Comcast Announces Plans to Exponentially Increase VOD Offerings

--Company Launches Online Entertainment Service, Fancast
--Teams with Panasonic on New tru2way (OCAP) Devices

US cable MSO, Comcast, generated a fair amount of interactive TV-related news at CES in Las Vegas last week:

• The company announced an initiative called "Project Infinity," which it says will "give consumers the ability to watch any movie, television show, user-generated content or other video that a producer wants to make available" on its VOD service, Comcast On Demand. In order to support the expansion and opening up of its VOD service, Comcast plans to create a system of library servers in several key locations around the country. The MSO says that a key factor in its decision to exponentially expand its VOD offering is that the latter is proving highly successful with its customers: it claims that the service, which offers around 10,000 selections per month, is being used 100 times per second, is generating 275 million views a month, and has generated a total of over 6 billion views since 2003. Comcast also announced that, starting next year, it plans to offer over 6,000 VOD movies a month, of which around half will be in HD (it currently offers around 1,300 movies a month); and that, by the end of this year, it plans to make available over 1,000 HD movies and TV shows a month.
• The company's Comcast Interactive Media arm announced a new online service, called Fancast, which allows users to view programming, search for video content (whether on Fancast itself, on the Internet in general, on TV, or in movie theaters), and manage their content choices. The service provides instant access to around 3,000 hours of free, streaming, full-length programming from broadcast networks and channels (including CBS, NBC's and Fox's Hulu, MTV Networks and BET Networks), as well as movie trailers and other short-form content. It also provides local program listings (including listings from competing pay-TV services), and a tool called "Watch it," that lets users know where (on Fancast, on linear-TV, on VOD, online, on DVD or in theaters) they can find a particular piece of content. In addition, the site features a search tool which Comcast claims allows searches of over 11 million Web pages that contain information on over 50,000 TV shows, 80,000 movies and 1.2 million people; a recommendation engine that suggests content based on end-users' past viewing behavior; and a feature called "Six Degrees," that allows users to "explore the connections between TV shows, movies, cast and crew." Comcast says that it is also planning a number of enhancements to Fancast. They include: the ability to program DVR recordings from the PC (slated for later this year); a feature, called "Watch List," that will "organize and catalog upcoming programming, set a personalized play list and send reminders to users about what they should watch in the future based on previous preferences"; and the ability for end-users to use their PC's to add content to a folder in their VOD menu (slated for 2009). "Our goal with Fancast is to make entertainment consumption amazingly simple," Amy Banse, president of Comcast Interactive Media, said in a prepared statement. "In this new age of interactive media, where entertainment is available everywhere, Fancast helps consumers find what they are looking for and manage their entertainment experience across multiple platforms. For people who want their content and information immediate and easy to find, Fancast is the ultimate one-stop shop."
• Together with consumer electronics giant, Panasonic, the company announced a series of new products powered by tru2way technology (i.e. OCAP--see article in this issue on the cable industry's move to rebrand OCAP as "tru2way"). The products include integrated plasma HDTV's, an HD DVR/receiver, and a portable DVR. "When we announced our plans to test and develop a fully interactive digital cable-enabled HDTV based on CableLabs' OpenCable technologies at CES 2007, we looked forward with anticipation and determination to the actual launch of this revolutionary product," Toshihiro Sakamoto, president of Panasonic AVC Networks Co, said in a prepared statement. "At CES 2008, we are pleased to announce that Panasonic is partnering with Comcast, a cable-industry leader, to meet that goal. Indeed, Panasonic will not only deliver a Panasonic Viera Plasma HDTV with tru2way technology later this year, we are also announcing the first portable DVR and digital cable set-top boxes powered by tru2way technology, all of which truly allow consumers to maximize their enjoyment of digital cable television programming." The new plasma HDTV's, which can access two-way interactive TV services without using a set-top box, represent the addition of tru2way support to selected models in Panasonic's Viera product line, and are slated for availability in retail later this year; the new tru2way HD DVR/receiver, which is currently in trials, is designed for use with non-tru2way-capable TV sets, and is scheduled to be delivered to Comcast later this year; and the portable DVR, dubbed the AnyPlay P-DVR and sporting a folding 8.5-inch LCD screen, is scheduled for availability in early 2009. The AnyPlay P-DVR, which was jointly developed by Comcast and Panasonic, comes with a companion docking station that functions as a tru2way-enabled set-top box, allowing the device to receive and record up to 60 hours of TV programs. It can also play back DVD's and audio CD's.

EchoStar Taps BIAP to Build Interactive TV Portal for 2008 Elections

--BIAP Awarded its Second Patent

Plano, Texas-based interactive TV company, BIAP Systems (note: in 2006, the company, whose name is an acronym for "Broadband Interactive Applications," signed a long-term affiliation agreement with Time Warner Cable, which has deployed its applications in a number of markets), has been tapped by US satellite-TV provider, EchoStar (operates the DISH Network service), to build an interactive TV portal for the 2008 national, state and local elections. This represents BIAP's first deal with EchoStar. Dubbed "DISH Decision 2008," the new portal initially features content from Glassbooth, a nonprofit organization that has developed a technology--until now available only online--which enables viewers to rank the importance of key issues related to candidates, and to answer a series of questions based on their personal rankings; the technology then uses the results of these surveys to match each viewer with the candidate whose take on the issues corresponds most closely with his or her own. "DISH Network is the first in the country to provide this unique interactive television application," Michael Kelly, EchoStar's EVP of commercial and business services, said in a prepared statement. "The majority of Americans follow the election on their televisions through news and information networks. Now these same American voters can dig deeper into the election on that very same medium, their television set. Only DISH Network customers will have this ability." Added Glassbooth founder, Alex Jacobs: "DISH Network and BIAP are fantastic partners: they align with our core values of education and interactive access to unbiased information, and are bringing Glassbooth to America in a way never before possible in the television medium."

