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VideoNuze Report Podcast #128 - Comcast to Authenticate HBO GO on Xbox? MMOD Traffic Down
I'm pleased to be joined once again by Colin Dixon, senior partner at The Diffusion Group, for the 128th edition of the VideoNuze Report podcast, for April 6, 2012. First up this week we discuss another angle of last week's Xbox video launch - whether Comcast will reverse itself and authenticate HBO GO for its subscribers (as Netflix CEO Reed Hastings wrote openly on Facebook asking Comcast to do). Then we discuss the downturn in March Madness online traffic and the effect of Turner's new paywall.
Last week when Xbox launched a number of new video apps including Comcast's Xfinity, HBO GO and MLB.tv, Comcast made a decision not to authenticate HBO GO for its own subscribers with Xboxes, thereby forcing them to settle for HBO content that's available within its own Xfinity app. As Colin points out, that was a continuation of Comcast's (and other pay-TV operators') policy of not authenticating the HBO GO app for its subscribers using Roku.
A vocal group of Comcast/HBO subscribers with Xbox complained, with Hastings's post getting the most attention. This week, the NY Times reported that Comcast might reverse itself and authenticate HBO GO after all. It's confusing stuff, and Colin and I do our best to explain what might be going on behind the scenes with the balance of power between cable operators and cable networks.
We then discuss news that daily March Madness traffic was down 10% year-over-year, likely attributable to Turner introducing a $3.99 app to view the games for which it had broadcast rights (CBS games were still available online for free). There was a paywall up until a few years ago, when the full tournament went free online, causing an explosion of traffic and ad revenue. Colin and I interpret the new data and its broader implications for TV Everywhere.
(For everyone celebrating holidays, enjoy your weekend!)
Listen in to learn more!
Click here to listen to the podcast (18 minutes, 48 seconds)
Click here for previous podcasts
The VideoNuze Report is available in iTunes...subscribe today!Categories: Cable Networks, Cable TV Operators, Devices, Podcasts, Sports
Topics: Comcast, HBO GO, MMOD, Turner Sports, Xbox
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VideoNuze Report Podcast #127 - Comcast's Private Network for Xbox; L.A. Dodgers Revolt?
I'm pleased to be joined once again by Colin Dixon, senior partner at The Diffusion Group, for the 127th edition of the VideoNuze Report podcast, for Mar. 30, 2012. First up this week we discuss Comcast's controversial assertion that streams from its Xfinity app running on Xbox won't count against subscribers' 250 gb/month data cap because they're running on Comcast's "private network" (note: Comcast has deleted "private network" references in its Xbox FAQ).
Colin argues strongly that this is an inappropriate policy in that it essentially creates a "fast lane" for Comcast's own traffic, while disadvantaging other video streams - basically the same concern raised by net neutrality advocates. Colin makes compelling points about the shared nature of broadband access and the longer-term implications of a "private network" model. For my part, I'm still curious the use case for the Xfinity Xbox app; unless it's used for TVs where a set-top box isn't present, it feels somewhat redundant to what's already available via Comcast's VOD.
Next we turn our attention to this week's mega-deal for the Dodgers. As I wrote yesterday, I think the deal will lead to even higher Regional Sports Network licensing fees, which in turn means even higher subsidies by non-sports fans to make the deal work. This is a problem throughout the pay-TV world, and the new Dodgers owners are betting non-fans will continue to pay ever-higher rates for sports they don't watch. Colin and I discuss the implications for over-the-top services and the pay-TV multichannel bundle.
Listen in to learn more!
Click here to listen to the podcast (21 minutes, 45 seconds)
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The VideoNuze Report is available in iTunes...subscribe today!Categories: Cable Networks, Cable TV Operators, Podcasts, Sports
Topics: Comcast, Los Angeles Dodgers, Xbox
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VideoNuze Report Podcast #122 - Evaluating Comcast's Streampix
I'm pleased to be joined once again by Colin Dixon, senior partner at The Diffusion Group, for the 122nd edition of the VideoNuze Report podcast, for Feb. 24, 2012. In this week's podcast we evaluate Comcast's new subscription video-on-demand service, Xfinity Streampix. Despite many of the headlines this week characterizing Streampix as a "Netflix-killer," neither Colin nor I see it that way (at least for now).
