Cordkillers 47 – The Sports is a Lie

Will ESPN’s choke hold kill online viewing or itself? Plus our holiday gift picks! 

Download video

Download audio

CordKillers: Ep. 47 – The Sports is a Lie
Recorded: December 1, 2014
Guest: None

Intro Video 

Primary Target

  • ESPN’s Long-Term TV Sports Rights Deals Chart
  • -Chart from MoffettNathanson analyst Michael Nathanson
    – ESPN Sports rights plotted out to 2024.
    – ESPN will pay $3.8 billion for those games this year, and $5.1 billion by 2017
    – $6 per subscriber paid to ESPN expected to hit $8 by 2018 (SNL Kagan)
    – Dish has ESPN on its web service, Sony does not yet.
    -Q: Can an online-only service make it without sports?
    -Q: Can ESPN continue to afford to pay for games when non-sports fans have more of a choice?

Signal Intelligence

  • More Than 70 Percent of Netflix Viewers Watch Original Shows
  • -Poll from Centris Marketing Science
    – More Netflix viewers (72 percent) say they watched the service’s original programming Q3 compared to Q1 (57 percent).
    – The younger the viewer the more likely to have watched original programming
    Q: Are we starting to think of Netflix as HBO more so than as an all you can eat TV catch up service?

Gear Up

Front Lines

Under Surveillance

2014 Winter Movie Draft
draft.diamondclub.tv

  1. Scott: $314,255,040
  2. Tom: $225,680,904
  3. Brian: $72,237,610
  4. Brett: $58,210,090
  5. Justin: $38,686,869
  6. John: $14,857,390

Dispatches from the Front

To: All employees of Cordkillers, LLC
From: Manager Joe

To whom it may concern:

On episode 46 of your show, entittled “Cultural CliffsNotes,” feedback was discussed which divulged details of the film Interstellar. The subject matter involved age variance between characters played by the American actors Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway.

In the future, please ensure that divulgences of protected information be limited to the “It’s Spoilerin’ Time” portions of the broadcast.

I trust this is the final mention of this topic.

Your Boss,

Joe 
 

 

Hey Brian and Tom 

Anecdotally I might have an answer for why Amazon streaming is becoming more popular. Recently I debated with my wife for us to switch from Netflix to Amazon. We have no reason for two streaming services and since they are approximately the same cost per month, I thought this would be an easy switch. My pitch was to switch to Amazon because of free shipping and music, but she insisted we stay on Netflix because of the exclusives. Amazon’s rise in popularity could be linked to people like me who want to watch streaming occasionally, but don’t want to pay for two services. If I have to choose one, Amazon wins because of all the perks (free shipping, kindle library, music, etc.).

Just a thought, thanks!

Dominic

 

 

Brian and Tom!

If you have not yet seen Gortimer Gibbons Life on Normal Street on Amazon Prime, you are missing out! This is a smart, sweet, funny kids show and an Amazon original. It is not the flashy, over the top, laugh track shows from Disney Channel, which is a refreshing change of pace.

So great to see smart kids content coming from these online providers.

Your Boss,

Maxwell

 

 

I’ve noticed it on the podcast every now and then, but Hulu+ gets downplayed a lot on the show. I’m confused as to why. I think by implying it’s not a good service is actually a disservice to potential cordcutters who want to drop their cable/satellite TV services.

Hulu+ is the only streaming service that allows people to watch the latest episodes in about 6-12 hours from when they first air. These are shows from NBC, CW, ABC, FOX, and even from some cable networks like Comedy Central or Nickelodeon, also new Anime from Japan.

Their back catalog of TV shows isn’t anything to ignore either, with stuff from CBS, FX, etc… International programming from the UK, Korea, and Mexico, also can’t be discounted. Then there’s the movie catalog, with several that aren’t even available on Netflix.

Hulu+ with a Chromecast/Roku (and maybe including CBS all access) is simply the most affordable and most convenient method to watch time-shifted programming on a TV, that is “Grandparents Friendly.” I know that everyone I know who cut the cord rely on Hulu+ more than Netflix or Amazon, for their current TV fix.

So why the hate on Hulu+?

