Viacom launches studio dedicated to shows for YouTube and Facebook

Viacom has come a long, long way from the days when online video was seemingly its mortal enemy. The media giant has formally launched Digital Studios, a wing dedicated to (you guessed it) original internet shows. The initial programs in the works are all attached to familiar names like BET, Comedy Central, MTV and Nickelodeon, […]

Netflix now spends more on programming than Viacom — and it has Disney in its sights (NFLX, DIS, CMCSA, AAPL, AMZN)

Netflix’s streaming video service began as a place to watch episodes of old TV shows and obscure movies. But those days are long past. The company first used major deals with the likes of Sony and Disney to improve its offerings. More recently, it’s been ramping up the production of original shows, such as “Stranger […]

Viacom wants to leave sports in the dust with future $20 “skinny” TV bundle

(credit: Photograph by Aurich Lawson) In efforts to compete with streaming TV services, some networks are looking to make their own “skinny” TV bundles. At the J.P. Morgan Global Technology, Media, and Telecom conference in Boston this week, Viacom CEO Bob Bakish explained that the company is in talks with at least one multichannel video programming […]

NBC and Viacom are making original shows for Musical.ly

Musical.ly might have professionally made original shows to offer along with user-produced content sometime in the future. According to Bloomberg, the music video app is currently talking to Viacom and Comcast’s NBCUniversal about creating original programming for its users. Musical.ly is reportedly interested in interactive shows that encourage the community to participate instead of heavily […]