Roku TV will be available in Germany next month for the first time in models from Metz blue and TCL, Roku said Thursday. Roku launched its platform in Germany last year with its streaming players. Metz blue and TCL Roku TVs will range from 32 to 65 inches in HD and 4K resolution.

Advanced Micro Devices and Red5 Pro will demonstrate their live video-streaming watch party offering at IBC 2022 in Amsterdam, the companies emailed Thursday. The technology, which combines AMD hardware transcoding technology with Red5 Pro’s Watch Party platform, is said to scale real-time interactive video content in “milliseconds.” The companies will show how viewers can interact with friends in real-time during sporting events; how interactive video content can be scaled to support “hundreds of thousands” of viewers; how to minimize latency; and interactive experiences including online betting and gamification. AMD will also preview new low-latency and blockchain technologies, it said. IBC runs Sept. 9-12.

Xperi launched its TiVo OS media platform at IFA 2022 Wednesday, saying Turkish electronics maker Vestel will ship the first Powered by TiVo smart TVs in Europe next year. Xperi CEO Jon Kirchner teased the news on the company’s August earnings call when he said the company had signed its first licensee for the technology (see 2208090037). Xperi is targeting tier 2 brands, “and some tier 1s,” with TiVo OS, Kirchner said on the call, saying the company is pitching the platform to brands looking for an open-end smart TV platform with “flexibility to customize their own user experience,” have a direct-to-consumer relationship and “participate in monetization over the long-term.” The Wednesday announcement referenced TiVo OS as a “first-of-its-kind neutral platform, aimed at giving [OEMs] significantly more control over the user experience and helping consumers cut through the clutter of streaming and linear content options with simplified universal discovery.” Xperi estimates 40% of the smart TV market is looking for an “independent platform like ours,” said Kirchner, calling TiVo a “supportive industry partner with deep domain expertise.” He said 30 million households worldwide use TiVo via connected TVs and other partners. A Powered by TiVo TV can deliver “better viewer engagement with an unbiased content-first user experience where live hybrid TV and streaming services are fully integrated,” and consumers can “intuitively discover” content across their streaming apps in a "free, familiar, and frictionless experience,” Xperi said. On the August call, Kirchner called the TiVo OS platform “content-agnostic. We're not trying to entirely control the direct-to-consumer relationship,” he said: “That’s for the people who make the equipment." Xperi isn’t trying to mirror streaming TV platform models on the market today, Kirchner said, saying TiVo OS strengths are in technology, business model and independence.

Vizio added four E.W. Scripps channels to its WatchFree+ service, it said Wednesday. The four free channels -- Ion, Ion Mystery, Bounce XL and Grit Xtra -- span dramas, thriller and detective shows, Black-oriented content and westerns, said the smart TV manufacturer.

FuboTV added to its free, ad-supported content library, bringing on two new original series and two returning shows, the virtual MVPD said Tuesday. A football-focused talk show hosted by former pro-football players T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Orlando Scandrick will premiere Sept. 6 at 7 p.m. EDT and PDT, it said. In a first, Fubo Sports Network will stream episodes live on its YouTube channel every Monday, before airing them on its linear channel each Tuesday at 7 p.m. EDT/PDT. For NBA fans, Fubo Sports Network will premiere The Young Person Basketball Podcast with Orlando Magic guard R.J. Hampton Oct. 23 at 8 p.m. EDT/PDT. Returning shows are Getcha Popcorn Ready and No Chill with Gilbert Arenas.

SiriusXM announced Thursday a concert with Halsey as part of its Small Stage series presented by American Express. The performance for SiriusXM subscribers will be at Union Transfer in Philadelphia Sept. 20 at 9 p.m. EDT and will be livestreamed on the SXM app. Select songs from the show will air across SiriusXM channels The Pulse, Pandora Now and 10s Spot, it said. Subscribers can enter to win tickets to the concert.

Some 59% of U.S. adults watch video on non-TV devices, including smartphones, computers and tablets, led by smartphone users at 50%, reported Leichtman Research Group Wednesday. That’s up from 55% in 2020 and 43% in 2017. By age group, 83% of those 18-34 watch TV on a non-TV device daily vs. 64% of ages 35-54, and 35% of those 55 and above, said LRG. Half of adults watch YouTube on a non-TV device daily, followed by news clips at 35%, said the report. Though portable devices enable users to watch video nearly anywhere, 82% of consumers who watch video on a mobile phone, and 85% of those who watch video on a tablet, “do so at home,” said LRG President Bruce Leichtman.

SiriusXM added the $4.99 monthly Stitcher Premium podcast service to its Platinum ($22.99 monthly) and Streaming Platinum ($10.99) plans at no additional cost to subscribers, it said Wednesday. It’s the first time Sirius has bundled another service with the Platinum plans, it said. Stitcher Premium listeners get ad-free listening, early access to podcast episodes, the ability to binge select podcast series without having to wait for new episodes to drop, and access to 60,000+ hours of podcasts in the Premium library.

Harmonic and Nagra are partnering on content protection for live sports streaming with a new “watermarking-as-a-service” offering that integrates Nagra’s NexGuard forensic watermarking with Harmonic's VOS360 cloud SaaS platform, said the companies Tuesday. Bundling their capabilities offers content owners and service providers “a streamlined solution for protecting premium content at scale during live sports events,” they said. “A significant rise in piracy during live sports events has fueled the need for stronger content protection solutions," said Eric Gallier, Harmonic vice president-video customer solutions. “Teaming up with Harmonic, we're transforming content protection of live sports to reduce stream and credential hijacking, creating a robust defense against piracy,” said Sebastian Kramer, Nagra senior vice president-business development and product line management.

As streaming service companies launch ad-supported tiers to cast for a broader customer base, a Kagan report cites “only a faint correlation” for some services between consumers that choose ad-supported tiers and their household income. With Netflix and Disney coming to market soon with less-expensive ad-supported plans, they “may not see a mass influx of new subscribers and could instead see a sizable number of existing subs switch to ad-supported offerings,” Kagan emailed Monday. A third of ad-supported users at most streaming services lived in households making less than $50,000 annually, but 25%-40% were in households with $100,000 or more in annual income, it said. A March survey showed 30% of Hulu users subscribed to the ad-supported tier, 31% of Paramount+ users, 29% of Peacock Premium subscribers and 36% at Discovery+. HBO Max was the outlier, with 43% of users being ad-supported customers, 57% ad-free. Kagan noted HBO Max's ad-supported option was rolled out in the U.S. in June 2021 “and could see more users migrate to it over time.” Most subscription VOD services with commercials have an ad load of about three minutes to five minutes per hour, “far lighter than linear TV ad loads that can exceed 10 minutes per hour at some networks,” Kagan said. “Consumers accustomed to heavier linear ad loads may not be that bothered by comparatively light streaming ad loads and are simply shrugging and choosing ad-supported plans to save a few bucks each month,” it said.