However, we don't necessarily agree on what Streampix's real purpose is. Colin sees it as more of an upsell premium product for Comcast to help drive up its ARPU, while expanding its TV Everywhere capabilities. On the other hand, I see Streampix as helping give Comcast greater packaging and pricing flexibility in order to address existing and prospective subscribers for whom the typical multichannel bundle might not fit.
In truth, Streampix is probably both. But for now, given its paucity of content, we agree that it's unlikely to get a whole lot of traction anyway. That may be ok, as I continue to see it as really more of a placeholder than anything else. Whether it becomes more over time, ultimately challenging Netflix and others, is yet to be seen.
Listen in to learn more!
Click here to listen to the podcast (15 minutes, 36 seconds)
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The VideoNuze Report is available in iTunes...subscribe today!
(apologies in advance, the connection quality wavers toward the end of the podcast)Categories: Cable TV Operators, Podcasts
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Comcast Launches Xfinity Streampix, Seeking Increased Packaging and Pricing Flexibility
Comcast is launching a new subscription video-on-demand service called Xfinity Streampix that will be freely available to most of its higher-paying subscribers, while carrying a $4.99/mo charge for its lower-paying video
subscribers. At launch the service will include past season episodes such as "30 Rock," "Grey's Anatomy," and "Married With Children" from NBC, ABC and Sony respectively, as well as movies from Warner Bros. and Universal, plus kids programming from Cookie Jar and Disney Channel. Streampix will be accessible both in and out-of-home and on multiple devices like the Xbox 360 and Android as the year progresses.Categories: Aggregators, Cable TV Operators
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Comcast's New "AnyPlay Device" Provides Air Cover for iPad Streaming
Comcast has unveiled AnyPlay which allows subscribers to stream linear TV channels to their iPads and soon Motorola Xoom tablets. AnyPlay is initially
available in Denver and Nashville, with other markets to follow. AnyPlay follows similar initiatives from Cablevision and Time Warner Cable last year, which immediately landed those operators in hot water with a number of cable TV networks. At issue was whether the appropriate rights were in place to offer tablet streaming, even within the home.
Meanwhile Comcast laid low last year, only making on-demand programming available through its Xfinity TV iPad app. It was inevitable that Comcast would also launch linear viewing on the iPad, but I've wondered for a while how it would avoid similar rights challenges. Now it seems the workaround is the "AnyPlay device," a box which connects to the subscriber's wireless home network.
Categories: Cable Networks, Cable TV Operators, Devices
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Disney, Comcast and Why TV Everywhere Alone Is Not Enough
Yesterday's press release from Disney and Comcast, announcing a comprehensive new ten-year distribution agreement covering over 70 different services is a testament to the idea that improved access to programming is key to maintaining the appeal of the traditional multichannel pay-TV business model. The deal grants Comcast sought-after multi-platform streaming and on-demand rights for 70 different Disney, ABC and ESPN programming services. This is the essential vision of "TV Everywhere" - anywhere/anytime/any device access to the full range of cable and broadcast programming, with the caveat that you have to be an authenticated subscriber to pay-TV services.
Categories: Cable Networks, Cable TV Operators, TV Everywhere
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No Surprise, No Deal for Hulu. Here's What Changed.
Last evening, Hulu's owners announced in a short statement that the company will not be sold after all. The news came as no surprise to me. VideoNuze readers will recall that back on June 22, when the first rumors of Hulu potentially being up for sale surfaced, I posted, "Here's Why Any Deal for Hulu is Unlikely."
In that post I explained how Hulu's primary asset - next-day distribution rights to ABC/Fox/NBC programs - would be at the heart of its valuation. The
big challenge with selling Hulu was that its owners would have to pass these rights (albeit likely reformulated) to an unaffiliated and uncontrollable 3rd-party, at the same time as online video delivery has injected massive uncertainty into their businesses. This issue, rather than lower-than-expected bids as some have tritely suggested, is why Hulu's owners ultimately decided to pull Hulu off the block.