EchoStar and BIAP are touting the Dish Decision 2008 ITV portal as "revolutionary on several fronts": in addition to helping viewers navigate the "complex election landscape," the companies say, it offers candidates and other advertisers the opportunity to target viewers by placing tailored messages around specific issues, topics and geographies (note: the companies point out that around $3 billion is expected to be spent on political ads in the US this year). The companies say they are planning to roll out "a second-generation application" of the election portal over the coming months, that will include interactive, 30-second ads which link to detailed, targeted content; long-form video; requests for information; and other lead-generating features tailored to the political process.

In other BIAP news: the company has been awarded a patent by the US Patent Office for its agent-based content-retrieval technology and for its transcoding technology, which allows information to be displayed from one format to another (note: in this case, the transcoding occurs between the Web and television). The company received its first patent--for its apparatus and method of information retrieval and display of Internet content--back in September, 2006 (note: while that patent covered use on PC's, mobile phones, PDA's and television, BIAP's primary use of the technology described in the patent has been for interactive television). According to the company, the patents describe a "foundation technology" for all its interactive TV applications that are currently in use, including its eBay on TV app, its fantasy baseball and fantasy football apps, the Winter Olympics app it built for NBC Universal (ran in 2006), and its PITV app (note: the latter, whose name stands for "personalized information television," allows viewers to retrieve personalized local news and other information).

BIAP's now-patented technology uses artificial intelligence agents to retrieve and display data on televisions. The agents are downloaded to the set-top box, whence they retrieve content from various Internet locations at pre-scheduled intervals (the update intervals can be as short as a minute, and updates can also be carried out on-command by viewers). According to the company, the agents can run on all kinds of set-top boxes, including widely deployed Scientific-Atlantic and Motorola boxes, and are downloaded to the customer premises from software previously loaded into the cable headend. "BIAP is powering the interactive television revolution with today's most innovative products," BIAP CEO, Tim Peters, said in a prepared statement. "The award of BIAP's agent retrieval and transcoding patent, along with the first patent, secures BIAP's place as the pre-eminent provider of interactive television features that will engage viewers in ways previously never dreamed of and make their lives more convenient."

ESPN and Disney Channel Interactive TV Apps Launched on DISH Network

--ESPN in Xbox Live Programming Deal

US satellite TV operator, EchoStar, and Disney and ESPN Media Networks recently launched two new interactive TV applications on EchoStar's DISH Network platform: ESPN Interactive Zone and Disney Channel Interactive TV.

ESPN Interactive Zone is accessed by clicking an on-screen button that appears during selected programs on ESPN's various channels, or through EchoStar's interactive TV portal, DishHOME. It offers viewers updated scores for all of the day's major professional and college sports games (before the start of a game, it displays the game's start time); ESPN headline news and stories; a feature called "Interactive Bottomline," consisting of scrolling headlines and scores that appear at the bottom of the screen; a reduced-size video feed that allows viewers to continue watching ESPN channels while using the new app; TV listings for all ESPN's channels; and interactive advertising.

Disney Channel Interactive TV, meanwhile, which is accessed via the DishHOME portal, allows viewers to schedule recordings of Disney Channel programs; obtain Disney Channel show information from a ticker on the main menu; and interact with show-related content: once inside the application, viewers can preview and play a range of arcade-style games, based on such brands as "Hannah Montana," "That's So Raven," and "Kim Possible." Five games are available at any one time, and titles are updated on a weekly basis. The app also allows viewers to go to the East Coast feed of the Disney Channel from any of its pages.

In other ESPN news: the broadcaster recently signed a deal with Microsoft to offer high- and standard-definition full-length games coverage, TV shows and video game programming on Xbox Live, the online games and entertainment network that Microsoft operates for its Xbox 360 games console. Programming available on Xbox Live as a result of the deal includes NCAA college football and basketball games, "Summer X Games 13," "World Series of Poker," "The Contender," and "Madden Nation." "Establishing this relationship with Microsoft on Xbox 360 provides an innovative way to reach our target demographic through this dynamic next-generation entertainment console," Matt Murphy, SVP of digital video distribution at Disney and ESPN Media Networks, said in a prepared statement. "This agreement embodies our mission to deliver the best sports content to fans, and does it through an exciting and robust platform that reaches millions of people." Added Ross Honey, senior director of Microsoft's Media and Entertainment Group: "We are dedicated to providing our diverse community of Xbox Live users the premium entertainment content they want, and partnering with ESPN is a great example of our continued dedication in the video-on-demand space, especially in high definition." (Note: at CES last week, Microsoft announced that it has also signed Xbox Live programming deals with Disney-ABC and MGM. The deal with the former will see Xbox Live offering around 500 hours of SD and HD programming from the ABC broadcast network, ABC News, ABC Family, the Disney Channel and Toon Disney; programs will be available on the service the day after they air on linear TV. Microsoft claims that around 3,500 hours of on-demand programming are now available on Xbox Live.)

