North America Digital TV News

Four media measurement bodies form global alliance
May 15, 2019 – Media measurement bodies, BARC (India), Médiamétrie (France), Numeris (Canada) and Video Research (Japan) have announced that they will collaborate on future audience measurement initiatives including the development of common technical standards and operational processes.
News categories: BARC India, Médiamétrie, Numeris, Video Research, Partho Dasgupta, Bruno Chetaille, Neil McEneaney, Yuzuru Kato, Brad Bedford, Advertising, Big Data, Canada, Digital TV, France, India, Japan

Sony and Chicken Soup for the Soul launch Crackle Plus
May 14, 2019 – Sony Pictures Television (SPT) and Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment (CSS Entertainment) (Nasdaq: CSSE) have launched their new streaming video joint venture named 'Crackle Plus' and announce closing of related transactions.
News categories: Chicken Soup for the Soul, Sony Pictures Television, Digital TV, Streaming, USA

Philo brings streaming TV to WOW! broadband customers
May 14, 2019 – Philo has announced an agreement with WOW!, a provider of internet, data, voice, cloud and cable TV in the Midwest and Southeast. Philo's service, at $20 per month, will be available to all of WOW!’s broadband customers beginning mid-year.
News categories: Philo, WOW!, Andrew McCollum, Roger Seiken, Digital TV, Streaming, USA

FreeWheel announces programmatic OTT offering for local TV buyers
May 14, 2019 – FreeWheel (Nasdaq: CMCSA) has announced that members of the FreeWheel Advertisers’ network using the Strata platform can now programmatically access the full OTT marketplace through exchanges and direct premium publisher integrations.
News categories: FreeWheel, Joy Baer, Frost Prioleau, Advertising, Digital TV, Streaming, USA

Digital Alert Systems and Kaltura bring EAS Alerts to Cloud TV services
May 14, 2019 – Digital Alert Systems and Kaltura have announced that the Kaltura TV Platform is first to support Digital Alert Systems' EAS-NET communications protocol, allowing customers to comply with EAS/CAP regulations by providing critical emergency messages within their Cloud TV deployments.
News categories: Digital Alert Systems, Kaltura, Bill Robertson, Gideon Gilboa, Digital TV, PAYTV19, Regulation, Streaming, USA

4INFO adds Smart TV data through partnership with Inscape
May 14, 2019 – 4INFO has announced a strategic relationship with Inscape. By integrating Inscape’s ACR-generated, glass level insights from smart TVs, with 4INFO’s advanced TV platform, marketers are better able to match online and offline data to smart TV viewing data.
News categories: 4INFO, Inscape, Tim Jenkins, Greg Hampton, Advertising, Big Data, Digital TV, Smart TV, USA

Major U.S. pay TV providers lost ~1,325,000 subscribers in 1Q 2019
May 14, 2019 – Leichtman Research Group (LRG) has found that the largest pay-TV providers in the U.S. lost about 1,325,000 net video subscribers in 1Q 2019, compared to a pro forma net loss of about 305,000 subscribers in 1Q 2018.
News categories: Leichtman Research, Bruce Leichtman, Cable TV, Digital TV, IPTV, Satellite, Streaming, Subscribers, USA

Disney and Comcast agree on Hulu's future governance and ownership
May 14, 2019 – Disney (NYSE: DIS) and Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA) have announced that Disney will assume full operational control of Hulu, effective immediately, in return for Disney and Comcast entering into a 'put/call' agreement regarding NBCUniversal’s 33% ownership interest in Hulu.
News categories: Comcast, Disney, Digital TV, MandA, Streaming, USA

Xandr addressable TV gains new reach and frequency capabilities
May 14, 2019 – Xandr, AT&T's advertising and analytics company, has enhanced its addressable TV solutions to include new reach and frequency capabilities, expanded cross-screen addressability, and enabled broader access to video on-demand inventory.
News categories: Xandr, Rick Welday, Advertising, Big Data, Digital TV, Set Top Box, USA