ESPN experienced its most successful year ever in 2007, expanding its digital leadership online, through broadband, a broadening global scope, with mobile and ITV initiatives, and across other digital platforms including downloadable content, video game consoles and more.

With ESPN.com at the core of ESPN Digital Media, the site experienced enormous growth in online video and audio use by fans, big growth in ESPN Fantasy Sports games and overall traffic to the site, and launched compelling social Web elements that enable sports fans to participate in content creation and extend ESPN.com’s content across the expanding digital landscape.

Arcor has selected NDS's VideoGuard content protection to secure its new IPTV service. Arcor-Digital TV will initially be available in 51 German cities and communities offering digital TV and advanced entertainment services such as VOD.

Operating a nationwide broadband network with a DSL subscriber base of over two million connections, Arcor selected the server-based content protection solution from NDS. VideoGuard Server is specifically designed for always-on two-way networks such as DSL and digital cable. It features proven VideoGuard CA and DRM technology, now providing security in over 50 Pay-TV platforms around the world. The hardware-based security components of the solution include robust CA/DRM security in the headend for linear and on-demand services, as well as authentication and content protection in the decoder chip in the set top-box.

Telsur has selected Zhone’s multi-service access platform to expand the company’s IPTV footprint. Telsur is a leader in the telecommunications market in Chile and recognized for advanced IP convergence throughout Latin America.

With Zhone’s MALC, Telsur can immediately provision high-speed data and IPTV services over traditional ADSL and provision GPON fiber to the home services using the same platform and standard TR-069 Automatic Configuration Server.

Overlay.TV has completed a $4.6 million Series A financing round and will be launching its Internet video-advertising platform on February 14, 2008. The funding, from Celtic House Venture Partners, EdgeStone Capital Partners and Tech Capital Partners, will provide Overlay.TV with the resources required to successfully deploy its innovative solution.

The Overlay.TV platform allows viewers to interact with online video, and enables content owners and distributors to monetize their video assets. As video streams from its original location, such as leading video sharing sites, viewers are able to opt-in to receive “overlays” which provide contextual information about the content being viewed. The overlay technology allows any image in a video to be ‘hyper-enabled’ and allows a viewer to click on the image, right in the video, and take any number of desired actions that are directly associated with the context of the image being viewed.

AT&T has to replace the batteries in the cabinets for U-Verse IPTV because of four fires have broken out in different locations. AT&T doesn't feel comfortable with the batteries that provide backup power to over 17,00 of its equipment cabinets in neighborhoods across the United States. There is no immediate guess as to how quickly AT&T can replace all the batteries and has declined to answer any questions on the costs of the effort.

Saveaccess.org provides some images of the fire started by the exploding batteries in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin.

NS8 Corp. has partnered with Akimbo Systems to launch its iWAVE Interactive services in the U.S. for the first time. Akimbo will be the exclusive North American partner for iWAVE and will use the service to power its Internet video storefront and integrated back-end management system.

Akimbo has developed a turnkey solution for content providers and distributors that allows them to set their own terms and financial models on their own websites and platforms, thus giving them more control and greater opportunity to realize the full revenue-generating potential of their product. In addition, Akimbo offers VOD content on its own website with an array of "channels" organized into genres that include Anime, Health & Wealth, Exploration & Adventure, Family & Fun, and Sports, as well as special interest TV series, animation, movies, documentaries, and music. Akimbo also syndicates one of the largest VOD libraries to MSOs, Telcos, and other secure platforms.

AT&T announces that Indiana customers now have access to a suite of new U-verse IPTV features that further differentiate the service from cable.

The new interactive features -- available to customers at no extra charge -- include:

• AT&T U-bar, which brings customizable weather, stock, sports and traffic information to the TV screen. Customers who also subscribe to AT&T Yahoo! High Speed Internet have the option to personalize the U-bar from their AT&T Yahoo! home page to display weather at a specified location, their personal stock portfolio and scores for their favorite sports teams.
• YELLOWPAGES.COM TV, an intuitive new way to search for local businesses and other information via AT&T U-verse TV.
• AT&T Yahoo! Games, available on the television screen, including Sudoku, Solitaire, JT's Blocks, Mah-jongg Tiles and Chess.

Wiley and TVMentors announce that Gerard O'Driscoll has recently published his latest book titled 'Next Generation IPTV Services and Technologies'.

"The television entertainment industry is currently experiencing a major transformation due to improvements in video compression techniques and the steady rise of broadband penetration. This transformation in the core TV business is fueling the demand for a new generation of technology professionals who will be responsible for implementing IP-based video services and digital home services around the world." said the book's author Gerard O'Driscoll.

