If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. Major US broadcasters are lining up their digital offerings for consumers, whether they like it or not.

"Television networks increasingly need to make content available to fans no matter where those fans are and what devices they are using," said Greg Ireland, IDC research manager.

Disney-owned ABC is the first major broadcaster to live-stream programming to iPhones and iPads starting this summer for residents of New York City and Philadelphia via WATCH ABC, including local news, daytime talk shows and prime-time dramas. Plans include expansion to Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago and eventually, buy-in from all ABC affiliates.

"Many people are starting to wonder if cable is worth keeping, and they're thinking of cutting the cord and going online only since they can get content from Netflix, Amazon and other places,” notes NPR. “Live streaming is a way the broadcast industry is trying to cement the system they've had in place for a long time, even as more people are watching TV and video online. So, they're going where the viewers are going, but they're scared that people are going to cancel their cable subscriptions."Continue reading...

Roku has sold 5 million of its video and music streaming set-top boxes since launching in 2008, totaling 8 billion pieces of content streamed. That's an impressive performance for a little black box. 

As more and more reports swirl around the fact that consumers are turning away from traditional TV and cable, Roku claims that 25 percent of its customers use the device as their primary way of viewing television. 

"The milestone is significant, since it indicates that there’s a very real and growing market out there for a device that essentially just acts as a service layer for bringing web-based content to televisions, independent of what TV manufacturers themselves are doing with their own built-in Smart TV services," notes Tech Crunch.Continue reading...

The $60 billion-a-year television broadcast industry is up for grabs as billionaire magnates Barry Diller and Rupert Murdoch square off as consumers continue to cut ties with traditional TV services.

While attending the National Association of Broadcasters conference in Las Vegas this week, News Corp.'s COO Chase Carey threatened it may end Fox’s 26-year run as a free broadcast channel if US courts continue to allow the Diller-backed Internet startup Aereo to retransmit broadcast programming for free.

News Corp. and Aereo are goalposts at opposite ends of the television playing field. The former pays billions for quality content ranging from NFL games to The Simpsons, Glee, The Following and New Girl. Aereo pays nothing for content that it captures from over-the-air broadcast TV signals via small antennas, which it delivers to computers and smartphones—comparatively cheaply. 

News Corp., defending its fee model for cable and satellite companies, says it is willing to lose viewers and switch to a pay-TV-only offering to undermine and protest Aereo.Continue reading...

The epic battle that is being waged between Samsung and Apple goes well beyong mobile technology. In fact, both brands are racing to the finish to release innovative products like Smart TVs and techy accessories that will eventually mold consumers into walking, talking brand ambassadors.

The latest staged battle ground is, oddly enough, the living room. While Apple TV's streaming device floats around the market and rumors continue to swirl about an actual TV, Samsung got a head start by shipping its souped up Smart TV line (heavily promoted at CES) in the U.S. this month. A star-studded launch event in New York focused on the brand's two models, the LED F8000 and the F8500 Plasma TV, which range in price from $2,199 to $3,699.

“What really makes the TVs stand out are the built-in software called S Recommendation that helps you find shows to watch and the integrated Web cameras and sensors for motion and voice control,” notes Business Insider. “The trend with all TVs this year revolves around interconnectivity and bringing the tablet and smartphone experience into the living room. To that effect, Samsung touted its TV's ability to act as multimedia hubs where owners can interact with the sets using their voice or even gestures.”Continue reading...

The annual International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) that's now underway in Las Vegas is not only the world's biggest trade show, but a snapshot of how the fast-moving world of technology innovation is impacting sectors. Witness automotive, such as Ford's just-announced mobile partnerships to enhance the brand's in-car connectivity platform as part of a bigger CES push by car manufacturers this year.

CES is also a soapbox for competitors to one-up one another as they spit out product announcements and flaunt new alliances. This year, the rivalry is particularly fierce in the web TV/digital streaming arena.

"As new Internet TV players look to invade the living room, some cable and satellite operators are stepping up their embrace of Web technology to jazz up aging interfaces and head off subscriber defections, the Wall Street Journal reports from the show.

CES attendees include DirecTV and Dish Network on the satellite side, Verizon (FiOS) and AT&T (U-verse) touting Telco TV, and U.S. multi-system operators including Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Cox Communications are at CES to recast themselves as web TV purveyors and shake off the dreaded "cable operator" moniker. No wonder the U.S. National Cable & Telecommunications Association is reportedly considering dropping "cable" and rebranding to the U.S. Internet and Television Association (but, oddly, keeping the NCTA acronym).

AT&T's U-verse platform is introducing "Screen Pack," a $5 per month addition to existing subscriptions which enables customers to stream some 1,500 on-demand movies. AT&T plans to add more content in the future in an effort to thwart the flood of video streaming competitors in the space.Continue reading...

KFC degrees now an educational option in the UK.

NBC Universal says Olympics ad sales reach $1 billion.

Roku raises $45M from News Corp. and others.

Alcatel-Lucent to slash jobs after loss.

Amazon and Apple heat up their war on multiple fronts.

Boeing improves forecast.Continue reading...

Apple's Tim Cook steps into the spotlight as Steve Jobs goes on his second cancer-related medical leave.

Blockbuster seeks more cash from creditors.

Cheezburger Network raises $30M from investors.

Citigroup appears to have turned the corner.

Discovery resurrects former health channel that made way for the Oprah Winfrey Network.

Facebook suspends phone and address-sharing feature, spurs ad spending to est. $3B this year.Continue reading...

In the battle for market supremacy, one approach is for a brand to become the industry standard. Once a standard is established, market development often takes the path of least resistance, i.e., it develops along with the existing standard. A standard in motion stays in motion.

History has numerous examples of how this works both ways, from how the North's victory in the Civil War led to a unified national rail system to the disastrous attempt of the US to adopt the metric system.

With that in mind, consider the timed-to-CES news that leading electronics manufacturers have agreed to place Netflix-branded one-click buttons on their remotes.Continue reading...