Verizon’s new mobile video service is finally here. The telco giant released its free-to-use Go90 video platform for iOS and Android users on October 1, 2015.

Announced back in March 2015, the Go90 app boasts over 8,000 clips from digital and traditional TV creators, which viewers can then clip themselves and share with friends. The content will be initially supported by ad revenue through a $50 million, year-long deal with Publicis Groupe. Under the pact, Verizon is giving Publicis agencies and about ten Publicis clients an exclusive three-month advertising window before opening up to other marketers.

According to Variety, the new Verizon video app is compatible with all wireless carriers so data users ranging from T-Mobile to AT&T can watch Go90 on their phones. However, not all the Go90 content will be available to consumers outside of the Verizon network. The telco has deals in place with brands like AwesomenessTV, Vice, Machinima, and New Form Digital for exclusive series and content. Go90 will even boast live streams of NFL games, but again, these will only be available to Verizon customers.

Some critics are uncertain Go90 will attract the kind of millennials Verizon’s after — that is, consumers who watch more mobile video than traditional TV. Many younger audiences are already entrenched in their Hulu, Netflix, and YouTube ways, and most of those video platforms already have mobile apps for on-the-go audiences.

For example, Variety’s Todd Spangler believes Verizon will have to offer an exceptional user experience and unique content options to keep viewers coming back to the Go90 app (a similar problem Spangler sees with Comcast’s new Watchable video platform). After all, Samsung’s Milk Video service, a free mobile video platform for Samsung device owners, tried to attract a similar crowd of smartphone-toting content consumers but is shutting down after less than a year in existence.

If Verizon can’t provide value for Go90 audiences, Bernstein Research analyst Paul de Sa isn’t sure how the telco giant will justify the costs it’s spending on the new mobile video service. “The company has been actively adding content meant to appeal to ‘millennials’ (e.g., original series created by YouTube personalities, Vice Media, AwesomenessTV) but it is unclear at what long-term cost,” de Sa wrote in a research note as reported by Variety.

However, Verizon’s SVP of Consumer Products Brian Angiolet said Go90 is Verizon’s initiative to launch an “entertainment platform” which will grow profitably on its own. “The business case for us is really down the path of our broader ambitions in the media landscape,” Angiolet said. “Our definition of an over-the-top premium content offering is an ad-supported business model that also sits in the AOL acquisition.”

Besides, Angiolet insists Go90 is filling a much-needed gap between audiences who pay for SVOD or pay-TV services and those who watch content for free on YouTube. “We’re somewhere along the spectrum between Netflix and YouTube,” Angiolet explained.

You can check out Go90 for yourself by downloading the iOS or Android app to your compatible device.

Filed under: Articles, Branded Entertainment, News by Bree Brouwer
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Netflix is showing viewers more of its next superhero-themed series. The streaming platform released a new teaser trailer for Marvel‘s Jessica Jones on October 1, 2015.

Jessica Jones is based on the early-2000’s Marvel comic book series Alias by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Gaydos and stars Krysten Ritter as the titular ex-superhero working as a private investigator on cases involving similarly super-powered beings. In the new teaser for the Netflix series (which also stars names like David Tennant and Carrie-Anne Moss of Matrix fame), viewers see Jones select Joan Jett’s “Bad Reputation” on a jukebox before walking across a bar full of beat-up foes and taking a shot of liquor. 

Netflix previously released a first teaser for Jessica Jones on September 26. That clip showed Jones’ New York City apartment littered with clothes, alcohol bottles, and newspapers while Jones sleeps heavily in bed. When her alarm goes off at 3 PM to the tune of Minnie Riperton’s “Loving You,” Jones reaches over and crushes the device with her bare hand.

Jessica Jones is the second in Netflix’s first four-series slate of live-action Marvel adaptations, all of which are filmed in New York City with a collective $200 million or so budget. Daredevil was the first to debut on April 10 and the streaming platform has already ordered a second season of the Charlie Cox-starring show. The next two Marvel shows will be Iron Fist and Luke Cage, with all four characters eventually joining forces in the team-based series The Defenders.

All 13 episodes of Jessica Jones hit Netflix on November 20. Netflix previously announced it would also show a preview clip from the upcoming Marvel series on October 10 for lucky New York Comic-Con audiences at a panel with Jeph Loeb, the series’ executive producer.

Filed under: Articles, Netflix, News, Studios, Web Series by Bree Brouwer
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AwesomenessTV, as part of its efforts to expand its multi-channel network to new platforms, has announced yet another hire. It has named Shelley Zimmerman, a former Warner Horizon TV exec, as its Head of Scripted Series.

