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Our Latest Issues
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Tuesday
Friday 5th December
Sky launches Sky Player TV
Sky’s Darroch attacks UK broadcast regulations
Time-shift TV means growing video server market
Spain takes the DTT bull by its horns
BBC iPlayer, 1m views a day
Cable operators must reinvent VOD services
Viasat airs Champions League in Bulgaria
Over 3m IPTV subs in Japan by 2012
Sirius XM sees Q4 growth
Nielsen second-by-second viewership data
Mobile DTV Alliance forms key liaison
OpenTV expands HOT offering in Israel
TBC selects Nagravision
NXP platform brings HD to mid-range TVs
Magnolia content management solution
Sky launches Sky Player TVSky has launched Sky Player TV to the consumer. For the first time, UK viewers can now access pay TV content online without the need to subscribe to an existing TV platform.
The service builds on the success of Sky Player which launched in January 2006 as the first legal online movie download service. New Sky Player TV customers can choose from three online subscription packages to suit their needs. In addition to live channels, customers can also enjoy access to some on-demand programming from the channels they subscribe to.
The Entertainment Pack initially offers access to Disney Channel, British Eurosport, National Geographic Channel, Sky News, and Sky Sports News. Customers can add to their Entertainment Pack by subscribing to one or both of the Sky Sports Packs to access Sky Sports 1, 2, 3, and Sky Sports Xtra. Later in December, MTV Networks UK & Ireland’s channels MTV ONE, Nickelodeon and Nick Jr will join the Entertainment Pack. Further channel launches, including additions from the rest of the Sky channel portfolio, will follow in the New Year.
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Sky’s Darroch attacks UK broadcast regulationsBSkyB chief executive Jeremy Darroch has hit out at UK broadcasting regulation, claiming that it is marked by "interventionist micro-management." Speaking at a Royal Television Society event, Darroch alleged there is an assumption among media regulators that "change is not just threatening – it’s wrong", adding, "[it seems to be] the task of government and Ofcom to restore the equilibrium - and then preserve it for as long as possible."
However, he argued that maintaining this status quo is not attractive, insisting that "to someone like me, who comes from sectors where progress is driven by relentless, sometimes brutal competition and demanding customers, its attractions seem pretty limited".
BSkyB has grappled with numerous regulatory and legal challenges in recent months.
Darroch, who became BSkyB chief executive last December, went on to claim that in virtually every other aspect of British life, "it is taken as read that an open, free and competitive marketplace is in the best interests of the consumer. But the older tradition of interventionist micro-management persists in broadcasting".
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Time-shift TV means growing video server marketAs more content becomes available for free online, carriers are increasingly investing in Video On Demand and time-shifting services. This trend towards time-shifted television viewing has helped produce a shift from schedule-based TV broadcasting to on-demand distribution. Time-shifting has created a new opportunity for operators to acquire and retain new customers, and has enabled several applications such as "catch up TV," "pause live TV," and nPVR (network personal video recording) capabilities.
"VOD and server-based time shifting are attractive services for consumers and give carriers a cost-effective weapon in combating the new offerings consumers find outside of traditional pay-TV services," says ABI Research director Michael Wolf. "This overall push for greater consumer control over viewing through time-shifted and on-demand content will have a direct impact on the success of those selling video servers and related infrastructure." Time-shifted TV has led to an increase in the amount of content, which also has an impact on storage requirements. Additionally, a continued transition to high-definition content will result in increased demand for video server capacity over time.
"Carriers continue to invest in VOD services and to expand network capability," adds Wolf. "Those server vendors that design and develop products able to handle this expansion in both content and storage, and to make services available to consumers effectively, are best positioned to garner this business."
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Spain takes the DTT bull by its horns
From David Del Valle in MadridThe Ministry of Industry is spending E6 million on a massive media campaign to promote DTT and turn DTT devices as the main Christmas present this year.
Under the motto Que no te pille el toro (literally do not let a bull gore you meaning be ready not to be taken by surprise), including a web page www.quenotepilleeltoro.es the campaign, in the press, and on TV and radio, encourages citizens to jump on the DTT bandwagon and buy DTT devices as Christmas presents.
In the TV spots, there are people who condemn the Spanish custom of leaving everything till the last minute and urge people to get ready for the analogue switch-off to be completed in April 2010, with some regions to switch over by mid next year and by year end.
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Jana Bennett, Director, BBC Vision, has announced that the BBC television portfolio was set to deliver a strong performance for 2008, complemented by a highly successful first year for BBC iPlayer.
Total requests for BBC iPlayer views online are 237 million (to the end of November) with a further 61 million TV requests to view via Virgin Media (to the end of October). In November, there were over 35 million requests to view online and, on average, over a million requests to view each day during the month.
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Cable operators must reinvent VOD servicesAs demand falters for conventional video-on-demand (VOD) services, cable operators need to deploy new technologies that can enable a new generation of on-demand services to compete with other broadband video options, according to the latest report published by Light Reading's Cable Industry Insider.
The report examined the prospects for the US cable industry's next-generation on-demand plans, the challenges that cable MSOs face on the VOD service front, and the technologies that are available to deliver advanced on-demand services that can compete more effectively for customer attention.
