Tokyo's five major private TV networks to trial simultaneous online streaming next year
Private networks are apparently waking up to the reality that their online presence will fade if they do not keep up with the trend of streaming on smartphones.
Fuji Rock to livestream festival acts
Fuji Rock will livestream a selection of the bands and singers performing at this year's festival, event organizers have announced. Headliners The Cure and SIA will be among the acts to have their sets streamed on the festival's official YouTube channel. Over the three days of ...
Japan jumps into the music stream
The biggest moment for streaming music in Japan this year came via a handwritten letter. In late June, Kenta Matsumoto of pop-punk trio Wanima shared a note on Twitter announcing that his band's entire catalog would be uploaded to streaming music platforms like Spotify ...
Microsoft XCloud game service to offer free streaming to phones
Microsoft Corp. said a new service that will let users play video games from their Xbox consoles on their smartphones will be offered for free. The service, which will be rolled out starting in October, is one part of the company's new xCloud game-streaming strategy. ...
Japan's CD album output fell below 100 million for first time in 2018, industry data shows
The annual output of CD albums in Japan sank below 100 million in 2018 for the first time on record, an industry group said Wednesday, as more people listen to music via online streaming services. The nation's CD album production, which totaled 88.65 million copies ...
Amazon Japan raises cost of Prime membership for first time in 11 years, by 26% to ¥4,900
U.S. e-commerce giant Amazon.com Inc. has raised the price of its Prime membership service in Japan for the first time since launching the service 11 years ago, citing rising costs. The annual price for shipping, video-streaming and an array of other services rose by 26 ...
Netflix and Roku shares surge ahead of Apple's video-streaming event
Roku Inc. and Netflix Inc. rose ahead of a highly anticipated event Monday afternoon where Apple Inc. is expected to unveil a video-streaming service. Analysts have speculated that Roku, a platform for streaming services, could be a beneficiary from Apple's entry into the space. Meanwhile, ...
In hunt for reinvention, Apple seen ready to launch streaming TV, news and other services
Apple looks to begin a fresh reinvention on Monday as it rolls out Hollywood stars for its new streaming television service, part of a broad shift in direction for the California technology giant. Having seen a pullback in the once-sizzling smartphone market, Apple will seek ...
Streaming wars heat up as rivals prepare to challenge Netflix
Some of the biggest names in media and tech are gearing up to move into streaming in what could be a major challenge to market leader Netflix. Apple is expected to make its move with an announcement March 25 on its media plans, with a ...
Japan's Netflix contender bets on youth-driven viral hits
On a Friday night at a downtown Tokyo television studio, 12 teen models with cutesy nicknames like "Ayamin" and "Kyokyo" are waiting nervously to find out who has won coveted spots on the cover of Popteen magazine, a Japanese fashion bible. The girls, sporting a ...
Netflix row overshadows Berlin premiere of film about Spanish lesbians 'Elisa & Marcela'
A row over whether films produced for streaming platform Netflix should be shown at the Berlin Film Festival has overshadowed the premiere of "Elisa & Marcela," Isabel Coixet's tale of two Spanish lesbians. Independent arthouse cinema operators in Germany wrote to German Culture Minister Monika ...
Japan's temples turn to social media, video streaming and apps to lure visitors
Temples across the country, including in the Chugoku region, are increasingly turning to mobile apps, videos and social media to entice visitors. Some temples even offer an app that adds up points each time an individual visits, while others livestream Buddhist services for people unable ...
