TDG Opinions

April 2011 - Posts

• Decoupling the Network from the Service

  I spent two days this week at a couple of conferences in New York City. The first was “Cable’s Next-Gen Video Strategies,” the second was Seachange International’s “Monetizing Multi-Screen Video” that took place the day after just a few blocks away. Both conferences focused on PayTV operators and had an impressive line-up of speakers. Attendees were treated to discussions on topics such as a la carte channel sales, content licensing, and cord-cutting, and in both conferences the discussions were informative and interesting. However, as the discussions proceeded I realized that the topics covered, though important, didn’t reflect the emerging reality of what’s happening to the industry: the decoupling of services (which we increasingly call “apps”) from the fabric that delivers them. This trend has huge ramifications for operators, content providers, and consumers yet it received no mention on any panel, presentation, or keynote. ... Posted Apr 29 2011, 01:25 PM by Colin Dixon with 4 comment(s) Filed under: Over-The-Top, Colin Dixon, Netflix, HULU, PayTV operators, Broadband, Decoupling of services

• Comcast Discussing OTT Delivery in Non-Comcast Regions

  At the SeaChange International Summit in NYC this week, Comcast’s VP of Advanced Business and Technology Development, Mark Hess, said executives are discussing whether to sell its cable programing outside of its cable footprint—yep, deliver it over-the-top of other (cable) operator’s broadband connections to consumers who live in other (cable) operator’s footprint. By implication, this means it would be okay for other cable TV operators to sell into Comcast’s privileged territory, a move certain to recast the entire U.S. PayTV industry. Aw, but it’s just an idea, right? Is this a box Comcast really wants to be opening? Does this signal an end to cable’s mutually recognized service boundaries, the beginning of new age in which competition (the god to which so many business owners chant, at least when it serves their ends) becomes real and cable operators are let loose to exploit the territory of their former allies? Perhaps, but doubtful—at least within the next five years or so. After that, all bets are off. ... Posted Apr 29 2011, 01:22 PM by Michael Greeson with 1 comment(s) Filed under: Over-The-Top, AT&T, Michael Greeson, Comcast, OTT delivery, SeaChange International Summit, Versus

• ESPN Seeks To Expand Distribution on New Platforms

  Last week, Light Reading's Steve Donohue interviewed Disney ESPN Media Networks SVP of Digital Video Distribution Matt Murphy on the outlook for distribution on new platforms including OTT. It's a thoughtful interview, but what was most interesting to me was what was not said. ... Posted Apr 22 2011, 10:05 AM by Bill Niemeyer with no comments Filed under: ESPN, iPad, OTT delivery, Bill Niemeyer, diginet, carriage fees

• Viacom v. Cablevision - Bring it On (Finally)!

  As reported previously, cable networks are not at all pleased with the new crop of iPad apps that permit PayTV operators to stream live TV to iPads, this despite the fact that (1) users must first subscribe to and pay for access to said content as part of their home TV service, and (2) 'TV Everywhere' initiatives undertaken by operators permit access to on-demand and (in some cases) live TV on virtually any net-connected video device (including Macs and iPhones). The issue is whether or not the content owners believe their rights are represented across each of the various conduits of quantum video delivery. According to Viacom and other content owners, extending live TV access to iPads (even if only in the home) violates a rule that other platforms do not (at least not such that they are worthy of formal complaints and even lawsuits). This caused Time Warner Cable to remove specific Viacom channels for its iPad service, but Cablevision has yet to budge. Any Viacom served up through its TV set-top boxes is also available to iPad users. ... Posted Apr 15 2011, 02:34 PM by Michael Greeson with 1 comment(s) Filed under: Time Warner Cable, Michael Greeson, Cablevision, TV Everywhere, Viacom, iPads

• "Adversarial" Fox Affiliates Meeting at NAB Illustrates the Accelerating Change in the Business of TV

  I attended NAB in Las Vegas this week - the big annual conference of the National Association of Broadcasters. OTT had a large amount of mindshare at NAB, reflected in meetings, colleague conversations, panel sessions and vendor booths. "Connected TV" and "OTT" was featured on booth signage and product demos for many vendors across the video production and distribution spectrum. Those vendors are eager to provide services and solutions to help OTT change the business of TV. Behind the scenes, there was more indication of how the business of TV is changing. As reported by tvnewscheck.com, Fox and their TV station affiliates held a closed door meeting that was an "adversarial afternoon." Much of the meeting was taken up by a "tense" discussion of Fox's plans to charge stations a flat fee to cover the network's share of retransmission revenue paid by multichannel operators. ... Posted Apr 15 2011, 12:05 PM by Bill Niemeyer with no comments Filed under: OTT, NAB, Bill Niemeyer, Connected TV, Fox

• Is TWC iPad App on WiFi Part of the Cable Network?

  On Thursday, Time Warner Cable formally requested that the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York issue a declaratory judgment on the issue of whether TWC’s new iPad app that enables live TV to be streamed to the platform while being used in the home is within the purview of its existing carriage agreement with Viacom, who along with Discovery, Scripps, and FOX had demanded that TWC pull much of their content from the offering.... Posted Apr 08 2011, 10:02 AM by Michael Greeson with 1 comment(s) Filed under: Michael Greeson, iPad, PayTV operators, apps, TWC

• Netflix's "Mad Men" Syndication Deal

  Netflix this week announced a deal with Lionsgate to syndicate hit cable drama Mad Men (currently seen on AMC in first run). Netflix gets the rights to stream online the four seasons already completed (these will be available July 27) and three seasons yet to be produced, the latter becoming available after they complete their seasons on AMC. Press reports say Netflix is paying almost $1 million each for a total of 91 episodes. ... Posted Apr 08 2011, 06:38 AM by Bill Niemeyer with no comments Filed under: Netflix, OTT delivery, Bill Niemeyer