Startup leaders across the 27 AR/VR sectors in Digi-Capital’s Augmented/Virtual Reality Report and Deals Database raised $1 billion (€0.84bn) in the fourth quarter before the end of November. This is only the second time the billion dollar figure has been reached in a single quarter. Three quarters of a billion dollars went into big deals […]
Research from Creative Skillset, the UK industry skills body for the screen-based creative industries, reveals the impact on the UK’s High End Television (HETV) production sector from the recent growth in FAANG (Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix and Google) and increased home grown production activity. The research shows
The golden age of television is just getting started, according to Gary Davey, Managing Director, Content at Sky. Writing an Opinion piece in The Daily Telegraph, Davey says there has never been a better time for it. “But not according to the BBC. In a speech last week, Tony Hall, the BBC director-general, said the […]
Billionaire and philanthropist Prince Alwaleed bin Talal has been arrested as part of a Saudi Arabian-led anti-corruption drive. Senior Saudi sources confirmed the arrest late on November 4th. Another high-profile name said to be detained is Sheikh Salah Kamel, founder of the Arab Radio & Television (ART) media group, and the Dallah al Baraka banking, […]
The UK’s Communications Providers have welcomed the ambition of Openreach, the infrastructure subsidiary of BT, to build a large-scale Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network across the country, with the company’s CEO suggesting that it could build FTTP connections to ten million homes and businesses by the mid-2020s. There is also broad agreement that FTTP would safeguard the […]
Netflix is planning to raise another $1.6bn (€1.36bn) from investors to finance new content and make new acquisitions. The video streaming giant plans to spend up to $8 billion on content next year to keep the edge on its rivals. Netflix will issue bonds to investors, although the interest rate it will pay has yet […]
Pluto TV, the free Internet television service in the US, has received $5 million in funding from Samsung Venture Investment Corporation, the venture capital arm of the Samsung Group, with participation from other investors totalling $8.3 million. The funding will be used to further expand Pluto TV’s product, content and marketing efforts. “Samsung is the […]
More than 33,000 young people between the ages of 18 and 25 were caught watching live TV or BBC programmes on iPlayer without a TV Licence in the past year, according to new figures released today by TV Licensing – the companies contracted by the BBC to administer the collection of the television licence fee […]
Simplestream, specialist in live and on-demand OTT TV services, has received a £500,000 (€0.56m) finance package from Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank’s Growth Finance team to assist with further investment and international expansion. The London-based company is going through a stage of significant growth and says this most recent round of funding will allow it to […]
Blend Media, a 360˚ video and VR specialist that is working with Facebook among others, has closed a third round of funding, securing £1.5 million (€1.7m) and bringing total investment to £2.6 million. New investment came from Hambro Perks and I2BF Global Ventures along with participation from existing investors including Paul Cooper, partner at Clarity […]