Shout! Factory Announces Streaming Service

Shout! Factory is joining the online streaming game, and I couldn't be more hyped.

One of the best DVD companies running today, Shout! Factory has made a name for itself releasing box sets of nostalgic shows and listening to what consumers want instead of just what television studios think is timely.

There have been countless threads in their series request forum in the past that have received replies along the lines of "We'd love to, but a DVD just wouldn't be popular enough to cover its costs." This was the case for the second season of Medabots, which was put on indefinite hiatus after the first season failed to meet sales expectations. Having a streaming service will give Shout! the chance to test even more cult classics with less overhead.

(via animation magazine)

Nickelodeon Announces Subscription Service

Nickelodeon has announced that they will be launching a standalone subscription service next month targeted at mobile users. Pricing is unknown at this time.

About time.

The only thing that surprises me about this is that Cartoon Network didn't beat Nick to it - after the spat between Turner and DISH, I've been expecting them to help pioneer this more than they have been. With internet access having long since been considered a necessary utility for daily life, television is starting to go the way of the standalone radio as online streaming and digital downloads take over the market. (This blogger doesn't even own a television anymore.) Whether companies like DISH and Comcast will be blindsighted or are quietly planning the next generation of television remains to be seen.

Via Animation Magazine