Not long ago, I wrote about Netflix (NFLX) hitting a 52-week high. At that time, the shares were around the $75 level. I cautioned that one had to be careful about buying an overbought stock. I mean, how much further could the equity climb?

Yeah, right. At the close of trading on Wednesday, the shares were priced at $86.98. The current 52-week high stands at $89.10 (as of this writing). And during yesterday's after-hours session, the stock climbed 1.6% to $88.40, in response to the first-quarter earnings report.

Continue reading Netflix Had a Great Quarter, but Be Cautious About Stock

Netflix Had a Great Quarter, but Be Cautious About Stock originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 22 Apr 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Just a couple years ago, the shares of Ciena Corp. (NASDAQ: CIEN) were above $40. But since then, it's been brutal -- with the shares eventually falling to $5.35. After all, the company is in the competitive telecom-equipment space.

However, things have been getting better lately. In fact, the share price is now at $13.06.

And this week Ciena reported its fiscal Q3 earnings report. While revenues dropped 35% over the past year, they were actually up 14% over the prior quarter. There was a net loss of $26.5 million, or $0.29 per share.

Continue reading Ciena shows some telecom hope

Ciena shows some telecom hope originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 03 Sep 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading NBC/News Corp.'s Hulu becomes third-largest video website in March

NBC/News Corp.'s Hulu becomes third-largest video website in March originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 30 Apr 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Not long ago, I wrote about Google, Inc's (NASDAQ: GOOG) YouTube entering a deal with The Walt Disney company (NYSE: DIS) for some of the Mouse's short-form content. Now comes word that Sony Corporation (NYSE: SNE) is in talks with the video platform. Sony apparently wants to supply some feature-length content if a partnership can be struck.

Well, I think a deal will be struck, certainly. Sony obviously doesn't want to see a competitor like Disney getting all the YouTube action. Considering that YouTube is the name in online video, and that the majority of mainstream, casual web surfers know the brand and are comfortable in terms of using it, I can imagine that it doesn't take a genius to figure out that Sony needs to be in the YouTube business.

Continue reading Sony and YouTube discuss content deal

Sony and YouTube discuss content deal originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 06 Apr 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Over the past few years, online videos have grown at a rapid clip. In fact, it's not uncommon for people to watch TV while on their laptops.

Unfortunately, this megatrend isn't translating into much money for Hollywood. If anything, it looks like ad revenues are evaporating.

Of course, traditional broadcast revenues are expected to drop next year as well because of the global recession. In other words, Hollywood is in a tough spot.

Another problem is that there is a spotty track record for online videos. Do people look at the ads? Is there a real brand-building experience?

Despite all the growth, the online video sector is still relatively small and doesn't really move the needle for Hollywood. When coupled with the global recession, it's typical to see cutbacks in experimental things, such as online video.

Tom Taulli is the author of various books, including The Complete M&A Handbook and The Streetsmart Guide to Short Selling: Techniques the Pros Use to Profit in Any Market. He is also the founder of BizEquity, a valuation website.

Online video dries up originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 16 Dec 2008 10:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

According to an AP article citing data from comScore Inc., people are still in love with the internet. In fact, they love to watch videos on the internet. Furthermore, views of videos online experienced an ecstatic rate of growth in February -- they shot up 66% compared to the year-ago period. Incredible, right? And if you're a media company, you love the data, right?

Well, if you're Google (NASDAQ: GOOG), you love it. If you're a Disney (NYSE: DIS) or a General Electric (NYSE: GE), you would be of two minds about it. For you see, while people are watching videos, oftentimes they are doing it on a platform like Google's YouTube -- they aren't necessarily watching them at ABC.com. The data show that YouTube increased its video views by 15% in February 2008 versus February 2007, and that it captured one-third of the 10 billion video views that occurred in February of this year. Amazing. But sites like ABC.com captured much, much less of those views -- that site, in fact, had a measly 1% share of the pie.

Major content players want surfing eyeballs to come to their sites so they can monetize their online libraries via methods of their own making. Media companies, simply put, still haven't figured out how to adapt to this new electronic entertainment economy, and they still haven't come to terms with YouTube. In an era of social networking and clip sharing, users love to copy content and upload it to sites like YouTube that are very easy and friendly to engage, thus bypassing the owners of such content. How does one fight this?

Continue reading Content providers like Disney still have to worry about YouTube, numbers show

Content providers like Disney still have to worry about YouTube, numbers show originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 17 Apr 2008 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I recently met up with Suranga Chandratillake, the CEO of Blinkx (a video search engine). He always has something new to talk about, and this time was no different.