"This book is an integral part of this transformation and provides telecom operators, wireless mobile providers, cable TV companies, media companies, broadcasters, video production companies, and Internet portal companies with the technical information needed to help ensure their IPTV networks are well designed, and run efficiently with minimal operational costs",. Coverage includes:

Building on the success of the Future TV Show conference and business summit, which is now in its third year, WTG Events has launched a new exhibition and conference format dedicated to the world of media convergence.

Filling the opening for a smaller more focussed event the Future TV Show will provide industry professionals with all the tools to stay ahead in this fast moving industry, and enable them to speak to over 60 key suppliers who will be exhibiting.

Taking place in the superb Grimaldi Forum, Monaco from 14-15 May 2008, this event will enable professionals in the industry to keep bang-up to date with developments in the industry through a focussed high level conference and a brand new trade only exhibition. The event is expecting to attract over 1,000 visitors to the exhibition (www.futuretvshow.com) in addition to the 150 delegates that usually attend the conference.

It appears the French like IPTV just about as much as their wine. In a new report "Top Ten: IPTV Carriers" by Light Reading, France is claiming 3 of the top ten positions. The report is based on the world's leading telco IPTV players by number of subscribers.

"France isn't the only European nation to grace the list -- in fact, Europe provides a whopping seven of the leading 10 IPTV players currently, with representatives from Belgium, Italy, Spain, and Sweden also making the cut. The remaining three entries come from Asia/Pacific, with North America failing to pitch in."

Dailymotion announces the addition of multiple innovative video-based advertising options, augmenting the company's existing menu of ad formats and integrated branding opportunities. This announcement confirms Dailymotion's format-agnostic approach of delivering a range of options to allow advertisers to pick the format that best fits their communication needs.

Dailymotion's new advertising options include:

Find out after the jump.

Tremor Media closes a Series B round of funding of $11 million. The round was led by Canaan Partners and Masthead Venture Partners, both of which led Tremor's prior round of funding. This financing raises the total investment in the company to $19.4 million, including the previous round of $8.64 million that closed in September of 2006.

Tremor Media will use the funds to accelerate strategic growth plans, continue to extend its leadership position in online video advertising, expand its product offering to advertisers and publishers with new video ad formats and publisher tools, and enhance the flexibility of its technology platform to quickly respond to trends in the online video ad industry.

ROO Group announced a plan to accelerate its path to profitability and refocus the Company on a device-agnostic IPTV enablement strategy in international markets. Chairman and CEO Kaleil Isaza Tuzman said, "We are taking operational steps to improve the short-term performance of ROO Group by focusing on revenue generating initiatives in our core business, while exiting non-core activities and reducing our cost structure."

Isaza Tuzman continued, "The first step on the revenue side for 2008 entails increased sales focus on markets outside of North America, where IPTV demand is strong but the competitive landscape in IPTV enablement is underdeveloped. At the same time, we are implementing cost-cutting activities and prioritizing fiscal discipline in our home market. We believe that these initial steps in our 2008 realignment will have a beneficial impact on the bottom line and enable us to hit profitability in the second half of the year."

ExerciseTV has partnered with thePlatform to grow and expand the video offerings on its fitness destination site. thePlatform is working with ExerciseTV to publish free web video workouts, clips, and download-to-own fitness titles in support of the fitness network's online storefront.

ExerciseTV boasts over 5 million views a month for its television on-demand offering and is one of the only places online where consumers can purchase and then download workouts to their PCs, iPODs and other portable video devices. Overall, thePlatform is handling the publishing and management of ExerciseTV's original library of over 200 download-to-own fitness titles featuring many of the nation's most popular trainers. The partnership will help ExerciseTV expand its viewership by syndicating the programmer's original content to other destination sites. In addition, ExerciseTV has customized the look and feel of the site's Flash-based players using thePlatform's mpsPresent Player Development Kit.

USA TODAY LIVE announces a new line-up of television and online projects for 2008. USA TODAY LIVE will partner with Fuse, the national music television network, VERSUS and MOJO HD on a variety of series-based programming, in addition to continuing to create regular online video features for USATODAY.com.

City Limits Fishing is a six-part weekly series on VERSUS which highlights places where anglers regularly catch limits of fish in not so far-off, exotic destinations. City Limits Fishing will travel to New York City, Philadelphia, Washington, DC, Chicago, Tampa and Sacramento showing secret places within cities where the fishing is world class. The show premieres Friday, Feb. 15.