Disney

Hulu Provides Schedule of Upcoming TV Episode Releases

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 3, 2009 - 10:31am.
Los Angeles - Hulu, the online video joint venture between News Corp. (NYSE: NWS), NBC Universal (NYSE: GE) and Disney (NYSE: DIS), has launched a new feature that will let users know when new episodes of TV shows are scheduled to become available on the site. The new Coming Soon feature will offer a weekly schedule of when shows from ABC, NBC ad Fox are slated to go live on Hulu after their broadcast premieres.

Report: Apple Pitching Networks $30 iTunes TV Subscriptions

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 2, 2009 - 7:59am.
New York - Apple (NASD: AAPL) has been pitching TV networks a plan to offer an iTunes-based TV subscription service that would cost about $30 a month, All Things D reported, citing multiple unnamed sources.
tags: Video | TV | Apple | Disney | ABC | iTunes | ESPN | Steve Jobs |

Sweden's Voddler Introduces Video-on-Demand Site

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 28, 2009 - 11:49am.
Stockholm, Sweden - Voddler on Wednesday debuted its online video-on-demand service in Sweden, which features movies, TV episodes and music from partners including Paramount and Disney, Variety reported. The service, which is expected to launch across all Nordic countries in a year's time, is also reportedly close to signing a deal with Sony Pictures.

WSJ: Disney Working on 'Keychest' Digital Distribution Scheme

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 23, 2009 - 7:32am.
New York - Disney (NYSE: DIS) is working on a multi-platform retail scheme, code-named Keychest, that would enable consumers to pay a single price for permanent access to a movie or TV show that could be viewed across on-demand pay-TV, Web and mobile devices, The Wall Street Journal reported. The company has reportedly been demonstrating Keychest to other studios and interested parties, and plans to introduce the technology next month.
tags: Mobile | Video | TV | Movies | Disney | Keychest |

News Corp. Exec: Hulu to Start Charging for Access

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 22, 2009 - 11:51am.
New York - Hulu, the online video joint venture between News Corp. (NYSE: NWS), NBC Universal (NYSE: GE) and Disney (NYSE: DIS), plans to begin charging users for some content, possibly as early as next year, according to remarks from News Corp. president and COO Chase Carey, the Associated Press reported.

Broadcasters, Advertisers Team to Study Audience Ratings

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on September 10, 2009 - 9:06am.
New York - A consortium of 14 broadcasters, ad agencies and advertisers announced on Thursday that they are joining forces to explore new ways to measure audiences across traditional and new media. Founding members of the Council for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) include Time Warner (NYSE: TWX); News Corp. (NYSE: NWS); Viacom (NYSE: VIA); NBC Universal (NYSE: GE); Disney-ABC (NYSE: DIS); CBS (NYSE: CBS) Paramount; Discovery (NASD: DISCA); Starcom MediaVest; Mediabrands; WPP (NASD: WPPGY); Omnicom (NYSE: OMC); Unilever (NYSE: UL); AT&T (NYSE: T); and Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG).

Disney Interactive Studios to Acquire Wideload Games

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on September 8, 2009 - 6:47am.
Burbank, Calif. - Disney Interactive Studios (NYSE: DIS) announced on Tuesday that it will acquire Wideload Games, a video game development studio launched by Bungie Software founder Alexander Seropian.

Disney to Acquire Marvel Comic Book Empire for $4 Billion

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on August 31, 2009 - 7:19am.
Burbank, Calif. - Disney (NYSE: DIS) announced on Monday that it will acquire comic book empire Marvel Entertainment, which counts a portfolio of over 5,000 characters, including Spider-Man and the X-Men, in a stock and cash deal valued at $4 billion. "This transaction combines Marvels strong global brand and world-renowned library of characters including Iron Man, Spider-Man, X-Men, Captain America, Fantastic Four and Thor with Disney's creative skills, unparalleled global portfolio of entertainment properties, and a business structure that maximizes the value of creative properties across multiple platforms and territories," said Disney president and CEO Robert A. Iger.

Studios Sue Pirate Bay, Demand Shutdown of File-Sharing Hub

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on July 28, 2009 - 10:01am.
Stockholm, Sweden - A coalition of Hollywood movie studios, including Disney (NYSE: DIS), Universal, Warner Bros. (NYSE: TWX), Columbia, Sony (NYSE: SNE), NBC (NYSE: GE) and Viacom's (NYSE: VIA) Paramount, have filed suit in Sweden, asking a court to shutter file-sharing hub The Pirate Bay. The four operators of The Pirate Bay have already been found guilty of copyright infringement and sentenced to jail time and fines; that ruling has been appealed.

