Sports Metadata: Don’t Be Outdated

8/27/2015 FYI Television 0 comments
Sports error
It’s the end of August, which means all across the country students are converging on college campuses, preparing to attend classes and cheer on their school’s teams in an array of fierce sporting competitions, including basketball, football and more.

Meanwhile, university alumni and college athletics fans are also primed for the new season to begin.

And when these students and devotees are viewing their favorite event on a television or second-screen device, they’re expecting accurate, up-to-date information about the athletes, teams and venues.

Thus it can be slightly jarring when some entertainment metadata vendors offer sports data that is ancient, error-riddled and deprecated.

According to this metadata supplier, BYU “seniors” Terence Brown and JJ Di Luigi, who graduated in 2011, will be playing football.


This entry for a current University of Wyoming-SMU matchup references the abilities of Wyoming Cowboys Ugo Udezue (class of ’02) and Anthony Blakes (class of ’00, and guard for the Harlem Globetrotters). Both men last played college basketball well over a decade ago.


But the decaying data doesn’t stop there. Again, a metadata provider’s information for a game is from more than six years ago, in which “junior guards” Malcolm Delaney (now a professional in a Russian league) and Talor Battle (now a professional in an Israeli league) are discussed. 


Other times, a data vendor might simply give up on what sports information is necessary.

When selecting a metadata provider for your sports needs, make sure you’re choosing one with up-to-date team information, as well as current game summaries and related image content. Otherwise, there’s a fairly large risk of misinforming viewers and overall embarrassment.

Author: Brian Cameron
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Who Is Offering the Skinny Bundle?

8/25/2015 FYI Television 0 comments
TV Heads
Throughout the year, there has been a lot of talk about skinny bundles – how various cable operators are experimenting with them, and how viewers are becoming more interested in paying for a package with less channels.

A survey from Digitalsmiths released in June found that customers would prefer 17 channels for $38/month.

But which businesses are currently providing an option like this to consumers? That seems to get lost in the conversation. Right now, there are only two key players. However, other companies are exploring the possibilities.

Dish - Sling TV

It all started back in January. At CES, Dish revealed Sling TV, its $20/month over-the-top (OTT) service. As of now, there are 23 channels available, including A&E, ABC Family, Adult Swim, AMC, Bloomberg, Cartoon Network, CNN, Disney Channel, El Rey, ESPN, ESPN2, Food Network, Galavisión, H2, HGTV, History, IFC, Lifetime, Maker, Polaris+, TBS, TNT and Travel Channel.

“We’re offering the TV millennials want, plus the online videos they watch, all in one platform,” said Sling CEO Roger Lynch.



Verizon Fios – Custom TV

In April, Verizon Fios announced it would be offering standalone genre-inspired bundle options for $55/month. These “channel packs” include groupings like Lifestyle, Entertainment, Sports, Kids, News & Info and Pop Culture, and tend to feature between 10-20 channels a piece. After selecting one channel package, additional packs can be added for another $10/month.

“Customers want choice … I think about millennials and how millennials are viewing video today, for example,” said Verizon Fios president Tami Erwin on CNBC. “I think as you look at the economics of going purely a la carte today, those aren’t good economics for the business, based on how content is sold.”

Approximately 9,000 subscribers signed up for this package in Q2.



Comcast – Stream

At the end of July, Comcast launched OTT service Stream for its Boston customers, with a planned rollout for Seattle and Chicago later in the year.

Stream includes HBO and broadcast networks - “about a dozen” - for $15/month, however it appears to be in early stages still.

“The way we watch TV has become more personal than ever,” writes Comcast Executive Vice President and General Manager, Video Services Matt Strauss in a blog post. “I like to watch live on the big screen in my living room. My kids, on the other hand, prefer to catch up with their favorite shows on their laptops, on demand … our goal [is] to provide TV choices for everyone.”



Charter

Charter CEO Tom Rutledge is contemplating a skinny bundle, but nothing has happened yet.
When questioned on the distribution model during an early August conference call with analysts, he didn’t feel it was an immediate focus.

“We have to take it in big packages,” said Rutledge. “And as I said earlier, it was a very good model. It's peaked, and it's -- but it's difficult to make it get better, and so there's a lot of pressure in the system. My sense is that it isn't all about to fall apart, and that we'll be having this conversation three years from now, because I think there's nothing to incent anyone to pull it apart.

It’s an interesting change from his remarks in a May conference call, when Rutledge stated “Would I be rather be able to sell lots of smaller tiers? Yes, I would.”



Apple

Apple has declined to make official statements on the content for its alleged streaming television service, believed to be launching in 2016.

Previous reports have suggested this package will include 25 channels for around $30-40/month, but nothing is for certain at this time.

At the beginning of the month, Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer told investors that he didn't see the skinny bundle as a threat to business.

