Filed under: ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA
ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA
Amazon.com is entering an agreement to buy Audible, a provider of digital audiobooks, in a deal valued at about $300 million. Audible’s 80,000 programs, including audiobooks from authors such as Stephen King, are expected to complement Amazon’s growing digital music store. (http://www.reuters.com/article/innovationNews/idUSN3129158120080131 1/31)
Amazon earnings just came out. The company had a strong fourth quarter, with revenues up 42 percent to $5.7 billion, net income doubling to $207 million, and free cash flow doubling as well to $1.4 billion. On the earnings call, there is a lot of concern among analysts about margin pressure next year. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/01/30/amazon-earnings-call-details-web-services-use-up-more-bandwidth-than-amazoncom-the-kindle-is-a-hit 1/30)
Yahoo, which is losing market share to Google, may be ripe for takeover following a 38% drop in its stock price in the past three months, analysts say. An acquisition by Microsoft would create “a formidable second player.” Also, “a traditional media company may want to take a shot.” (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601204&sid=aT3UbTUn_0Os 1/30)
Sci Fi Channel has ordered 13 episodes of “Sanctuary,” a drama series starring Amanda Tapping. The show began as a high-definition Web series and, according to this report, will become the first TV program to use live actors with virtual, computer-generated sets. (The Hollywood Reporter 1/31)
Click the image below to watch the webisodes.
MGM launched an American Gladiators broadband site today featuring sparkling new re-digitized footage from the original competition show that aired in syndication from 1989-1996. Clips from the camp classic like this interview with the Jeff Spicoliesque “Malibu” have been racking up thousands of views on YouTube.
I forgot how much I dig muscular dudes in star-covered spandex shorts. Good times.
Local station technology solutions provider TitanTV has transformed itself into a full service online video platform, offering stations daily video content affiliates can stream and sell to on their local sites. Stations can link to a VOD portal featuring short-form original shows like Titan Greens, offering environmental news with a pop cultural twist or RevYou, a weekly man-on-the street movie commentary show that interviews moviegoers as they come out of the theater. TitanTV also relaunched its listings grid, adding daily video recommendations.
Several Web properties are experiencing growth in unique visitors. Craigslist is continuing to build on the shift from newspaper to online classifieds. Only Wikipedia, Facebook, Glam Media, and a pair of broadband providers outdrew Craigslist’s 24.4 million uniques in December. (http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2008/01/30/facebook-craigslist-gained-big-in-2007 1/30)
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