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Editor's Corner:  From Hollywood, by way of Silicon Valley, I have finally arrived Also Noted: Spotlight On... AT&T Mobility's Marian Croak settles into the Hot Seat
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From Hollywood, by way of Silicon Valley, I have finally arrived
 Please allow me to introduce myself: I'm Daniel Frankel, and I am now the editor of FierceCable, taking over the publication amid the greatest disruption to hit the video entertainment sector in the last half-century. I'm pretty excited to have the job of chronicling this technological evolution for what remains its most powerful driving force, the pay TV industry. I'll be providing you coverage every weekday morning on the latest news relating to technology, business, programming and more.
Based in Los Angeles, I arrive at FierceCable having observed several different perspectives of the TV industry. As a television reporter for Adweek and Variety, I covered the day-to-day issues relating to broadcast and cable programming development, distribution and performance. I followed series creation and production from pilot pitch to cancellation, chronicling show runners, cast members and network decision-makers in a somewhat dysfunctional process that--somehow--often resulted in the delivery of very effective and enriching entertainment experiences to mass audiences. Hollywood (Burbank, actually) was fun stuff, but as time wore on, I became increasingly interested in the innovations in digital technology that were beginning to change the television business. That led me paidContent.org and the San Francisco tech blog and research conglomerate that bought it, Gigaom, where I served as a correspondent, observing a tech industry that had somehow managed to change the name of the most important medium in American life, television, to simply--and somewhat antiseptically--"video." Those shows the industry I previously covered worked so hard on to create? That was all just distilled into the catch-all "content." And that subscription-based industry that provided the financial underpinnings needed to produce this content? Well, pay TV was merely to be "disrupted," moved out of the way to make room for more nimble video programming providers who are ostensibly better in touch with the lifestyle habits of emerging consumers. My publication even produced a regular online video series, "Cord Cutters," that showcased--and informed its readers--about over-the-top alternatives to pay TV services. Continue... Read more about: TV Everywhere
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* Post a job: Click here. | Today's Top News 1. Viacom's latest TV Everywhere spin: Users prefer it over other online services because of content
As complicated technology launches across sprawling industries go, the launch of TV Everywhere has been anything but quick and easy. But following a steady drumbeat of bad news about pay TV broadband migration initiative--cumbersome deal structures, limited customer awareness, etc.--some positive data is starting to sprinkle into the marketplace. The latest happy news comes from conglomerate Viacom Media Networks, which released a study Wednesday indicating that TV Everywhere users consume more television overall. The study also found that the majority of viewers who use a wide assortment of online programming services prefer TV Everywhere because it has a greater content selection. In its "TV Here, There, (Not Quite) Everywhere" study, Viacom focused on 1,900 viewers of its content in the New York and Chicago areas, polling them on their usage of authenticated pay TV services that allow them to watch programming on IP-based devices, as well as usage of various over-the-top services Among its findings: - Of those polled, 64 percent said they watch more TV overall since they started using TV Everywhere services, with millennial-aged viewers reporting a 72 percent uptick in tube viewing.
- Among those who use both TV Everywhere services and other online programming sources (Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX), Hulu, Amazon Prime (NASDAQ: AMZN), etc.) to watch TV shows, 68 percent say they watch TV Everywhere sources more often because of the content.
- TV Everywhere users tend to use the authenticated services to binge and catch up on programming, with 31 percent of respondents indicating they re-watch shows via TV Everywhere and 22 percent saying they use it to start watching shows from their first-season origins.