Fluorescent Media Partners with Embassy Row on Interactive Gameshow

Fluorescent Media, the UK-based participation-TV company that inherited the assets of Optimistic Media and The Optimistic Network (see [itvt] Issue 7.36 Part 1), says that it is partnering with New York-based production company, Embassy Row, to produce and pitch its new, interactive gameshow series, "The Empire," and that Sony Pictures Television will distribute the new format, under its partnership deal with Embassy Row. Fluorescent describes "The Empire" as a "cross-platform format where thousands of players are "projected" into a gameshow studio (via video or an Internet profile) to compete simultaneously in a live TV contest," and as "transcend[ing] conventional TV gameshow concepts, where audience involvement is often limited to voting and SMS." "We are creating a gigantic social gaming contest across the nation, set within the venue of a live TV studio," Fluorescent's managing director, Carolyn Maze, said in a prepared statement. "Technologically and creatively, this show is pushing boundaries. It is event-TV, thrilling to play and watch. We are delighted to join forces with Embassy Row. [Embassy Row president and CEO] Michael Davies and his team not only bring prolific TV production and gameshow experience to this pioneering format, but are equally passionate about taking the successful gameshow genre to an even higher level."

According to Fluorescent, the new format uses its proprietary Phoenix participation technology system (which has also been used on the high-profile participation TV formats, "QuizNation" and "PlayMania") to bridge broadcast TV, the Internet, and mobile and landline telephony. The company says that the show will serve as "the dramatic anchor of a cross-platform game concept interconnected with a digital world, and establishes an active fan base throughout the channels." "'The Empire' is like revealed truth," Michael Davies, who will executive-produce the show with Fluorescent Media (note: Davies produces the US version of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?"), said in a prepared statement. "I've been waiting for someone to crack the multiplatform game show for a decade and this is far beyond what I could have imagined. It is young, visual, dynamic and frankly, revolutionary. We can not wait to present to US networks, and channels all over the world, and blow their minds with this breakthrough format."

Jacked in Two-Screen Interactive TV Deal with NBC Sports

A Santa Monica-based company, called Jacked, Inc.--which was founded in June, 2006 and which recently secured $6.5 million in venture funding--has been tapped by NBC Sports to create a Web-based, two-screen interactive TV service, dubbed NBCSports.com Play Action, around the latter's "Sunday Night Football" broadcasts. The service--which builds on a similar service that Jacked created earlier for NBC Sports' broadcasts of Notre Dame football--is based on the company's SportsTop service and its TVTop platform (for which the company has filed 10 patents). SportsTop is billed by the company as a browser-based virtual desktop that provides viewers with a dashboard of dynamic, broadcast-synchronized content widgets (including media, statistics, commerce, communication, community and advertising widgets), which they can use to customize their experience of a sports broadcast in real time by adding, deleting, mixing, matching and resizing. Jacked claims that it analyzes live broadcasts, in order to aggregate and deliver contextually relevant content online to viewers in real time. "With more than half of viewers using a PC or mobile device while watching TV, it's clear that we don't live inside the television box anymore," Jacked CEO, Bryan Biniak, said in a prepared statement. "Jacked is the perfect game companion, incorporating the abundance of content online to create a dynamic experience that's relevant to what viewers are watching at that moment. This connection between the TV and PC is a powerful proposition that not only benefits consumers, but brands and networks alike, because it keeps the viewers engaged. We are thrilled to launch our brand with NBCSports.com and look forward to providing 'Sunday Night Football' fans with a viewing experience that will keep them coming back for more."

According to Jacked, its NBCSports.com Play Action service will offer a total of 19 widgets, including real-time statistics and scores, in-game photos from Getty Images and the Associated Press, Yahoo Flickr fan photos, player profiles, play-by-play commentary, and chat. Viewers can save their personalized dashboard for future broadcasts, the company says. Jacked, whose SportsTop service on its own Web site also offers real-time, synchronized enhancements for NBA, NFL and NCAA football broadcasts, says that it plans to extend the service to offer support for NCAA Basketball and NHL broadcasts in the coming months, and that the service will eventually enhance other programming in addition to sports broadcasts.

LiveHive in ITV Deals with ProElite, Maple Leafs, Turner Sports

LiveHive Systems, an Ontario-based company that specializes in two-screen interactive TV solutions, says that it has signed a deal with Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) programmer, ProElite, that sees the latter using its flagship Web-based LiveHive NanoGaming platform to enhance its TV and broadband video programming with an interactive offering dubbed the ProElite Fantasy Fight Game (note: LiveHive's platform has to date been offered in conjunction with US broadcasts of NASCAR racing, NFL football, and Major League Baseball, and with Canadian broadcasts of "Big Brother" and Major League Baseball). The new offering, accessed at fantasy.proelite.com, debuted November 17th in conjunction with an MMA fight that took place in New Jersey. Viewers who played the game could win prizes by accumulating points for correct predictions. "This is a game that allows fans to experience the raw energy of MMA and interact with matches broadcast on television or ProElite.com," Dave Bullock, co-founder and president of LiveHive Systems, said in a prepared statement. "On ProElite.com, MMA fans can play alongside their favorite fighters by making predictions on what will happen next. They can also answer trivia questions and chat with other fans, and have the option of playing the game while watching the fight concurrently through a live video stream on ProElite.com, which is a first."

