09/15/17: Hulu says it'll spend $2.5 billion on originals this year

Good morning. It’s Friday September 15, 2017 and this is your your first early morning Digital briefing!

TODAY’S CODEBREAKER

Open Rate: The open rate for an email sent to multiple recipients is a simple measure of how many users actually opened an email, as compared to how many people simply received it. It’s a metric most commonly used by marketers. To arrive at the open rate, marketers simply divide the number of email messages opened by the total number of messages sent – excluding those that bounced without reaching a recipient.

JUST IN…

Netflix just boosted its presence in the EMEA region. The company renewed and expanded its distribution pact with Orange, the top telecommunications group in France. Orange’s subscribers will gain access to the service in 29 new European, African and Middle Eastern countries. Netflix will be made available in Poland in the coming months as part of Orange’s TV offerings; other launches will come in 2018. Orange’s initial deal with Netflix, inked in 2014, helped bring the streaming giant to France.

Hulu has been upping its commitment to original programming. CEO Mike Hopkins, speaking at an event at New York’s Paley Center for Media, said that the service will wind up spending about $2.5 billion content this year. That may sound like a lot, but its biggest competitors are spending much more. Analysts say Amazon Prime Video will spend about $4.5 billion on content in 2017. Meanwhile, Netflix says its original content expenditures will amount to roughly $6 billion this year, and will likely reach $7 billion in 2018.

“People/Entertainment Weekly Network” was a bit of a mouthful – but you’ll never have to say it again. The Time Inc.-owned video network, which launched almost exactly one year ago, is changing its name to PeopleTV. The service, which is ad-supported and free, features long- and short-form programming focused on subjects such as pop culture, human-interest stories, and celebrities. Despite the fact that Entertainment Weekly is dropping out of the service’s name, Time Inc. says that Entertainment Weekly Studios will continue to make significant contributions to its programming.

VIRTUAL + AUGMENTED REALITY

If Magic Leap keeps raising money like this, it may never have to sell an actual product. The Florida-based mixed reality company has been developing a pair of mixed reality glasses that can superimpose sophisticated digital animations over real-world environments. It’s already raised more than $1.3 billion from investors like Google and Qualcomm; now, according to Bloomberg, it’s in talks to raise another $500 million. The new round of funding, which is reportedly being led by the Singapore-based investment firm Temasek Holdings, would value Magic Leap at about $6 billion. Magic Leap still hasn’t sold – or even publicly unveiled – any products. But Bloomberg reports that the company aims to release the first version of its glasses within six months. They may only be available on a limited basis, and could reportedly cost somewhere between $1,500 and $2,000.

Last year, Snap Inc. acquired Bitmoji – a product that lets users create their own animated avatars – for a reported $100 million. And in April, Snapchat launched a feature called World Lenses, which lets users superimpose animated stickers into their video and photo Snaps. But now, as first reported by Recode, Snap is planning to launch Bitmoji World Lenses, a product that will let people place their Bitmoji avatars into their Snaps, effectively allowing users to insert animated characters into real-world surroundings. Snap is no stranger to augmented reality; it was one of the first companies to bring AR features to mobile phones, when it launched its animated selfie “Lenses” back in 2015.

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE

Harnessing the Power of the New Hispanic Demo

Thursday, October 12 @ 1:30 pm ET

In Cynopsis’ newest live online event, we’re examining the major shift in both what’s being watched and where with this demo that represents 18% of the country’s population. With buying power topping $1.5 trillion in 2017, it is critical for media industry players to craft programming that reaches this growing and influential group. Check out our expert panel here!

PROGRAMMING

Snap’s got some other big news as well: It’s re-upping its relationship with the Television Academy. Under a new pact, Snapchat will feature curated “Stories” surrounding the Emmy Awards. The Stories will capture personal and behind-the-scenes Emmy moments, including content featuring 2017 host Stephen Colbert. The news was first reported by Variety. The new deal extends Snap’s partnership with the Television Academy for an additional three years. Snapchat covered the Emmys in 2015 and 2016 as well. Going forward, Snapchat will expand to three separate Emmy-related “Our Stories” collections, which will be available on Saturday September 16 and on Sunday, September 17, when the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards will be held. The app will also launch Emmys-themed Lenses and Geofilters.