"Cable VOD is in danger of being swept aside by a rising wave of video that is available online," notes Craig Leddy, research analyst. "Even though business models have yet to be proven, broadband video is stealing the spotlight from conventional cable VOD and appealing to a new generation of viewers."
Although prospects for conventional VOD are dimming, the potential for a new generation of cable on-demand services is growing brighter, Leddy says. "Cable operators are building the foundation for an expansion of on-demand capabilities through bandwidth optimisation technologies," he explains. "New content management solutions and video processing techniques are creating the means to increase on-demand content and utilise all of cable's distribution platforms, so that on-demand capability is no longer relegated to a siloed service."
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Viasat airs Champions League in Bulgaria
Viasat Broadcasting has acquired live UEFA Champions League football broadcasting rights for Bulgaria from the 2009/2010 season until the end of the 2011/2012 championship in the spring of 2012. The new rights will be broadcast on the Diema channel, which is already the current broadcaster of the English Premier League.
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Over 3m IPTV subs in Japan by 2012In its latest report entitled ‘Japan IPTV Market Outlook’, ROA Group has projected that the number of IPTV subscribers in Japan will exceed 3 million by 2012, which is approximately 10 per cent of FTTH subscribers. The penetration rate of IPTV is expected to be 6 per cent. It is also estimated that the average growth rate will reach 65 per cent from 2006 to 2012.
Japan is an entry level market with an estimated 400,000 IPTV subscribers in 2008, but the full-fledged use of the IPTV service will expand to the major cities across the country from 2009 and increase sharply in 2010, says Seong Ho Kim, analyst at ROA Group.
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Sirius XM sees Q4 growthSirius XM Radio’s Chief Executive Mel Karmazin has said that he sees fourth-quarter revenues growing and is confident the company can refinance debt due in 2009. The satellite radio provider will also be able to boost revenues in 2009 and has no immediate plans to cut its subscription prices, even in the midst of the economic recession, he told the Reuters Media Summit.
Sirius XM, created by the merger of Sirius and XM Satellite Radio, is the biggest US. satellite radio provider and one of the nation's biggest subscription services with about 18.9 million subscribers.
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Nielsen second-by-second viewership dataTelevision audience tracking firm the Nielsen Company has begun offering second-by-second viewership data to the first TV client to sign up for the service, providing insight into how many viewers watch each commercial.
Nielsen's deal with the National Geographic Channel comes as the company, which for years has offered minute-by-minute data, faces pressure from advertisers for more effective ways to track viewership of commercials. "This is not a revolution, but it's an important step forward in the ability to provide insight," said Gary Holmes, a spokesman for Nielsen. The data will help advertisers tell if viewers tune out in the middle of their commercial, and to decide if their ad is best placed at the beginning, middle or end of a commercial break, Holmes said.
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Mobile DTV Alliance forms key liaisonThe Mobile DTV Alliance today announced that it has formed a strategic liaison with the Broadcast Mobile Convergence Forum (bmcoforum) in order to better address the needs of key stakeholders in the expanding mobile digital TV market. The bmcoforum is an international non-profit organisation focused on developing an open market environment for mobile broadcast services. The MDTVA also announced the signing of an agreement with the Global Certification Forum (GCF). The GCF is an active partnership between network operators, device manufacturers and the test industry.
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OpenTV expands HOT offering in IsraelOpenTV, provider of solutions for advanced television services, has announced that HOT in Israel has launched OpenTV Core2 to power the operator’s new high definition television services. "The industry is seeing a transition to the next generation of services such as High Definition, and Core2 continues to demonstrate its capabilities in supporting advanced digital television launches around the world," said Mike Ivanchenko, OpenTV’s Senior Vice President of Worldwide Sales. OpenTV Core2 provides HOT with a base to move forward to the next generation of services and hardware without having to worry about migration issues."
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TBC selects NagravisionNagravision has revealed that Taiwan Broadband Communications (TBC) has selected Nagravision to secure and provide integration services for its all digital MPEG-4 cable TV system. As the systems integrator, Nagravision will provide an end-to-end solution, from an MPEG4 headend that includes Nagravision’s conditional access system (CAS), to High Definition-ready set-top boxes. This comprehensive solution paves the way for the smooth delivery and commissioning of the platform, and ensures TBC is able to launch its new digital TV service on time in the first quarter 2009.
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NXP platform brings HD to mid-range TVsNXP has unveiled a new global single-chip LCD TV platform, which allows viewers to enjoy HD digital TV and Internet content with on mid-range TVs. The new NXP TV550 platform, which features the PNX85500 processor and integrates NXP’s proprietary Motion Accurate Picture Processing (MAPP2) technology, allows manufacturers to offer a range of advanced high definition TV features only previously available in high-end sets.
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Magnolia content management solutionMagnolia, the Open Source content management vendor that delivers simplicity on an enterprise scale, has launched Magnolia-on-Air, a new dedicated solution for broadcasters and organisations looking to manage their own broadcast content over the internet. The workflow within Magnolia-on-Air allows users to capture broadcast content and rapidly repurpose it for publication on the web by providing a seamless environment for transferring content between professional broadcast systems and a feature-rich interactive web-presence.
