SMNYC Debates: TO AI, OR NOT TO AI?

On Monday, May 20, at Streaming Media NYC, two lively debates on the topic of AI in Media and Entertainment showcased leading industry figures. The first, "AI: Boon Or Bubble?" examined the ways that AI has entered every sector of the media, business, and technology worlds, and it explored how much of AI's insurgency is a fad, and how much of it is the actual future of streaming. The second, "The Real Value Of Artificial Intelligence," explored the fearmongering around the idea that "AI is coming for our jobs," and focused on how AI/ML might make workflows more efficient and effective, grow or refine reach, and help to boost bottom lines.

UK Broadcasters Plot Managed Transition to Universal Access Streamed TV

UK broadcasters, including the BBC, have said that delivering TV over the air is no longer economically viable and envisage an increased reliance on broadband networks for video streaming in the future. In a comprehensive report submitted to the UK government regarding the future of TV distribution, regulator Ofcom found widespread support across the sector for TV services continuing to be available to all but no shared view about how to achieve this. Adrian Pennington lists the three broad strategies Ofcom outlined instead and the challenges for achieving them.

Interview: IP Attorney Robert J.L. Moore Discusses Video Codec IP and Patent Monetization Issues

In this wide-ranging interview, Streaming Media's Jan Ozer and intellectual property attorney Robert Moore of Moore IP solutions delve into a number of topics related to video codec intellectual property issues and patent monetization, two constantly moving targets.

Q&A: AI in Advertising With Rembrand’s Cory Treffiletti

Cory Treffiletti, CMO of Rembrand, discusses the company's innovative use of programmatic generative AI for virtual product placements, along with how speedily AI is developing within the advertising industry and the ways it is upending the traditional media buying process.

Streaming Media Sneak Preview: Computing While Cooling With Netflix, Adeia, the Greening of Streaming, and Help Me Stream Research Foundation

On Wednesday, May 22 at Streaming Media NYC, Dom Robinson, Founder, Greening of Streaming and Director id3as/Norsk, will moderate an all-star panel of leading streaming technology providers and innovators to discuss how to make media's tech stack more cost and energy efficient and implement sound and sustainable best practices throughout the media supply chain, with insights from Sujana Sooreddy, Senior Lead Software Engineer at Netflix, Serhad Doken, CTO of Adeia, and Tim Fore-Siglin, founding executive director of Help Me Stream Research Foundation.

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.

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.

Creators Prepare to Fight for and Flee TikTok as Bans Take Effect   

Although governments around the world have restricted or outlawed the use of TikTok, the state of Montana last week became one of the first jurisdictions to extend the ban to consumer users as well. Other states may well follow and while there are challenges to the proposed law creators reliant on the platform would do well not seek out other options should the noose tighten in the run up to the 2024 presidential election. 

Premier Media Thought Leader Evan Shapiro to Present Closing Keynote Address at Streaming Media East 2023

At this year's Streaming Media East, well-regarded entertainment industry "media cartographer" Evan Shapiro will present the closing keynote address, "The Mind Of The Modern Media Consumer," where he will discuss the latest data and context from the media ecosystem and offer a good sense of where the industry is likely headed next.

Netflix Ad Verification Is Good Science but Underwhelming Math

The fact that Netflix is embracing ad verification and thus doing what is expected of every major media company that serves ads is good to know, but not particularly newsworthy on its own. What makes the announcement significant is that it shows that Netflix is relying on a measurement requirement (not of their own creation) which is simply hard to take seriously.

MPEG LA VVC Licensing Terms: What Do They Mean for the Streaming Industry?

Who's contributing to the two VVC patent pools, and will the combined royalties accelerate or discourage adoption? We sat down with two industry experts and the CEOs of both MPEG LA and Access Advance to get their insights.

Molten Raises $7M to Help Solve Rights and Content Management Challenges

Investors including Ashton Kutcher, Michael Ovitz, and Jack Dorsey are bullish on Molten's cloud-based approach to manage the increasingly complex back-office challenges in the online video ecosystem

Media Industry Rife withCredential Stuffing Attacks, According to Akamai

Twenty percent of credential stuffing attacks directed toward media companies according to "Akamai 2020 State of the Internet/Credential Stuffing in the Media Industry" Report

Showtime, Vudu, and Crackle Sued by DASH Patent Holders

MPEG LA's DASH Patent Pool may have ceased, but Ideahub and Helios Streaming resort to a lawsuit, claiming defendants refused to engage in licensing discussions.

Blocking Multiple Piracy Websites Can Decrease Levels of Piracy

Blocking is an effective way to curb piracy and direct people to legal alternatives, it turns out. But it only works if many sites are blocked, finds Carnegie Mellon.

Group Nine Acquiring Popsugar, Adding Scale and a New Demographic

Group Nine announced it will acquire Popsugar, which will help it grow reach for advertisers and tap into a new, largely female audience.

Facebook Will Pay $40M Fine for Overstating Video Ad Metrics

At the heart of the suit is Facebook's previous method of calculating watch time, which did not include all views and reported dramatically inflated numbers.

Vice Media Acquiring Women-Focused Refinery29 for $400M

Two leading online publishers are combining, with Vice Media announcing it has acquired Refinery29 in a reported mix of stocks and cash.