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Telefonica Lines Up Six Bidders For Endemol Stake
Telefonica Lines Up Six Bidders For Endemol Stake
Spain’s Telefonica has selected six bids for its 75 percent stake in Dutch TV producer Endemol. Thomson Financial reports suitors include one consortium comprising former Endemol owner John de Mol, Italian broadcaster Mediaset and Goldman Sachs; another led by Apax Partners and a third involving French private equity firm PAI Partners and Endemol’s French head Stephane Courbit. FT adds that Mexican broadcaster Televisa and Thomas H. Lee Partners are also in the second-round auction mix. Endemol has pioneered interactive, participation-led TV and driven up mobile operator revenue, with shows like Big Brother and Fame Academy having become hit multimedia formats around the world, and offers channels several SMS-based games. The UK subsidiary has dedicated gaming, mobile and web design divisions. The WSJ (sub. req.) says bidders have until May to make binding offers, but Telefonica is likely to get only around EUR 3 billion ($4 billion) for the stake it acquired for EUR 5.5 billion ($7.4 billion) in the nineties.
BBC Cannot Expand YouTube Partnership Without Trust Approval
The BBC will need to consult its regulatory Trust if it chooses to widen its content partnership with YouTube. The BBC launched a trailers channel, an ad-supported clips channel aimed at the international market and a non-UK, ad-funded news channel on the video sharing site last month. But, according to minutes of a February meeting, director general Mark Thompson and acting chair Chitra Bharucha assured Trust members the relationship would not be expanded without their consultation. From the minutes: “Members noted that, in the current media landscape, partnerships such as this may become increasingly common and they would want to discuss similar deals.”
That could put the hurdles of a public-value test and a market-disruption test in the BBC’s way before it would be allowed to offer more video via YouTube. The Trust, the independent body which governs the broadcaster, has been active since its inception in January, having already ruled against the corporation’s iPlayer on-demand proposal and ordering the BBC Jam educational site to be shut down. (via Guardian).
Related:-
- @ OPA: Interview: BBC’s Ageh on YouTube, iPlayer, Acknowledging Market Disruption
- BBC In Clips Deal With YouTube; Ad Rev Share; UK Blackout On News Clips
Ofcom CEO: UK Needs Public Funded Online Media ‘To Protect Against Imports’
The CEO of UK media regulator Ofcom says Britain needs a strong online antidote to “American imports”. Consultation closed a fortnight ago on Ofcom’s plans for a new “public service publisher” (PSP), a planned new publicly owned national web producer in the mould of the BBC with a suggested budget of up to £100 million ($200 million). The plans have been welcomed by digital rights advocates and companies vying to be picked as the PSP. In an interview with Ofcomwatch published today, Ofcom’s Ed Richards: “We want a new media, Web 2.0, or whatever you want to call it, content capacity in Britain, which is British, in the same way that [we] have uniquely British content in the traditional broadcasting world. Otherwise, we run the risk that the only good television will be American imports and the rest of it is rubbish ... because the US market is so big, so you can risk far more, spend far more, spend more time in development. So the basic premise is the same as it was for broadcasting – it’s just that we live in a different world now.” Richards’ comparisons between broadcast TV and the web may draw suspicion from online die-hards, who may ask - if the two are so similar, don’t the existing public service remits of the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 (each of which is also a web publisher), plus the fact any online Brit can make a website, preclude any risk of US dominance?
Industry Moves: New NeoEdge CEO; New CNN International Head; New AOL Social Media Exec
-- NeoEdge Networks: AOL alum Alex Terry joins the company that runs casual gaming site MostFun.com as CEO, succeeding Vic Mahadevan. Terry most recently was VP and GM of AOL’s voice services division. He co-founded ThinkLink, acquired by Microsoft in 2001. Release.
