02/08, 11:40am
Amazon now offers Viacom content, library at 15K+
Amazon on Wednesday officially confirmed earlier rumors that it has inked a deal with cable provider Viacom to bring its TV shows to Amazon's Instant Video streaming service. As part of the deal, Amazon will allow customers to access thousands of episodes from MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, TV Land, Spike, VH1, BET, CMT, and Logo. This will include past seasons of shows like Chappelle's Show, Hot in Cleveland, Jersey Shore, Yo Gabba Gabba, and iCarly, among others.
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01/15, 6:05pm
Hulu starts up own online-only TV series
Hulu followed in Netflix's footsteps Sunday by launching its first fictional, original TV series. Battleground covers a fictional political campaign in Wisconsin and is produced by JD Walsh, 500 Days of Summer's Marc Webb, and Hagai Shaham. It should be followed up by more documentaries, including a second season of Morgan Spurlock's A Day in the Life and Richard Linklater's new Up to Speed.
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12/16, 7:50am
Fox tries iTunes for new Avatar technique
Fox is trying what it claims is a first for take-home movies with an upcoming iTunes Extras Special Edition version of Avatar ($20 pre-order, iTunes). The James Cameron action movie will let viewers see and control simultaneous views of 17 key scenes the movie that include the completed picture, the rough-computer generated framing, and the live motion capture. Green Screen X-ray will also let viewers selectively see the raw live action side of the content just by dragging the "X-ray" over parts of the scene.
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11/18, 8:20pm
Netflix gets lock on Arrested Development return
Fox and Imagine Television confirmed a major deal on Friday to get new episodes of Arrested Development. The agreement outlined by Variety would revive the cult hit TV show starting from early 2013. It reportedly won out in a fierce bidding competition with traditional TV that included Showtime, among others.
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11/03, 9:55pm
CBS says Apple planned stream TV with shared cash
CBS chief Les Moonves may have inadvertently confirmed Apple's negotiations for a streaming TV service during the company's fiscal results call. He claimed that CBS had turned down a deal for a service because it would have split ad revenues. The executive didn't give details of what the service would have involved.
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10/13, 8:15pm
Hulu says studios see it as too valuable
Hulu in a brief note said it had decided to stop its attempted selloff. The statement, which had the support of Disney, investor Providence Equity Partners, and Fox's parent company News Corp., claimed that each of the owners though there was too much of a "unique and compelling strategic value" for each of them to sell. It would instead center on existing plans.
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10/09, 11:55pm
Yahoo rumored jumping ship from Hulu deals
Yahoo is reportedly out of the increasingly uncertain bidding process for Hulu, a claimed leak said late Sunday. The search engine has allegedly been identified by the WSJ sources as the original mystery bidder but also to have exited entirely. The internal turmoil following Carol Bartz' firing and the possibility of a sell-off were attributed to the departure.
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09/26, 12:30pm
Amazon Instant Video gets big boost from Fox deal
Amazon on Monday scored an important content deal with Fox just ahead of its Kindle tablet event on Wednesday. The deal will give access to recent and classic movies as well as older TV shows. While not getting very current content, it will bring Amazon's content up significantly to 11,000 movies and TV shows.
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09/06, 4:30pm
Google may try for very special Hulu bid
Google's bid for Hulu may involve a much more elaborate prospect than anyone else, insiders gave out Tuesday. Amazon, Dish, and Yahoo are all offering conventional bids of up to $2 billion, but Google is now thought to have said "there's enough money" for a much more involved deal. Tips to AllThingsD didn't identify what the intentions were, but the amount was enough that Hulu would have normally thrown it out were it not for the cash involved.
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09/06, 11:00am
Rare exception to restrictive network policies
Fox is doing a rare TV show giveaway on the US iTunes Store, reports note. The network is currently offering the pilot episode of New Girl, a sitcom will only officially premiere on September 28th. Show downloads should remain free until around that date, after which people will have to pay normal iTunes prices. Variety comments that the giveaway may mark only the second time a US broadcaster has given away a complete sneak peek, the first instance being Fox's failed series Lone Star.
