BSkyB cited on list of YouView content providers
Joseph O’Halloran ©RapidTVNews
| 25-03-2011
In what is one of the most crushing of ironies, BSkyB has been added to the list of content providers YouView, the project that it has campaigned so hard to strangle at birth.
YouView has been working with key partners to shape and test the processes for making content available via the platform since Autumn 2010.
The UK on-demand subscription-free internet-connected TV service revealed that content provision organisations registering an interest to engage with the platform represent a wide range of free and paid content including, entertainment, mainstream and independent films, music, news, factual, sport, arts and local content. These include Blinkbox, Blinkx, BSkyB, Film4oD, Golant Media Ventures, Guardian News Media, IndieMoviesOnline, LOVEFiLM, Pushbutton, Radioplayer, Stream UK, STV, Travel Channel, Tvinci, UTV and woomi.
In addition Alcatel-Lucent, Blinkx, Capablue, Deluxe, easeltv, IMD, ioko, Kaltura, Nativ, Ooyala, Red Bee Media, Technicolor, TripleSEE and Twofour will be part of a technology and service providers’ advisory group.
“We’re delighted with the response we’ve had from the creative industries,” said Richard Halton, CEO, YouView. “We want all types of content providers to be able to deliver their content via YouView so viewers get the best possible choice. The diversity and expertise of the organisations that are informing our development will ensure that YouView is able to support a potentially unlimited range of content in the future.”
All content providers – including those that form its advisory group – will later this year, be invited by YouView to confirm their formal intention to making content available via the platform.
Yet in October 2010 the stand out provider BSkyB raised concerns to Ofcom about YouView’s effect on competition feeling that the consortium partners have no incentive for innovation in the pay-TV market. Speaking to The Guardian newspaper, a spokesperson from Sky refused to confirm the company interest in YouView and said: “We already distribute Sky content across a wide range of platforms. It makes sense for us to continue to explore new ways of reaching customers, but it’s too early to say at this stage whether we’ll offer a service over YouView.”
Other firms listed were very clear about their indication to engage with the project. Said Simon Calver, CEO, LOVEFiLM, said: “LOVEFiLM is committed to bringing its service to as many customers as possible on the broadest range of platforms, and therefore continues to follow and support YouView’s development with interest.” Added James Rowley-Ashwood, Co-Founder and COO, IndieMoviesOnline said: “We see YouView being a key part of our strategy to bringing viewers the widest possible choice of on demand movies through the living room TV. It’s great for IndieMoviesOnline to be part of the group informing the development of YouView, giving us the confidence that the platform will balance the needs of all types of content providers.”