist Professor Dieter Helm CBE, and City University’s Dr Xeni Dassiou, to look at the role that independent regulators play in determining funding requirements in other sectors and if there is any possible read-across to the BBC. In its analysis of these reports, the...

Read More........ → January 21, 2016

Adele sketch sets BBC YouTube record

A sketch from BBC One’s Adele at the BBC special has been viewed more than 37 million times in just two weeks, making it the most-watched video ever on the BBC YouTube channel. The comedy sketch – ‘When Adele wasn’t Adele… but was Jenny! – has broken the previous record of 36.9 million views. It became an instant global hit on the BBC YouTube channel after being featured in the programme, a one-off special broadcast on November 20th on BBC One. The television show has now been watched by 5.8 million people and an extended version featuring previously unseen footage will be shown on BBC One on January 1st. The previous Number 1 clip features Will Smith on The Graham Norton Show performing a song medley, including the theme to 90s sitcom Fresh Prince of Bel Air, with his son Jaden Smith, Alfonso Ribero, who played Carlton in the series, and DJ Jazzy Jeff. It has been on the BBC YouTube Channel for over two years and has now been knocked down to second place. Bob Shennan, Director of BBC Music, says: “I’m delighted to see such a phenomenal response to the show in the UK, and to see...

Read More........ → December 05, 2015

Majority of US consumers want single TV app

Nearly 9 out of 10 US pay-TV subscribers (86 per cent) want a single app for all of their video watching, according to data from Altman Vilandrie & Company’s sixth annual survey on consumer video habits. The survey also revealed that 70 per cent of consumers have not downloaded any network or cable channel apps, even as viewers continue to be inundated with more streaming video options. “Consumers are saying that greater choice does not always lead to a better experience,” said Altman Vilandrie & Company Director Jonathan Hurd, who oversaw the survey and released the new data at today’s Streaming Media West conference. “Managing multiple apps across multiple viewing platforms can be challenging and appears to be limiting the market penetration of nearly all TV apps.” Hurd noted that this flooded marketplace opens up further opportunities for cable and satellite TV providers to increase the adoption of TV Everywhere, which allows subscribers to access, typically for free, content online through a single app. However, Hurd noted that a lack of consumer awareness has severely...

Read More........ → November 19, 2015

Where next for Netflix?

As Netflix continues on its quest for global coverage, Futuresource Consulting has identified five key developing markets which present significant opportunity for Netflix and the wider digital video landscape. The firm notes that Netflix has enjoyed enormous success in developed nations and is now looking to emerging markets for continued growth. The advent of digital video is fuelled by growth of broadband infrastructure and connected devices, combined with limited penetration of digital TV services. Such a scenario provides Netflix (or other digital video service) with great potential to establish a robust footprint. Futuresource’s entertainment analysts take an in-depth look at some of these growth opportunities. India: “The Indian digital video market is rapidly emerging,” comments Joanna Wright, Senior Market Analyst at Futuresource. “As of 2014, it accounted for just 15 per cent of home video spend, held back by lacking infrastructure and digital payment methods. Moving forward, compounded annual growths of 70 per cent until 2019 will see digital video escalating in...

Read More........ → October 02, 2015

Sharp to sell world’s first 8K TV

Sharp has confirmed plans to sell an 8K television screen in Japan from October – priced at ¥16 million (about €117,000). Although several companies have developed ‘super hi-vision’ resolution test models, this is the first such TV to be made commercially available. The 8K format provides 16 times as many pixels as 1080p HD and creates an image so detailed that it can appear three-dimensional. Japan’s NHK is the only broadcaster so far to announce plans to create and broadcast 8K content, and the format isn’t expected to be deployed with any sort of regularity until at least 2018. According to Paolo Pescatore, Director, Multiplay and Video at CCS Insight, despite Sharp announcing that it will start selling 8K TVs in October, we are unlikely to see any consumer demand outside of Asia. “This is predominately due to a lack of industry support behind the technology. All eyes are firmly on Japan where the Japanese broadcaster is seeking to introduce 8K content ahead of the Tokyo Olympic games.” “The battle among consumer electronic providers is so ripe that some are looking to steal a...