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Thursday 4th December
Kangaroo bounced by Competition Commission
Cyfrowy Polsat MVNO with Nokia Siemens
Abertis and TVE sign first satellite DTT agreement
DVR traction outside the US
MySpace mobile videos
YouTube seeking content monetisation
Sling.com launches
UK leading EU nation for DVRs
J:COM high-spec STB
Olympic broadcast rights row
Nokia acquires Symbian
Miniweb earns first page slot on Sky IMM
Kangaroo bounced by Competition Commission
From Colin Mann in LondonThe Competition Commission (CC) has provisionally concluded that the proposed video on demand (VOD) joint venture between the BBC through BBC Worldwide Limited (BBCW), ITV plc (ITV) and Channel Four Television Corporation (C4)—UKVOD, also known as ‘Project Kangaroo’—will restrict competition in the supply of VOD services in the UK.
In a summary of the provisional findings, the CC has concluded that the joint venture is likely to result in a substantial lessening of competition (SLC) in the supply of UK TV VOD content at the wholesale and retail levels. The CC does not, however, expect the joint venture to lead to an SLC in online advertising or content acquisition. The full report will be published shortly.
UKVOD is proposing to provide a ‘one-stop-shop’ for UK TV VOD. The web-based service will provide viewers with the opportunity to access recently-aired (catch-up) programmes as well as archive content. Catch-up content will continue to be available on the broadcasters’ individual websites, so a key element of UKVOD will be access to archive programming.
Peter Freeman, CC Chairman and Chairman of the inquiry group, said that Video on Demand was a relatively new and rapidly expanding medium and that "UKVOD clearly has much to offer." He said, however, that the Commission was concerned that a loss of rivalry between BBCW, ITV and C4C, who are normally regarded as close competitors, could restrict existing and future competition for VOD. "Whatever benefits viewers would gain from this rivalry would clearly be lost," he added.
He said that evidence suggested that domestic content was key to being able to offer strong competition to UKVOD’s proposed service. "The parties control most of that content, putting them in a powerful position in relation to competitors and viewers. We think that it would be difficult to obtain content from third parties to match UKVOD’s offer in scale or attractiveness."He also suggested that UKVOD would have the ability and incentive to impose unfavourable terms when licensing domestic content to rival VOD providers. "At the extreme, UKVOD might withhold content from its rivals altogether. Any reduction in access to content would be likely to impact unfavourably on viewers" he concluded.
The CC is now seeking comments on how to address the loss of competition and its adverse effects for viewers and will hold further hearings with the main and interested parties before publishing its final decision on the competition issues and remedies. The deadline for the final report is 8 February 2009.
The UKVOD partners said they welcome the Commission’s recognition that "UKVOD clearly has much to offer," and confirmed that they would continue to make the case for a service that will be both in vast majority free and non-exclusive, and of great benefit and value to British consumers. "The shareholders remain committed to engaging with the Commission and will continue to work towards launching the service next year," they said.
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Cyfrowy Polsat MVNO with Nokia Siemens
Cyfrowy Polsat, Poland’s largest digital satellite pay television platform has launched mobile phone services, based on its own telecommunications infrastructure using network solutions from Nokia Siemens Networks.
Under a five-year contract, Nokia Siemens Networks has supplied a complete MVNO platform, comprising packet core equipment, applications and network management tools as well as a broad range of services to allow Cyfrowy Polsat to offer new consumer services. Currently, the system is ready to serve some 200,000 end-users of the new service and the agreement provides for possible extensions of the telecommunications platform functionality to adapt it to a growing number of subscribers.
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Abertis and TVE sign first satellite DTT agreement
From David Del Valle in MadridSpain's state-owned channel TVE and the telco carrier Abertis Telecom have signed an agreement to extend the channel's DTT coverage to 100 per cent of the Spanish population of which 1.5 per cent will be made available via satellite.
Under this agreement, Abertis will re-use TVE's satellite signals already into operation to distribute its DTT channels beyond the Government-imposed condition of a 98.5 per cent coverage. The telco company will adapt the existing CAS (Conditional Access System) for the necessary set-top-boxes.
Abertis Telecom is making the same proposition to other nationwide and even regional broadcasters to extend their DTT coverage (in the case of private TV channels with a nationwide coverage they are obliged to reach a minimum coverage of 96%). The move comes at a time when SES Astra is intensifying its fight against Abertis Telecom and the Spanish Administration over satellite DTT distribution.
The company is challenging DTT public tenders in Madrid and Catalonia arguing that the specifications of the tenders do not mention the satellite distribution to complete the DTT coverage paving the way for a monopoly of Abertis, responsible for DTT signals and main shareholder in Hispasat. The Luxembourg-based company accuses the Spanish Administration of helping out its main competitor in the market Hispasat, controlled by Abertis with a 33.4% stake, to win contracts to distribute DTT via satellite in those areas with poor DTT coverage.
The company recently challenged the DTT tender in Castilla y Leon and is also taking the Regional Government of Cantabria, north of Spain, to Court for cancelling a recent contract to distribute via satellite the DTT signal to the whole region. SES Astra has even announced that it will ask the European Commission for legal protection.
