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Rogers to Bring World-Class Comcast and Xfinity Products to Canada: Soon, millions of Rogers customers will be able to experience the future of entertainment with a new device powered by Entertainment OS, the next generation of connectivity via the best gateways and devices, as well as an expanded suite of home security products and features all developed by Comcast and Xfinity. “Our partnership with Comcast builds on our legacy of bringing Canadians the best networks, entertainment and services in the world,” said Tony Staffieri, President and CEO, Rogers Communications. “Canadians want to be connected to the best entertainment, anywhere, without interruption and we’re proud to partner with Comcast to make this a reality.” Comcast is a global media and technology company that offers a world-class suite of connectivity and platform products to millions of customers worldwide including the United States under the Xfinity brand. As part of the agreement, the latest broadband, smart home and connectivity products available to Xfinity customers will be coming to Canada through Rogers starting later this year. “As a world leader in converged experiences inside and outside the home, this platform will make it easy and simple for Rogers customers to connect to what they love with a seamless experience, whether on the big screen in their home or their smartphone on the go,” added Staffieri. “Now, with the addition of these new products and services, even more customers in North America will be able to take advantage of Comcast and Xfinity’s innovative technologies,” said Dave Watson, Chief Executive Officer of Connectivity and Platforms, Comcast. The average Canadian subscribes to nearly twice as many streaming apps than five years ago and broadband data usage at Rogers has grown 200% in the same period. New research commissioned by Rogers shows the majority of Canadians (55%) say the number of streaming apps is overwhelming, half say searching for this content is time consuming, and 45% admit they sometimes can’t find the show or sporting event they want to watch. The study also found accessing all streaming apps on one platform is the most appealing TV feature. Today’s announcement underscores Rogers commitment to ensuring Canadians have the best networks, the best content and the best experiences. Below is an overview of the offerings: World Class Entertainment Rogers customers will soon be able to enjoy the next generation of entertainment with Entertainment OS. This platform will bring live sports, entertainment and news, on-demand, and streaming apps into one, simple view so customers spend more time watching and less time searching with the award-winning voice remote and integrated interface. 10G Internet Simply put, Rogers is investing to deliver the best internet experience so customers can post, stream, game and take video calls all at the same time. Through this…

🚀 Verizon is at the forefront of the Super Bundling revolution 🚀 In a world filled with countless streaming options, consumers are experiencing subscription fatigue like never before. Techsponential's latest research highlights the power of Super Bundling as a solution and how Verizon is leading the charge. By combining essential services like cellular and home broadband with streaming entertainment, #SuperBundling offers consumers a seamless and cost-effective way to access what they love. Super Bundling with Verizon is the ultimate game-changer: 🌟Save big: With Verizon's super bundles, consumers can save up to $1,000 a year compared to traditional subscriptions. 🌟Manage with ease: Verizon’s user-friendly app empowers consumers to effortlessly manage all their services and payments in one convenient place. 🌟More choice: With over 45 options to choose from, including popular services like the Disney Bundle, Netflix and Max, consumers can customize their content experience like never before. 🌟Long-term value: Say goodbye to price hikes! Verizon locks in streaming rates for the duration of the subscription, ensuring consumers get the best value over time. Take a closer look and download the full report “Super Bundles: The Next Big Opportunity Is Adding Streaming Content to Wireless and Broadband,” here (USA TODAY) >> https://lnkd.in/eR76BUqJ #innovation #technology #bundles #subscriptions Avi Greengart

Could Netflix's move into cloud gaming be a game-changer for the sector? Last week, Netflix began to beta test its cloud gaming service in the UK and Canada, setting the stage for a full launch in the near future. By looking at fresh consumer survey data from 18,000 respondents in July 2023, we see that this strategic move could have notable implications for TMT and for digital gaming. Key take-away points: - Netflix aims to target and under-penetrated area: casual gaming behaviour on TV sets and PCs (the majority is on mobile) - The company's established presence on larger screens offers an opportunity to shift casual gaming behaviour from mobile devices - Telecoms operators may find themselves indirectly supporting Netflix's cloud gaming service; eventually it might increase the demand for high-quality Wi-Fi connectivity at home. Why this matters: 1. Customer retention for Netflix's core business: Netflix is using gaming a little like Amazon uses video - and will potentially succeed in doing so. 2. Market penetration: Netflix faces few direct competitors in casual gaming on TV sets which presents it with a unique opportunity. 3. Operational impact: Telecoms operators should potentially expect increased customer support calls and for this to add to demand for improved Wi-Fi. For a deeper dive into the implications and opportunities presented by Netflix's foray into cloud gaming, read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/e9Hb7hiW #Netflix #cloudgaming #tmt #telecoms #strategy #innovation #markettrends #survey