Read More........ → September 18, 2015

BBC: ‘Red Alert’ on funding

The BBC’s licence fee will be under severe pressure come 2020/2021, according to an analysis of the UK government’s ‘Green Paper’ proposals for funding the public broadcaster. Enders Analysis’s Toby Syfret and Gill Hind, in a report published August 1 by the ‘Our Beeb’ website and which originated as a study by Enders, are blunt and uncompromising. They state that 2020/2021 is key because by then, the full costs of paying the licence fee for Britain’s ‘over 75’ viewers will have kicked in, and will thus represent a fall on “at least 20 percent” in the total funding of the BBC. Indeed, say the pair, it could even be much worse and could represent a dangerous period for the BBC and its commercial rivals, including those depending on subscriptions. Enders Analysis says that this year the BBC receives around £3.8 billion net income from licence fee, BBC Worldwide net revenues and other commercial revenues. Strip out the costs of funding the ‘over 75s’ and that cash inflow could tumble to barely £3 billion by 2020-2021 say Syfret and Hind. “The actual projections for 2020/21 could be...

Read More........ → August 08, 2015

Kantar Media unveils first Twitter TV ratings

Audience measurement specialist Kantar Media has unveiled the UK’s official Twitter metric for measuring Twitter TV audience engagement. Developed with Twitter as part of a global partnership announced last year, the new Kantar Twitter TV Ratings tools will be available from mid-October. The new tool, bringing together geofiltered UK Twitter data with the audience research expertise of Kantar Media, enables broadcasters, media agencies and advertisers to track exactly how Twitter amplifies the power of television. Kantar Twitter TV Ratings will include. Source: Articl...

Read More........ → October 17, 2014

Connected TV ownership hits half a billion

Worldwide ownership of Connected TV Devices (including smart TVs, smart Blu-ray players, IP-enabled game consoles and digital media streamers) grew 7 per cent quarter-on-quarter in Q2 2014 and 34 per cent versus the same period in 2013 to reach 500 million units. The growing demand for devices that facilitate the streaming of online video to the large screen TV is creating a highly competitive environment with no fewer than 16 major technology brands accounting for 90 percent of devices in use according to Strategy Analytics’ Connected Home Devices (CHD) service report, Global Connected TV Device Tracker: Q2 2014. Other key findings from the report include:  One in four Connected TV Devices installed in homes around the world is a Sony branded product while the combined footprint of Sony, Samsung, Nintendo and Microsoft accounts for 60 per cent of all devices in use. Samsung enjoyed the highest unit increase to its installed base of Connected TV Devices during the quarter while Google’s Connected TV Device footprint grew faster than any other brand from Q1 to Q2 2014. Apple...

Read More........ → October 05, 2014

‘Drones’ can be used in US TV production

Getting a licence to fly an unmanned aerial ‘drone’ during a TV or film production has been a real challenge for US production houses, and those in Europe. On September 25th the USA’s Federal Aviation Administration ruled that they do not need certificates of airworthiness, and announced that six well-known specialists would be granted a waiver to operate unmanned aircraft, although the six operators are required to closely observe tight health and safety rules. The restrictions cover the mandatory use of closed sets, and must have a certified ‘pilot’ operating the devices. They are only allowed to fly to 400 feet, and production houses have to inform the FAA of their planned use so that pilots in the area can be alerted. The drones cannot be flown at night. The ‘closed sets’ rule limits the use of drones to scripted productions, and – at least for the time being – forbids their use in unscripted shows where potentially members of the public could be present. ‘Source: Advanced Televisio...