-- CNN International: Tony Maddox has been promoted to EVP and managing director from SVP-news operations. A former BBC journalist and news exec, he joined CNN International in 1998. His new responsibilities include oversight for all international news and info services, including CNN.com International and CNN Arabic.com. He succeeds Chris Cramer, who retired at the end of March after 11 years with CNN and 25 years before that with the BBC.
-- AOL: Andy Spillane returns to AOL as VP-product development for messaging and social media; during his two-year-plus absence he was VP and GM of Yahoo Mail. He is responsible for “leadership, vision and day-to-day management of AOL’s messaging and social media products, including AIM, AOL Community and AOL Voice products.” He reports to Marcien Jenckes, SVP-AOL Messaging and Social Media. During his previous stint, Spillane held a variety of roles at AOL and Netscape. Release.
ITV Software Firm Ensequence Raises $40 Million In Third Round
Interactive video company Ensequence has received $40 million in its third funding round. The company plans to use the funding for global expansion efforts, including opening new offices in New York and Los Angeles. Its last funding round netted $18 million in August 2004. As we reported at that time, the Portland, Ore.-based company had previously secured $19 million in private funding.
The latest investment comes from an unidentified private equity firm. Ensequence has marketed its on-Q software ITV programming tool since 2002. The new funding will also go towards developing its next generation version of on-Q. The software tool has been used mostly in the U.K., but it said it has breaking into U.S. broadband, with interactive online services for MLB. Rounding Ensequence’s ambitions are plans for a tool for mobile video. Release
CVC Will Appeal Ruling Barring DVR Storage Service
Last month, Cablevision lost the first round of a legal battle over its plans to launch a network-based DVR service that would allow users to view shows from a remote server as if on their own DVRs. U.S. District Judge Denny Chin sided with the studios and networks opposing the plan, saying, “The RS-DVR is clearly a service, and I hold that in providing this service, it is Cablevision that does the copying.” Cablevision, not known for backing down, now says it will appeal the ruling. COO Tom Rutledge’s statement via Reuters: arguing that a remote-storage DVR is the same as a personal DVR “that merely enables consumers to exercise their well-established rights to time-shift television programming. ... We continue to believe strongly that remote-storage DVR is permissible under current copyright laws.”
Related:
-- Cablevision Loses Network DVR Case In Court
Discovery Lays Off About 200; Will Reallocate Some Resources To Digital
Discovery laid off more three percent of its workforce today, about 200 total. The WP reports that the company, based in Silver Springs, that the U.S. networks brand group, Discovery education (on top of 84 jobs cut late last year), corporate communications and corporate affairs lost about 20 percent of their staffs. But the company also would be hiring in digital media with laid-off employees getting preference and the first chance at new jobs; a memo from new CEO David Zaslav also said more layoffs and and hires are likely. Zaslav told the WP: “It’s always difficult to restructure and reorganize, but we’re really focused on trying to build the biggest and strongest and most competitive non-fiction media company in the world.”
As the WP notes, the move comes one day before Zaslav ends his first 100 days on the job. Discovery held its upfront last week, announcing a new network and a new broadband initiative called iPremieres. (via LostRemote.)
MultichannelNews: This round is the second phase of Zaslav’s restructuring. The first was the departure of several senior execs in early February. From the company’s prepared statement: “The savings accrued from today’s actions are not intended to drop to the bottom line. We will be investing back in original programming, the marketing of our brands and digital-media extensions.”
Related:
-- Discovery New Media Plans Include Online Premieres
-- Discovery In Major Reorg; Wolzien, Berman On Board As Advisors
Cable Ad Bureau Pulls Out Of EBay Ad Exchange T
That was a short relationship ... In a blow for the nascent eBay Online Media Exchange, the Cabletelevision Advertising Bureau announced today that its members will not participate in further trials or usage of the exchange effective immediately. From the statement by Sean Cunningham, president and CEO of the CAB: “We appreciated the opportunity to test the system – throughout our review it became apparent that the Media Exchange was too narrow an application, had clear connectivity issues related to cable’s emerging end-to-end e-business platforms and lacked the provisions necessary for capturing critical strategic and idea-driven intelligence during a buy.” Equally daunting for proponents, Cunningham pointed to the lack of interest in the exchange by “major members of the agency community.” In other words, no critical mass without critical mass. (via WSJ)
The move comes less than a month after CAB members complained about being mentioned in publicity when its members hadn’t yet seen a trial and were then included.
