Video streams served increased 38.8 percent in 2006 to 24.92 billion across all entertainment media sites, including free ad supported and subscription services, according to Accustream Media’s Streaming Media Growth report, released March 6.
The largest streaming video networks included portals such as Yahoo and MSN, while traditional media brands including Disney/ABC, CBS, Viacom, TimeWarner/AOL and NBC Universal also showed a significant streaming share. Video platforms Brightcove and Roo Media also performed well.
Reflecting an increasingly competitive content environment, broadband streams per unique user per site declined 10.9 percent in 2006 to 10.6 streams, excluding video advertising streams.
Music videos commanded the largest share of streaming video, 35.5 percent of total streams, followed by news with 23.6 percent. Total news streams were up 90 percent and viewing share by 38 percent over 2005.
“Media and entertainment brands fully embraced broadband publishing in 2006,” said Accustream’s research director Paul Palumbo. “They made more premium content available and fashioned syndication relationships with aggregators who can deliver audiences. More growing base high speed users and the adoption of Flash propelled the market.”
“Heretic” and “Maria” Set As Red Carpet Premieres At AFI Fest
The American Film Institute (AFI) has announced that Heretic, the psychological thriller starring Hugh Grant, and Maria, based on the life of opera singer Maria Callas starring Angelina Jolie, will round out the Red Carpet Premieres section at this year’s AFI Fest. The Heretic Gala Screening will take place on Thursday, October 24, and the Maria Gala Screening will be held on Saturday, October 26. The complete Red Carpet Premieres section includes the world premieres of Music By John Williams, Robert Zemeckis’ Here, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl and Clint Eastwood’s Juror #2. All Red Carpet Premieres will take place at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre. The full lineup for AFI Fest 2024 will be unveiled on October 1.
“At the heart of AFI Fest is an unwavering dedication to celebrating the best in global cinema--together,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI president and CEO. “We look forward to uniting artists and audiences once again to be inspired by the art form in a powerful sense of community.”
Heretic follows two young missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) who are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical Mr. Reed (portrayed by Grant), becoming ensnared in his deadly game of cat-and-mouse. The film is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods and produced by Stacey Sher, Beck, Woods, Julia Glausi and Jeanette Volturno. The film will be released nationwide by A24 on November 8.
Directed by Pablo Larraín, Maria presents a tumultuous and beautiful depiction of one of the world’s most renowned artists and reimagines the legendary soprano in her final days in Paris, as Callas (Jolie)... Read More