As it does each December, YouTube has looked back at its biggest hits of the year, and in 2015, a dancing teenager stole the show. According to the video site, the top trending video of the past 12 months was the music video for “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae),” starring 17-year-old pop star Silentó.

The “Watch Me” video was always destined for digital greatness. It references other dance crazes that previously took YouTube by storm, such as the “Crank Dat” dance and the “Stanky Legg.” It also incorporated clips from the DanceOn network, which encouraged its partners to submit their own versions of the “Watch Me” dance routine. The result was a viral phenomenon; the main “Watch Me” video has more than 460 million views, and other renditions of the song have rolled up huge view counts of their own.

The rest of 2015’s top ten trending videos are a mixed bag. Music figures in half of the videos, three different late night TV programs crack the list, and a few homegrown YouTube stars–such as Roman Atwood and The Slow Mo Guys–show up as well. Here, courtesy of YouTube, is the official ranking, as well as a playlist featuring all the top videos.

1. Silento- Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae) #WatchMeDanceOn

2. Clash of Clans: Revenge (Official Super Bowl TV Commercial)

3. Crazy Plastic Ball PRANK!!

4. Love Has No Labels | Diversity & Inclusion | Ad Council

5. Lip Sync Battle with Will Ferrell, Kevin Hart and Jimmy Fallon

6. Justin Bieber Carpool Karaoke

7. 6ft Man in 6ft Giant Water Balloon – 4K – The Slow Mo Guys

8. Golden boy Calum Scott hits the right note | Audition Week 1 | Britain’s Got Talent 2015

9. Dover Police DashCam Confessional (Shake it Off)

10. Mean Tweets – President Obama Edition

YouTube also dove into its end-of-year data by revealing the most-viewed videos within specific categories. Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth’s “See You Again,” which went from zero to one billion in 2015, was the year’s most viewed music video. In the world of gaming, a Clash of Clans commercial and Corridor Digital’s “Real GTA” video topped the list.

Trending videos, however, aren’t just for YouTube to uncover; the video site wants its viewers to keep discovering them, too. To that end, it announced a new “trending tab” that will allow users to see the hottest videos on YouTube during any particular moment. Look for it starting today on the YouTube homepage, and prepare to discover the videos everyone else is talking about.

Filed under: Articles, Featured, News, YouTube by Sam Gutelle
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Thanks to groundbreaking shows House of Cards and Orange is the New Black and recent hits like Master of None and Jessica Jones, Netflix has built a library of original programs that, more often than not, receive critical acclaim and drive cultural conversation.

Given the popularity and influence of Netflix’s shows, it comes as no surprise that the streaming video platform plans to expand its output in 2016. According to its Chief Content Officer, Ted Sarandos, who spoke at the UBS Media Conference in New York, 31 Netflix original series are planned for 2016, compared to the 15 that saw release this year.

New seasons of existing series will form the backbone of Netflix’s original content plans in 2016. From there, the service’s library will be buttressed by the release of several high-profile shows, such as Judd Apatow’s Love, Baz Luhrmann’s The Get Down, and Full House reboot Fuller House. Additional as-of-yet-unannounced series could also be added to the Netflix slate at later dates.

Netflix’s aspirations will continue to take it beyond serial programming as well; it plans to roll out 10 feature films, about a dozen documentaries, and 10 comedy specials, according to NBC News. Clearly, 2016 will be another very busy year for Netflix–and we’ll be right here to cover all of the platform’s programs as they unfold.

Filed under: Articles, Featured, Netflix, News by Sam Gutelle
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Mashable will no longer be known solely for distributing news articles, short-form videos, and very well-done Vines. The media brand teamed with distribution company FilmBuff to release the documentary CodeGirl exclusively on Mashable’s digital platforms starting January 6, 2016.

Written and directed by documentary producer Lesley Chilcott (An Inconvenient Truth, Waiting for “Superman”), CodeGirl follows various teams of high school girls around the world working to make their communities better through technology. The teams are also competing to win $10,000 and an official public release of their home-built apps to audiences at the international Technovation Challenge. Mashable and FilmBuff will release CodeGirl on the media brand’s site and via its Apple TV app. Mashable will also create and distribute original videos promoting the documentary and its content to over 26 million followers across its digital platforms.

“Mashable is proud to be partnering with FilmBuff to distribute and promote our first full length feature film, and we couldn’t think of a more fitting project to do that with than CodeGirl,” said Adam Ostrow, Mashable’s Chief Strategy Officer, in a release. “The story is a significant one for our audience and our industry, and we’re excited to share it across all of our platforms, including our Apple TV app. We believe delivering premium long form video content on over the top platforms like Apple TV represents an important part to our distribution strategy going forward.”