Update: NYT: Cunningham told the Times: “We don’t believe that eBay is going to get this right.” he said seven national cable nets tested the exchange over the last month and decided it went too far in removing humans from the ad sales process.
Related:
-- Cable Nets And Ebay Media Marketplace Committee Work To Patch Things Up
-- Ebay Readies Online Ad Marketplace For March Launch
Discovery New Media Plans Include Online Premieres
As part of its upfront today, Discovery Networks unveils some online plans that show the hand of new CEO David Zaslav—who went through many of the same issues during his last job at NBCU. It’s not as vast an offering as the broadcast nets on broadband but, starting in 3Q07, Discovery iPremieres will feature two full-length ad-supported episodes a week via streaming on demand; the episodes will be selected from new or returning shows and specials, rotating weekly among the various nets. The shows will be available for one week before the on-air premiere. In an effort to make it more attractive to national advertisers, iPremieres will include bonus material like clips and interviews. It will be available at discovery.com.
-- The first shows include Discovery Kids’ Bindi: The Jungle Girl, sure to attract buzz since it stars the daughter of recently deceased croc hunter and Discovery draw Steve Irwin.
Related:
-- Discovery Buying Out Cox’s Stake For $1.2 Billion
-- Industry Moves: Discovery Appoints Campbell As Digital & Emerging Networks Head; Possible M&A Plays
Scripps Hopes To Repeat Cable Success With Interactive Expansion
Scripps has stepped up the pace of new digital initiatives and hires over the past few months. And while some have expressed lingering doubts about its newspaper holdings and concern continues over the ability to absorb the high acquisition costs of comparison shopping sites Shopzilla and uSwitch, it’s clear that the company has been zeroing in on growing its interactive revenues.
As we reported last month, Scripps lured Deanna Brown from her post as general manager of Yahoo Media Group’s Lifestyles business unit to take on the new position of president of its Interactive Group. And in an indication of the kind of offerings to come, Scripps has unveiled a new social network related to its cable TV network HGTV and also introduced a new video player on its websites. (Disclaimer: Scripps is one of our sponsors.)
The WSJ takes a look at Scripps’ digital progress. The company has enjoyed considerable early success as online revenues from cable-related properties leapt 70 percent last year—representing roughly 3 percent of total company revenue—and plans to increase that contribution this year. At the moment, the current challenge is turning the $1 billion it spent acquiring Shopzilla and uSwitch into revenue growth. Those sites were responsible for 11 percent of Scripps’s operating revenue in 2006, assuming the company had owned uSwitch for the full year.
As a Merrill Lynch analyst report pointed out recently, Shopzilla has been plagued by a slowdown in unique visitors and pageviews. But Scripps says this is a short-term problem, as the company has cut back on search advertising, saying that it will eventually get revenue from visitors who enter its website directly rather than those directed from third parties.
Overall, Scripps hopes investors and analysts will take its track record into account. In 1994, it began to change its identity as a newspaper company to a diversified media company when it started the HGTV cable network. And while it has displeased some by holding on to its newspaper division, Scripps hopes its demonstrated commitment to the interactive space will prove that it can repeat its cable success.
