OTT – VOD
Mexico:
DirecTV Go adds TV Azteca’s Clic
Mexico’s DirectTV Go (AT&T’s Pay TV OTT service) added Clic, a channel owned by TV Azteca, to its line-up on June 29. In this way, the streaming platform is already offering TV Azteca’s whole Pay TV portfolio, since Mundo, Corazón and Cinema...
Brazil:
Globoplay plans to launch new package including Globosat’s live channels
Brazil's Globo is planning to add Globosat's live and linear channels to its Globoplay streaming platform, according to local website Tudo Celular. The idea is to launch a new package, for which the user will have to pay an extra fee in addition to...
Global:
Amazon Prime Video plans to launch linear and live TV service
Amazon is working on the introduction of a new service into its OTT Prime Video, according to website Protocol. The new service will include linear and live TV channels. This initiative differs from Prime Video Channels service, available in the...
Latin America:
CBS starts expansion into Latin America by launching CBS News app
CBS, a U.S. Free To Air TV network owned by ViacomCBS, started its expansion into Latin America by announcing the launch of its mobile app CBS News on June 23, which provides access to CBSN, a free streaming service including a 24/7 live channel....
Latin America:
Mexico has the largest Netflix catalog in the region
Netflix Mexico library is the largest in Latin America, with 4,316 titles on the platform (including 2,958 movies and 1,358 TV shows), according to research recently conducted by Surfshark (www.surfshark.com), a VPN (Virtual Private Network)...
Brazil:
Number of Netflix subs exceeds 15 million thus equaling aggregate of Pay TV customers
Netflix subscriber count has already exceeded 15 million in Brazil, according to information provided by UOL, a Brazilian website. This figure equals the aggregate of Pay TV customers in Brazil, which was 15.32 million as of the end of April, as...
Argentina:
Amazon to be sued for its new original El Presidente
Relatives of late Julio Humberto Grondona, who held office as President of the Asociación del Fútbol Argentino -AFA- (Argentine Soccer Association) between 1979 and 2014, will sue Amazon for millions in damages in connection with its original...
Latin America:
New U.S. Latino-focused OTT Canela.TV to expand into Latin America in 2021
Canela TV will start its expansion into Latin American countries next year, according to information revealed to TAVI Latam by Isabel Rafferty Zavala, Canela Media CEO and founder. The new streaming service, which targets U.S. latins, was launched...
Brazil:
Globoplay expands smart TV distribution through partnership with Foxxum
Brazilian streaming service Globoplay (Globo) has partnered with Foxxum, a smart TV solution developer based in Germany. Thanks to this contract, the Globoplay application will be available to users who have Foxxum-enabled devices. "It is a great...
Global:
WarnerMedia launches its new streaming platform HBO Max
As had been previously announced, WarnerMedia, the production company owned by AT&T, launched its new OTT service called HBO Max on April 27. For the time being, it is available only in the United States and Puerto Rico. It is likely to expand...
Brazil:
F1 TV to launch plan to access live races in 2021
Streaming platform F1 TV will broadcast 2021 season F1 races through its Pro plan, according to Brazilian website UOL. The OTT platform has been offering this plan since 2018 in over 75 territories throughout the world (including all...
Latin America:
Pluto TV launches its first temporary channel
Pluto TV, a free streaming platform owned by ViacomCBS, released its first temporary channel in Latin America on May 13. The channel is called Estrellas de Acción (Action Stars) and will be available until June 10. The introduction of temporary or...
Global:
Twitch to produce non-gaming original shows
Twitch, the video game streaming platform owned by Amazon, plans to expand its content by introducing original shows of various genres. So far, the platform’s content has been limited to gaming. According to the U.S. Bloomberg Media Group, the...
Chile:
OTT platform Cinépolis Klic officially launched
Cinépolis Klic, a streaming platform owned by the operator of a Mexican movie theater chain (Cinépolis), was launched in Chile on May 7. The launch marks the start of the platform’s international expansion, after having operated in Mexico for seven...
Brazil:
UOL joins the streaming market with UOL Play
Brazilian website UOL (Grupo Folha) has launched its own OTT platform, called UOL Play. UOL is one of the most visited Internet sites in Brazil; it is among the top 10 sites in the rankings published by Alexa and Similar Web, the most important...
