Digital TV News: Disney

Bitmovin raises $25 million of Series C funding
Apr 20, 2021 – Bitmovin has raised $25 million in Series C financing. The company will use the investment to drive the continued expansion of its product innovation and technology leadership in the streaming space.
News categories: Bitmovin, Stefan Lederer, Fergal Mullen, Stefan Kuentz, Content Distribution, Digital TV, Media Player, OTT, Venture Capital, Worldwide

SoftAtHome deploys Disney+ on Orange France STBs
Apr 20, 2021 – SoftAtHome has played a strategic role in the recent launch of Disney+ on Orange France’s set-top boxes. SoftAtHome is the first technology provider to integrate and deploy the newest native version of the Disney+ application.
News categories: SoftAtHome, Orange, David Viret-Lange, Christian Bombrun, Apps, Digital TV, France, OTT, Set Top Box

Western Europe to have 234 million SVOD subscriptions in 2026
Apr 15, 2021 – According to Digital TV Research, Western Europe will have 234 million SVOD subscriptions by 2026, up from 137 million at end-2020. Despite losing market share, Netflix will remain the largest SVOD platform.
News categories: Digital TV Research, Simon Murray, Digital TV, Europe, Market Research, OTT, Subscribers

3SS selected by FreeCast for SelectTV multiscreen UX
Apr 13, 2021 – 3SS has announced that FreeCast has selected the 3READY Product Framework for the UX of its aggregated OTT multiscreen service, SelectTV. The deployment further expands 3SS’ growing footprint in the Americas.
News categories: 3SS, FreeCast, Kai-Christian Borchers, William Mobley, Apps, Digital TV, OTT, USA, UX

Disney+ rollout in Southern Asia going strong
Apr 8, 2021 – According to Dataxis, Disney+' deployments in Southern Asia are going strong. With approximately 30 million subscribers already (30% of all Disney+ subscribers worldwide), Disney has surpassed its own expectations.
News categories: Dataxis, Disney+, Asia, Digital TV, Market Research, OTT

COVID supercharged online video and gaming consumption in 2020
Apr 6, 2021 – According to ABI Research, online video and gaming markets reached US$330 billion in 2020 - households stacked streaming video subscriptions, driving revenues to over US$69 billion, and gaming saw YoY growth of over 22%.
News categories: ABI Research, Michael Inouye, COVID-19, Digital TV, Gaming, Market Research, OTT, Worldwide

SVOD finally taking off in Eastern European
Apr 1, 2021 – Eastern Europe’s SVOD sector is finally taking off, prompted mainly by launches by global platforms such as Disney+ and HBO Max. Digital TV Research forecasts 40 million SVOD subscriptions by 2026; up from 15 million at end-2020.
News categories: Digital TV Research, Simon Murray, Digital TV, Europe, Market Research, OTT

Sky Q update makes voice control even easier
Mar 31, 2021 – Sky Q customers are being treated to another raft of brand-new features and voice innovations, as the award-winning TV box rolls out its latest updates – as well as some great developments to Sky Go.
News categories: Sky, Fraser Stirling, Digital TV, Satellite, Set Top Box, UK, UX

Pandemic gives watch parties foothold in the U.S.
Mar 30, 2021 – A study by The Diffusion Group has found that one-in-seven adult SVOD users cowatched an online TV show or movie with friends or family during the pandemic - a trend that began in March 2020.
News categories: The Diffusion Group, Lauren Kozak, COVID-19, Digital TV, Market Research, USA