Blog articles from 12/2020

On December 1 st , Pluto TV launched a free, ad-supported channel of original Showtime programming called Showtime Selects. The linear-style channel, whose content will be updated monthly, includes roughly 250 hours of originals with sneak peaks and select episodes of Showtime series such as Shameless , The Affair , Ray Donovan , and Billions . According to Michael Engleman, Showtime’s chief marketing officer, the goal is to keep the channel on Pluto TV “indefinitely”.  A...

Earlier in August, Google announced a $450 million investment in security stalwart ADT. The partnership represents an ecosystem expansion for both players that increases their visibility and value to new existing customers by creating the next generation of smart home security offerings. Then, a few months later, Google unsurprisingly discontinued its three-year-old Google Nest Secure alarm system, seemingly to make way for its future collaboration with ADT. The partnership will be...

As we head towards the new year, it’s a good point to look back at how the connected TV market has changed during the course of 2020. We’ve seen accelerations in the adoption of streaming video products, particularly connected TV devices such as smart TVs and streaming media players. In early 2020, retailers sold out of their existing stock as strong consumer demand ran up against factory shutdowns and delays in shipping. In the third quarter of 2020, production and shipping returned,...

The COVID-19 crisis continues to have a significant impact on how consumers live and how companies, including OTT players, operate their businesses. While sporting events and other live events are starting or planning to come back, the impact from the dearth of live content will reverberate for months to come. Losses in programming, advertising, and sponsorship are clear challenges for providers, while some sports-specific OTT services are struggling around rights, fee payments, and costs...

Join Jason Schaeffer, SVP Growth, Crackle Plus , at Parks Associates' upcoming Future of Video conference next week on December 14-16. Jason will be participating on the  Lowering Churn in a Hyper-competitive Market panel on December 15. He shared his thoughts with us recently on the OTT SVOD space:  What major changes are taking place for video distribution this year? More competition with svod and avod, as new entrants hit the market (Disney +, Discovery),...

Parks Associates' upcoming Future of Video: OTT, Pay TV, and Digital Media conference will be held virtually on December 14-16 and will bring together industry leaders to share insights on new trends in the video and connected entertainment industries, with insights on consumer behaviors and preferences and the challenges for the video industry in meeting these expectations. Ahead of the conference, Renato Bonomini, VP, Global PreSales, ContentWise , shared with us his thoughts on...

As the video service ecosystem evolves, OTT services and pay-TV providers alike are increasingly looking to build strategic partnerships to differentiate themselves from competitors and drive viewership and revenue.  Don't miss the Future of Video conference session  OTT Partnerships: Key to Success  on Wednesday December 16, at 12:30 p.m. CT. This session will focus on the latest key partnerships in the video services space and how partnering can strengthen a...

A growing percentage of smart home device owners now experience multiple problems with their devices each year, and within the last twelve months, one-third of smart home device owners report experiencing technical problems. Many of these issues stem from problems with wireless connectivity which disrupts a device’s ability to communicate with the home network. Additionally, some households report interruptions with the broadband provider’s service due to the increasing strain on the...