Sunday, May 25, 2014

TV Everywhere Users Watch More TV Overall, According to Viacom's "TV Here, There, (Not Quite) Everywhere" Study

Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), the parent company of the Nickelodeon brand, has unveiled in the following press release, from Business Wire, the results of "TV Here, There, (Not Quite) Everywhere", a brand-new study exploring consumers' experiences around TV Everywhere (TVE) apps and sites. The findings reveal an increase in overall TV viewing among TV Everywhere users, as well as greater customer loyalty towards pay TV providers that offer TV Everywhere services.

Original Viacom Press Release:

TV Everywhere Users Watch More TV Overall, According to Viacom's "TV Here, There, (Not Quite) Everywhere" Study

New Research Reveals Perceptions, Expectations and Experiences around TV Everywhere

May 22, 2014 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time


NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Viacom (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA) today unveiled the results of "TV Here, There, (Not Quite) Everywhere," a new study exploring consumers' experiences around TV Everywhere (TVE) apps and sites. The findings reveal an increase in overall TV viewing among TV Everywhere users, as well as greater customer loyalty towards pay TV providers that offer TV Everywhere services.

For the purposes of this study, the TV Everywhere experience is defined as watching full-length TV programs on sites and apps by "authenticating," or using pay TV log-in information. The methodology involved digital online journals, focus groups and ethnographies in New York and Chicago. Online surveys were conducted with more than 1,300 Viacom viewers ages 13-49 and more than 600 kids ages 2-12. Participants included both users of TV Everywhere and non-users.

"While still nascent in terms of awareness and usage, TV Everywhere presents a huge opportunity for brands to grow and strengthen their relationships with fans," said Colleen Fahey Rush, Executive Vice President and Chief Research Officer, Viacom Media Networks. "This research provides valuable insights into developing the best TVE experiences for our audiences who want to engage with their favorite content beyond the television screen."

TV Everywhere Supplements TV Viewing, While Adding Value To Pay TV

The majority of users agree: TV Everywhere is additive to the TV viewing experience. Since they began using TV Everywhere apps and sites, 64% report watching more TV overall. This finding is even stronger among Millennials, with 72% watching more TV.

For those using TV Everywhere, the television is still the go-to source for TV shows and watching live. After live TV, TVE apps and sites are a strong alternative, rivaling VOD, DVR and other sites that don't require authentication with a pay TV provider, such as subscription streaming services or other free sites.

"Apps encourage watching live TV," said Antonia, a 15-year-old TVE user. "I started watching this show on my computer and liked it, so now I watch it if it's on TV."

TV Everywhere also increases the value of pay TV subscriptions while strengthening loyalty to pay TV providers and relationships with networks.

* A full 98% of users say TVE adds value to their pay TV subscription, with 67% saying it adds "a lot" of value.

* The vast majority (93%) is more likely to stay with their provider due to TV Everywhere and 68% have a more favorable impression of networks that offer TVE experiences.

I Want My TVE

Users cite strong content libraries, flexibility and the attitudinal element of staying savvy as their main drivers for using TV Everywhere services.

Content is King

Whether to re-watch or catch up on episodes, content is one of the biggest drivers of TV Everywhere usage.

* Viewers use TVE for replay, with 31% reporting that they re-watch episodes and 22% starting a show from the first season.

* Over two-thirds report using TVE more often than other third-party or free sites because it has more shows overall (42%), offers the shows/series they want to watch (38%), and features exclusives (23%).

True flexibility

Another major driver of TVE use, the flexibility of TVE allows viewers to watch shows when, where and how they want.

* Nearly one-third of users use TVE because they weren't able to watch the show live.

* Twenty-eight percent use TVE because they are away from home.

* Twenty-two percent use TVE because all TVs were in use, and the same percentage cite being able to move around the house.

Staying savvy

* TVE users also consider themselves early adopters, with one-fifth reporting that they started using these services because they like to be the first to try new things.

* They are also much more likely to own and access TV shows on a range of different devices, including tablets, set-top-boxes and Smart TVs.

"It's never been a better time to be a fan," continued Rush. "And TV Everywhere apps and sites allow viewers to become even bigger fans, giving them the content they want and the flexibility to watch whenever and however they want."