In her new role, Zimmerman will oversee the production of both scripted and unscripted series, which will premiere across multiple platforms. AwesomenessTV is best known for the teen-skewing network in runs on YouTube, but it has recently produced shows for both TV and streaming video on-demand, and it plans to create more programs for those platforms under Zimmerman’s watch.

At Warner Horizon, Zimmerman was involved in the production of several hit series, including Pretty Little Liars and Longmire. Before that, she worked alongside AwesomenessTV founder Brian Robbins. “I’m thrilled to reunite with Shelley,” Robbins said in a press release. “We had unprecedented success working together at Tollin/Robbins Productions; she was instrumental in the development of Smallville, One Tree Hill and What I Like About You. With so many new distribution platforms creating opportunities for us, she will expand our studio slate of original series.”

Zimmerman is the latest in a recent string of high-profile hires for AwesomenessTV. In June, it hired Matt Kaplan to head up its newly-minted film division. One month later, Paula Kaplan (no relation) joined the company as its Head of Talent and Live Content.

Filed under: Articles, AwesomenessTV, Featured, News by Sam Gutelle
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The newest series from PBS Digital Studios features a pair of stars who are several decades apart. It’s called The ChatterBox, and it will follow Kevin Droniak and his grandmother Lil as they explore current Internet, tech, and culture trends.

Droniak, whose YouTube channel has more than 462,000 subscribers, is known for pranking his grandmother, soliciting reactions from his grandmother, and, in general, making videos that somehow involve his grandmother. When you listen to Lil speak, it’s easy to understand the appeal. She’s hilariously blunt, filter-free, and very opinionated.

For The ChatterBox, PBS Digital Studios is bringing Droniak and his grandmother to the world of tech. In each episode, the two co-hosts will tackle a youthful topic, such as gifs, unboxing videos, and Dubsmash. An array of experts will join the fun to weigh in with their own opinions alongside those of Kevin and Lil. The first episode will launch on October 8th on the series’ official channel, where a trailer is currently available:

“The ChatterBox is fun and irreverent, while also having an element of discovery—a combination that the PBS Digital Studios audience has come to expect from our videos,” said Brandon Arolfo, Senior Director of Content Development at PBS Digital Studios, in a press release. “We’re thrilled to welcome Kevin and Grandma Lil to PBS Digital Studios and know The Chatterbox will be a great addition to our network.”

The ChatterBox is a co-production between PBS Digital Studios and New York public media company WNET. PBSDS and WNET worked together previously on a web series called First Person.

Filed under: Articles, Featured, News, PBS Digital Studios by Sam Gutelle
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Welcome to YouTube Millionaires, where we profile channels that have recently crossed the one million subscriber mark. There are channels crossing this threshold every week, and each has a story to tell about YouTube success. Read previous installments of YouTube Millionaires here.

Last month, schools resumed in the United States, and many young girls got their back-to-school advice from Siena Mirabella. For Mirabella, a 17-year-old YouTube star, back-to-school videos are just one offering on a personal YouTube channel that also features her opinions on beauty, fashion, home decor. Mirabella, who is partnered with BroadbandTV, has accomplished a lot at a young age, and she can now add one million subscribers to her list of achievements. Here’s our discussion with her:

Tubefilter: How does it feel to have one million subscribers? What do you have to say to your fans?

Siena Mirabella: It feels absolutely surreal. It’s difficult to wrap my brain around the fact; it feels like just yesterday I was ecstatic to reach 1,000 subscribers! I could have never reached this point without my viewers. I owe them everything. I can’t say thank you enough, and I am eternally grateful for them and all that they do. I also want to let them know that if they have a passion, just go for it with all of your heart. Don’t let anything anyone says stop you from achieving what you want.

TF: Which other YouTubers inspired you when you first started your channel?

SM: Elle and Blair Fowler were my two most favorite people on this planet when I was starting my channel. I was 12 years old and had no clue what I was talking about when it came to beauty. I learned quite a bit from them!

TF: Have you found it challenging to balance your channel, school, and your social life?

SM: At first it was difficult to handle because I hadn’t formulated a plan to manage my time. Once I got a rhythm going and made a schedule, it got easier!

TF: School recently resumed. What was the number one back-to-school tip you had for your viewers?

SM: ORGANIZATION! That’s a crucial thing when it comes to school, in my opinion. If you have all your classes organized you will find things quicker, making work much easier to complete. Managing your day with a planner is a great way to see all your tasks for the day in one place.

TF: There are so many people who make beauty and fashion videos on YouTube. What makes your channel unique?

