In this week's rundown of recent news items for cord-cutters: Redbox is adding 1,500 kiosks, watch HBO free this weekend, YouTube TV adds 10 cities, Hulu adding thousands of episodes of FOX series, and more.
Yes, people still rent DVDs, and Redbox is adding 1,500 kiosks to accommodate them. In an interview with the Chicago Tribune, CEO Galen Smith that a lot of their customers are cord-cutting Millennials, who "see us as a great access point to watching new release movies. They may not be able to afford being able to spend $5.99, $6.99 or more for a (video on demand) rental, and instead they're able to access it through us. Contrary to what people think, we actually skew a lot younger in terms of our age makeup."
Sling TV is offering a 4-day free HBO preview starting today and running through Monday, July 24. Watch the live HBO feed, or select from the HBO video on demand library of HBO original series, movies, specials, sports, kids, shows, and documentaries, as well as HBO Latino VOD. And yes, the HBO free preview includes every season of Game of Thrones, including the most-recent Season 7 premiere episode. If you aren't already a Sling TV subscriber, this would be a good time to try the Sling TV free 7-day trial and settle in for 4 days of binge-watching.
Are you looking for live local channels on streaming TV services? David Katzmaier, writing for cnet, has compiled a list of local ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, and MyTV channels available on five streaming services: DirecTV Now, Hulu, PlayStation Vue, Sling TV and YouTube TV.
Hulu is adding nearly 3,000 episodes from FOX's back catalogue to its streaming service. Variety reports that "under the expanded deal, Hulu obtains streaming rights to every episode of shows including 'How I Met Your Mother,' 'Burn Notice,' 'Bones' and 'Glee,' as well as all 11 seasons of 'M*A*S*H' and the full 'NYPD Blue' library."
YouTube TV rolled out to 10 more cities this week: Washington D.C., Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Dallas, Charlotte, Miami-Fort Lauderdale, Orlando-Daytona Beach-Melbourne, Phoenix, Atlanta, and Minneapolis-St. Paul. This expansion triples the footprint of the $35-per-month live TV streaming service that competes with Sling TV, DirecTV Now, and Playstation Vue.
Netflix added 5.2 million subscribers in the second quarter, well beyond its own estimate of 3.2 million. Forbes reports that "the figures include 1.1 million new U.S. subscribers, which is more than it has added in any quarter in the last six years... Netflix also added 4.1 million international subscribers. Half of the company's subscribers are now located abroad." With all those new subscribers, revenue was also up, climbing 32% to $2.78 billion.
WWE could be considering a prime time move from USA Network to Facebook, speculates Scott Porch on Decider.com. WWE shows on USA include Monday Night Raw and SmackDown. The move wouldn't affect pay-per-view events on the WWE Network, which has consistently been on of the most-watched Roku channels.
RokuGuide.com may receive a referral fee for any purchases or subscriptions made through links on this page. See our full FTC Disclosure Statement for more information.
