Sony Corporation’s cloud-based TV service is finally here. Dubbed PlayStation Vue, the service is launching in soft beta in November 2014 and will come with 75 networks as content partners.

Sony will initially release the beta (currently invitation-only) to PlayStation console owners in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Philadelphia before introducing it to a larger commercial market in 2015. The service will offer both live and on-demand content, making it a direct competitor to your average cable subscription.

So far, the networks who have signed the partnership deal with Sony include Viacom (who announced the partnership back in September), Scripps Networks Interactive, NBCUniversal, Fox, Discovery Communications, and CBS. This includes all these networks’ subsidiary channels like Discovery’s Animal Planet and Viacom’s MTV. Sony believes it will add more networks in the future.

“Everyday TV is about to become extraordinary with our new cloud‐based TV service, PlayStation Vue,” said Andrew House, president and group CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. “PlayStation Vue reinvents the traditional viewing experience so your programming effortlessly finds you, enabling you to watch much more of what you want and search a lot less.”

Sony Corporation explained Vue users will be able to save their favorite shows to the cloud “without storage restrictions or scheduling conflicts.” Once viewers put a title in the cloud, they will have access to all the show’s episodes for the next 28 days to watch whenever they have the time.

No pricing details have been released yet. However, Sony is confident the Vue service will be “changing the rules for how people pay for subscription TV,” as the service won’t require installation fees, contracts, or hidden extra costs. (CBS is making similar claims with its All-Access service.) The only drawback to Sony’s service? Vue is only accessible through PlayStation 3 and 4 consoles.

So if you’re interested in Sony’s upcoming cloud-based service and don’t own one of those consoles yet, you’d better pick one up. (And while you’re waiting for Vue to hit the market officially, you could binge-watch your favorite web series or YouTuber through PlayStation’s new YouTube app.)

Filed under: Articles, News, Sony by Bree Brouwer
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A 10% month-over-month dip in views couldn’t keep Felix Kjellberg‘s PewDiePie out of its #1 spot on the YouTube Gaming Channels Chart this month. The channel that now boasts more than 32 million subscribers scored nearly 352 million views in October. Stampylonghead is up next in the channel’s now-very-familiar second place position. The UK-based gamer with a penchant for Minecraft saw a slight 3% dip in views on the month, but still racked up more than 183 million views in 31 days.

The Diamond Minecart and Vegetta777 switched spots on the chart this month. TheDiamondMinecart (a channel that’s also based in the UK and also has a penchant for Minecraft) jumped up to third place with almost 155.3 million views, while Vegetta slipped to a very close fourth place with nearly 154.6 million views.

And rounding out the Top 5 once again is the VanossGaming. The Canadian-based channel witnessed a modest 4% decrease in views, but still amassed more than 149.4 million views during the month.

A Closer Look At The Top 10

Our friends over at Tiltify put together a snazzy video with clips from the Top 10 Gaming Channels this month. Check it out for a primer on the kind of content the most viewed gaming channels on YouTube distribute and/or to catch scenes from your favorite channels.

Top Gainers

The honor of one of our Top Gainers this month goes to Call of Duty.

The YouTube home of Activision’s very popular first-person shooter video game saw a healthy 160% month-over-month increase in views thanks to the release of a handful of trailers and teasers (in multiple languages) for its latest title Advanced Warfare. The online video hype for the early November release of the game brought Call Of Duty’s YouTube channel more than 20.1 million views on the month and the #85 spot on the charts.

