Turner signs deal with Kaneva (updated)

I don't see any press releases about this but here is the word from Paid Content:

"Now the Time Warner division will try for a relationship with a little more depth, signing a one-year deal with Kaneva to build and test virtual worlds for its entertainment networks. Turner gets access to Kaneva’s technology and tools to create and use Web communities and “virtual spaces” on Kaneva’s site and in the virtual world of Kaneva .

One of the Turner spaces will act as a virtual portal for the rest. One intriguing twist: each Turner virtual community and “Virtual World” space will include an embedded video player streaming related Turner content. Earlier this year, Kaneva integrated synchronized viewing of YouTube videos, which sounds like a precursor for this."

The full release from 3pointD:

“Our exploration with Kaneva of virtual worlds is yet another example of Turner staying at the forefront of consumer technology trends,” said Blake Lewin, vice president for TBS, Inc.’s New Products Group. “Through this opportunity, we hope to leverage the Kaneva platform to explore how users interact with our brands in a virtual world."

Christopher Klaus, founder and CEO of Kaneva added, “Turner is an ideal flagship media partner for Kaneva. Turner’s high quality programming and credibility is synergistic with our unique focus on delivering entertainment to the masses inside a virtual world. As a result of this partnership, we will provide entirely new ways for audiences to watch, participate and interact around their favorite TV programming.”

Joost adds Turner

Building up to the full commercial launch, Joost adds Turner to its content mix.

From the AP business wire:

"Joost, a company attempting to broadcast television via the Internet, said Tuesday it had signed several new content distribution agreements, including one with Turner Broadcasting System Inc. to show CNN news and interview programs.

In Tuesday's deal, Joost said it will air episodes of "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" and "Robot Chicken" from Turner's Adult Swim network, while it would air "Larry King Live," among other news and interview programs from Turner's CNN, which is owned by Time Warner Inc.

Joost also announced several other content deals Tuesday: Sony will run episodes of several old TV series including "Charlie's Angels" and "Starsky & Hutch" on Joost; Sports Illustrated will run photo shoots and programs about its swimsuit issue; the National Hockey League will broadcast vintage games and game highlights; and Hasbro will run old episodes of "Transformers" and "G.I. Joe."

From the press release (via Lost Remote):

"Dennis Quinn, executive vice president of business development for Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. said, “With Joost, we have the unique opportunity to reach and engage new and existing fans of Turner programming through an innovative platform. Online distribution is extremely important to Turner, and with Joost we are confident that our programming is secure and distributed in the high-quality format that is true to our brands.”

Janus Friis, co-founder of Joost, said, “The ability to make Joost a viable business, versus just a cool technology or viewer experience lies in our ability to bring together advertisers, content owners and viewers. Our business model was developed with the interests of our viewers and partners at the core. It’s exciting for us to enter this phase and truly begin executing on our vision.”

Turner's Dennis Quinn on mobile content

From RCR Wireless News, Dennis Quinn talks about Turner's vision for mobile content.

From the interview:

"Q: What is your overall philosophy or approach to mobile entertainment?

The philosophy is that it’s a new technology with a lot of promise. We do not anticipate it’s going to be digested in the same way someone does in front of their television or in front of their broadband screen.

You can look to Adult Swim or Cartoon Network or PGA or NASCAR or CNN for that matter, one of the things that I think is consistent to our company’s philosophy, and you’ll find it when you look at the different brands and the different products across those platforms I just mentioned, all of them look at what does the technology offer and how do you make the experience better within the limits of your brand.

Q: What kind of response have you received from wireless carriers and content owners?

I think at the end of the day, what we in the content side have to remain focused on is that our platform partners, whether our cable operators on the television side or the video-on-demand side or on the broadband side or our telecommunications partners, whoever they might be, that the reason they’re using us is to drive ARPU at the end of the day and increase lifetime value of a subscriber.

So our brands are a big part of driving acquisition of subscribers, but to be able to retain those subscribers and to drive usage it’s as much about compelling content as integrated promotions about jointly marketing across all of our platforms and presenting real targeted content that we know is going to play across multiple platforms. "

Super Deluxe's John Buzzell and Jim DiStefano

Thanks to a Metafilter thread I found this interview of Super Deluxe's John Buzzell, VP of Product Development and Jim DiStefano, Community Director.

From The Apiary:

"Jim: Thanks for the kind words. We're excited about Super Deluxe too. We began brainstorming in late 2005. Product development started soon after and content development kicked off in Summer '06.

