TV Piracy's Reckless Consumption of ‘Phantom’ Bandwidth
Sandvine's spotlight on subscription TV piracy released earlier this month highlighted some of the major problems that unlicensed content is causing in the media and entertainment space. The costs that are lost to content creators– which TV piracy services are essentially stealing from– could mean less money to invest in creative programming in the future. But another issue that the report raised which isn't talked about very much is phantom bandwidth and its effect on cable operators and consumers. But first, what is phantom bandwidth? Sandvine defines phantom bandwidth as "data that is
New Report Shows $4.2 Billion in Losses from Pirated TV
Sandvine released its 2017 Global Internet Phenomena Spotlight on Subscription Television Piracy report this week. In it, Sandvine revealed that 6.5 percent of households in North America are illegally accessing subscription-based television content each month. The report looks at how unlawful content distributors aim to "replicate the live television experience offered by cable and satellite providers," and projects that it will continue to grow if left unchecked, especially given the low cost for users to access this unlicensed content. The report also found that these pirated services
Starz Executive Shares Strategy Behind Diverse Storytelling
Cable has long been telling stories that not only entertain and inform, but that challenge the status quo and ultimately lead to encouraging cultural shifts in our society. But powerful programming is only possible if it speaks to the many demographics and perspectives that make up America's viewership, and often it’s those stories that don't usually see enough screen time that make all the difference. One network that has prided itself on telling those stories is Starz. Starz is known for some of its hit shows like Power, the second-most watched series on cable behind Game of Thrones last
A Report Isn’t Needed to See That Video Competition is Fierce
Yesterday, NCTA filed comments with the FCC on its annual report, the “Status of Competition in the Market for the Delivery of Video Programming.” As anyone who is a fan of great TV programming (whether viewed from a traditional provider or the multitude of other ways to watch) knows, competition in the video marketplace is aggressive. Choices are abundant, leading to better products and easier ways to access the programs consumers love. That’s why, instead of rehashing the state of today’s competitive marketplace, we urged the FCC to take steps to eliminate rules that no longer make sense. We
Cable Recognizes Hispanic Heritage Month
Before Hispanic Heritage Month concludes this week, we wanted to highlight a few of the special programs and efforts being made throughout the internet and television community that recognize the contributions of Hispanics to American history and culture. Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from September 15 to October 15 because the 15th marks the independence days of several Latin American countries, is a time in which communities all over the U.S. celebrate the second-fastest growing ethnic group in the country. Many internet service providers and television programmers take this
Technology is Changing the Way The Weather Channel Covers Hurricanes
This past September brought with it some of the year’s biggest news stories, and most of them revolved around the major storms and hurricanes that ravaged south Florida, Houston, and Puerto Rico. Most likely, you turned to The Weather Channel to better understand how it was all unfolding and impacting the communities that were hit. Case in point, this year, the network experienced its highest ratings in its 35-year history at the height of Hurricane Irma, with 70 million viewers tuning in from one out of three TV households in America. A small but mighty company, the staff at The Weather
BBC America’s Top Executive Gives Her Take on Women in Television
In anticipation of Diversity Week, when thousands will gather in New York City next week to encourage and advance diverse initiatives across the cable industry, we spent some time getting to know our Woman of the Year honorees who will be awarded with WICT's highest honors at the annual WICT Touchstones Luncheon. This week, we spoke with Sarah Barnett, president and general manager of BBC America, to learn more about her career challenges and highlights, and where she thinks the industry stands when it comes to gender diversity. What does this honor mean to you? First, I would like to start by
MTV Shuga: Television That Changes Lives
Television serves as one of life’s biggest sources of entertainment, but sometimes we forget how much of a changemaker it can actually be. MTV has always been a staple in this kind of “edutainment” style of programming, with its array of reality shows that plunge into real-life issues that teenagers grapple with day in and day out. The force behind much of the network’s footprint in this type of behavior-changing content is the MTV Staying Alive Foundation–MTV’s international and grant-giving initiative dedicated to HIV prevention. Throughout the past nineteen years, the foundation has
Diversity Programming Stands Out at the 2017 Emmys
Last night's 69th annual Primetime Emmy Awards marked another year where innovative storytelling and unique talent came out on top. But this year’s victories stood out a little more this time around. As many have noted since last night, the 2017 Emmy award winners have never been more diverse. Whether it was a lead actor or director from a minority group or a women-centric storyline that took the honors, there’s no doubt that this year’s Emmy-winning programs have made television richer and more vibrant than ever. In honor of and in anticipation of the industry’s Diversity Week next week, we’d
Premium TV is Serving Up Choice, Value, and a Side of Fries
Today, you can watch TV wherever you are and on whatever device you want. But more than just being flexible and fun, premium TV is also available in a number of different packages, from a la carte to full suite bundles, which means there’s a way to watch for every budget. The graphic below highlights the many ways to access premium TV. And while no one option is perfect for everyone, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the bundle is usually the best value. Learn more about how cable provides great TV value here.