Sony Uses Internet Vudu

Sony Music Entertainment will offer free music videos on Vudu's broadband-connected set-top boxes, through Sony's partnership with Brightcove to deliver ad-supported Web content to the device's users.

Brightcove's deal with Vudu allows Brightcove customers to maintain their existing online video monetization strategy and infrastructure while expanding their distribution reach to the television, via the Vudu set-top, according to the companies.

"Expanding online video distribution beyond Web sites to the living-room television has been challenging," Brightcove director of technology partnerships Chris Johnston said in a statement. "The partnership announced today with Vudu is a significant step forward for media businesses that want to centrally manage distribution and monetization across the Web."

Vudu offers some 15,000 movies and TV shows on-demand for rental or purchase, through content-distribution deals with major U.S. movie studios and independent producers and distributors. The startup has not disclosed how many customers it has landed.