Read More........ → September 27, 2014

Amitabh Bachchan thanks Shah Rukh Khan for his wishes for ‘Yudh’

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who is gearing up for the launch of his debut fiction TV show ‘Yudh’, has thanked superstar Shah Rukh Khan for his wishes for the series. Shah Rukh Khan, 48, had previously taken to Twitter to express his excitement for ‘Yudh’ and said the show will be ‘path breaking’. In return, the 71-year-old actor, said, “Thank you SRK for your wishes for ‘Yudh’. Whether it will be path breaking or not is not known (sic).” The two stars also made plans of a football game as both are big fans of the sport. “Let’s do football one night sir,” Shah Rukh said, to which Amitabh Bachchan replied, “What will be path breaking will be if I can beat you at the PS4 football game that you invite me for!” The two actors, who have worked together in films like ‘Mohabbatein’, ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham’, ‘Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna’, ‘Bhoothnath’ and ‘Bhootnath Returns’. Source: The Indian Expres...

Read More........ → July 24, 2014

Global IPTV subs surpass 100m

Global IPTV subscriptions have topped the 100 million mark for the first time, according to Point Topic. The market grew by 4.8 per cent in the first quarter of 2014, which matched the growth rate achieved in the last quarter of 2013. There were 4.6 million new subscriptions during the Q1 2014 period, taking the total number of subscriptions to 100.9 million. Eastern Europe reported the highest level of IPTV growth in Q1 2014 with net additions of 0.63 million resulting in growth of 11.6 per cent. East Asia, predictably given the size of the market, leads the way for net additions with 2.58 million new subscriptions being added in the quarter, an increase of 5.7 per cent on the Q4 2013 number. The top ten IPTV countries for Q1 2014 remains broadly static although the gap between the UK and the Netherlands is slightly larger than previously, with those two countries having swapped places a couple of times in recent times. 1. China – 32.7 million 2. France – 14.8 million 3. USA – 12.3 million 4. South Korea – 9.1 million 5. Japan – 4.5 million 6. Russian Federation – 3.6 million 7....

Read More........ → July 04, 2014

ITV Player on Windows Phone 8

ITV has announced it has entered a partnership with Microsoft to offer the ITV Player app on the leading manufacturer’s Windows Phone 8 devices. The ITV Player app provides customers with access to the last thirty days of ITV’s catch-up content across ITV, ITV2, ITV3, ITV4 and CITV. The app will enable viewers to catch up on their favourite ITV programmes on the move, and will be available to download for free from the Widows Phone Store from today. The app will also allow Windows customers to watch ITV’s family of channels live via simulcast, meaning they never need to miss their favourite ITV shows. Paul Kanareck, Director of Online and Brands at ITV, said: “We are very excited to have launched the ITV Player app on Windows Phone 8 devices. Mobile is becoming an increasingly important route for audiences to access our content with over 50 per cent of long form requests for the ITV Player coming from mobiles and tablets in 2013. We will continue to expand our reach across suitable devices going forward.” Leila Martine, Director, Windows Phone at Microsoft said: “On Windows Phone...

Read More........ → May 30, 2014

US online entertainment powerhouse Netflix to move into six major European countries

US online entertainment powerhouse Netflix said Tuesday it will offer streaming movies and television in France, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland and Luxembourg by the end of the year. "Upon launch, broadband users in these countries can subscribe to Netflix and instantly watch a curated selection of Hollywood, local and global TV series and movies," the company said. Source: Voice Of Russi...

Read More........ → May 21, 2014

In Conversation with Hemant Pandey for his upcoming film Rajula

Hemant Pandey has played the character of ‘Puran Mama’ in the ongoing film ‘Rajula’ which is based on the famous folk tale of Uttarakhand, Rajula-Malushahi and the film has been just released under PVR Director's Rare cut. Hailing from the theater background, Hemant Pandey, has proved his talent in the field of acting. The veteran actor, known for his famous role of Pandeyji in TV series ‘Office Office, has also worked in big banner films like Krrish, Ready, Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai, Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein, etc. The most recent film in which he acted is ‘2 Nights in Soul Valley’ which was released in 2012. Hemant is known for playing comedy character role but here he played a negative character, spoke to Santanu Ganguly, in an exclusive interview: 1. First thing first tell us something more about your character ‘Puran Mama’ in an upcoming film ‘Rajula’…As you know I belong to Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand and when Manoj Chandola came to me with the concept I instantly said, yes. From childhood we grew up hearing the 700 years old folk tale Rajula-Malushahi and I was getting the chance...

Read More........ → May 17, 2014