Related:
-- Industry Moves: Feinbaum Upped To EVP at Scripps Networks; Looking At M&A and New Online Launches
-- Earnings: Scripps Q4 Profits Rise; Interactive Up; No Plans To Sell Newspapers; Shopzilla Concerns
-- Scripps Considers Newspaper Sell-Off To Focus On Internet, Cable
EU IPTV Market To Double This Year, Most Growth In UK: Report
European IPTV subscriptions will double from 2.9 million last year to 5.6 million in 2007, according to research from Screen Digest. Largely as a result of mergers and acquisitions, many telcos now offer television services over fixed-line broadband to TV set-top boxes. Although Screen Digest acknowledges such offerings tend to be “inferior to cable and satellite,” it predicts IPTV revenue to grow from EUR470 million ($628 million) to over EUR1 billion ($1.3 billion), with the UK contributing the fastest growth - a 250 percent increase (from 80,000 subscribers to 300,000) off the back of BT’s new Vision IPTV service and similar upcoming launches from Orange and Tiscali. These predictions have not yet borne out, however - research by Morgan Stanley last week found that even mighty BT’s offering had only attracted 5,000 customers in its first four months, 40 percent of whom are staff of the telco.
ITV, Setanta Win IPTV, Mobile Carriage Amongst $833 Million Soccer Rights
In UK, ITV and Setanta have won the online, mobile and video-on-demand rights to show much of English soccer from summer 2008 - the first time the newer platforms have featured specifically in the governing Football Association’s (FA) offering. The TV broadcasters today won the rights to FA Cup, international and other matches with a 425 million GBP ($833 million) bid that snatches big chunks of the sport from BBC and BSkyB and allows them to air matches on their digital and analogue terrestrial channels as well as cable pay-per-view.
The FA said ITV1 can now show goal video clips via fixed and mobile internet, while Setanta Sports will for the first time show highlights via a new VOD service. But either ITV is not giving specifics at this stage or it does not yet know how exactly it will use these new digital rights - a spokesman told me it was 18 months away from the start of the contract so had plenty of time in which to announce the detail.
Since the FA signed its last rights away, new platforms including mobile TV have emerged; ITV1 is now simulcast over 3G UK networks. The broadcaster is still developing plans broadband internet TV.
Discovery Buying Out Cox’s Stake For $1.2 Billion
Discovery Communications said today that it planned to buy out all of its stock held by Cox Communications in a deal that included transferring the Travel Channel (and Travelchannel.com and audio tour guides firm Antenna Audio) and $1.275 billion in cash to Cox for its 25 percent stake in the company. The transaction is expected to be completed in May. Release
B&C: The deal leaves Discovery with just two owners - John Malone’s Discovery Holding Corp., which owns two-thirds, and Advance/Newhouse Communications, which owns one-third. The transitioning out of Travel comes shortly after the arrival at Discovery of its new CEO David Zaslav, from NBC Universal, who has actively begun reshaping the underperforming Discovery.
France’s Ipercast Raises $3.3 Million For Internet Video Distribution
Paris-based video and IPTV service Ipercast has raised $3.3 million from OTC Asset Management and Siparex, according to French tech blog Altaide via Alarm: Clock Euro. The five-year-old company manages a variety of IP multimedia services, from DRM to electronic programming guides, security, and content distribution network services.
Cablevision Assembles Group For Digital Marketing Efforts; New EVP
U.S. cable company Cablevision has created a new digital marketing/commerce division with the goal of attracting advertisers and subscribers as it seeks to fend off a challenge in the New York metro area by Verizon FiOS, Mulitchannel News reports. The new division is headed by Patricia Gottesman, a 28-year Cablevision vet, who has been named EVP of digital marketing and commerce.
Initially, the group will start working on a linear-channel-based, TV-remote-enabled shopping experience. Cablevision has already been experimenting with linear and multiplatform advertising models. Two-and-a-half years ago, Cablevision released Optimum Homes and Optimum Autos, linear channels that showcase real estate and cars for sale from area vendors. Those channels are also supported by a broadband component on Cablevision’s Optimum Online Internet service.
This is shaping up to be Cablevision’s biggest challenge as an MSO to date. And despite the court loss we reported on earlier involving the creation of a network-based DVR service, Cablevision is likely to maintain its aggressive roll-out of new digital initiatives. The company is in 3 million homes and businesses in its 4.6 million-home footprint in the New York metro area and reports 78 percent penetration of its iO digital product, the highest such penetration among major cable operators.