The core product team was led by John Buzzell, and consists of Todd Dominey, Robert Occhialini, and myself. This team was responsible for the design and development of Super Deluxe.

The elephant in the room with all broadband networks is: How do they make money? Quality doesn't come cheap, and it sure seems like a lot of time and money went into the site. Is there pressure to be immediately profitable?

John: Broadband programming is strategically very important at Turner, so management isn't pushing us too hard for short term financial results. It's important that we stay true to our artists and the brand we're trying to build. This is reflected in our 'soft launch' strategy. Instead of going for broke with a huge media buy, we're confident enough to let things spread virally--the way that anything good grows on-line.

Besides the videos, what are some of the other features with the site that are worth checking out?

Jim: Well, we're certainly not trying to out-do other social networking sites, but we recognize that people communicate that way, so we didn't want to hold them back. Super Deluxe's social network is built to allow like-minded comedy fans to find each other and share their favorite artists and videos. Our artists and advertisers are active members of the community . Cross-pollination is encouraged, and it's already happening in some spots. It's great to see."

Super Deluxe - Its Alive

Super Deluxe launched at some point in the last 12 hours. "Fresh like Hot Pockets. Hot like bad breath" They have a number of featured performers including Dave Foley and Brad Neely. They also have Fark TV.

The content pages have all of the standard items; description, rating, embed, comments and send by email. All of the ads seem to be internal.

The site's main navigation: Series, Shorts, Artists, People and blog.

From the blog: (Zena Tsarfin)

"Even right f’n now, we’re wheeling and dealing with everyone from A-list Hollywood comedians to that loner weirdo from your local Jamba Juice. You know the one - he goes home and channels his rage into oddball flash-animation strips to bemuse you. Our goal is to create content that’s a harmonious - and hilarious - middle ground between those two extremes.

The other beautiful thing about Super Deluxe is that even you, mere plebian, can join the party. We welcome you to put your best video up on our People page and start your own cult following; or simply become a member and enjoy the ride."

WSJ on Turner's New Media Strategy and Super Deluxe

From yesterday's subscription required article, we get some more insight into the Turner new media strategy for '07.

From the article:

"In recent months, the team has launched ACC Select, a subscription site which airs Atlantic Coast Conference basketball games along with other college sports; CNN Pipeline, a subscription-based online news video service; and another such service, Very Funny Ads, which shows humorous television commercials. This month, the company plans to launch SuperDeluxe, a site with original short-form comedy clips.

"We're building businesses outside our core that allow us to compete for other pools of money," says Turner Entertainment Group President Mark Lazarus. Turner's cable networks are performing better than those of many rivals, but the gradual decline in cable advertising growth to just 3% in the first nine months of 2006 from more than 25% annually a decade ago, has forced the company and its rivals to look hard for other revenue streams."

And some more info from our friend David Rudolph:

"Late last year, David Rudolph, the Turner executive who heads the Atlanta development team, challenged his colleagues to conceive and implement a new business concept in 30 days. "The goal was to say within the company that it doesn't take years to go from idea to launch," he says.

Mr. Rudolph wanted to see if it would be possible to film college athletic events and create a "TV-like experience" on the Web on a production budget of $1,000 per game. The idea was to focus on sports that aren't covered by broadcast and cable networks but have a small and loyal following. Using off-the-shelf video components, the team assembled a game kit with four cameras for about $35,000. In May, ACC Select covered its first event, a Georgia Tech baseball game. The production cost: just under $1,000.

The service launched in September and now covers about 100 live events per month at a cost of about $1,200 per game. Users pay about $5.95 per month or $3.95 per game to watch."

Turner's David Rudolph on Super Deluxe and Second Life

I was fortunate enough to get an invitation to last night's MIT Enterprise Forum of Atlanta event on "TV Transformed."

From the website:

“New media” companies are being snapped up as industry stalwarts realize that they’re staring at a new reality. Despite the predictions for a new world of video on your PC, phone, MP3 player and even set top boxes, issues remain: how do you deliver TV-quality content over the Internet? Who delivers it? How do you make money? Who makes money? Is this the end of the TV Star? The technologies adopted will determine the future of what we’ve always known as television."

The panelists were Jim Louderback from Ziff Davis, Michel Billard from Itiva Digital Media, David Davies from Scientific Atlanta (A Cisco Company) and David Rudolph from Turner.