In other LiveHive news:

• The company said last week that it has signed a deal with Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment that will see it offering a two-screen ITV service in conjunction with five broadcasts of Toronto Maple Leafs ice hockey games. Hockey fans watching the games on Leafs TV or via NHL Centre Ice can participate in a game--called "Leafs TV Game Master" and based on LiveHive's Nanogaming technology--which allows them to play along while they watch, accumulate points and win prizes: viewers--who access the game by going to mapleleafs.com/gamemaster and clicking on the "Launch the Game" button--score points by predicting who will score the next goal and answering trivia questions; the application also allows them to chat with other viewers.
• Last fall, the company signed an agreement with Turner Sports to add a NanoGaming-based service to the TBS Hot Corner on Major League Baseball's Web site, MLB.com. The service--dubbed "Live Game Trivia" and sponsored by fast-food chain, Sonic--accompanied TBS's coverage of the MLB Division Series and National League Championship Series. To access the service, viewers first had to go to livegametriva.nanogaming.com and log in; they could then answer trivia questions about baseball in general and about the specific game they were watching; a leaderboard allowed them to see in real time how well they were scoring. LiveHive's partnership with Turner Sports was inaugurated in July, when the company signed a deal with the latter to add two-screen interactivity--under the brand, "Live Race Trivia Presented by Shell"--to its NASCAR Cup broadcasts (see [itvt] Issue 7.39 Part 3A).

AT&T Launches Interactive TV Services in Columbus, Ohio

Incumbent telco, AT&T, said last week that it has rolled out a number of new interactive TV services to subscribers of its Microsoft Mediaroom-powered U-verse IPTV service in Columbus, Ohio (note: U-verse launched in Columbus around a month ago). The new services, which are offered at no extra charge, include: 1) AT&T U-bar, which offers customizable weather, stock, sports and traffic information, and which allows customers who also subscribe to AT&T Yahoo! High Speed Internet to personalize it from their home page (so that it can display weather info for their local area, prices of stocks in their personal portfolio, and scores for their favorite sports teams); 2) Yellowpages.com TV, which allows customers to search for local businesses and other information; and 3) ITV versions of various AT&T Yahoo! Games, including "Sudoku," "Solitaire," "JT's Blocks," "Mah-jongg Tiles" and chess.

Blue Frog Media Launches Text-to-TV Application on LATV

--Company Slashes its Workforce, Closes BullaTV

Blue Frog Media, a company that specializes in developing text-to-TV channels (note: in early 2006, the company completed a $16 million funding round), has launched a new text-to-screen overlay application on LATV, a bilingual music and entertainment channel distributed to various affiliate stations via digital multicast. Dubbed "Impulse," the new application is billed by Blue Frog as the "industry's first Adobe Flash-based overlay application that integrates seamlessly with most broadcast and cable environments." The app, which is designed to be a turnkey product, is offered in association with Blue Frog's promotions engine, which the company says is designed to allow individual stations to customize promotional and prizing opportunities, both for viewers and advertisers.

The first LATV programs to use Blue Frog's new Impulse app are "Videos Por Favor" and "Videos a la Cart" (air weekdays from 4-6PM): viewers' text messages are first sent to Blue Frog moderators, who review them and approve them for broadcast; they are then transmitted via the Internet to the station-specific Impulse installation, and are then displayed on the TV screen. "Key to Impulse is our desire to enhance the broadcast experience through easy-to-use text-enabled interactive solutions," Blue Frog president and CEO, Victor Siegel, said in a prepared statement. "LATV's core audience of 12- to 34-year-olds is the perfect demographic to take advantage of Impulse's integration of texting with traditional broadcast television. They love music and they're certainly into texting. We look forward to attracting even more viewers to LATV's programming by partnering closely with their programmers and producers to enhance the viewing experience with our interactive technology, and build an additional profitable revenue stream for LATV at the same time."

In other Blue Frog Media news: the company recently laid off around 55 employees (it now has a total of around 235) and closed its Latino-targeted text-to-TV channel, BullaTV. CEO Siegel told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer that the company decided to close the channel because "it is really difficult to be a competitive player in the US Hispanic marketplace with Univision and NBC's ownership in Telemundo." The newspaper also reported that Blue Frog director, Maha Ibrahim of Canaan Partners (one of the company's largest investors), recently resigned from its board, and that the company plans to launch two new text-to-TV channels this year, that will be based on its Noyz brand: Noyz Country and UR Noyz (devoted to Christian music).