Start Summer Fresh: Comcast Offers Three Ways to Break Free From The Big Three with Xfinity Mobile, NOW Mobile, and StreamSaver: “Our customers love the service and the savings they get when they switch,” said Kohposh Kuda, senior vice president, Xfinity Mobile, Comcast. “With Xfinity Mobile, customers are connecting to the fastest mobile service with 5G cellular, and getting up to gig speeds when they connect to millions of WiFi hotspots across the country.” Xfinity Mobile is available exclusively to Xfinity Internet customers at the best price for two or more lines. Xfinity Mobile is also offering a free second line of Unlimited for a year when customers purchase a first line of Unlimited service. Another way to help customers switch from The Big Three. NOW Mobile: A New Way to Save Earlier this year, Comcast introduced a new way for customers to save with NOW Internet and NOW Mobile. NOW Internet offers reliable Internet starting at $30 a month. Add NOW Mobile and get both starting at $55 a month, with additional lines costing only $25 more a month. Both products – backed by the powerful Xfinity network and the most reliable 5G – are available nationwide where Comcast offers service. Customers can easily sign up, pause or cancel their subscription online, via the Xfinity app, or by visiting an Xfinity Store. With all-in monthly pricing, no contracts, or credit check required, NOW products deliver flexible connectivity to customers when they need it. Summer Streaming with Xfinity StreamSaver Xfinity Mobile customers can also save on their streaming services when they sign up for Xfinity StreamSaver, a $15 streaming bundle of Peacock, Netflix and Apple TV+. By bringing these premium streaming services together for the first time, Xfinity is making it easy for customers to enjoy exceptional entertainment, including thousands of hours of live sports, from the best streaming apps at an unparalleled value. A New Era of AI with Samsung This year, Xfinity Mobile is celebrating Break Free From The Big Three Day with a deal on the newest Samsung devices. New and existing Xfinity Mobile customers can pre-order the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 and Galaxy Z Flip6 and get up to $800 off while saving hundreds on their wireless bill. Customers can also order the new Galaxy Watch7 and Galaxy Buds3 to pair with their new device. A new era of AI is unfolding with the Samsung Z Fold6. Use Circle to Search with Google to find things fast – now optimized for the screen so you can keep multiple windows open while you search. Get easy translations for face-to-face conversations using Interpreter with Galaxy AI in FlexWindow, where you can see your language on one side of the screen and they can see theirs on the other. Plus, the large canvas is perfect for viewing in-depth health tracking and insights from a paired Galaxy Watch. Unlock your creativity with the tiny but mighty Galaxy Z Flip6 – the Galaxy…

As a company that wants to make money, Roku wants you to watch as many ads as possible. That’s not currently possible when you exit Roku’s streaming player and do something like play a game on the Nintendo Switch or watch a show on your Apple TV. But if the company gets its way, this may cease to be a problem one day, at least for people who use Roku TVs. How The Last Airbender Inspired Lisette Olivera Roku describes its idea in a patent application, which largely flew under the radar when it was filed in November, and was recently spotted by the streaming newsletter Lowpass. In the application, Roku describes a system that’s able to detect when users pause third-party hardware and software and show them ads during that time. According to the company, its new system works via an HDMI connection. This suggests that it’s designed to target users who play video games or watch content from other streaming services on their Roku TVs. Lowpass described Roku’s conundrum perfectly: “Roku’s ability to monetize moments when the TV is on but not actively being used goes away when consumers switch to an external device, be it a game console or an attached streaming adapter from a competing manufacturer,” Janko Roettgers, the newsletter’s author, wrote. “Effectively, HDMI inputs have been a bit of a black box for Roku.” In addition, Roku wouldn’t just show you any old ads. The company states that its innovation can recognize the content that users have paused and deliver customized related ads. Roku’s system would do this by using audio or video-recognition technologies to analyze what the user is watching or analyze the content’s metadata, among other methods. The company’s patent application has not been approved yet. When reached by Gizmodo on Friday, Roku declined to comment on the patent application. It should also be noted that companies file patents all the time and many of their ideas never see the light of day. While I don’t have a Roku device, the idea of having ads infiltrate my screen when I pause whatever I’m watching on another service to go grab a soda or go to the bathroom is horrifying. It’s one thing to show someone ads when they’re using your service, but completely hijacking the experience on other hardware and software would be infuriating. In the case of gaming, there’s also the danger of Roku mistaking a long moment of pondering for a pause and sticking an ad right when you’re getting ready to face the final boss. The company is aware of this potential failure and points out that its system will monitor the frames of the content being watched to ensure there was a phase. It also plans on using other methods, such as analyzing the audio feed on the TV for extended moments of silence, to confirm there has been a pause. None of these are failproof, though, and I for one would not like to be in the room when a gamer inevitably gets an ad during an important run and all hell

