Fox Planning New Animated Shows for On Air and Online

According to The Wall Street Journal, Fox Broadcasting is planning a new block of animated TV shows to air on Saturday nights and to be made available on the Internet through mobile device apps and game consoles, as traditional TV companies look to build web businesses.

The new block will comprise four full-length shows per season starting in January 2013, but also dozens of short-form shows.

Read full article.

Time Warner Cable to Offer HBO Go

HBO and Time Warner Cable said late Friday that they will begin a "brief trial" of HBO's online service HBO Go, before rolling it out widely in the next month. While HBO launched the service in early 2010, it had not been available to Time Warner Cable subscribers.

[via The WSJ]

Fox restricts free online access to its shows

Beginning Aug. 15, Fox is restricting free online access to "Glee," "The Simpsons" and other popular shows, becoming the first broadcast network to impose limits on watching new television episodes on websites such as Hulu.

Previously such popular prime-time shows from Fox and other networks have been available online the day after they aired for free, with commercials.

[via The Los Angeles Times]

Amazon To Offer Streaming of Some CBS TV Shows

Bolstering its video streaming service, Amazon announced Wednesday a deal to add 2,000 episodes of CBS programming to its library. [via Mashable]

Under the agreement, Amazon Prime customers will be able to watch full seasons of 18 CBS shows, including The Tudors, Numb3rs, Medium, Frasier, Cheers and the complete Star Trek franchise.

Dozens of CBS shows will also be available for Amazon Instant Video customers. With the new addition, Amazon Prime will now offer 8,000 movies and TV shows.

Read more.

Time Warner Chief Wants All Tv Online

Time Warner chief Jeffrey Bewkes has called for producers of television shows and the cable and broadcast networks that distribute them to make all of their content available online -- free. ContactMusic reports.

As reported by Multichannel News , Bewkes told the Cable Show 2011 in Chicago, "Put the TV on the Internet. ... Don't change the business model, don't charge people to use it, and present it in a way that people are accustomed to."

BUT appearing on the same panel with Bewkes, Viacom chief Philippe Dauman said that before such a plan could be implemented, "we need to have measurement systems in place so we can sell ads."

For a second there it sounded promising... Read full article.

HBO Lets iPad Users Watch Game of Thrones A Week Early

This weekend, subscribers to HBO will be able to watch the seventh episode of Game of Thrones a whole week early.

The seventh episode of the series, entitled “You Win or You Die,” will go live on the network’s HBO Go online platform. In addition to the HBO Go website, subscribers can also tune in through the service’s recently released mobile apps.

The HBO Go apps were teased in a YouTube ad released last week, promising a May 2 launch date. But they appeared a few days early.

[via GigaOM]

A Russian Titan Embraces the Web

Amid the ever-shifting landscape of film-viewing technology, streaming has suddenly become a rushing river. And now Mosfilm, the 87-year-old titan of Soviet and Russian film production—famed for works by masters such as Sergei Eisenstein and Andrei Tarkovsky, as well as genre films from adventure tales to musicals—has taken a leap into that river. On April 26 Mosfilm announced a partnership with YouTube allowing viewers to watch a substantial number of landmark movies from the studio's collection in their entirety.

Read full article in The Wall Street Journal.

Google’s YouTube Adding 3,000 Rentals, Challenging Netflix

Google Inc. YouTube website will add “The King’s Speech,” “Inception” and about 3,000 other titles to its movie-rental service, accelerating its shift into Hollywood entertainment and stepping up competition with Netflix Inc. Bloomberg reports.

YouTube is adding films from Sony Corp., Time Warner Inc.’s Warner Bros., Comcast Corp.’s Universal Pictures and Lionsgate, according to a statement today. The additions will push YouTube’s total movie rentals available to more than 6,000. Most of the newer titles will cost $3.99 and up to rent.

Read full article.

TV Everywhere? Cable on the Net Isn't There Yet

TIME's Technologizer looks into TV on TV versus TV on the Internet, while the TV industry still grapples with the concept and deals with technological hurdles and business models.

Netflix to start streaming 'Mad Men'

According to USA Today, Netflix will start streaming the hit TV series Mad Men in a multi-year deal the online movie rental company struck with Lions Gate, the show's producer.

