Few key things happened around the Ad Tech & Media Tech world this week.
Walmart confirms launch of its ONN-branded streaming devices
Walmart has confirmed a politician launch window for its upcoming, onn-branded streaming devices, which showed up seemingly before the schedule on the retailer’s own website. TechCrunch reported that Walmart expects the new devices to launch in stores and online at some point next week, the week of June 7th, 2021. Earlier in the week we reported on the shop listing for the onn. FHD Streaming Stick, a 1080p device that’s set to sell for $24.88. Meanwhile, its 4K counterpart, referred to as the onn. UHD Streaming Device, will retail for $29.88. As its name suggests, the FHD Streaming Stick follows the normal stick-style streaming device design, with a built-in HDMI connection so it can plug directly into a TV. The higher-end UHD Streaming Device, on the opposite hand, resembles recent Roku Ultras with its rounded, low-profile square aesthetic. Both options are powered by Android TV and store listings indicate they’ll both be bundled with an equivalent remote , which incorporates direct access buttons for YouTube, Netflix, Disney+, and HBO Max. And while the devices differ in terms of maximum supported resolution, both options will support Dolby Audio and therefore the 802.11ac WiFi standard.
Even after the pandemic, streaming trend will continue, report says
Before the pandemic, Wing Lam and his wife, Kelly, wont to leave three nights every week . Now, it’s only one night. To entertain themselves, 59-year-old Lam, already a Netflix subscriber, purchased two additional streaming platforms — HBO Max and Disney+ — to observe new films this year. He has no plans to cancel them, whilst theaters have reopened. “As long as we will get movies reception , at the comfort of your house without having someone breathing on you and telling me what to try to to — we’d wait a touch bit longer,” said Lam, a co-founder of Tustin-based Wahoo’s Fish Taco. whilst businesses reopen, many consumers like Lam are sticking to new entertainment habits they developed during the pandemic. Among 1,000 U.S. consumers surveyed in April, 67% said they decide to still spend longer consuming entertainment than they did before the COVID-19 pandemic, consistent with report released Friday by United Talent Agency. Shelter-at-home efforts accelerated the pace of cable cord cutting and therefore the migration of consumers to streaming platforms, with 56% of consumers surveyed saying they added a minimum of one subscription streaming service. After the pandemic, 71% of these surveyed said they decide to use quite one subscription video streaming service, consistent with the UTA report
Premium content providers face ‘instant accountability, which isn’t comfortable all of the time” HBO Max exec says
Premium content providers see direct-to-consumer streaming as an excellent thanks to reach more consumers, but that bigger, broader audience has more choice than ever before. “The distribution has gotten pretty easy,” Andy Forssell, EVP and GM of HBO Max, said Thursday at the Barclays way forward for Media Conference. “What’s hard is retention, because customers now have the large red button they will push at any time.” HBO Max and other streaming services that allow customers to return and go as they please face “instant accountability, which isn’t comfortable all of the time,” he said. But being uncomfortable isn’t necessarily a nasty thing. “A lack of accountability means you can’t be an excellent programming and still have good economics awhile before it catches up to you,” Forssell said. “That’s not specialized for anybody.” Still, it does mean that HBO Max et al. got to analyze data and receive feedback from subscribers in near real-time, and use that information to market shows and series that keep them engaged and returning . The team at HBO Max likes to “obsess” over having a more direct relationship with the viewer and pair data with tools, like email and other sorts of notifications, to stay subs apprised of content that ought to be of interest. “We concentrate to both wholesale and retail customers that are using our app. we all know what they like. we all know what they do not like. we all know how often they are available [to the service],” he said. “Wholesale customers (those who get HBO Max via a pay-TV operator, for instance) are slightly less engaged, but i feel the gap is a smaller amount than most of the people would assume.”.
Parks Associates Research: In US homes OTT subscription surged to 82%
According to Parks Associates’ latest research of 10,000 US broadband households, 82 per cent folks broadband households now have a minimum of one OTT video service subscription, up from 76 per cent in Q1 2020. Parks revealed the info beforehand of its fourth annual way forward for Video: OTT, Pay TV, and Digital Media virtual conference on June 9th. “With OTT adoption so high, providers are exploring new strategies, including expanded IP and AI-powered enhancements, to remain competitive,” said Steve Nason, director of research , Parks Associates. “Service stacking is trending up, with 46 per cent folks broadband households subscribing to four or more OTT services,” said Matt Smith, VP, Business Development, Symphony MediaAI. “Forward-looking OTT providers are wondering when, not if, the tipping point will come – and they’re turning to predictive AI and other technology to organize . we glance forward to discussing the foremost effective strategies to mitigate the subscriber churn challenges that the OTT market will inevitably still face as consumer behaviours evolve.”.
GIZMOTT provides OTT Platform development that incorporates streaming apps for mobiles and smart TVs including iOS, Android, Apple TV, Android TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and Website. It supports all monetization models including AVOD, SVOD, TVOD, PVOD.
Local boards will continue live streaming of meetings: Shelby City Manager
If at any point over the last year you wanted to watch a Shelby City Council, Kings Mountain City Council or Cleveland County Board of Commissioners meeting, chances are you had to do so from home. Local boards moved their meetings online in 2020 as a way to work around the gathering restrictions imposed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. And, using streaming tools through Facebook and YouTube, boards were able to do the public’s business in a way that met legal requirements for open meetings. As pandemic restrictions change and people begin to doff their masks and attend more public meetings, local leaders say live streaming of meetings will continue. “We will continue to stream meetings going forward. This may continue to be Facebook Live or some other format that allows the public to view either live and/or online,” said Rick Howell, Shelby city manager, in an email. Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, the city of Shelby was one of only two organizations that recorded and aired its meetings for public consumption. City Council meetings were recorded by C19TV and aired on local access airwaves following each meeting. The Cleveland County Board of Education has for years live-streamed its meetings, and its meeting archives can be found through the board website.