Figures released today by the BASE, Omdia, Kantar, Futuresource Consulting, and Official Charts Company confirm that the total value of the UK Screen Industry rose to £12.5 bn in 2023, including #SVoD, Premium #AVoD, #TVoD, Physical, Cinema and Pay TV, a 5.6% YoY growth, in a year when the UK Box Office topped £1 billion for the first time since the pandemic. The UK Home Entertainment Category rose to £4.9bn in 2023 inclusive of all Streaming Video on Demand (SVoD), DIGITAL, DISC sales, and rental (Electronic Sell Through (#EST), Video on Demand (#VOD), DVD, BLU-RAY, 4K UHD, BOXSET, up 10.8% Year on Year (YoY), following a 14.3% rise YoY in 2022. Official Charts Company measures individual content purchases on disc and digital, to rent, buy or own in the UK, unlike multi-content SVoD services. Robert Marsh, BASE Chair and Vice President, International Account Management/Sales, & UK Home Entertainment, Sony Pictures Entertainment, said: “Visual entertainment began and remains a content first industry: from Premium Transactional windows, through digital and disc releases and on to Pay TV and SVOD, our industry exists to create films and TV shows that audiences connect with, and which they return to again and again. With the growth of AVOD and FAST complimenting SVOD and Transactional, audiences are now able to access our content in more diverse ways than ever before with multi-channel access to entertainment being more and more the norm for many consumers, and particularly fans. Looking at the top transactional titles, the success of BARBIE and OPPENHEIMER, and the breadth of the top five transactional titles in 2023, including Sony Pictures MATILDA, helped deliver 68m total transactions across the year with the final week delivering almost 2.5 million digital transactions, with over 900k EST transactions at a value at £5.9m. Our new releases should rightly be celebrated, but it is the almost unlimited breadth of the transactional market through our catalogues that truly anchors the appeal of our market in the UK, representing three quarters of all disc transactions, and well over half of EST transactions. Visual entertainment is perhaps now more than ever one industry and I am proud to say that, after 100 years of Columbia Pictures, we stand alongside the many other publishers and providers in this community delivering audiences new films and shows to love while helping them discover and be inspired by ones they might have missed along the way." Read the full story below, with additional comment from Marie-Claire Benson, EVP/ Head of Motion Picture Group, Lionsgate UK, Kevin Dersley, Managing Director, Elevation Sales, and co Vice-Chair, BASE, Lesley Johnson, Co-Vice Chair, BASE, and Global Director, Home Entertainment BBC Studios & Liz Bales, Chief Executive, BASE and DEGI: The Digital Entertainment Group International. More here: https://lnkd.in/evqwHNcm

