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ESPN+ was already an insane deal, now it has the Bundesliga
The dust had just settled from Bayern Munich's 7-2 thumping of Tottenham when ESPN made arguably its biggest ESPN+ announcement to date. Starting with the 2020 season, ESPN+ will be the home of the Bundesliga in the US and fans will be able to stream every regular season match, plus the DFL Supercup, relegation playoffs and more. The standalone streaming service already offered a lot of soccer, now it's quickly becoming the best option for following the sport. And it still, miraculously, only costs $5 a month.
Apple TV+ launches November 1st for $4.99 a month
Apple's upcoming video streaming service, which will be known as Apple TV+, is launching on November 1st for $4.99 per month. CEO Tim Cook made the announcement during the company's 2019 iPhone event, where he also revealed that people who buy an Apple TV, Mac, iPhone or iPad (starting today) will get a free one-year subscription to the service. Apple has spent the past few months teasing the original series that will be on Apple TV+, including For All Mankind, The Morning Show and Dickinson. And Cook revealed another one on stage today: See, a drama starring Jason Momoa that's set in a world 600 years into the future where humans have no sight.
Plex will stream free, ad-supported Warner Bros. movies and TV shows
While Plex mainly focuses on allowing users to set up a streaming server for their own media files, the company has also ventured into other features such as live TV, podcasts and integration with other streaming services. Their latest move will add an on-demand library of ad-supported Warner Bros. movies and TV series.
Disney says 'quality over quantity' gives it a streaming advantage
The Disney+ Showcase at the D23 Expo started with a live performance from the cast of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. And that wasn't just about getting the crowd fired up. For Disney, it was an opportunity to give its biggest fans a taste of one of the original shows that will anchor its upcoming streaming service, Disney+. High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, along with other originals like The Mandalorian and blockbuster movies such as Captain Marvel, are a key part of how Disney hopes to lure people into signing up for Disney+, which launches November 12th for $6.99 per month. From Pixar to Marvel, to Star Wars and National Geographic, Disney is betting on the power of the brands it owns to make its streaming efforts a success -- and, at D23, the company made it clear that it's going to get as much as it can out of them to help it get there.
Watch the first trailer for Disney's 'The Mandalorian'
Disney has revealed the first trailer for its long-awaited Star Wars original series, The Mandalorian. At the D23 Expo, creator Jon Favreau took the stage to reveal footage of the upcoming show, which will debut exclusively on Disney+ November 12th, the day the streaming service is set to launch. In the trailer you can see The Mandalorian himself, a lone gunfighter, wandering around the outer reaches of the galaxy. Favreau says there's absolutely no authority from the New Republic wherever The Mandalorian goes, and this trailer makes it clear just how far he'll go to handle anyone who does him wrong. Heck, you can see him cutting someone in half with blast doors.
A first look at Disney+
Disney isn't holding anything back at its D23 Expo. The company kicked off the event on Thursday with a couple of major reveals, including that of its new Avenger Campus theme park and a Disney+ docu-series that will focus on the people behind its movies and parks. And that was only the beginning. Today, Disney shared additional details about its highly anticipated streaming service, Disney+, which is set to launch on November 12th for $6.99 per month. For starters, Disney has confirmed the service will have more than 500 feature films and over 7,500 show episodes at launch, including new original series like The Mandalorian, blockbuster hits such as Captain Marvel, classics like The Simpsons and the entire Pixar library.
Disney+ will have apps for iOS, Apple TV, Android and Xbox One
The debut of Disney's highly anticipated streaming service, Disney+, is almost here. But, leading up to the November 12th launch date, the company is starting to share more details about it. Today we're learning about how you'll be able to watch content on Disney+, which includes new original series like The Mandalorian, every season of The Simpsons and Disney's entire movie library. And while we knew Disney was planning to bring Disney+ to "your favorite" smart TVs, phones, laptops, tablets and gaming consoles, the only devices it had actually named were Roku and Sony's Playstation 4. Now, in addition to those, Disney's making it official that Disney+ will support iOS, Apple TV, Android, Android TV, Google Chromecast and Xbox One at launch.
CBS All Access is coming to Apple TV Channels next week
Apple cordcutters will soon have an easier way to manage their CBS subscription, as the CBS All Access streaming service is arriving on Apple TV Channels on July 29th. CBS announced the launch on Twitter, as spotted by 9to5Mac.
Recommended Reading: Apple's ambitious TV plan
Can Apple hack it in Hollywood? We talk to the man behind Apple TV+ Stuart McGurk, GQ UK Apple officially revealed it's TV streaming service in March, but it won't debut for the masses until this fall. There have been all kinds of reports swirling about content, including reports that Apple executives were micromanaging creative direction. GQ sat down with senior vice president of Internet Software and Services Eddy Cue to find out more about TV+, and get some clarity on a few of those rumors.
WarnerMedia may stream show debuts before they reach TV
AT&T's WarnerMedia may debut new episodes of popular shows on its upcoming streaming service, right before they hit cable. Sources told The Information that WarnerMedia wants to prioritize its streaming service going forward. Given the shift in media consumption towards streaming platforms, it's likely a strategic move on Warner's part. WarnerMedia did not respond to Engadget's request for confirmation of the news.
