Digital TV News: Hulu

Comcast launches Disney+ and ESPN+ on Xfinity
Mar 29, 2021 – Comcast and The Walt Disney Company have announced the start of the rollout of Disney+ and ESPN+ on Xfinity. Disney+ and ESPN+ join a growing collection of streaming services available over the Internet on X1 and Flex.
News categories: Comcast, The Walt Disney Company, Rebecca Heap, Michael Paull, Apps, Digital TV, OTT, Set Top Box, USA

Disruptel gets seed funding for content-driven voice assistant
Mar 12, 2021 – Disruptel has completed a $1.15 million seed funding round. The company's Context product, allows users to ask questions about the content on their Connected TVs through their remote control and receive immediate answers.
News categories: Disruptel, Alex Quinn, Digital TV, UX, Venture Capital, Worldwide

U.S. pay TV providers lost over 5 million subscribers in 2020
Mar 4, 2021 – Leichtman Research Group (LRG) has found that the largest pay-TV providers in the U.S. lost about 5,120,000 net video subscribers in 2020, compared to a pro forma net loss of about 4,795,000 in 2019.
News categories: Leichtman Research, Bruce Leichtman, Cable TV, Digital TV, IPTV, OTT, Satellite, Subscribers, USA

Disney+ ends 2020 with 94.9 million subscribers
Feb 11, 2021 – The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) has reported earnings for the quarter ended January 2, 2021. Disney+ had 94.9 million subscribers on January 2, 2021, up from 26.5 million at the end of 2019.
News categories: Walt Disney Company, Digital TV, OTT, Results, Subscribers, USA, Worldwide

U.S. vMVPDs likely to gain subscribers from traditional pay TV
Jan 28, 2021 – Research from Parks Associates reveals 43% of US broadband households with traditional pay TV are likely to switch to a virtual multichannel video programming distributor (vMVPD) in the next 12 months.
News categories: Parks Associates, Paul Erickson, Digital TV, Market Research, OTT, USA

Competition driving OTT TV & video subscription growth
Jan 21, 2021 – According to Juniper Research, competition in the OTT streaming market is motivating providers to seek alternative revenue channels with the market seeing greater experimentation with hybrid monetisation models.
News categories: Juniper Research, Digital TV, Market Research, OTT, Worldwide

Asia Pacific online video to reach $55 billion by 2025
Jan 11, 2021 – Media Partners Asia (MPA) has reported that the Asia Pacific online video industry grew revenue by 14% Y/Y in 2020 to reach US$30.5 billion. SVOD overtook AVOD to contribute 53% of total revenues; AVOD contributed 47%.
News categories: Media Partners Asia, Vivek Couto, Asia, Digital TV, Market Research, OTT

Disney surpasses 137 million subscriptions for its D2C services
Dec 11, 2020 – The Walt Disney Company has revealed the next steps in its global streaming expansion with details on the future of Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+, a first look at its upcoming global brand, Star, and previews of new content.
News categories: Disney, Bob Chapek, Bob Iger, Christine McCarthy, Digital TV, OTT, Subscribers, USA, Worldwide

Comcast to launch Disney+ and ESPN+ on Xfinity
Dec 10, 2020 – Comcast and The Walt Disney Company have announced that they have reached an agreement that includes the rights for Comcast to distribute the Disney+ and ESPN+ services on its Xfinity X1 and Flex platforms.
News categories: Comcast, Disney, Rebecca Heap, Michael Paull, Apps, Cable TV, Digital TV, Set Top Box, USA