Cynopsis: DIGITAL
10/09/12

Good morning. It’s Tuesday, October 9, 2012, and this is your first early morning digital briefing.

So how is YouTube’s original programming initiative doing? According to some numbers released by the company: The top 25 original channels average over a million views a week; 800 million viewers are watching 4 billion hours every month; the number of subscribers has doubled year-over-year; and channel partners are reaching the 100,000 subscriber milestone five times faster than they did two years ago (this presumably includes partner channels before the initiative officially launched last year). The video company now plans to expand the program globally by launching 60 new channels from media companies in France, Germany, the UK, and yes also the US. These new channels, which add to the approximately 100 that are already available, span categories from local cuisine to sports, animation, comedy, and news. You’ll get a deeper look at some that have already been announced below.

Two of the 60 new original channels on YouTube will come from the BBC. The UK broadcaster says it plans to launch a new nature channel, which will showcase new films created by the commercially funded BBC Earth Productions, and a new science channel, which will be produced in partnership with 360 Productions. The nature channel is “coming soon” while the science channel will be available in “early 2013.” Other aspects of the deal between YouTube and the BBC include the broadcaster launching a selection of long-form programming in the UK and Canada, including episodes of EastEnders and content from its Shakespeare Collection. BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC, says it also plans to add more clips across its six existing channels on YouTube.

Revision3, an online video network owned by Discovery Communications, is programming a new tech-focused YouTube original channel, titled Tech Feed. Revision3 says the main thrust of the programming is to provide daily tech segments that spotlight breaking tech news, reviews, a look at new products, and interviews with experts in the industry. The company will look to build an audience for the channel via a mixture of well-known tech experts making guest appearances on shows and contests and promotional campaigns. In addition, Tech Feed will launch six individual weekly series focusing on different aspects of technology:

• downLOADED: Journalists, CEOs, and other notable tech and media professionals in the Bay Area will discuss the week’s news in the digital/tech/social space. This one will be hosted by Revision3 CEO Jim Louderback.
• Fact or Fictional with Veronica Belmont: The Tekzilla host will look at a piece of technology from films, TV shows, books, or comic books, as selected by the audience, and see if they could exist in the real world.
• Soldier’s Tech Battlefield: The host of Soldier Knows Best will compare two tech devices or software to figure out which one is better.
• Driven: The show will focus on a new car’s exterior and interior design, tech, functions, price, “drivability,” and what type of consumer it’s for. The show will cover major car shows and industry news, and will feature interviews with experts.
• SuRRvival Gear: Hosted by RatedRR’s Richard Ryan, the explosive specialist and weapons guru will look at how tech can be used in survival situations.
• Threat Wire: The show will cover internet security issues and news.

Zodiak Active and its fellow Zodiak Media subsidiary Bullseye have announced a new cars-centric channel for YouTube, a part of the site’s ongoing original programming initiative. Fast, Furious & Funny (FFF) will look to be a destination for all things cars, offering show content that includes head-to-head races, car reviews, original journalism, and stunts that demonstrate “more ways to blow up a car than you could dream of.” Zodiak Active will oversee the channel, while Bullseye handles content production. Zodiak says FFF will also collaborate with Michael Stevens and his YouTube channel, Vsauce. FFF is set to launch later this year.

CBS Interactive’s foodie site CHOW.com has unveiled its first-ever weekly video programming lineup, adding four new series, two of which will be available exclusively through CHOW’s YouTube channel.The lineup of new shows, which join existing ones like Supertaster, CHOW Tips, and The Easiest Way, is as follows:

• Sundays: MDRN KTCHN, in which hosted Scott Heimendinger of Modernist Cuisine discusses food and ingredients used in a modernist kitchen.
• Mondays: Musical Video Recipes, one of the YouTube exclusives, the show offers instructional “CHOW-approved” recipes performed to original pop songs.
• Tuesdays: My Food Thing, the second YouTube exclusive, this show follows a celebrity as they discuss their favorite a private “food thing,” such as a musician dishing on favorite places to eat on tour.
• Fridays: CHOW Happy Hour, in which famed SF bartender Martin Cate teaches viewers new cocktail recipes.

Starz Entertainment has launched the Starz Play and Encore Play authenticated online streaming services, with plans to bring a similar offering for Movieplex into the fold in the future. Thanks to an agreement with Cox Communications, the cable provider’s customers in the US will be the first to get access to the service, as long as they subscribe to the Starz, Encore, and Movieplex premium channels as well. Starz says it expects to announce launch agreements with additional distribution partners in the future. Available for free to subscribers online as well as via iOS apps, the services offer full access to each premium channel’s lineup of original TV programming and feature films. Users can watch content when connected to a WiFi or broadband network. Starz says apps for Android smartphone tablets and gaming consoles, and support for cellular connectivity, are also coming in the future.