“We are delighted that Mashable had chosen CodeGirl to be their first foray into long form video,” added Janet Brown, CEO of FilmBuff. “The film’s focus on increasing the number of women in technology speaks to a very timely issue in the tech world and Mashable is the ideal partner to connect with that audience.”

While Mashable can now claim exclusive distribution rights to CodeGirl, the documentary previously had a home on another digital platform. YouTube made CodeGirl freely available on its site for the first five days of November 2015. At that time, YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki noted in a blog post her company wanted to host the documentary to “inspire more girls around the world to pursue their passions in tech.”

You can catch CodeGirl on Mashable’s digital platforms, including its official Apple TV app, starting January 6.

Filed under: Articles, Mashable, News by Bree Brouwer
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Interlude is raising a serious amount of cash. The interactive video company has announced a funding round worth $18.2 million; Notable participants include major media companies like MGM, Warner Music, and Samsung.

The funding round, which also includes contributions from previous investors Sequoia Capital and Intel Capital, will allow Interlude to expand the innovative video format for which it is best known. In particular, the new capital will help Interlude as it produces more serial content, expands its network of creative partners, and further develops its technology.

“Though video has always been a very powerful storytelling medium, it has not, to date, been able to adjust and adapt from viewer to viewer,” said Yoni Bloch, founder and CEO of Interlude, in a press release. “But we are aiming to allow filmmakers and content to form a unique connection with each viewer. This has the potential to change the relationship between film and individual audience members.”

The major investors participating in the funding round are companies that have worked with Interlude before. In October, the interactive video company announced a deal with MGM through which it would create a new version of the classic film WarGames. Before that, it teamed up with Warner Music to create Interlude Music, a unit focused on interactive music videos.

There’s no word yet on specific projects that will stem from Interlude’s big funding round, but if the character of the company’s previous work is any indication, its future releases with be clever, dynamic, and, above all, entertaining.

Filed under: Articles, Featured, News, Studios by Sam Gutelle
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Back in March 2014, Disney bought the multi-channel network Maker Studios in an effort to break into the online video industry. Now, the Mouse House is betting on the growth of another digital media brand. Disney has reportedly doubled its current stake in Vice Media to $400 million, approximately 10% of the millennial-skewing media company’s overall value.

The deal, which was originally reported by The Financial Times, now means Vice’s valuation is around $4 billion. Disney recently invested $200 million in the media brand only a few weeks ago in early November. The increased funds from the iconic American media conglomerate will help Vice expand its international programming efforts, which include launching TV channels across Europe over the next 12 to 18 months.

Disney’s stake increase news also comes only a few weeks after Vice announced its new linear television channel Viceland. The channel and all its programming will live on A&E’s old H2 hub, the companion outlet for the History Channel. Viceland will officially launch on February 28, 2016. A&E, a joint venture of Disney and Hearst Media, already owns a stake in Vice at around 15%.

Filed under: Articles, Disney, News, VICE by Bree Brouwer
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AT&T may be getting joining the premium mobile subscription video service fray. The telecommunications giant hinted at plans to release its own mobile entertainment service at some point in January 2016.

The unofficial announcement was made by AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson at the UBS Global Media and Communications Conference on December 8, 2015. According to a report from Deadline, Stephenson said his company plans to “turn some heads” with the service, which will include “new capabilities, integrated products, and pricing” built on AT&T’s owned property and pay-TV brand DirecTV. The AT&T CEO revealed little else about the mobile video service as of this writing.

However, Stephenson did point out the target market the telco giant is aiming to reach with its mobile entertainment platform. The CEO said AT&T wants to reach “value-conscious consumers,” like the millions of consumers who are cord-cutters and cord-nevers. “Putting together a bundle of DirecTV content they can acquire over a mobile device or a single screen in the home: that is something we are very interested in,” Stephenson said. “You should assume we’re doing something.”

Stephenson also pointed out AT&T already has as “robust an entertainment portfolio as any over-the-top provider” in terms of programming. Much of this is thanks to Otter Media, the telco’s joint venture alongside the Chernin Group. Through Otter, AT&T and Chernin run the Ellation brand, which combines several owned properties including anime video platform Crunchyroll. AT&T and Chernin also own controlling stakes in multi-channel network Fullscreen, and the two brands used Otter Media to invest in Supergravity Pictures, as well.