Netflix and Lions Gate Entertainment said late Tuesday the show's first four seasons will be available beginning July 27, with additional seasons added each year after they air on AMC.

Netflix is already streaming the first four seasons of Mad Men in Canada.

Read more.

IPTV primer: an overview of the fusion of TV and the Internet

Arstechna looks at the networking problems and solutions involved in getting TV to viewers via the Internet.

Warner Tests Renting Film on Facebook for Web Cash

Warner Brothers became the first major media company to offer a movie for rent on Facebook, a move that could position the social network to become a force in the digital distribution of movies, rivaling services like Netflix and iTunes. The New York Times reports.

Warner said on Tuesday that it would allow Facebook users in the United States to rent the film “The Dark Knight” directly on the social networking site, and pay for it using Credits, Facebook’s virtual currency. If other studios make similar moves, Facebook could tap a significant revenue stream, bolstering its Credits currency as it seeks to create a rival to PayPal and other payment systems.

Read more.

Oscars Launches Live Streaming to Attract Younger Viewers

The Hollywood mystique has been built on glamor and exclusivity. But this year's Oscars -- with an assist from Pixar chief John Lasseter -- will be all about accessibility. AdAge reports.

The goal is to make the Academy Awards more inviting for younger audiences. The ABC broadcast is the second most-watched TV event after the Super Bowl and drew an impressive 41.2 million viewers last year -- a five-year high.

But although the event remains pricey, at $1.7 million a spot, the broadcast's median age in 2009 was 49.5. Last year's ratings among 18- to 34-year-olds actually decreased 3% despite the increase in total viewers.

Read full article.

BBC Plans Subscription-Only U.S. iPlayer On iPad

According to mocoNews.net, this is huge. BBC will launch the long-awaited global version of its iPlayer TV catch-up service on a subscription-only basis, and initially only on iPad.

The service, carrying BBC shows like Doctor Who on-demand, will likely be very popular in the U.S., generating new income for the BBC back in Britain.

The significance of the move is clear - it means the BBC will operate a subscription worldwide media channel that, in time, could become one of its biggest.

Read full post.

International BBC iPlayer to launch next year

The head of BBC Worldwide has told The Telegraph that the BBC Trust has okayed an international version of the popular iPlayer. [via TechRadar]

Currently the iPlayer is restricted to UK users, but the potential for the video on demand catch up service being offered worldwide is clear.

"Not only will that mean international fans of, for example, can get their fix legitimately, but it has the potential of opening up a new revenue stream for the entire UK production industry, alongside sales to traditional broadcasters," said Smith to the Telegraph.

Read full article.

CBS’s Showtime Goes Online for Pay-TV Subscribers

Showtime Networks said it has started Showtime Anytime, a broadband video and streaming service that will be free to subscribers. Business Week reports.

The service gives viewers the flexibility to watch more than 400 hours of programming wherever they are, the New York- based cable network said today in a statement.

Read full article.

Broadcasters move toward ending free TV shows online

According to News10 WHEC, the days of being able to watch TV shows on the internet for free are fading fast.

Broadcasters have taken a big step toward getting online viewers to pay for shows by blocking access to online programming. And all four networks are in on this one - Fox, ABC, NBC and CBS have cut off free views as part of fee disputes with cable companies. It's a sign the networks are no longer willing to give away shows for free, even if the shows are ad-supported.

It's also suggests the networks feel they can make more money from cable TV providers if they hold back some programming online.

"The Big C" a huge hit on TV and online

"The Big C" had a huge night Monday night, bringing in its biggest premiere night in eight years at the network, reports NBC Network.

Linney's much-awaited premiere lived up to the hype, bringing in 1.583 million viewers, according to the network. That alone was impressive. But if you combine that with Showtime's effective marketing plan which allowed fans to watch the first show online for two weeks prior to the official kick-off -- and you have a hit.

To date more that 1.6 million have taken advantage of the online offer. That brings the cumulative views for the show to over 3 million.

Read full article.

