
Each day we provide a roundup of five stories from around the Web that our editors read and found noteworthy. Follow us on Twitter for updates throughout the day @digiday.
TV Everywhere Gains Momentum: Comcast and Disney have ironed out a new 10-year distribution deal that, among other things, moves the ball forward on TV Everywhere. VideoNuze is slightly unimpressed: The site points out that giving cable subscribers more digital access won’t change the fact that people think cable costs way too much. Too often, over-the-top services like Netflix and Amazon are viewed as appealing to users’ desire for programming access and control. That’s a huge part of their benefit, and something that TV Everywhere’s flexibility purports to address. But until cable MSO starts allowing consumers to carve up their packages into something that at least resembles a la carte pricing, all the TV Everywhere options in the world won’t stop consumers from pining for better options. And it won’t bring the growing number of young, never-had-cable consumers (the “cord-nevers”) to cable anytime soon. VideoNuze — Mike Shields @digitalshields
Roku Definitely Shrinking, Maybe Fading?: Roku, one of the faster-growing, cheaper alternatives to cable, has been enjoying a media honeymoon of sorts. The small company has inked multiple deals with prominent cable companies, it has been selling far better than similar, much pricier devices from Google and Microsoft, and many journalists own, and espouse Roku. But according to a Splatf analysis, Roku’s honeymoon may be fading out. The company, which just introduced a smaller version of its hardware, sold 1.5 million devices last year, 25 percent below estimates. It had better pick up the pace, given the red-hot growth of such platforms as Xbox Live and the looming promise of an Apple TV. A major lingering problem for Roku may be its cult nature. Unlike Apple and Xbox, few American consumers have actually ever heard of the company. Splatf — Mike Shields @digitalshields