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Although the US is still by far the largest market for digital video recorders (DVRs), with nearly 12 million units shipped in 2007, uptake in Europe is gaining momentum. IMS Research estimates that in 2007, the DVR market in Europe grew by 87 per cent, reaching 6 million units shipped in 2007. Asia Pacific accounted for an estimated 1.4 million units in 2007 and is forecast to see the strongest compounded annual growth over the next five years.
Based on a study on the Worldwide Market for DVRs, IMS Research forecasts the worldwide DVR market at 95.6 million units shipped in 2013, of which Europe is expected to account for 34 per cent. Shipments in North America are forecast to make up a similar share that year. Anna Hunt, Research Director at IMS and report author states, "One of the key drivers behind DVR rollouts in Europe has been satellite’s response to competition from digital cable and IPTV." She adds, "Now that many European consumers know what a DVR is, we can expect word-of-mouth to propel significant growth over the next five years."
As of late 2008, most leading pay-TV operators in Europe were offering a DVR service. IMS Research forecasts that by 2013, about 103 million European TV households will be using a DVR set-top box.
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MySpace mobile videosMySpace is launching a new streaming video service for mobiles, which will allow its members to watch all MySpace-hosted videos on a range of multimedia phones. MySpace is using technology by RipCode that works in real-time and can play video out across multiple handsets, screen sizes and playback specifications.
MySpace claims 10 million unique users access its mobile site each month globally generating 3 billion page views. The new video feature will roll out internationally in beta.
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YouTube seeking content monetisation
YouTube director of content partnerships Jordan Hoffner has outlined its plans to monetise its content to a B&C conference in New York. YouTube is taking a number of different approaches to build its revenue stream, hoping to capitalise on its market dominance.
The site has struck a number of deals with professional content providers in the past few months, and Hoffner says the company’s number one priority in 2009 is getting that content in front of viewers. The vast library of user-generated content (UGC) is the key he says, using the example of a video featuring a skateboarding cat.
"The companies say they want to be away from the cat on the skateboard," Hoffner said, "but it is your friend, because the cat on the skateboard is what gets you your traffic. The trick is, how do you get the premium content in front of the audiences watching the UGC."
One of the ways YouTube is trying to achieve that is through VideoID, fingerprinting software that lets participating content owners remove, track or place ads on their content that can be uploaded by users.
Once viewers find that professional content, YouTube is trying a number of approaches to monetize it. In addition to more standard lower-third ads and ads next to videos, the company is placing a focus on click-to-buy and co-branded entertainment opportunities. As an example, he says that a three-year-old best-of Monty Python DVD set went from being the 10,000 most purchased item on Amazon.com to number 5 a week after the British comedy troupe started posting clips on YouTube, with a referral to Amazon.
"If people want to see the last episode of Ugly Betty they know they can go to ABC.com, but on the other side, we can compete by getting into everyone’s old favorite [TV shows] and feature films," he said. "Given the audience and how big it is, do we essentially become the museum of broadcasting? Do you start doing deals for libraries?"
With YouTube’s recent deal with CBS, classic episodes of shows such as MacGyver and Star Trek are already available on the site, and Hoffner says more content deals are coming.
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Sling.com launchesSling Media, a wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation has confirmed the public launch of Sling.com, an online video entertainment destination. Users can go to Sling.com to watch a selection of clips, TV shows, films, news and sports in high quality, for free, anytime they want. This includes video programming from over 90 content providers spanning 150 content brands.
Sling is best known for Sling Box which allows users to watch their pay-TV online wherever they are.
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UK leading EU nation for DVRsThe UK is the first European nation to adopt digital video recorders (DVRs) in significant numbers, according to international research firm Parks Associates' study ‘Entertainment 2.0 in Europe’.
This five-country study examined entertainment trends across Europe and found over one-third of UK broadband households own a DVR. British households are also more likely than other European DVR households to record programmes and skip commercials. At the same time, DVR use has not completely replaced use of broadcast TV. Even young UK consumers with a DVR continue to watch broadcast TV more often than recorded programmes.
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Jupiter Telecommunications has announced that it will start offering a new HDR Plus service, delivered via an advanced STB across all service areas from December 17th. The new STB model "TZ-DCH8000" features an enhanced DVD drive with high-definition video recording capability as well as an expanded 500 gigabyte hard disk. HDR Plus will allow users to record up to 80 hours in digital high-definition video or 887 hours in standard definition. It also provides customers with approximately four times more recording capacity compared to conventional HDR Service. J:COM will offer HDR Plus to all of its Digital TV Service4 customers for an additional fee of E10.7 per month.
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Olympic broadcast rights rowTalks between the International Olympic Committee and the European Broadcasting Union over the rights to cover the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, and the as-yet-to-be-awarded 2016 Summer Olympics have broken down with the broadcasters accusing the Olympic chiefs of "high financial expectations".
"As far as we are concerned the bid has been rejected and so we are out of the game. Our offer was the maximum we could pay," a EBU spokeswoman said. The IOC will now negotiate with individual European broadcasters separately.