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09/01, 1:35am
Hulu Plus now active in Japan
Hulu on cue has launched Hulu Plus for Japan. The country is the first outside of the US to get Hulu and gives it a very different business model. Plus is the only option in the country and costs the equivalent of $19 per month, almost twice as much as the $8 it does in the US.
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08/26, 5:00pm
Apple sheds mention of TV show rentals
(Update: official explanations) Apple has dropped the 99-cent TV show rentals that it used to launch the second-generation Apple TV. Along with dropping the option from the store itself, the Apple TV product page no longer makes mention of the option. Rentals are now limited to movies, and TV shows are back to being purchase-only.
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08/22, 2:00pm
Fox delay of Hulu TV shows results in more piracy
The decision of Fox to start an eight-day TV show delay online has been met with a spike in piracy, TorrentFreak reported. Last Monday, Fox began the eight-day delay on Hulu and its own Fox.com website. Fox hopes to have encouraged viewers to sign up and pay for its programming to watch the TV shows as they air.
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08/16, 2:50pm
ABC working on authenticating online video views
ABC will join Fox in requiring users to log in while viewing online TV content. This solidifies earlier rumors that the Disney-owned network will do this, sources said to AllThingsD. During an earnings call, Disney CEO Bob Iger indicated he back distributing his company's content over nontraditional outlets like Hulu and Netlfix as long as it doesn't disrupt the current relationship with cable companies.
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08/10, 4:30pm
Future Disney deals to require log-in for web TV
Disney is following in the footsteps of the Fox book by requiring online TV show viewers to be pay TV subscribers and log in with a cable ID. According to a Wednesday GigaOM report, the company is working on deals with content distributors to allow this. Thus far, cable networks like CNN and HBO are already requiring such logins.
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08/08, 8:35am
iTunes Replay may be months off
Talk of iTunes Replay bringing cloud movie streaming might have come too soon. Insiders claimed Monday that Apple didn't have deals with at least four of six major movie studios. Any deal would be months off at best, CNET was told.
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07/29, 9:30am
Qriocity coming to Xperia minis on Monday
Sony on Monday, August 1 will begin the phased roll-out of its Qriocity service for Xperia smartphones. At first, the Xperia mini and Xperia mini pro will get access. Available content to rent or buy will include movies and TV shows from NBC and its partner Universal, Paramount, Sony, Fox, and Warner Bros., in addition to local and more independent studios.
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07/26, 7:45pm
Fox demands 8-day delay on Hulu shows
Fox on Tuesday night set out to shelter traditional TV with a long hinted-at plan to delay TV shows on Hulu for non-subscribers. Free viewers will face an eight-day delay for access to Fox TV shows unless they either pay for Hulu Plus or can prove they subscribe to a conventional TV service. Only satellite provider Dish Network is so far cleared to give users same-day access in the strategy, which starts up August 15.
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07/21, 3:45pm
Fox to offer digital copies of movies this fall
Fox will become the first movie studio to bring movie downloads to Google's Android platform this October. The first movie will be X-Men: First Class, a digital copy of which Blu-ray disc buyers will be able to download and sideload onto their Android devices. The service will at first be available in the US, the UK, France and Germany.
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07/20, 11:05am
Amazon and CBS deal dampens Hulu buy rumor
Amazon.com and CBS Corporation on Wednesday announced they have entered into a non-exclusive licensing agreement that will let Amazon Prime customers stream CBS TV shows. The deal will see 2,000 additional episodes from 18 CBS TV shows such as The Tudors, Cheers, and the complete Star Trek series collection, among others. Also, later this summer, regular Amazon Instant Video customers will get access to dozens of CBS shows.
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07/10, 8:55pm
Netflix and Hulu mutually uninterested in deal
New tips Sunday ruled out Netflix as one of the candidates to buy Hulu. The movie streaming service hasn't been actively involved, sources for the WSJ said. Hulu also reportedly hasn't been actively interested, in part since it would create overlap and reduce the number of suppliers, not increase them.