Channel Distribution

The Top 100 Most Viewed YouTube Gaming Channels this month amassed in aggregate a total of 4,584,468,281 views. Here’s a look at the distribution of those channels broken down by the most-represented YouTube Multi-Channel Networks on the chart:

• Maker Studios: 22 channels in the Top 100, with PewDiePie #1.
• Machinima: 19 channels each in the Top 100, with VanossGaming at #5.
• Fullscreen: 8 channels in the Top 100, with popularmmos at #6.
• BroadbandTV: 7 channels in the Top 100, with fernafloo at #25.
• OmniaMediaCo: 6 channels in the Top 100, with miniminter at #49.
• Divimove: 3 channels in the Top 100, with elrubiusOMG at #13.
• Collective Digital Studios, DEFY Media, IDG, Jetpak, Quizgroup, Rooster Teeth, Wizdeo: 2 channels each in the Top 100, with CDS’ KSIOlajidebtHD at #65, DEFY’s Smosh Games at #22,  IDG’s Gronkh at #33, Jetpak’s Seananners at #19, QuizGroup’s eeoneguy at #31, Rooster Teeth’s Rooster Teeth at #17, and Wizdeo’s aMOODIEsqueezie at #14.

And here’s a look into the distribution of this month’s Top 100 by country of origin:

• United States: 40 channels in the Top 100.
• Great Britain: 18 channels in the Top 100.
• Spain: 7 channels in the Top 100.
• Brazil: 6 channels in the Top 100.
• Canada, Germany, Japan, Ukraine: 4 channels each in the Top 100. 
• France, Russia: 2 channels in the Top 100.
• Chile, El Salvador, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, South Korea, Sweden, Thailand: 1 channel each in the Top 100.

As always, keep up to speed with the latest Tubefilter Charts and all of our news at Tubefilter by following us on Twitter, becoming a fan on Facebook, and watching our videos on YouTube.

OpenSlate is a video content analytics platform that tracks more than 250,000 YouTube video channels and measures their ability to attract, engage and influence an audience. By providing one consistent measure of quality – the SlateScore™ – OpenSlate helps marketers, producers and agencies hone their online video marketing strategy.

Tiltify is the first online platform created to allow gamers to crowdfund for the charity of their choice using their favorite games.

Filed under: Articles, Gamers, Gaming, JackSepticEye, News, statistics, Statistics, YouTube, Youtube Chart by Joshua Cohen
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Paramount Digital Entertainment, the studio that previously provided a pair of hits in Burning Love and The Hotwives of Orlando, has officially released its third reality TV parody. Beef, which stars Christopher Meloni as a deli owner-turned-judge, can now be downloaded from on demand platforms.

Beef, created by Michael Ian Black, Joe Lo Truglio, and Abominable Pictures‘ Jonathan Stern, has Judge Judy in its sights. While Meloni’s satirical take on daytime TV judges is the main attraction, Beef will follow the lead of other Paramount Digital series by loading up on guest appearances. Lizzy Caplan, Stefanie Beatriz, and Reckless Tortuga‘s James Pumphrey are a few of the familiar faces who show up across Beef’s two-and-a-half-hour runtime.

Here’s the series trailer, courtesy of Paramount Digital:

This time around, Paramount Digital is trying something new by opting for a direct release to VOD platforms rather than online streaming sites. You can find Beef on iTunes, where the whole series can be rented for $4.99 or purchased for $10.99.

Filed under: Articles, Featured, News, Paramount Digital Entertainment, Web Series by Sam Gutelle
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Vice Media continues to go beyond its famous news reporting. The media company has partnered with Phoenix-based Live Nation Entertainment to create an ad-supported digital platform for live music programming.

The as-of-yet-unnamed venture will cater to a millenial audience and feature original music programming, including editorials, documentaries, live digital music experiences, and e-commerce and ticket offerings. Audiences will be able to access the content via the web, mobile, and TV, and will be able to view some of the feature-length films in theaters.

“This isn’t the voice of music, this is the voice of live music,” Michael Rapino, CEO of Live Nation, told Variety.

“This partnership rethinks the live music experience, offering unprecedented access to the world’s biggest stars and emerging artists, and groundbreaking content that will be distributed across the holy trinity of mobile, online and TV,” added Vice’s founder and CEO Shane Smith, in the release.

“Today the content world is in upheaval, with new brands being created in real time, and mainstream media seeing its audience migrate in record numbers. It’s this de-stratification of the status quo that we find so exciting because that, combined with the lack of any real quality music programming out there, equals one hell of an opportunity. We think that this partnership will give VICE and Live Nation the unique ability to totally re-imagine music content on a global scale, and if that doesn’t get your rocks off I don’t know what will!”