Global:
Facebook opens up a new alternative for artists by allowing them to charge for livestream shows
Facebook has announced that in the next few weeks it will include the option to charge for livestream shows. “To support creators and small businesses, we plan to add the ability for pages to charge for access to events with live videos on...
Global:
Pirate OTT Popcorn Time launches kids version
Popcorn Time, a pirate OTT platform, has introduced a new app called Popcorn Time Kids. It is a filtered version allowing access to content for children only. Created by Argentine geeks in 2014, the OTT has become very popular in Latin America....
Brazil:
Telecine Play optimizes its service by deploying MediaMelon
Brazilian OTT Telecine Play, owned by Globosat's Telecine premium channel network, has deployed a streaming optimization platform called SmartPlay, designed by MediaMelon. Thanks to this tool, Telecine Play can "deliver a better video quality of...
Latin America:
Netflix has 34.3 million subs in the region as at the end of Q1 with quarterly growth reaching 9%
Netflix reported that it had 34.3 million paid subs in Latin America as at the close of first quarter 2020. By the end of March, the number of users had increased by 9.2%, with the addition of 2.9 million customers. These figures were released by...
Global:
Netflix to make audiovisual productions based on Boom! Studios’ comics
Netflix and Boom! Studios, a comics publishing company, have announced an agreement under which the OTT service led by Reed Hastings will produce new original content based on Boom!’s stories. This company is among the leading comics publishers in...
Puerto Rico:
Questioned Free OTT Locast launched in Puerto Rico
Locast (www.locast.org), a U.S. OTT platform, is now available in Puerto Rico. The service is free and offers local FTA (Free-To-Air) TV channels via streaming. Locast, which is controlled by Sports Fans Coalition NY, Inc., was launched in the...
Latin America:
Movistar Series now accessible through OTT Movistar Play only
Telecommunications company Telefónica has made a strategic decision at a regional level in relation to its Movistar Series channel. According to information obtained by TAVI Latam, the channel was dropped from Movistar Pay TV line-ups in Latin...
Global:
Quibi launches mobile-only short-form OTT platform
OTT platform Quibi launched in the United States and Canada on April 6. The service offers short audiovisual shows not exceeding ten minutes and it is designed to be viewed only on mobile phones. According to information provided by the company,...
Latin America:
JustWatch expands into five new Latin American countries
JustWatch, a streaming search engine for movies and TV shows (based in Germany) is expanding its service into new countries in the region, according to information obtained by TAVI Latam. It was already available in Brazil and Mexico and the new...
Latin America:
Pluto TV already available in the region
Pluto TV, ViacomCBS’s free ad-supported streaming service, launched in Latin America on March 24, according to the plan previously announced by the company, which had scheduled launch for late March. However, there has been no oficial release so...
Global:
Fox Corporation to purchase ad-supported OTT Tubi
Fox Corporation, owned by Rupert Murdoch, has entered into an agreement to purchase ad-supported OTT platform Tubi. The deal will be mostly funded with the proceeds of the sale of Fox’s 5% stake in Roku. Fox Corp.’s move comes one year after the...
Global:
Owing to Coronavirus restrictions, Universal will simultaneously release films online and in theaters
Given the preventive measures against Coronavirus (COVID-19) that are being taken worldwide, Comcast Corporation has decided that Universal Pictures films will simultaneously debut online and in theaters. The company has reported that the titles...
Latin America:
YouTube Kids expands into 11 additional countries in the region
YouTube Kids app is now available in eleven new Latin American countries, thus totaling 18 nations in the region. The children’s version of YouTube (Google) can now be enjoyed in Bolivia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras,...
Latin America:
DAZN to expand into Spanish-speaking Latin America but in English
Sports OTT DAZN will enter the Spanish-speaking Latin American market (it is already present in Portuguese-speaking Brazil). Its new programming of boxing fights, with commentaries in English, will debut on May 2 with an event in which Mexican Saúl...
Global:
Netflix purchases 80 movies from Italy’s Rai
Netflix has bought 80 films from Rai, the Italian public TV broadcaster, according to information released by Italian newspaper La Repubblica. The amount of the transaction was close to USD 3 million. The purchase was divided into two parts: 61...
