APPS + PLATFORMS
Patreon wants to be more than just an individual crowd-funding site. The service, which artists and creators use to generate funding directly from fans, is adding support for new plugins: Creators will now be able to perform basic Patreon transactions outside of the company’s main website. For instance, patrons will now able to sign up for memberships and Patreon-exclusive content directly through WordPress-powered websites. Other plugins will earn patrons access to chatrooms on the gaming-focused chat app Discord, or to exclusive forums on the Discourse platform. Other plugins, including one for Slack, are on the way. All of the new payment systems are based on Patreon’s existing API. It’s the first time the company has allowed artists to take their Patreon transactions to other parts of the web.
In a new update to Twitter’s development kit, iOS developers will now be able to let users view Twitter videos without leaving the apps they’re using. In addition, the company announced that it’s introducing a new API to let developers control volume and playback programmatically; the API will let developers loop video clips or activate activate muted videos when users scroll. No word yet on when such updates might be available to Android developers.
Qello, the white-label streaming platform that also owns the SVOD service Qello Concerts, has merged with 8sian Media, a company that specializes in video content syndication services and video publishing tech. In particular, 8sian Media is focused on distributing Asian content in the U.S., as well as bringing U.S. content to Asia. The newly combined company will simply be called Qello. The company also plans to retain all of 8sian’s employees, as well as its offices in Asia. 8sian CEO Rex Wong will serve as CEO of the combined company; Qello founder and CEO Brian Lisi, will now serve as Chief Technology Officer. The merger’s financial terms weren’t disclosed.
OTT + SVOD
Sports-heavy streaming service fuboTV has expanded into two new markets. The service is now active with the affiliates WFXT Boston and WSVN Miami. The new launches came in time for game one of the World Series.
INFLUENCERS
Digital entertainment company BroadbandTV partnered with three popular YouTube creators. The news was first reported by Variety. Yousef Erakat (better known as FouseyTube), Bart Baker, and H3H3 Productions (the husband and wife team of Ethan and Hila Klein) have all signed with the company. BroadbandTV will develop new distribution and business opportunities for the creators, such as subscription-based streaming services, apps, merchandise, and ad-supported video platforms.
BRAND INSIDER
If a Lyft review includes the word “strange,” that’s a usually a bad sign. But season two of Netflix’s Stranger Things is debuting tomorrow, and that changes everything. The ride-sharing company is letting Los Angeles and Philadelphia customers opt for a Stranger Things-themed ride that sounds downright terrifying: Creepy effects will abound, including slugs, lights that turn on and off, static sounds, and even an entity that appears to be stuck in the ceiling as it reaches its hand down. The rides will be available on Friday and Saturday from 4 PM to 9 PM. Lyft users just have to pick “Strange Mode” on the app. It’s the first time that Netflix and Lyft have partnered on a marketing activation. For a closer look at Lyft’s “Strange Mode,” check out the Short Form Spotlight section.
PROGRAMMING
Sports Illustrated is launching Next Question!, a live weekly sports trivia show set to run on the publication’s Facebook page. Hosted by SI’s Mitch Gildich and featuring trivia battles between SI staffers, the show debuts today at 12:30 PM ET. Sports Illustrated is a Time Inc. property.
CYNOPSIS DIGITAL AWARDS
Tuesday is the deadline to register for the
Cynopsis Digital Awards Luncheon. Join us for the ultimate celebration of digital execs and top industry innovators on November 10 in NYC.
41 Digital “It List” Honorees,
71 Model D Finalists and
7 celebrity presenters make for a one-of-a-kind reception with UNLIMITED networking opportunities.
Register now (last year’s event sold out)!
RESEARCH
U.S. advertising revenue saw very little year-over-year growth in Q3 of 2017, according to a new report from Standard Media Index ( SMI). SMI found that third-quarter media spending was up only .06%. (September was 1% higher.) SMI also reported that the first nine months of 2017, taken together, saw 2.3% more U.S. ad spending than the same period last year. Digital advertising continues to be the biggest driver of growth, seeing 11% year-over-year growth in Q3 and 5% growth in September.