Still a fan though ;-P
Albert 
 

 

Another great show. Really liked Dana Brunetti insights as well, although I completely disagree with his assessment that viewing numbers don’t matter in your discussion of Nielsen and Netflix. Dana is right that Netflix does not have to release that info and all that matters to Netflix is how well they feel a show is doing since they are the ones who ultimately benefit or don’t, plus they have already paid for the content so no is left empty handed. But as the OTT business gets more competitive and the Netflix’s of the world continue to produce, buy and sell content around the world these viewing numbers will generate a perceived value (as Tom said), which in some case will work for and against Netflix, Amazon and others. Although it is a brave new world, let’s not forget – the more things change, the more things stay the same (making money).

Thanks again. Your show continues to get better all the time.

Frank

 

 

As someone who works in TV for a living I was surprised to hear you guys dismiss Nielsen numbers for Netflix. I was literally yelling at my phone watching until Tom brought up Amazon using the numbers. I calmed down and thought okay here we go, Tom is getting to my point but then got mad because Dana dismissed them and you guys let it go. Now I can see Dana dismissing them as a producer who has a deal with Netflix because he is getting paid but anyone not working for Netflix or “House of Cards” should care. Amazon will almost certainly care about them. HBO will care about them. As a broadcaster I can say the broadcast networks will also care. If any of the networks companies I mentioned see a show is getting higher numbers on Netflix then some of their shows, they will either…

A, consider bidding on the show.
B, consider making a show similar in nature.
C, drop a show similar in nature that is getting less viewers.

Jay

 

 

Please explain how youtube channels work like I’m five. I’ve been using Youtube since the beginning of time and for the life of me I have no clue how find channels/subscribe, etc. For me its to confusing. Help me out or you’re Fired!

Keep up the good work, bonuses are in the mail. You guys like one year memberships to the Jelly of the month club don’t you?

Mike

 

 

Hi Tom& Brian 
I have a question for you. I buy most of my movies digitally now, but the problem is they are scattered all across Google Play, Amazon, VUDU and iTunes. Is there any tool or software to maintain all this so that when I want to see something I can find out if I own it and if so where. I actually bought a movie on two different services because I forgot I owned it on the other one.

Thanks for your help guys!!!

Josh

 

 

Brian,

This is your boss, and in your end of year appraisal I call BS on your “how many names can you remember” test as a measure of viewing enjoyment.

I had to listen to you regularly forget every single name in Transparent, yet it was one of your favourite shows of the year. You only had to remember a Moppa and 3 kids!

Your boss

James in the UK

 

 

Hey Brian and Tom.
I wanted to add some things you missed about the story about korra coming back to television.
1st it will be on nicktoons not nick proper most kids wont search out for a channel that is buried in deep cable or might be in a different package all together. (also they did this for book three already)

2nd as far as I am aware the creative team behind korra is the same and I think one of the reasons the show might have gotten pulled is it got dark for being on a kids network. if it was on teennick it would have been fine but maybe not on a network that also plays spongebob.

just my thoughts,
Greg 

 

 

I’m happy to report that as a Canadian our VPN settings stopped working and we didn’t even notice we were using Canadian Netflix for over a month. Now that our VPN service has been restored, we’ve actually switched back to finish watching certain shows you guys don’t have.

Anyway, I’d like to issue a challenge to all cord killers North of the Wall: switch off the VPN, if it’s not 100x better than the last time you were on Canadian Netflix, I owe you a double double.

Ken

Links

patreon.com/cordkillers
Dog House Systems Cordkiller box

Cordkillers Ep. 46 – Cultural CliffsNotes

Dana Brunetti joins us and talks about his cord-cutting experience and whether Nielsen rating Netflix and Amazon is a good idea. 

Download video

Download audio

CordKillers: Ep. 46 – Cultural CliffsNotes
Recorded: November 24, 2014
Guest: Dana Brunetti

Intro Video 

Primary Target

  • Watching shows online is more common now, Flurry says, but TV’s hardly dead yet
  • -Flurry does analytics on mobile apps
    – US citizens spend more than 10 minutes more a day on mobile devices than watching TV
    – 2 hours 48 minutes on TV: 2 hours 57 minutes using mobile
    – Combines Flurry analytics with ComScore and US Bureau of Labor Statistics on TV usage.
    – Nielsen numbers report a much larger number for time spent on TV: 4 hours 36 mins. a day
    – Survey in UK in April by Ofcom what device you would miss most. Older respondents chose TV. 16-34 chose smartphone.