SM: I think what makes my channel unique is my personality. Everyone has their own unique personality and that’s what sets everyone apart from one another. I’ve noticed that people are drawn to certain people and their persona in videos.

TF: I noticed your videos have a very high production quality, especially compared to many of your peers. Would you say this is something you focus on very consciously?

SM: Thank you! That’s quite a compliment. I definitely enjoy taking the time to make sure my videos are of as good quality as I can make them. I would say the preparation and editing is what I spend most of my time focusing on. Always fine-tuning things. I’m the biggest perfectionist when it comes to my videos!

TF: On a similar note, is there a lot of planning that goes into your videos, or do you prefer the more simple “turn on the camera and start talking” approach?

SM: I would say it’s a mixture of both, actually. I plan every video, almost always a couple weeks in advance. I write out every aspect of the video, even camera angles, depending on the video. Yet my videos are never scripted. I might plan out things I want to cover, but once I start talking, I go on and on. Majority of the time, the most random things will come to my mind.

TF: What’s next for your channel? Any interesting plans?

SM: I think what’s next for my channel is exploring different kinds of content. There’s a ton of things I love and would be interested in testing out. I’m excited to add some lifestyle and gaming content to my channel

On Deck (channels that will soon reach one million subscribers): AviatorGaming, Desimpedidos, Luiz1227

Filed under: Articles, Featured, Millionaires, News, Siena Mirabella by Sam Gutelle
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AOL has a new way for brands to get their live events online. The media conglomerate, now owned by Verizon, has launched LIVE by AOL, an all-in-one solution to help content partners produce, stream, distribute, and monetize live events.

The LIVE by AOL tool provides AOL partners with a complete content production and creation system accessible via the cloud across multiple devices. The live event solution uses Verizon Digital Media Services to broadcast the event, and provides monetization through sponsorships and advertising options. Events created through LIVE by AOL can be streamed and distributed across all of AOL’s owned properties, including sites like The Huffington Post and TechCrunch.

A company rep said while LIVE by AOL is an open platform, AOL has “strict parameters” about the kind of “premium partners” that will be given the okay to the use the new service and what kinds of content those premium partners will live stream. Additionally, AOL says it will work with content partners to determine the best distribution outlets and advertising options on a case-by-case basis. However, there’s no information readily available on how much brands will have to pay, what ad revenue will look like, or how AOL will help monetize and drive traffic to partners’ live events.

“As the video landscape continues to evolve, live programming is the next frontier for innovation,” said Jimmy Maymann, Executive Vice President and President of AOL Content & Consumer Brands, in a release. “LIVE by AOL not only unites the pillars of our business, but enables all of our content and media partners to tap into the power of live programming and bring that success to their own properties. As the lines between traditional television and online video blur, producing, distributing, and monetizing live content in the digital realm will be a deciding factor for those who successfully step into the next era of video.”

AOL has some solid experience working with live streams and events. The brand’s live interview series, AOL Build, has already filmed 300 episodes in 2015 alone. Additionally, The Huffington Post has run its HuffPost Live series since 2012 and pulled in over 2.4 billion total global views.

Filed under: Articles, Channels, News by Bree Brouwer
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YouTube Kids launched a little more than seven months ago, and it’s growing up so fast! The app, which gives children and their parents a selection of age-appropriate videos to their fingertips, has announced several new features, including new videos, a collection of playlists, and new controls that help filter out inappropriate content.

Several of YouTube’s most kid-friendly creators have joined the channels already available on the app. Among other newcomers, HooplaKidz and DreamWorksTV will now share videos on YouTube Kids. Other content creators, such as Kid President and National Geographic Kids, have rolled out playlists based around specific themes. In addition, YouTube has expanded to the living room, as all these videos are now available on digital TV services like Chromecast and Apple TV.

The most important change, however, concerns the responsibility YouTube Kids bears for the inappropriate content users may find on the app. Since its launch, YouTube Kids has been the subject of two complaints from children’s advocacy group, with its branded content and age-inappropriate videos coming under fire. These issues received enough attention to convince US Senator  Bill Nelson (D-FL) to send a letter to Google CEO Larry Page inquiring about YouTube Kids.

YouTube has heard these complaints–and it has taken action. Starting a few weeks from now, parents who install YouTube Kids will receive messages instructing them how to flag videos they find inappropriate and restrict search options for their children. “We always try to make the videos available in the app family-friendly, but no system is perfect,” reads a post on YouTube’s official blog. “So if you ever find a video you’re concerned about, please flag it. This helps make YouTube Kids better for everyone.”

YouTube Kids is available on the App Store and Google Play. According to YouTube, the app has already received more than eight million downloads.