Variety reports Live Nation, who produces over 23,000 live events a year, was finding it difficult to offer its network of over 800 advertisers and sponsors any valuable content. Rapino said Live Nation considered pricey acquisitions before teaming up with Vice.

“This is a beautiful case where the costs already are in house,” Rapino noted. The digital platform will allow both companies to “fill a hole in the market of great creative in the live music business,” as well as get closer to consumers turning to digital first for their music needs.

On Vice’s end, the media company discovered its audience was interested in both news and music, but its audience wasn’t getting what it wanted from mainstream outlets. “We see [the digital platform] as an opportunity to make groundbreaking content,” Smith explained.

Some of that content is already planned out. Variety reports an original show called Hometown Heroes is in the works, where musicians will return to where they grew up. Additionally, there will be shows focused on making music videos out of live events, with directors like Spike Jonze.

Live Nation and Vice will both contribute resources such as marketing and sales to the venture, as well as split earnings from marketing revenue and brand partnerships. Suspected to arrive sometime in 2015, the digital platform will have its own staff with Smith overseeing creative direction.

Filed under: Articles, News, VICE by Bree Brouwer
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IFC is looking to share some laughs with web viewers. The cable channel has launched Comedy Crib, an online video platform featuring content from UCB Comedy and Above Average.

Comedy Crib, with its box-heavy layout, resembles several other online sites dedicated to comedy video. The most obvious comparison is Funny or Die, but Comedy Crib probably has more in common with CC: Studios, the digital wing of Comedy Central, which also focuses on serial content and ties into a cable channel.

Of course, no one will visit Comedy Crib for its layout and format. Content is king, and thanks to its creative partners, IFC has managed to assemble a pretty strong lineup. There are a pair of scripted web series, Laurie and John and Geoff Are Married, both of which offer ridiculous situations and steady laughs. IFC has also provided a stand-up show of its own, titled Comedy Drop.

The cleverest entry in Comedy Crib’s lineup, however, is Clickbait Overload, a reality series where groups of comedians compete to see who can produce the best viral video during an eight-hour production period. It’s a web series that will surely entertain Clickhole fans.

Three more series, all of which will be produced by Above Average, are set to arrive in early 2015. Comedy Crib “gives fans more of IFC’s slightly off take on comedic web videos,” said Colin Moore, VP of digital content at IFC, in a statement.

IFC has experimented with web content in the past, but Comedy Crib represents the channel’s most concerted effort so far. Check back for a regular supply of fresh laughs.

Filed under: Channels, IFC by Sam Gutelle
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Teens and young adults aren’t the only YouTubers making an impact on consumers. Toy manufacturers have realized many popular video creators are still under the age of 13, and these companies are turning to them as a means of branding.

Understanding what makes toys fun is what these kids have to offer toy companies, reports USA Today. And for a while now, toy manufacturers have treated these children like their own mini-testers, garnering insights by sending young YouTubers toys to review (similar to what makeup lines have been doing for YouTube’s beauty gurus for a while now).

Take Evan, for example. He’s an 8-year-old boy who started the EvanTubeHD YouTube channel with his father because he wanted to connect with friends and put his ideas out there. “I just watched a lot of YouTube,” Evan said to USA Today. “I asked [my father] if we could make a YouTube [channel].”

Evan now has three channels total (including EvanTubeRAW and EvanTubeGaming) and boasts over 1.4 million subscribers across all three. In his videos, he plays with everything from board games to action figures to video games, and his family sometimes joins in on the fun.

But toy manufacturers aren’t restricting themselves to YouTubers with millions of subscribers. They’re also paying attention to people like Audrey and Auto from YouTube channels RadioJH Audrey, RadioJH Auto, and RadioJH Games. The brother-sister duo entertain over 270,000 subscribers across their channels with toy reviews, toy hunts, and “blind box” toy openings.

Additionally, the mother-daughter team from The Mommy and Gracie Show claims over 230,000 subscribers on their channel. They’re a perfect match for doll manufacturers, as the YouTube team specializes in finding and reviewing dolls, both rare and mainstream (mom and daughter call themselves “The Doll Hunters”).

