Top 5 Tech Articles You Might Have Missed – Week Ending November 13, 2015

Multichannel News reported that Cox Communications signed a national licensing deal with Comcast’s X1 video platform and launched a new version of its Contour video service in San Diego. Contour...

Multichannel News reported that Cox Communications signed a national licensing deal with Comcast’s X1 video platform and launched a new version of its Contour video service in San Diego. Contour includes features like access to TV Everywhere apps along with X1’s voice-activated remote control.

On Monday, Mashable reported on the launch of Beachfront Media’s Rise, a new OTT service that offers a platform for video creators to target millennials across connected TV and mobile devices.

With the aim to be the “Netflix of live TV,” Telletopia, a nonprofit organization is working to bring over-the-air broadcast TV stations online, reported MediaPost. The service will launch in 14 California television markets next year with plans to expand across the U.S. in the next two years.

Variety reported that CBS Studios International signed a multi-year licensing agreement with China’s leading online video streaming operator, PPTV. The deal covers exclusive streaming rights to CBS and Showtime series in China.

Finally, a recent study from the Video Advertising Bureau shows that the usage of TV Everywhere has risen by 25 percent between Q2’14 and Q2’15, according to Media Life Magazine. The study attributed the rise in popularity to the 2014 World Cup, when viewers signed up for TV Everywhere and continued to use it afterwards due to its ease of use.

  1. Cox Inks National X1 Deal with Comcast (November 11, 2015) By Jeff Baumgartner, Multichannel News: Cox Bows X1-Powered ‘Contour’ Service in San Diego.
  2. New OTT service aims to connect creators to consumers across devices (November 10, 2015) By Saba Hamedy, Mashable: A new, premium, over-the-top service is hoping to give content creators more tools to monetize their work by making it easier for them to connect with consumers.
  3. Telletopia To Start Cable-Like Internet OTT Service (November 10, 2015) By Wayne Friedman, MediaPost: In sharp contrast to other recent controversial cable-like OTT Internet services, a new nonprofit startup will offer a live, local TV over-the-top Internet-delivered service with one big difference: Financial deals with TV networks and stations.
  4. CBS Studios International Inks Pact With China’s PPTV Video-Streaming Service (November 12, 2015) By Todd Spangler, Variety: CBS Studios International announced a multi-year licensing deal with China’s PPTV video-streaming service for exclusive streaming rights to CBS and Showtime series in the world’s most populous nation.
  5. Finally, TV Everywhere starts catching on (November 9, 2015) By Staff, Media Life Magazine: In concept, TV Everywhere, or the idea that people should be able to watch TV content outside of their television sets, has always held a lot of promise.