ethanhan

[ethanhan]

Netflix's AI-Powered Search Tool Could Redefine Content Discovery

In a move that reflects the streaming industry’s deepening relationship with artificial intelligence, Netflix is currently testing a new AI-powered search feature on iOS devices. As reported by The Verge (April 16, 2025), this tool uses OpenAI technology to allow users to search for content in conversational, natural language—phrases like “funny movies about friendship” or “a tense thriller with a twist ending” (The Verge).

The AI tool is part of Netflix’s broader effort to enhance user engagement by improving discoverability, particularly in a content-saturated environment(The Verge). The new feature is currently available in beta for a small group of iOS users in English-speaking markets, with feedback being collected before a wider rollout is considered.

This development is highly relevant to the evolving dynamics of the video streaming sector, where user retention and satisfaction are increasingly tied to personalization. The challenge isn’t lack of content—it’s helping users find content they’ll love. With hundreds of hours of new shows and films uploaded each month across platforms, AI-powered discovery tools could help differentiate Netflix in a crowded marketplace.

From a business perspective, this aligns with Netflix’s shift in focus from subscriber growth to revenue-per-user and engagement metrics. As noted in Yahoo Finance's report on the company’s Q1 2025 earnings, Netflix is no longer sharing subscriber numbers, underscoring a strategic pivot towards qualitative performance indicators such as time spent on the platform.

More broadly, Netflix’s use of AI here illustrates how technology is shaping not just content delivery but also user experience. As streaming services increasingly operate as tech companies, innovations like this signal how the sector may evolve—from passive libraries of content into intelligent, responsive entertainment ecosystems.

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[ethanhan]

MTN and Synamedia Team Up to Launch a Pan-African Streaming Platform

In a major move that highlights the rapid evolution of the video streaming sector in emerging markets, MTN Group—the largest mobile operator in Africa—has announced a partnership with UK-based video technology firm Synamedia to launch a new streaming platform across the continent. The deal, first reported by Reuters, was confirmed in a press release on MTN’s website on April 7.

This new service will offer both linear TV and on-demand video tailored to MTN’s more than 290 million subscribers across 16 African markets. The platform aims to localize content based on regional languages, cultures, and consumer behavior. It will support subscription, freemium, and ad-supported monetization models—strategies reflective of the economic diversity across African nations.

Selorm Adadevoh, MTN Group Chief Commercial Officer, emphasized that the collaboration supports the company’s “Ambition 2025” strategy, which focuses on leading digital solutions for Africa’s progress. Paul Segre, CEO of Synamedia, highlighted how their cloud-based technology would allow MTN to deploy scalable, cost-efficient video solutions, including targeted advertising and personalized user experiences.

This development signals a shift in how telecoms are increasingly becoming digital content providers—blurring the lines between connectivity and media. It also places MTN in direct competition with both regional players like Showmax and international platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, which have ramped up their investments in African original content.

According to a report by Statista, the number of subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) users in Africa is projected to grow from 5 million in 2020 to over 15 million by 2026. This partnership taps into that growth while addressing Africa’s unique infrastructure challenges, particularly in mobile-first markets.

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[ethanhan]

Are Top YouTube Talent the next battle ground of Streaming?

Netflix, Disney, and Peacock are stepping up efforts to sign YouTubers, which could mean big streaming deals for sports channel Dude Perfect or former NASA engineer Mark Rober, Per the March 16th report by the Verge(1).

 In recent months, Netflix has reportedly been in talks with Dude Perfect, a sports-focused creator group with tens of millions of followers, about developing a new series, according to sources familiar with the discussions. Additionally, Netflix has also explored the possibility of creating a new show with YouTuber and former NASA engineer Mark Rober, per the Wall Street Journal on March 14th (2).

Additionally, Peacock, a Comcast subsidiary, is set to launch four comedy shows created by talent discovered through a recently introduced program aimed at identifying emerging digital creators, according to Josh Feldman, chief marketing officer for NBCUniversal Advertising and Partnerships. Disney is also looking for family-friendly creator shows for its streaming services, said people familiar with their discussions (2). 

The Popularity of YouTubers

The interest in YouTubers in the streaming world intensified following the massive success of MrBeast’s Beast Games, which premiered on Amazon Prime Video in December. In the U.S., roughly one in four Prime Video viewers watched at least one episode of Beast Games within four weeks of its release. Among those viewers, 60% went on to watch three or more episodes. According to the Wall Street Journal, Amazon earned at least $100 million from the show and is now in talks to secure deals for its second and third seasons (2). 

Meanwhile, Netflix introduced a series by Rachel Accurso, widely known as Ms. Rachel from YouTube, in January. The show has consistently ranked in Netflix’s top 10 most watched shows in the U.S. since its debut. Such data showcases the massive popularity and potential of YouTuber-led streaming series (2). 

YouTube creators were considered “second-class citizens” by much of Hollywood just a few years ago, said Zack Honarvar, chief executive officer of One Day Entertainment (2). Now, entertainment companies are increasingly viewing YouTubers as a key strategy for attracting and retaining younger audiences. By collaborating with YouTubers, streaming platforms are attracting their robust legions of fans to the platform, while offering a switch-up from the traditional, big budget studio-produced shows, offering more authenticity via their user-generated-like content.