Global:
WarnerMedia creates new unit to make movies for HBO Max
WarnerMedia (AT&T) has set up a new label called Warner Max, which will be "the film production arm" for the new HBO Max streaming service that will be released in the United States in May this year (the release date in Latin America has not...
Latin America:
Netflix subscribers can now choose whether to turn autoplay on or off
A few days ago, Netflix decided to allow its users to enable or disable autoplay both for previews while browsing and for the next episode in a series. This feature is already available in Latin America and the rest of the world. "Some people find...
Brazil:
Netflix expected to surpass 15 million subscribers in 1Q 2020
Netflix will surpass 15 million users in Brazil during the first quarter of 2020, according to Brazilian website Na Telinha, which noted that the information had been exclusively revealed by “a Netflix Brasil executive”. The figure is approaching...
Latin America:
Amazon Prime Video works in its first-ever locally produced Chilean, Argentine and Colombian originals
Amazon has announced the start of the production of its first-ever local original series in Chile, Argentina and Colombia, which will be included in its OTT Prime Video service. In this way, the U.S. company expands local production in Latin...
Latin America:
Netflix grows by 6.9% in fourth quarter and closes 2019 with 31.4 million subs
In its financial report, Netflix disclosed it had closed 2019 with 31.4 million paid users in Latin America, which means a 6.9% quarterly increase in its base. The yearly increase in the region was 20.5%. Netflix further reported that its...
Global:
Globoplay starts international expansion and is launched in U.S.A.
Globoplay, the OTT platform owned by Brazilian multimedia group Globo, was launched for the first time in a foreign country on January 19. The country chosen is the United States, which is home to the largest community of Brazilian migrants....
Brazil:
Twitch bets on traditional sports in Latin America by acquiring Brazilian basketball rights
Amazon-owned Twitch has purchased the rights to broadcast NBB matches live for free. The NBB is the most important basketball league in Brazil. The total number of matches is ten and the premiere is scheduled for January 15 with the game between...
Brazil:
Judiciary orders Netflix to remove Porta dos Fundos’ Christmas special
A Río de Janeiro State court held that the Christmas special produced by Porta dos Fundos should be removed from Netflix catalog. The show has aroused controvery by portraying a homosexual JesusChrist. In this way, the Judiciary granted a petition...
Argentina:
Argentine government levies 8% tax on foreign digital platforms and apps
The Argentine government has enacted a law that levies an 8% tax on all foreign platforms and apps providing digital services. The list includes OTTs operating in Argentina such as Netflix, Apple TV+ and Amazon Prime Video, as well as apps such as...
Argentina:
The Argentine Soccer Association launches OTT service with VOD and live content
The Argentine Soccer Association (AFA) has officially launched its new OTT platform, which goes by the name of AFA Play. “In addition to VOD content, we will have live content,” AFA Commercial and Marketing Manager Leandro Petersen told TAVI Latam...
Global:
Netflix tests an option for automatic content selection
Netflix is offering some subscribers a new feature to enjoy its service. Through the Watch Now option, the OTT platform automatically selects the content to be viewed and the subscriber doesn’t need to browse to choose what to watch. As reported by...
Latin America:
Netflix reveals 29.4 million Latin American subs count as at Q3 2019
For the first time, Netflix has unveiled subscribers count data for Latin America. It had 29.4 million paid users as of the end of third quarter 2019. The information was released by the company in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange...
Latin America:
CuriosityStream to be offered through Millicom in Latin America
The US OTT platform has announced that it has partnered with Millicom to offer the service in the nine Latin American territories where the telecommunication company does business. The countries are Colombia, Paraguay, Bolivia, Panama, Costa Rica,...
Latin America:
HBO Max Latin American version different from U.S. version
HBO Max Chief Content Officer Kevin Reilly said that the OTT service in the rest of the world would not take the same approach as in the United States (U.S. release scheduled for May 2020), taking into account that Latin America will be the first...
Brazil:
Sky reinforces its commitment to TV Everywhere and adds 20 live channels to Sky Play
Sky has added 20 linear channels that can be enjoyed live to its Sky Play 20 OTT platform. In this way, the Brazilian Satellite TV company owned by AT&T expands its TV Everywhere offer, which now totals 30 live channels accessible via...
