AnySource Media in Over-the-Top Deals with Two Mobile Content Providers

AnySource Media, a company that offers an over-the-top-TV technology, called the Connected HDTV Platform, which it says will be embedded in certain new HDTV sets later this year (note: the company has not yet announced any partnerships with TV manufacturers) and will allow viewers to access hundreds of "virtual" on-demand channels "out of the box," announced Monday that it has signed up two more content providers for its platform: Comedy Time and Salacious Streets TV, both of which specialize in distributing programming to mobile platforms. "Mobile video usage is booming, expanding entertainment options for consumers and revenue opportunities for content providers," Claire Cowart, AnySource Media's SVP of content business development, said in a prepared statement. "As our name implies, AnySource Media's open architecture can easily integrate video content created for mobile devices, increasing revenue opportunities through subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) and advertising." Added Comedy Time president, Michael Goldman: "Comedy entertainment is a booming industry and having multiple distribution platforms like advanced mobile devices and broadband-connected HDTV's provides strategic advantages for our company. We are very excited about the ability to showcase our outstanding comedians and proprietary Funnysodes in a big-screen environment."

According to AnySource Media, Salacious Streets TV, which is produced by Deziak Entertainment and which is distributed on Sprint TV, will make available to subscribers on the Connected TV platform "custom video that gives an up-close and personal look at urban life in Southern California as well as other cities throughout the US." "Hip-hop music fans are a large percentage of the early adopters of mobile content," Deziak CEO, Elgin Mack, said in a prepared statement. "This partnership allows the consumer to constantly be in touch with what's hot in the urban streets on the big screen while in the comfort of the living room."

AnySource Media bills its Connected HDTV platform as driving incremental users of Web site video, allowing publishers to preserve their online (and now mobile) business models, whether paid or ad-supported. The company says that it creates virtual VOD channels, requiring no special editing or transcoding of video, by integrating existing Web video and ads into its Internet Video Navigator platform, and that it uses existing metadata to create a user-friendly menu that can be easily navigated via a standard TV remote control. It also recently announced content partnerships with the Associated Press, Pathfinder World Video, TheStreet.com, Break.com, Revision3, and Next New Networks (see articles published on itvt.com, May 28th and June 19th).