Consumer Behavior and Battling YouTube

The increasing interest in YouTubers is consistent with consumer behavior of YouTube viewership. According to EMarketer’s 2023 report, nearly half (45%) of all YouTube viewership takes place on TVs, according to internal figures, up from below 30% in 2020 (3). This has placed Youtube in serious contention with other streaming platforms in advertiser budgets. In 2023, 48% of brand/advertising professionals are allocating their upfront spending to YouTube TV, ranking second behind all streaming platforms. By collaborating with YouTube's top talent, it's a way for other streaming giants to compete with YouTube's popularity.

[ethanhan]

Fox Corp appoints Pete Distad as CEO of its upcoming standalone subscription streaming service

On Feb 4th, 2025, Fox Corporation has announced plans to launch its yet-to-be-named independent streaming service by the end of 2025, entering the ultra-competitive, and frankly, oversaturated market of streaming services. On Feb 27th, more information regarding the bold yet expected project has came out, with Pete Distad, former Apple TV+ executive appointed as the CEO.

First of all, some contexts. Over the years, Fox Corporation has largely sat out the streaming race between legacy media and companies such as Netflix over the years, "betting instead on ad revenue from its free Tubi streaming service that has about 97 million monthly active users and has a third of its viewers in the 18-34 age group coveted by advertisers (1)."

The U.S. cable industry is "losing millions of viewers each year to streaming (1)", a trend that is forcing legacy media firms such as Fox to reevaluate their linear TV businesses. In the face of an increasingly realized industry trend toward streaming, Fox wants to reach "a large population obviously that are now outside of the traditional cable bundle (1)" Said CEO Lachlan Murdoch, referring to its plan for the subscription streaming service.

The new service will feature all Fox content, packaging its news network, existing sports, and other brands, Murdoch had said at its second-quarter earnings call earlier this month.

Interestingly, this move does not jeopardize Fox's foundation of prioritizing its traditional TV network, nor does it aim to drive linear audiences to the service. Rather, it's a move that aims to reach new audiences in the streaming market, to "put our content in front of everybody who wants it on any platform."

"The subscription streaming market is already crowded, another entrant will make competition fiercer and profits more difficult to obtain consistently," said Emarketer analyst Ross Benes. Regarding the possible price of this new streaming service, Murdoch simply said that Murdoch said that it would be “modest” and that Fox would “price the service accordingly.” In comparison, DirecTV's sports streaming app MySports, who offers 40 sports channels is priced at $69 per month. It also may have potential conflict of interest with Tubi, another Fox-owned Ad-supported streaming network who recently streamed the Super Bowl.

[ethanhan]

Tubi Streams Superbowl LIX for Free: A Home Run?

Tubi debuted with an insanely viral ad in Super Bowl LVII back in 2023 that made it appear as if it had interrupted coverage of the big game. The viral moment helped turbocharge the growth momentum for Tubi, the Fox-owned free streamer.

Two years later, Tubi came back and took their Super Bowl ties to a whole new level: On Feb 9th, Tubi live-streamed all of Fox Sports’ coverage of the Super Bowl, for absolutely FREE. The daring move by Tubi is not only a plan to help the platform gain important yardage in the streaming wars, but a multifaceted business move that, according to Tubi’s chief marketing officer Nicole Parlapiano, “instill credibility in the business." 

For those unfamiliar, “Tubi is an advertiser-supported streaming service with 97 million monthly users and a collection of original content, old movies and TV reruns,” Source tell Wall Street Journal. “Tubi has become a significant part of parent Fox Corp.’s digital strategy and is projected to pass the $1 billion revenue mark for fiscal 2025, Fox said on its most recent earnings call.”

Tubi’s Sunday Super Bowl stream marks the first time that the Super Bowl has been available for free on a major general entertainment streaming platforms. According to Parlapiano, the move doesn’t appear to the die-hard football fan, yet the casual fan "who may or may not watch football regularly — but still have some interest in joining in on what’s became an unofficial holiday." This lines-up perfectly with the active demographic of Tubi, 77% of whom have no cable. The free stream made the Chiefs-Eagles matchup more accessible to the audiences without traditional TV packages, whom which happens to be the primary target demographic for streaming service platforms like Tubi. The result is beyond evident, according to Business Insider, "Tubi's simulcast of the game reached an average minute audience of 13.6 million, driving Super Bowl LIX to a record 127.7 million average viewers across platforms."

Beyond drawing users to the streaming platform, Tubi also used the opportunity to promote and showcase its own programs, including Fox broadcast network's season premiere of Rob Lowe–hosted game show The Floor, and Tubi's The Z-Suite, a new scripted comedy starring Gilmore Girls icon Lauren Graham and Superstore veteran Nico Santos. Tubi also created original content for the big game including a red carpet show about fashion and culture.

However, despite the success in ratings, Tubi's stream received mix reviews on streaming quality, with users stating that it's "stalling and buffering like crazy". This has been a common criticism in streamed sports content, with Netflix's streamed Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight receiving heavy lags and grainy video qualities. Though it seemed not all users experienced the problem. Per real-time streaming firm Phenix, Tubi streaming experienced the best streaming quality, with just 26 seconds of average lag, even beating capable services.

Despite the business success, it was a win for THE PEOPLE. "Super Bowl is the only time as a country where we all come together and lock in on something, whether it’s for the ads, the halftime show, or just being able to talk about it with co-workers the next day. It’s actually the ultimate FOMO moment, and this is about bringing more people in to be a part of that moment,” says Parlapiano.

[ethanhan]

My Sector is Video Streaming

 My sector is Video Streaming and I will be following Forbes, The Verge, and The Wall Street Journal.