Signal Intelligence

  • Nielsen will finally start tracking Netflix and Amazon video
  • Nielsen to Measure Netflix Viewing
  • – WSJ says Nielsen will begin tracking non-mobile viewers of subscription online video services like Amazon and Netflix
    – Scans audio of the programs to identify shows.
    – Important for content producers when striking deals with the services.
    – TV viewership down 7% yoy in October 18-49
    – 40% of households subscribe to streaming video service.
    – Subscribers watch around 20% less TV

Gear Up

Front Lines

Under Surveillance

2014 Winter Movie Draft
draft.diamondclub.tv

  1. Scott: $256,679,469
  2. Tom: $121,897,634
  3. Brian: $57,729,445
  4. Justin: $29,983,069
  5. John: $10,950,001
  6. Brett: $0

Dispatches from the Front
When you covered the new CBSNews online initiative, I immediately installed the Roku app.
Content is very traditional TV, but the presentation is pretty painless.
Gives me a quick way to make sure I didn’t miss any stories the masses are talking about.

There are a couple of small flaws:
Ads are often much louder than the content
Ad repeat often (Not too surprising since it’s new ad inventory for them to sell.)

But I deleted my app this morning. [STORY ABOUT HOW HIS ROKU GOT STUCK PLAYING 5 ADS IN A ROW AND HE HAD TO REBOOT]

I’m a big supporter of ad-supported free media. It drives me crazy when publishers do it so wrong.

I fear they will count this experiment in online as a failure – not realizing it’s the experience, not the format that failed.

Lon

Hey Tom and Brian, Love the Show(tm). Just wanted to let your audience know that the MPAA’s new wheretowatch.com website doesn’t discriminate between online and offline content. I got super-excited when I searched for “CHiPs” (don’t judge me) and saw it was available on Netflix. Well, my joy was quickly dashed when I went to Netflix and saw that it was available only on DVD. So while the MPAA is taking a step in the right direction, so far this site isn’t a replacement for canistream.it.

Keep up the great work,
Your Boss

Rob

 

According to wheretowatch.com there are no legit places to watch House of Cards Season 2. No legit places to watch Game of Thrones Season 5.

I know this is still officially in “beta” but I’m not going to take the effort to come back and check every month until they get this right. This brand is ruined for me.

John
 

While the same actor who plays Spike in Buffy also plays Braniac in Smallville, that actor is James Marsters, not James Marsden. Love the show, but without careful attention to those last names starting with M, I could be confused with Tom.

Tom

 

In regards to Spoilering Time for Interstellar, Anne Hathaway and Matthew McConaughey are roughly the same age. As they are using the black hole for a gravity assisted slingshot, Hathaway exclaims “you look pretty good for 120 years old” (or something along those lines). I think we are to believe that the time dilation through the black hole is negligible which leaves Anne Hathaway and Matthew McConaughey the same age. Love the show!

Brian

Links
patreon.com/cordkillers
Dog House Systems Cordkiller box

Cordkillers Ep. 45 – MPA—- Yay?

Sony wins the race to first Internet TV service, MPAA does a great job helping you find things to watch, do you want 5 HDMI signals on one screen?

Download video

Download audio

CordKillers: Ep. MPA—- Yay?
Recorded: November 17, 2014
GuestAndy Forssell, former CEO of Hulu

Intro Video 

Primary Target

Signal Intelligence

  • WhereToWatch Helps You Find TV Shows and Movies to Stream Legally
  • Where to Watch
  •  – MPAA launched wheretowatch.com
    – Service to find where stream or purchase of movies and TV shows online or DVD/Blu-Ray
    – Trailers and behind the scenes footage as well
    – Amazon, iTunes, Netflix, Hulu, Crackle, Flixster, Paramount Movies, Bravo Now, CNBC Full Episodes, E! Now, Esquire TV Now, Oxygen Now, Sprout Now, Syfy Now, ABC, ABC Family, Disney Movies Anywhere, Vudu, Xbox Video, Sundance Now, SnagFilms, Fandor, Wolfe on Demand, Target Ticket, Movies On Demand, Reelhouse, IndieFlix.

