online video

Shares of Netflix are down nearly 50% year to date for a variety of reasons: The loss of its popular Starz content, the price hikes, and the infamous Qwikster debacle. But online video is still a hot market. Here's a closer look at three companies that could profit from Netflix's missteps.

YouTube has been a powerhouse in the online video arena since well before Google bought it. YouTube dominates the sector, accounting for nearly four out of 10 online video viewing sessions in the U.S. in May. What's still a question is how much the video-sharing site will add to Google profits.

Warner Brothers' The Dark Knight is the first flick to be offered directly via the social network. It's a small test, but when Facebook enters a business, competitors get nervous: Here's how this move could trigger a round of mergers among Netflix and other established players.

Hulu CEO Jason Kilar threatened to leave the video site last fall over a dispute about its subscription pricing, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Research firm ComScore projects that spending on online-video advertising will more than triple between 2010 and 2015. But that doesn't mean you'll necessarily see more commercials per video. Spending will continue to lag behind the huge growth in online videos, according to ComScore.

Throughout its history as a public company, Netflix has confounded the critics who've said it'll never survive. Yet, the critics still won't let up. And, yes, they have a scarily compelling story now. Here's why 2011 might prove to be Netflix's toughest one yet.

Viacom, which in June lost its case seeking more than $1 billion in damages from YouTube for alleged copyright violations, on Friday filed for an appeal. The case could have major repercussions for other websites with user-generated content.

Online video portals that offer mainstream shows -- including Hulu, Comcast's Fancast, AOL's Slashcontrol and AT&T's U-verse -- don't meet the standards as broadcast television for protecting kids from inappropriate content, according to a new report from the Parents Television Council.

The New York Times will soon charge, AT&T is ceasing unlimited data usage for iPhones and not all video will be free on Hulu. It's slowly sinking in that even online, free can't compete with paid and unlimited can't compete with tiered. It's the end of an era.

Routers are crucial Internet traffic cops that direct data along its congested main arteries. And Cisco's super-hyped super-fast router promises to help network operators keep up with ever-increasing demands. But those big customers won't be too quick to take out their checkbooks.