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Nokia acquires SymbianNokia has completed its acquisition of Symbian Limited. Symbian is the software company that develops and licenses Symbian OS, the market-leading open operating system for mobile devices. The closing of the offer is a fundamental step in the establishment of the Symbian Foundation, announced in June by Nokia, together with AT&T, LG Electronics, Motorola, NTT DOCOMO, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, ST-NXP Wireless, Texas Instruments and Vodafone.
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Miniweb earns first page slot on Sky IMMMiniweb, the Interactive Service Provider, has confirmed that its TV Key service can now be accessed through the first page of the Interactive menu on Sky Digital, operated by BSkyB.
The Miniweb service shares the Sky Interactive Main Menu (Sky IMM) with Sky’s own interactive content and the move further strengthens Miniweb’s TV Key and Key & See services, enabling viewers to access interactive destinations with a remote control, quickly and easily. The Miniweb Interactive Service Platform delivers alternative ‘red button’ service to all broadcasters in a more cost effective way, allowing viewers on any Sky channel to quickly reach their interactive entertainment content.
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Wednesday 3rd December
Boxer delivers IPTV service
Time Warner CFO predicts woe
Gaming consoles prime for video services
Home entertainment is counter-cyclical
Fox signs BT Vision deal
American football drives HDTV sales
France broadband figures
UPC Ireland and Nagravision settle court proceedings
UKTV hires Porritt
Sony’s AXN expands reach in Russia
Visible World and Ensequence expand advertising solutions
Boxer delivers IPTV serviceSwedish DTT platform Boxer has unveiled its IPTV service. The pay-TV operator has launched on four small broadband networks around the country as part of its strategy to reach a larger audience through different distribution technologies.
"We have long said that we should use multiple TV platforms, and TV over broadband is a part of this strategy," said Per Norman, CEO of Boxer. "We will offer our services to more households because the customers see us as a well-known and reliable company with services that are easy to use."
In the first phase of the project, 3,000 homes will be able to receive the Boxer IPTV, offering 75 channels and the option to order movies on demand via Boxer's portal.
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Time Warner CFO predicts woeTime Warner Cable will likely sell fewer than expected video, Internet and phone subscriptions this year, and expects a further decline next year due to the worsening US economy, Chief Financial Officer Rob Marcus said.
"In 2008, we're on track to deliver less than 2.5 million additional revenue-generating units," Marcus told the Reuters Media Summit adding that that was less than originally anticipated. Time Warner has sold around 2.1 million RGUs in the first three quarters of 2008, implying that it expects to add 400,000 RGUs in the fourth quarter.
Time Warner Cable said on its third-quarter earnings call last month that it saw a slowdown in customers signing up for premium services, such as digital video recorders and pay-per-view TV.
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Gaming consoles prime for video servicesAccording to a report from researcher TDG game consoles such as Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Sony’s PS3 are evolving into multimedia gateways with legitimate non-gaming media arsenals. Armed with the growing video libraries of Xbox LIVE and the Playstation Network, these consoles can deliver on-demand video services with content similar to local cable or satellite TV operators. Though similar efforts have failed (largely because they relied on consumers to buy yet another set-top box), the model and the timing seem to favour the console-based approach.
"There is a bit of a value vacuum‚ developing around today’s PayTV offerings," noted Colin Dixon, TDG’s practice manager for broadband media and report co-author. "Rising dissatisfaction with service value, the lack of flexibility implicit in tiered strategies, and a growing interest in watching online video on the TV have combined to create a unique opportunity for alternative video services an opportunity not at all lost on console vendors."
"Microsoft and Sony know that today’s console gamers are perfectly suited for new TV offerings. The segment is dominated by males between the ages of 18 and 35 a prised advertising demographic with little sense of loyalty to their local‚ cable or telephone company. They are also heavy viewers of online video and quite comfortable spending money for online digital media. Simply stated, console vendors are inimitably positioned for success in the OTT space because their gaming audience already owns the enabling device, and they are highly likely to already have an Internet-to-TV relationship with the vendor."
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Home entertainment is counter-cyclicalA national survey, commissioned by Verizon, of 1,026 American adults has found that a majority (57 per cent) plan to spend more time at home turning to their television instead of events outside the home during the economic crisis. And while this would seem to indicate that American families are stinting on entertainment, in fact, the opposite may be true.
Recent advances in television technology have made "home enterstayment" a way for many families to stretch their entertainment dollars while increasing their entertainment options and time together.
"Staying at home no longer means your entertainment options are limited," said Shruti Joshi, director of marketing for Verizon. "As families continue to look for ways to manage their budgets, they're realising that by staying home they actually have more choices, more control and more time together. For example, even in this economy, over the last two months, we see strong growth in FiOS TV video-on-demand sales."
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Fox signs BT Vision dealTwentieth Century Fox has signed an agreement giving BT video-on-demand rights to a range of new and classic movie titles for BT’s digital TV service, BT Vision. From 15th December 2008, BT Vision customers can enjoy, on demand, hit movies from the Twentieth Century Fox library. All Twentieth Century Fox movies on BT Vision will be available on a pay-per-view basis.