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07/05, 5:25pm
Hulu talks to Amazon, ATT, Verizon, more
Hulu's shopping itself around also includes Amazon, AT&T, and Verizon, insiders revealed Tuesday. The companies are part of a "short list" that included Microsoft as its first stop last week and will include Yahoo and Google next. AllThingsD's sources didn't learn how Microsoft had reacted but also heard Hulu will bring up the idea to Facebook, Liberty Media, Netflix, and Samsung.
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06/27, 6:25pm
Hulu content to stay exclusive after sale, more
More details regarding the upcoming and expected sale of Hulu have been dug up by AllThingsD. Hulu's content partners, including known deals for Disney and Fox, have extended their licenses and these will stay in place after a sale of the video streaming company. Comcast/NBCUniversal will be forced to follow these partners, and the content from the three will be mainly exclusive to Hulu.
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06/27, 9:15am
Hulu shopping itself to diverse mix of companies
Hulu has responded to a proposed buyout by shopping itself around to a very wide range of companies, insiders have said Monday. The TV streaming site has been reaching out to "media, technology and communications" firms to see how interested they might be. The WSJ understands Hulu could still go unsold.
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06/24, 4:30pm
Hulu close to Disney deal following Fox
Tipsters said Friday that Hulu was wrapping up a deal to keep getting ABC and Disney shows. A pair of sources said a rough deal had already been set that would keep shows going in return for more than the 2.5 minutes of ads Hulu normally runs. The deal seen by AdAge could be completed within "weeks."
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06/21, 6:00pm
Hulu rumored selling itself off
Two insiders said Tuesday night that Hulu was considering selling itself after having been given a buyout offer. The source hadn't been identified but, according to CNBC's Julia Boorstin, was "not Google." Hulu hadn't decided what to do about the offer other than exploring its possibilities.
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05/03, 5:25pm
Vudu adds TV shows for first time
Vudu chose Tuesday to throw itself into more direct competition with iTunes and Netflix by carrying TV shows. The deal gives it access to shows from ABC, AMC, Fox, HDNet, Palm, Showtime, Sony, Starz, and The CW, such as Weeds and The Walking Dead. As a paid service, its episodes will show a day after the air date rather than weeks or months like on Netflix.
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04/26, 4:20pm
Fox, Paramount blame piracy for YouTube exit
Fox and Paramount have supposedly backed out of YouTube's imminent major movie service in an attempt to force action on piracy. Unofficial comments from the two claim that they won't get onboard as long as Google is indexing pirate video sites in its search engine and allowing them AdSense placement. Disney, not mentioned before, was also leaning the same direction, The Wrap said.
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04/25, 10:55pm
YouTube may intro major movie service
YouTube's largely public plans for a major studio movie service could be realized as soon as this week or next, studio executives purportedly said Monday. The service would initially work through a video-on-demand rental system, presumably streaming, rather than permanent sales. Some studios like Lionsgate, Sony, Warner, and Universal would be onboard, The Wrap heard, but Google has allegedly had trouble getting support and would have to forsake movies from Fox and Paramount for the initial unveiling.
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04/15, 9:40pm
Time Warner Cable iPad app gets channels back
Time Warner Cable started the weekend with word that it had recovered some of the channels for the TWCable TV iPad app (free, App Store) that it had lost to disagreements just weeks earlier. The streaming app now has Discovery's namesake channel as well as Animal Planet and TLC. Fox News, FX, and National Geographic have also arrived along with Lifetime Real Women, Military History, Sundance Central, and Wedding Central.
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04/08, 6:50pm
Netflix said landing complete Star Trek TV deal
Netflix may land a key deal to show every Star Trek episode ever made. The company reportedly confirmed that it would have access to all five storylines, ranging from the classic 1960s show through to Enterprise. TrekMovie understood that all but Deep Space Nine would go live on July 1, with the holdout coming October 1.
