NAB 2024: Assessing the AI Revolution in Entertainment

The signal-to-noise ratio in today's relentless AI buzz is far from optimal—particularly at NAB 2024, where the Everything AI vibe was off the chart from the moment the show began—but one session that cut through the noise and swapped hype for refreshing insight and candor was titled The AI Revolution in Entertainment: One Year On…

Is the AI Powering Your AI-Powered Gear Really AI?

A lot of products tagged as "AI-powered" were doing exactly the same thing before AI. But labeling their familiar features as "powered-by-AI" makes the same tech seem fresh and innovative.

Bitmovin Live Encoder-Akamai Connected Cloud Integration Promises Lower Egress Costs and OpEx Reductions up to 90%

On March 27, Bitmovin announced the availability of its Live Encoder running on Akamai Connected Cloud, promising increased efficiencies for large-scale streams and substantial reductions in data transfer out (DTO) costs that may translate to as much as 90 percent lowered operation costs overall. 

Netflix, Max, Disney+ Password Policing Is Latest Bid for Streaming Viability

Following in the footsteps of Netflix and Max, Disney+ is the latest streamer to crackdown on account sharing to boost subscriber growth and keep the business viable.

Streaming Media Sneak Preview: Strategic Trends in CTV Advertising and Monetization With Vevo, Fubo, Spectrum, and DIRECTV

On Tuesday, May 21 at Streaming Media NYC, Streaming Media's Nadine Krefetz will moderate an all-star panel focused on key developments in ad and monetization strategy coming to CTV in 2024 and beyond, with insights from Vevo SVP of Research & Marketing Julie Triolo, Spectrum Reach GVP National Sales Dan Callahan, Fubo VP of Ad Sales Jennifer Monson, and DIRECTV Head of Ad Sales Partnerships Matthew Jamison.

Streaming Media NYC Sneak Preview: The Subscription Prescription with Philo, Bango, Lightswitch, and Hub Entertainment Research

On Tuesday, May 21 at Streaming Media NYC, Lightswitch Co-Founder & CEO of Monica Villar will moderate an all-star panel exploring the ever-shifting landscape of subscription streaming television. Confirmed panelists include Philo Head of Business Development and Partnerships Adam Salmons, Bango VP Marketing Giles Tongue, and Hub Entertainment Senior Consultant Mark Loughney.

New Tubi Streaming Report Reveals Gen Z & Millennial Preferences for SVOD & FAST

Tubi, Fox Corporation's ad-supported streaming service, released findings from The Stream 2024: Streaming Insights for Marketers. In this year's report, Tubi, who partnered with The Harris Poll to conduct research, provided a deep dive into the behaviors and preferences of today's streamers to help inform marketing strategies. Streaming Media's Tyler Nesler spoke with Tubi's Cynthia Clevenger, Senior Vice President of B2B Marketing, about many of the report's key findings and what they reveal

Streaming Media NYC Sneak Preview: Pain in the Apps with NBCU, Hearst, and Hub Entertainment Research

On Tuesday, May 21 at Streaming Media NYC, Hub Entertainment Research Principal Jon Giegengack will moderate an all-star panel on streaming app design and the challenges of delivering smooth, satisfying, and consistent user experiences across a range of platforms. Confirmed panelists include NBCUniversal Director, Creative Products Shannon McKenzie and Hearst Television SVP, Streaming Services Andrew Fitzgerald. 

Take Streaming Media's Spring 2024 State of Streaming Survey

The teams at StreamingMedia.com and Help Me Stream Research Foundation are getting a jump on spring by releasing the Spring 2024 edition of the State of Streaming survey. This survey is our twice-annual look at the overall streaming industry. Take the survey today and help us understand just how the streaming landscape has shifted in the past six months.

The Struggle for Brand Identity Across Multiplatform Streaming Apps

A new study from Hub Entertainment Research reveals that viewers are still chasing shows rather than specific streaming brands, which poses challenges for programming providers looking to create a consistent brand identity across various platforms. James Lauzun of MagellanTV and Tom Hurlbutt of Crunchyroll also weighed in on this issue during a recent Streaming Media Connect 2024 session.

