Over the past year, Netflix has attempted to expand its appeal in part by making a title or two free to non-paying users in select markets. Now the American giant is extending this test to users across the globe — with a larger free catalog. The on-demand video streaming service is currently offering select Netflix…
Kevin Mayer, head of The Walt Disney Company’s direct-to-consumer and international business, is departing to become CEO of TikTok, as well as COO of the popular video app’s parent company ByteDance. Founder Yiming Zhang will continue to serve as ByteDance CEO, while TikTok President Alex Zhu (formerly the co-founder of the predecessor app Musical.ly) becomes…
M17, the Taiwan-based live streaming entertainment startup, announced that it has raised a $26.5 million Series D. The round was led by Vertex Growth Fund, with participation from Stonebridge Korea Unicorn Venture Fund, Innoven Capital Singapore, Kaga Electronics and ASE Global Group. The new funding will be used for growth in Japan, one of M17’s…
Hooq, a five-year-old on-demand video streaming service that aimed to become “Netflix for Southeast Asia,” has shut down weeks after filing for liquidation and terminated its partnerships with Disney’s Hotstar, ride-hailing giant Grab, and Indonesia’s VideoMax. Hooq Digital, a joint venture among Singapore telecom group Singtel (majority owner), Sony Pictures, and Warner Bros Entertainment, discontinued…
Widespread theatrical closures have forced the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to loosen the rules around which films qualify for Oscars. This might not seem like much of a breakthrough in a year when Netflix got the most Oscar nominations of any studio, and when the streamer’s original films ultimately walked away with…
Kumu Holdings, a live streaming startup based in the Philippines, announced today it has raised about $5 million in Series A funding, earmarked for new features and growing its operations. The round was led by Openspace Ventures, an early investor in Go-Jek, with participation from Kickstart Ventures, media conglomerate ABS-CBN, Gobi-Core Philippine Fund, and returning…
Disney+ has arrived in India — weeks ahead of its scheduled launch date. The American giant revamped Hotstar app and populated the on-demand video streaming service with Disney+ original catalog on Wednesday morning (local time). Unlike in most other markets such as the U.S., Canada, and Australia; in India, Disney is launching Disney+ through an existing…
Last year, Microsoft launched a preview of Project xCloud, its ambitious game streaming service that aims to deliver games to any screen — console, PC or mobile. However, the service until now has only been available to mobile users on Android. Today, that changes as Microsoft is bringing the Project xCloud preview to iOS devices…
NBCUniversal officially unveiled its new streaming service, Peacock, today, announcing that the service will be available at no additional cost for Comcast’s Xfinity X1 and Flex customers on April 15, before launching nationally on July 15. The company had announced its plans to enter the streaming market a year ago, describing it as an ad-supported, subscription…
Netflix vs. Disney vs. everyone else After years of speculation and hype, major players in Hollywood and Silicon Valley are getting ready to challenge Netflix. It’s only been a few months since Apple launched TV+, followed quickly by Disney launching Disney+. And there’s more to come this year, with AT&T-owned WarnerMedia preparing to release HBO…