Filed under: Articles, Featured, News, YouTube Kids by Sam Gutelle
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Nearly a year after we first heard about it, Tribeca and Lionsgate’s cinematic streaming service has arrived. The two companies have teamed up to debut Tribeca Shortlist, which offers a curated selection of films selected by actors, writers, and directors.

Here’s how Shortlist works: Tribeca (which has deep roots in the film industry thanks to its Tribeca Film Festival) sought the advice of industry experts, who built a selection of films to feature on the platform. At launch, Shortlist includes 150 films, and the plan is to replace 50 of them each month with a new crop. From there, a group of celebrity “shortlisters”–such as John Leguizamo, Matthew Modine, and Morgan Spurlock–will provide some recommendations within the selection.

“We’re taking a more human approach to movie discovery for viewers who want to escape the search spiral and find a great movie fast,” said Jeff Bronikowski, President of Tribeca Shortlist, in a press release. “We’ve found great movies that we’re offering to subscribers as part of a high quality, highly curated movie catalog with exclusive “Shortlist” content that provides context and personal insight, like getting a recommendation from a trusted friend.”

So which movies have Tribeca’s experts chosen? The initial slate of films includes acclaimed titles like City of God, Amelie, and Chasing Amy. They’re available at a competitive price; a subscription to Shortlist costs just $4.99 a month, though it will increase to $5.99 next year.

A potential disadvantage for Shortlist is that it has a Netflix-sized problem. All three of the movies I mentioned in the previous paragraph are also available to stream on Netflix. This issue is compounded by the fact that the film buffs who make up Shortlist’s target audience are likely to have Netflix accounts already.

Even so, there are plenty of ways in which Shortlist can carve out its own niche. The “context and personal insight” Bronikowski mentioned could be big, and by offering a smaller selection of well-received movies, Tribeca and Lionsgate have created a leaner streaming service. Sure, Shortlist isn’t as expansive as Netflix, but it’s cheaper, and the average quality of individual movies is higher. Plus, it’s not like every Shortlist film can be streamed elsewhere; some of its titles, such as The Producers and Crash, are only available in DVD format on Netflix.

The bottom line is that the launch of more streaming options is always going to be a good thing for consumers. If Shortlist sounds like your cup of tea, you can sign up for it here.

Filed under: Articles, Featured, News, Tribeca Enterprises, Tribeca Film Festival by Sam Gutelle
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What do you get when you combine makeup tutorials with ghost stories? Thanks to Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls at the Party digital network, we now have the answer. The female-centric network launched the new web series The Other Side with Annamarie Tendler on September 29, 2015.

The Other Side is hosted by Annamarie Tendler, a professional makeup artist and author of the book The Daily Face: 25 Makeup Looks for Day, Night, and Everything in Between. In each episode, Tendler welcomes a guest onto her show and demonstrates a makeup routine on one-half of her guest’s face. Tendler’s guest then finishes the look on the other side of her face while discussing supernatural happenings and Leonardo DiCaprio (because why not and also because he’s Tendler’s favorite actor).

In the debut episode of The Other Side, Tendler and comedienne Nicole Byer (of Girl Code fame) show viewers how to do the perfect red lip look. The duo talks about Byer’s weird run-in with a ghost in her apartment, as well as whether or not Byer would date DiCaprio if he was a supernatural being (she would, as long as he was from his Titanic-era filming days).

Founded in 2008 by Poehler and her friends Meredith Walker and Amy Miles, Smart Girls has ramped up its video production over the last few months. The digital network owned by Legendary Entertainment released the comedy science series Experimenting with Megan Amram in August 2015. Shortly after, Smart Girls debuted Book Report with Aisha Muharrar, a book review show hosted by the titular comedy writer.

You can catch all future episodes of The Other Side with Annamarie Tendler on the series’ dedicated Smart Girls page.

Filed under: Articles, News, Web Series by Bree Brouwer
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In March 2015, video analytics firm OpenSlate determined NBC was losing up to $10 or $12 million per year on potential advertising revenue on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon YouTube channel. At the time, the Peacock network hadn’t opted to monetize the channel presumably so it could focus on building its increasingly massive audience and also presumably because it didn’t like the terms of YouTube’s standard 55/45 ad revenue split.

Now, all that’s changing. NBC has finally come to an agreement with YouTube on adding pre-roll video ads to the Tonight Show‘s videos. Revenue split info wasn’t released, but according to AdAge, NBC will be in charge of selling the ad inventory. “We have been trying to figure something out for quite some time,” said Linda Yaccarino, NBCUniversal’s President of Advertising Sales. “It’s the next logical step and makes sense for YouTube to be our next distribution partner.”