Showtime let you watch The Big C online before premier date Tuesday

Though Showtime is premiering their new series The Big C Monday August 16 at 10:30 pm on television, there is no need to wait, you can watch it in full on Showtime's website.

Showtime to Launch TV Everywhere Site

Showtime is working on its own TV Everywhere play with a website that will offer subscribers online access to its programming, according to a report from Bloomberg via The New York Times.

Cancelled TV series "The Beautiful Life" thriving on YouTube

Ashton Kutcher's TV drama "The Beautiful Life" cancelled by CW after only two episodes for poor ratings, is doing well on YouTube.

According to CNN, the five episodes combined have been viewed about 2.7 million times in the three weeks they have been available online in their entirety.

... "Now that the airing of the episodes on YouTube has been as successful as it has been, there are conversations about continuing with the show in some form or fashion. We haven't had any discussions with the CW about bringing the show back, but anything is possible," Kutcher's partner Karey Burke said.

While YouTube hosts a vast amount of old television shows and original Web series, this is the first time a cancelled television series from the United States has moved onto the platform and is as much an experiment for YouTube as it is for Kutcher.

Movie studios starting to push online releases before DVDs

Sony Pictures and Showtime are starting to move up the digital delivery of select content so that you can get it online before you can walk into a store and purchase the DVD. DownloadSquad reports.

For instance the film Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs comes out on DVD next week, but it's also ready available for digitla rental if you have a Sony TV or other device. Lionsgate is making the latest season of its Showtime TV series Weeds available online a week before it's available on DVD.

Of course, web sites like Hulu have been offering free, ad-supported episodes of broadcast TV shows within 24 hours of the air-date for a while now. And some cable shows are available for download from services such as iTunes shortly after broadcast. But premium content like Hollywood movies has usually been available either at the same time as the DVD release or later.

Read full article.

CCTV debuts online TV, video portal

One month after the government's war on illegal video-sharing sites, CNTV.cn, China's first-ever State-level online TV station, officially launched Monday, spearheading the government's latest attempt to overhaul the online video market that has been marred by copyright issues.China Global Times reports.

... Internet users can watch programs broadcast by all channels by downloading a video client Cbox. All programs are free of charge and support high-definition mode.

Read full article.

Related: - China shuts illegal video sharing sites

Ashton Kutcher's Beautiful Life lives again on YouTube

Fortune Brainstorm Tech reports that Ashton Kutcher's TV series on CW with Misha Barton, and Elle MacPherson, The Beautiful Life , which was canceled after only two episodes, will come back to life on the Web at youtube.com/user/TBL and good news - the videos are not geographically blocked, at least not the first two episodes-, they are viewable by international users (thank you AK for that!).

I really enjoyed the first two episodes and was shocked and disappointed that it was canceled. It's a good thing this was Ashton Kutcher's project because he knows a thing or two about producing on the Internet.

A show on the life of models in Manhattan has such an appeal and the acting was great. It made no sense that it was canceled in the first place.

According to Fortune Brainstorm Tech, "the Web venture will be funded by Hewlett-Packard and get distribution help from YouTube. Kutcher’s Katalyst Media plans to post a total of five episodes online and keep them there for six months. Two episodes are up already, three coming next week.

If the show draws enough engaged viewers, it could live on – either as an online-only show or back on TV." That would be such a great victory for Kutcher and his cast. Take that CW!

UK's Channel 4 on YouTube with full length TV shows

Channel 4 has become the first broadcaster worldwide to make full-length TV shows such as Skins, Hollyoaks and Peep Show available via a YouTube Channel, in a deal that highlights the shift in viewing habits from the television to the computer screen.

[via The Guardian]

HBO to offer True Blood, Entourage online

HBO, which has kept tight control over what content it offers online, announced today that it will stream True Blood, Hung, Entourage and other series online for free to subscribers as part of Comcast’s On Demand Online trial set to begin this summer.

HBO and Cinemax will offer 750 hours of TV and movie content to subscribers online through Comcast.net and Fancast.com at no additional cost, with additional content added over time.

[via Video Business]

PBS launches offers shows in streaming

PBS (The Public Broadcasting Service) turns 40 this year, and on Tuesday it gave itself a gift that just might make it feel young again, writes the LA Times.