“There’s just something about it being a mother-daughter team that makes it feel like, balanced, and not biased” said 11-year-old Gracie Hunter to USA Today. “Kids have a very different view on things and parents have a very different view on things.”

But some toy companies think there’s far more lucrative opportunities these children from YouTube have to offer. The manufacturers realize these video creators have a massive influence on their audiences, which means one positive endorsement from YouTubers like Evan could determine what’s “hot” during the fast-approaching holiday season. It’s little surprise, then, how many companies are going beyond just sending these reviewers toys in hopes that their products will appear on the reviewers’ YouTube channels. Some toy companies are inking marketing deals with these children YouTubers and their families.

It’s common for some of today’s biggest teen YouTubers to participate in branded entertainment, and as toy companies become aware of young influencers and tech-savvy families start creating online video content, we’ll likely see even more branded entertainment coming from child YouTubers like Evan, Audrey, Auto, and Gracie.

Filed under: Articles, News, YouTube by Bree Brouwer
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As traditional media companies turn more attention to YouTube, a European multi-channel network (MCN) is looking to strengthen its offerings. BuzzMyVideos, a UK-based MCN that partners with content creators from across its home continent, has raised a $2.5 million Series A funding round led by United Ventures.

BuzzMyVideos, led by former YouTube employees Paola Marinone and Bengu Atamer, is looking to become a major player in the MCN space by focusing on European talent. One of its key advantages is BuzzScorecard, an optimization tool that is available in four different languages.

For its Series A round, BuzzMyVideos turned to Marinone’s home country of Italy, where United Ventures is based. “The funding will be used to improve product, add to the team and expand biz dev,” claims a report by TechCrunch.

BuzzMyVideos’ funding round comes at a time when the market value of MCNs is soaring. The most recent nine-digit investment in an MCN came from a European entertainment company, RTL Group, which bought a majority stake in American network Stylehaul. BuzzMyVideos is well aware of this recent trend. “Eyeballs are fast shifting from traditional offline television to online video,” said Marinone. “Production and distribution cycles are changing dramatically and monetisation models are being reinvented.”

The BuzzMyVideos partner network spans more than 5,000 content creators, who collectively claim 15 million subscribers and nearly three billion views. More information about the network can be found on its website.

Filed under: Articles, BuzzMyVideos, Featured, News by Sam Gutelle
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Pitbull and Endemol Beyond are ramping up for two holiday-focused initiatives. The globally-enticing musician will host the live Pitbull’s New Year’s Revolution in Miami for FOX, and Endemol will throw a New Year’s-themed bash at Playlist Live.

Pitbull (who signed with the North American division of Endemol earlier this year) and his production company, Honey I’m Home, are working on the “Revolution” event in partnership with the newly-formed Endemol LIVE division (Pitbull’s party will be the first event under the LIVE banner) and FOX, the network that will broadcast the event. The festivities will feature some of today’s big-name artists and DJs, a countdown to New Year’s, and of course a performance by Streamy ICON-winner Pitbull himself (aka Armando Christian Perez).

“It’s very exciting to bring Endemol, FOX and my new production company, Honey I’m Home, together to create a LIVE New Year’s Eve show,” said Perez on Endemol’s site. “The world needs to get ready to un-mute New Year’s Eve, because we are taking the party from the Big Apple to the Pineapple. New Year’s Eve is officially in Miami and hosted by yours truly, Mr. Worldwide. P.S. Whatever happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, but whatever happens in Miami never happened, Daleee!”

Endemol Beyond USA is bumping up Pitbull’s celebrations by a month and hosting a pre-New Year’s Eve party at Playlist Live on November 22, 2014. According to an Endemol rep, many of Playlist Live’s attendees won’t be able to attend Pitbull’s Miami concert, so the Playlist Live party is a way for them to take part in the celebrations.

