Verizon FiOS, AT&T U-Verse Going Big For Beijing Olympics
Both Verizon and AT&T will bring the Beijing Olympics to multiple broadcasting platforms next month, granted permission by US exclusive-rights carrier NBC Universal to stream NBC Olympic coverage via mobile, IPTV and broadband. Verizon will offer coverage via its FiOS TV service through both live streaming and video-on-demand programming. They'll also offer two dedicated HD channels for soccer and basketball coverage. Mobile video fans will be able to view NBC daily highlights as well as up-to-date news and results on their mobile devices.
AT&T will air similar NBC content via their U-Verse service including both live streaming and video-on-demand content. U-Verse subscribers will also have access to NBC's Olympics Interactive, a dedicated channel on their TV's where they'll find live programming, news updates, multiple feeds and even bios of some of America's medal hopefuls. Internet video fanatics will have access to live streaming, on-demand video and interactive widgets courtesy of NBCOlympics.com. Probably thanks to their spot as an official Olympics sponsor and telecommunications provider, AT&T has exclusive rights to broadcast live Olympics coverage on its MediaFLO mobile video service 24/7. The dedicated channel is to be dubbed NBC Olympics 2Go.
Rumor has it that JVC is set to pull out of the Japanese LCD TV market to instead focus on the North America and Europe where the brand has seen greater success. Expected to be officially announced April 25 at its earnings call for the 2007 fiscal year, JVC has apparently made the decision after spending the last few years trounced by domestic competitors such as Panasonic and Samsung. The company, of which Panasonic-parent company Matsushita owns 36.8% is currently the 5th largest LCD TV manufacturer in Japan, but only holds a domestic market share of 3.1%, succumbing to the greater manufacturing powers of bigger brands.
Although JVC plans to continue serving the LCD TV needs of corporate and public sector clients in its home country, its decision to pull out of the consumer market definitely made investors happy yesterday as JVC share shot up nearly 12% following the announcement. The company, which supposedly lost $470.2 million last year, hopes to up their LCD TV sales to 1.1 million units in 2008, with 65% of that total contributed by overseas sales.
CSI Creator Anthony Zuiker On A Mission To Bring Viewers Back To TV
After losing 8 million viewers last year during one CSI premiere, Anthony Zuiker knew the internet would kill the hit series if he didn't act fast. One of the smarter TV execs, Zuiker decided to start engaging viewers on other platforms aside from the living room TV set, coming up with a model called Cross Blending Storytelling. Zuiker discussed the new viewer engagement model at the National Association of Broadcasters conference in Las Vegas yesterday, part of his ultimate plan, he says, to bring eyeballs back to the TV. And preferably CSI.
Zuiker's new Cross Blending Storytelling approach involves moving the shows storyline across media boundaries from the "television to the Web to mobile to gaming and back to television", avoiding what he says will be the inevitable dominance of the laptop for TV viewing. Not only does Zuiker figure his method will bring viewers back to the tube, but the ability to monetize all four platforms will make up for any TV dollars lost. Somehow we don't think the monetization potential of the web and mobile is strong enough to make up for lost television dollars, but a proper use of the gaming medium definitely could.
Whether or not Zuiker can manage to turn the tides of evolution in the television world remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure-even he acknowledges the"days of just watching a show from 9-10 (p.m.) are over...it's all going to change."
Clearleap, a vid tech startup, closes a $9 million round of funding to develop technology that enables cable and satellite networks to deliver internet video to your TV
As we announced a couple weeks back, here is your first set (second actually) of TV biz links, your guide to the happenings that affect you in the television industry.
Blu-ray prices hit 2008 high-expect to pay about $70 more for a Blu-ray player in March thanks to its format war win
Verizon FiOS, AT&T U-Verse Going Big For Beijing Olympics
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