Vizio added a free, ad-supported VOD offering to its SmartCast streaming media platform, it said Wednesday. SmartCast users can access “hundreds” of WatchFree+ live streaming channels, along with “thousands” of on-demand titles, with no subscriptions, logins or external devices required, it said. The 4,000-plus free movies, TV shows and exclusive content include action, romance, comedy, family entertainment and crime genres, it said. SmartCast is also the exclusive connected TV platform for a limited release of Season 5 of Laugh Out Loud Network’s Cold as Balls, starring Kevin Hart, it said. Vizio launched the WatchFree+ free streaming service in August.

ViacomCBS will sell its 55-acre Los Angeles studio facility, CBS Studio Center, and associated business to a partnership formed by Hackman Capital Partners and Square Mile Capital Management for about $1.85 billion, said ViacomCBS Tuesday. The proceeds will go to growth priorities such as streaming, it said, saying it will enter a long-term leaseback of a broadcast facility there. It said the deal is expected to close by year's end.

Paramount+ nabbed the Users’ Choice designation from Google’s Best of 2021 awards, said the Alphabet company Monday. In other categories, Best App went to Balance and Best Game to Pokémon Unite. Among Google TV apps, Disney+ took the top spot, followed by ESPN and Tubi.

Netflix and Spotify are collaborating to launch the Netflix Hub on Spotify, offering Netflix fans “the full audio-streaming experience from the entertainment they love,” said the companies Tuesday. Within two weeks of Squid Game’s mid-September debut on Netflix, Spotify listeners “had created more than 22,500 unique themed playlists to keep the experience going,” they said. “It’s clear that after the credits roll, viewers are left wanting even more -- and they come to Spotify to hear it.” Free and premium Spotify listeners in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the U.K., Ireland and India can use the hub to access official soundtracks, playlists and podcasts, plus exclusive Spotify content, they said.

Crackle Plus will use Gracenote metadata and content identifiers to make Crackle, Popcornflix and Chicken Soup for the Soul streaming service titles more searchable and discoverable by viewers across streaming, MVPD, connected TV and digital search platforms, said the companies Thursday. The collaboration also calls for Crackle Plus to work with Nielsen's Gracenote on distribution of free ad-supported streaming channels starting with the upcoming Crackle and Popcornflix launches, it said.

Apple Music is now available on LG smart TVs with webOS 4.0 and later, LG said Wednesday. Apple Music subscribers can log in to their accounts with their Apple ID; new users can begin the subscription process from their TVs by accessing the streaming service for free in a three-month trial, it said.

Cable networks are potentially "swapping pay TV dollars for streaming pennies" with an increased focus on streaming delivery, nScreenMedia analyst Colin Dixon blogged Tuesday. He said being part of a cable bundle helped hide the true cost of individual networks, and a move to streaming lets people assess pricing on a la carte basis. Subscribers' assessment of the value of those networks might differ considerably from what the networks think they're worth, he said.

Tidal launched direct-to-artist payments, giving artists “an additional payment stream,” said the streaming music service Wednesday. Each month, beginning in 2022, a percentage of Tidal’s highest tier’s subscribers' membership fees will be directed toward the top streamed artist. Royalties will be paid based on the actual streaming activity of individual HiFi Plus subscribers rather than the industry-accepted method of aggregating streams, “empowering fans to play a larger role in the success of their favorite artists,” Tidal said. The direct-to-artist payment is in addition to artists' streaming royalties, the company said. It joined with Square, Cash App and PayPal for “seamless payouts” to artists. It’s also working with distributors CD Baby, DistroKid, Stem, Symphonic Distribution and TuneCore, with Equity Distribution Services and Vydia “launching soon,” to ensure artists sharing music through those platforms are able to receive their payments via in-platform registration, Tidal said. All artists must opt in to access direct artist payouts, either through Tidal’s invitation-only direct registration option or through one of its distribution partners. The streaming service will continue to open access to the program in the coming months. Tidal also announced it entered the free streaming music space with an ad-supported platform available only in the U.S. Customers on the free tier will have access to the full Tidal catalog “with limited interruptions,” it said. The service’s $9.99 monthly HiFi tier has “interruption-free” listening and access to hi-fi tracks, Tidal Connect and daily listening insights; the top-tier $19.99 monthly service adds the "fan-centered royalties" and direct-to-artist payments, along with Master Quality Authenticated tracks and immersive sound formats Dolby Atmos Music and Sony 360 Audio.

LG announced a three-year partnership with the NCAA, Turner Sports and CBS Sports for category-exclusive marketing and distribution rights to NCAA championship competitions. Up to 50 NCAA fall, winter and spring championships, live and on-demand, will run exclusively on the TV maker’s free, ad-supported LG Channels streaming service, due to launch this month, said the organizations Wednesday. The NCAA Championships Channel is scheduled to launch this month, airing highlights and games from previous college championships. The fall 2021 NCAA championship games will be available on-demand starting mid-November, with live streams expected to be available starting in Q1, they said.

Signs are strong that releasing feature films through “an exclusive theatrical window remains the best approach to maximize profitability for content producers,” said National CineMedia CEO Tom Lesinski on a Q3 investor call Monday. NCM bills itself as the largest cinema advertising network in the U.S. Amid the “significant” revenue lost to streaming piracy, “it has become increasingly clear that studios are leaving money on the table with their day-to-day streaming strategies,” said the former Warner Home Entertainment executive. “These realities may underlie recent announcements by all major studios that they will maintain or reconsider an exclusive cinema release window for most, if not all, their films in 2022.” Lesinski also sees signs that “some of the new non-studio streaming services will start to consider theatric release for some of their productions,” he said. “With audiences returning to the cinema, the strong 2022 film slate and continued TV ratings challenges, we are very well-positioned to make NCM a larger part of the marketing plans of national brands and local and regional businesses.”