Disney Plans New Subscription Site for Movies, TV, Games

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on July 23, 2009 - 10:12am.
Los Angeles - Disney (NYSE: DIS) is working on a new subscription-based website that is expected to offer the company's movies, TV shows, games and other content, Variety reported. "People are willing to pay for what they perceive to be value," CEO Bob Iger told attendees of Fortune magazine's Brainstorm conference on Wednesday.
tags: Games | Video | Advertising | TV | Movies | Disney |

X-Men Creator Stan Lee, Disney Team on 'Digital Motion Comic'

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on July 21, 2009 - 11:53am.
Burbank, Calif. - Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee's POW Entertainment said on Tuesday that it partnered with Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment (NYSE: DIS) on an original "digital motion comic series." "Time Jumper," about "a young man who jumps through time and engages viewers in a multi-dimensional, multi-platform universe," will be available exclusively from Apple's iTunes Store from July 24. Each 5-8 minute digital episode will retail for 99 cents; other formats to be utilized over the next two years for the series include online, mobile, DVD and publishing.

ESPN to Expand Localized Sites to L.A., Dallas, New York

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on July 21, 2009 - 10:54am.
Los Angeles - Disney's (NYSE: DIS) ESPN plans to expand its localized websites for major cities that began in Chicago with new sites for New York, Los Angeles and Dallas, Variety reported.
tags: Sports | TV | Disney | ESPN | SportsCenter |

Sports Broadcaster Setanta Enters Administration

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on June 24, 2009 - 11:09am.
London - Setanta Sports, a provider of premium and pay-per-view sporting events like English Premier League football, has switched off its signals to nearly three million British households, a day after entering administration, or bankruptcy proceedings, Reuters reported.

Disney, ASUS Debut $249 Netpal Netbook PC for Kids

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on June 17, 2009 - 12:18pm.
Glendale, Calif. - Disney's (NYSE: DIS) consumer products unit and manufacturing partner ASUS on Wednesday introduced the Disney Netpal, a notebook computer targeted at kids. The $349 Netpal, designed for kids ages 6-12, features a 8.9-inch LCD display, Wi-Fi, Windows XP Home, and a range of Disney-related software for kids. The ASUS Eee PC netbook model has sold nearly 7 million units to date.

ISPs Ask FCC to Halt "Discriminatory" ESPN360 Service

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on June 15, 2009 - 9:34am.
Washington - A group of small cable TV operators has petitioned the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) to halt the practice of content providers charging "discriminatory" rates to ISPs in exchange for exclusive content, as they say is the case with Disney's (NYSE: DIS) ESPN360 broadband service, Ars Technica reports.

Walmart.com, In-Store TV to Feature Jonas Brothers Concert

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on June 9, 2009 - 12:23pm.
Brisbane, Calif. - Retail giant Walmart (NYSE: WMT) on Tuesday posted an exclusive concert from Disney's (NYSE: DIS) Jonas Brothers, in addition to behind-the-scenes interviews, on Walmart.com. The promotion will also see the video shown in Walmart stores through Walmart TV beginning on June 15, a day before the release of the group's new album.

VUDU Video-on-Demand Service Offers HD Disney Movies

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on June 4, 2009 - 12:44pm.
Santa Clara, Calif. - VUDU, the provider of an Internet-connected set-top box-based video-on-demand service, said on Thursday that it has added high-definition movies from Disney's (NYSE: DIS) Buena Vista Home Entertainment to its offering. VUDU now offers over 60 BVHE titles, including "Doubt," "High School Musical 3" and "No Country for Old Men."

tags: Video | VOD | HD | Movies | Disney | Vudu |

Hulu: Nielsen is Undercounting Our Site Visitors

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on May 15, 2009 - 6:32am.
New York - Hulu, the online video joint venture between News Corp. (NYSE: NWS), NBC Universal (NYSE: GE) and Disney (NYSE: DIS), has raised objections to methodologies used to count Web video views, as Internet audience measurement firms Nielsen Online and comScore counted 8.9 million and 42 million visitors to the site in March, respectively, The New York Times reported.

ABC.com Debuts Music Lounge, Features Songs From Shows

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on May 7, 2009 - 12:40pm.
Los Angeles - Disney's (NYSE: DIS) ABC Entertainment has launched a new streaming music player on ABC.com with a playlist that includes songs featured in shows like "Grey's Anatomy," "Ugly Betty" and "Scrubs." The ABC Music Lounge, which currently features songs from over 200 artists heard on ABC, will also include music videos, performance footage, photos and interviews with artists, series producers and music supervisors.

Disney Takes Equity Stake in Hulu; Adds ABC Full Episodes

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on April 30, 2009 - 8:12am.
Los Angeles - Confirming earlier reports, Disney (NYSE: DIS) announced on Thursday that it has signed a deal to take an equity stake in, and provide full-length TV episodes to Hulu, the video website joint venture between News Corp. (NYSE: NWS) and NBC Universal (NYSE: GE). Coming to Hulu will be shows from ABC, SOAPnet and Disney Channel, including "Grey's Anatomy," "LOST," "Jimmy Kimmel Live," "The View" and "General Hospital."