Digital TV News: Massive

LG Electronics acquires controlling stake in Alphonso
Jan 7, 2021 – LG and Alphonso have announced a significant investment by LG in Alphonso. With this investment of nearly $80 million, LG will become Alphonso's largest investor with a controlling stake of more than 50%.
News categories: LG Electronics, Alphonso, Park Hyoung-sei, Ashish Chordia, Advertising, Big Data, Digital TV, MandA, Smart TV, Worldwide

discovery+ launches in the U.S.
Jan 4, 2021 – discovery+ (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) is now live in the U.S., with distribution agreements that will make the product one of the most widely available streaming services at launch.
News categories: Discovery, Inc., David Zaslav, Apps, Digital TV, Europe, Gaming, OTT, Set Top Box, Smart TV, Smartphone, Tablet, USA

InterDigital announces completion of VVC and V-PCC MPEG standards
Dec 17, 2020 – InterDigital (NASDAQ: IDCC) has announced the finalization of the VVC and V-PCC video standards. VVC improves HEVC performance by 50%, while V-PCC is the first MPEG compression standard for dynamic point cloud content for immersive video experiences.
News categories: InterDigital, Lionel Oisel, Content Distribution, Digital TV, Media Player, VR, Worldwide

Amazon Prime Video to launch on Sky; NOW TV on Fire TV
Dec 14, 2020 – Sky and Amazon have announced a partnership that sees Prime Video launch on Sky and NOW TV devices across Europe, while the NOW TV and Sky Ticket apps will also come to Fire TV devices.
News categories: Sky, Amazon, Stephen van Rooyen, Jay Marine, Apps, Digital TV, Germany, Ireland, Italy, OTT, Satellite, Set Top Box, Smart TV, UK

47% of US broadband households subscribe to Amazon Prime Video
Dec 9, 2020 – OTT video service research from Parks Associates finds 47% of US broadband households subscribe to Amazon Prime Video, second only to Netflix among subscription-based OTT video services in the US.
News categories: Parks Associates, Steve Nason, COVID-19, Digital TV, Market Research, OTT, USA

Disney+ Hotstar collaborates with MediaMath on audience-based marketing
Dec 4, 2020 – Disney+ Hotstar has collaborated with MediaMath to enable advertisers and agencies to measure reach and frequency on OTT programmatic inventory in a trusted, and brand-safe environment.
News categories: MediaMath, Hotstar, Pranjal Desai, Nitin Bawankule, Umesh Krishna, Amardeep Singh, Advertising, Digital TV, India, OTT

SpotX releases 2021 video advertising trends report
Dec 3, 2020 – SpotX has announced the release of its '2021 Global Video Advertising Trends' report. The findings aim to help ad tech leaders, marketers, and agencies prioritize their 2021 plans by sharing predictions and trends for the upcoming year.
News categories: SpotX, Mike Shehan, Kelly McMahon, Advertising, Digital TV, Market Research, Worldwide

Discovery announces global launch of discovery+
Dec 2, 2020 – Discovery (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) has announced the launch of discovery+, its non-fiction streaming service, debuting in the U.S. on January 4, 2021. The service will launch with a partnership with Verizon. Global rollout has already begun.
News categories: Discovery, Inc, Verizon, David Zaslav, JB Perrette, Ronan Dunne, Digital TV, India, Ireland, OTT, UK, USA, Worldwide

InterDigital and Futuresource release video sustainability report
Dec 2, 2020 – According to a study released by InterDigital (NASDAQ: IDCC) and Futuresource, sustainability will require consumers and businesses to embrace sustainable practices to offset the growing carbon footprint of the video industry.
News categories: InterDigital, Futuresource, Henry Tirri, Digital TV, Market Research, Set Top Box, Smart TV, Worldwide