Endemol plans to have a midnight countdown, party hats, and more. The company’s rep said in an email, “The place will be completely decked out and feel just like NYE.” Pitbull won’t be able to make an appearance at the Playlist party, (Mr. Worldwide will be on tour) but the company’s planning for some kind of digital appearance. Plus, there’s a shot photos and footage from the festivities may be incorporated into the actual New Years Revolution.

Fans on the ground and online can take part in both Endemol and Pitbull’s New Year’s Eve parties in a digital manner. Endemol hopes to interact directly with fans throughout both evenings. The company’s ramping up for lots of tweets and shares as, according to Endemol’s rep, Pitbull’s Miami-based show will have a “social TV multi-screen engagement.”

Tune in to FOX on Wednesday, December 31 to check out “Pitbull’s New Year’s Revolution.” The show kicks off from 8-10 PM EST, and after a brief interruption from your local news, picks up the celebration again at 11 PM EST to countdown the minutes to 2015.

Filed under: Articles, Endemol Beyond, News by Bree Brouwer
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Aubrey Plaza isn’t sure what to think of Lifetime’s upcoming film Grumpy Cat’s Worst Christmas Ever. The actress and comedienne appeared on Jimmy Kimmel on November 11, 2014, to talk about the film’s production and her voice-over role as the feline internet sensation.

Plaza started off by explaining to Kimmel how Grumpy Cat had a larger entourage and more “rules” than she did. She thought it’d be funny to do a photoshoot with Grumpy Cat in a litter box and herself in a human-sized litter box, but the cat’s agent said Grumpy “wouldn’t be associated with litter boxes or any kind of bodily functions.” This may or may not be be true, but it’s hard to tell through Plaza’s insanely well-delivered dead-pan comedy.

The actress also discussed the movie’s content, saying, “I think [it’s] the most insane thing I’ve ever seen… ever seen on page and ever seen come to life.” She added, “It operates on so many levels of irony I can’t even tap into them all.” She sarcastically joked about how the film “is a gift to America” before telling Kimmel and audience members to get in the right holiday spirit for the flick by drinking “a couple glasses of wine” while viewing.

However, Plaza doesn’t want audiences to overlook the importance of the film despite its eclectic nature. She told Kimmel, “It’s the first internet-meme-turned-movie that has ever happened. It’s a whole new world.” (Note that statement is not entirely accurate. Vice, for instance, teamed up with the equally adorable internet cat sensation Lil Bub in 2013 for a feature-length documentary dubbed Lil Bub and Friendz.)

Ultimately, Plaza said she hopes she “doesn’t let people down” (despite the trailer receiving over 5,300 dislikes within three days of launch). Grab those glasses of alcoholic eggnog and tune in to Lifetime on November 29 at 8 PM EST to decide for yourself if Plaza properly emulates Grumpy Cat’s notoriously-crotchety attitude.

Filed under: Articles, Grumpy Cat, News by Bree Brouwer
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As it turns out, YouTube’s deal with the Merlin Network’s indie labels wasn’t just a big step toward the launch of its streaming music service; it was the final obstacle that needed to be cleared before the product could go public. YouTube has announced YouTube Music Key, a streaming service that gives listeners and viewers on demand access to their favorite songs.

YouTube Music Key was conceived as a way to harness YouTube’s massive music collection and use it to challenge existing services like Spotify. The platform’s development was plagued by numerous delays and controversies, but it is now here, and an introductory blog post gives us a good idea of how it will work. Essentially, visitors to the browser and mobile app versions of YouTube will find a separate section dedicated to music, where they can stream playlists and catch new videos from the music channels they subscribe to.

Another essential element of YouTube Music Key is a feature that will allow users to stream entire albums from a single playlist. “If a song exists in this world, you can probably find it on YouTube,” reads the blog post. “But until today you couldn’t easily find and play full albums. In the coming days, you’ll be able to see an artist’s discography on YouTube, and play a full album with both their official music videos and high-quality songs our music partners added to YouTube.”