That was not the only big announcement from Starz yesterday. The company’s Worldwide Distribution division has inked an international content deal with HBO Nordic to offer a selection of its past and current original TV shows and “dozens” of owned and acquired film and television content to the subscription VOD (SVOD) service’s customers in Scandinavia. The multiyear deal covers series such as Spartacus, Magic City, Party Down, and Head Case. Per the deal, HBO Nordic will have exclusive rights to air future Starz original series and additional movie content. HBO Nordic will be available as a standalone SVOD service to consumers in Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Demark, as well as an add-on via local distribution partners thanks to a deal with Parsifal International.

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FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME) has inked a global distribution deal for original content produced by Michael Eisner’s multiplatform production company, Vuguru. Per the deal, FME will have the rights to distribute Vuguru content across digital, linear, and home entertainment platforms outside of North America, beginning in 2013. Vuguru was founded in 2006 by Michael Eisner, and is also backed by Rogers Media of Canada.

In other YouTube-related news, Viral Spiral, a management company that represents the people behind viral video content and looks to connect them with brands, agencies, and production companies, is partnering with Rightster to produce original series based on popular web videos like “Charlie Bit My Finger“ (close to 500 million views). The deal gives Rightster exclusive distribution rights to all of Viral Spiral’s YouTube content. Per the deal, Rightster is also making an investment in Viral Spiral to establish Viral Studios, a production arm that will work in conjunction with Rightster Studios to develop and finance new digital content. Righster will also oversee sponsorship opportunities around the original content co-produced with Viral.

A Digitalsmiths survey of 2,000 North American pay-TV subscribers finds that 65.1% respondents don’t use any OTT or second-screen apps at all. For those that do, HBO Go (16.4% of all respondents), Hulu (14%), WatchESPN (9.7%), Fanhattan (4.7%), and Zeebox (3.8%) stand out as the most popular.While most of the report focuses on the need for pay-TV providers to offer a better video discovery experience, instead of a cumbersome and outdated channel guide, it provides a glimpse into how and why consumers are watching non-linear content:

• For example, the most popular movie rental services among the respondents were Netflix (26.6%), Redbox (17.5%), Blockbuster (6.2%), iTuness (5.9%), and Amazon (5.5%), while 54.3% answered that they didn’t use any.
• When asked why they use movie rental services over VOD options available through the cable/satellite provider, 62.9% of respondents said that they do so because it’s cheaper, 41.6% selected them out of convenience, 33.3% said such services offer a better selection, and 27.7% indicated that it’s easier to find what they’re looking for.

A study from Casale Media’s Index Platform, conducted by Advertiser Perceptions, says that half of buyers and sellers are currently trying real-time bidding (RTB). The study looks at what RTB is this year and what needs to happen for it to grow. When it comes to what’s bugging buyers and sellers, the report says that media buyers want to see a greater emphasis on inventory quality, more guarantees for brand safety, and greater transparency in reporting. In fact, 77% of buyers surveyed said they would spend more via RTB platforms if there were a greater emphasis on quality or viewable impressions. On the flipside, 84% of publishers are concerned that RTB will devalue or commoditize their inventory, while approximately 75% fear sales channel conflicts and eroding relationships with media buyers. In addition, one in four publishers who are concerned with RTB eliminating the “human element” in programmatic ad buying and selling, feel that face-to-face interactions and dedicated account management are “extremely important” if they are to use RTB in the future
 
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A partnership between Shazam and MLB Advanced Media (MLBAM) will offer viewers a bunch of second-screen options while they watch this fall’s postseason games. Users who sync the Shazam app to the game on TV will get access to MLB.com and the MLB At Bat app; video highlights; latest box scores and statistics; and breaking news and analysis. A lot of this detailed information will come from the At Bat app, which Kenny Gersh, SVP/Business Development for MLBAM, says has been integrated with Shazam.

Several new hiring announcements coming from Rightster: The digital video distribution and monetization company has named Jonathan Bates its new Director/Content and Partnerships. He will work with producers, talent, content owners, and rights holders to “realize the full potential of their brands and content on and off YouTube.” Ben Freeman has joined the company as its new Head/Rightster Studios. He will lead the division and work with producers, talent, content owners, and rights holders to create new original programming. And finally, Donagh O’Malley has been appointed to the position of Global VP/Platforms and General Manager/US. Formerly a Director/Content at Google TV, he will now play a role in developing and implementing Rightster’s strategy to both local US market and global platform partners.

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I’ve covered them before, but Acorn TV is a nice service if you’re into British programming. The streaming platform, which has increased its content by 200% since it launched in July 2011, currently offers 18 full seasons of some classic and contemporary British mysteries and dramas. These include WWII detective series The Forsyte Saga, starring Emmy-winner Damian Lewis (Homeland). New series are added each week (usually three new seasons replacing three outgoing ones), with each season available for six weeks. Aside from the website, Acorn TV is also available on Roku, as well as for iOS devices, the Nook Tablet, Apple TV, and Google TV. Recently expanded to include our neighbors to the north, the service offers the first episode of each series for free, with the ability to watch the rest for $2.99/month or $29.99/year.

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Later – Sahil
Sahil Patel, Associate Editor for Cynopsis Digital
10.09.12

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