Cynopsis: DIGITAL
12.19.12

Good morning. It’s Wednesday, December 19, 2012, and this is your first early morning digital briefing.

Nearly 85% of all flat-panel TVs manufactured in 2016 will be able to connect to the web, according to a new Gartner report. Worldwide production of these internet-connected “smart TVs” is expected to reach 108 million in 2013. Gartner cautions manufacturers that the ability to connect to the web won’t be enough to spur demand among consumers for smart TVs. “In the end, the choice may be all about the extra content that one TV brand offers over another. Consumers will be asking questions such as, which internet TV services can the TV access? Are these the sites I think are valuable? Can I use my smartphone or tablet with this TV?” said Paul O’Donovan, Gartner’s Principal Research Analyst. Gartner defines “a typical smart TV” as a set that has the ability to search the web for video content and then play that content back. It does not necessarily require an internet browser, but it does need to offer apps via an app store, regardless of whether it’s operated by the manufacturer or a third party.

The AOL On connected TV app is now available on Xbox 360, giving Xbox Live subscribers access to The AOL On Network’s library of short-form video programming from premium content partners like Reuters, AP, BBC, E!, CNET, and Martha Stewart, as well as original content from AOL properties like Engadget and TechCrunch. The app supports Xbox’s Kinect device, which allows users to control the viewing and browsing experience via voice and gesture commands. AOL On content is also available on array of other connected TV devices, including those from Samsung, Roku, and Sony. As a reminder to advertisers, AOL On’s connected TV apps feature ad-serving capabilities, which were added to the app this past August. 

Fox Home Entertainment has made Taken 2 available for purchase across multiple digital video platforms, including Amazon Instant Video, CinemaNow, Google Play, iTunes, Nook Video, PS3, Vudu, Xbox 360, and YouTube. For $15, users can download or stream the action movie starring Liam Neeson and Famke Janssen. To promote the “digital HD” release of the sequel, Fox Home Entertainment has planned a media blitz that encompasses ads on ABC and ESPN during NBA games on Christmas days, as well as takeovers on Google, IGN, Gamefly, and YouTube, among other web properties.

Sir Howard Stringer, the current Chairman of the Board at Sony, recently sat down for an interview to reflect on the career of Nora Ephron, one of the most influential filmmakers of the past several decades. The “Reel 6” interview, which aired on the Sony Movie Channel last night as part of a double-feature tribute to Ephron, is available online on SonyMovieChannel.com until December 31.

Cynopsis Digital (including yours truly) is headed to CES in January. Connect with me (via: [email protected]) — let me know what you’re looking forward to, where you’ll be, and what not to miss. We will be publishing a pre- and post-CES Special eReport, which will focus on all things digital video at the international trade show.

Social learning start-up Grockit has raised a new investment round led by Discovery Communications, with participation from Summit Group and previous investors like Atlas Venture, Benchmark Capital, Integral Capital Partners, and GSV Capital Corp. AllThingsD reports that the investment round stands at $20 million. Grockit operates Learnist, a recently launched visual/social tool that allows users to learn from and teach each other about a wide range of academic and casual learning topics. In addition to the investment, Discovery has also agreed to partner with Grockit to promote and market Learnist.

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T-commerce solutions provider Delivery Agent has launched a new program that will allow developers to add a commerce option within mobile, social, and web apps tied to TV programming. The first application tapping this new capability is FX’s Sons of Anarchy app, which was launched for iOS and Android devices by Magic Ruby. Currently available, the app lets fans shop for merchandise they see on the TV screen when watching an episode of the FX drama. Per the deal between the two companies, Magic Ruby is joining the new developer program and will license Delivery Agent’s TV Wallet platform to monetize its second-screen entertainment apps.

Evolve Media has sold its female-centric property SheKnows to a private equity firm for an undisclosed price. Evolve purchased SheKnows seven years ago, back when it employed five people and was reaching 600,000 unique visitors per month. Since then, under the ownership of Evolve, SheKnows has expanded its monthly reach to 41 million uniques (per comScore data) and a staff of over 100 people. During this time, SheKnows also garnered a bunch of critical accolades for its original content and video production, including a couple of Emmy and OMMA Awards as well as a number of Digiday Video and Publishing Awards. Evolve says it plans to invest the fresh capital from the SheKnows sale into new website acquisitions. It will also direct some funds toward technologies within its publishing platform, which includes Crowd Ignite, the company’s content and audience marketing platform, and Springboard Video, its online video platform.

New research from the Cisco Internet Business Solutions Group (IBSG), which looked at the trends and behaviors of 1,152 video consumers in the US this year, shows that 70% of US broadband users are watching professionally produced online video every week, with the average viewing time of more than 100 minutes per week. Among 18- to 24-year-olds, viewership rises to 94%. While broadcast TV is still the king, Cisco’s findings indicate that 48% of consumers have increased their streaming of professionally produced video content in the past two years. Overall, Cisco says average online viewing of professionally produced content, via both streaming videos and those that are downloaded, accounts for 13.8% of viewing time.Among the other findings:

• Consumers spend more time streaming premium online content (nearly four times) than they do watching downloaded videos from sources such as iTunes.
• 74% of internet video viewers watch their favorite TV shows online at least weekly, and 42% watch them daily. This exceeds online consumption of other content types such as movies (52% weekly and 12% daily), music videos, and sports.