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American football drives HDTV sales
HDTV manufacturer Samsung has revealed that a survey found American football to be the most popular sport to influence HDTV purchases among sports fans in America. The survey from Kelton Research revealed that more than half (54 per cent) of all football fans would most likely purchase a new HDTV for the start of football season if their budget allowed. Football had the highest purchasing influence for HDTVs over all other fan favourites, including baseball (9 per cent) and basketball (7 per cent).
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France broadband figuresARCEP has published the figures for the 3rd quarter of broadband in
France. On 30th September 2008, France has 17.125 million broadband subscribers, including 16.3 million in ADSL. The park is increasing by 16 per cent over the year (2.3 million subscribers).
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UPC Ireland and Nagravision settle court proceedingsUPC Ireland and Nagravision have reached a settlement of court proceedings against an illegal distributor. This brings to a conclusion a prolonged investigation which originally commenced in November 2006.
Operation Gaelic, a covert investigation, revealed an extensive distribution network in Ireland managed by Thomas Roddy which involved the sale of illegal digital boxes and distribution of software codes that give access to digital TV subscription channels for free.
Robert Dunn, CEO of UPC Ireland said: "Some ambivalence may exist in public opinion as to the seriousness of the crime of TV piracy. This may appear to be a victimless offence, but in reality this causes substantial damage to legitimate Irish enterprises which has an impact on people’s livelihoods. Like any black market activity, this act has serious financial consequences for the economy as a whole. UPC is aware that these fraudsters have a wide ranging underground distribution network which supports this illegal activity. Some consumers using these boxes on our network may be unaware that this is a civil wrong and criminal offence under Irish law. This investigation has also disclosed detailed intelligence of Roddy’s Irish distribution chain and individuals that purchased from this source. UPC is currently considering next steps as part of its ongoing anti –piracy investigations."
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UKTV hires PorrittUKTV has hired Keith Porritt as executive director for commercial operations. Porritt, who will start his job in the new year, will have responsibility for managing UKTV's relationships with programme suppliers, handle legal and business affairs and lead all commercial activity outside advertising sales.
This will include handling the relationship with BBC Worldwide, the corporation's commercial arm, which jointly owns UKTV with Virgin Media and supplies much of its programming.
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Sony’s AXN expands reach in RussiaSony Pictures Television International (SPTI), announced that AXN Sci-Fi, its dedicated science fiction channel which launched in Russia early this year is now available in over two million households across the CIS. The announcement follows the signing of recent distribution agreements with digital satellite TV provider NTV Plus and with IPTV provider, Stream.
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Visible World and Ensequence expand advertising solutions
Visible World and Ensequence have revealed a solution that offers media companies and advertisers a comprehensive advertising product that provides addressability, measurement and interactivity through a single platform using the ETV/EBIF standard.
By leveraging the ETV/EBIF industry standard, interactive television advertising content can now be delivered to a specific target audience through Ensequence's interactive television platform and Visible World's intelliSpot Connect platform, an addressable network that enables advertisers to target their ads by household, geography or content. Reporting is provided by intelliSpo Insight, which enables advertisers to verify and evaluate the performance of campaigns.
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Tuesday 2nd December
Phorm falling apart?
MTVHND goes global
Overlay video ads not significantly intrusive
France steps up DTT expansion
Al Jazeera expands Turkish presence
Online ads uphold ASA rules
Joost launches on iPhone
J:COM buys Taito
Ericsson selects Viaccess
Etisalat becomes shareholder of SoftAtHome
Sony aids RAI move to HD
Phorm falling apart?
Phorm, the behavioural advertising platform, is under pressure as its four board members Stephen Meyer, Virasb Vahidi, David Dorman and Christopher Lawrence have quit "with immediate effect". Phorm said the four "take this action as a result of differences with CEO Kent Ertugrul as to the management and future direction of the company".To replace them in come former Conservative chancellor Norman Lamont, Broadband Stakeholder Group chairman Kip Meek, Fairfax Investment Bank chairman Stefan Allesch-Taylor and investment management firm Gordian Knot’s MD Stephen Partridge-Hicks.
Phorm’s first half losses leaped from £10 million (E12.7m) to £15.1 million and, despite raising £32 million in March, it needs to generate some income. In February it had recruited three ISPs, Virgin Media, TalkTalk and BT but since then only BT has actually trialed the targeting technology; Virgin is awaiting the results and others potential partners like Guardian.co.uk and Orange have walked away over privacy concerns.
Meanwhile, the Crown Prosecution Service is looking in to whether BT and Phorm conducted their initial 2006 and 2007 trials unlawfully. It has been cleared once but now authorities are looking again after a private prosecution was lodged by privacy campaigners.
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MTVHND goes globalViacom’s MTV Networks International has announced the second wave of countries to launch its first ever international high definition service dedicated to music and kids, MTVNHD (MTV Networks High Definition). The 24-hour, English language channel will premiere before the end of 2008 in ten new countries including the UK (through Sky) and Israel (HOT) and for the first time, will launch across Latin America in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, Caribbean Islands and Uruguay (DirecTV Panamericana).
