This week, news headlines are focusing on recent events that are dramatically reshaping the media landscape in the U.S. According to Bloomberg, Comcast has agreed to acquire Time Warner Cable for $45.2 billion. Additionally, ARRIS will play a role in the newly-announced WifiForward coalition, which will aim to bolster efforts to expand access to Wi-Fi, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.
In other news, the industry is focusing on our culture’s addiction to our smartphones. In fact, Digital TV Europe shared research from ABI revealing that mobile devices currently account for more than 20 percent of all global video views. Separately, Mashable shared 27 percent of couples believe the Internet has impacted their relationships in a positive way.
Lastly, IP&TV News covered a recent survey of 1,000 UK consumers commissioned by ARRIS, which looked into their viewing habits on Valentine’s Day and noted that the majority prefer the familiarity of the living room and big TV when settling down for a romantic night in.
Do you agree? What are your favorite Valentine’s Day traditions? Let us know in the comments below.
- Comcast Agrees to Buy Time Warner Cable for $45.2 Billion (Feb. 13) By Alex Sherman, Jeffrey McCracken and Edmund Lee, Bloomberg: Comcast Corp. agreed to acquire Time Warner Cable Inc. for $45.2 billion in stock, a surprise deal that combines the two largest U.S. cable companies and creates a bulwark against competition from phone and satellite providers.
- Tech Companies Push for Greater Wi-Fi Access (Feb. 13) By Ryan Knutson and Shalini Ramachandran, The Wall Street Journal: As mobile data traffic continues to skyrocket, Wi-Fi is getting a lot more attention. The group, to be called WifiForward, will add heft to an already strong lobbying effort the companies are making in Washington to increase the allocation of airwaves that make Wi-Fi possible.
- Mobile accounts for 20% of all video views (Feb. 12) By Staff, Digital TV Europe: Mobile devices accounted for more than 20% of global video views, with this share set to more than double over the next five years, according to stats by ABI Research.
- 25% of Couples Say Smartphones Distract Their Partners (Feb. 11) By Samantha Murphy Kelly, Mashable: The Internet can bring couples together, but one in four say smartphones are distracting to their relationship. The Pew Research Center released a new report on Tuesday just in time for Valentine's Day that looks at both the positive and negative effects of tech tools.
- Valentine’s Day viewing habits revealed (Feb. 13) By Thomas Campbell, IP&TV News: “Whether spending Valentine’s Day alone or with a loved one, the results clearly show that the UK public seeks a comforting Valentine’s Day experience,” says Steve McCaffery, Senior vice-president of EMEA of ARRIS.