I thought the panel was strong and gave a good overview of upcoming issues for video content distribution and consumption. Most of the questions were handled by David. It easy to see why he is a rising star at Turner. He commands and communicates a strong understanding of the content business.

I got a chance to ask two quick questions:

1. What is going to be super about Super Deluxe?
2. When is CNN going to open a news desk in Second Life?

David said Super Deluxe is going to offer high powered original content in a social network type of environment. Earlier in the presentation David made some great comments about meta-tagging content both from a content production and from an end user standpoint. It seems Super Deluxe will employ both methods of tagging content and thus will seek to provide an easier way to find relevant video entertainment online.

David said CNN was going to open a Second Life news desk "very soon."

X-Box Movie Downloads

Paidcontent has a review of the Microsoft announcement on additional X-Box features.

From the press release:


"Beginning Nov. 22, on its first anniversary, Xbox 360 will be the first gaming console in history to provide high-definition TV shows and movies directly to gamers in their living rooms. Xbox 360 gamers will have access to the full-length TV shows as downloads to own and movies to rent via download from the Xbox Live^® network, the worldwide leader in online distribution of high-definition gaming and entertainment content.

“We are thrilled to be part of this launch and bring some of our most popular and targeted programming, including Adult Swim’s ‘Robot Chicken’ and ‘NASCAR.COM,’ to this platform direct to gamers via Xbox Live on Xbox 360 as part of their online gaming and entertainment experience. Partnering with Xbox Live represents the ideal environment to extend the relevant Adult Swim and NASCAR.COM brands and reach our fans in the coveted 18–34 demographic.”

- Dennis Quinn, Executive Vice President, Business Development, TBS Inc."

CNN Money:

"The move to digital distribution of video programming is not entirely surprising for Microsoft. The company faces stiff competition this holiday season from Sony (Charts) and Nintendo. Sony's PlayStation 3 is expected to offer a similar service, though this will not be available when the system goes on sale Nov. 17."

NYT:

"Peter Moore, Microsoft’s corporate vice president for interactive entertainment, said the service was initially intended to make the Xbox more versatile and therefore more attractive. “Direct revenue from this over the long term could be important,” Mr. Moore said. “But this is also another reason to buy an Xbox 360.”

PaidContent:

"The Xbox Live Video Marketplace opens for business Nov. 22—the anniversary of the Xbox 360 launch— with content from a variety of companies including Turner Broadcasting, Viacom, Paramount Studios, CBS, Warner Brothers. and Ultimate Fighting Championship This was one of the expected directions for Xbox 360 but, as I wrote earlier this year, the chokehold on supply that kept the core gaming audience from being served initially, effectively postponed outreach beyond gaming. This latest move plays off the already existing Xbox-TV connection. It’s also a one-up area for Microsoft: Xbox 360 owners won’t need Apple’s iTV—unless they’re big Disney fans."

Pixel Trade:

"Pricing has yet to be announced, but I’m told that movie rentals will be competitive with Blockbuster or pay-per-view rates and TV shows will likely match iTunes.

And it really all makes sense. Microsoft will soon launch its music/video player Zune and its console is already capable of streaming aural and visual delights off Media Center PCs. This neatly ties together the various media lines.

This move is the first of its kind in the console realm. Now Microsoft must wait to see how its 4 million users react when the service goes live on the 22nd."

Don Dodge:

"The Xbox 360 launched just one year ago. The combination of Xbox 360, Windows Media Center, and the soon to be released Zune music device puts Microsoft in a great position for home entertainment. Games, music, TV shows, music, photos, and interactive communities all working together on one device and viewable on your TV screen. Oh, and there is more coming. Stay tuned for more Live services. It is going to be tough to keep up with all the announcements coming from Microsoft over the next few months. It just gets better every day."

Turner's Super Deluxe Team

Digging around a little reveals some of the Super Deluxe team. From the announcement we know about Mark Lazarus and Drew Reifenberger. Then there is Greg Tyree's blog mention. Greg is the TBS, Inc. VP of Web Development for Internet Technologies.

The creative director, Todd Dominey makes a brief mention of the project. Joseph Trotz is working on the ad technology. Dead Frog says that one content contributor could be Eugene Mirman.

Turner's Super Deluxe

The Hollywood Reporter announces Turner's new broadband property, Super Deluxe.

From the article:

"Time Warner-owned Turner Broadcasting is scheduled to announce today its intent to launch a new multiplatform brand in January boasting original shortform videos laced with edgy humor from professional comics and ambitious amateurs alike.