Academy says streamed films are still in the Oscars race
Hollywood's biggest prize will still be open to streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences voted on Tuesday night to not change rules on Oscar eligibility. Any feature-length film on a streaming platform can be eligible for an Academy Award, as long as it also screens in a theater in Los Angeles for at least seven days.
A 'Monsters, Inc.' spinoff series is coming to Disney+
With Marvel and Star Wars shows in the bag, Disney+ is turning to Pixar's Monsters, Inc. for its next spinoff series. Monsters At Work will delve into the inner workings of Monstropolis, a city powered by children's chuckles. Billy Crystal and John Goodman are set to reprise their roles as best pals Mike and Sully, alongside new voice cast members Ben Feldman, Kelly Marie Tran, Henry Winkler and Lucas Neff.
Epix Now streaming service expands to Roku and Amazon Fire TV
Last month, the MGM network Epix launched a standalone video streaming service called Epix Now. Initially, it was available on Apple TV, Android and iOS. But as of today, it's also available on Roku and Amazon Fire TV, too. This will give more customers access to the network's four live channels, original shows and movies. The expansion will also help Epix Now secure a better foothold in the living room, where Roku and Amazon Fire TV have a stronghold.
Watch Google's GDC 2019 event in 14 minutes
Earlier today at GDC 2019, Google officially revealed Stadia, a game-streaming service that will be available later this year in US, Canada, the UK and Europe. There's a lot Google didn't cover -- like pricing and an exact launch date -- but the company did show off a custom-built controller for the service that has a dedicated button for Google Assistant. It also demoed fancy style transfer tech that can use AI to change the look of a game in real time. Don't rely on my terse summary though, we've condensed all the highlights down to a 14-minute clip to get you caught up in a flash. And be sure to follow all of the latest news from GDC in San Francisco right here.
Luminary Media is launching a star-studded paid podcast network
Luminary Media wants to find out just how much people will pay for podcasts. The company has rounded up more than 40 big-name creators with the intention of launching a subscription-based podcast network. The service -- which is set to launch in June, according to the New York Times -- will offer a Hulu-style model. Listeners will be able to stream nonexclusive content for free or pay $8 per month for an ad-free experience with access to shows only available through Luminary.
Hulu snaps up award-winning social media influencer documentary
Streaming services have been snapping up Sundance hits left and right -- Amazon even spent over $40 million to grab a handful of titles from the festival, including One Child Nation and The Report. Now, Hulu has announced that it has secured the rights for the Liza Mandelup-directed documentary Jawline, which won Sundance's Special Jury Prize for Emerging Filmmaker.
Apple Music vs. the competition: A streaming music cheat sheet
The past few years have seen a shift from owning music to accessing as much as you want on various streaming services. Why pay $9.99 for a new album each month when you can get a firehose of content for the same price? Now Apple looks to get in on the action with its newest offering, Apple Music. They made a big splash with the introduction of the iTunes store in 2003 but here in 2015 there's a lot more competition for your listening attention. Does Apple Music have what it takes to stand out from its more established rivals? We've stacked up some of the bigger names to see which one can give you the most for your money.
Lionsgate and Tribeca are launching a video-streaming service
There's no doubt that video on demand is about to go through its own gold rush era. From giant TV networks like CBS to wireless providers such as Rogers, it looks as if everyone wants to join the fun before it's too late. Taking note of this, film studio Lionsgate and Tribeca Enterprises, the media company behind the Tribeca Film Festival, announced today they are teaming up on a new, subscription-based video-streaming platform. The service will be known as Tribeca Short List and is slated to launch sometime during the first half of 2015. You can expect a "prestigious selection" of movie content from Lionsgate, which will be curated by Tribeca with help from "leading voices in contemporary culture."
Deezer's redesigned its web interface to look more like a tablet app
Excited to take advantage of Deezer's ad-free desktop streaming, but prefer the look of the service's tablet app? You're in luck: the company just gave its web interface a visual overhaul, conveniently inspired by its own tablet interface. The new design puts music discovery front and center, replacing the current header with a prompt for Flow, the service's recommendation engine. The updated UI also redesigns the sidebar to grant faster access to Deezer's basic features and adds more feedback options for for liking or disliking suggested music. Interested? Log in to your Deezer account and check it out --the new look should be live today.
Deezer gets rid of paid music streaming plans on the desktop
Sure, PCs aren't going anywhere anytime soon. But there's no denying people nowadays also prefer to listen to music on a smartphone, tablet and even a gaming console, not just their laptop or desktop. So, taking a cue from rival Spotify, streaming service Deezer is now prepared to stop charging users for its web-only, ad-free listening experience. Earlier today, Deezer confirmed this to The Next Web, stating that its Premium desktop place was no longer required because "listeners needs have changed." As a result, Deezer's service will only offer two options going forward -- one of which is free with ads and usage caps, the other being a £10-per-month, unlimited and ad-free plan. The obvious winner: users. Thanks to this, you can stream tunes on your computer free of charge, so long as you're willing to deal with pitches from companies here and there.
