Netflix expects to sign up its 100 millionth subscriber this weekend

Netflix’s earnings report is out ( PDF ), and the nearly-worldwide video streaming company has seen its subscriber count creep up to 98.75 million. To close the letter to investors, execs said they expect to cross the 100 million customer barrier this weekend, as they reorganized their data to deemphasize subscriber count in favor of revenue. the company also reported that Dave Chappelle: Collection 1 is its most-viewed comedy special ever. The company also shed light on its growing plans for movie production . By Netflix’s measure, flicks like Adam Sandler’s movies and The Siege of Jadotville were successes, while Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny was not. As usual, it did not release any numbers, but said its formula for success is if a movie “will attract and delight members at better economics relative to licensing movies under traditional windowing.” Developing… Source: Netflix Q1 2017 Letter to Shareholders (PDF)

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Netflix expects to sign up its 100 millionth subscriber this weekend

Verizon FiOS streaming no longer counts toward your data cap

Since chairman and net neutrality skeptic Ajit Pal dropped an FCC investigation into data-free ” zero-rating , ” it’s full speed ahead for carriers on unlimited video streaming. Verizon is piling on with its FiOS Mobile App, which now lets you to stream some 140+ channels, recorded DVR shows and movies on the go without impacting your wireless data cap. The new deal applies to FiOS internet and TV subscribers on Verizon’s 5GB, Small, Medium and Large plans. The app is likely a response to AT&T’s recent wireless plans that let you stream DirecTV Now with no data hit as long as you have both a qualifying mobile and DirecTV Now plan. T-Mobile offers DirecTV and Hulu with no data hit, too, though it has also used the offer to slam rival AT&T. Verizon recently resurrected its Unlimited plan as well, again following the lead of AT&T and T-Mobile. Interestingly, zero-rated FiOS streaming is not included with the Unlimited plan, according to fine print on the company’s FiOS Mobile App page on iTunes, as spotted by The Verge . Instead, it counts toward the 22GB cap — so if you stream lots of TV and exceed it, your speeds could be throttled. Verizon already zero-rated its Go90 video streaming app last year, something that perked up the ears of net neutrality advocates. While free video data sounds like a great thing, organizations like the Electronic Frontier Foundation and ACLU believe that by prioritizing their own content over rivals like Netflix, carriers are creating an uneven playing field. As such, they and other groups wrote the FCC urging it to not eliminate net neutrality rules created in 2015 . “In order to promote continued economic, social, and political growth and innovation, it is imperative that the Internet remain open and accessible to all people in the future, ” the petition says. Source: Verizon

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Verizon FiOS streaming no longer counts toward your data cap

Google Introduces YouTube Red, a Subscription for Ad-Free and Offline Videos

Tired of waiting to skip ads in YouTube? Wish you could save YouTube videos and music offline or keep playing when your mobile screen turns off? YouTube Red might be the subscription for you—and it includes a Google Play Music subscription for the same price as Play Music alone. Read more…

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Google Introduces YouTube Red, a Subscription for Ad-Free and Offline Videos