Advanced Television

Catch Up

iPlayer sees record-breaking H1

Drama and sport fans helped BBC iPlayer to achieve a record-breaking first half of the year in 2021. Programmes were streamed over 3.3 billion times between January and June this year, up 8 per cent on the same period last year, and up a massive 59 per cent on the same period in 2019 following […]

July 29, 2021

Analysis: UK appetite for VoD grows

As of June 2021, there are 16.7 million VoD-enabled households in Great Britain, as 57 per cent are subscribed to at least one service, while figures for those taking on new subscriptions take a fall compared to last year, according to findings from insights and consulting company Kantar. Continuing on

July 23, 2021

Study: Pandemic changing UK consumer behaviours

Digital media quality specialist Integral Ad Science has released its Pandemic Effects: Shifting Consumer Priorities report, which examines how UK consumer behaviour and spending habits will change as Covid-19 restrictions ease, providing insights for marketers on how they can best engage consumers through digital channels.  Among the findings: Online streaming surged during lockdown: When reflecting […]

July 22, 2021

Formula E, Channel 4 FTA deal

UK fans of all-electric single seater racing series the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship will have even more ways to watch the forthcoming 2021 Heineken London E-Prix thanks to the addition of live, free-to-air coverage on commercial PSB Channel 4. Fronted by Vernon Kay, both London races will be shown live on Channel 4, […]

July 16, 2021By Colin Mann

Simplestream powers GB News OTT

Live, live-2-VoD, and on-demand OTT platform specialist Simplestream has been selected by GB News – the newly-launched British free-to-air television news channel – to power a range of new OTT services. The latest digital offering complements the service’s mass-reach traditional linear television distribution strategy via DTH, DTT and cable through increased reach and consumer engagement. […]

July 13, 2021

BBC acquires Gossip Girl

The BBC has acquired the hit US drama Gossip Girl, and will give the new sequel series its UK debut on BBC One and iPlayer later this year. BBC iPlayer will also be home to every episode of the pop culture classic Gossip Girl so far, offering viewers the chance to watch all six seasons […]

July 2, 2021By Nik Roseveare

Weather Channel adds OTT service

Allen Media Group is to launch new subscription streaming service – The Weather Channel Plus. The new $4.99 (€4.21) per-month subscription service will feature more than 50 news and entertainment streaming channels for a launch in the fourth quarter of 2021. The Weather Channel Plus is projecting 30 million subscribers in its first five years. […]

July 1, 2021

iPlayer now on ScreenHits TV

UK customers of VoD aggregator platform ScreenHits TV can now integrate BBC iPlayer on-demand content and live channels into their personalised TV discovery experience On-demand programmes and live channels from the BBC will appear in the ScreenHits TV interface, and selecting one of the BBC’s programmes will take viewers through to watch on BBC iPlayer. […]

June 28, 2021

Survey: Consumers fatigued by amount of VoD services

As the US continues to emerge and adjust to post-pandemic life, it is evident that the growth and disruption of the streaming revolution continues at pace, according to a Horowitz Research survey of content viewers nationwide. The data show that streaming now supplants MVPD services in penetration and is closing in on time spent by […]

June 24, 2021

UK moots C4 sale; plans SVoD regulation

As part of an ongoing strategic review of the UK public service broadcasting system, the UK government will review the ownership model and remit of Channel 4 and consider tightening regulation of SVoD services such as Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) says that with a […]

June 23, 2021By Colin Mann