Barriers To Adoption

The research reveals that TV Everywhere – as both a concept and a term – still suffers from a lack of awareness and understanding. There's also no go-to source of discovery yet: 17% of users heard about TVE from an ad on TV; 16% were made aware by a spouse or partner; and 54% of kids learned about it from their parents.

While 19% of users say they have no problems with their TVE experiences, the top issues tend to be tech-related, including loading/buffering (24%) and crashing/freezing (23%). Content-related issues are far less common.

For non-users, the biggest barriers to adoption are a lack of perceived need, concerns about hidden costs, lack of awareness and screen size.

The Ideal TVE Experience

The majority of users say flexibility, extensive content, smart search, and custom logins create the best TVE experiences.

* Flexibility of a "Digital DVR": Viewers want to be able to pause a show and pick it up at another time, even on another device. They want the abilities to start/stop (66%), watch on any device (64%), and use outside of their home Wi-Fi (60%).

* Deep Content Libraries: Viewers want instant gratification and complete and deep content libraries, including immediate access to recent episodes (65%), old seasons of shows (62%), content that never expires (62%) and live TV (56%).

* Smart Search: Intuitive search functionalities are crucial. Consumers want clear search boxes to search for specific shows (68%), organized content (59%) and the ability to make queues or lists of favorites for later viewing (55%).

* Custom Logins: Particularly in multi-person households or for those with kids in the home, the ability to customize (52%) and have accounts for multiple users (48%) is important.

About Viacom

Viacom is home to premier global media brands that create compelling television programs, motion pictures, short-form video, apps, games, consumer products, social media and other entertainment content for audiences in more than 160 countries and territories. Viacom's media networks, including MTV, VH1, CMT, Logo, BET, CENTRIC, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., TeenNick, Nicktoons, Nick at Nite, Comedy Central, TV Land, SPIKE, Tr3s, Paramount Channel and VIVA, reach approximately 700 million households worldwide. Paramount Pictures, America's oldest film studio, is a major global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment.

For more information about Viacom and its businesses, visit www.viacom.com. Keep up with Viacom news by following Viacom's blog at blog.viacom.com and Twitter feed at www.twitter.com/Viacom.

Contacts
Viacom
Neena Koyen, 212-846-8458
[...]
or
Daina Amorosano, 212-846-2811
[...]
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Viacom Increases Quarterly Cash Dividend

Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), the parent company of the Nickelodeon brand, has announced the news in a press release on Business Wire that its Board of Directors has approved an increase in its quarterly dividend to $0.33 per share of Class A and B common stock from $0.30 per share.


The increase will take effect beginning with Viacom's next quarterly dividend, payable on Tuesday 1st July 2014 to stockholders of record at the close of business on Friday 13th June 2014.

Viacom President and CEO Philippe Dauman said, "As we increase investment in content and build our business worldwide, we remain committed to also returning significant capital directly to our shareholders. Viacom's financial strength and ongoing operational discipline allow us to deliver on this commitment, through our ongoing share buyback and dividend program."

Viacom is home to premier global media brands that create compelling television programs, motion pictures, short-form video, apps, games, consumer products, social media and other entertainment content for audiences in more than 160 countries and territories. Viacom's media networks, including MTV, VH1, CMT, Logo, BET, CENTRIC, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., TeenNick, Nicktoons, Nick at Nite, Comedy Central, TV Land, SPIKE, Tr3s, Paramount Channel and VIVA, reach approximately 700 million households worldwide. Paramount Pictures, America's oldest film studio, is a major global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment.

For more information about Viacom and its businesses, visit www.viacom.com. Keep up with Viacom news by following Viacom's blog at blog.viacom.com and Twitter feed at www.twitter.com/Viacom.
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Nick UK Announces Plans For The Nickelodeon Slime Cup 2014

It's Slime Time on Nickelodeon this June! Nickelodeon UK, the number one commercial kids TV network in the UK, has announced the very exciting Nick UK news in their all-new promo that Nickelodeon UK and Ireland and Nickelodeon HD UK will be holding a brand-new special sports-themed programming stunt called the Nickelodeon Slime Cup, where, over three extremely gooey weekends, some of Nickelodeon's biggest stars will compete head-to-head in three very slimey challenges in the messiest event of the year which will lead up to one massive showdown where one team will win the coveted Nickelodeon Slime Cup!


