Blackbird Reports

All Blackbird Reports retail for $499 and are available as either a digital download (PDF) or a hard copy.

March 2012

Online Entertainment Subscriptions: Will Content Owners decide to distribute themselves?

This report to be released April 1 examines the current leaders in Internet subscription entertainment (movie, television and music) Netflix, Hulu and Spotify. Included in the report are industry projections of the market and its leaders, an examination of the threats to their domination, interviews with leading industry executives and an overview and analysis of all the competitors.

 

 

April 2012

Piracy: Hollywood’s $20 Billion Problem

With SOPA and PIPA dominating the headlines early in 2012 along with the shutdown of Megaupload, file sharing and piracy have been on everyone’s lips. This report takes a balanced look at how much revenue is truly lost by Hollywood and how Hollywood can regain some of that revenue with some bold moves. Included are interviews with industry executives and an examination of potential new business models for content creators.

 

 

May 2012

Cable TV: Moving forward with more competitors than ever

2011 saw a record number of people cut their ties to cable television. Can cable TV stop the bleeding or will it go the way of newspapers? This report projects the number of cable TV subscribers over the next few years along with some creative ways for cable providers to maximize revenue. Projections, interviews and online resources are included in the report.

 

 

June 2012

Video Games: $100 Billion by the end of the decade?

Since Nintendo revitalized the industry in the 1990’s, video games have been entertainment’s unstoppable force. Will revenue continue to grow and break the $100 billion mark by decade’s end or is the video game’s industry’s incredible run finally coming to an end? Projections, interviews and an online resource guide are all included in the report.

 

 

July 2012

Tomorrow’s Technology: How will we get content in the future?

This is Blackbird’s signature report. We examine all of the trends within technology and what that means both for the consumer and for retailers. This yearly special report examines some nascent markets as well as looking at markets yet to be created. This vision of the future features projections of new markets as well as interviews with some of world’s leading futurists!

 

 

August 2012

Tablet/Mobile Computing: A fad or the future?

Apple basically created the market with the release of the iPad. However, with Google’s Android OS and consumer electronic powerhouses Sony and Samsung manufacturing tablets and other devices, can Apple remain King or will the competition turn the iPad into the Newton? Projections, interviews and a resource guide are included in the report.

 

 

September 2012

Mobile/Social Gaming: Gaming for masses

Less than three years ago, no one had ever heard of Angry Birds. Now the game and the its characters are ubiquitous. The game itself is available on almost every mobile platform and licenses includes such different products as board games, pillows, back packs, t-shirts, plates and scissors. Words with Friends was similar phenomenon using social media and phones. Casual gaming has never been bigger, but is it poised for a fall? This report has the answers including projections and interviews.

 

October 2012

Broadband: The new entertainment superhighway?

Cable, DSL and FIOS Internet subscriptions have all seen enormous growth over the past decade. However, adoption rates have slowed a bit. Is this a sign of things to come or is broadband more important than ever to the American public? Insightful interviews and projections are included.

 

 

November 2012

Interactive TV: What happened?

In 2001, the promise of Interactive TV seemed inevitable. However, I still can’t cast a vote for the next American Idol via my television remote control. Was our vision of the future mistaken or did interactive TV evolve into something else. Blackbird examines the issues facing Interactive TV and shows how the promised land is closer than most people think.

 

Satellite TV: Are the golden years over?

DirecTV and DishNetwork revolutionized television in the 1980’s. However, subscriber growth has halted. Cable TV and IPTV services are able to bundle broadband services with subscription television; Netflix and Hulu have millions of subscribers that love getting content via the Internet. Are SatelliteTV’s days numbered or do DirecTV and DishNetwork still have some life (growth) left in them?

 

January 2013

The Television Report: What will be watching movies on next year?

Focusing on HDTV technologies including OLED, 3DTV, Smart TV, this report projects the markets for new and old (hard to believe that HDTV now is old technology). What format will dominate the future? Is 3D a passing fancy? All of these questions and more are answered with our projections and interviews.

 

Streaming Set-top boxes: Will we still love them tomorrow?

Boxee. Roku. AppleTV. All of these devices have revolutionized the way many people watch television. With broadband penetration reaching new heights yearly, the market for these boxes can’t help to grow, right? But what if the technology was included in most new television sets? This report fully examines this market as well as what these manufacturers have in store to keep their technology relevant in the growing world of smart televisions.

 

Smart Appliances: When will our vision of the totally connected home arrive?

Each home in the U.S. has multiple appliances. Ovens, refrigerators, microwaves, water heaters could all be connected one day. Do we really want or need them to be? Is this technology a dream or is it the tech battleground of tomorrow? This report projects when and if this future becomes a reality.

 

February 2013

Online Advertising: Why has it skyrocketed?

With numerous business models including cost per click, cost per action and cost per view, online advertising offer advertisers flexibility with their advertising dollars. However, does that flexibility translate to results? We examine how this industry is constantly evolving and how it stacks up against traditional advertising models like broadcast television and print. Projections and industry interviews round out this exciting report.