Foxtel Offering 800 Hours of Fresh Interactive TV Content in January

--Relaunches its ITV Games Service
--Enables Remote Recording via Mobiles

Australian pay-TV provider, Foxtel, has provided some information on its interactive TV plans for this month (note: Foxtel's ITV services are powered by OpenTV middleware). According to the company--which claims to have offered 43,000 hours of interactive content last year across its five 24/7 interactive channels (Sky News Active, Fox Sports Active, Weather Active, Air Active and Sports Selector), as well as 466 individual interactive TV events specific to channels and programming--its Foxtel Active ITV service will have its "biggest month of interactivity yet" in January, providing a total of 800 hours of fresh interactive content across a range of channels and genres. "Interactivity is one of Foxtel's clear points of difference from free-to-air channels, and our subscribers love it," Patrick Delany, Foxtel's executive director of content, product development and delivery, said in a prepared statement....During summer, Foxtel viewers watch more programs while the free-to-air channels go to sleep--so it's a perfect time to turbo charge by offering even more interactivity for subscribers to get the most out of their Foxtel service."

According to Foxtel, the 800 hours of fresh interactive content it is offering this month is in addition to the ITV programming it offers on its five 24/7 interactive channels, and will be available on the Fox Sports, Hallmark, W, Movie Network, Max and Nickelodeon channels:

• Fox Sports is offering its Viewer's Choice application in association with live coverage of Barclays Premier League soccer games on January 2nd, 6th, 13th, 20th and 27th. The app allows viewers to choose between up to five simultaneous games.
• Nickelodeon is offering a game called "SpongeBob's Best Ever Day," that invites viewers to spot its SpongeBob SquarePants character without his eponymous pants 10 times in 15 minutes. Viewers who succeed in doing so are rewarded with a codeword that allows them to enter a "SpongeBob's Best Ever Day" competition on Nickelodeon's Australian Web site.
• Movie Network is offering its Red Space application to accompany the Foxtel premieres of "Casino Royale" and "Happy Feet." Viewers who press red during the screenings of those movies on Movie Network's Movie One and Movie Two sub-channels can access interviews and behind-the-scenes footage.
• Hallmark is offering interactivity on Foxtel this month for the first time, with an application that accompanies its series, "Life is Drama" (recounts six real-life viewers' stories of "courage and the extraordinary power of the human spirit"). The application, dubbed "Life is Drama Viewer's Choice," provides supplemental information for the series, and allows viewers to vote for their favorite "Life is Drama" story.
• W is offering a trivia-game application (available from January 28th to February 15th) to accompany the soap opera, "The Young and the Restless." Viewers who press red while watching the show are presented with a series of trivia questions testing their knowledge of its characters and plots. If they answer three questions correctly, they are entered into a daily prize draw and are also automatically entered into a grand prize draw at the end of the show's interactive run.
• From December 28th through January 1st, Max offered an application called "Pick Your Party," which allowed subscribers to choose from four categories of festive music.

In other Foxtel news:

• The company has relaunched its interactive TV games service, GamesWorld (channel 555), with a new look and a revised organizational structure. The service now offers three new content areas: "Kids Family," which features games with high-profile TV brands, including Cartoon Network's "Ben 10" and Boomerang's "Scooby Doo"; "Brainteaser Trivia," which features trivia, number and word games; and "Casino Sport," which features a range of play-for-fun games, including titles focused on football, bowling, golf, cards and poker. The "Kids Family" games are provided by Turner International and NDS; the "Brainteaser Trivia" games by Two Way TV Australia; and the "Casino Sport" games by Visiware. In order to drive interest in the GamesWorld relaunch, Foxtel recently held a "Free Games Weekend" promotion: on December 15th and 16th, viewers could press the red button to access all the games in the new content areas. All the games can be played on a single-play basis for AUS$1; "Kids Family" and "Brainteaser Trivia" games are also available for AUS$6.95 per month each, or for AUS$13.90 per month for both.
• The company has launched a service that allows subscribers with 3G mobile phones to access the Web-based version of its EPG and remotely schedule recordings on its PVR service, Foxtel iQ.

Two Way TV in New Gambling Joint Venture with Zone4Play

--Two Way TV Develops ITV Betting Shows for PitchGaming

UK-based interactive TV company, Two Way TV (note: a controlling equity stake in the company was acquired for £5.34 million last year by Ingenious Media Active Capital; at the time, the latter promised to build up Two Way TV's creative and production capabilities, in order to develop "mass participation" interactive programming for mainstream broadcast; shortly before announcing its acquisition by Ingenious, Two Way TV sold off its Ark interactive TV technology platform to Virgin Media--see [itvt] Issue 7.39 Part 1), and gaming technology specialist, Zone4Play, have formed a new joint venture focused on gaming (note: the companies also operate a UK cable TV betting venture called The Winner Channel--see [itvt] Issue 7.32 Part 3). The new venture, dubbed Two Way Gaming Ltd., will be based in the UK tax haven of Alderney and its managing director will be Two Way TV's commercial director, Guy Templer.

All gambling services previously operated by Two Way TV will now be part of the new joint venture, which, according to Two Way TV and Zone4Play, will be the only licensed operator to offer gambling on six different platforms--cable, satellite, Freeview, analog TV, Internet and mobile--with a single account. The new company will take over operations of The Winner Channel, and will also provide white-label gambling services for Channel Five, Virgin Media Television, Teletext (for which it offers the only gambling service currently available on the Freeview free-to-air digital terrestrial platform), The Sun and other companies. It will also take over the operation of PitchGaming's interactive TV betting shows, including "Red Hot Roulette" (note: for more on the latter, see below).