Spain had the highest smartphone penetration among the five top European markets (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK), with 63.2% of mobile phone users in the country owning a smartphone during the three-month period ending in October 2012. Spain also witnessed the strongest growth with a year-over-year increase of 14.8 percentage points. This data comes from comScore‘s MobiLens service, which also showed that the UK was right behind Spain in terms of penetration and growth (62.3% of mobile phone users, which was up 14.2 percentage points from the previous year). As for the rest of the EU5 during the August-October time period: France (51.4% of mobile phone users, +13.3 ppts); Italy (51.2%, +9.1 ppts); and Germany (48.4%, +14.2 ppts).

A+E Networks is launching a multifaceted social/digital/mobile campaign tied to Mankind The Story of All of Us, a new 12-hour television event that will air on the History Channel. To drive local engagement with viewers from around the world, A+E has programmed a social calendar to offer daily updates as well as interactive features such as puzzles, trivia, and live Twitter chats during the broadcast. For mobile, A+E has created a Mankind app for iOS and Android devices, which will include over 600 Mankind facts, 40+ short-form video clips, expert interviews, and stills from the series. Free to download, the app will be available in the US, Italy, Southeast Asia, and Latin America.

Ruckus Media Group’s new app for iOS devices aims to be a one-stop shop for children’s entertainment content. It’s a digital storefront that offers three types of content: iReaders (interactive apps), ReadAlongs (e-books with narration), and Video (full episodes of shows like Sid the Science Kid and Richard Scarry’s Busytown Mysteries as well as short films from VeggieTales, music videos, and more). Overall, there are more nearly 100 iReaders, ReadAlongs, and videos to choose from Ruckus Media Group’s library of storytelling and video content. The app will make one new title available for free each month. All content can be downloaded to the device, allowing users to watch and interact wherever they are, without requiring a Wi-Fi connection. Designed for families with children ages 2-10, the app offers parents a safe, curated experience for their kids, as well as personalized weekly reports to detail how their kids are interacting with Ruckus content.

Telemundo has launched a new sports app, the Deportes Telemundo App 2.0, for iOS and Android devices. The app features exclusive content from Deportes Telemundo programs, including clips from sports shows such as Futbol Estelar, Titulares Telemundo, Titulares y Mas, Boxeo Telemundo, Ritmo Deportivo, and others. It also offers real-time scores and stats from the biggest soccer leagues in the world, including La Liga, English Premier League, Serie A, Liga Mexicane, Champions League, and the 2014 World Cup Qualifiers. Other features include a social TV/Twitter integration that allows users to tweet and interact with Telemundo talent and other fans during games.

Meredith Xcelerated Marketing (MXM) has named Jeff Anulewicz as its new Executive Director/Mobile Strategy for the customer engagement agency’s Mobile Practice, The Hyperfactory. In his new role, Anulewicz will be responsible for helping MXM’s clients develop mobile marketing strategies and campaigns to achieve their goals.

Social engagement solutions provider Adaptly has appointed Tony Siconolfi as its new VP/Sales, West Coast and Latin America. In the role, he will be responsible for developing client relationships on the west coast and building its regional sales team. Prior to this, Siconolfi was Senior Director/Sales at Genome by Yahoo. He will remain based California.

TruEffect has named Finnegan Faldi as its new Chief Executive Officer. Ron Hill, the digital ad tech company’s Founder, and up until now its CEO, will slide over to become the Chairman of the Board. Faldi comes to TruEffect from Datalogix, where he served as COO.

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Hear ye, hear ye… Call for Entries

Get recognized for your outstanding digital and social media campaigns and initiatives.  Enter the CableFAX Best of Web Award, open to all networks, operators, industry partners. We will also salute the professionals who make these digital initiatives shine.

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The new YouTube Capture app is designed to speed up the video recording and sharing process. The app is ready to record as soon as you open it. When you’re done, the app allows you to insert a caption and select which of your social networks you want to share it to. Other features include the ability to make enhancements such as color correction and stabilization, and add free background music from YouTube. My favorite feature of all, however, is that the app only shoots video in the horizontal position. Which means, no crappy vertical videos. The app is currently available for free on iOS devices, with an Android version to come soon (interesting decision here, no?).

Even though not in that section, this is definitely my favorite “Exec Move” of all time: Arnold Palmer has agreed to be a regular columnist for GolfChannel.com. He will share his opinions about issues affecting the game of golf through an exclusive column, appropriately titled “Arnold Palmer’s State of the Game,” which will run several times a year. Still no word if we’ll ever get an “Arnold Palmer’s State of the Arnold Palmer” column for the beverage industry.

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Later – Sahil
Sahil Patel, Associate Editor for Cynopsis Digital
12.19.12

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