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Overlay video ads not significantly intrusiveA study of user reactions to advertising within video has revealed no evidence to suggest such ads would adversely affect users’ relationship with ITV’s local website. Of 1200 people surveyed about overlay advertising currently being trialed on ITV Local, just 9 per cent claimed it detracted from their overall viewing experience – lower than with pre roll advertising (14 per cent).
The survey by ITV’s Consumer research and insight department quizzed those who stated an interest in local news & information online and measured the impact of different ad formats using a net promoter score (NPS) - a measure of how likely a user is to recommend a website to a friend or relative. Each respondent was randomly allocated one of four video clips, each of which differed only in the type of advertising it contained: a pre roll ad, a pre roll ad with a countdown, a Keystream overlay ad and no advertising at all. No one format generated a significantly higher Net Promoter Score than any other and all ad formats generated an NPS similar to or higher than (but not significantly so) a video with no advertising.
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France steps up DTT expansionFrance’s broadcasting watchdog, the Conseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel (CSA), has revealed the opening dates for 77 new transmitters which will be used for digital terrestrial television (DTT) broadcasts. The sites will come into service between November 30th and 19th December 2008.
According to the CSA, the pace of DTT deployment of has stepped up a gear. These 77 new areas complement the 55 already brought into service in 2008. By the end of 2008, DTT will serve nearly 53 million inhabitants, some 87 per cent of the metropolitan population.
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Al Jazeera expands Turkish presenceThe Al Jazeera Network has launched its English and Arabic news channels on Turksat's new digital cable platform. The launch of the Al Jazeera channels on Turksat will substantially increase Al Jazeera’s presence in this important market where the Network already broadcasts to over eight million households.
"The continued expansion of our reach in Turkey is integral to our growth in the region and our international distribution efforts," said Phil Lawrie, Al Jazeera Network’s Director of Global Distribution. "This new digital cable platform will allow our viewers in the region to watch our ground breaking channel in high quality and will be accessible to all subscribers of Turksat’s ‘big basic’ package."
Bridging Europe and Asia, and with a population of 70 million, Turkey is at the heart of world affairs and a key market for the Network. Both Al Jazeera English and Al Jazeera Arabic are already carried on Turksat's free-to-air satellite DTH platform (reaching 6m households) and Al Jazeera English is carried on Digiturk's DTH service (reaching 2m households).
Al Jazeera English reaches over 130 million households worldwide and Al Jazeera Arabic is available in over 50 million homes across the globe.
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Online ads uphold ASA rulesA report by the Advertising Standards Authority - the UK advertising regulator - has found that companies are sticking to digital marketing rules. However, 70 per cent of complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority about online ad practices are not covered by the current regulatory regime.
The ASA's compliance report, the first into internet advertising, found that out of a survey of 551 digital ads, 97 per cent complied with the non-broadcast advertising code. Just 16 appeared to breach the self-regulation rules set down by the ASA - with 10 of these breaches in the health and beauty sector.
The ASA said it was concerned by the "relatively low" compliance rate of the digital ads surveyed in this sector – 72 per cent - adding that it would be "scrutinising" the health and beauty sector closely from now on. Email marketing and sponsored search accounted for the majority of the breaches found by the ASA.
Overall, the survey found that no viral, podcast or mobile marketing ad campaign broke the compliance rules.
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Joost launches on iPhoneJoost, the OTT video service, has launched an iPhone application, making its P2P web TV service available on the go. With the application, iPhone users can watch Joost’s content library of more than 46,000 videos on the go for free.
The service streams video over Wi-Fi connections and not over the phone’s EDGE or 3G network. The content available is a mix of full-length movies, music videos and TV shows.
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J:COM buys TaitoJupiter Telecommunications (J:COM), the largest multiple system operator in Japan has acquired 97.9 per cent of the total outstanding shares in the Jyohoku New Media. As a result of the purchase, Taito Cable Television has now become a consolidated subsidiary of J:COM.
J:Com said that it expected the deal to expand its reach in the area to over 20 per cent.
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Ericsson selects ViaccessViaccess, the conditional access company and telecommunications provider Ericsson have signed an agreement for Viaccess to provide security software and services in support of IMS-based IPTV solutions. TV technology providers have begun to integrate their consumer devices, content protection solutions, video servers and applications software with the new Ericsson IPTV solution, an open, carrier-class ecosystem that is designed to drive the future of converged and blended communications and entertainment services.
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Etisalat becomes shareholder of SoftAtHome
Etisalat and France Telecom have signed a co-operation agreement covering Digital Home services, content, international networks and Enterprise solutions. Etisalat will acquire a 16.6 per cent stake of SoftAtHome, a joint venture launched by Thomson, Sagem and France Telecom to develop software solutions for triple-play services in the Digital Home. Etisalat will adopt SoftAtHome solutions for its future broadband deployments. Both groups will collaborate on the roll out of multiple-play solutions from the technical and marketing point of view.
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Sony aids RAI move to HDRadiotelevisione Italiana (RAI) has announced a major investment in XDCAM High Definition technology that will see the Italian public broadcaster transition to an HD infrastructure over a three year period. The deal will see 180 of Sony’s High-end PDW-700 camcorders and 180 PDW-HD1500 decks used across the organisation’s entire range of operations from news gathering to drama and documentaries. The flexibility of XDCAM tapeless technology will enable RAI to manage its legacy SD operations and move to HD transmission over the next three years.