MEASURING UP
Tubular Top Ten Global Sponsored Videos Monday, October 16, 2017 – Sunday, October 22, 2017 . Based on Tubular Video Ratings measuring 8 million video publishers, 3 billion videos, and 400 million viewers. Sponsored videos are ranked by V3, total views in the first three days after upload.
SHAREABLEE SOCIAL TV RATINGS: Top 10 U.S. Primetime and Streaming Shows for October 16 – October 22. Based on Shareablee’s Video Power Index (VPI), which combines viewing, consumer interactions and audience scale across all active platforms, and includes the video performance of primetime and streaming shows.
Source: Shareablee Inc. The total actions metric includes the total volume of post-level likes, shares, favorites, retweets and comments across social platforms.
Tweet of the week: @Michaela_Baker: This peak into the past is genius @shondarhimes !!! #Scandal
Canvs , the emotion measurement company, analyzed tweets about TV and streaming programming from Oct. 18-24 using Twitter data from Nielsen. Insights from t he 2,761,067 tweets expressing a specific Emotional Reaction (ER) include:
– People couldn’t stop talking about how crazy the season eight premiere of AMC’s The Walking Dead was, with fans expressing shock over Rick in particular, especially about an apparent “flash-forward” where he’s depicted as an old man.
– Thousands of congratulatory messages were sent when the Houston Astros beat the New York Yankees 4-0 in Game 7 of the ALCS (broadcast on Fox Sports 1), sending the Astros to the World Series.
– Viewers found the new VH1 horror-reality show Scared Famous to be quite funny, with contestant Safaree Samuels prompting laughs in particular.
– During a recent episode of Scandal on ABC, fans applauded creator/writer/showrunner Shonda Rhimes for her storytelling brilliance.
– Canvs
EXECUTIVE MOVES
If there’s a prize for executive turnover,
Amazon Studios will surely claim it.
Heather Schuster, the former Ryan Seacrest Productions exec who joined Amazon as a senior creative executive in August, has been named as
Head of Unscripted Programming. Schuster was promoted the same day that
Conrad Riggs, her predecessor, was let go. The news comes the same week that
Joe Lewis, Amazon’s chief of comedy and drama, left the company – reportedly while
under scrutiny for his behavior toward women. Lewis was replaced with Amazon Studios exec
Sharon Tal Yguado. And then, of course, there’s former Amazon Studios Chief
Roy Price, who resigned last week in the wake of sexual harassment allegations. Amazon Studios
COO Albert Cheng has since taken over as Price’s interim replacement.
Audio streaming service TuneIn has named Holly Lim as its new Chief Financial Officer. Lim will oversee finance, legal, HR, workplace, and corporate development. She’ll be based in TuneIn’s San Francisco headquarters. Lim joins TuneIn from Soundcloud, where she served as CFO.
TRIVIA
Which music and TV star plays the character of Lennie Dale, opposite
Woody Allen, in the Amazon original series
Crisis in Six Scenes?
(Email [email protected] with your answer and be sure to include your name, company, city and state.)
Our Last Trivia Question: Actress Gillian Jacobs (Community’s Britta Perry) currently stars in which Netflix series? Answer: Love. Kudos to Andy Pittman-TAMU/TX, Andrew Bellamy-Producers Guild of America/NY, Louis Lewow-Lewow Media Group/NY, Matt Biscuiti-The Lippin Group/NY, Alyson Roseman-NBC Peacock Productions/CA, Staci Gonzalez-441 Productions/NY, Susan Nessanbaum-Goldberg-M and S Entertaiment/CA, Sheena Das-Disney ABC/NY, Dan Quitério-Understood/NY, David Westberg-SAG-AFTRA Federal Credit Union/CA, Jaime Brand-Fullscreen/NY, Lorrie Shilling/CA, Kristie Wakefield-Go To Team/SC, Danny Payne-Starcom/Chicago, Tom Moore-Kalt productions/CA, Tina Tran-Initiative/CA, and Aaron Paquette-Screen Engine/ASI/TX