As expected, YouTube Music Key will have two tiers. All users will have access to a free service that includes all of the features listed above. At the same time, users who pay $7.99/month (a discounted rate that will ultimately jump up to $9.99/month) will unlock many other features, including ad-free streaming, offline playback, and a subscription to Google Play Music. This premium offering is a departure for YouTube, which has rarely strayed from its ad-based revenue model (though it may soon launch an ad-free service for the entire YouTube site).

YouTube Music Key will be initially available in United States, United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Ireland and Finland. If you live in one of those countries, sign up here to receive updates on the service’s status.

Filed under: Articles, Featured, News, YouTube, YouTube Music Key by Sam Gutelle
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The online masses know Justine Ezarik (aka iJustine) wouldn’t be the same without the Internet at her fingertips. Now the social media star wants to use her electronic know-how to teach older adults how to use technology in “Grandparents Gone Wired”.

The campaign is a joint effort between Ezarik, DoSomething.org, and the Mentor Up initiative of the AARP Foundation. “Grandparents Gone Wired” is an annual campaign in its second year that encourages teens to teach seniors in their local communities about electronics and current tech trends (like smartphones, email, video chat, and social media) so those seniors can become technologically independent and stay connected to their loved ones.

For 2014, Ezarik joined the two organizations’ push for older adult tech education (which is more than a fitting match for the geek gal who’s currently the host of her own show Hardwired on AOL). As part of her partnership with DoSomething.org and Mentor Up, iJustine filmed a promotional public service announcement. In it, she plays the superhero-ish character “The Great Update,” whose only power is the ability to update outdated tech into shiny, brand-spanking-new technology.

“I can’t imagine going one day without using the Internet to stay connected with friends and family,” said Ezarik in the release. “I love working with DoSomething.org and Mentor Up for ‘Grandparents Gone Wired’ because young people are the perfect tech teachers and using the Internet to stay in touch is second nature for them.”

DoSomething.org cites a study from The Journal of Gerontology which found internet use reduces the risk of depression in adults over the age of 65 by 34%. DoSomething.org figured if almost all 18-29 year-olds use the internet (98%), then they should do their best to make life better for older adults who are less likely to hop online (only 56% of them do so).

“This year, we expect a lot of Instagram(ma) #tbt pics, senior Snapchat stories, and some great throwback playlists on Spotify,” said Naomi Hirabayashi, Chief Marketing Officer at DoSomething.org, in the release. “This campaign lets young people share a skill that’s such a huge part of their lives to help improve the lives of older adults.”

“Grandparents Gone Wild” launches on November 12, 2014, and runs through January 4, 2015. Visit DoSomething.org/Grandparents if you’d like to sign up, and make sure to share a picture of yourself helping an older adult learn new tech for your chance to win a $10,000 scholarship.

Filed under: Articles, iJustine, News by Bree Brouwer
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Nearly one year after the original launch date of YouTube Music Key, the streaming service has scored a major breakthrough. The long-delayed platform, which give users easy access to YouTube collection of music videos, has reportedly partnered with thousands of indie labels represented by rights group Merlin.

The report comes from The Financial Times, which claims the deal was signed within the last couple of days. By agreeing with indie labels, YouTube has cleared a huge roadblock. In May, a company that represents indie labels accused YouTube of strong-arming smaller distributors into signing unfavorable deals. That dispute came to a head in June, when YouTube reportedly threatened to block ad revenue on the YouTube videos managed by labels that wouldn’t agree to music service’s terms.

As this controversy raged, YouTube claimed to have already struck deals with 95% of labels, and by teaming with Merlin, it seems to have cleaned up a lot of the remaining 5%. Merlin, based in the UK and the Netherlands, represents more than 120,000 distributors worldwide.

This announcement is the latest in a series of positive turns related to YouTube Music Key, which was first announced in March 2013 and suffered a series of delays and setbacks throughout 2014. YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki recently claimed the service is set to arrive “soon,” and YouTube also shut down its Disco feature, indicating it may have bigger plans in its near future. Now, with even more music on board, the product’s launch seems as close as ever. We’re waiting with open ears.

Filed under: Articles, Featured, News, YouTube, YouTube Music Key by Sam Gutelle
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