Liberty Looks to Leverage DirecTV Deal

(NEWSER) - Times are tough, and for cable and satellite TV companies, that means—more porn. Comcast is following DirecTV's lead and ramping up advertising for adult pay-per-view channels, reports Advertising Age. The spots will generally run on guy channels such as Spike TV and ESPN in the wee hours. Meanwhile, the cost of the porn offerings is coming down. More»

Even committed commies crave US satellite shows despite Castro ban

(NEWSER) - Cubans are turning to black-market satellite TV to watch soap operas, US news and music videos, and even the Chicago White Sox—in defiance of a national ban on the programs, the Christian Science Monitor reports. "If there is censorship, there is business," said one provider who faces up to 5 years in prison if caught. More»

... even if you hate sports: NYT analysis

(NEWSER) - The NFL's hefty new contract with TV networks—as in $27 billion over nine years—prompts the New York Times to look into the booming business of sports on TV. The takeaway stat: Anyone with cable or satellite is paying what amounts to an annual "sports tax" of $100 per year, write Brian Stelter and Amy Chozick. Which, of course, includes those who never watch sports. More»

Could be available sometime next year

(NEWSER) - As if Netflix's year hasn't been tough enough. The streaming movie company may soon face a new rival in the form of a Verizon online video service, Reuters reports. The service would be available to 85 million households outside Verizon's current FIOS broadband and cable markets, and could be ready as soon as next year, insiders say. It may not, however, offer the kind of variety Netflix does: Instead, it could present movie packages along the lines of Starz Play or children's shows from a partner such as Disney. More»

... if regulators approve pact with Time-Warner, Comcast

(NEWSER) - A new $3.6 billion deal between Verizon and three major cable TV companies is threatening to change a fierce rivalry between competitors into a partnership that critics fear would restrict consumer choice, reports the Washington Post . Mobile service, Internet, and cable TV providers have been locked in an intense battle for years, with each increasingly encroaching on the others' turf. But this deal—in which Comcast, Time Warner, and Brightline Cable would let Verizon access their unused cellphone airwaves in exchange for a "cooperative marketing arrangement"—would end that. More»