Related:
-- Cablevision Loses Network DVR Case In Court
-- Verizon, AT&T U-verse Look Local For Programming
Ericsson To Take Over Tandberg, Aims For IPTV Infrastructure
Ericsson is set to take full control of Norwegian digital video company Tandberg Television after winning the support of over 90 percent of shareholders, in a deal that paves the way for its emergence into IPTV. Headquartered in Southampton, England, Tandberg makes compression and on-demand features for digital broadcasting. Ericsson had been courting the company since February, when CEO Carl-Henric Svanberg said IPTV would be “the biggest networked multimedia opportunity going forward”, bringing Ericsson new customers in the shape of cable and satellite operators. The deal involved a 106 kroner ($17) share offer.
HBO Promotes Sopranos’ Last Season With Digital Send-Off
With the first of The Sopranos last nine episodes is slated to air on HBO in two weeks, the cable network plans to squeeze as much life out the mob drama as possible. On the digital front, HBO is collaborating with a variety of cable networks on interactive initiatives as part of part of a promotional campaign designed to make sure everyone knows this is it, Multichannel News reports.
Comcast is taking advantage of the VOD effort by supplying 100 hours of free enhanced fare per month.
Leading up to the April 8 season opener, viewers can check out Soprano’s co-branded microsites, featuring gaming, video content, 20 short-form content pieces that offer weekly episodic previews, behind-the-scenes segments and cast interviews.
Not to be out-done by Comcast’s VOD offerings, Charter.net will showcase short-form video during the promotional window for both The Sopranos and HBO’s Hollywood buddy series Entourage, which is leading out of the mob series.
As part of HBO’s role as Cox Communications “Net of the Month” partner throughout March and April, there are Sopranos video and offer pages on both Cox.com and Cox.net. Rounding out the promotions is corporate sibling Time Warner Cable is sponsoring a broadband trivia sweepstake, while its RoadRunner broadband service will deliver a short-form video content.
HBO began previewing some of the digital content to its affiliates six months ago, wanting to give them a measure of control over the promotion. The idea was that affiliates would be more enthusiastic about submitting their own ideas for what would appeal to their respective audiences rather than enforce a one-size fits all campaign.
So while HBO tries to turn its other original programming into the next Sopranos, this current digital promotion is likely to influence the direction of efforts for its other programs.
Cablevision Loses Network DVR Case In Court
Cablevision has lost a legal battle against several studios and TV networks to introduce a network-based DVR service. U.S. District Judge Denny Chin in New York ruled against the cable company.
It had hoped a network-based DVR system, called Remote Storage DVR or RS-DVR, would have done away with the need for the installation digital set-top boxes in subscribers’ homes, and instead the storage would be on the cable company’s end. Other cable operators had been vocal in their support for such a system, but have not jumped into it for fear of such legal reprisal.
Chin agreed with the studios and networks in his ruling: “The RS-DVR is clearly a service, and I hold that in providing this service, it is Cablevision that does the copying.”
MultiChannel: The ruling was applauded by one major programmer, Turner Broadcasting System. “Obviously, we are very satisfied with the result and we are pleased that the court has accepted our view of the rules of the road: headend-based copying requires a license,” said a Turner spokesperson.
Update: Cablevision is considering an appeal.
Related:
-- TV Networks Sue Cablevision
-- Add Turner’s CNN, Cartoon Network To List Of Cablevision Remote DVR Foes
-- Lawsuit Over Cablevision DVR Plans Could Change Copyright Law
Cablevision Lose Network DVR Case In Court
Cablevision has lost a legal battle against several studios and TV networks to introduce a network-based DVR service. U.S. District Judge Denny Chin in New York ruled against the cable company.