Evan Shapiro Unveils the Q4 Truths for Sony, Nintendo, Disney, Meta, and More

Read Part Three of our recap of Evan Shapiro's Q4 keynote earnings analysis from Streaming Media Connect 2024, where he unveils the Q4 truths for big M&E industry players like Sony, Nintendo, Disney, Meta, and More.

Evan Shapiro Reveals the Q4 Realities for Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, and More

With 4Q earnings calls putting a bow on 2023, M&E industry cartographer Evan Shapiro pulls no punches in this real-time response, digging deep into the data to hold the spin doctors accountable, giving Streaming Media Connect attendees an unvarnished view of the industry that they won't get anywhere else. Read Part Two of our recap of Shapiro's Q4 keynote earnings analysis from Streaming Media Connect 2024.

MWC24: While 5G Lags, 6G and Quantum Wait in the Wings

Even while telco operators are scarred by their experience rolling out and paying for 5G, attention is turning to its successor 6G, which will begin to be adopted from 2030.

Locality Announces Strategic Local Video Advertising Partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery

Locality, the industry's preeminent local video solutions provider, today announced a strategic local video advertising partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery. Locality will have access to Warner Bros. Discovery's comprehensive portfolio of brands and platforms through 2024, including TNT Sports, CNN and a rich selection of award-winning series and movies on Max and discovery+.

Evan Shapiro Pulls Back the Curtain on the M&E Q4 Earnings Reports

Major media and entertainment companies' quarterly earnings calls ought to pull back the curtain on what's really happening in the industry, but they routinely bury unflattering numbers in expert spin, and the press on hand rarely asks questions tough enough to draw out the real story. With 4Q earnings calls putting a bow on 2023, M&E industry cartographer Evan Shapiro pulls no punches in this real-time response, digging deep into the data to hold the spin doctors accountable, giving Streaming Media Connect attendees an unvarnished view of the industry that they won't get anywhere else.

MWC24: Consumer XR Faces Reality Check

XR technology is forecast to rocket from a market value of $55 billion in 2023 to $490 billion by 2030, which holds both a promise and a puzzle. While business to business use of XR has taken hold, consumer applications have failed to move beyond the hype.

MWC24: Operators Struggle to Make 5G Pay Off

While AI was the future buzz at Mobile World Congress, operators debated how to recoup money from the millions of dollars poured into 5G networks, with repeated better regulation, wider cooperation, and promises not to repeat the mistakes of 5G.

Instant Replay: Streaming Media Connect 2024

Streaming Media presented its 13th Connect virtual conference February 19 - 22, 2024, with media industry cartographer Evan Shapiro as host and MC. Shapiro kicked off the event with a dynamic keynote, digging deep into the Q4 earnings call data to hold the spin doctors accountable and giving an unvarnished view of the industry. Other highlights included a keynote by Dana McGraw of Disney, titled Disney Advertising, Understanding Audiences: How Disney Advertising Leverages Data Science and Insights to Empower Advertisers, plus several panels covering topics such as app streaming UX design, scaling CTV advertising, measuring FAST success, and AI.

Fubo Sues The Walt Disney Company, Fox Corp., Warner Bros. Discovery, and Affiliates for Antitrust Practices

Fubo filed an antitrust lawsuit against The Walt Disney Company, FOX Corp., Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. and their affiliates today, alleging that the vertically-integrated media companies have engaged in a years-long campaign to block Fubo's innovative sports-first streaming business resulting in significant harm to both Fubo and consumers. The complaint alleges that the forthcoming launch of a sports-streaming joint venture steals Fubo's playbook and is the latest example of this campaign.

Ad Tiering Pays Off as 36% of Subscribers Level Up to Avoid Ads

Landmark study of 5,000 American subscribers shows the impact of ads, bundling, and password-sharing crackdowns on the US subscription economy