What We're Reading

As more Americans find the price of their bundling packages too expensive to bear, there also lies a race between content providers in the background to grab their share of the streaming video market. 

Last month HBO announced they too will launch its streaming service in 2015.

Adding to the mix, online retailer Amazon.com Inc will release a new ad-supported video streaming service early next year, the New York Post reported, citing sources.  The new service will compete directly with Hulu and Netflix Inc, whose charges begin at $7.99 a month for customers in the United States.

HBO CEO Richard Plepler, provides insight to the company's evolving business model, and partnership with distributors.

"I don’t think it competes at all," Plepler said. "The most important thing to remember about our Amazon decision is its three-year-old window library and what we basically decided is somewhere in the neighborhood of 65 or 70 percent of Amazon Prime subscribers do not get HBO. So we thought this

In the area of streaming video and television, Mode Media (previously Glam) had quietly filed for IPO in 2013 and postponed it's IPO indefinitely in 2011.  I'm sure board member Mark Andreessen would love to push it forward but is this the right time with markets at all time new highs? 

Glam Media changed its name to Mode Media at its NewFronts event today in New York. Glam chief Samir Arora told Adweek prior to the presentation that the new moniker reflects a commitment to entertainment as well as rebranding its properties beyond its core women's lifestyle offerings.

And he's evidently not kidding about entertainment. Over the last 18 months, his team has quietly developed a consumer-facing video product, which Arora likens more to Netflix than iTunes. Five to 20 percent of the video programming will be original content, but the rest of the shows will originate from syndicated deals made with TV companies. Mode Media has been working with Creative Artists Agency (CAA) to acquire qual