Though this was always the central issue in any Hulu deal, I believe 3 things happened in the past 4 months that crystallized the importance for Hulu's owners of maintaining full control of their distribution rights:
Categories: Aggregators, Deals & Financings
Topics: Comcast, Disney, Hulu, News Corp.
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Xbox 360 Poised to Deliver Pay-TV Service In Shift to Video App Model
If you believe the rumor mill, Microsoft will announce as early as today that Xbox 360 will be able to deliver pay-TV services from Comcast and Verizon, as well as additional content from HBO, Sony, Amazon and others, as the
gaming console continues its transformation into a full-fledged entertainment hub. Focusing specifically on the Comcast and Verizon aspects, the integration would mark a milestone for the pay-TV industry in moving from a services model delivered through the traditional, set-top box control point to one where video becomes more like an app (albeit an expensive one!) to be delivered through multiple CE devices.
Categories: Cable TV Operators, Devices, Telcos
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New Social TV Network "Vidblogger Nation" Rolls Out On VOD
Independent video producer SimplyNew Studios has unveiled "Vidblogger Nation," featuring 3-5 minute episodes from video bloggers in 10 local markets
around the U.S. Each of the video bloggers is creating 12 episodes for the first season of Vidblogger Nation which will be carried by Comcast On Demand Local. The idea is for the video blogger to each tap into their social networks to help generate audience and engagement.
Categories: Cable TV Operators, Indie Video, Video On Demand
Topics: Comcast, SimplyNew Studios, Vidblogger Nation
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So Far Fox is Alone Among Networks With Authenticated Pay-TV Window
With the fall TV season upon us, Fox is alone among broadcast networks in deciding to create an 8-day authentication window for pay-TV subscribers. In fact, NBC appears to be taking the opposite posture, announcing last Friday
that its iPad app would now include all the same episodes that it makes available online (and I've confirmed they'll all be available in the iPad next day as well). CBS hasn't announced any plans to change its distribution through its web site or TV.com. And despite some vague signals to the contrary by Disney CEO Bob Iger, ABC, which has been the leader among broadcast networks in embracing online/mobile distribution, hasn't announced any changes either.
Categories: Broadcasters
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Hulu Sale Process Has Become One Big Leak-a-thon
Late last week when Bloomberg reported that Apple is "considering making a bid" for Hulu, it inevitably ignited a series of follow-on articles and tweetsfrom other outlets, amplifying the perception of seriousness. How meaningful "considering making a bid" actually is nobody but the insiders really know. However, the Apple "news" underscored how the process of selling Hulu has become one big leak-a-thon, with bankers and others involved with the process continuously leaking selective nuggets of information to major media outlets as unnamed sources, no doubt with an eye to shaping how the sale process plays itself out.
In fact, even the decision to sell Hulu has never been officially acknowledged by Hulu itself; rather, the LA Times reported that bankers had been retained. That news was preceded by leaks that Yahoo had approached Hulu about an acquisition, that Hulu was considering selling itself, and that Fox, one of Hulu's owners and key content suppliers had renewed its license deal. In the month since these tidbits were released, there have been numerous other leaks, which I have listed below with links, noting the anonymous references each article cites (apologies to any I may have missed).
Categories: Aggregators, Broadcasters, Deals & Financings
Topics: Comcast, Disney, Hulu, News Corp.
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First Fox, Now Disney, Reportedly Renewing Hulu's Distribution Rights
As if this week's intrigue around Hulu putting itself up for sale hasn't been enough, Bloomberg is reporting that Disney has tentatively agreed to renewHulu's distribution rights for ABC programs. The deal is said to mirror another tentative deal, between Fox and Hulu, which Variety reported earlier this week. Both deals are believed to require Hulu carry an increased ad load.