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04/07, 5:25pm
Time Warner Cable demands iPad app court judgment
Time Warner Cable on Thursday launched a preemptive strike against Viacom in hopes of getting a legal right to broadcast the network's shows through its iPad app. The motion for a declaratory judgment asked a Southern District of New York court to say that the TWCable TV app was within TWC's broadcast rights. Viacom had threatened legal action but would be barred from any measure if a judgment came in TWC's favor.
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04/01, 12:40pm
Time Warner Cable adds 17 channels to iPad TV app
Time Warner Cable on Friday shot back at the need to pull some channels from its TWCable TV iPad app by adding 17 new ones. Although it had to pull some key Discovery-, Fox-, and Viacom-owned stations, it now has major networks such as A&E, CNN, Disney, ESPNnews, IFC, and MSNBC, among others. It also managed to add Fox News despite the apparent deadlock.
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04/01, 11:35am
Netflix gets more Fox TV deals
Netflix on Friday landed another of its key content deals by expanding its relationship with Fox. The deal will dip into more classic shows like Ally McBeal and The Wonder Years but also give access to parts of more current content, such as the first season of Glee and the the first two seasons of Sons of Anarchy. Some movies will also be coming, but unlike most of Netflix's recent deals, will have to wait until after the pay TV window expires.
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03/31, 5:15pm
Time Warner pulls Fox from iPad TV app
Time Warner Cable partly bowed to pressure on Thursday and said it would pull channels like Fox from its TWCable TV iPad app. It spun the withdrawal by saying it would concentrate on "enlightened programmers" who saw the value of tablet streaming. The decision also gave it incentive to attack Fox, Scripps, and other holdouts, ironically accusing them of greed by limiting how they could access TV.
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03/30, 8:55pm
Fox tells Time Warner to remove channels from iPad
Fox on Wednesday said it had given a cease-and-desist letter to Time Warner Cable asking it to pull Fox channels from the TWCable TV iPad app. The studio believed Time Warner didn't have rights to stream its shows on Apple's tablet, even over the app's home Wi-Fi limitation. Time Warner hadn't said to Bloomberg if it would contest the letter but in a post on its company blog reiterated its view that its home TV rights included the iPad.
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02/22, 4:00pm
CBS brings classic TV shows to Netflix
CBS today showed a rare willingness to bring its TV shows to a subscription Internet service today and gave Netflix some key content. Classic shows such as Cheers, Star Trek and Twin Peaks will now be viewable through a streaming plan, as will two newer shows, Flashpoint and Medium. The non-exclusive deal lasts for two years and has an option for a two-year renewal.
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01/27, 1:45am
Hulu could move to bundles and toss free video
Hulu is considering a major shakeup of its business model that could move away from its free format and towards a paid service with live TV, insiders claimed early Thursday. While it wouldn't drop the current model, the service is pondering the option of mimicking cable services by offering live TV in package bundles as well as video on demand. The plan would still be under discussion, the WSJ heard.
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12/17, 8:30am
Blockbuster kiosks wait 28 days for Warner Bros
Blockbuster on Friday said that its Express kiosks would have to wait 28 days before getting new movies from Warner Bros. to rent. Despite having trialed same-day launches as recently as the past few weeks, such as Fox's Knight and Day, the company has agreed to stall the $1 DVDs in return for closer contact with Warner Bros. as well as a lower distribution cost and healthier supply. It already had similar deals with Fox and Universal.
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12/14, 4:40pm
Panasonic to have Avatar 3D to itself until 2012
The Panasonic-exclusive 3D Blu-ray of Avatar will remain so until February of 2012, the company confirmed to AVZombie. The exclusive global digital distribution rights means only those who buy Panasonic's 3D HDTVs or Blu-ray players will be able to officially get the copy of Avatar on Blu-ray 3D. At the same time, the movie will not be released this month, as promised, but sometime early in 2011.