The unhappy news: Viacom's study found that TV Everywhere still suffers from a lack of awareness and understanding among pay TV subscribers. "There also no go-to source of discovery," the study's authors note, with 17 percent of polled users finding out about the services via TV advertising, 16 percent made aware by a spouse or partner, and 54 percent of kids learning about it from their parents. The Viacom study comes on the heels of a May 9 report from research firm NPD Group indicating that 21 percent of pay TV users now use TV Everywhere services at least once a month--which is still a distinct minority of subscribers, but a significant uptick in engagement, nonetheless. While usage and awareness slowly tick up for an initiative that was now conceived more than five years ago, there's still plenty of skepticism out there. Referring to TV Everywhere as a "patchwork of apps, services and industry politics, Gigaom writer Janko Roettgers on Monday cited a study from research company Sandvine, revealing that even videogame-focused video platform Twitch generates more broadband traffic than TV Everywhere's biggest success story, HBO Go. Still, even the harshest critics of pay TV industry authentication services are noting the "silver linings," with Roettgers adding, "TV Everywhere has been a success in an unlikely area: it has forced networks and operators to think more like Netflix, and radically change their development to embrace mobile devices and much shorter release cycles--all of which is helping them to prepar themselves for the streaming future." For more:
- see this press release
- Gigaom has this story Related links:
Pay TV subscribers are eating up TV Everywhere, says NPD Group
Shifting consumer behavior driving personalization of pay-TV content
TV Everywhere's biggest challenge: customer awareness
Synacor CEO resigns as TV Everywhere vendor pummeled in Q4 Read more about: TV Everywhere
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| This week's sponsor is Equifax. |  | Webinar: Alternative Data Use for Communication Service Providers
Thursday, June 26th, 2pm ET / 11am PT
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2. Report: Former Fox chief Chernin can make the AT&T-DirecTV merger work
Is former News Corp. president and chief operating officer Peter Chernin the man who is going to make the $49.5 billion merger of AT&T (NYSE: T) and DirecTV (NASDAQ: DTV) work? That's the speculation put forth by Deadline Hollywood media editor David Lieberman Thursday morning. Now chairman and CEO of the global media investment, management and production firm The Chernin Group, Chernin in April carved a $500 million deal with AT&T (NYSE: T) to create a new joint over-the-top programming initiative. Lieberman postulates that Chernin was brought in with the DirecTV (NASDAQ: DTV) purchase in mind. And as it seeks to make DirecTV a central component to a programming service that leverages wireless mobile devices, it will be the popular Chernin--and not so much DirecTV--who liaisons the content relationships. "It's hard to think of a pay TV provider that has locked horns with programmers more, or at least more prominently, than DirecTV," notes Lieberman citing the satellite carrier's testy, high-profile content licensing battles with companies like Viacom over the last few years. Chernin, Lieberman writes, "has the perfect résumé for a large job at a combined entity. He knows DirecTV having served as COO of News Corp during the period from 2003 to 2006 when it was controlled by Rupert Murdoch's company. He's comfortable in the digital world. At News Corp he drove the effort to create Hulu, and bid for it in the company's aborted auction last year. He sits on the boards of Twitter and Pandora, as well as American Express. "What's more, he's well known and liked in Hollywood. That could give AT&T a leg up on competitors looking for programming deals for a national OTT service--especially if AT&T wants to just offer a few channels to keep the price low, potentially cannibalizing the lucrative full pay TV bundle." For more:
- Deadline has this story Related links:
AT&T's $500M OTT video venture with Chernin Group could center on mobile services
Peter Chernin offers $500M for Hulu
Chernin Group takes control of Crunchyroll Read more about: acquisition, AT&T
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3. Time Warner Cable bumps speeds for 100K Austin subs; service now tops out at 300 Mbps
Austin city officials now have a great civic selling point to attract new residents, businesses and visitors: some of the fastest Internet connections in the nation. With AT&T (NYSE: T) already establishing a fiber-based, 1 Gbps-capable service in the area, and Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) set to launch a similarly fast one later this year, Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC) on Wednesday announced that it will increase the speeds for 100,000 local ISP customers--approximately 40 percent of its subscribers in this market--starting June 3 and wrapping up sometime in the fall. As part of what TWC touts as a $60 million investment in its Austin network, local subscribers across the company's six offered speed tiers will see increases at no added charge to their bills. For example, those currently receiving the minimum 15 Mbps speed will see their speedometer go up to 50 Mbps, while the top tier, currently clocked at 100 Mbps, will go to 300 Mbps. TWC notes that some subscribers will need a DOCSIS 3.0 modem to enjoy the full benefit of their speed increase. Additionally, TWC said it added more than 2,000 Wi-Fi hot spots in Austin, as well as more than 250,000 nationwide. For more:
- see this Multichannel News story
- see this press release Related links:
Cox takes on AT&T and Google Fiber in 1 Gbps fiber race
Comcast jumps to No. 3 in Netflix's speed rankings, but Canadian telcos surpass U.S. broadband speeds Read more about: AT&T, AT&T u-verse
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4. Protest mars Comcast shareholder meeting; Sen. Franken seeks clarity on net neutrality abidance
Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA) Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Brian L. Roberts sought to serenade the nearly 100 shareholders who showed up at Philadelphia's Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts Wednesday with a story about the media company's momentum as it seeks to gain approval and close out its proposed $45 billion takeover of Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC).  | | Roberts | "We start 2014 with the best momentum in the company's history," Roberts told its investors. "The company truly is at the cross section, the intersection, of technology and media." But about 50 protestors gathered outside the 75-minute shareholders meeting, loudly voicing their concerns that the proposed transaction will make the top pay TV and Internet services provider in the U.S. too powerful. "So many people around the country dislike this plan to allow Comcast to gobble up so many more customers, including in major markets like Los Angeles, said rally co-organizer Hannah Sassaman, to the Los Angeles Times. "Comcast has a monopoly because, in my West Philadelphia neighborhood, I can't get Verizon FiOS. And I'm paying $150 a month for Comcast, and that's a big chunk of our budget. The Times reported that inside the meeting, a handful of shareholders also took Comcast to task, but few of these complaints had anything to do with the Time Warner Cable deal. For example, two investors complained about what they view as the company's "liberal agenda," with cable news channel MSNBC now under the Comcast corporate umbrella, not to mention the conglomerate donating campaign money to U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). Of course, Comcast gives plenty of cash to GOP candidates, too. As Roberts got the business from shareholders, he also had to deal with a publicly leaked letter from his company's harshest critic, U.S. Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.), who wanted to know if Comcast intends to keep abiding by the original net neutrality laws adopted by the Federal Communications Commission past 2018. Of course, those laws were struck down in January by a federal court, but Comcast must abide by them anyway, until 2018, as a condition to the federal government approving its 2010 takeover of NBCUniversal. "Comcast has made net neutrality a central issue in its affirmative case for the Comcast-TWC deal," Franken wrote. " As such, it should explain fully its intentions with respect to net neutrality, not just for the period that runs from now until 2018." For more:
- read this Los Angeles Times story
- read this Broadcasting & Cable story Related links:
Franken rails against Comcast-TWC merger, says media companies fear retaliation
With Comcast witnesses set for House hearing, Franken seeks input from CCIA Read more about: acquisition, Comcast
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5. Google says its Fiber ISP service won't make paid peering deals
With Internet service providers including Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA) and Verizon (NYSE: VZ) currently kicking up controversy for charging high-traffic generating video programmers for special access to their networks, Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) took the opportunity Wednesday to strategically position its nascent Google Fiber ISP service. The topline from a post by Jeffrey Burgan, Google director of network engineering, on the company's blog: Google Fiber doesn't make such controversial deals. Notably, Burgan writes that companies including Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) and Akamai are able to house their servers inside Google facilities--for free, electrical power included. Allowing them to position these servers closer to end users results in better streaming of high-definition video to subscribers. "We give companies like Netflix and Akamai free access to space and power in our facilities and they provide their own content servers," Bergan notes. "We don't make money from peering or colocation; since people usually only stream one video at a time, video traffic doesn't bog down or change the way we manage our network in any meaningful way--so why not help enable it? "But we also don't charge because it's really a win-win-win situation. It's good for content providers because they can deliver really high-quality streaming video to their customers. For example, because Netflix colocated their servers along our network, their customers can access full 1080p HD and, for those who own a 4K TV, Netflix in Ultra HD 4K. It's good for us because it saves us money (it's easier to transport video traffic from a local server than it is to transport it thousands of miles). But most importantly, we do this because it gives Fiber users the fastest, most direct route to their content." Google Fiber's footprint is currently very small, serving a select group of subscribers in Kansas City and Provo, Utah, with plans to soon open shop in Austin, Texas. Of course, it will be interesting to see what happens when the ISP achieves nationwide status, and the myriad emerging Netflix competitors are up and running. Will Google have the wherewithal to let them all colocate without paying anything? For more:
- Google Fiber has this blog post
- Gigaom has this story
- Multichannel News has this story Related links:
Netflix/Comcast agreement rattles Internet economics
Time Warner Cable bumps speeds for 100K Austin subs; service now tops out at 300 Mbps
Google Fiber TV to charge $120 monthly for 1 GB Internet connnection and hundreds of HD networks Read more about: Google Fiber
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Also Noted SPOTLIGHT ON... AT&T Mobility's Marian Croak settles into the Hot Seat  AT&T Mobility's (NYSE: T) "User-Defined Network Cloud" initiative is aimed at transforming the carrier network. AT&T wants to virtualize hardware functions, cut costs and put more control of its network in the cloud and in the hands of users, both in consumer and enterprise markets. Recently, at AT&T's "Innovation Showcase" in New York, FierceWireless editor Phil Goldstein spoke with Marian Croak, senior VP of Domain 2.0 architecture and advanced services development, about these initatives. Croak talked about the importance of SDN and NFV, what vendors need to do to be part of the initiatives, and why other carriers should get on board. Here's an edited version of that conversation.