PBS' new video portal (pbs.org/video) allows online viewers to stream an array of its best-known shows over the Web. The new site gathers more than 130 episodes of nearly 20 programs, including marquee fare such as "Frontline," "Nova" and "Masterpiece Theater." PBS says thousands of hours of programming should be available to users by the summer.

From Switzerland, videos don't show. Blank. Not even the usual message "this video is not available from your country".

BBC iPlayer now available on Mac

The BBC has created a version of the iPlayer that works with both Mac and Linux computers, reports BBC News.

The two systems, which have been able to stream BBC programmes via the iPlayer for a year, will now be able to handle downloads.

The iPlayer is the BBC's online media player that lets viewers stream programmes for up to seven days after broadcast or download and watch them for up to 30 days.

All smiles as web shows come of age

With cameos by the likes of Jeff Goldblum and the directing bite of David Lynch, Hollywood know-how is helping the best web series win audiences to rival mainstream TV shows. The Guardian reports.

Two and a half years since LonelyGirl15 first appeared, web series are the hottest new format in Hollywood. No longer amateurish or user-generated in feel, the latest crop of webisodes are slick productions. Many boast celebrity involvement.

... Already the most successful web series can attract audiences of more than a million. Plus, it's never been easier for a show to reach its audience - posted on video sharing sites such as YouTube and social-networking sites such as MySpace and Bebo (a particular boon for independent producers who don't have access to traditional means of distribution).

NBC.com Releases Extended Office Episode

In case you didn’t get enough of Thursday night’s episode of The Office rather than NBC airing a supersized version during the usual broadcast, the network is releasing the “producer’s cut” on their website, complete with extra scenes that didn’t make it into the official episode.

[via Blend Television]

BBC One and BBC Two will be streamed on the web

UK television fans who love programmes such as Merlin, Strictly Come Dancing and Top Gear will be able to watch them live on the internet from next week, according to Mail Online.

BBC One and BBC Two will be streamed on the web and will be accessible on www.bbc.co.uk and on internet-enabled devices such as mobile phones.

Internet Video in Korea Eclipses the DVD

Warner Brothers will now start renting moves over the Internet two weeks before they are released on DVDs, making South Korea the first market in the world where movies will appear online before they hit the store shelves.

[via Bits]

BSkyB launching online TV service

BSkyB is putting some of its most popular channels on the Internet with the launch of a subscription-based online television service, but has yet to secure agreement with Hollywood studios to offer their product online, COO Mike Darcey said Monday.

[via The Hollywood Reporter]

Californication to stream two weeks before premier

It's getting hard to keep up with all the TV shows that will shows that will premier online before their air dates. Here's another one, Californication.

According to Underwire, "both Dexter and Californication are slated to premiere Sept. 28 on Showtime, but viewers can use the appropriately chosen password "Lady Killer" to watch either premiere until then."

Related: - Showtime offers "Dexter's" premier online - before TV air date

NBC offers Lipstick Jungle online before premier on TV

According to TVSquad, fans of Lipstick Jungle will be able to watch the first season of episode two on NBC' website, before it premiers on TV September 24.

BuzzSugar points out that Lipstick and Knight Rider are just two of the shows NBC is premiering this way: Chuck, Life and 30 Rock will also be up on NBC 's website a week before their premiere dates.

Related:

-- NBC puts it all out there early online - "We want to make (programs) available in as many ways as we can so we can get fans," says marketing NBC chief John Miller. "If you don't embrace people's behavior, you can be lost by it."

-- Showtime offers "Dexter's" premier online - before TV air date

-- Imdb.com to offer free viewing of "Lipstick Jungle" and "30 Rock" before their first air date."

-- Hulu Launches Fall Lineup, Premieres Before TV Broadcast

CBS to offer HD TV shows online

CBS Interactive is launching the CBS HD Gallery on CBS.com, allowing users to watch full episodes of CBS shows online in high definition.

The mini-site will include full episodes and clips of CBS programs such as Big Brother, CSI, Survivor, How I Met Your Mother, The Amazing Race and The Big Bang Theory.

