Comcast's ThePlatform To Handle Back-End For Internet TV Project
Online-Video Management Unit Confirms Involvement
By Todd Spangler -- Multichannel News, 2/20/2009 6:16:00 PM
ThePlatform, Comcast's online-video management subsidiary, confirmed Friday that it will be providing the back-end services supporting cable operators' efforts to provide television programming on the Internet to their TV subscribers.
As previously reported by Multichannel News, both Comcast and Time Warner Cable, as well as Cox Communications, are attempting to secure distribution agreements from programmers to provide an expanded collection of video content online (see Ops Seek Rights to 'Place-Shift,' Jan. 18).
On Friday, an article in The Wall Street Journal said Comcast and Time Warner Cable specifically have held talks with NBC Universal, Viacom's MTV Networks and Turner Broadcasting System.
In addition, Comcast for one has held discussions about offering TV shows online - a project it's internally dubbing "On-Demand Online" - with Discovery Communications and Scripps Networks, according to an executive familiar with the negotiations.
Comcast may introduce an "On-Demand Online" service sometime this year, but the executive cautioned that basic details of how the service would work have not been determined, such as whether it would provide downloadable or streaming video.
Whatever shape the services take, Comcast's thePlatform says it will be providing the infrastructure to power them.
In a blog posting, thePlatform CEO Ian Blaine said, "We have a long history of working with both operators and programmers and have always taken the view that our customers needed more than a simple unauthenticated video with advertising model. We also accept the challenge to make this experience seamless for consumers. With a strong technology foundation to stand on, we're investing the time and energy to enable this vision. Stay tuned for more."
ThePlatform already counts among its customers Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cox and Cablevision Systems.
Blaine outlined the rationale for the "authentication" or "entitlement" schemes, which conceptually would provide TV programming online for no additional charge to cable TV subscribers.
"If this is embraced by operators and programmers it means that subscribers will have greater access to the fantastic content that to-date has not been published online," he wrote. "The main point is that this is additive to the rich universe of online video. It is good for consumers because they get access to more content in more places. It is also good for cable networks because it doesn't put subscription fees at risk, and gives cable or other distributors the ability to give their audiences the experience they want and expect."
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