AdAge notes that earlier in 2015, NBCU CEO Steve Burke said about 70% of the TV network’s overall views of The Tonight Show come from online platforms, and most of those views were still unmonetized. Yaccarino added YouTube viewing extends the reach of Fallon’s audience by about 20%.  

The monetization agreement between YouTube and NBC will result in a solid revenue stream for both parties. Fallon’s channel routinely pulls in roughtly 100 million views a week. For example, a video of a lip sync battle between Fallon, Will Ferrell, and Kevin Hart from February 2015 currently boast 50 million views all by itself. In total The Tonight Show YouTube channel currently boasts a whopping 3.5 billion total video views and roughly 8 million subscribers.

Filed under: Articles, NBC, News, Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon, YouTube by Bree Brouwer
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Made Man’s yearly, man-powered charity drive is back. The Defy Media-owned entertainment destination, which focuses on content aimed at men, has announced its second annual Gentleman Up campaign to support Career Gear.

Gentleman Up debuted last November, when Rob Riggle implored all men to dress up nice on a Friday to support charity. This year, the campaign has been moved up a month, but the spokesperson and the message are the same. On October 9th, Riggle will say no to casual Friday and instead don formalwear. For everyone who joins him–and posts a picture of their attire on social media with the hashtag #FormalFriday–Made Man will make a $1 donation to Career Gear, which provides clothing and job counseling for men in need.

#FormalFriday is just one part of an entire slate of Gentleman Up programming. Five series will arrive on the Made Man channel, and they all home to instruct male viewers on how to be proper gentlemen. Thomas Lennon, who participated in last year’s Gentleman Up, will bring back his web series De-Evolution of Man, as part of this year’s festivities.

“We’re proud to kick off the second year of Gentleman Up™ and #Formal Friday, building on what we started last October and continuing our efforts to get men back into the workforce through our partnership with Career Gear”, commented Joshua Fruhlinger, SVP of Lifestyle Content for Defy Media, in a press release. “We’re also thrilled to have Rob Riggle and Tom Lennon back on board adding their comedic genius to this important cause as we go after some fashion and behavioral trends that we think need to end.”

Other brands within the Defy Media network–including Smosh, Screen Junkies, and Clevver–will participate in #FormalFriday as well. Check out their social media posts on October 9th to see how they play dress up.

Filed under: Articles, Channels, Featured, News by Sam Gutelle
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Facebook users will soon be able to make their profile pictures more animated and lively. The social-networking-site-turned-online-video-powerhouse is testing the ability for users to add GIF-like videos as their profile pictures.

The new profile picture ability takes the form of a seven-second looping video, much the way Vine videos repeat every six seconds. TechCrunch reports Facebook users will be able to record and upload videos directly from their phone. The profile picture clips will auto-play on their profiles and the feed story about the picture update which appears to other users. While sound can be recorded, it won’t auto-play until someone clicks the animated profile image (just as the social site handles audio on its video ads).

Facebook’s Aigerim Shorman, lead on the new profile updates, told TechCrunch where the idea for the profile videos came from. “Earlier this half [year] we were having a brainstorm, and sometimes you find a gem. One of my designers called me over [to look at an engineer’s] Facebook At Work account. But his profile pic was moving. I thought ‘this is going to be a great expression opportunity,’” Shorman explained. “It brought the profile to life. You got to know the person better. So we got inspired to create an option to create a profile video.”

In addition to videos as profile pictures, Facebook noted in a company news post the site is rolling out four other profile-centric updates. The first is the ability to set a temporary profile picture, which you can set to show for a certain time period before expiring and reverting back to your previous profile picture. This feature is useful for those instances when Facebook users want to show their support for a cause or trending topic (like the rainbow-colored profile pictures supporting gay marriage rights) or for personal promotion, but eventually want to swap back to their original profile pictures.

Additionally, Facebook has released an all-new mobile design which puts centered profile photos and a larger sections for photos and friends above users’ timelines. TechCrunch’s Josh Constine believes this redesign is in an effort to show and collect more date on who a user is, as opposed to just what actions he or she takes, so Facebook’s algorithms can gather more biographical info for advertising purposes. Facebook has also made it easier for users to control profile information with a customizable space and new 100-character bio, as well as the option of pinning a featured photo to the top of users’ profiles.

So far, Facebook has only rolled out the video profile pics, and all four other new features, to a select group of iOS users in the UK and California. However, Facebook said the updates will eventually be available to more users in the future, because the site knows the profile improvements “will give people more ways to connect and share with each other, and express themselves in meaningful ways.”

Filed under: Articles, Facebook, News by Bree Brouwer
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