How BBC plans to overhaul iPlayer for the Netflix age October 7, 2019 The BBC is gearing up to overhaul its on-demand iPlayer service as it braces for an onset of newcomers in the crowded streaming market. The corporation is planning to reposition the iPlayer as the main access point for its services amid a decline in traditional TV viewing among younger audiences. Read more: Ofcom gives green [...]
Softbank’s second Vision fund hit by failed Wework IPO October 4, 2019 Softbank founder and chief executive Masayoshi Son is struggling to raise money for a second technology investment fund following the failed public offering of office space provider Wework. Son is preparing to go-ahead with the Vision Fund 2, despite advice to delay, according to Reuters. However, the fund is likely to be smaller than the [...]
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max review: The biggest leap in camera Apple has ever made October 3, 2019 For many years the most important words in a phonemaker’s lexicon were “thinner”, “lighter”, and “faster”. The race to achieve the thinnest, lightest, fastest phone resulted in the dainty little rectangles we all know and love and hate. Any variation on the theme, such as the ill-fated modular phone, was swept aside, never to be [...]
Apple rejects app that tracks Hong Kong protest locations October 3, 2019 Apple has rejected an app that helps people in Hong Kong track the location of police and protesters, according to the app’s developer. Read more: Hong Kong: Police charge teenage protester shot by officer The crowdsourced app, called HKmap Live, displays information about police patrols, tear gas use, metro closures and safe houses to help [...]
Netflix gets €57,000 tax rebate in the UK as binge-watching boosts profit October 3, 2019 Netflix has received a €57,000 (£51,000) tax rebate from the UK government last year, even as the success of hit shows such as The Crown and Stranger Things drove a rise in profit. The tax credit, granted as an incentive to produce films and TV shows in the UK, follows a rebate of €199,000 in [...]
How business rates reform can thwart the retail apocalypse October 1, 2019 When businesses like Thomas Cook fail to adapt, they are smited by new technologies with leaner business models and more efficient practices. This is Joseph Schumpeter’s creative destruction in action. Yet there is something profoundly bleak about boarded-up shops or “clearance sales” posters in the windows of once thriving businesses – particularly as the demise of [...]
Marketing trends 2019: Interactive content and voice search are in, annoying chatbots are out September 28, 2019 Marketing is an industry undergoing seismic changes. New technology, changing consumer attitudes and shrinking budgets mean marketers are constantly having to adapt. But while many large advertisers have tightened the purse strings, marketing remains a key way for businesses to drive growth. A recent report by marketing consultancy Lewis, which looked at the world’s 300 [...]
Boost for broadcasters as young viewers flock to live shows September 26, 2019 Live events are still the most watched TV programmes among young audiences, new data has revealed, marking a much-needed boost for traditional broadcasters. Live TV favourites such as reality shows, talent shows and sports fixtures made up more than half of the top 30 most-watched programmes among 18 to 24-year-olds, according to figures from the [...]
London retains crown as best European city for real estate investment September 25, 2019 London has been ranked as the best European city for long-term commercial real estate investment potential for the third year running, helped by the strength of its tech sector. London was ranked first across five of six categories – inspiration, innovation, interconnection, infrastructure and investment – and was ranked second for the final category, inclusion. [...]
Fleabag star Phoebe Waller-Bridge signs TV deal with Amazon Studios September 24, 2019 Actor and screenwriter Phoebe Waller-Bridge has sealed a bumper deal with Amazon Studios, just days after sweeping up three Emmy awards. The Fleabag star has inked an overall deal to create exclusive new TV shows, which will be streamed on Amazon Prime. Read more: Netflix boss says The Crown will ‘look like a bargain’ as [...]