US satellite broadcaster Dish Network is to launch its ‘Blockbuster’ movie streaming service next month as a direct challenge to rival Netflix. Reports suggest the new Blockbuster service’s launch is timed to coincide with Netflix upping its prices. Netflix is proposing to charge separately for mail-delivered DVDs as well as streamed movies. If users want […]
The race to buy the US online TV site Hulu has narrowed to three bidders according to reports: Amazon, Yahoo and Dish Network. Satellite TV operator DirecTV was ruled out of the auction for submitting too low a bid, the FT reported. Bids range from $1.5 billion to $2 billion. Hulu is being sold by […]
Syabas Technology, a global distributor of digital entertainment solutions, and Viewster have partnered to bring premium film content to over 250,000 current devices connected to the Syabas Apps Market. Viewster offers classic and current Hollywood movies and award-winning independent films and TV series. Action, comedy, thriller and other popular genre new release movies are added […]
Pay-TV channel Starz has called off talks to renew its streaming deal with Netflix, in a move that could deprive the online video service of one of its key sources of movies. Starz has original programming but also distribution rights for movies from studios such as Disney and Sony. Although Netflix has brokered several deals […]
Michael Jackson, the former chief executive of Channel 4, has reportedly walked away from his role as chairman designate of SeeSaw, as a dispute over financing threatens the online TV venture’s future. Criterion Capital Partners, which bought SeeSaw from broadcast transmission firm Arqiva in early July, intended to bring in Jackson to lead a turnaround […]
Online movie service FilmFlex Movies has added payment solution PayWizard as an online payment mechanism. The first deployment of the PayWizard e-wallet is now live on the Film4oD website. FilmFlex Movies is the sixth customer to deploy the PayWizard platform since the start of 2011; existing customers include Racing UK (Android/iPhone apps) and Omnimotion (online […]
Sony has dumped the strange original name of its online TV services opting instead for the more prosaic Sony Entertainment Network. It is taking the music and video services from Qriocity, combining them with the PlayStation Network for gaming, and putting them under the new brand name. It may not entirely end the confusion as […]
Criterion Capital Partners, the new owner of SeeSaw, has lost a key content deal with Channel 4, meaning shows such as The Inbetweeners and Peep Show are no longer available on the online TV service. Criterion Capital Partners, which also bought former AOL asset Bebo, took a 75 per cent stake in SeeSaw from owner […]
Channel 4’s catch-up service 4oD drew 3.4 million viewers in July, according to figures released for the first time by the broadcaster. Channel 4 shows also drove an unspecified increase in 4oD programme views, to 29 million in July. The broadcaster reported 242 million 4oD views in last 12 months, a 20.9 per cent increase […]
Video-on-demand supplier Netflix has alerted analysts that it expects lower service adoption rates out of its Latin American markets “than those achieved in Canada” (its debut international market). Canada saw Netflix launch in September 2010 and now has 967,000 subscribers as at June 31st. “But still, we are very optimistic about what we can […]