According to Two Way TV, the new joint venture has been formed in order to take advantage of recent deregulation of the UK gaming market. "With the collapse of the call-TV market and premium rate telephony competitions on television, it has become very clear that there are significant market opportunities in bringing dynamic and entertaining gaming products to TV audiences," Two Way TV's Templer said in a prepared statement. The new venture's business strategy calls for it to use television as the primary means of acquiring new customers, who can then be monetized through other platforms. According to Two Way TV and Zone4Play, there is a growing demand from UK broadcasters for mass-market interactive TV betting products. The two companies have collaborated closely for around four years: their collaboration began with the development of a pay-to-play casino service for cable, and they have more recently rolled out a number of live TV gambling shows.

In other Two Way TV news: the company has been commissioned by gambling service provider, PitchGaming, to launch a range of live interactive TV betting shows. The first of the shows to launch, "Red Hot Roulette," is broadcast live on channel 848 of the Sky satellite platform every night. Viewers can play along using an automated phone system, and the show is also supported by dedicated casino sites where players can gamble on roulette 24/7. The show is hosted by various minor UK celebrities, including pin-up model, Naomi Millbank-Smith, and TV presenter, Ruth Frances. "We wanted to create an exciting, totally interactive TV- and Web-focused gambling experience that felt accessible, as well as being really entertaining," PitchGaming CEO, Anton Kaszubowski, said in a prepared statement. "Leveraging Two Way TV's expertise in delivering cutting-edge, cross-platform interactive gambling applications has been vital to our success."

JewishTVNetwork.com Launches User-Generated Content Channel

JewishTVNetwork.com, a broadband video service that offers a mix of entertainment and news channels devoted to the Jewish experience (note: last fall, the service offered what it claimed was the first-ever live, streaming Kol Nidre service--see [itvt] Issue 7.39 Part 3B), has launched a video-sharing/user-generated content channel. The channel was launched with a contest in which users were invited to submit a video detailing their funniest Bar/Bat Mitzvah experiences, for a chance to win a $10,000 grand prize and three $1,000 runner-up prizes (for "Judges' Pick," "Most Viewed" and "Most Votes"). Contest entries--which JewishTVNetwork.com says can be submitted in almost any format--are being judged by other users, as well as by a panel of comedians, and the winners will be announced April 1st. "JewishTVNetwork.com was created to provide a rich entertainment experience for people interested in Jewish culture and traditions," Jay Sanderson, CEO of JewishTVNetwork.com-parent, JTN Productions, said in a prepared statement. "By incorporating user-generated content and interactive features into our broadband offerings, we are able to facilitate dialogue among the Jewish communities around the globe."

UK's Conservative Party Launches Broadband Video Channel on Friction.tv

Friction.tv--a company which operates an eponymous Web site that invites individuals and organizations to post their opinions via Webcam, camcorder or mobile phone, where they can be debated by other visitors to the site either through text or video responses--recently contacted [itvt] to let us know that the UK's center-right Conservative Party has become the first mainstream political party to launch a branded channel on the site. According to Friction.tv, the Conservative Party is interested in the potential of its site not only to bring its messaging to a wider audience but to enable it to gather feedback from that audience. At launch, the party is posting two videos a week on its channel, many of them featuring party leader (and UK opposition leader), David Cameron. "It is fantastic that the Conservative Party will be contributing to and kicking off debates on Friction," Friction.tv founder and CEO, Omer Shaikh, said in a prepared statement. "We are all very excited about the possibilities their involvement brings, and expect that many of our users in the UK and around the world will have plenty to say about Conservative policies."

ImageSpan in Broadband Video Deal with Social Network Company, Takkle

ImageSpan, a company that, among other things, offers a licensing and billing automation platform for digital media, contacted [itvt] last month to let us know about its new partnership with Takkle, a company that operates a social network for high school sports enthusiasts. The partnership sees Takkle using ImageSpan's CurbStream "managed hyperlocal content creation network" to capture video of top high school athletes across the US. Curbstream is a national network of around 10,000 professional videographers and photographers: based on specifications provided by Takkle, they shoot local high school sports stars and coaches during games and in one-on-one interviews, and deliver the resulting video clips to Takkle via ImageSpan's online service. The content is immediately rights-cleared and licensable for use by Takkle and by Sports Illustrated, which is partnering with Takkle on video-enriched "Sports Illustrated-Takkle Top 100 Player Rankings" that appear on both Takkle.com and SI.com. "ImageSpan's CurbStream network is helping Takkle engage hard-to-reach young audiences by pairing the power and immediacy of video with a social network created specifically for high school athletes," Takkle CEO, David Birnbaum, said in a prepared statement. "With the explosive growth of social networking--especially among teenagers--this joint offering is certain to become a top-ranked experience for high school sports fans and a key feature on Takkle.com, Sports Illustrated's SI.com and other Web sites."

According to ImageSpan, its CurbStream service is based on its LicenseStream licensing automation platform, and is the only service that embeds into all its video content full digital content-licensing information and capabilities, including usage and permissions and rights and settlements. All pieces of the process are handled automatically via the Web-based service, the company says, thus "eliminating the time-consuming and costly paperwork, pricing hassles and middlemen typical of manually licensing, settling and tracking digital content across social and advertising networks."

