Latest Streaming News & Insights

Samsung TV Plus will soon offer a free, ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channel from Warner Bros. Discovery’s MotorTrend Group. Variety was the first to announce the news, pointing out that Warner Bros. Discovery, which had already introduced CNN Replay and CNN Resuma, was launching its first FAST channel with an entertainment focus.

The MotorTrend FAST TV channel, which launched yesterday, October 26, in the United States and Canada, features automotive material from the collection of MotorTrend, which also runs a cable network by the same name. More than 8,000 episodes of automotive content are included. The emphasis on collaborating with well-known content brands was stressed in a statement by Takashi Nakano, senior director of content acquisitions and business development at Samsung TV Plus.

He continued by saying that Samsung TV Plus, which boasts 1,600 channels worldwide, is also addressing vehicle enthusiasts through its recently introduced auto-focused owned & operated channels as well as other auto, sports, and lifestyle content.

Along with fellow FAST TV manufacturers LG and Vizio, Samsung TV Plus is one of the few OEM interface participants in the market for smart TVs. Additionally, its platform competes with FAST options from companies including The Roku Channel, Fox’s Tubi, NBCUniversal’s Peacock, Comcast’s Xumo, and Amazon’s Freevee, among others. Click here to read more.

Another consumer-grade virtual reality headset will be released next year, according to plans revealed by Meta. Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Meta, stated during the company’s late-night earnings call on Wednesday that the new high-end VR gear offers high-resolution mixed reality to integrate virtual objects into the users’ immediate surroundings.

According to Zuckerberg, the company will be better able to negotiate the current climate and develop into an even greater company with more prioritization, discipline, and efficiency. Recently, in the company’s chairman and CEO Satya Nadella’s presence, Zuckerberg revealed the $1,500 VR headset Meta Quest Pro, which was loaded with capabilities including full-color mixed reality. Click here to read more.

Fox Weather, the 24-hour service that Sharri Berg is in charge of as president, was visible in one corner of the screen. The category 4 hurricane Ian, which had just hit the southwest coast of Florida earlier that day, was the subject of the channel’s ongoing continuous coverage.

The Fox News Channel, Fox Business Network, and the local Fox station, WNYW, were located in the other three corners (Channel 5). All four channels at that very moment were either broadcasting a reporter, a meteorologist, or a live camera from the meteorological network she oversaw.

Berg experienced a strong sense of validation at that very moment because, across the Fox ecosystem, Fox Weather was actively being used by the established players in the market to improve their coverage of the storm.

For Fox Weather, the climate-focused channel that debuted one year ago today, it was a tremendous success. Click here to read more.

Apple raised the cost of its streaming services Apple TV+ and Apple Music on Monday for both monthly and yearly subscriptions in the United States. It also increased the cost of its package, Apple One. A monthly individual Apple Music subscription now costs $10.99 as opposed to the prior $9.99 price. Competitor Spotify’s monthly subscription price is presently $9.99.

The monthly fee for access to Apple TV+ has increased from $4.99 to $6.99. In comparison to competing streaming services, some of which have recently increased pricing, Apple TV+ offers a reasonable price. Additionally, the content library is smaller. Netflix starts at $9.99 per month but has an ad-supported option at $6.99 per month in the works. Competitor Disney+ starts at $7.99 per month.

As of Q3, Apple TV+ has a 10% share of the streaming market, up 12% over the previous quarter. Apple TV+ outperformed other streaming services, gaining 5% of all new U.S. streaming subscribers in Q3, according to Kantar’s Entertainment on Demand survey.

The increase may also help Apple’s rapidly expanding services division, which generated sales of $16.9 billion in the June quarter. Click here to read more.

The Comcast-owned Sky satellite TV network, which includes Sky Q, Sky Stream, and Sky Glass in the U.K., Ireland, Italy, and Germany, has welcomed Lionsgate+, the rebranded Starzplay subscription streaming video service, at a pricing of £5.99/€4.99 ($6.85) per month.

Superna Kalle, President, International Networks for Starz said, partnering with Sky, Europe’s premium content provider, is a vital strategy in growing Lionsgate’s footprint in Europe and will give even more customers access to our huge offering of handpicked content. Click here to read more.