Here are the editor's top picks for the week.
ESPN head: Direct-to-consumer service will help us 'thrive in the future'
John Skipper, ESPN (US) president and co-chairman of Walt Disney Co.-owned Disney Media Networks, said the upcoming launch of the sports programmer's direct-to-consumer offering will provide it with flexibility as business models and consumer consumption patterns continue to evolve. Speaking during a keynote conversation at the 2017 Sports Video Group Summit, Skipper said the move will allow ESPN to "thrive in the future" no matter how the business evolves.
Diversity Spotlight: TV programmers seek varied voices to help shape content
TV programmers seeking to engage a diverse audience of viewers in the U.S. and abroad are leveraging a variety of programs and organizations to attract, retain and promote women and people of color. These programs range from internal groups representative of employees of a range of ethnic and other backgrounds to university and employee networking initiatives intended to connect with new and up-and-coming talent. Some also serve as focus groups as the companies seek feedback on the type of content that best connects with the diverse communities and audiences they serve.
Layer3 deal puts T-Mobile at center of digital TV competition: news analysis
Adding to a trend of mergers between telecom and video providers, T-Mobile US Inc. intends to purchase internet TV company Layer3 TV Inc. While few details are available about an offering from the companies that T-Mobile CEO John Legere promises would "bring together the best of home and mobile" video, experts generally expect a highly competitive strategy from the combined entity.
UK media watchdog primed to regulate Facebook, Twitter, YouTube
British media watchdog Ofcom is prepared to regulate internet companies including Facebook Inc., Twitter Inc. and Alphabet Inc.'s YouTube amid calls for a level playing field in obligations between social media platforms and traditional media publishers, Ofcom's newly appointed chairman, Lord Burns, has said. Speaking Dec. 13 in a meeting with the U.K. parliament's Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, the former chairman of Channel 4 said it would make sense for Ofcom to moderate content on social platforms, should it be required by parliament.
Millennials provide ESPN with total live audience boost in total day, prime time
Boosted by strong numbers among millennials, ESPN recorded a double-digit rise across total-day and prime-time viewership under a recently adopted metric incorporating linear, streaming and out-of-home watching. During the seven-week period, spanning Sept. 25 through Nov. 12, ESPN tallied 14% more audience when streaming and out-of-home watching were added to viewing from cable, satellite and telco set-top boxes, as well as virtual programming distributors, according to data stemming from Nielsen Holdings' Total Audience Measurement framework.
