Apple didn’t respond Thursday to questions about reports it’s planning a series of offerings to beef up its services business that will let customers score lower prices by bundling subscriptions. Bloomberg reported on Thursday that Apple plans to launch bundles “as early as October,” alongside the next iPhone line, to encourage customers to subscribe to more Apple services. The family-oriented offerings, which would reportedly save customers $2-$5 a month, would include different tiers combining Apple Music and Apple TV+ with a step-up version adding gaming. Another tier would add Apple News+. A pricier bundle would tack on additional iCloud storage for files and photos, the report said.

Comscore is partnering with Consumer Orbit, an aggregator of consumer data, to develop “consumer intelligence” technology to tie local shopper behavior to TV viewership in “category-specific segments in near-real-time,” said CEO Bill Livek on a Q2 earnings call Monday. “This will allow media outlets, brands and agencies to plan, transact and evaluate local media performance in new and exciting ways.” The offering will be available in all local markets by year-end, he said. As more Comscore studio customers explore direct-to-consumer streaming service launches, “we, like them, are pivoting by developing a measurement solution that combines box office and direct-to-consumer viewing metrics in one combined product,” said Livek. “The movie industry has been on pause, but it’s not going away.”

Roku opposed Charter's request the FCC end some conditions on the cable operator's past purchases of Bright House Networks and Time Warner Cable, requirements the cabler says are no longer in the public interest. Replies were posted through Friday in docket 16-197. "The bases for the safeguards" were "Charter’s incentives to act anti-competitively post-merger and the absence of viable competition" for broadband, Roku said. "Charter’s petition for relief mentions neither." Roku said those contending the operator's "charitable donations and community involvement might temper Charter’s incentive and ability to act in its own economic self-interest by discriminating against Online Video Distributors" ignore "Charter’s role as a gatekeeper for OVDs and as a monopoly in many broadband access markets." Charter "provided copious data that the marketplace for streaming video" has "exploded" since the 2016 conditions, it replied. "This is exactly what the Commission predicted might happen" when it included "a mechanism to sunset them after five years (instead of automatically after seven)," it noted. A footnote in an attachment by NERA Economic Consulting Managing Director Jeffrey Eisenach said Roku is the most streamed U.S. OVD by hours (see report, Aug. 7 issue). Charter wants to end data caps and interconnection conditions in May (see 2007090009).

Sanctuary Studios’ health and wellness ad-based VOD app is available on Vizio’s SmartCast TVs, said the studio Friday. Prerecorded content includes yoga, sound baths and guided meditations taught by instructors in various locations throughout the world.

ViacomCBS plans to launch a streaming service internationally in early 2021, with a focus first on Australia, Latin America and the Nordic countries, it said Thursday. It said programming on the subscription VOD service will include some Showtime series, CBS All Access originals, Paramount movies, content from such networks as MTV and Comedy Central, and originals from ViacomCBS International Studios. It said that rollout parallels the ongoing expansion outside the U.S. of distribution of its Pluto TV free streaming service.

Pirate subscription IPTV services generate $1 billion in annual revenue in the U.S. in subscriptions, and feature a "sophisticated supply chain and cutting-edge marketing and distribution techniques," Digital Citizens Alliance and digital media monetization security firm Nagra said Thursday. There's an estimated 9 million U.S. users of pirate IPTV, and they're targeted by 3,500 storefront websites, social media pages and stores within online marketplaces that sell pirate subscription IPTV services to the U.S. market target, it said. How much legitimate players such hosting services, payment processors and social media are aware of their role in this black market isn't clear, it said: The services also get revenue from ads shown before or during viewing or by partnering with hackers to install malware within free apps.

AMC Networks estimates about 80% of its subscription VOD subscribers also buy at least one other “general entertainment” SVOD service, said CEO Josh Sapan on a Q2 call Tuesday. “This underscores that we are not competitive with the large services, we are compatible.” AMC thinks a higher return will come from investments in content that will “reposition our company for a more streaming-focused landscape,” said Chief Financial Officer Sean Sullivan. Its “targeted” SVOD services have been “performing quite well,” he said. “We're looking to lean into this area of our business.” It’s “early days” of the programmer's involvement with ad-supported VOD services on Pluto and Sling, said Sullivan. “We are very much viewing that as an opportunity to monetize our rich library.” AMC doesn’t feel the need to own its own platform, he said. “We have a strategic advantage to have our strong content on growing platforms throughout the industry, and we're in meaningful talks with everyone that you would anticipate.”

SiriusXM added 200,000 net new subscribers in Q2 despite stay-at-home mandates, said CEO Jim Meyer on a Thursday investor call. Revenue fell 5% from a year earlier on a double-digit hit to ad sales, he said. “We are poised for a strong finish to the year, despite an uncertain economic outlook and rising COVID-19 cases in parts of the country.” Self-paid net subscriber adds are expected to top 500,000 in 2020, he said. Though auto sales on which SiriusXM relies so heavily for subscriber growth declined, Q2 “finished better than it started,” said Meyer. SiriusXM subs penetrated 77% of new cars sold in Q2 and are on track to reach 80% by year-end, he said. “Stay tuned for even more” 360L connected car deployments, following commitments from six tier 1 OEMs, said Meyer. “This deployment is now really gaining steam. We expect to end this year with about 1.4 million 360L vehicles in operation.” SiriusXM expects deployments to “roughly triple” in 2021, he said. Management is pleased that the reduction in Pandora’s ad-supported listening hours “has been abating,” said Meyer. After declining 18% early in Q2, “ad hours finished the quarter down less than 6%,” he said. “We’re seeing gains in hours spent listening to CE devices mitigating declines on mobile and web.”

Spotify and Universal Music Group signed a multiyear global license agreement, they said Wednesday. The agreement covers a “shared commitment to music’s continued growth, deeper music discovery experiences and collaboration on new, state-of-the-art marketing campaigns across Spotify’s platform.” UMG will be an “early adopter” of future products and provide feedback to Spotify’s development team, they said. The agreement expands on Spotify’s Marquee recommendation feature and Canvas looping visuals that accompany music tracks, and the companies will build new tools and offerings for artists. The goal of Spotify's Marketplace strategy is to "harness Spotify’s ability to connect artists with fans on a scale that has never before existed and bring new opportunities to the industry,” said Spotify CEO Daniel Ek. The partnership “will provide our artists with new and powerful opportunities to connect with fans on Spotify’s growing platform,” said Universal CEO Lucian Grainge.

The U.S. cloud gaming market could generate nearly $3 billion in annual subscription revenue, Parks Associates reported, with 30% of broadband households interested a service. Three-quarters of U.S. broadband households play videogames for at least one hour per week; gamers play for an average 22 hours. PC gaming has had the biggest gains during the pandemic. It and could generate more revenue, via service stacking and add-on sales, “if the offerings are designed and targeted correctly,” said analyst Kristen Hanich.