Digital TV News: Inception

Comcast, Charter and ViacomCBS announce Blockgraph partnership
May 29, 2020 – Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA), Charter (NASDAQ: CHTR) and ViacomCBS (NASDAQ: VIAC; VIACA) have agreed to take equal ownership of Blockgraph. The joint venture is focused on ushering in a new way of using audience data for advanced TV and premium video advertising.
News categories: Blockgraph, Comcast Advertising, Charter Communications, ViacomCBS, Jason Manningham, Marcien Jenckes, David Kline, John Halley, Advertising, Big Data, Digital TV, MandA, USA

Pandemic-induced decline in display driver IC demand temporarily alleviates tight supply
Apr 13, 2020 – According to TrendForce, disappointing 1Q20 shipments by panel manufacturers, combined with continued acceleration of the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe and the U.S., resulted in a reduction of proposed TV panel purchases in 2Q20 by several major TV brands.
News categories: TrendForce, Asia, COVID-19, Digital TV, Market Research, Semiconductor, Smart TV, Worldwide

Eros partners with NBCUniversal to launch Eros Now Prime
Mar 23, 2020 – Eros International (NYSE: EROS) has announced that Eros Now has entered into a content deal with NBCUniversal and will launch Eros Now Prime, a stand-alone English content offering with over 2,000 hours of programming.
News categories: Eros International, NBCUniversal, Digital TV, India, Streaming

Ocean Blue Software releases CI Plus 2.0 Host software stack
Nov 20, 2019 – Ocean Blue Software (OBS) has prepared an update to its CI Plus Host software stack for TVs and Set Top Boxes. The latest release includes support for version 2.0 of the specification which targets new USB form factor Conditional Access Modules (CAMs).
News categories: Ocean Blue Software, Paul Martin, CAM, Content Protection, Digital TV, Middleware, Set Top Box, Smart TV, Worldwide

BC Partners-owned United Group acquires Vivacom
Nov 7, 2019 – United Group has agreed to acquire Vivacom, the largest telecoms operator in Bulgaria. The acquisition will accelerate United Group’s growth, expand its geographic reach and cement its position as the industry leader in the region.
News categories: United Group, Vivacom, BC Partners, Victoriya Boklag, Spas Roussev, Nikos Stathopoulos, Bulgaria, Digital TV, IPTV, MandA

ACCESS CO. and EKT integrate the NetRange Application Store
Sep 13, 2019 – ACCESS CO. and EKT have announced that they are extending their partnership to integrate the NetRange Application Store, a widely deployed Smart TV store with a worldwide catalogue of thousands of apps, to deliver next generation TV and OTT consumer experiences.
News categories: ACCESS CO, EKT, Netrange, Dr. Neale Foster, Richard Smith, Apps, Digital TV, HbbTV, Set Top Box

Cifra and Flussonic offer integrated IPTV/OTT solution
Jul 17, 2019 – Cifra and Flussonic have launched a project involving the installation of DRM and IPTV middleware on client devices using the Flussonic Media Server broadcasting platform. The integrated solution will make it possible to offer commercial OTT or IPTV streaming.
News categories: Flussonic, Cifra, Content Distribution, Digital TV, DRM, IPTV, Middleware, Russia, Streaming

Hulu U.S. customer base passes 28 million
May 1, 2019 – At 'Hulu '19 Presentation', Hulu revealed continued rapid growth, new original programming and talent deals that expand its content offering, as well as brand initiatives, advertising products and UX enhancements that bolster its goal of becoming the #1 choice for TV.
News categories: Hulu, Randy Freer, Advertising, Digital TV, Streaming, Subscribers, USA

ACCESS acquires NetRange
Apr 16, 2019 – ACCESS Europe has acquired NetRange. The acquisition guarantees that the company’s customers will be able to deploy solutions spanning the entire connected entertainment portfolio inside the home, on-the-go and in connected vehicles.
News categories: ACCESS CO, NetRange, Dr. Neale Foster, Jan Wendt, Digital TV, In-Car, MandA, Smart TV, Streaming, Worldwide