It had hoped a network-based DVR system, called Remote Storage DVR or RS-DVR, would have done away with the need for the installation digital set-top boxes in subscribers’ homes, and instead the storage would be on the cable company’s end. Other cable operators had been vocal in their support for such a system, but have not jumped into it for fear of such legal reprisal.
Chin agreed with the studios and networks in his ruling: “The RS-DVR is clearly a service, and I hold that in providing this service, it is Cablevision that does the copying.”
MultiChannel: The ruling was applauded by one major programmer, Turner Broadcasting System. “Obviously, we are very satisfied with the result and we are pleased that the court has accepted our view of the rules of the road: headend-based copying requires a license,” said Turner spokesperson.
Related:
-- TV Networks Sue Cablevision
-- Add Turner’s CNN, Cartoon Network To List Of Cablevision Remote DVR Foes
-- Lawsuit Over Cablevision DVR Plans Could Change Copyright Law
AOL, UKTV Strike Lifestyle TV Content Deal, Broadcaster’s Biggest So Far
AOL and UKTV have struck a syndication contract to carry clips form the lifestyle TV network on the web portal in Britain. UKTV operates 10 niche channels on topics including food, home improvements and history as part of a joint venture with BBC Worldwide and Virgin Media; its programming comprises BBC DIY and gardening re-runs plus some original productions. This is its biggest online video partnership to date. Seventy clips of between three and five minutes will show at AOL UK’s Show Me and Homes & Property sections, providing short instructional videos on subjects like fixing leaking radiators. If AOL can leverage the content to channel the kind of growth seen in the online lifehacks and how-to realm, it could prove popular.
Channel 4 Ups Web Expenditure, Eyes IPTV Carriage
UK public service broadcaster Channel 4’s annual new media budget is increasing by £1 million ($1.9 million) to £22 million ($43 million) in 2007. In its statement of programme policy (required by regulator Ofcom), C4 said: “While we expect our portfolio of new media services to generate commercial returns to be returned to the core channel, we will also use new media platforms to launch entirely new services with public service broadcasting values and to offer viewers new ways to access Channel 4’s output.”
The additional investment will go to overhaul the websites for Channel 4 News and the Dispatches news show, launching improving user-generated content portals for comedy and documentaries, and to online education content. It will also take the broadcaster’s 4OD on-demand package (currently available on cable TV and computer screens) onto BT’s Vision IPTV service.
Virgin Media ‘Considers Bid’ For ISP Pipex’; Would Extend Branson Reach
Virgin Media may be about to buy one of the UK’s oldest internet service providers, Pipex, The Telegraph speculates, in a move that would extend Richard Branson’s broadband offering from cable to fixed-line. Sixteen-year-old Pipex appointed an investment bank last week to draw up sale plans, with any one of BT, Carphone Warehouse, Tiscali, BSkyB or Orange initially mooted as possible suitors. Telegraph does not cite its source but said Virgin Media (which rebranded last month after a merger with ntl/Telewest) was a “surprise frontrunner” amongst several expressions of interest.
In an increasingly competitive market, several UK companies now offer triple-play telephone, internet and IPTV services, with the addition of Branson’s Virgin Mobile adjunct marking his company out as a “quad-play” provider. But Virgin will need to grow its communications network from cable alone if it is to grow its subscriber base : while cable is available to just 55 percent of the country, ADSL broadband of the kind offered by Pipex is available over a standard phone line to anyone whose local exchange has been upgraded. A Virgin Media spokesperson just told me no comment: “Lots of people are looking at it and I’m sure we’ll continue to be mentioned in dispatches”.
Spotzer Closes Third Funding Round; Readies Launch of Digital TV Agency
Netherlands-based digital/TV ad agency Spotzer Media Group, trying to compete against the likes of SpotRunner, closed its third financing round this week. Fellow countrymen Cyrte Investments, which focuses on telecom, media and technology companies, led the round, the amount of which was not released.
