VOD Story of the Week
ITV’s newly launched digital streaming platform ITVX hit one billion streams on Easter Sunday, just over four months after launching in December, breaking its previous streaming record in 2022, when it took seven months to hit the one billion mark. The media owner’s archive content has also helped drive streaming figures. Footballers’ Wives, which aired on linear TV between 2022 and 2006, has proven the most popular drama and One Tree Hill scored the most streams among the US boxsets available. ITV said that, according to YouGov BrandIndex data, ITVX has overtaken All4 and Disney+ in terms of its consideration score.
AI Story of the Week
Spotify and Apple have removed a song that uses artificial intelligence to mimic Drake and The Weeknd from their streaming services after accusations of copyright violations. Heart On My Sleeve, which clones the voices of the two best-selling artists, has racked up more than 20 million streams. The track quickly became an online sensation but has sparked a furious response from the music industry. Universal Music Group, the record label representing both artists, said the song was both a breach of their agreements and a violation of copyright law. Streaming platforms have a legal and ethical responsibility to ensure the use of generative AI did not harm artists.
SVOD Story of the Week
Netflix subscriber satisfaction has fallen by 9% in the first quarter of 2023, while Prime, ITVX and Apple TV+ have recorded growth amid a scaleback in the British streaming market, according to Kantar. Findings show that Amazon Prime’s subscription numbers remained stable, as the service only had a 1% drop in memberships in Q1 2023. Apple TV+ also had a strong first quarter in 2023, taking the fourth spot in share of new subscribers. ITVX and its Premium service returned an impressive quarter, gaining 5% new subscribers with the incorporation of its BritBox content.
Brand Story of the Week
Dove have launched a Campaign for Kids Online Safety, addressing the rise in youth mental health issues and effects of Social Media. As part of the campaign the Dove initiative is teaming with musician Lizzo, Common Sense Media and ParentsTogether Action to push for the 2023 Kids Online Safety Act. This promotes safeguarding and tools that protect children and limit their exposure to toxic beauty content. Dove released a three-minute short film, "Cost of Beauty," that tells the story of a young person whose mental health has been affected by social media.
