Tag Archives: Europe

French, Italian State Broadcasters Join Forces to Counter U.S. Streaming Giants

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The agreement between France Televisions and [Italy’s] RAI is unusual if not unprecedented because the two prominent pubcasters will develop content together through an ongoing active collaboration between their respective production departments and also single networks. Details about how much each broadcaster will be investing were not disclosed. – Nick Vivarelli, Variety http://ift.tt/2rRIFAe

Europe’s top court rules that ISPs should block The Pirate Bay

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While judges accepted that content submitted to The Pirate Bay is placed online by users and that it doesn’t physically host illegal media, they did say that it does “play an essential role in making those works available.” Because the site’s operators index files, provide a search engine and categorize content, users are quickly able to locate the files they wish to download. – Matt Brian, Engadget http://engt.co/2rh4CEo

EU approves plans forcing Facebook and YouTube to act on hate speech

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Interestingly, the same proposals that were approved in a bid to help protect EU citizens also have a clause about European representation on video streaming services. If passed, the new laws would demand that streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video hit a content quota, ensuring 30 percent of their video catalog consists of European films and TV shows. Even more surprisingly, the law would also mean that video streaming companies have to help fund the production of shows and movies in the EU countries they operate in. Given the whole Cannes Netflix debacle, we’re sure that France will be very keen to get this law passed. – Tom Regan, Engadget http://engt.co/2qh9c57

Netflix will be bound by European content rules

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photo: Broadband TV News

Currently European TV broadcasters invest around 20% of their revenues in original content, compared to less than 1% for on demand providers. The Commission wants TV broadcasters to continue to dedicate at least half of viewing time to European works and will oblige on-demand providers to ensure at least 20% share of European content in their catalogues. At the same time the new Directive clarifies rules that allow member states to ask on demand services available in their country to contribute financially to Europeans works. – Julian Clover, Broadband TV News

Fox to Air ‘Outcast’ Debut Episode on Facebook in Europe and Africa

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photo: Cinemax, Variety

Fox is set to become the first broadcaster in Europe and Africa to showcase a new drama on Facebook Live. On Friday, episode one of horror story “Outcast,” created by “The Walking Dead’s” Robert Kirkman, will debut exclusively through Facebook Live across the region. The episode will be seen simultaneously in 61 countries, including in the U.K., Italy, Spain, Poland, South Africa, Germany, Sweden and Turkey. The pilot will give fans their first taste of the thriller before its series bow the week of June 3 on Fox across the region. Fox will show every episode of “Outcast” weekly across the globe within hours of the U.S. transmission on Cinemax. – Leo Barraclough, Variety

Netflix tax plan on video streaming services coming soon to EU—report

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photo: Netflix, Ars Technica

According to a 32-page draft of the Audiovisual Media Services Directive obtained by Politico, European Union member states would be able to “impose financial contributions [direct investments or levies allocated to national film funds] to on-demand services in their jurisdictions.” In addition, the European Commission hopes to see 20 percent of on-demand video streaming services’ catalogues offered within the EU deriving from European productions. – Glyn Moody, Ars Technica

Germany plans to remove owner liability for piracy on open Wi-Fi hotspots—report

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photo: MField/Wiki, Ars Technica

The country’s coalition government has agreed to change the “Störerhaftung” law, which has led to many people receiving fines for piracy carried out by others using their Wi-Fi connections. The aim is to bring changes in quickly, with a new law coming into force this autumn. Der Spiegel says that both individuals, and businesses offering Wi-Fi as an ancillary service, will be covered by the new exemption. This would represent a dramatic change from the present situation, which has resulted in far fewer open Wi-Fi networks in Germany compared to other countries, according to the report. – Glyn Moody, Ars Technica

HD still driving European channel growth

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photo: Broadband TV News

The European Audiovisual Observatory’s MAVISE database says as of 2015 there were 5,370 available channels, excluding local channels and windows. High Definition accounted for 57% of the net channel increase over the six-year period. Other genres with significant net channel growth in the same time period were sport (11% of the total net increase) and entertainment channels (6% of the total net increase). – Julian Clover, Broadband TV News

OTT video is growing in Europe

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photo: Parks Associates, Broadband TV News

OTT video usage in Western Europe is continuing to expand, with 55% of UK broadband households and 51% in France watching TV programming and movies online, compared to 70% in the US. However, the number of paid subscriptions in Europe is significantly lower, where 30% of broadband households in the UK and 17% in France subscribe to OTT video, compared to 64% of US broadband households. These figures are from Parks Associates Research in their latest OTT Video Market Tracker Service Update. – Broadband TV News
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