OTT.X Weekly E-Newsbrief


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March 13, 2024

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Sling TV Launches 'Arcade': A Free Gaming Platform Blending Classic Games with Live TV


Sling TV, owned by DISH Network, has unveiled "Arcade," a new gaming platform enriching its service offerings. Distinguishing itself from competitors, Sling TV integrates classic arcade games like Tetris, Wheel of Fortune, and Solitaire Clash for free to its users, a feature not commonly found in other streaming services. This unique proposition allows Sling TV and Sling Freestream customers to engage in games on a split-screen alongside live TV content, enhancing user experience during commercial interruptions or downtime.

Arcade debuts with an initial suite of 10 games, with plans for periodic updates, including new titles such as Astroids, to keep the platform dynamic and aligned with seasonal events like the football season. The current lineup of games on Arcade results from a collaboration between Sling TV and Play.Works, a key player in the connected TV gaming sector. Play.Works is renowned for its expansive reach, delivering games to over 200 million televisions worldwide and establishing partnerships with leading television companies, including Comcast, Cox, Samsung, and Vizio, to name a few.

While Sling TV has remained silent on potential future collaborations to enhance its gaming library, the success of its partnership with Play.Works suggest that further alliances with other gaming entities could expand. This strategy broadens the gaming options available on Arcade and underscores Sling TV's innovative approach to blending gaming with television entertainment.

Currently, Arcade is accessible to users on Amazon Fire TV and Android TV. Future expansions will include a broader range of smart TVs and other devices, though exact dates for availability on platforms such as Apple TV and Roku have yet to be announced.

Echoing Sling TV's dedication to enhancing the subscriber experience, Gary Schanman, group president of DISH Video Services, stated, "SLING continues to put its subscribers and users first. We want people to love the flexibility and control and the entire experience to be fun and engaging. SLING is now more than just TV. We want people to enjoy their entertainment just as much as we do. The new Arcade offering combines some great classic games with our great TV programming. No other streaming platform gives you access to more entertainment options for free."



The Take



Sling TV's introduction of the Arcade gaming platform represents a strategic pivot to diversify its entertainment offerings, potentially providing a competitive edge amidst a challenging subscriber landscape. With a reported subscriber decline of 65,000 in the fourth quarter of 2023, the free gaming feature could be a pivotal differentiation point from its competitors, offering added value to its subscription.

This initiative aligns with the broader trend of streaming services delving into gaming, as seen with Netflix, which introduced gaming in 2021. Despite Netflix's significant push into gaming, marked by acquisitions of several gaming studios and the development of over 55 titles, its gaming segment has seen modest engagement with 23.3 million downloads in 2022, a fraction of its 221 million subscribers. Netflix's continued expansion into game streaming, with beta testing in Canada and the UK, highlights the evolving intersection between streaming and gaming.

Similarly, Crunchyroll's Game Vault targets anime enthusiasts with a selection of mobile games, albeit restricted to its higher-tier subscription plans, unlike Sling TV's inclusive free access to Arcade for all its subscribers.

The success of Sling TV's Arcade could redefine subscriber engagement, offering a compelling blend of streaming and gaming that enhances the overall value of its service. As the streaming industry evolves, integrating diverse entertainment forms like gaming may become crucial in attracting and retaining subscribers.


Source: The Streaming Wars

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A Cheaper Ad-Supported Version of Apple TV+ Is Reportedly in the Works


Been thinking about trying Apple TV+ but don’t want to pay full price? Would you be willing to pay if Apple TV+ had a less expensive ad-supported version? Apple is reportedly hoping you would be open to that arrangement and is building an ad-supported version of Apple TV+.

According to a report from the Business Insider, Apple has hired former NBCUniversal executive Joseph Cady to lead its new ad push with an ad-supported version of Apple TV+. Cady was a 14-year ad executive at NBCUniversal.

It is reported that Cady will work with Winston Crawford, Apple’s head of ad sales, to build out this service.

This comes as Apple TV + has added 50 new movies from other studios including Zoolander and Mad Max: Fury Road to its lineup. This move helps bring in more content to attract more subscribers addressing one of the service’s main complaints—a small catalog.

Apple has also been pushing the service to get more into sports. MLS is one of the most noticeable sports add-ons the service offers but it also has weekly MLB games. Recently Apple tried to get TV rights to the Pac-12 football and basketball games but that failed when the league lost most of its members.


Source: Cord Cutter News


Understand the streaming landscape in this weekly data snapshot series provided by Parrot Analytics. This week's chart reveals where platforms are getting their most in-demand content from.

platform_catalog_demand_by_source_chart

Key Findings Include



- The importance of HBO content to Max is evident here. 76% of demand for shows on Max was for a series that originally aired on a cable channel. The majority of this demand is for premium HBO content.

- Peacock is the most reliant on shows that first aired on a broadcast channel. High demand for NBC series makes this an important asset for Peacock

- Over half of demand for shows on Netflix was for a Netflix original, underscoring the importance of highly in-demand original content to Netflix’s strategy.



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