Gear Up

Front Lines

Under Surveillance

2014 Winter Movie Draft
draft.diamondclub.tv

  1. Scott: $207,234,079
  2. Brian: $36,111,775
  3. Justin: $25,910,368
  4. John: $6,471,161
  5. Tom: $0
  6. Brett: $0
     

Dispatches from the Front

That German company you mentioned that’s offering an app to chromecast Amazon Prime videos has had their app shut down. From the Primecast app page (http://primecast-app.com/): “Primecast has been shut down and is no longer available” is all it says. I guess Amazon DID care. So much for “whatever device you please.”

Brian G

 

Holy cow Brian. Sometimes you go off arguing on the silliest of nitpicky (minor) points. The most recent one of having to go thru a one time setup process for Disney, iTunes and GooglePlay. You have to be one of the laziest employees I have. Seriously, it’s getting old. Knock it off.

Your boss

Kyle in Pittsburgh

 

 

Hey guys. You are always talking about how Nielsen is behind the times, but a lot of that is contractual between Nielsen and our Clients. Often we are limited by what we can do because of the push and pull between national and local interests. Few local TV stations are interested in internet video measurement for example, because very little of their content and audience is online. The National networks how ever have their own streaming infrastructure setup.

Check out this article about how Nielsen is trying to evolve the way video ratings are done. 

David The Nielsen Guy

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/238149/nielsen-calls-for-industry-to-adopt-new-ratings-st.html

 

 

Hey guys! I am a freshman in college and my university does not have a deal with any cable company so I had to find another way to watch some shows.

This won’t apply to the vast majority of the audience BUT my parents live in Mexico so I got them cable+internet for around $40 US. The awesome thing is that for an extra $10 a month they get “on demand online” which basically means I get to stream (because I am the one that uses it) every channel they have!. For most channels this is in Spanish (which I do speak) but this also means live events like the emmys, grammys, the world series, football on sundays and monday night, basketball games, all live and online! I know I’m cheating on cutting the cord since I am technically paying for a cable service but still I get to whatch live tv without problems online in HD. I know this seems like something a slingbox could do but this way no TV is being “used” while I watch what I want some 2000 miles away.

Love the show take care!

Charles O

PS. I love Brian’s sing-along the theme song after the credits. 

 

Links

patreon.com/cordkillers
Dog House Systems Cordkiller box

 

 

Cordkillers Ep. 44 – Mushy Middle

Who buys digital stuff anymore? IS CBS doing streaming news right? Is Wal-Mart’s Vudu stick useless?

Download video

Download audio

CordKillers: Ep. 44 – Mushy Middle
Recorded: November 10, 2014
Guest: Chad Johnson

Intro Video 

Primary Target

Signal Intelligence

  • CBS launches 24-hour streaming news channel
  • -CBSN – 24 hour news channel with live programming 9-Midnight Eastern
    – Some original some borrowed from CBS News and Sports.
    – Skip around previous segments, see what segments are next.
    – Web, Roku, Fire TV, Windows 8 (Android by end of year)

Gear Up

Front Lines

Under Surveillance

2014 Winter Movie Draft
draft.diamondclub.tv

  1. Scott: $105,877,702
  2. Justin: $19,618,437
  3. Brian: $0
  4. Tom: $0
  5. John: $0
  6. Brett: $0

Dispatches from the Front

My boss and I had tried to do something very similar to the movie but it never panned out. I love that you guys have kept it going and seems like it’s growing among all the listeners. For those of you have played Fantasy football, Yahoo likes to do a grade system after the draft to add some flair and post draft analyst. Although a week late, Here you guys go! 

Mulango Akpo-Esambe

 

Hi Tom, Brian and guest. Just a note about the Atari Game Over documentary coming to Xbox Live. On this weeks Major Nelson Podcast which is made by a bunch of Xbox employees Jeff Rubenstein from the Xbox community team mentioned that the documentary is available to both Gold and Silver members. Meaning that you don’t have to be paying for Xbox Live to see the documentary.

From your boss, Nik.

 

I have a roku 2 xs, and chromecast. Thinking of dropping directv and would move roku 2 to bedroom tv as it has composite out as that tv does not have hdmi. What do you recommend in addition to the chromecast to get amazon prime instant and why? A new roku, a roku stick, or amazon firestick, this is just so I can get prime on the TV chromecast works great for netflix, hulu, and hbogo.

Thanks for the insight.
Lance
 

Links

www.patreon.com/cordkillers
Dog House Systems Cordkiller box