BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC, will launch its BBC Store in 2015, SeaChange International has announced. The new venture will be powered by its Cloud Adrenalin cloud video service.
Cloud Adrenalin is SeaChange’s Software as a Service (SaaS) platform for multi-screen delivery. The service is aimed at mid-sized and smaller service providers with tier 1 class services, including blended entertainment, where OTT content is part of the subscriber experience.
The Cloud Adrenalin pay-as-you-grow model aims to allow content providers to control spending in response to the requirements of content, subscribers and levels of service. The Cloud Adrenalin service also includes content marketing tools for promotions, asset and catalog management, business intelligence reporting, client publishing, profile management and remote monitoring services.
Third party services from SeaChange partners include certified DRM, content, CDN and SSO products. The company’s Cloud Adrenalin certified partners include Accedo, ATES Networks, Level 3 Communiations and Wurl. The company debuted the service in 2010.
Earlier this year Brazilian telco Algar evaluated SeaChanges Cloud Adrenalin in a market deployment in that country.
Andrei Noppe (pictured), SeaChange SVP and general manager EMEA and APAC, said of the deal: “It’s an honour that BBC Worldwide is entrusting the online distribution strategy for its celebrated content to SeaChange’s technology and digital video workforce.”
“We selected SeaChange because it’s focused exclusively on creating solutions for extremely demanding television operations worldwide,” said BBC Worldwide’s Michael Fleshman, SVP Consumer Digital Technology. “Our strategy for BBC Store will use the cloud to achieve scale, reliability and quality. SeaChange Cloud Adrenalin will be the key to our ability to present the programs we¹re offering on any devices viewers choose.”
Plans for the BBC Store were announced early this year by the BBC Trust. It will allow users to buy new programmes as well as content from the BBC archives on a download-to-own basis. The BBC Store will be distinct from the BBC iPlayer which will remain a free catch-up TV service, funded by the UK TV licence fee.
BBC trustee Suzanna Taverne helped to assess the impact the new BBC Store would have on the free BBC iPlayer and its content. In a statement last spring, Taverne said, “The BBC needs to respond to significant changes in the way audiences now buy programmes. The creation of BBC Store will enable it to do so, and to release a greater selection of classic shows from the BBC archive.
“In considering BBC Store, the Trust conducted a robust assessment and sought the advice of external parties. It concluded that BBC Store is a worthwhile commercial service that supplements what the BBC makes available through the licence fee and promises to bring value not only to audiences but also to the wider creative industries.”
SeaChange will be demonstrating Cloud Adrenalin at next week’s IBC trade show in Amsterdam.
www.bbcworldwide.com
www.schange.com
This story also appears on IBC’s Content Everywhere.
