Apple: Original Programming

Original content -- another reason to have a better delivery system. 

I think that the Mobile Phone companies are the best place to watch for this reason. They are going to use ad-supported free content, and the bigger and more shared the screen (and more often) the better. 

In my opinion, services like Go90 from Verizon, and BingeOn from T-Mobile are what to watch. 


Business Insider

The California-based technology giant is reportedly planning to bundle original video content with its Apple Music subscription service by the end of 2017.

It has apparently been talking to "veteran producers" about both original TV shows and movies — though the movie plans are reportedly more "preliminary." Apple has already shown some appetite for original video content — it bought the "Carpool Karaoke" TV series starring James Corden in July. But this would be a significant broadening of these ambitions.

***

Historically, Apple has been all about "hits" — launching huge, revolutionary products that provide a major boost to the company (in theory). But with the exception of the Apple Watch, it hasn't launched a significant new product since Tim Cook became CEO in 2011, and sales growth of iPhones — on which the company is highly reliant — is slowing.

Subscription services offer Apple an opportunity to generate recurring revenue and better monetise its existing user base.

Even if Apple isn't immediately seeking to go head-to-head with the likes of Netflix and Amazon, it would still be a development of concern to the two subscription services. Apple enjoys enormous profits and has huge cash reserves — and is under increasing pressure to find new growth. If it develops the will to go all-in on original content, it has the resources to outspend anyone else in the market.

A HUGE new way to watch NETFLIX

Just in time for the arrival of Picobit... got an e-mail announcement today.

Downloaded and saved content... 

The ecosystem for PicoP success just got a LOT better

So, check out the LibraTone, another interesting company and device to watch. This wouldn't have caught my attention much, except that it claims streaming of YouTube, Amazon, and Particularly Netflix.

I can see streaming YouTube on a speaker for some music, but I see little reason at all to stream Netflix without images coming along too. 

Given the recently released Microvision video (below) this may be another place to watch.

LibraTone

Changes coming at Netflix

So, what Netflix NEEDS is a way to provide more content -- because we have a huge appetite for it -- or to come up with some other revenue stream.

They need to grow their subscriber base continually - or be bought out -- or find a way to leverage what they have to generate a new revenue stream.

They could surprise people who are looking at the old paradigms and come up with an ad-supported version of mobile delivery. 

TechCrunch   (More at the source)

Yes, all of us are Netflix users – and that “us” is increasingly global. We all happily shell out our low monthly fee without even thinking about it. Netflix is killing it, right?

But, that strength of reach and easy subscriptions is also its fundamental Achilles heel. Those subscriptions – that content — alone drive its business model. That’s it. No diversification.

So, in order to be long-term profitable and survive, Netflix must continue to acquire massive numbers of new customers, retain those that it has, and do it in a way that keeps its subscriptions at a low price we are conditioned to pay. Amidst the endless array of competing SVOD services worldwide, however, that will be harder and harder to do. Its growth both in the U.S. and overseas has already raised red flags.

That means continuously “feeding the beast” — our voracious demand and expectation for new compelling premium A-list-driven content. That’s why Netflix’s Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos just recently announced that its goal is for 50% of its content to be originals in the next couple years. Netflix has no choice.

But, that beast is increasingly expensive to feed (especially at that scale). Those costs will only skyrocket moving forward, as the expanded playing field of SVOD competitors fight for access to a limited supply of A-list marquee talent they too hope will attract new customers (and keep them there). Netflix’s Originals-only formula — that singular model — is not sustainable long-term for a company of Netflix’s size.