YouTube is shooting for European viewers. The Google-owned video giant announced that it has ordered a new unscripted soccer series from the London-based production company Fulwell 73. The show will focus on the game’s biggest stars when they’re off the field. Aiming for a light-hearted tone, YouTube says that the show’s subjects will be taken on a “comical adventure” by the show’s host. Appropriately enough, The Late Late Show’s James Corden is one of the series’ executive producers. Tentatively called Training Days, the show is destined for YouTube’s standard ad-supported platform, as opposed to the YouTube Red SVOD service. Running for ten weeks, it’s slated to hit YouTube next spring, just ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. It’s the first ad-supported YouTube original to come out of Europe.

OTT + SVOD

NBCUniversal International announced that Hayu, its reality-TV focused SVOD service, is heading to the Nordic region. The service will first debut in Norway, followed by Finland, Sweden, and Denmark, all by the end of 2017. The announcement came from NBCU exec Hendrik McDermott, who spoke at the IBC media technology conference in Amsterdam.

BRAND INSIDER

Gen-Z oriented digital media company Awesomeness has formed its own branded content unit. Called Wildness, the agency was first launched as a youth marketing research firm back in 2015. But the division has now been spun into a full-service creative agency, which will provide strategy, creative, research, and talent partnerships to brands. The newly-hired Jamie Moore and Jared Seltzer – both of whom join Awesomeness from branded content studio Play Productions – will head up the agency. Seltzer served as Play Productions’ VP of Creative Affairs, while Moore was its founder and CEO. They’ll be working out of Awesomeness’ L.A. headquarters starting later this month.

EXECUTIVE MOVES

Telltale Games, a developer best known for creating games based on movie, comic book, and TV properties like The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones, has named a new top exec. Industry vet Pete Hawley will serve as Telltale’s President and CEO, overseeing the company’s efforts to develop new games and increase its international reach. He replaces Dan Connors, the company’s co-founder and current CEO. Connors will take on an advisory role starting September 18, when his successor officially joins the company. Hawley spent the past three years as a senior exec at the game developer Zynga. His hire at Telltale Games comes two years after Lionsgate made a major investment in the company.

TRIVIA

Our Last Trivia Question: Actor Kurtwood Smith, who stars in Amazon’s Patriot, appeared in what Fox sitcom from 1998-2006? Answer: That ‘70s Show. Kudos to Susan Nessanbaum-Goldberg-M and S Entertainment/CA, Mathew Tombers-Intermat/NY, Matthew Willence-ITN Networks/NY, David Westberg-SAG-AFTRA Federal Credit Union/CA, Jim Whaley-Gracenote/NY, Lorrie Shilling/CA, Jesse-Demastrie-GMMB/Washington, D.C., Andrew Bellamy-Producers Guild of America/NY, Andy Pittman-TAMU/TX, Brad Stern-POM Technologies/NY, Scott Jenkins-Gracenote/NY, Joe Brucia-AMC Networks/NY, and Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/CA

Kurtwood Smith isn’t the only That ‘70s Show alum to wind up on a streaming show; another one currently has a major role on Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black. Who is it? (Email [email protected] with your answer and be sure to include your name, company, city and state.)

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE

Inaugural Judges Selected for Cynopsis Short Form Video Festival

Jurors include execs from AwesomenessTV, CNE, Dick Clark Productions, Scripps & more. The Cynopsis Short Form Video Festival & Conference will recognize outstanding work in this emerging space, showcasing fresh and surprising storytelling across platforms. The winning videos be screened at this one-of-a-kind festival, that also includes though-provoking discussions with producers, directors, actors and marketers.