Spotzer is currently offering a sneak preview of its video ad work on its website. Spotzer, which has 20 clients so far, targets small local business, which can choose from hundreds of ready-to-air ads, allowing them to bypass traditional agencies that would charge much more to create custom work.
Spotzer was started by Andrew Klein, who previously founded an investment bank, Wit Capital, in 1996. The firm was partially owned by Goldman Sachs, went public in 1998, and ultimately was acquired by brokerage company Charles Schwab. Klein serves as Spotzer’s Chairman and CEO.
Spotzer’s previous fundings have been backed by post-production house DutchView, as well as investments by individual investors from the U.S. and Europe. Release
Related:
-- Interactive Ad Agency Spotzer Raises Second Round Financing
Yahoo! TV Gets A New Do
Yahoo! redesigned their TV listing
site this week. Certain bloggers have expressed their displeasure with the makeover. I think it looks good but certainly could be more functional.
Most Yahoo! pages are getting Flash-ier so it was time for the TV listing page to go under the knife. Some complaints have been that the Ajax interface slows it down but that wasn’t my experience.
The problem is not the “cool” new color scheme. The problem is the design placement. The most pertinent information is not close enough to the top. I have to scroll down too far from the Scrubs, Ugly Betty, and Grey’s Anatomy promos before I get to the “My TV” grid, which is the reason I would go to this site in the first place. They’ve also placed “TV News,” “Juicy Gossip,” and “Latest Recaps” before the actual listings. I’ll go to the PerezHilton blog if I want that crap.
I don’t think this is another example of Yahoo! spreading its peanut butter. I think this is Yahoo! giving itself the makeover it needs but maybe trying to hard to be cool. Function before fashion, Yahoo! Learn from Meevee.
Update: Apparently Yahoo has had seen the backlash themselves on their own blog regarding the TV listings page. It’s not pleasant. Hopefully they’ll take note.
Crunch Network: MobileCrunch Mobile Gadgets and Applications, Delivered Daily.
Overview: The End of Paper TV Guides
A few years ago, online TV guides were just a paperless version of what was arriving in the mail or the middle of Sunday papers. Today, however, as we get closer to the world of TV over IP and video on demand in every home, the space is evolving, giving customers more than they can get in paper.
At the same time, advertisers are realizing that TV guides with demographically targeted content present a promising vehicle for delivering targeted ads. Market penetration for these sites is still relatively modest, but it is growing and, as the prospect of not just finding television programming, but also watching it online, becomes more likely, usage will grow exponentially.
Just as very few people bother to check the newspaper for movie times at their local theatre, preferring to go online instead, fewer and fewer people rely on the old print version of television listing times. There are just too many benefits to going online. We explain why below.
As of today, all sites with guides are free and it appears they will remain so, hoping their targeted content will attract more users and thereby enough advertisers or affiliate sales (think iTunes-like content downloads) to build sustainable businesses.
The best features on these sites are those that are moving beyond listings and doing a good job of matching viewer’s interests and habits with programming content. If it sounds akin to online dating sites, well… it is. Your potential matches, in this case, are TV programs.
The big win, however, is to link these listings directly to TV over IP content, something that will require industry-level psychological and legal evolution.
The companies listed here are the major providers of TV programming schedules online across local, cable, and satellite. MeeVee, Zap2It, and TitanTV also syndicate, making guides available across a number of sites. Individual cable or satellite providers and sites that provide listings in conjunction with hardware/software solutions, like SnapStream, will not be reviewed in this post.
TV Guide
The granddaddy of television programming guides launched on the web all the way back in 1997. Today, TVGuide provides a wealth of original content, some unique to the site, some from print. In addition to editorial content, it hosts a series of blogs from fans. The strategy seems to be aimed at helping you select what to watch through the recommendations of individuals. Listings are available and while offering some category filtering (sports, etc.), the listing engine itself is pretty basic. Perhaps it’s a bias on my part, but I can’t help thinking that the print TVGuide is, at this point, a bit of an albatross around the site’s neck. I understand leveraging the brand, but it can feel like the goal of the site is to sell print subscriptions, not help online users find the right stuff to watch.
