You might pay extra to interact with your favorite streaming stars on Twitch, but would you click over to Amazon to buy products that those stars recommend? Amazon hopes that you will, and announced this week that broadcasters on Twitch will be able to earn up to 10% commission on items that they recommend to viewers. [More]
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3 Things We Learned About How Netflix Recommends Shows
By 8.22.17
You just finished watching (or re-watching) Breaking Bad on Netflix, what do you watch next? Perhaps, Switched At Birth? Wait, what? While you might not see the connection between a show about a high school chemistry teacher dabbling in the drug trade and a family drama about two teens switched at birth, the streaming service’s recommendation algorithm does — at least in the case of my viewing habits. [More]
Verizon’s Streaming Service May Be Delayed For Lack Of Content
By 8.11.17
Verizon recently hinted that it would dive into the streaming video fray with a new service that could launch as soon as this summer. But Big V’s entry into this business may be delayed, as the company has reportedly had trouble landing content deals. [More]
Everyone Is Sharing Passwords And Streaming Services Know It
By 7.12.17
They say sharing is caring, and that’s apparently continues to be true when it comes to login information for streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, HBO Now, and other services. In fact, a new report suggests that more than one-fifth of young adults borrow passwords to watch their favorite shows on the services. [More]
Amazon Prime Will Soon Be More Basic Than Basic Cable
By 7.10.17
In the old days, if you wanted to watch shows and movies that were on cable channels, of course, you had to pay for basic cable, that was the norm. But with the entry of Amazon Prime, there could be a new marker for what the regular American household considers a basic service. [More]
Here’s A Bunch Of Patriotic-Ish Movies You Can Stream This Fourth Of July
By 6.30.17
For many people, this Fourth of July long weekend is sure to be a busy one — Parades! Picnics! Parties! But when the fireworks have all stopped and you’ve been rendered immobile after consuming too many grilled things — or if you just need a few hours to not talk to your family and friends about the definition of “patriotism” — you can still get into the spirit of the weekend with some movies. [More]
NBC Offers $50 Premier League Streaming Service; No Cable Plan Needed
By 6.28.17 — Updated: 6.29.17
Soccer fans in the U.S. are used to the complications of watching Premier League games, which often require getting up at an ungodly hour to watch British teams like Manchester United or Chelsea FC at a bar with a fancy cable sports package. They’ll have another option this summer, however. [More]
Netflix’s New Interactive TV Shows Allow You To Choose What Happens Next
By 6.20.17
If you were around in the late ‘70s and into the ‘80s, you’ll undoubtedly remember the Choose Your Own Adventure series of children’s books, which allowed readers to make choices about what would happen next, ultimately deciding the characters’ fate. Netflix is perhaps hoping to piggyback on that nostalgia withs its new interactive TV shows. [More]
Hulu Launches $40/Month Live TV Service
By 5.3.17 — Updated: 5.9.17
After months of rumors and the slow trickle of details, the day has finally come: Hulu launched its live-TV streaming service, aptly named “Hulu with Live TV.” [More]
More Details Revealed About Comcast’s Planned Streaming Service
By 4.10.17
Bit by bit we’re beginning to build an idea of what Comcast’s “it-will-launch-someday” streaming service will look like when that day comes. And no surprise here, the over-the-top option — rumored to be called Xfinity Instant TV — will come with programs from Comcast-owned NBCUniversal. [More]
Showtime Now Lets Users Download Movies, Shows To Watch Offline
By 4.6.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
In the middle of watching Homeland season 2, but won’t have a WiFi connection on your next trip? No worries, you don’t have to pause your binge: Showtime now allows subscribers to download shows for offline viewing. [More]
Spotify Premium Users Will Get Some Albums Two Weeks Before Everyone Else
By 4.4.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
Everyone has that friend who’s always asking, “Have you heard the new [insert requisite cool band here] yet?” In a move that will please the music snobs among us, Spotify will offer Premium users early access to some albums. [More]
Apple May Offer Premium HBO/Showtime/Starz TV Bundle
By 4.3.17
One reason some TV fans are tempted to cut the cord? Having to pay for a whole slew of basic channels when all you really want to watch is a few. Those are the people Apple is after with a reported plan to sell HBO, Showtime, and Starz as a bundle. [More]
Cable Companies May Be Headed For “Street Fight” Over Streaming Services
By 3.30.17
Cable TV operators like Comcast and Charter have rarely, if ever, had to compete directly with each other. But that truce — kept in place thanks to local franchise agreements that limit competition — may soon end if the pay-TV companies decide to start offering service outside of their footprint. [More]
T-Mobile Offering Customers A Free Year Of MLB.TV Premium
By 3.28.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
T-Mobile customers who can’t travel to every city their favorite baseball team plays — and don’t want to pay for extra channels or on-demand streaming — will have another option to catch the action with a free subscription to MLB.TV Premium for a year. [More]
Almost Half Of Netflix Customers Are Streaming Cheaters
By 2.13.17
Tonight, when you’re settling on the couch with your loved one and a giant pile of snacks, take a closer look at your partner: Do they look like they’ve been doing something so despicable, so hateful and mean, that you might not ever forgive them? Or… do you have a bad behavior you’d like to admit? If you’re like almost half the world, someone is Netflix cheating in your relationship. [More]
American Airlines Ditching Seatback TVs In Some New Planes. Will They Be Missed?
By 1.25.17
Not that long ago, “in-flight entertainment” consisted of having to crane your neck to watch a bland, inoffensive movie on shared screens — and that’s assuming your headphones worked. Then individual seat-back screens expanded viewing options; more movies, shows, and games to choose from. But with nearly everyone now carrying some sort of personal entertainment device, are these small screens necessary? American Airlines doesn’t think so. [More]
Netflix Will Finally Let Users Download Some Content For Offline Viewing
By 11.30.16
It’s been whispered and buzzed about for a long time now, but it’s happening at last: Netflix says it will allow users to download select TV shows and movies to their mobile devices so they can watch them even when they’re not online. [More]
