The following is our weekly live video newsletter, which publishers on Mondays. Want to subscribe? Click here.Last week, Twitter announced they’d be broadcasting live video 24 hours a day. On Monday, we learned the first iteration of that vision: a partnership with Bloomberg. It’s supposed to be an easy, snackable program to pop in and out of during your day. That might be the prefered solution for Twitter’s low-attention span, information-savvy user base.Bloomberg wasn’t the only show brought to light, either. Ends up Twitter is airing a slew of other programs with various partners. Among them: BuzzFeed, Cheddar, IMG Fashion, MLBAM, Live Nation, PGA Tour, The Players’ Tribune, Propagate, STADIUM, The Verge and WNBA. Sure sounds like a television platform...The Guardian is bullish on Facebook’s live video future, but also caveats that with an emerging super-user issue for streaming content producers -- one that may be familiar to those who recall Google-plus’s initial problems:
“Facebook will not say how many people are using the service, but in July 2016, video intelligence company Tubular released some stats showing the disparity in scale: in June 2016 there were 6.8bn views of livestreamed content, but those videos came from just over 500,000 accounts. In other words, watching video is a mass-market thing, but making it remains very much a niche activity.”
The past week showed some opposing views of branded live video, too. While Adweek highlighted the big crowds brands are wrangling, Observer still believes live video -- particularly Facebook -- is a dangerous space for brands without some control over the proceedings. We’d respectfully point to the aforementioned Adweek piece as a prime example of how brands are using expertly-produced live video their advantage. Forbes buys in too, championing how live video makes everyone into a Netflix of sorts.
Breaking news + premium video deals ⚡️ “OMG! 😱 Twitter's first #NewFronts ”https://t.co/HCsmBAYSDb
— Twitter Marketing (@TwitterMktg) May 2, 2017
Your full rundown from another busy week of live video news:Twitter Teams Up with Bloomberg for Streaming News -- The Wall Street Journal, Lukas AlpertTwitter Still Thinks It's a TV Platform -- And Here Are its Dozen New Shows -- Recode, Peter KafkaFrom Lady Gaga and Bud Light, to Tiffany’s, Brands Show Live Video Attracts a Crowd -- Adweek, Christopher HeineCan Facebook Make Live Video its Future? -- The Guardian, Alex Hern Why Twitter is Smart to Go All-In on Live-Streaming -- Yahoo Finance, Daniel RobertsLive Video is Turning Every Business Into Netflix -- Forbes, Joel CommInfographic: Here’s the Difference Between 5 Top Streaming Services for Live TV -- Adweek, Diana McDougallHow the NFL Juggles the Future of Streaming, the Decline of TV and Billions of Dollars -- Recode, Kurt WagnerTwitter: 800 Hours of Live Premium Video was Viewed by 41 million Viewers in Q1 2017, up 31% -- VentureBeat, Paul SawersLive Video and Living Room Videos Are Premium Growth Areas: Freewheel’s Lawlor -- HuffPost, Andy PlesserYouTube’s Crisis, Facebook’s Dilemma: Is Live Video Safe For Brands? -- Observer, Jeri SmithCan Facebook Fix its Own Worst Bug? -- The New York Times, Farhad ManjooHulu’s Cable Bundle Likely to be Announced at the End of May -- New York Post, Claire AtkinsonBitTorrent is Shutting Down its Live TV Streaming Service -- Variety, Janko Roettgers2017 NFL Draft Ratings: Analyzing ESPN’s TV & Live Streaming Performance for Shocking First Round -- Forbes, Alex KayABC Affiliate Deal Makes it Easier to Live-Stream Local Channels -- Engadget, David LumbLive at Home: How to See Concerts Every Day Without Leaving Your House -- The Verge, Noel MurrayMaybe It’s Time to Treat Facebook Like a Public Utility -- FastCompany, Cale Guthrie WeissmanTwitter Plans to Broadcast Live Video 24 Hours a Day -- Buzzfeed, Alex KantrowitzESPN Layoffs a Sign That Live Sports TV Are in Crisis -- TODAYTwitter is Considering Replacing Thursday Night Football Streams with UFC Fights -- Uproxx, Ryan HarknessMeet the Woman Creating the Facebook Live of Sex Ed -- Vocativ, Tracy Clark-FloryMobile Rises and Data Costs Falls: What it Means for Video -- Brafton, Tressa SloaneTwitter Just Inked Another Live-Streaming Lax Pact -- Adweek, David CohenA Fresh Round of Scrutiny for Facebook Live After Brutal Video of Infant’s Death -- FastCompany, Christopher ZaraCould Visual Recognition Technology be the Answer for Facebook’s Live Video Problems? -- Mobile Marketing Magazine, Tyrone StewartThe Tech Behind Today’s First 4K Live Stream from Space -- SiliconAngle, Bev TerrellSprint Spot App Rolls Out Across U.S. -- Advanced TelevisionMarketers Out of Sync With TV and Video Viewing Habits of Average Americans, Report Suggests -- The Drum, Laurie FullertonLook to the Stars to Better Navigate Television -- MediaPost, Zach RosenbergFacebook Live Exhibit at NAB Draws Interest from Churches -- Las Vegas Review-Journal, Todd Prince