Submit your short form content by 10/20

DIGITAL SPOTLIGHT

Fubo.TV has the least name recognition – so far – of any of the companies now offering “virtual MVPD” services. (The others are Dish Network, Sony, AT&T, Google, and Hulu – that’s some tough competition.) Nonetheless, fubo.TV arguably boasts a more focused marketing pitch than any of the others: It’s aimed squarely at sports fans. That’s clear enough from its new national ad campaign, which launched this week. You can check out one of the new spots here.

David Teich
Roberta Caploe Publisher @robertacaploe	Diane K Schwartz Senior Vice President Media Communications Group	Cynopsis Ad Sales Mike Farina \| 203-218-6480 VP, Sales	Cynopsis Job Listings Sales Trish Pihonak \| 203-899-8459 Director of Operations

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JOB OPENING: SR ANLYST RESEARCH & ANALYTICS/SPE/NY: Consumer/Industry/Program insights for SPT Research; supports sales, production and distribution across all platforms of television: Network, Cable, SVOD & Synd. Exp. In TV Research, Nielsen & MS systems. Resume & cover HERE (9/20)

JOB OPENING: MEDIA PLANNER/RPM/NYC: Dvlp overall mktg campaign objectives/strategy along w/internal team members. Monitor, analyze & optimize campaign performance and synthesize into client-facing reporting. 3+ yrs media plan’g exp & digital media planning exp req’d. Client mngmnt exp a +. Resume/cvr HERE (9/20)

JOB OPENING: SOCIAL MEDIA CORRESPONDENT TEMP/IMG/6 Locations: Work w/athletic dept social content teams to grow/engage college sports social/digital aud, while dvlpg new rev driving opps. Mng various social media accts daily. Creative story teller w/min 1 yr exp working in creative prod. Full info/apply HERE (9/20)

JOB OPENING: NAT’L SALES ASSISTANT/UP/NYC: Provide support to ad sales by working with AEs, Sales Plners & Pricing/Inv to service clients. Work w/agency buyers. Maintain order entry, inventory moves & allocations. Strong organizational skills and attn to detail. Send res HERE (9/20)

JOB OPENING: SEGMENT PRODUCER/MAD MONEY/CNBC/NYC: Dvlp/Produce live and taped guest segments. Generate orig content ideas daily, tapping into a broad array of sources. 5 yrs exp booking and segment producing in a live TV environment, with demonstrated writing, research and comm skills. Full info/apply HERE (9/20)

JOB OPENING: JR ASSOC. SALES CREATIVE PARTNER/Pond5/NYC: Seeking an energetic, driven & entrepreneurial talent to work directly w/customers to make most of our library (world’s largest royalty free). 1-2 yrs sales exp in TV/Prod space, can talk to anyone, lives for above/beyond service. Full info/apply HERE (9/19)

JOB OPENING: SR RESEARCH ANALYST/TV ONE/SILVER SPRING MD or NYC: Assist Sr. Rsrch, Dir w/interpreting media rsrch results & effectively communicating results. Strong knwlg Nielsen software & 3^rd party systems. BA/BS deg & 2+ yrs rsrch expe @ media co., agency or advertiser. Full info/apply HERE (9/19)

JOB OPENING: PROMO WRITER/PRODUCER: Seeking innovative promo producer for nationally syndicated talk show in New York. Candidate must be experienced in a fast-paced environment, demonstrate articulate client interaction and direct high profile talent. Apply at studiocity.com/careers (9/19)

JOB OPENING: ASSOCIATE WEB PRODUCER/Crown Media Family Networks/LA: Support Sr. Producer with content updates for consumer web initiatives. Experience using Content Management skills and tools. Cable or Digital Web experience. BA/BS req & Min 2 yrs exp. Apply HERE (9/16)

JOB OPENING: SALES SERVICE EXEC/ONE SOLUTION (CROSS PLATFORM)/NYC: Responsible for helping to generate sales revenue, creating prospect lists & supporting sales teams’ efforts. Min 3-4 yrs exp digital, TV & or radio. Highly skilled PP, Excel, Sales force. Very orgnz’d/detail oriented. Full info/apply HERE (9/16)