"Whether there's a fat bundle, skinny bundle or no bundle at all, … we are well positioned to beat this challenge," Feltheimer said.

Given all of this movement, perhaps it shouldn't be seen as a "challenge."

Author: Brian Cameron

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OTT Primed for Success As Pay-TV Struggles

8/19/2015 FYI Television 0 comments
Cordcutting
New research is in: cordcutting is way, way up.

According to a new Financial Times report, the second quarter of 2015 was the worst ever for pay-TV customer losses with 566,000 people abandoning their subscriptions.

Days before the news release, Cablevision Systems Corp. Chief Executive James Dolan told investors “I don't think the sky is falling quite yet.” He may be rethinking that.

“It’s clear that the millennial generation is having an impact, and every media company is trying to figure out how to connect with them,” said former DirecTV CEO Mike White.

Meanwhile, over-the-top (OTT) companies like Amazon and Netflix are basking in their success. 
Their services are recruiting top actors and celebrities to appear in their highly lauded content.

"I think we’re in a golden age of television, so if you go back in time even just five years, you couldn’t get A-list talent to do TV serials, or, if you could, it was a rare thing. But that’s flipped completely," Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos told The Telegraph.

“The investment is very high now in serialized TV, and the amount of time you have to tell a story is much greater,” Bezos added. “That format change opens up a lot of storytelling possibilities, which, when mixed with the movie-like production standards, and the A-list talent, is why we’re seeing amazing television.”

Worth noting is that in Q3 of 2014, Amazon spent over $100 million on original video content.

Then there’s Netflix, which is rescuing its users from watching over 130 hours of commercials every year – the equivalent of approximately five and a half days of nonstop advertising.

It’s no wonder the service is popular.

Research firm Pacific Crest recently published what Business Insider describes as the “scariest chart in the history of cable TV.”  It reveals a steady decrease in pay-TV subscribers over the years.

Pacific Crest chart

Can cable companies rally and regain their subscribers with new options and bundles, or will OTT’s impact be deemed eternal?

Author: Brian Cameron

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Improve Your Entertainment Interface With Relevant Image Content

8/13/2015 FYI Television 0 comments
Old TV
Whether it’s via an on-screen EPG or an over-the-top (OTT) application, viewers are constantly navigating a television screen or second-screen device in order to discover content.

Now, more than ever, enhanced media content – including TV show and film artwork, as well as celebrity imagery – is an integral component for program guides and apps.

However, the offerings in this realm from some metadata suppliers tend to be antiquated and weak in overall selection.


NBC’s “Last Comic Standing” is currently hosted by comedian Anthony Jeselnik. You wouldn’t know that by this image, which features last year’s host JB Smoove, who has left the show.



In 2014, Juan Pablo Galavis was “The Bachelor” on the hit ABC show. This metadata vendor chooses to illustrate last year’s season of the show with an image from the 2009 edition, featuring Jason Mesnick. One viewer’s tweet on this error elicited a response Jason himself!




Journalist Don Lemon is quite obviously the host of “CNN Tonight with Don Lemon” – his name’s in the title! So why would a picture of John King, the host of “Inside Politics,” accompany the program?

It’s clear many metadata providers are simply outdated. This is evident when an image of Joseph Wapner, who last served as a judge on “The People’s Court” in 1993, is still used by this business for the show today, more than 20 years later.

A photo posted by W Watson (@insta.will) on


And when a supplier utilizes a headshot of Tim Brando for current CBS sports programming, when he’s employed by FOX. The viewer here suggests that the image is from Brando’s ESPN days in the late 80s/early 90s.


But it many cases, likely due to outsourcing and offshoring, celebrities get confused.

Here, actor Craig Robinson is mistaken for late night host Craig Ferguson.



Actor Tim Curry is believed to be musician Tom Curren.



And footballer David Beckham is thought to be the recently retired David Letterman.



It’s indisputable that many entertainment metadata companies simply lack an up-to-date database and a team of experts who ensure that television programs and their celebrity participants are appropriately identified.

Learn more about FYI Television’s numerous media content options, and get in touch below.

Author: Brian Cameron

Image via Shutterstock.

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The Summer of OTT Resurrection

8/11/2015 FYI Television 0 comments
The Mindy Project
Last summer, NBC cult favorite TV show “Community” was effectively resuscitated by the Yahoo! Screen Over-the-Top (OTT) service. In current times, it seems that when a show is in danger of cancellation, or it definitively receives the axe, loyal fans flood social media in an attempt to get it revived, but not by a television network – instead it’s usually a call for an OTT business to take the reins.

Immediately, the devoted masses clamor for a streaming service to pick up the imperiled programming.

This year, quite a few shows have seen success in this regard from a variety of different OTT companies.

“The Mindy Project,” a three-season staple of FOX, was canceled back in May because renewing it “didn’t make good business sense,” according to network CEOs Dana Walden and Gary Newman.

