UK Prime Minister David Cameron has announced a series of initiatives designed to support the UK tech and innovation sector. His comments came as he joined German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Hanover to open IT business trade fair CeBIT 2014. His speech set out how the UK and Germany should partner to lead the next […]
The first ever closing of a BBC channel has been done to pave the way for the first ever tax imposed for receiving content over the Internet. The BBC, in the person of its Director General Lord Tony Hall, says the BBC is taking difficult and necessary decisions in the face of real term cuts […]
Cutting the BBC licence fee would reduce consumer choice and value for money, as well as greatly damaging UK programme producers, according to a study from the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. The report
TVbeat, a London start-up that provides real-time television ratings, has secured $2 million funding. UK-based Episode 1 and Czech-based Credo Ventures have backed the firm to develop its big data, real-time TV analytics system. “We are thrilled to see Episode 1 and Credo Ventures recognising the huge potential that our platform offers the media industry,” […]
BBC Director-General Tony Hall has suggested that there is room for modernisation of the BBC licence fee so that it applies to the consumption of BBC TV programmes, whether live on BBC One or on-demand via BBC iPlayer. In a speech at the Oxford Media Convention, Hall refuted suggestions that the licence fee undermined competition, […]
This past few days the investor relations team from Sky Deutschland has been on a roadshow to the investment community, and this has prompted Berneberg Bank to issue an update to its clients. Analyst Sarah Simon says the broadcaster’s roadshow left her “more confident” in both the near- and long-term growth potential of the broadcaster. […]
Xstream, a provider of OTT and TV Everywhere services, has announced that the Danish private equity fund, Capidea, has invested in Xstream and becomes the majority shareholder in the company. In recent years, Xstream has gone through a rapid development and seen huge success with its global expansion strategy, including major international customer wins, partnerships, […]
Kaltura, the open source video platform, has secured an additional $47 million of funding. The financing round was led by new investors SAP Ventures, Nokia Growth Partners, Commonfund Capital, and Brazil-based Gera Ventures with participation from existing investors .406 Ventures, Nexus Venture Partners, Intel Capital, Mitsui & Co. Global Investment and Silicon Valley Bank. Kaltura […]
The BBC and other broadcasters are planning to cut their investment in the YouView set-top box, leaving BT and TalkTalk as the major shareholders. This is a blow to a platform which was originally created to safeguard the future of FTA television in the UK. YouView has become the fastest growing TV service in the […]
Netflix has confirmed it is seeking to offer $400 million aggregate principal amount of senior notes due 2024 to institutional investors – funds it expects to use for acquiring original content and expanding into Europe. The online streaming giant had disclosed plans to raise the additional debt when it reported fourth-quarter 2013 earnings last month. […]