Mexico:
Starz launches its own OTT Starz Play app
Lionsgate's Starz, the owner of the premium channel network of the same name in the United States, has announced the international launch of the direct to consumer app of its OTT Starz Play. The five countries starting this new stage are Brazil,...
Global:
Disney asserts Disney+ has reached 10 million sign-ups
In a brief press release, Disney has announced that 10 million users have signed up for its OTT since its launch on November 12. "Moving forward, there are no plans to release Disney+ subscriber data outside of The Walt Disney Company’s quarterly...
Global:
Disney+ debuts in the United States, Canada and the Netherlands; premiere in Puerto Rico put off for a week
The Walt Disney Company launched its own OTT platform on November 12 and the first countries to have access to Disney+ are the United States, Canada and the Netherlands. The premiere in Puerto Rico was scheduled for the same date, but the company...
Global:
NBA League Pass OTT adds NBA TV channel as a standalone subscription option
The NBA (United States National Basketball Association) has included a new option for its fans in NBA League Pass OTT service. It will be possible to purchase NBA TV, a linear channel, as a standalone subscription option, in all the countries where...
Brazil:
Belas Artes de Sao Paulo is the first Brazilian cinema to have its own OTT
Belas Artes, a Sao Paulo cinema sponsored by Petra beer, has become the first cinema in the country to launch its own OTT service. Its name is Belas Artes A La Carte and its catalog focuses on independent and cult movies. It is included in the...
Latin America:
HBO Max to arrive in Latin America in 2021 and to produce local content
John Stankey, who is the president and COO of AT&T and the CEO of WarnerMedia, has unveiled a plan to expand OTT HBO Max, a new service that will premiere in the United States in May 2020, to make it available in Latin America in 2021. The...
Latin America:
Netflix to start reporting Latin American subscriber count
Netflix published yesterday its quarterly earnings for the Q319 and announced that in the next financial results it would start disclosing revenue and membership by region. The OTT has never officially released Latin American numbers. As of the end...
Brazil:
Facebook launches its first original in Brazil
The world’s largest social network Facebook has made it possible for its users to view Tour das Tours on Facebook Watch. This soap opera is the first original show produced by the network in Brazil and is premiering October 11. The series consists...
Global:
Disney stops running Netflix ads on its Entertainment channels in USA
Communication media company Disney will no longer run OTT platform Netflix commercials on its entertainment channels in the United States, as was reported by The Wall Street Journal. According to this newspaper, advertising on TV channels accounted...
Global:
Netflix’s CEO predicts tough competition due to OTTs new releases
Netflix's CEO Reed Hastings said that the market will be a "tough competition" since next November, when several companies launch their own OTT platforms. This was at the Royal Television Society conference in Cambridge, England. "While we have...
Argentina:
Movistar Play has introduced Amazon Prime Video as a package
OTT Movistar Play, a service offered by telecom company Movistar (Telefónica Group), has added to its platform the option to get Amazon Prime Video as a package. As part of a launch promotion, the three first months will be free and there will be a...
Global:
NBCUniversal also sets its OTT release date
The North American programmer NBCUniversal (Comcast) has joined the big content producers who are launching their own OTTs. Apart from the already announced Disney+ (Disney), Apple TV+ (Apple) and HBO Max (WarnerMedia), now Peacock of NBCUniversal...
Global:
Apple’s new OTT will make its global launch on November 1 including the entire Latin America
The technology company Apple announced in its latest keynote that its new OTT, called Apple TV+ (Apple TV Plus), will be available from November 1 in more than 100 countries, among which is the entire Latin American region. The main attraction of...
Global:
Docubay, new OTT including only documentaries launched
Indian TV production company IN10 Media has announced that its new OTT platform Docubay is already available worldwide. This service offers a library containing only documentaries including a wide variely of genres, such as Nature, Travel, Culture,...
Latin America:
OTT FlixLatino’s new focus on children
OTT platform FlixLatino (which belongs to distributor Somos Next) has added a news section, called FlixKids, to its service. The service currently available in Puerto Rico and USA aims to grow within the segment focused on children. The inclusion...
