Subscription-Based Netflix Surpasses iTunes as #1 Online Movie Provider in the U.S.
Proving once again that subscription sites can dominate the online paid content arena, Netflix surpassed Apple's iTunes as the #1 movie provider to U.S. audiences in 2011, according to recent research.According to Daily Tech, "Netflix's share of U.S. online movie revenue skyrocketed to 44% in 2011. This is a significant jump from Netflix's share in 2010, which was less than 1%." These statistics indicate a growing trend in how American audiences consume online content, especially for…
Hulu Hits 2M Paying Subscribers, $192M in Subscription Revenues
Hulu recently announced that of its 38 million monthly visitors, 2 million are now paying Hulu Plus subscribers, indicating a 5% conversion rate for the online TV and video site.Those subscribers translate to approximately $192 million in subscription revenues, which is only a partial amount of gross revenues given that the site boasts a robust advertising revenue stream. After expenses, the company claims to have netted $420,000 in total revenues.These are impressive numbers for the…
Thinkwell Re-Imagines Video Production for Online Education Courses
If you're running a subscription site with thought-leaders in your niche, you're going to want to take a page from Thinkwell's playbook.Thinkwell, founded by Amy Bryant and Dan Heath in 1997, creates wonderful online video courses covering math and science. When I was talking to Thinkwell's CEO Carl Tyson, he let me in on the secret to their success.While the company does a lot of prep to plan and outline a semester-long course in subjects…
Launch News: ‘MLB At Bat’ Has In-App Subscription Plan
Last week, Major League Baseball launched a new app called "MLB At Bat" to much fanfare and critical acclaim.But MLB also did something interesting by changing its pricing plan. The older MLB app cost a one-time fee of $30, and its services were then free to use. This time around, MLB wised up and created a subscription offer -- the app is free to download but users must pay $14.99 for a season-long subscription to…
Have You Got Your .tv URL Yet?
Last week, professional organizer and spokesperson Lorie Marrero gave a great Webinar on how membership and subscription sites can get more media attention -- without being or employing celebrities.One of the tips she gave was to buy the .tv URL for your site as soon as possible. This will allow you to create a dedicated video channel which will have multiple benefits. One, you'll get lots of free media training by making videos. Two, you'll…
Launch News: Verizon, Redbox, BSkyB, & Apple Get Into the TV Business
Through partnerships and new ventures, it appears that the online video streaming business is really taking off.Just last week, three companies announced their plans to launch streaming video services. Verizon and Redbox are partnering for a U.S. based subscription service, while across the pond, BSkyB is planning to launch a streaming service that has both a subscription and pay-as-you-go plan.And in related news, rumors are flying that Apple is planning on creating its own smart…
YouTube May Allow Content Creators To Create Subscription Channels
It's not official, but YouTube CEO Salar Kamangar recently stated that the company may soon allow original content creators to create subscription-based channels on the site.This is quite an about-face for the Google-owned company. Google's Eric Schmidt has previously praised the virtues of free content, an easy stance to take when your business Model is wholly based on user-generated content. Then YouTube started funding its own original content to the tune of $100 million, and…
Amazon Backs New Video Format Aiming To Make Online Distribution Easier
This past Tuesday, Amazon revealed that it had signed a deal with UltraViolet, a cloud-based video format that lets users view a downloaded or streaming video via multiple devices.While the Hollywood-backed service has been around for a little while now, it hasn't really taken off, and Amazon is the first major online video supplier to ink a deal. UltraViolet lets users combine digital purchases from any retailer and store it in a "locker." More over,…
Video Subscriptions Go Global While Warner Brothers Delays DVD Releases
Online video subscription sites seem to be taking off. Netflix just launched in the UK and Ireland, starting a price war with Amazon's Lovefilm service. However, the significant costs of globalization have caused the company to put the brakes on any other international ventures, especially considering their recent decline in customer satisfaction domestically. On the other side of the world, Indian telecom giant Reliance recently announced its plans to launch an on-demand movie service at www.Bigflixplus.com,…
New Hulu Competitor Launches: Using Amazon.com as Paid Content Back-end
TumTiki, self-described as the "biggest collection of TV movies & more on the web" launched this morning. The site looks like a Hulu.com copycat, thumbnails of TV shows and movies you can click to play. Many are free, which the corporate owner, telecom giant Frontier Communications, hopes will drive traffic and ad revenue. Visitors can also pay to rent or buy recent movies such as 2011's 'The Adjustment Bureau'. The main difference vs Hulu is that…