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12/02, 2:50pm
Netflix hoping to get streaming of new TV episodes
Netflix has been pressing hard to get current TV shows on Watch Instantly, according to rumors surrounding negotiations. The company reportedly said it was willing to pay between $70,000 and $100,000 per episode if it meant getting access to a given season while still on the air. Most of the "friction" in the discussions, the New York Post's sources said, has been TV broadcast owners arguing that they have rights over current-season TV that even the show producers themselves would lack.
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11/24, 12:50pm
Sony intros Qriocity streaming service to devices
Sony will soon bring its Qriocity service to the PSP and connected Bravia TVs, Blu-ray players and home theater systems in the UK. In the PSP, this means access to Sony's Music Unlimited library, while the other devices will have access to streaming access. The PSP requires a software update, v6.35 that's coming soon. This will bring with it a new icon under the XMB interface's Music category.
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11/22, 2:25pm
Viacom blocks Google TV for Comedy Central, more
Google TV was dealt another major blow on Sunday after viewers discovered that Viacom had blocked the platform on its networks. Websites for Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon and other networks now show that the "content is unavailable for your device" rather than loading the Flash video. The restriction was expected earlier given Viacom's failed lawsuit against YouTube but comes relatively late.
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11/10, 7:40pm
Fox website blocks Google TV browser
Google today faced another major setback as viewers discovered that Fox had joined SyFy and other majors in blocking Google TV. Anyone trying to watch Bones, The Simpsons and other shows on Fox.com are given an error claiming the content is "not compatible with your device." Fox was thought to have been uncertain but now appeared to have settled on banning the platform's Chrome web browser.
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11/08, 9:00pm
SyFy latest to block Google TV browser
Viewers discovered this weekend that SyFy has begun blocking Google TV devices from its site. The NBC-owned channel began telling users that video is not "currently available on this device." It joins blocks by other major studios, including NBC itself as well as ABC and CBS. Hulu has blocked Google TV from its free access since before launch.
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10/28, 11:00am
Cablevision to refund subscriptions to MLB.com
In the newest development in the recent dispute between Cablevision and Fox, where the latter is demanding Cablevision pays it $150 million per year for its channels, Cablevision says it will refund subscribers who watch MLB games on MLB.com. The move is an attempt to appease angry subscribers, as Fox channels have been blacked out to Cablevision subscribers on Long Island. Fox has also recently blocked its shows on Hulu from Cablevision subscriber IP addresses, though access has since been restored.
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10/21, 8:05pm
Google TV set back by TV agency blocks
Google TV is being blocked by TV studios at least partly out of piracy fears, tips alleged on Thursday [sub. required]. Disney's ABC as well as CBS have all confirmed that they prevent the TV OS from watching their free Flash video sites. The WSJ understood from leaks that at least Disney and NBC had objected because it didn't think Google was doing enough to stop piracy.
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10/16, 6:00pm
Fox blocks Cablevision from seeing Hulu in dispute
Hulu became the victim of a TV programming dispute between Fox and Cablevision today as it was forced to pull Fox shows from its website. The TV streaming site was told that it had to prevent watching Fox shows for anyone visiting from a Cablevision IP address to "remain neutral" until the two could agree on carriage fees. Videos were restored this afternoon, but a check by AllThingsD showed that Fox.com remained blocked.
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10/06, 2:00pm
Netflix agrees 28-day Sony delay for more streams
Netflix today landed a deal with Sony to get further access to streaming video in return for a DVD delay. The exchange follows a similar pattern to earlier agreements and will see Netflix delay DVD and Blu-ray availability during the 28-day "window" in return for deeper access to Sony's catalog for the Watch Instantly feature. The plan also lowers the fees Netflix has to pay for its access.
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09/28, 7:05pm
Broadcasters claim copyright infringement
Several broadcasters have filed a lawsuit against Ivi TV after the startup defied cease-and-desist demands to stop retransmitting broadcast TV signals via the Internet without permission. Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC and PBS have accused the small company of copyright infringement for its web-based streaming service, which provides access to over 20 channels for $5/month.
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