His firm has recently launched BBTV, an online service that provides near TV quality. "We have blended our service with the advantages of the web," said Chandratillake. "For example, if you want to know more about an actor, you can click his or her name on a digital transcript and get a profile. This is possible because of our speech translation technology."

Basically, this can be an innovative way to monetize video, which so far has been a tough thing to do.

OK, but isn't high-quality video bandwidth heavy? That's true. However, BBTV uses the power of peer-to-peer networking, which is fairly cost-effective.

To get things rolling, BBTV has a variety of indie films from Dogwoof on the site. "We have more than 250 content partners at Blinkx," said Chandratillake, "and we plan to leverage them on BBTV. We want to be the place for hard-to-get quality content."

Tom Taulli is the author of various books, including The Complete M&A Handbook and The Edgar Online Guide to Decoding Financial Statements. He also operates DealProfiles.com.

BBTV - getting real TV on the Net originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 07 Apr 2008 13:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

DivX, Inc. (Nasdaq: DIVX), which develops video applications, thought it could succeed in the topsy-turvey web business. So, in late 2006, the company launched Stage6.com.

Well, for the most part, it's not as easy as it looks and now DivX is closing down the site. Interestingly enough, DivX wasn't able to find a buyer for the property.

What happened? Well, I had a chance to interview Chase Norlin, who operates Pixsy (an online search engine). According to him:

"Stage6 likely needed a sugar-daddy to support operations going forward (e.g. acquirer with resources or large capital raise). Given the popularity of the service and the high quality of their streams, they probably had a significant bandwidth bill without the monetization to support that in the short term. Additionally, legal issues around copyrighted material may have added to the decision."

Continue reading Curtains for Stage6 - and more trouble for online video?

Curtains for Stage6 - and more trouble for online video? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 27 Feb 2008 03:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

One of my favorite novelists is Robin Cook. He is the pioneer of the medical thriller genre - with perhaps his most well-known title being Coma. In all, he has written 25 NY Times bestsellers.

Now he is moving to the online world. That is, Cook is teaming up with Vuguru, which is Michael Eisner's digital movie studio. Cyber Group Animation is also involved.

Basically, there will be a prequel - on the web and mobile - for Cook's upcoming work, Foreign Body. The debut will be on May 27, 2008. And, yes, I certainly look forward to it.

To get some perspective on all this, I interviewed Chase Norlin, who is the CEO of Pixsy (an online video search company). According to him:

"Perhaps the most notable aspect of this deal is the continued progress of the 'made-for-Internet' programming model, which reflects the inherent cost efficiencies of content production for this medium and the potential for a significant web-wide distribution impact. Tying this into the launch of a new book is a unique Hollywood-esque tie-in that makes a lot of sense."

Tom Taulli is the author of various books, including The Complete M&A Handbook. He also operates DealProfiles.com.

Robin Cook gets dot-com fever originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 30 Jan 2008 17:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Time Warner (NYSE: TWX) movie network HBO will begin testing an online video service. The new project would allow network subscribers to watch programming on their PCs or download them to watch later. According to The Wall Street Journal, "HBO is starting a trial of the service, called HBO Broadband, in Green Bay, Wis., the network says, and could roll it out more widely later this year."

While HBO's brand is well-known among cable subscribers, it is difficult to predict whether this will translate into a large audience online. The amount of premium content available over the internet is growing rapidly as companies like Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX), Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), and Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) enter the industry. In a field this crowded, newer competitors may have trouble finding audiences.

HBO does have one distinct advantage. Many of the programs on the network are produced for its viewers and are not available elsewhere. This large amount of original content may draw a substantial audience for the new distribution channel.

But the field is getting crowded.

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 247wallst.com.

HBO goes PC VOD originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 21 Jan 2008 09:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

NBC and SanDisk to provide video; Apple sighs originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 13 Dec 2007 10:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Google's YouTube leads U.S. online video market originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 03 Dec 2007 15:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Yahoo! (YHOO) rises on Sony BMG video deal

Yahoo! (YHOO) rises on Sony BMG video deal originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 20 Nov 2007 11:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

According to today's U.K. Guardian, Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) has been meeting with American Idol guru Simon Fuller about partnering on an internet project that he says is a "big idea on a global scale." While no details were disclosed, Fuller compared the impact of the project to that of iTunes on the music industry.

My first thought was that Google was going into original programming, for which Fuller has been a cash machine. However, a couple of shows, even if very successful, do not the foundations of entertainment shake. Google has also crapped out on a pay-per-view models, and I'd be surprised if that resurfaced. With its purchase of YouTube, though, it owns the mother of all footprints in online video.