NBC-Fox Broadband Video Service, Hulu, Beta-Launches

NBC Universal- and Fox-owned Hulu recently began a private beta launch of its long-awaited broadband video service, Hulu. The service offers a broad selection of free, advertising-supported on-demand programming, including full-length current and archived programs, a small selection of feature films, and promotional and independently produced clips. Hulu's content partners at launch include MGM Studios (offering a range of movies and TV shows) and Sony Pictures Television (which is offering around 40 TV shows on the service). The service also features content from the Fox and NBC broadcast networks; from around multiple cable networks (including Bravo, E! Entertainment, FX, CNET, Comedy Time, Fox Atomic, Fox Reality, FUEL TV, G4, Golf Channel, IGN, Movieola, National Geographic, Oxygen, SPEED, Sundance Channel, Sci Fi Network, The Fight Network, The Style Network, X17 Online, USA Network, and Versus); from Fox's and Universal's studios; from independent Web-centric content providers; and from content providers such as Reveille, Smithsonian Networks and World Wrestling Entertainment. Concurrently with its launch, Hulu announced that it had closed a $100 million investment from Providence Equity Partners, a private equity firm specializing in media, entertainment and communications companies. "We're excited to bring a wide selection of popular content to fans, on-demand and free, from full episodes and clips of hit shows like "Heroes," "House," "The Office," and "The Simpsons," to feature films like "The Blues Brothers" and "Sideways," Hulu CEO, Jason Kilar, said in a prepared statement. "The launch with our distribution partners as well as our beta is an important first step in delivering a service that lets people enjoy their favorites, anytime, anywhere." Added NBC Universal president and CEO, Jeff Zucker: "NBC Universal is excited to give consumers the flexibility to enjoy our most popular shows online when, where and how they want. Hulu's clean and crisp destination site, broad distribution network, and embeddable video player make for a powerful combination and will provide substantial reach to consumers online."

Although Hulu's beta launch is private, it is making a broad selection of its content generally available through its distribution partners, which include AOL, Comcast's Fancast.com, MSN, MySpace, and Yahoo! (note: Veoh is also offering Hulu content, though the legal status of that offer may be in question--see article in this issue). Each distribution partner offers that content through a customized player that also allows end-users to embed Hulu videos on Web sites and blogs.

Cellcast in Deals with Bebo, Gaming Ventures

--Names Bizarre Magazine Editor, Alex Godfrey, SUMO.tv Controller

UK-based interactive and participation TV specialist, Cellcast, says that its user-generated content/video-sharing service, SUMO.tv (note: Cellcast bills SUMO.tv--which has an outlet for its user-generated programming on channel 144 of the UK's Sky satellite-TV platform--as "the world's first media network to seamlessly integrate user-generated content into television programming, Internet and mobile services," using a "proprietary technical services architecture"; according to Cellcast, SUMO.tv users have now created over 3,000 "alternative online channels," and the service now attracts over 5 million uniques per month), will be among the first group of video content providers to offer their content on the social-networking site, Bebo (note: the latter claims to have a 40-million-strong community, and to be the largest social network in the UK and the third-largest in the US). Other companies in that group include the BBC, ITN, Channel 4, BSkyB, Endemol, CBS, Turner, MTV and ESPN. The content will be available on Bebo's Open Media Platform, which launched in November, and which offers Bebo users free content from major broadcasters: the broadcasters receive 100% of the revenues from in-video advertising on the platform. SUMO.tv editors will take submissions from Bebo members for inclusion in a program entitled "mySUMO," which will be available on the Bebo platform 24/7. According to Cellcast, SUMO.tv will shortly be announcing additional distribution deals with social networking platforms, as part of a strategy to increase its UK and international reach. "Our alliance with Bebo reinforces the position of SUMO.tv as a genuine destination for the UGC generation," SUMO.tv creative and editorial director, James Brown, said in a prepared statement. "The unique blend of content uploaded by SUMO users is driving a fast-growing domestic and international audience across multiple Web sites, television channels, and mobile platforms."

In other Cellcast news:

• The company said last week that it has signed a joint marketing agreement with gaming and entertainment company, Gaming Ventures. The deal will see the latter offering its full range of products to users of Cellcast's UK and international satellite TV, Internet and mobile channels, including SUMO.tv. According to Cellcast, its "highly successful participation TV model" will allow Gaming Ventures to create "product sets for Cellcast that will not be constrained by the limitations of the red button." Gaming Ventures touts its mobile gaming platform as being able to communicate in nine major languages, with more languages being added on a regular basis. "We believe the ubiquitous nature of satellite TV and mobile phone technology has created opportunities that we will be able to leverage for the mutual benefit of both companies," Gaming Ventures COO, David Abbott, said in a prepared statement. "We have been trialing Gaming Ventures' products on several of Cellcast's services for some months. The demographics are outstanding and the geographic reach of Cellcast is a huge opportunity for us. We will be launching a number of initiatives for execution in the coming months that should create new viewers and revenue streams for both companies." Added Cellcast CEO, Andrew Wilson: "Gaming Ventures has a compelling portfolio of games that range from traditional casino, through skill games, to new lottery variants that can be tailored to the various demographics of our channels. As an adjunct to these activities we are also in the process of aggregating gaming-related short-form video content and developing a gaming-related vertical on SUMO.tv."
• The company has appointed Bizarre Magazine editor, Alex Godfrey, as controller of SUMO.tv. He will be charged with helping build the SUMO.tv brand both in the UK and internationally; his responsibilities will include commissioning new programs, supervising schedule and output, and finding new talent. Godfrey has served as Bizarre Magazine's editor since 2003. His career also includes stints as deputy editor of Hotdog Magazine, as film editor of Jack Magazine, and as a freelance writer for The Guardian newspaper and the BBC. "SUMO.tv is already producing genuinely pioneering television, and it's exciting to be working on such a creative and innovative brand," Godfrey said in a prepared statement. "I look forward to building on the current success of SUMO.tv and its exceptional integrated presence on television, online and via mobile services."

