U.S. Basic Cable / Satellite channels are experiencing powerful headwinds from three sources: Households Using Television (HUTS) are in decline as viewers seek their entertainment from online platforms. The Distribution footprints of channels are shrinking as viewers cut the cord or switch to skinny bundles. And Ratings for the channels are falling as the audience shifts to …
Sam Barcroft has built a pioneering production company that is successfully adapting to the new digital content universe. He describes Barcroft Media‘s strategy of servicing traditional channels, SVOD services like Netflix, and the new digital platforms like Facebook. Facebook Watch is a Winner: Barcroft is an early and enthusiastic production partner for Facebook Watch. Launched …
With Mipcom just around the corner, here is a sneak peek into what’s coming up for leading independent factual distributor Off The Fence. Highlights include two brand new BBC Studios series: Scotland from the Sky (3 x 60′) Victoria & Albert: The Wedding(2 x 60’/1 x 90′). To continue building on the success of the 100+ hours of Aerial shows in …
A senior Netflix executive recently presented his company’s strategy of continuous innovation. It reveals how BIG DATA drives the personalization of programming decisions. It’s a very useful read for anyone who is pitching to a SVOD service. (Don’t miss my in depth coverage of Netflix and the SVOD market.) Enjoy my selection of slides from …
The wave of upsets by outsider candidates in this year’s Democratic Party pre-selection battles is being fuelled by a new format: the online documentary short. These mini-documentaries tell gripping, emotional stories about the candidate’s struggles and values. The cost can be as low as $20,000: a fraction of the budget for a typical TV spot. …
Anthony Bourdain measured up as #2 in the entire online video universe. He was eclipsed only by the BBC’s massive Planet Earth / Blue Planet franchise. That’s the key finding from Parrot Analytics‘ latest measure of global online engagement in documentary programs and series. Parrot is a cutting-edge research firm that sweeps up millions and …
Facebook is fumbling its video strategy. I have argued here that unlike traditional media players like Disney and Discovery, Facebook enjoys the financial scale and margins to throw endless buckets of mud against the wall of its video / social media strategy to see what sticks. That’s despite the hammering that Facebook’s reputation and enterprise value …
Parrot Analytics is an industry leader in tracking audience demand for television content in the new age of online video. Until recently, our industry relied on a well-established solution to rate and value the audience for a specific program or channel. Nielsen, BARB and others record program viewing decisions in a panel of homes. The panelists …