Stacking is coming to an end - quality will stand out '“With subscribers feeling that many providers are not delivering value for money, it’s more difficult than ever before to raise prices without adding real value to the offering – this is just as true for the UK’s local players as it is for the streaming giants” said Greg Harwood, Partner. “Even though consumers are anticipating more price increases in the next year, hiking prices up further will significantly increase the number of subscribers considering leaving– which is why even small increases should be justified with clearly communicated value enhancements."' With today's #economiccrisis less and less households can afford multiple #svod subscriptions. The #streamingwars (for want of a better word, because its not really a war!) are coming to an end, and I think we're moving into a survival phase. "16-38% say that they are considering cancelling their subscriptions within the next year." I would have thought Netflix was exceptionally well placed amongst the global streamers, given their investments in #localcontent. However, according to the research "Disney+ performs best amongst the global players and All4+ leads the pack in local players (in the #UK). "Among the global players, Apple TV+ users are by far the most likely to consider leaving with 37 per cent indicating that they are likely to cancel their subscriptions within the next year – likely due to Apple’s price increase last year, the service is seen as offering poorer value for money than its competition. As such, Apple TV+ has approximately twice the expected churn compared to the other major players. Netflix and Prime Video fare better, with Netflix having 16 per cent and Prime Video having 19 per cent of users considering cancelling within the next year, while Disney+ sits at 24 per cent." I've long been a sceptic of Apple TV's potential, despite their investment in sports with the #MLS, given their lack of a catalogue and lack of a pipeline, they are seen as most vulnerable amongst the SVODs. "Even though price increases are anticipated, price sensitivity is relatively high – on top of subscribers who are already considering canceling their subscription within the next year, another 16 per cent of subscribers would consider cancelling if prices increased by 10 per cent." With the amount of free content available on #fta #television, #fast channels, and #avod, it's not surprising, there are many alternatives. It's clear that consumers aren't stacking any more, and are demanding value for money, and that will really shake the industry and lead to a more streamlined market. Interestingly, the article ends on speculation of a merge between gaming and streaming, something that Netflix seems to be making the first moves towards, especially with the younger generations. #streamingservices #streamingplatforms

🎉 Big news in the tech world today! TiVo's latest move is making waves in the broadband space with the rollout of their TiVo Broadband solution, aimed at enhancing the streaming experience for broadband-only customers. 🌐📺 Here's the key points below: ✅ TiVo has announced 4 new telco partners for TiVo Broadband. ✅ This service builds on the success of TiVo IPTV Platforms with a focus on broadband-only users. ✅ Features include access to SVoD, TiVo's own content network TiVo+, and tailored linear channels. 🌟 ✅ Industry experts see this as a significant opportunity for broadband providers to delve into branded entertainment service. ✅ US telcos Buckeye Broadband, Blue Stream Fiber, Blue Ridge Communications, and Bluepeak are pioneering this innovative service. ✅ TiVo Broadband is also geared towards a seamless experience across multiple devices, like EVO FORCE 1 and FUSE 4K stick. ✅ The quick addition of four partners post-launch at CES 2024 signifies strong market confidence. 💪 🔥 "TiVo's Broadband service will provide a meaningful alternative programming source for our customers," says Geoff Shook of Buckeye Broadband. What are your thoughts on the impact of integrated streaming platforms on traditional broadband services? #TiVo #Broadband #Streaming #TechInnovation

A data-based overview of UK Home Entertainment in 2023 released by BASE today, supported by key research partners. Some highlights: 1. An average £200 per minute UK consumer spend on #barbie in 2023 2. A record £4.9 billion UK Home Entertainment Category in 2023 3. A (forecast) global Trillion dollar entertainment industry in 2024 4. Innovation and/or change doesn't dull or dilute the love for film and TV #entertainmentindustry

📺 Telco super aggregation is picking up momentum around the globe 🚀   In the last few months, many leading service providers around the world have launched or updated their super aggregation services:  🇫🇷 Free shipped the latest version of their TV device, the Freebox Ultra WIFI 7 with the Freebox Ultra service, offering 280 live TV channels, movies, Canal+, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+ and the Cafeyn digital magazine, all through their OQEE app.  🇦🇺 Foxtel launched Hubbl, a small “puck” device that plugs into smart TVs and offers a seamless experience for 18 entertainment and sports services such as Netflix, Disney+, Prime, Apple TV+, Paramount+, BINGE, Kayo, Flash, Stan and Optus Sport.  🇬🇧 British Telecom rebranded their BT TV to a new EE TV service, available through an EE TV Box Pro, or on Apple TV 4K via a new EE TV app. The service offers popular live and on demand TV channels, including BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Netflix, Prime Video, discovery+ and more, with total flexibility on the content selection month to month, and one consolidated TV guide and content search function.  The list goes on. For telco operators considering the aggregation strategy, don’t miss our blog covering the key considerations for a super aggregation roll out:  🔗 https://lnkd.in/e7s8UcKA     Contact us to find out how we can help. #TelcoInnovation #SuperAggregation #SuperBundling #subscriptions #bundling