Plus, as part of Nickelodeon's Slime Cup, Nick UK & Eire and Nick HD will be showing your favourite Nick stars in your favourite shows!


Round One of Nickelodeon's Slime Cup, its Team Blue, featuring Nickelodeon Stars Jack Griffo, Breanna Yde, Plankton, Wanda and Leonardo, versus Team Red, featuring Zoran Korach, Curtis Harris, Sandy Cheeks, Craig, and Raphael!

Round Two of the Nickelodeon's Slime Cup will see Team Purple, featuring Benjamin Flores Jr., Addison Riecke, Squidward Tentacles, Sanjay Patel and Donatello ("Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles") go up against Team Yellow, featuring Amber Montana, Cameron Ocasio, Patrick Star, Timmy Turner and Michelangelo.

Catch the Nickelodeon Slime Cup, every Saturday and Sunday from Saturday 31st May 2014, only on Nick!

Nick UK's Nickelodeon Slime Cup is part of Nickelodeon's all-new global interactive multi-platform brand campaign, in which, fronted by Slime Cup Ambassador and mascot, SpongeBob SquarePants, four teams consisting of 20 players from the hit Nick shows "SpongeBob SquarePants", "The Haunted Hathaways", "The Thundermans", "Fairly OddParents", "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles", "Sanjay and Craig" and "Sam & Cat" will be battling it out to take home the coveted award – the Nickelodeon Slime Cup trophy.

Below is a transcript of Nickelodeon UK's Slime Cup trailer:
3 Gooey Weekends.

3 Slimey Challenges.

1 Massive Showdown.

It's Nickelodeon's Slime Cup!

Where Nickelodeon's biggest stars go head-to-head in the messiest event of the year!

[Cameron Ocasio (Dice in "Sam & Cat") to Zoran Korach (Goomer/Gieux Merr in "Sam & Cat"): You're going down!]

Plus, tune in to watch your favourite stars...

[Zoran: Sorry!]

...In your favourite shows!

[Cat Valentine: [...]]

First up, it's Team Blue Vs. Team Red, in Nickelodeon's Slime Cup.

Starts the 31st of May, on Nick!

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Nickelodeon UK To Premiere Brand-New "Wendell & Vinnie" Episodes From Monday 2nd June 2014

Nickelodeon UK, the number one commercial kids TV network in the UK, and the Digiguide TV guide have announced the exciting Nick UK News that Nickelodeon UK and Ireland and Nickelodeon HD UK will start to premiere and show more brand-new episodes of Nickelodeon's popular family comedy series "Wendell & Vinnie" from Monday 2nd June 2014 at 7:00pm (repeated at 8.00pm on Nick+1)!


Below is a transcript of Nick UK's brand-new 'Mature Role Model' W&V promo/trailer:
Growing up, it is important to have a responsible...

[Wendell Bassett: Are you asleep?

Vinnie Bassett: I'm up, I'm up. What time is your flight?

Wendell: You're taking me to school!]

Indeed, sensible...

Vinnie: The name tag... I. P. Immapants?

Wendell: Does anyone know I.P. Immapants?!

[Vinnie laughs]

...a mature role model...

[Vinnie (to Wendell): I'm BORED!! Whatcha/Whatcher reading?]

Good thing Vinnie's got Wendell!

[...]

Wendell and Vinnie are back with brand-new episodes, starting on the 2nd of June, on Nick!

[Also available on Nickelodeon HD]
"Wendell & Vinnie" is a multi-camera scripted half-hour sitcom that follows 30-year-old Vinnie Bassett (Jerry Trainor, "iCarly", "T.U.F.F. Puppy") living the life of a carefree bachelor, when he suddenly becomes the legal guardian of his precocious, wise-beyond-his-years nephew, Wendell (Buddy Handleson, "Shake It Up") forming a hysterical odd-couple family dynamic. Nicole Sullivan ("Rita Rocks", "MadTV", "The King of Queens", "The Penguins of Madagascar") also stars as Vinnie's older unlucky-in-love sister, Wilma, with Haley Strode ("Gangster Squad") as Vinnie's newly divorced neighbor and love interest, Taryn.
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