Some of what we're reading, listening, watching this week...enjoy!
Ever heard of NewTV? Well they just raised a cool US$1bn to fund their plans to create a new short form video content platform, a kind of next-generation Netflix, with original content. NewTV is aiming to launch by the end of 2019, with a premium lineup of original, short-form series comprising episodes of 10 minutes each. The brainchild of ex Pixar exec Jeffrey Katzenberg has attracted investment from Disney, NBCUniversal, AT&T and more. Read Jeffrey Katzenberg’s ‘NewTV’ Startup Closes $1 Billion, All Major Studios Among Investors
At the same time as OTT's are planning short-form narrative content development, social media networks are taking an aim at longer form video. eMarketer and their podcast series 'Behind The Numbers' explore how long-form video is spreading across social media in this week's episode. With key moves by Facebook's Watch, Instagram's IGTV, YouTube Premium (previously YouTube Red (RIP)) and Twitter this episode is a great update on all the key developments and moves being made and how video content strategy is leading to advertisers. With some marketers placing pre-roll and mid-roll ads in social shows, there is great potential but the audiences are small and the current measurement capabilities are limited. Listen to eMarketer social-networks-get-serious-about-tv-style-programming
In-case you missed it, Apple became the first company in US history to be valued at over US$1 trillion. According to Bloomberg, iPhone sales continue to be the engine room of Apple profitability with iPhones generating 61 percent of the company’s sales in its last fiscal year, up from 56 percent in 2014. We can't help thinking the iPhone is unlikely to be anywhere near 50% of sales 10 years from now with Apple's push into AR, AI (Siri and HomePod) and even mobility with the company doubling the amount of cars it is testing since Jan 2018.
And talking of AI, The Wall Street Journal is reporting that robots are now making burgers in San Fransisco, "11 thermal sensors lock in the exact doneness" apparently. Watch the video here.