Dubbed Super Deluxe, the free, advertiser-supported venture will target men 18-34 with a mix of live-action and animated material that won't skimp on profanity and toilet humor. "It's like cable TV without the rules," Turner Entertainment Group president Mark Lazarus said.

Super Deluxe's online incarnation will be equipped with community tools that enable users to establish profiles, post videos and interact. The Web site collapses the traditional distinction -- and distance -- between performers and consumers, putting user-generated content and original output from notable comedians side by side.

Turner also is making deals with relatively unknown content creators and is expected to sign other amateurs who establish a presence on Super Deluxe to development deals. In addition, Turner is open to functioning as a studio for select site members, helping with financing and other arrangements."

A quick Googling of "Super Deluxe" urls would seem to indicate Turner is going to have to get creative with the site address.

CTIA: Josh Weinrobe, TBS

MocoNews talks with John Weinrobe before CTIA.

From the post:

"I had a pre-CTIA chat with Josh Weinrobe, business development manager at Turner Broadcasting Systems (A Time Warner company) about the broadcasters move into mobile. Well, mobile is part of the overall push into new media. “Mobile is now part of our competitive space,” said Josh. “It’s much more strategically important than two years ago.”

For Turner the important thing is that the content matches the brand. “We are packaging our content in such a way that it supports the brand…Everything we do has to be true to the brand in a very detailed way.” For this reason Turner keeps the production of simple content such as ringtones and wallpapers in-house, so they can control everything and protect the brand.

Turner Broadcasting is one of those companies that thinks the mobile market will take off in the next few years. “We’re in the market today for more experimental reasons, but in the next year it will be for strategic reasons,” said Josh, adding that he thinks mobile games will be “huge” in a year."

TBS CEO Phil Kent

TBS has been experimenting with new media models from CNN's Pipeline to TNT's Dramavision. Phil Kent talks with the Hollywood Report.

From the interview:

THR: You just announced plans to expand TNT into the broadband arena with the launch of Dramavision on Tuesday. What do you think that will do for TNT?

Kent: It creates new capacity for both viewership and revenue. We're limited by the number of primetime hours we can program. This gives us a whole new primetime that we can populate with long- and shortform programming that people want to see. As our capacity increases, it allows us to sell advertisers viewership from both the Web and the linear service.

THR: Are there advantages for the Turner Broadcasting channels of being part of such a broader conglomerate as Time Warner or is synergy overrated, as some have recently suggested?

Kent: We call it the media value chain, from content creation to content aggregation to content distribution. We have a very powerful seat in every one of these chairs at this collective table, and there is an advantage to being able to sit around and have conversations with each other that is very hard to have with an external supplier or an external distributor.

Turner Digital: On the Move!

In a late entry we have Turner, trying to develop some sea legs for the eventual unwinding. Via MocoNews, several annoucnements and an interview with Dennis Quinn.

From the post:

"Turner Broadcasting has signed its most extensive wireless video distribution deal yet, agreeing to provide Cingular with branded video content from CNN, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Turner Classic Movies (TCM) and Nascar.com.

The deal includes:

• TCM: No movies are included in the first mobile deal for the classic movie net, which will serve up original movie trailers, clips, famous movie scenes, cartoons, shorts, etc.
• Cartoon Network: Video from CN original toons including “The PowerPuff Girls.”
• Adult Swim: CN’s late night cartoon haven for grown-ups, will offer up Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law, and Aqua Teen Hunger Force among others.
• CNN: Treading carefully to make sure affiliates don’t feel threatened, CNN will provide VOD of the hourly updated “Now in the News”" along with other news programming."

CNN Enhanced TV Reviews

From Lost Remote, CNN Ehanched TV launches on Dish.

"CNN's air takes up a quarter of the screen with real-time information from CNN.com occupying the rest. "The ideal interactive experience is one that actually enhances the viewing of the linear network, so you aren't tuning away from the linear network and are increasing time spent viewing it," said Kevin Cohen, SVP of strategic planning for Turner Broadcasting Systems."

From MediaBistro (Screen shot courtesy of):

The service is CNN's "first major one-screen interactive TV application that runs along with its regular CNN linear cable channel to 11 million EchoStar customers outfitted with ITV-capable set-top boxes," according to TV Week.

In the future: "Users will be able to access the CNN Enhanced TV application whenever they tune into CNN/U.S. located on channel 200. There is no additional fee to DISH Network subscribers for access to CNN Enhanced TV."