AT&T has also released its own branded original video programming in the past. The telco teamed with the Chernin Group for the web series Summer Break back in 2013. More recently, AT&T and Chernin worked on the Streamy Award-winning superhero-themed Snapchat series SnapperHero, starring several prominent YouTube and Vine stars like Freddie Wong and Simone Shepherd.

Stephenson noted that AT&T hasn’t released much content at the level of Netflix, but that doesn’t seem to phase him. In fact, the CEO said his company “might do more of that” Netflix-style of content in the future.

Filed under: Articles, Branded Entertainment, News by Bree Brouwer
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Sandvine has some new findings about just how popular YouTube and Netflix are with internet users. The networking technology company discovered the video sharing site and premium subscripotion service combined to use up 55% of all downstream internet traffic in North America during September and October 2015.

Netflix, which has regularly topped Sandvine’s findings as a traffic hog over the last few years, now claims over one-third of all peak internet traffic, spiking at 37.05% of total downstream bytes. YouTube’s share of traffic at 17.9% means Google’s online video site and Netflix take up about the aforementioned 55% of total internet traffic during peak times. Sandvine’s report discovered that overall, real-time entertainment (which involves both audio and video formats) is responsible for 70% of all downstream traffic in North America during peak periods (roughly defined as “evening hours”).

It’s interesting to note the traffic YouTube generates in North America, especially when compared to Facebook. While 17.9% of all downstream internet traffic may not seem like much, Sandvine notes this is roughly a 3.9% increase over YouTube’s stats from 2014. Facebook, despite hitting 8 billion video views a day, actually lost 0.5% of its internet traffic share this year, hitting only 2.5% compared to 2014’s 3% total share. Additionally, Facebook’s share of internet traffic was beat out by both Amazon and Hulu in 2015, as well.

You can learn more by downloading Sandvine’s “Global Internet Phenomena” report for free here.

Filed under: Articles, Industry, Netflix, News, YouTube by Bree Brouwer
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When it first announced its upcoming subscription service SeeSo, NBCUniversal announced a number of live comedy specials to complement the TV shows and original programs it plans to distribute to subscribers. Now, one of those specials is ready to go. According to TheVideoInk, it’s titled The Guest List: Live From The Barrel House, and it will feature comedians who participated in the most recent season of the NBC reality series Last Comic Standing.

The four comics who will appear on The Guest List all made it to the final round of the most recent season of Last Comic Standing, which aired this past summer. Clayton English, who ultimately won the competition, will perform, as will runners-up Ian Bagg, Andy Erikson, and Michael Palascak. The special will stream live on December 8th at 10 PM EST.

To access The Guest List, viewers will need to subscribe to SeeSo’s beta, which went live during the first week of December. This preliminary period will expire in January, and at that point, SeeSo–which will also provide access to TV shows like Saturday Night Live, Parks and Recreation, and 30 Rock–will cost $3.99 per month. If you’re a comedy fan, consider checking out the Guest List special as a way to gauge your interest in NBC’s subscription option.

Filed under: Articles, Featured, News, SeeSo by Sam Gutelle
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Amazon Video is currently one of the most popular destinations for viewers who want to stream TV shows and movies online. Now, thanks to a new service, those viewers have a lot more options. Amazon has launched the Streaming Partners Program, which allows users to purchase individual subscriptions for prominent video platforms.

With the new service, Amazon is essentially acting as a middleman between subscription services and their potential customers. On the Streaming Partners Program homepage, Amazon Prime customers can shop through a number of services, all of which come with their own offerings and pricing plans. At launch, Amazon’s partners are a diverse bunch; there are premium cable channels like Starz and Showtime, niche services like DramaFever and HooplaKidz, and newly-minted digital options like Screen Junkies Plus and Tribeca Shortlist.

Theoretically, Amazon, its partners, and viewers can all benefit from the new Program. Amazon gets to increase its offerings dramatically, the partners get access to fresh users (whose accounts will be managed by Amazon), and viewers get to consolidate multiple subscriptions in one place while also taking advantage of special deals (such as free trials).

What makes the Streaming Partners Program so interesting, however, is how little it resembles digital TV services like Sling TV. There’s no bundling involved in the Program; instead, customers only pay for the specific services they want. “The way people watch TV is changing, and customers need an easier way to subscribe to and enjoy multiple streaming subscriptions,” said Michael Paull, VP of Digital Video at Amazon, in a press release. “With the Streaming Partners Program, we’re making it easy for video providers to reach highly engaged Prime members, many of whom are already frequent streamers, and we’re making it easier for viewers to watch their favorite shows and channels.”