As a WAG, perhaps the plan might be more along these lines: A producer creates a show, partners with Google to market it for internet delivery. The show is delivered with advertising content via the Google/YouTube network. For each viewing, advertisers pay a fixed rate, and Google divvies up the ad revenue with the producer. In essence, Google replaces the television network's role, using its ubiquitousness to market content to those it identifies as the most likely to view.

Any plans coming from the Google/Simon confab need to be taken seriously. They are, after all, two American Idols.

Google and American Idol's Simon Fuller talking big originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 13 Nov 2007 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Best Buy challenges YouTube? With pay site??? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 31 Oct 2007 12:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Back in the 1980s and 1990s, Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) had always known its key focus: do whatever is possible to leverage the operating system.

Well, something similar is happening to Google (NASDAQ: GOOG). The company realizes that when it needs results, it should focus on its advertising machine.

So it's no surprise that the company is adding YouTube videos to the Google AdSense network. There will be both banner and text ads. What's more, it should be an additional source of income for Google's many Web publishers.

Actually, I tried out the system - and it is pretty easy to use (what Google service isn't?) You can see an example at the top left of this post.

What's more, I talked to Chase Norlin about it. He is the CEO and founder of Pixsy (a video search engine). According to him:

"Google acquired YouTube not necessarily for their huge destination site audience, but because they now have the ultimate media aggregation tool for consumer, semipro, and professional content providers. Once the licensing issues are sorted out, Google will have a solid weapon in the content distribution market via AdSense. The challenge, of course, will be to equal or exceed the existing monetization capabilities of the AdSense network."

YouTube on the revs Google's (GOOG) money machine originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 10 Oct 2007 10:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

True, Revver doesn't have the mega brand of Google Inc.'s (NASDAQ: GOOG) YouTube. However, the site has made some online video creators happy; that is, $1 million has been distributed to them.

You see, Revver allows its users to share in revenues generated from advertisements.

True, it's not a lot of money. But keep in mind that the online video market is still in the emerging stages.

Continue reading Revver -- yes, there is money in online video

Revver -- yes, there is money in online video originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 18 Sep 2007 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Metacafe clips $30 million originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 21 Aug 2007 17:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This week, a startup company -- adap.tv -- raised $10 million from Redpoint Ventures and Gemini Israel Funds.

The company is trying to get a piece of the growing ad market for video. Hey, with the huge success of Google's (NASDAQ: GOOG) YouTube, it seems like a pretty good idea, right?

The founder of the company, Amir Ashkenazi, does have a lot of credibility. After all, he's the former cofounder of Shopping.com, which sold out to eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY).

But does his new venture really have a chance? I talked to Chase Norlin, who is the CEO of Pixsy, which is a search engine for multimedia. According to him:

"Adap.tv looks a lot like ScanScout, and a variety of other startups looking to become the next 'Adsense for Video.' That space is starting to feel a little crowded to me, not to mention the fact that Google hasn't even entered this market yet. Also, expect the major ad networks and online advertising companies to offer competitive products here as well. I'm sure adap.tv's technology is interesting, but that's not what matters in the online ad space. What matters is publisher reach and a large pool of advertisers to provide solid monetization. That's why companies like ValueClick continue to get stronger despite their non-groundbreaking technology: their advertiser and publisher pool continues to grow and the bigger they get the harder they become to displace."

And, to see more recent venture capital deals, click here.

Tom Taulli is the author of various books, including the Complete M&A Handbook and the EDGAR-Online Guide to Decoding Financial Statements.

adap.tv gets $10 million to take on Google originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 14 Jul 2007 16:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

According to a piece on RedHerring.com, Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) is experimenting with approaches to insert ads into video clips. After spending $1.6 billion on YouTube, there is certainly lots of pressure to show that there is a monetization strategy.

The cool thing about Google's new technology is that it allows for playing ads within the video (currently, you need to click a button to see the ad).

So is this the next frontier in advertising?

To get some perspective, I interviewed Dana Ghavami, who is the CEO of CheckM8, a provider of online advertising services):

"Rich media and video advertising represent the greatest future in online advertising, forecasted by eMarketer to exceed display advertising within the next 4 years. Therefore, any company that is serious about taking a controlling interest in the online advertising medium must drive rich media and video ad dollars. Interesting enough, from an industry perspective, you'll notice rich media is no longer a stand-alone vendor solution in the market. It has become integral to ad serving platforms indicating its core value in the industry. However, I see the 30-second clip similar to how traditional forms of advertising (banners and buttons) were simply ported from offline to online without digitizing the opportunity (before the advent of rich media). Google's offering is a me-too proposition. Down the line we
will see more engaging and innovating ways of advertising in online video."

Tom Taulli is the author of various books, including the Complete M&A Handbook and the EDGAR-Online Guide to Decoding Financial Statements.

Google moves to monetize video originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 28 May 2007 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.