Since company representatives aren't quoted, it's hard to know how legit the renewals are, or whether they're just another leak to support one of the many agendas players involved in Hulu have. Of course, that's how the week began - with the WSJ citing unidentified sources saying that Yahoo had made an overture to acquire Hulu. That was followed by news that Hulu had retained 2 investment banks to explore a sale, and then with the Fox renewal news.
Categories: Aggregators, Broadcasters
Topics: Comcast, Disney, Hulu, News Corp.
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OK, Hulu's for Sale; Can a Deal Get Done and Who are the Frontrunners?
Following yesterday's rumors, the LA Times is now reporting that Hulu has hired two investment banks, Guggenheim Partners and Morgan Stanley, toexplore a potential sale. As I described in Here's Why Any Deal For Hulu Is Unlikely, the banks have their work cut out for them. The critical issue is that Hulu's main asset - exclusive next-day distribution rights to 3 of the 4 broadcast TV networks' programs (ABC, FOX and NBC) - will be at the heart of Hulu's valuation. (Note that just 6 months ago Hulu's plan to go public was undermined by these same rights not being viewed as sufficiently long-term).
To the extent that the rights get diluted (e.g. become non-exclusive, limit monetization opportunities, delay program release windows, reduce the number of programs, etc.), acquirers will ratchet down their valuations accordingly. And this is where the banks' task will become especially complicated; each of the networks' owners (Disney, News Corp. and Comcast) has very different strategic objectives which are further clouded by all the uncertainty that online and mobile video has created. Pinning down if and how they would work with each specific bidder will be quite the Rubik's cube exercise.
Categories: Aggregators, Broadcasters, Deals & Financings
Topics: Comcast, Disney, Hulu, News Corp.
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Here's Why Any Deal For Hulu Is Unlikely
Late yesterday, the WSJ reported that an unnamed company made an unsolicited offer to acquire Hulu, prompting Hulu's board to consider soliciting other offers. Following up, the LA Times reported that Yahoo is the bidder. However, neither article cited any named sources and so it's unclear how legit any of this is. But even if it is legit, the odds of any Hulu acquisition at this point are actually quite low. Here's why:
Categories: Aggregators, Deals & Financings
Topics: Comcast, Disney, Hulu, News Corp.
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Comcast's CEO Roberts Downloads 23 Episodes of 30 Rock in 1.39 Minutes at 1Gbps
At the Cable Show in Chicago today, Comcast's CEO Brian Roberts showcased the company's ability to deliver 1 gigabit per second throughput by downloading a full season of 23 episodes of 30 Rock in just 1 minute, 39 seconds. Putting the 1 Gbps throughput in context, Roberts noted that back in 1996, delivering 1-2 megabits per second was state of the art, and that as recently as 2007, 100 megabits per second was the limit.
Increasing speed has been a core value proposition of cable's broadband ISP efforts for years. It has taken on even greater importance recently as consumption of high-quality video has soared. An emerging theme in the pay-TV industry is delivering not just on-demand streams, but full lineups of live TV over IP as well. All of this will drive ever-higher consumer needs for bandwidth.
Categories: Broadband ISPs, Cable TV Operators
Topics: Comcast
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Comcast's CEO Roberts to Showcase Xcalibur Platform at Cable Show
As expected, Comcast announced this morning that its CEO Brian Roberts will demo the company's new "Xcalibur" video delivery platform on Thursdaymorning at the Cable Show in Chicago. Xcalibur has been in trial in Augusta, GA and is meant to deliver a new, more web-like experience to the TV, complimenting what Comcast has been doing online with Xfinity TV and in mobile with its iOS and Android apps. A new interactive guide will be unveiled as well as "MyTV" which is a central location for storing recordings, favorites and recommendations.
In addition, apps for traffic, weather and social sharing through Facebook will be available. Comcast announced a handful of technology partners - using Intel chips with higher graphics performance for the UI in new set-top boxes, Pace as the first hybrid set-top box manufacturer and wholly-owned subsidiary thePlatform for content management (thePlatform just unveiled yesterday a joint solution with Alcatel-Lucent to deliver similar IP-based video services).
