Amazon wades into the US video streaming market
Amazon has announced a new partnership with Viacom which allows Amazon Prime members and Kindle Fire owners to stream unlimited television onto their devices.
Extending Amazon's partnership to include streaming puts them ahead of the race against Netflix and the new Verizon and Redbox partnership as the retail giant looks to capitalize on a market wanting more TV on demand.
How brands lost the Super Bowl race for the second screen
Here in New York last week, digital media and advertising commentators were all talking about the role that digital and in particular, social media, was going to play during the Super Bowl TV ad breaks. With advertisers paying about $3.5 million for a slot, this has been another record year for TV ad revenue and the show was the most watched TV event in American History.
Sunday night was going to be #Hashtag-Heaven, we were told – or at least a #FacebookFrenzy, with brands falling over themselves to drive people off their 47 inch flatscreens and onto their other devices – the so-called ‘second screen’. So you’d think that the ad execs would have thought the web in all its forms - mobile, tablet and laptop - would be the place to go make sure they extended the reach and level of audience engagement worthy of such an expensive commodity.
You’d be wrong.
Verizon and Redbox create new partnership to rival Netflix
Today Verizon and Coinstar's Redbox service have announced their joint venture combining streaming content with physical media rentals.
This new venture will launch the second half of 2012. Though you don't have to be on Verizon to use this product, this combined service will be marketed to Verizon's 109 million wireless and 9 million broadband customers as well as Redbox's 30 million rental customers.
That's what makes this partnership so powerful.
YouGov poll considers acceptable topics for TV ads
YouGov has today released findings from a study into acceptable subjects for TV advertising.
In response to calls from The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons for the advertising of cosmetic surgery procedures to be banned, the research company polled 1693 adults in the UK via an online survey.
M&S launches Samsung Smart TV app
M&S has become the first UK retailer to launch an app for Samsung’s connected TV range.
The app will showcase products ranges but has no transactional capability, though a spokesman for Samsung said that an e-commerce function may be added in future.
YouTube CEO says it may launch subscription service
YouTube CEO Salar Kamangar has suggested that the video sharing website could introduce a subscription service.
The company is currently investing around $100m to develop dedicated content channels for subjects such as news, fashion and fitness and celebrity gossip.
During an interview at D:Dive Into Media, Kamangar said we are entering a “third wave” of media where people expect to receive exactly what they want to watch through a continuous stream of video content.
Companies boosting digital marketing budgets - new report
Companies are investing more money in digital marketing and related technology as they seek to benefit from the ever growing digital economy, according to research published today.
Sky launches new online TV service
Hot on the heels of a new deal to stream BBC iPlayer and ITV Player through its on-demand service, Sky has launched a new online service that makes its content available to non-Sky customers.
Launching in the first half of 2012, the service will include a range of content, including Sky Movies with sports added later in the year, on a variety of pricing options.
The big tip for 2012: convergence is here
Multichannel strategy has been on the agenda for the past few years, it is not a new phenomenon.
Whether marketers have reached multichannel nirvana is up for debate, but we’ve no time for that now, we’ve moved on. 2012 is all about convergence.
Sky adds BBC iPlayer and ITV Player to on-demand service
Sky has announced a new deal that will bring BBC iPlayer and ITV Player to its on-demand service from tomorrow.
It is the latest development in the battle for connected TV customers as providers try to ensure they offer viewers as much content as possible.
The satellite broadcaster has also announced that its Anytime+ service will be available to all Sky+HD subscribers with a broadband connection – previously it was only available to customers who received their broadband from Sky.
