Interactive TV Headlines Round-Up 4/6/15 (I): 1 Mainstream, AdGorilla, Adobe, Adult Swim, Alticast, Amazon, AMC, Anvato, AOL, Fox Sports, Apple, Discovery, AT&T, AwesomenessTV, BBC, BET

April 05, 2015

Because the [itvt] editorial team has been busy working on The TV of Tomorrow Show 2015 (June 23rd-24th in San Francisco--purchase your tickets here!), we are covering stories in this issue in headlines/round-up format:

Sky Invests an Additional $5 Million in OTT Start-Up, 1 Mainstream; Company's Platform Offers "Automation Technology to Enable Content Companies to Launch OTT Services across Multiple Platforms--such as Apple TV, Xbox, Android TV and Samsung--in Only a Matter of Weeks and with almost no Upfront Costs"; 1 Mainstream-Powered Services Include Sky News and Sky's NOW TV, CBS's CBSN
AdGorilla Touts Interactive Advertising and Content Solution for US Broadcasters; Technology Integration with Strategy & Technology Leverages ATSC 2.0 Standards to Enable Interactive Targeted Advertising and Content for OTA Broadcasts
Adobe Digital Index: "'TV Everywhere' Ballooned in Size in 2014 Versus the Year Before" (More)
Adult Swim Launches New Version of its "TV Everywhere" App
South Korean Cable Operator, CJ Hellovision, Selects Alticast's AltiProtect Conditional Access Solution to Provide Security for its New UHD Services
Amazon Prime Instant Video in Exclusive Multi-Year Content-Licensing Deal with Bleecker Street
Amazon Unveils New Features for Fire TV and Fire TV Stick: Fire TV Adds Expandable USB Storage, Private Wireless Listening via Bluetooth; Fire TV and Fire TV Stick Add Captive Portal Support; Fire TV Stick Launches in UK and Germany
Amazon Instant Video Improves its Android Support
Amazon Greenlights Second Season of Original Drama Series, "Bosch"
Nielsen: Amazon Prime Instant Video Now Has Twice the Reach of Hulu Plus
AMC Launches "Mad Men Carousel" Facebook App, Allowing Fans to "Incorporate their own Emotionally Meaningful Photos in ["Mad Men's"] Carousel Scene"
"TV Everywhere" Platform Provider, Anvato, Trumpets Role as Launch Partner for New Facebook Video API
Fort Myers Broadcasting Company, Heartland Media, Hubbard Broadcasting Select Anvato's Media Content Platform to Power their Online and Mobile Video Services (January 22nd)
AOL in Programming Deal with Fox Sports
Report: Apple to Launch OTT Service in the Fall; Will Feature around 25 Channels and May Be Priced between $30 and $40; Talks Underway to Include Broadcast Networks, though not NBCUniversal Nets and Cable Channels due to Dispute with Comcast
Report: Apple Asking TV Networks to Shoulder Responsibility and Cost of Streaming Video Infrastructure for its Planned OTT Service
Report: Previous Agreement with Regulators May Force Comcast/NBCUniversal to Enter Negotiations with Apple about Joining its OTT Service
Report: Discovery and Viacom in Talks to Join Apple's Planned OTT Service
Discovery Launches Initiative to Secure 1 Million Subscriptions for its EuroSport App; CEO Zaslav: EuroSport "Will Drive us to the Direct-to-Consumer Business"
Report: Apple Offering to Share Viewer Data with Potential Programming Partners to Entice them to Join its OTT Service
Report: New Siri-Enabled Apple TV Device with App Store to Be Unveiled at Company's Worldwide Developers' Conference
Apple TV Adds TED, Tastemade and Young Hollywood Channels
Apple Watch to Include Apple TV Remote
Report: Patent Application Reveals AT&T Is Exploring How to Use Facial-Recognition Technology and Microphones to Develop Targeted "Media Streams"
Larry Shapiro, Head of YouTube MCN AwesomenessTV's Big Frame Talent Arm, Leaves the Company after just 6 Months
Slovenian Interactive TV Technology Provider, Beenius, Launches New Version of its Flagship "Beenius TV" Platform; Updates Include Tcommerce and Enhanced Advertising Support
Bernstein Analyst, Todd Juenger, Says Focus Group-Based Research Casts Doubt on Prospects for Virtual MVPD Services
BET Adds Live Video to its "BET Now" TV Everywhere App
BBC Offering $12 "Box Set" of "Doctor Who" via BitTorrent's BitTorrent Bundle Platform
"Top Gear" Helps BBC iPlayer Set Usage Record in February