Hulu was quick to snap up the comedy for a fourth season by the end of that month.

Creator and star Mindy Kaling was pumped to talk about the freedom of working on OTT.

“We decided we want people who tuned into the show to tune in for two reasons: because we're doing things we couldn’t do on network TV, but also not giving up what people love,” Kaling said at BookCon in New York. “I think we are gonna push the envelope in ways we haven’t been able to, which is great.”

TeenNick recently canceled high school drama “Degrassi” after 14 seasons.

In June, Netflix announced it would be picking up the show for 2016 as “Degrassi: Next Class.”

“With ad-supported TV, ratings are at the top of the list and in some cases dictate creative decisions,” executive producer Stephen Stohn told Variety. “We have more creative freedom with Netflix… With Netflix we’re just encouraged to tell the stories we want to tell.”

Linda Schuyler, co-creator of “Degrassi,” also raved about the OTT service.

“We are where the kids are,” Schuyler said in an interview with VICE. “Traditional broadcasters have trouble with this demographic. With us partnering with Netflix worldwide, we can reach kids wherever they are and not on some schedule. It's so exciting and so refreshing.”

And at the end of July, Amazon jumped into the show salvage arena as well.

CBS declined to pick up “Sneaky Pete,” a pilot about a conman written and produced by Bryan Cranston of “Breaking Bad” fame.

The online retailer has placed the pilot on Amazon Prime Instant Video and will be receiving feedback from viewers, which will influence whether or not the show receives additional episodes.

“Our customers have provided valuable feedback on our shows and have helped make them some of the most critically-acclaimed series,” said Roy Price, Vice President of Amazon Studios in a press release. “Sneaky Pete could be among those shows and I look forward to seeing our customer feedback.”

OTT services are seemingly the go-to source for rescuing jeopardized network shows. With three of the major providers participating in this process during these past few months, it’s likely to become a commonality with each season.


Author: Brian Cameron
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Evaluating Various Online Video Platform Solutions

8/06/2015 FYI Television 0 comments
video platform
When a company is looking to live stream or otherwise deliver video online, a specialized over-the-top (OTT) platform is a necessity when it comes to distributing important and informative content to viewers.

Trying to decide which one is best can be tough. Here, we examine three stand-out services that operate and provide video platforms.




SotalCloud

SotalCloudSotalCloud has developed a number of simple video portal templates that are utilized by several clients in North America and Eastern Europe. The cloud-based system allows for the speedy launch of customized TV channel and video on demand (VOD) interfaces for online broadcasting and video delivery.

The interfaces can then be run on many operating systems and browsers, including Android, PC, Mac and iOS. This efficient turnkey service strives to ensure that overall costs are low and time to market can be quick.

Additional SotalCloud features include catch-up television, an electronic program guide (EPG), a VOD catalog and more.


Limelight

Limelight NetworksLimelight Networks is an Arizona-based company that offers digital video dissemination. Their
“Orchestrate Video” platform lets video content be delivered across numerous screens and devices.

Other services include transcoding, storage and website acceleration.

In May 2015, a study released by Limelight revealed that 90% of consumers are open to cutting the cord.


Brightcove

Founded in 2004, Brightcove supplies an online video platform with several interesting components. The company also assists with advertising efforts, analytics and social media monitoring.

Last month, Brightcove debuted a new feature that will offer users more video measurement and tracking data.

There are many different types of video platform services for businesses to choose from. What matters is the right mix of expertise and functionality.


Author: Brian Cameron

Image via Shutterstock.

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A Real Political Gaffe in TV Metadata

8/04/2015 FYI Television 0 comments
Gaffe
Three weeks ago, the New Hampshire Union Leader announced that it would be sponsoring a political forum for candidates running for president in the 2016 election cycle. This “Voters First Forum” would be broadcast nationally on C-SPAN as well as a number of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina television stations on August 3 at 7 p.m. EST.

When it comes to entertainment metadata, accuracy is key when it comes to politics and elections – many vendors tend to make mistakes.

Last night’s forum for the contenders was no exception…as some viewers couldn’t seem to locate it on their electronic program guide (EPG), despite the fact that it had been public knowledge for the better part of a month.

Indeed, the event was seemingly nonexistent when browsing through the EPG data from a major supplier. Perhaps this is what occurs when some companies engage in offshoring - American political events don't receive the proper attention.

Incorrect data - Where is the Forum?


However while viewing the AT&T U-Verse’s guide, as furnished by FYI Television, the correct listing for the debate, as well as related imagery, a synopsis and information on all of the participants was available – all considered important for audiences and voters.

Accurate AT&T U-Verse Guide


As you can see, having accurate metadata is not only important, but CRITICAL. That's why FYI Television always makes a point to monitor and improve metadata practices and output. If there is a way to improve TV metadata, FYI will do it.

Author: Brian Cameron

Image via Shutterstock.
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