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Netflix's 'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt’ season 4 concludes in January
Netflix debuted the first half of The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt's fourth (and final) season this week, though we didn't know when the second would air. Unfortunately, fans will have a bit of a wait: The last six episodes will arrive on January 25th, 2019, which will end the show's run.
Vevo goes all-in on YouTube music videos
Raise your hand if you used Vevo's apps instead of watching music videos on YouTube. Anybody? That's what we thought. Despite Vevo's effort to grow its brand through apps and its website, nothing quite clicked -- so it's killing them to re-focus on YouTube. Variety reported those who did use Vevo's site and mobile apps can export their playlists to YouTube. The smart TV apps, meanwhile, seem to be sticking around for now.
YouTube direct messaging moves from mobile to desktop
YouTube has been flirting with in-app messaging for a bit on mobile, and now it's finally ready to roll out private video messaging to the web. It looks pretty easy to use too, according to 9to5Google. In the upper righthand corner where your account avatar resides, you'll find a new button sitting between the ones for YouTube apps and notifications. Click it and you'll find a new way to share videos on the platform.
The World Cup is Twitter’s next chance at video dominance
As the 2018 FIFA World Cup gets ready to kick off June 14th, the 32 international teams competing in Russia aren't the only ones preparing for the big event. Fans are too, and Twitter wants to be the online place where they stay up to date on all the action. After striking deal with Fox Sports, the World Cup TV rights holder in the US, Twitter will offer users access to exclusive video content. That includes real-time highlights, player interviews, pre- and post-match press conferences, as well as a daily show called FIFA World Cup Now that will livestream 27 episodes. And outside of the US, Twitter has partnerships for live shows and highlight clips in Australia, Brazil, France, Indonesia, Mexico, Spain, Taiwan and the UK.
Netflix snags 'Next Gen,' a star-studded animated film about robots
Just because Netflix's films got shut out of competition at Cannes doesn't mean the streaming titan stayed home. The company won a worldwide (except for China) distribution deal worth $30 million for the animated film Next Gen with a star-studded cast about a pair of "two unlikely friends in a world filled with robots," according to Deadline.
'Arrested Development' returns to Netflix on May 29th
When revealing the re-edit of Arrested Development season four that hit Netflix last week, creator Mitch Hurwitz promised fans they wouldn't have to wait long for more of the cult favorite show. He wasn't kidding -- we're in the final countdown to season five, which Netflix will release on May 29th.
Streaming TV firm Philo is offering three months of Pandora Premium
Streaming TV upstart Philo is giving customers a freebie: three months of Pandora Premium for new and existing subscribers to either of its packages. Pandora's on-demand music service already offers a 60-day trial, but those who take up the deal will get three months of free music.
What’s coming to Netflix in May: Michelle Wolf's weekly talk show
While we still want a complete list of what's leaving Netflix, at least the streaming service provides a heads-up for what's in store. In May, we'll get a slew of new shows and old favorites, including additional seasons of The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Dear White People and Guillermo del Toro's hit kids series Trollhunters. Plus, the newly-infamous Michelle Wolf's weekly talkshow starts May 27th.
Football drama 'Friday Night Lights' starts streaming on Hulu
The good news for fans of Friday Night Lights, the highly acclaimed TV show about a high school football team in Texas, just keep on coming. Only a couple of weeks after Amazon announced that the series would be streaming on its video service, Hulu is doing the same today. That's going to make people who have missed the show since it disappeared from Netflix last October quite happy, as they'll now have another place on the internet to catch up on all the Dillon Panthers drama.
ESPN+ is the sports-streaming cord-cutters have been waiting for
After months of rumors and speculation about what it would look like or how much it would cost, ESPN's standalone streaming service is finally launching today. It's called ESPN+ and it's priced at $5 a month, which will get you both live and on-demand content that, according to the company, is geared toward underserved sports fans. The first thing you should know about ESPN+ is that it isn't meant to replace the traditional ESPN network but rather is designed to be complementary to it. With the streaming offering, for instance, you won't have access to ESPN's flagship show, SportsCenter. Instead, ESPN+ will have its own original programming, including shows that will focus on news, scores and highlights about specific sports and leagues.