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Monday 1st December
BSkyB to appeal ITV ruling
Premiere gets Bundesliga rights
Springer extends in Turkey
Google for ITV.com ads
Comstar Q3 earnings up
Duna TV on DTT
MatrixStore archiving solution
BSkyB is to continue legal action in the fight to hold on to the 17.9 per cent stake it holds in rival broadcaster ITV. The UK Competition Appeal Tribunal last month upheld an original ruling by the Competition Commission that by holding the stake BSkyB had an adverse impact on the market. But Sky has confirmed that it has lodged an application with the CAT to be given permission to take its appeal further.
If the tribunal rules in its favour, with a decision not expected for several weeks, it would mean the case going on to the Courts of Appeal. The 696 million shares in ITV were orginally bought by James Murdoch, then chief executive of BSkyB, in October 2006 just as a bid to buy ITV by Virgin Media was reaching an advanced stage.
The satellite broadcaster has always argued that it is a long-term investor, though most saw the move as an effort to block a merger of the UK’s largest terrestrial and cable broadcasters.
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Premiere gets Bundesliga rightsPremiere has won the pay-TV rights to Bundesliga football in Germany, Austria and Switzerland through to the end of the 2012 season. The exclusive deal covers live and highlights rights for cable, satellite and the Internet at a cost of E225 million for in 2009/10 rising to E275 million in 2012/13.
Premiere CEO Mark Williams said he was glad to continue the broadcaster’s 17-year relationship with the Bundesliga. "This direct agreement with the DFL covering four years will enable Premiere to offer significantly enhanced coverage to subscribers, including five first division kick-off times per weekend."
Deutsche Telekom will also be able to broadcast on IPTV and has secured the exclusive mobile phone rights. Public broadcasters ARD and ZDF will show a highlights package while basic sports channel DSF will have second division highlights.
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Springer extends in Turkey
Axel Springer is extending its partnership with Turkey’s biggest media conglomerate the Dogan group. The companies announced that Axel Springer would sell 5.1 per cent of the 25 per cent stake in Dogan TV it bought in 2006 to its parent, Dogan Yayin Holding.The price of E77 million ($99m) is based on the valuation used in the original deal. Axel Springer will pay E47 million for a stake of less than 10 per cent in Dogan Yayin Holding, and will receive E30m in cash by 2012. After planned capital increases by both Dogan TV and Dogan Yayin, in which Axel Springer will not participate, the German company will have a slightly larger effective stake in Dogan TV than it does now, a direct interest in some of Turkey’s biggest newspapers and a seat on Dogan Yayin’s board.
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Google will power some web ads for the broadcaster site ITV.com which will start running AdSense text ads on its search results pages in the next 10 days or so. Google has already powered ITV.com’s site search for 18 months so this is a logical extension of the deal - and it may be extended further depending on results.
As the ads will only display on search results pages, it won’t mean a windfall for ITV.com, which in August was forced to postpone by two years its target of making £150 million (E190m) annually from the web. But it is substantial - ITV.com search queries have grown from 500,000 in August 2007 to nearly five million last month, ITV said.
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Russian telco Comstar has reported a 22 per cent year-on-year increase in third-quarter core earnings, but has said it would cut capital expenditure due to the financial crisis.
Comstar said its adjusted operating income before depreciation and amortisation reached $184.8 million, higher than the average forecast of $163.6 million. Its OIBDA margin increased to 43.8 per cent compared with 38.9 per cent expected by analysts.
Comstar said it is cutting its capital expenditure plans because of weak market conditions and said it would postpone less urgent projects until later in 2009 or beyond. "We have already reduced our projected 2008 capital expenditure to approximately $360 million, which is well below the level originally anticipated, and we will also not exceed this level in 2009," Irina Matveeva, the company's chief financial officer, said in a statement.
Comstar’s IPTV service - Comstar-UTS - reported 147,000 double play (Internet and pay-TV) subscribers in Moscow at the end of the Q3, 39 per cent more than a year previous. The company also had 150,000 pay-TV subscribers in the Russian regions as of Q3, or 6 per cent more than in the previous quarter.
Comstar-UTS has also reported that it will be consolidating its Stream-TV regional operations in early 2009, potentially boosting its pay-TV subscriber base to over 2 million.
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Duna TV on DTTDuna TV, the Hungarian public broadcaster, has secured carriage on the country’s DTT platform due to launch in December. Under the terms of the 12-year deal, Antenna Hungária - a HD version of Duna TV - along with standard definition channel Duna ll Autónomia, will be distributed on the first multiplex and available to users free of charge.
MatrixStore archiving solutionObject Matrix, a developer of secure asset archive and retrieval software, has partnered with distributor Channel Dynamics to launch The MatrixStore, a multi-purpose disk based archive solution. The MatrixStore provides a secure archive to businesses with large data libraries at a fraction of the cost of a tape library. Ideal for the broadcast, design and creative industries, this solution offers users on-demand access to digital assets at a more affordable price point.
