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Because the [itvt] editorial team has been working on TVOT NYC Intensive 2011, we are covering stories in this issue in round-up/summary format. We anticipate that it will take us several days to catch up with all the recent news: so if your company has sent us a press release or briefed us on an announcement, and you don't yet see your news covered in this issue, please bear with us.

Because the [itvt] editorial team is on the road this week, we are covering stories in this edition of the newsletter in round-up format:

Tremor Media recruited ad-sales executives from Virgin Media, BSkyB and Yahoo to help draw TV advertisers in Europe to new interactive video ads that it is distributing online. 

The New York-based online video ad network named former Virgin Media and Sky executive Luke Phebey and former Virgin executive Matthew Godsmark national sales managers. It named former Yahoo executive Nina Buschmedia account manager. 

PlayJam struck a deal with LG to supply its library of 500 casual games to LG's line of connected TVs and Blu-ray players. 

London-based PlayJam already supplies games to 50 million pay TV homes through distribution deals with Dish Network, BSkyB and other pay TV providers. The agreement shows how it can expand the audience for ad-supported games ranging from Darts to Sudoku without having to rely on cable and satellite providers. 

The [itvt] editorial team will be on the road this week and next, so we will be covering most stories in round-up/summary form, and we anticipate that there will be some additional interruptions of our regular news publishing schedule beyond that. We apologize in advance for any inconvenience to our readers.

UK satellite-TV provider, BSkyB, said Wednesday that its Sky Player broadband video service will be available on Humax's new range of high-definition hybrid DTT/IP set-top boxes for the UK's free-to-air digital terrestrial platform, Freeview (note: Humax is the UK's largest provider of Freeview set-tops). Those boxes include the Humax HD-FOX T2, which launched in February and which Humax claims is the UK's first Freeview HD box (note: the box also allows users to access the BBC iPlayer broadband TV service), and an HD DVR that is slated to launch in the coming months.

As expected (see the article posted on itvt.com yesterday), Microsoft and UK satellite-TV provider, BSkyB (Sky), have announced a partnership to offer a version of the latter's Sky Player broadband TV service on Microsoft's Xbox 360 games console. According to the companies, the service will launch on the Xbox LIVE content service in the UK and Ireland in the fall (note: in their press release announcing the new service, the companies did not specify whether a subscription to the premium Xbox Live Silver or Gold services will be required in order to access it), and will allow Xbox owners to access 20 or so live channels, as well as on-demand programming.

[itvt] recently reported (see article posted on itvt.com, April 27th) that Project Canvas--a joint initiative between the BBC, UK commercial broadcaster ITV, and UK incumbent telco BT, which seeks to develop a common standard and interface for the delivery of online catch-up services such as the BBC iPlayer and the ITV player, as well as other Internet-based VOD services, to broadband-connected set-top boxes (specifically, set-top boxes designed for reception of the UK's free-to-air multichannel TV services, Freeview and Freesat)--may face the same kind of regulatory scrutiny from Ofcom and the Off

UK satellite-TV provider, BSkyB, announced Thursday that its Sky+ HD service has now been deployed in over a million Sky households (1,022 million, compared to 465,000 this time last year), following record sales in the first three months of 2009. The company says that the growing popularity of HDTV has also contributed to the rapid growth of its Sky+ DVR service, which is incorporated in all Sky+HD boxes: including the Sky+ HD customer base, Sky says, the Sky+ DVR service (which is powered by technologies from NDS and OpenTV) added 406,000 net new subscribers during the quarter and is now in over 5 million homes--almost one in five homes in the UK and Ireland.

--Service Employs Microsoft Silverlight
--BBC iPlayer Now Accessible through Sky Player

UK satellite TV provider, BSkyB has launched a subscription-based broadband video service, called Sky Player TV, which features both linear channels and VOD and which--unlike its existing Sky Player service--is offered as a standalone product, rather than as a complementary service for subscribers of its flagship pay-TV service (note: the company will continue to provide subscribers to its flagship pay-TV service with access to Sky Player's line-up of on-demand content, in line with their core subscription; subscribers to its Sky Multiroom and Sky Broadband Max offerings also have access to linear channels).

--Rebrands Sky Anytime on PC as "Sky Player"

UK satellite TV provider, BSkyB, has announced plans to launch what
it describes as a "new EPG for the HD era." The HD Sky Guide, which
builds on the company's existing Sky Guide EPG, is scheduled to
launch on all Sky HD boxes this fall. According to BSkyB, the new
guide is based on extensive customer research and takes advantage of
the latest set-top box technology to create a foundation for future on-
demand enhancements; it sports a new look-and-feel and offers new
features designed to make it easier for customers to search, discover
and navigate a constantly expanding line-up of content, the company