Last week Sky announced that in 2018 it would introduce an OTT broadband service which would include its SkyQ set-top box, and targeting the 2 million homes in the UK (and 6 million in Europe) which had no possibility of satellite dish reception. The news went down very badly with investors holding stock in Luxembourg-based […]
The BBC has appointed Matt Grest to be the corporation’s new Director of Platform. Grest will join from Sky where he was most recently Sky’s director of digital platforms, with responsibility for web and mobile across Sports, News, Sky.com and Intranet. He has also led on the creation and expansion of Sky’s new Digital Hub […]
Pan-European broadcaster RTL Group has decided not to exercise the call option for the remaining 49 per cent shareholding in Multi Channel Network BroadbandTV and will explore, jointly with the minority shareholders of BroadbandTV, all strategic alternatives for the company. The parties plan to mandate telecoms and media-focused advisory firm Liontree to lead this process. […]
Streaming device specialist Roku is releasing a beta of the Xfinity TV app for Roku in the US, providing Comcast Xfinity TV customers across the country even more choice in how they access the programming that is included with their cable subscription. Writing in the Roku Stream Blog, Andrew Ferrone, VP, Pay-TV, says that featuring […]
Ooyala, a Telstra subsidiary and specialist in video monetisation, has introduced its Ooyala Solutions Partner Programme, through which technology and reseller partners can access and deploy a full set of technologies to modernise any video business at any stage, from a single partner. Providing everything from video production workflow technology, data-driven OTT solutions, robust monetisation […]
The battle of on-demand streaming television services continues to intensify. In the past couple of weeks, Netflix announced a big increase in subscribers and the BBC has unveiled ambitious plans for iPlayer in a bid to make sure it doesn’t fall behind its commercial rivals. Premium on-demand services are making inroads into the BBC’s territory. […]
Telefónica’s IPTV platform Movistar Plus is offering free iPlus set-top-boxes in an attempt to boost subscriptions to the pay-TV platform by satellite, which currently has 800,000 subscribers (versus 3.7 million via IP). The device will allow new and current subscribers to have access to HD channels, VoD and online box office content. Recording services are […]
Streaming device specialist Roku is to make coverage of the forthcoming American football Super Bowl available for free. Writing in the Roku Blog, Melissa Morell, Senior Manager, Social Media, says it is “an exciting time” to be a Roku customer and sports fan, advising users that they can stream the Super Bowl for free. Streamers […]
The Associated Press (AP) has announced the release of a major upgrade to the user interface of AP Media Port, its file delivery platform for video content. With a new responsive design, multibrowser compatibility and enhanced functionality, the improved user interface makes it easier for AP customers to search, view and integrate AP video content […]
Sky has hit back in its carriage dispute with Discovery, which threatens to see the removal of 12 of the programmer’s channels from its pay-TV and NOW TV services, accusing it of “misleading claims and aggressive actions”. In a Statement posted on its website, Sky says it has worked “really hard” for more than a […]