FilmOn adds 500 channels; Icahn won't seek Netflix board seats

More news bytes from around the World Wide Web...

> Streaming video portal FilmOn has added 500 new channels thanks to licensing deals with Disney, ESPN and Fox. Story

> Carl Icahn seems to be happy with the way things are going at Netflix, so he's not planning to seek seats on the board of the online video streamer. Story

> As if there aren't enough awards shows already, Netflix has stepped up and introduced its own: the Flixies. Story

> Online video management services vendor Brightcove has discontinued its App Cloud platform capability that let video providers publish apps across multiple device platforms. Story

IPTV News

> The idea of mixing and matching traditional TV--or at least traditional IPTV--with online video is taking off in Europe. Swedish telecom and IPTV service provider Com Hem plans to launch a multiscreen service to 1.74 million households this spring using TiVo, and in Germany, smart TV app Panorama TV is attracting millions of views. Read more

Cable News

> Comcast said Tuesday that 150,000 low-income homes had signed up for its $9.95 monthly Internet Essentials service as of Dec. 31. Read more

And finally… Online video proved to be a lifesaver for free-to-air broadcaster ITV when it came to overall advertising revenue in 2012. Story