[via C21media.net]

Gossip Girl to Stream Online Again

When Gossip Girl returns to the air on Sept. 1st, new episodes will also be available on the CW’s web site for ad-supported streaming.

CW took Gossip Girl off its site in an effort to boost television viewership, but it failed to have the desired effect.

[via NewTeeVee]

NBC offers fans webisodes of popular shows

During the summer, NBC is sending fans to its Web site to get their fix of their favorite TV shows.

Starting July 10, new Webisodes from The Office will be available in online-only weekly episodes.

Sci-fi show Heroes is also getting in on the webisode game, with a trilogy of online-only episodes launching on July 14.

[via PRWeek]

Disney Gives Away '"Nemo", Online For Free

Disney will be offering films online for a week after they air on ABC as part of its Wonderful World of Disney franchise.

Included are "Finding Nemo," "Monsters Inc.," "Haunted Mansion," "Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen," "Princess Diaries 2," "Freaky Friday," and "Peter Pan."

[via Sillicon Alley Insider]

BT Vision charges for BBC content

The BBC reports that BT has started to charge users of its television service who want to watch on-demand BBC content.

"BT Vision users could previously view programs like EastEnders for nothing, but must now sign up to the £3-a-month ($4.70) TV Replay subscription to see them.

BT said that, while the same content was available on PCs, it could be seen in "top quality" through its service.

The BBC said it was happy the shows were being provided through BT's "lowest possible subscription tier". The on-demand programs available through BT Vision can also be found online through the BBC's iPlayer. "

BBC to broadcast live on the Internet

The BBC yesterday announced its flagship BBC1 channel will be be broadcast live on the internet 'within months', reports Daily Mail.

"It means that, for the first time in the channel's 44-year history, people will not require a television set to watch it. ... Viewers will simply need a computer and internet broadband connections to see every single one of their favourite shows as they are broadcast.

The long awaited move, emulates a similar decision by ITV last summer."

Cable Networks Put More Content Online

As advertisers continue to demand the greater accountability and demographic targeting that the Internet offers, cable networks have adapted differing strategies in dispatching content online—posting “extras” or full-length episodes from their old and current TV series, creating new shows or launching entirely new Websites.

[via Broadcating & Cable]

The Social Benefits Of Converting TV Viewing Time To Web-Surfing

If you’ve ever lamented the time you’ve spent watching television sitcoms as wasted, Clay Shirky has an idea that may cheer you up about the future. As people spend more time online, Mr. Shirky suggests, they’re converting useless sitcom-watching hours into more productive endeavors. Buzzwatch reports.

In other words, spending one’s free time editing a Wikipedia entry does more for society than watching that “Seinfeld” episode with the “puffy shirt” for the eighth time.

Mr. Shirky, a technology pundit and New York University adjunct professor, recently published “Here Comes Everybody,” a book on how the Web and social-software tools that help people organize and collaborate are changing society.

... Of course, as Buzzwatch has learned—and as some readers have no doubt experienced—it’s amazing what you can get done on a laptop while watching a sitcom at the same time. Hear, hear!

BBC BRINGS PROGRAMS TO ITUNES STORE IN U.S.

BBC today announced that for the first time BBC AMERICA programming will be available for purchase and download from the iTunes store in the U.S. [via The Futon Critic]

"Making BBC programming available on the iTunes Store is key to the strategy of BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC, in securing the broadest possible distribution for its huge range of television content. This new offering allows BBC AMERICA's viewers to further engage with the channel's hit shows and delivers highly addictive programming to a new audience."

Golden Years of Television Find New Life on the Web

Within the last few months, television distributors have opened up their libraries of classic content online, making thousands of episodes of programs like “The Twilight Zone” and “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” available free. The New York Times reports.

"On Monday, Warner Brothers is expected to add a new twist, announcing the rebirth of the WB broadcast network as an Internet destination and offering programs like “Everwood” online.

In putting old episodes online, broadcasters are tapping into the “long tail” of niche content that the Internet has monetized. While executives are reticent about the costs involved, and while syndicated and DVD sales remain dominant sources of revenue, the repurposing of long-dead shows is creating another new revenue stream for distributors."