PROGRAMMING
Complex Networks’ ‘Rated Red’ channel, a digital property geared toward red state millennials, is about to send a lot of content to Verizon’s Go90. Over the next few weeks, the ad supported mobile video platform will debut five new Rated Red shows, including For the Win, an unscripted series featuring digital star Brodie Smith (a specialist in frisbee trick shots), and Gnarkatz, which follows Eastbound and Down’s Bo Mitchell and his skateboarding crew. Complex Networks is jointly owned by Verizon and Hearst; they acquired the company last year.
The Comic-Con audience for a Netflix panel on upcoming superhero show The Defenders was in for a treat: an entire episode was shown in addition to the trailer. Series premieres on the streaming service August 18. Marvel head of television Jeph Loeb also announced the season 2 renewal of Iron Fist.
ADVERTISING
Podcast network Panoply Media announced a new partnership with Nielsen. Panoply will soon use Nielsen’s data management platform and audience segmentation to let marketers buy targeted ads for podcasts. Panoply produces podcasts, but also works on monetization. This will be the first time that the company has allowed for targeted audiences.
APPS + PLATFORMS
Hulu’s live TV service is now available for the Amazon Fire TV box and the Amazon Fire TV stick. Hulu subs who use one of those devices will automatically be upgraded to a new user interface, and will be offered the opportunity to subscribe to the TV service, which debuted in May. It was already available for Xbox One Apple TV, and iOS and Android mobile devices, and costs $39.99 per month.
Snap Inc. has begun selling Spectacles, its wearable camera product, at a pop-up shop in the London department store Harrods. It’s the first time that the Snapchat parent has sold the glasses through a human vendor. Previously, the device could only be purchased through “Snapbots” – wacky-looking yellow vending machines that started cropping up all over the country last year. Snap Inc., famously, has called itself a “camera company.”
MEASURING UP
Video analytics company Tubular Labs released its rankings of the top online video brands and publishers for the month of June. Some of their findings:
– On Facebook, The LADbible Group came in at #1with 2.79 billion views, followed by UNILAD with 2.71 billion.
– On YouTube, Indian music label and movie studio T-Series took the #1 spot with 1.1 Billion views, followed by Ryan ToysReview with 827 Million.
– In Tubular’s Media Property Leaderboards, Buzzfeed remained at #1, collecting 4.5 billion Facebook views and 567 million YouTube views. The Walt Disney Company took second place with 1.6 billion Facebook views and 2 billion YouTube views.
– In Tubular’s Brand Leaderboards, Red Bull maintained its #1 rank for the 11th straight month with 159 million Facebook views and 40 million YouTube views. Uber followed at #2 with 251 million YouTube views and 12 million Facebook views.
RESEARCH
TV conglomerates are making an impact online. According to new data from comScore, several TV companies were among the top 50 digital media properties in June. NBCUniversal was the top TV property, placing sixth on the list with 155.3 million unique visitors. Others on the list included CBS Interactive (eighth, 148 million uniques) and Turner Digital (tenth, 131 million uniques). Hearst, Fox News, ESPN, Cox, ABC-Freeform, Tribune Media, and Scripps Networks Interactive also made the list. However, the usual suspects took the top five spots: Google, Facebook, Yahoo, Microsoft, and Amazon.
UPCOMING DIGITAL PROGRAMMING
… for the week of Monday, July 24 , through Sunday, July 30
– People Now at People.com, Monday-Friday at 8:30a ET and 11:30a ET. Guests include TV personality Kelly Dodd (Bravo’s The Real Housewives of Orange County), TV personality Cheryl Burke (Lifetime’s Dance Moms), and actor James Wolk (CBS’s Zoo)
– Acorn TV: Miniseries The Churchills debuts today, June 24
– Acorn TV: Murdoch Mysteries: Once Upon a Murdoch Christmas, a new special, debuts today, July 24
– Netflix: Joe Mande’s Award-Winning Comedy Special, a new stand-up special, debuts Tuesday, July 25
– Seeso: Part one of the second season of HarmonQuest debuts Thursday, July 27
– Netflix: Family-friendly animated series The Adventures of Puss in Boots debuts Friday, July 28
– Netflix: Daughters of Destiny, a new documentary, debuts Friday, July 28
– Netflix: The Incredible Jessica James, a new romantic comedy film, debuts Friday, July 28
– Amazon Video: The Last Tycoon, a new original series, debuts Friday, July 28
TRIVIA
14-year-old Stranger Things’ star Finn Wolfhard had better be careful, or he may find himself getting permanently typecast in horror/fantasy roles. This fall, he’s slated to star in an adaptation of a Stephen King novel. Which one? (Email [email protected] with your answer and be sure to include your name, company, city and state.)
Our Last Trivia Question: David E. Kelley, the co-creator of Amazon’s ‘Goliath,’ has created roughly a zillion other TV dramas. Name three of them. Answer: Aside from Goliath, Kelley’s creator credits include Picket Fences, The Practice, Chicago Hope, Boston Public, Ally McBeal, Boston Legal, Harry’s Law, and Big Little Lies. Kudos to Andy Pittman-TAMU/TX, Susan Nessanbaum-Goldberg-M and S Entertainment/CA, Barbara Potasky-NBCUniversal/NY, Luke Watson-Essential TV/NY, Andrew Bellamy-Produers Guild of America/NY, David Westberg-SAG-AFTRA Federal Credit Union/CA, and Lorrie Shilling/CA