More cable industry news from across the Web: > With Rutgers set to join the collegiate athletic conference, the Big Ten Network has struck a carriage deal with RCN covering the New York market. Story > The landmark content deal between HBO and Amazon officially kicked off Wednesday, with The Sopranos, Deadwood, The Wire and several other of the premium cable network's shows premiering on Amazon Prime. Story And finally... Rentrak revealed Thursday that there are currently 55 million video on demand-enabled households in the U.S., each spending, on average, about nine hours per month consuming on-demand content. Story News From the Fierce Network:
> BlackBerry banks on security heritage to drive 'Project Ion' Internet of Things platform Post
> BT preparing to join UK LTE fight Post
> How to build a profitable metro-regional network - Thursday, May 29th, 11amET / 8am PT In this webinar we'll look at how service providers can craft retail business service offerings and revenue opportunities for specific verticals like education and health care. And we'll talk about the demand for Ethernet and optical services. Register Today! > Inside NFV - Why is virtualization important? - Thursday, June 5, 2014 2 PM ET/ 11 AM PT Vendors claim that the wireless industry is about to go through a major change as operators simplify and scale their networks by separating hardware and software functionality and using virtualization to improve network management in the software layer. This webinar will look at the latest developments in NFV and what it means to operators and vendors. Register today! > Driving revenue from multiscreen opportunities - Wednesday, June 11, 2014, 2pmET / 11amPT Smartphones, tablets, smart TVs and other IP-connected devices are revolutionizing the way content providers, distributors and advertisers reach viewers. While multiscreen devices promise to increase viewer engagement and social interaction, the strategies for making money from these other screens are still evolving. This webinar will look at a variety of multiscreen strategies that are currently being used by pay-TV providers. Register Today! > Developing for the Internet of Things: Challenges and Opportunities - Wednesday, June 18th, 2pm ET / 11am PT Cisco estimates that 50 billion devices and objects will be connected to the Internet by 2020. Will there be a role for developers in this area? And if so, how can developers position themselves in the months ahead on this nascent but potentially explosive opportunity? Register Today!
| > The TIA Network of the Future Conference - June 3-5 - Dallas, TX - Sponsored by: Telecommunications Industry Association The Conference, which highlights the intersection of markets, technology, and policy perspectives, will focus on transformation of the ICT industry as globalization, technological innovations and regulatory environments present challenges and opportunities. Topics include: 5G, SDN, Big Data, NFV, Cybersecruity, and much more. Click Here Now. > OPS - June 10 - New York OPS is where digital media leaders meet, develop best practices and work together to solve today's most important online advertising challenges. As a digital strategist, OPS is the one event where you're certain to get the information you need to stay competitive and maximize profitability. Register Now. > Don't Miss this FierceWireless 5G Breakfast at Super Mobility Week! - September 9, 2014 - Las Vegas, NV - Sponsored by Ericsson, Intel, and SOLiD Join Kris Rinne, AT&T; Vish Nandlall, Ericsson; and other industry experts as they explore how to get from today's networks to the 5G network of the future. Seats are limited. Register Today! > Don't Miss this FierceWireless IoT Breakfast at Super Mobility Week! - September 10, 2014 - Las Vegas, NV - Sponsored by RacoWireless and Sierra Wireless Join Matt Thompson, Microsoft; John Horn, RacoWireless; and other industry experts as they delve into the market segments where IoT technologies are blossoming now, and explore where the next opportunities may lie. Seats are limited. Register Today!
| > Whitepaper: Next-generation OSS is critical to delivering service agility in new virtualized networks This white paper outlines the key role the OSS will play in enabling CSPs to deploy and realize anticipated benefits from service agility, operational flexibility and cost optimization. Download today. > eBook: VoLTE and the Future of Mobile Voice Despite more than two years of anticipation, the U.S. is still waiting for the widespread deployment of voice over LTE as major operators delay deployment. Experts say this shouldn't come as a surprise given the complexity of the technology. FierceWireless will take an in-depth look at VoLTE as well as explore HD voice and other advanced services made possible by VoLTE. Download this eBook today! > Whitepaper: 802.11ac in the Enterprise: Technologies and Strategies Download the White Paper "802.11ac in the Enterprise: Technologies and Strategies" to learn from industry expert Craig Mathias about the technologies behind 802.11ac, deployment misconceptions and review steps that every organization should take in getting ready for 802.11ac.
Download today! > eBook: Executive Summary | Thoughts on the Small Cell Evolution Part 2: Distributed Antenna Systems TE Connectivity conducted surveys in the spring and fall of 2013 to gauge how service providers, hardware/software integrators and other segments of the industry are thinking about small cell technologies and their roles in the macro/micro network. The surveys found that attitudes and perceptions continue to evolve. Download this executive summary today! > eBook: eBrief | MSOs See New Era for VoIP This FierceCable eBrief will explore that while cable MSOs may be struggling to retain video customers, several Tier 2 and Tier 3 operators are growing their revenues by bundling VoIP services with their existing video and high-speed Internet packages. Download this eBrief today! > Whitepaper: Moving to the Suburbs: New Network Services For Data Centers Data centers are moving outside traditional metro areas to take advantage of lower real estate and power costs. Learn three ways service providers can manage this shift by reading this white paper. You will learn: How to optimize connectivity between users and content, how to differentiate user to content domain services and how on-demand service offerings can bring additional revenue. Download this whitepaper today. > eBook: Advancing the Network Through SDN and NFV FierceWireless explores the current status of SDN and NFV in this ebook. In addition, we look at some of the advanced capabilities the two technologies can offer. Download this eBook today! | |
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