Meevee
MeeVee launched its guide last year. While pursuing a similar strategy to TV guide (helping viewers find TV shows), Like TVGuide, MeeVee lets you search for shows based on actors, subjects (like sharks), keywords, etc. and adds the results to your guide. And it goes further than any of the others - Meevee will then surface shows based on those criteria in the future. Additionally, MeeVee recognizes internet channels in a way its competitors don’t. It might not seem like much now, but the definition of programming (think user-generated video) is starting to extend far beyond cable television channels. If MeeVee can uncover internet-based programming based on user interests, something TVGuide may not be able to do for psychological reasons, it can move ahead of the pack. MeeVee also has direct video content, but its current library is slim. MeeVee needs to expand this content offering and integrate with its strong guide to more broadly deliver on its strategy.
Zap2it
Zap2it is owned by the Tribune company. Its site combines listings as well as TV content. It also has content related to Movies and DVDs on its site, as well as movie listings – all of which again suggests a similar strategic theme: “here’s what to watch”. As part of Tribune, there’s some good professional content on this site. It also has some community features which draw some decent traffic. The listings section still feels like paper translated to the web, however. The categorization of programming through color coding is a nice feature, but not groundbreaking. It’s a complete offering, but no single component of the offering blows you away.
Yahoo TV
Yahoo TV is a good combination of content and listings. If you consider Yahoo has a lot of experience in combining content and data (think Yahoo Finance), this isn’t surprising. The listings take advantage of Yahoo’s search technology and enable keyword search to find shows based on interests, actors, etc., but the listings fall short of MeeVee’s in that Yahoo can not be set up to continually surface programming based on these criteria. The content is a mix of proprietary and syndicated. Its new online show “The 9” seeks out the best in web video for the day and works as original web content. In addition, with the ability to program your Tivo through its listings, Yahoo has a solid overall offering.
TV.com
TV.com , a CNET property, stands out for its excellent community content. Reviews, ratings and forums are available to TV.com members. The emphasis on community indicates a bit of a different strategy, making TV.com seem less about what to watch and more about connecting you with those who watch what you watch. The site is usually buzzing after the screening of a popular TV show. If you want listings, you’ll find them here too, but it’s not their strength, community is.
TitanTV
TitanTV is owned by Decision Mark, who provides data and software to the broadcast industry. TitanTV is only a guide right now. The guide doesn’t look very good, but it is pretty useful, with lots of color coding to help users distinguish program characteristics. Their search engine falls short of MeeVee and Yahoo, but does allow for more detailed searches of listings than some of its competitors. As a guide, it’s not bad, but there are better and you won’t find much else here right now.
Summary
We’ve included a summary chart of features below, but the strengths can be summarized as follows: If you want to watch TV content, most of the sites provide clips of shows, previews, etc. If your interest is in editorial content, while quality content is found on most sites, the traditional media outlets have the greatest volume. If you are looking for a strong guide that will help you discover more programming based on your interests, MeeVee is your best bet. If it’s community features you’re after then you’ll be drawn to TV.com. If you want good integration of editorial content and listings, no one totally hits out of the park, but Yahoo TV provides a nice user interface that balances listings and content.
All in all, these sites, while certainly better than paper for finding shows and planning your TV viewing, aren’t fully delivering on the real promise of online TV. In this new channel, I want a complete experience, some form of consummation. Until these sites take it a step further and make it easier to experience the video content right after you find it, they are leaving you hanging. Only Yahoo provides some form of consummation with the ability to program your Tivo from its site. MeeVee is taking steps by linking to some internet channels, but more direct connection to on demand, online broadcast (mlb.tv, mobiTv), or even user generated is a necessary next step to really deliver on what could be a really useful service.
A comparison of services can be found below:
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tv
Product
zap2it
yahoo
tvguide
Profiles
Company
&
Web2.0
Meevee
