Cord-cutting may be an unproven myth, but new research suggests that people's television habits are changing in a way you wouldn't expect: Only a third of all television viewing these days happens "live," without the Internet, TiVo or some other form of recording or time shifting.
What if Hollywood tried to create its own content cloud, but the Internet didn’t want to use it? That’s the problem emerging with news that Netflix has dropped out of the Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem, a move that could doom the UltraViolet digital locker once and for all and leave the Internet open to multiple competing content clouds. Are we repeating the mistakes of media storage from the past?
It’s official: Netflix is now available in the U.K. and Ireland. The company launched its streaming service on Sunday, a much-needed bit of momentum after dealing with defecting users and plummeting stock prices.
With Netflix now having multiple series of original content in various levels of production, including shows that it beat out HBO and other cable channels for the rights to, you might be forgiven for thinking that 2012 was going to be the year when the internet stepped up and became a genuine force in television production. But the reality is a little more complicated.
Like people, companies are also capable of improving themselves, as long as they’re self-aware enough to understand their own weaknesses. With that in mind–and with New Year’s Day almost upon us–I’d like to politely suggest a few resolutions that would make great tech companies even better. (Judging from the behavior of some pretty big outfits in 2011, they could use the advice.)
Oh rumor mill, please don’t let it be true that Verizon is interested in buying Netflix. The report has sent Netflix’s stock price soaring. That’s great news for Netflix shareholders, but potentially terrible news for Netflix customers.
It’s the rumor to end all streaming service rumors, and the culmination of months of speculation: Not only is the identity of Verizon’s partner for its planned Netflix competitor revealed, but the partner turns out to be a company that people have been expecting to get into the streaming content business for quite some time–yep, none other than vending-machine-rental king Redbox.
Consider this a quiet declaration of war. Talking at the VideoSchmooze NYC event yesterday, HBO Co-President Eric Kessler said that there is “no chance” the company will make its original series like Boardwalk Empire, Game of Thrones and True Blood available digitally to non-HBO subscribers.
If you received an email recently telling you that you would be receiving a Walmart gift card or cash equivalent as part of the corporation’s settlement in a class action lawsuit alleging that Walmart and Netflix illegally worked together to fix DVD rental or purchase prices, then I’m afraid there’s some bad news.
And the crazy rollercoaster ride that is Netflix’s fortunes continues: The company announced yesterday that it has agreed to sell around $200 million in shares plus an additional $200 million in convertible bonds via private placement in an attempt to raise cash, while simultaneously revealing that it expects to spend the entirety of the next year in the red.
Score another one for the Netflix comeback; the company has outbid cable company Showtime to win the rights for the much-anticipated new season of Arrested Development, which will premiere as streaming content on the service in early 2013.
