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Over 40% of US broadband houses have SVoD

A Parks Associates survey of 10,000 US broadband households shows that 44 per cent have a subscription to some kind of online video service (SVoD), such as Netflix, Hulu Plus, or Amazon. Younger consumers are more likely to subscribe to OTT video services, and 8 per cent of consumers 18-24 have never subscribed to a […]

September 12, 2013

Netflix goes Dutch

Netflix has launched in the Netherlands priced at €7.99 per month. “We’re proud to bring the future of television to the Netherlands,” said Reed Hastings, co-founder and chief executive officer of Netflix. “The Dutch have incredible broadband, but until today have not been able to take full advantage of their fast connections. Now people in […]

September 11, 2013

Disney VoD for China’s Tencent

Walt Disney has signed a content licence agreement with Chinese instant message provider Tencent for its transactional VoD and subscription streaming service, branded ‘Hollywood VIP’. Under terms of the deal, Hollywood VIP will have access to about 1,500 Disney, Pixar and Marvel movies, including The Avengers, Toy Story 3 and Pirates of the Caribbean, among […]

September 10, 2013

VoD revenues to hit $6bn in 2018

Based on forecasts for 97 countries, a report from Research and Markets Ltd forecasts on-demand TV revenues from movies and TV programmes will reach $6.0 billion in 2018, up by 44 per cent from $4.2 billion in 2012. On-demand TV generated just 2.3 per cent of the $184 billion total pay-TV revenues in 2012. However, […]

September 10, 2013

US crime drama “Copper” exclusively on Amazon’s LOVEFiLM

LOVEFiLM, an Amazon company, has announced the launch of Cineflix’s highly rated, Emmy-nominated scripted series “Copper” exclusively on the LOVEFiLM Instant streaming service. From this Friday (13th September) members of the film and TV streaming service in the UK can immerse themselves in the first season of the critically-acclaimed raw nineteenth century crime drama for […]

September 9, 2013

Sony opens 4K download store

Sony has launched its direct-to-consumer 4K Ultra HD video download service in the US. Sony Entertainment Network’s Video Unlimited 4K service currently provides some 70 feature films and TV shows, with a library of 100-plus expected to become available in 4K Ultra HD before the end of the year. “We have been spearheading the advancement […]

September 5, 2013

LOVEFiLM adds Warner Bros kids content

Amazon’s LOVEFiLM has signed a content deal with Warner Bros International Television Distribution that brings an extensive new library of animated content for children and nostalgic adults to the LOVEFiLM Instant streaming service. The arrival of Warner Bros. kids content is the most recent in a series of new deals signed by LOVEFiLM and builds […]

September 4, 2013

Target aims for autumn streaming service launch

American retail group Target is currently in the beta phase of its Target Ticket movie-streaming and download service, offering staff members and selected customers to become the first to try out the venture, which will compete with services such as Walmart-backed Vudu, Amazon and Netflix. The operation is looking to roll out commercially later in […]

September 2, 2013By Colin Mann

Rakuten acquires Viki

Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten has confirmed that it is to acquire Singapore-based video streaming website Viki in a move that better places it to compete with online services such as Amazon’s LOVEFiLM and Netflix. The deal is reported to be worth $200 million. In recent times, Rakuten has been ramping up its content interests, acquiring […]

September 2, 2013By Colin Mann

VHX raises $3m for direct sale video platform

VHX, a direct-to-fan distribution platform for premium video, has announced a $3.2 million Series A financing round led by Union Square Ventures. Participating are existing investors Lerer Ventures, Lowercase Capital, Keith Calder, and Alexis Ohanian (Initialized), as well as new investors William Morris Endeavor, John Maloney (Terrapin Bale), and Gunderson Dittmer. Andy Weissman of Union […]

August 30, 2013