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EchoStar's Digital Cinema; ivi TV v. Broadcasters & More
22 Sep 2010 - 13:38
Industry News
Partnerships & Deals:
EchoStar and Deluxe Digital Cinema have a new deal to create an advanced digital cinema satellite distribution network for digitally equipped theaters in the U.S. and Canada. Under the banner Deluxe/EchoStar LLC, the duo plans to deliver traditional 2D and 3D feature films, live events, special content, and other programming developed specifically for digitally equipped theaters. --- CBS is all over Yahoo! this week seeking to lure webizens to its fall shows. Says a co-worker, "Think attack of NCIS!" --- Digital Revolution Studios and Wild Eyes Productions have teamed to create DRS-Wild Eyes creating 3D documentary and docu-reality productions for the home market. -- MTV is teaming with Calvin Klien Jeans for in an international drawing offering VIP treatment at the 2010 MTV EMAs in Madrid. --- Internet Brands' suite of websites sold to private equity group Hellman & Friedman for $640M in cash.
Markets: Collins Stewart's Tom Eagan sees Liberty's reattribution of Starz Media assets to the LSTZA stock as "the latest step" in the direction of spinning Starz into an asset-based stock. On the strength of that, plus good odds of a renewed Netflix deal in the $1.2B range, Eagan has upped his target from $69 to $75.
ivi TV v. Broadcasters: Here's a no-brainer battle: Upon news that online TV start-up ivi TV was streaming live content to internet subscribers for $4.99/month, the broadcasters (including NBC, CBS, CW, Disney, Fox, the MLB etc) fired off some cease-and-desist letters. Now ivi TV has fired back with a preemptive lawsuit saying it is protected by U.S. copyright law. Write the lawyers (presumably with straight faces): "The Copyright Act expressly authorizes secondary transmissions of copyrighted works embodied in primary transmissions." No word about that small item known as "retransmission consent" to say nothing of retransmission fees ... which might apply only to MVPDs ... or not.
Programming & Online: Up-and-comer Univision has relaunched all of its 72 online, mobile TV and radio websites in the top 20 Hispanic markets. -- Australia's Foxtel says it will launch that country's first dedicated 3D channel in early November. --- SatLink is streaming the world's first -ever live HD underwater broadcast from the Red Sea to Photokina 2010 Germany, ongoing this week.
Lawsuits: Discovery is suing "Deadliest Catch" stars Jonathan and Andy Hillstrand for breach of contract. The duo allegedly failed to follow through on "Hillstranded," a follow-up project.
OTT: Add Microsoft to the "three screen" OTT crowd. According to the Financial Times, the software giant plans a music and movie service for its games console, PCs and mobile phones.
as seen on skyreport
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