OTT + SVOD
At Bat, Major League Baseball’s out-of-market OTT app, hit a new milestone. More than 2 billion minutes of At Bat content were consumed in the month of August; it’s the first time the service ever cracked that threshold. The announcement came from MLB Advanced Media, which cited data from comScore and Adobe Analytics.
Sports-heavy OTT TV service fuboTV announced that it has chosen Nielsen Marketing Cloud’s Data Management Platform (Nielsen DPM) to power its TV advertising. Nielsen DPM will provide fuboTV with consumer analytics related to its subscriber base, as well as modeling, targeting, and audience segmentation. FuboTV says it will use those services to help monetize ad inventory and acquire new customers.
VIRTUAL + AUGMENTED REALITY
Littlestar rolled out some big new updates. The VR startup is known for its app, which aggregates cinematic VR experiences and 360-degree videos. Now the company is going to start supporting augmented reality content as well. Littlestar also says it plans to open up its software development platform to allow for the support of non-cinematic VR content, including games. And, starting this fall, the company says it plans to let publishers charge fees for apps and experiences. The new updates were first reported by Variety.
VC FUNDING + INVESTORS
VideoAmp, a software and data services vendor that specializes in optimizing TV and digital ad buys, just took in a hefty fundraising haul. The company announced that it has raised $21.4 million Series B Funding. The media-buying software vendor Mediaocean lead the round, which closed back in May. Also participating were RTL Group, Startup Capital Ventures, GoAhead Ventures, and others. VideoAmp has now raised $36.6 million to date.
LET’S MAKE A DEAL
German media conglomerate RTL Group, one of the investors that participated in VideoAmp’s Series B round, also made a separate announcement. The company has agreed to take full ownership of the video ad-serving company SpotX. RTL already owned all but 36.4% of SpotX; it will pay $145 million to acquire the rest.
Private equity firm GTCR announced that it has acquired a majority stake in Simplifi Holdings, a Texas company focused on advanced advertising. Simplifi Holdings’ core product, called Simpli.fi, is a programmatic platform that enables buyers of localized advertising to execute large numbers of targeted campaigns across numerous devices and digital platforms. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. GTCR sold its cable operations to Cable One earlier in the year.
PROGRAMMING
Discovery Communications is set to launch three new shows for Facebook’s new Watch tab. The first, slated to debut next week, will be a five-episode series from Animal Planet. Called Celebrity Animal Encounters, the show will feature celebs such as Kristen Bell and Danny Trejo as they share their experiences with animals. Investigation Discovery will debut its own five-episode series this fall, an unscripted crime investigation show called Still a Mystery. Also this fall, TLC will roll out a spinoff of Say Yes to the Dress. “This is also another example of our commitment to delivering compelling, original content to superfans across all platforms,” said Paul Guyardo, Discovery Communications’ Chief Commercial Officer, in a release. The financial terms between Facebook and Discovery weren’t disclosed.
Vice is debuting a new dating show on Snapchat. Called Hungry Hearts, the series features couples who go on dates curated by rap artist Action Bronson. A foodie and a Vice favorite, Bronson also hosts F*ck, That’s Delicious on the Viceland cable network. Not surprisingly, delicious meals will be a big element of the dates featured on Hungry Hearts. Launched in partnership with Match.com, the eight-episode series will run weekly.
BRAND INSIDER
Digital media network Defy Media partnered with Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes on a new campaign. The program, tied to the Defy franchise Prank It FWD, is geared toward tweens as kids are heading back to school. The new campaign aims to reach the demo on digital platforms. Frosted Flakes’ Tony the Tiger mascot will feature in a number of videos, encouraging kids to celebrate what makes them stand out. The campaign builds on Frosted Flakes’ existing “Let your gr-r-reat out” campaign. The program, which launched this week, also features ten videos featuring Defy’s brands, including SMOSH, SMOSH Games, and others.
TRIVIA
Bill Skarsgård, who plays the titular role in the upcoming film adaptation of Stephen King’s It, isn’t a stranger to scares. He previously starred in a horror-heavy Netflix series; which one? (Email [email protected] with your answer and be sure to include your name, company, city and state.)
Our Last Trivia Question: The distribution/production company that worked with Amazon Studios on the series Comrade Detective has also worked on films such as Moonlight, Room, and Spring Breakers. What’s the company? Answer: A24. Kudos to Andy Pittman-TAMU/TX, Andrew Bellamy Producers Guild of America/NY, Dan Quitério-Understood/NY, Louis Lewow-Lewow Media Group/GA, Alejandro Sacasa-Albavision/FL, Susan Nessanbaum-Goldberg-M and S Entertainment/CA, Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/CA, David Westberg-SAG-AFTRA Federal Credit Union/CA, Aaron Paquette-Screen Engine/ASI/TX, and Lorrie Shilling/CA
