In this week's collection of recent cord-cutting news items from around the web: Stream Lollapalooza live this weekend, CuriosityStream launches free showcase service, 17% get video solely from SVOD services, Vizio offers streaming service from Pluto TV, original Star Wars movies blocked from Disney streaming until 2024, Amazon Prime Video user interface to get big upgrade, NBC Sports and PGA Tour will offer live-streaming golf subscription package, and more!
Engadget reminds us that we can stream Lollapalooza sets live on Red Bull TV this weekend. "Starting Thursday at 7PM ET, you can watch sets from the likes of headliners The Weeknd, Jack White and Arctic Monkeys... Coverage kicks off at 3PM each day Friday to Sunday... Alongside three channels of live tunes, Red Bull is hosting a 180-degree VR experience on YouTube, which pulls you into the front of the crowd. You can watch the extravaganza on Red Bull and Lollapalooza's websites, the Red Bull TV app (which is available on myriad tablets, consoles and smart TVs), or on Facebook, YouTube or Twitch."
"Netflix Is So Popular in Canada, Local Media Players Want a 'Netflix Tax'’ to Level the Playing Field," says eMarketer. "The so-called 'Netflix Tax' has become a catch-all term for the gripe that US-based digital services don't contribute to local production via taxation."
Conviva, a real-time measurement and intelligence platform for streaming TV, released a report that says that streaming TV content consumption more than doubled over the last 12 months. "'The demand for streaming TV globally is growing at a stunning rate,' said Bill Demas, CEO of Conviva. 'Roku and Amazon's Fire TV are leading the connected TV charge with growth and share of engagement...' Conviva saw new peaks in both total and concurrent plays in Q2 2018, with a record-breaking 7.9 million people streaming the France vs. Argentina World Cup match concurrently on June 30 and a total of 5.5 billion viewing hours consumed during the quarter."
CuriosityStream announced a new sponsor-supported service for free OTT access. The service, which streams "original documentary films and series exploring science, technology, history, nature, health, human interest and more... announced its 18-title CuriosityStreamSHOWCASE service [is available] at CuriosityStream.com for free consumer access."
Techspot reports that Vizio has launched a streaming service powered by Pluto TV. "Available now on nearly all Vizio SmartCast TVs, the new service, in partnership with Pluto TV, offers streaming access to more than 100 live and linear channels featuring news, movies, sports, TV shows, viral videos, concerts and more – all for free." But you don't need a Vizio TV to get this content. As noted in the article, "Pluto TV is also available for free on the web and on more than a dozen platforms including Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV."
"In the U.S, 17% Get Video Solely From SVOD Services"," up from 11% in 2017, according to market research company The NPD Group, as reported by StreamingMedia.com. "While young adults are more likely to stream video, that area seems to be plateauing... While usage may have topped out for young adults, older adults are subscribing at a slightly higher rate. 'As the technology gets older and less novel, as smart TVs become more common, and as more streaming content becomes available, older consumers with more disposable income are coming on board with streaming video services, notes Ricardo Solar, president of media entertainment for NPD. Although Millennials were the first to adopt SVOD, Gen X and Boomers are now driving the growth among those subscribing to multiple services."
"Original Star Wars movies blocked from Disney streaming until 2024," says ArsTechnica. Commenting on a Bloomberg report, ArsTechnica explains that "when Disney sold the TV broadcast rights for the original Star Wars films to Turner Broadcasting, it also sold it the streaming rights. Until 2024. And the AT&T-owned broadcaster has no desire to give them back early—at least not at a price that the House of Mouse considers palatable."
Amazon's Prime Video user interface is about to get a big upgrade, says AdWeek. Jennifer Salke, the new head of Amazon Studios, said at the Television Critics Association's summer press tour in Los Angeles that "Amazon is in the process of improving the user interface for Prime Video, which the exec admitted has been frustrating for her and the talent she works with. During a visit to Amazon's Seattle headquarters, Salke got an early look at a prototype of the upcoming interface, which she now has on a phone in her office. 'Please come see me and I'll show you how cool it is!' she said of the UI, which will arrive sooner rather than later."
According to an exclusive report by Variety, NBC Sports and PGA Tour inked a deal for a live-streaming golf subscription package. "PGA Tour Live will move from BAMTech and ESPN+ to NBC Sports Gold starting in 2019... Launched in 2015, the PGA Tour Live has been run by Disney's BAMTech Media streaming division, with select programming from the digital package available this year on ESPN+, the sports cabler's own subscription-video product. 'Moving PGA Tour Live over to NBC Sports Gold represents the next evolution of our product,' said Rick Anderson, chief media officer of the PGA Tour."
"Linear TV dominates Americans' time spent viewing and is on the rise, according to a new report from Nielsen" says Broadcasting & Cable. "The report found that adults spent a total of 5 hours and 57 minutes watching video during the first quarter. That's up from 5:46 in the Q4 and 5:27 in Q3."
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