Objective data and independent empirical research will better inform the debate surrounding copyright policy in the digital age, according to US research body the National Research Council. The Council notes that the roll-out of the World Wide Web and expanded use of digital technologies in the mid-1990s marked the beginning of a technological revolution that changed long-established modes of creating, [...]
Sky Sports will show even more live European club rugby union, thanks to a new four year deal to screen the RaboDirect PRO12 beginning with the 2014/15 season. For the first time Sky Sports will show 30 live matches, plus the semi-finals and final from the tournament, strengthening its rights portfolio across six channels. The RaboDirect PRO12 features the top [...]
The International Union of Cinemas (UNIC) – the body representing the majority of cinema operators in Europe – has called on European Commission Vice-President Neelie Kroes, representatives of the Culture and Legal Affairs Committees of the European Parliament and other high-ranking EU officials to maintain an exclusive and sustainable theatrical window to enable European films to reach audiences, emphasising that [...]
BT has won the right to take a Competition Commission ruling that stopped BSkyB being forced to offer Sky Sports 1 and 2 to rival TV services at a discount to the court of appeal. Last year the Competition Appeals Tribunal concluded that Ofcom had been wrong to force BSkyB to cut the amount it charges rivals to air Sky [...]
Despite being seen as a disruptive force to the established pay-TV industry, Internet streaming entertainment service Netflix shares some of the same concerns as existing players, according to Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos, who also highlighted as significant distinction. Sarandos told delegates at the FT Digital Media Conference 2013 in London that in terms of subscriber and subscriber retention, there [...]
Tim Davie, CEO of BBC Worldwide, has suggested that the corporation’s commercial arm still has a lot of organic growth potential from its activities, admitting that in the past, such growth had often come from acquisition of ‘low-hanging’ properties. Davie, who assumed the role April 2nd following a spell as Acting Director-General following the resignation of George Entwistle in November [...]
Virgin Media has made its deal for carriage of Sky Sports channels for the coming year, putting further pressure on BT to do a deal with the satellite broadcaster before the next football season kicks off in August. Virgin Media’s agreement to carry Sky Sports 1 and 2 was negotiated in 2010 and due to expire this summer, but will [...]
US retail giant Walmart has partnered with Warner Bros to give its customers exclusive access to see Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ Man of Steel – the latest Superman movie – in theatres nationwide before the film’s official release. This programme marks the first time in entertainment history that a studio has partnered with a retailer to provide such [...]
It doesn’t seem that long since owning networks was the very unfashionable, potentially less profitable and, frankly, dead boring end of the business. Commoditisation of bandwidth provision and the obligations of neutrality both put pressure on pipe owners and many looked enviously at their content cousins. Some pipes bought content – Comcast and NBCU – some content owners shed their [...]
FilmOn founder Alki David has unveiled a new service which he claims allows the UK public to watch any free-to-air satellite TV channel legally, without the need for a contract or a set-top box. The service – available free via FilmOn.com – enables viewers to connect directly to a broadcaster’s satellite and digital over-the-air feeds via their PC or smartphone. [...]