Amazon has left room to add new services to the Streaming Partners Program in the future. Potential partners can get more information here.

Filed under: Articles, Channels, Featured, News by Sam Gutelle
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Collective Studio 71 (CS71) has a new face on its leadership team. The global digital network, brought into being by the merger of Collective Digital Studio and ProSiebenSat.1 Group’s German multi-channel network Studio 71, has hired Adam Boorstin as the brand’s new Executive Vice President of Global Digital Distribution.

As his title implies, Boorstin will oversee CS71’s content distribution, as well as the network’s expansion into different distribution platforms through new partnerships. The new EVP will also identify distribution opportunities for current content, and look to create distribution deals with SVOD and OTT platforms for CS71 creators. Boorstin will report to Collective Digital Studio CEO Reza Izad.

“As we further expand Collective Studio 71’s global footprint, Adam will ensure that our content distribution is diversified across a mix of worldwide portals and social platforms,” said Izad in a release. “There has never been a better time for content creators as more digital video distributors emerge, and we have the unique ability to deliver large audiences to those platforms. Adam has the right experience and relationships to do just that and help us build out our model in local markets around the globe.”

“CS71 has such an enviable roster of top creators with engaged followers, and they are diversified across verticals, including comedy, beauty, action and lifestyle. This combination is very attractive to platforms looking for premium content that will drive viewership across millennial segments,” added Boorstin. “I’m thrilled to leverage CS71’s diverse video network to create new opportunities for its creators to reach even bigger audiences worldwide.”

Boorstin comes to CS71 from BuzzFeed, where he served as Head of Partnerships, handling relationships with distributors like YouTube, Comcast, and Verizon’s go90 service. Boorstin was also the 15th video-related employee hired by BuzzFeed, and helped the brand launch its Motion Pictures division. Prior to BuzzFeed, the new EVP at CS71 worked for Disney’s Theatrical Marketing Department, CAA’s Film Finance Group, and Paramount.

Collective Digital Studio works with over 1,000 creative partners who pull in over 2.5 billion video views each month.

Filed under: Articles, News, The Collective Digital Studio by Bree Brouwer
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Playstation’s efforts to release original video content haven’t received a huge amount of attention, but the Sony-owned console has its own library of shows, and its most notable original will soon return for its second season. Playstation has released a trailer for the second season of Powers, which stars Sharlto Copley and Susan Heyward as police officers who investigate crimes committed by individuals with superpowers.

The first season of Powers arrived in March 2015 and received mostly positive reviews from critics. Emboldened by the success of its first original series, Playstation renewed Powers for a second season two months after the show’s premiere.

Now, thanks a recently-posted first look at season two, viewers can get a taste of the dark thrills to come. The trailer also makes sure to note that Brian Michael Bendis, whose Jessica Jones comics have recently been adapted into a hot new Netflix show, is also the creator of the graphic novel on which Powers is based.

Season two of Powers doesn’t yet have a confirmed release date.

Filed under: Articles, Featured, News, PlayStation Network, Web Series by Sam Gutelle
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Love him or hate him, there’s no denying that Josh “Fat Jew” Ostrovsky is an odd dude. For his next act, Ostrovsky–whose popularity on Instagram has led to widespread allegations of joke theft–has teamed up with Maker Studios for an animated web series called Story Time With The Fat Jew, which has now premiered on his YouTube channel.

Story Time centers on its titular star as he recalls unusual experiences from his idiosyncratic life. Before he was ever a controversial figure, Ostrovsky was known for his unusual stunts, including one where he bathed in a tub filled with ramen noodles. Story Time attempts to bring him back to those roots; its first episode focuses on his efforts to send presents to incarcerated rappers.

There are at least four different studios involved in the production of Story Time. TMWRK STUDIOS animated it, and Maker co-produced it alongside SUPERETTE and Matador Content. “At the heart of Maker is creative content – it’s where we started and it’s one of our driving passions,”said Bonnie Pan, Maker’s EVP of programming, in a press release. “Story Time With Fat Jew is yet another example of our dedication to making audiences laugh and Josh’s special brand of irreverent humor is a great addition to the Maker voice. After all, anyone who takes his business meetings in the back of a nail salon must have a unique approach to his craft. We hope audiences enjoy the adventures!”

For Ostrovsky’s 7.1 million Instagram followers, Story Time is a breezy diversion. His detractors, on the other hand, might not want to watch, though the new series is a chance for Ostrovsky to show off his creative side without committing any plagiarism in the process.

Filed under: Articles, Channels, Featured, News by Sam Gutelle
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