Variety reported that Dan Mintz, a U.S. film and television executive, is planning to purchase a controlling stake in Eastern Broadcasting Corporation, one of the largest cable TV platforms in Taiwan, for $600 million. If approved, the transaction will be Hollywood’s first major investment in the Taiwanese entertainment market.
According to Engadget, Disney just launched its new OTT service in the UK, allowing users to access Disney and Pixar content including films, TV shows, music, ebooks and audiobooks. DisneyLife is available on the web as well as iOS and Android devices.
iTWire reported on a study by Ooyala, stating that Internet TV is expected to grow into a $40 billion industry by 2020. This growth is attributed to the availability of faster broadband services and the ubiquitous nature of the Internet, among other factors.
According to Dmitry Kolesov, Director of TV and Content at J’son & partners, there is a growing demand for pay-TV in Russia, reported Broadband TV News. The audience for pay-TV channels in Russia increased by 61 percent from 2011-2015, with 85 percent of the demand being for movies, children’s educational and entertainment programs.
Finally, analysts at Future Market Insights anticipate that the global VOD market will reach $263 billion by 2016, reported Rapid TV News. The research highlighted North America and Western Europe as the largest markets. It also noted that increased consumer interest in on-demand services as well as Internet growth in emerging countries will primarily drive future market growth.