Categories: Cable TV Operators
Topics: Comcast
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Comcast and Skype Partner for TV-Based HD Video Calling
On the eve of the Cable Show, Comcast and Skype are announcing a partnership that will enable TV-based HD video calling. Comcast subscribers using the new service will be able to make Skype video and audio calls while at the same time watching TV. On-screen caller ID will pop-up when a Skype call is received. A Comcast spokesman told me last week that customer trials are set to begin soon (word actually began leaking out last week).
For Skype, the partnership is another route into the living room as it seeks to become a ubiquitous communications platform. Early last year Skype
announced it was working with Samsung and Panasonic to embed the Skype app in certain connected TV models, and it also offers a variety of HD web cams for sale on its site. For Comcast, Skype is an enhancement to its Xfinity TV service and mobile app that creates some interesting new integrated communications and social media experiences.
Categories: Cable TV Operators, Communications
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@ELEVATE: 75% of Cable TV Programming to be on TV Everywhere in 2 Years
At the ELEVATE conference earlier this week I moderated a panel with executives from 3 of the leading proponents of TV Everywhere, during which they estimated about 75% of cable TV programming could be available on connected and mobile devices within 2 years. That amount would be a huge increase from what's currently available and would also represent a massive shift by the pay-TV ecosystem to delivering content to IP devices. It would also represent a huge game change in the overall TV advertising ecosystem depending on what ad policies are implemented (full ad load, partial load, etc.).
The panelists included David Preschlack, EVP, Affiliate Sales and Marketing, Disney & ESPN Networks Group, Jeremy Legg, SVP Business Development & Multi-Platform Distribution, Turner Broadcasting and Matt Strauss, SVP & GM, Comcast Interactive Media.
With the rise of over-the-top competitors (e.g. Netflix, Hulu, iTunes, etc.), TV Everywhere has emerged as the pay-TV industry's number one priority. No doubt at next week's Cable Show in Chicago it will be the most pervasive topic of discussion. Yet significant issues remain for TV Everywhere's rollout. Chief among them are lack of adequate audience measurement systems, limited rights and caution among cable networks. We discussed each on the panel.
Categories: Cable Networks, Cable TV Operators
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Four Comcast Announcements Show Importance of Digital Video
Last week brought four rapid-fire announcements from Comcast,underscoring how the company is ramping up its digital video delivery efforts and the PR surrounding them. The announcements were:
5/23 - Xfinity TV App version 1.5, with video streaming capability, available on iPhone and iPod Touch. Leading off the week was news that Comcast's Xfinity TV app had been updated so that iPhone and iPod Touch users can now watch streaming video on these devices (Xfinity TV streaming was made available on the iPad in February, and is not yet available on Android, though other features of the app are). Comcast said this was the number one most requested feature from users.
Categories: Cable TV Operators
Topics: Comcast
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Comcast's TiVo Deal Breaks New Ground, Unifies VOD, OTT Navigation
Yesterday, Comcast and TiVo announced an interesting deal that allows TiVo Premiere owners who subscribe to Comcast's digital video service to also receive Xfinity TV VOD alongside over-the-top choices like Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon, etc. It's a little bit of an alphabet soup situation to understand,
which will make marketing it a challenge, but if the two companies are successful, it could actually be quite meaningful to consumers who choose to take advantage of the offer. I caught up with TiVo's EVP Jeff Klugman and had a slew of questions answered by Comcast to understand things better.
Under the deal, TiVo Premiere owners can have Comcast come to their home at no charge and install the box and a CableCARD, making sure everything is working properly with the video service and their broadband connection (this will start in the SF area, with other markets to follow). One of Premiere's primary benefits is that when a user search is conducted for a TV show or movie, the results include all potential sources - Comcast linear and VOD as well as OTT options. That's beneficial to users because as long as rights are granted according to studios' adherence to windows, trying to understand what's available on which service/device at any particular time is virtually impossible for any average consumer.
Categories: Cable TV Operators, Devices, Video On Demand
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