ESPN+ offers a first look at Disney’s big plans for streaming
Disney has been relatively open about its plans to carve out a name for itself in the video-streaming wars, as it readies to compete with the likes of Netflix and Hulu. Although the company isn't launching its flagship service until the end of 2019, we now have an idea of what it might look like. This is where ESPN+, the long-awaited standalone streaming service from Disney-owned ESPN, comes in. The new $5-per-month offering, which launches today featuring both live and on-demand content, is the first service to arrive from the Walt Disney Co.'s direct-to-consumer division.
Netflix orders an adult animated show about terrible cops
In retrospect, Bojack Horseman was a watershed show for Netflix. Its success has led the streaming provider to expand its animated comedy lineup with adult-oriented titles like Big Mouth and Brickleberry, but more are on the way. The team behind the latter are making a new cartoon series for Netlix, Paradise P.D., about a less-than-competent police force.
Spike Lee’s ‘Pass Over’ brings the drama of live theater to Amazon Prime
Despite Spike Lee going over to Netflix to reimagine his classic film She's Gotta Have It as a series, the cinema auteur has deep ties with Amazon. He created its first original film, the musical Chi-Raq, and has another project debuting on the streaming provider later next month: Pass Over, a film-play hybrid.
Google's Movies & TV app can now search dozens of streaming services
In case you haven't noticed there are a lot of streaming video services available. Whether free with a cable subscription or paid, there are an ever-growing list of options for watching your favorite show or movie. Google is making an attempt at dealing with the clutter today through an update to its Play Movies & TV app for Android. Now, when searching for a show or film, Google Play will show all the different places it is available, whether you're signed up for those services or not.
Spielberg doesn’t think Netflix should win Oscars
In an interview, Steven Spielberg stated that content on Netflix should be considered television...and ineligible for Oscars. "Once you commit to a television format, you're a TV movie," he said while chatting to ITV News during a tour promoting his upcoming film Ready Player One.
Hulu snags new series from Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington
Hulu has snagged a new limited series from Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington barely a week after the two tweeted that it was up for grabs. The eight-episode show will adapt and take its title from Celeste Ng's bestselling 2017 book Little Fires Everywhere, a novel about family drama and racial tension in a 1990s suburb outside of Cleveland.
Twitter and Fox Sports have high hopes for their World Cup live show
With the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia just around the corner, right holders to the event are starting to share more details about their coverage plans. And, to no surprise to anyone, social media will play a major role in that. Fox Sports, FIFA's English-language broadcast partner in the US, is going all out on Twitter this year with a partnership that includes a daily, 30-minute live show from Russia and bringing near-live highlights to the platform. Twitter, which has around 330 million active users, has been ramping up its sports efforts in recent years, and it plans to use the upcoming World Cup to showcase the power (and potential) of its platform. Just yesterday, the company announced a three-year deal with Major League Soccer to stream 24 games per season.
Netflix’s real advantage is that it’s a tech company first
Netflix hasn't been coy about its plans to take over Hollywood. The company has already said it could spend up to $8 billion on content this year alone. But, for all the awards House of Cards and Icarus rack up, one of the reasons Netflix has tasted success so rapidly is its streaming technology. That's an area it has been perfecting in-house since 2010, when it became more than a simple mail-order DVD rental shop.
Hulu adds sports features to Live TV just in time for March Madness
Just in time for March Madness, Hulu has added features for its Live TV service keyed specifically to the month-long event. Did you like choosing particular sports during the recent Winter Olympics and having Hulu curate coverage per your interests? They're bringing it back for the basketball finals: Just pick your favorite NCAA men's and women's teams and the service will make sure you never miss their games.
Netflix is bringing video previews to its mobile apps
A year after introducing video previews on its TV experience, Netflix is now planning to bring the feature to its mobile apps. The company announced today this will be rolling out in April, noting that it was developed to help make it easier and faster for users to find content on their smartphone. As you might expect, the execution here looks different: These mobile video previews are vertical, which makes them feel similar to Snapchat or Instagram stories. Once they launch, you'll see a new section dubbed "Previews" when you open the Netflix app, and you'll be able to browse them by swiping left on each one.