DAVE Networks in Social TV Deal with FremantleMedia

--Launches Broadband Video Service with HP

DAVE Networks--a company that provides a white-label integrated video distribution and social community platform, called S.O.C.I.A.L., whose customers include ABC, CBS, MGM and Oxygen--has been tapped by FremantleMedia's commercial licensing arm, FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME), to power a broadband video- and community-enabled official Web site for the latter's long-running game show, "The Price is Right." The new site (priceisright.com) offers behind-the-scenes videos; video of "classic moments" from the show's old host, Bob Barker; a video blog from the show's new host, Drew Carey; games; and social-TV functionality that allows fans of the show to create profiles, blog about the show, and communicate to one another through message boards and an internal messaging system. "With new host Drew Carey, 'The Price is Right' enters a whole new era complete with an immersive online digital experience and community to complement the show and serve the fans," Jason Turner, FME's director of interactive, said in a prepared statement. "Through our partnership with DAVE Networks, we can now deliver a Web 2.0 community, functionality and user interactivity like never before."

In other DAVE Networks news: the company recently teamed with HP to launch a broadband video service, dubbed NEXT.TV, on HP Pavilion and Compaq Presario laptops. At launch, the service offered around 50 on-demand channels, devoted to such genres as comedy, drama, cartoons, documentaries, movies, sports and science fiction.

Visiware Secures Multiple New Deployments for its Interactive TV Games

Paris-based interactive TV games company, Visiware, has announced a number of new deployments over the past few weeks (note: the company also recently joined itaas' istart OCAP Axiom Developer Program--see article in this issue):

• OpenTV middleware-powered Australian pay-TV platform, Foxtel, has launched a range of games from the company's flagship interactive TV games service, Playin'TV, on its network. The games can be accessed through the Casino Sport category of Foxtel's ITV games portal, GamesWorld. They are currently being offered for AUS$1 per game on a single-play basis, and will shortly also be offered via an all-you-can-eat monthly subscription of AUS$6.95. According to Visiware, at least five of the games will be refreshed on a weekly basis. "From a strategic point of view this new offer completes our presence in Oceania where Playin'TV is already broadcast via Austar in Australia and Sky TV in New Zealand," Visiware's head of marketing, Frederic Fellague, said in a prepared statement. "Additionally, the GamesWorld portal will also be carried via the Australian cable operator Optus, which increases the presence of our games even more in this market."
• The company has launched a Playin'TV barker channel on the CanalSat pay-TV platform, where it has offered the ITV games service since 2003. The channel--located on slot 59 of the CanalSat EPG and hosted by Virginie Gamel and Frederic d'Elia--not only serves as a video showcase for the Playin'TV service, but allows viewers to try out free demos of featured Playin'TV games (including Scrabble, Solitaire and video poker) by pressing SERV on their remote control. "The launch of 'Playin'TV Video' in France is an important step in the evolution of our product, which until now has been purely interactive," Visiware managing director, Colas Overkott, said in a prepared statement. "It will allow us to reach a new type of consumer and launch many games in the next months which combine interactivity and video. And after the initial launch in France, other great Playin'TV market launches will follow." The launch of the Playin'TV video channel follows the launch (on December 5th) on CanalSat of Visiware's Playin'TV Max service, which offers 30 interactive games, updated on a weekly basis, for 8 Euros per month (note: it is free to subscribers to CanalSat's CanalSat Intensement package). The original Playin'TV service is offered to CanalSat subscribers for 5.30 Euros per month.
• The company is now offering the "triple-play" (TV/mobile/Internet) version of Playin'TV on Canada's Bell ExpressVu pay-TV platform. The triple-play version of the service allows viewers to, for example, start playing a game on their livingroom television set, continue playing it on their mobile as they commute to work, and resume playing it on their PC at work. "It is a great way to enjoy games in a variety of different environments," Visiware's Colas Overkott said in a prepared statement. "Today, people are much more active...and we wanted to create a service that would allow our customers to play wherever they are." To support the launch of triple-play gaming on Bell ExpressVu, Visiware has created a new "extended" package for BellExpressVu customers, called Playin'TV Max: priced at $8 per month, it features 27 ITV games each week, as well as 25 games on the Internet, and one free mobile game per month from Visiware's catalog.
• The company is also now offering its Minikids TV educational ITV games service on Bell ExpressVu. The service, which is targeted at children aged 2 to 7, and which costs $2 a day or $4 a month (it is also available as part of Bell ExpressVu's Early Learning theme pack), is located on channel 550. It offers five games at any one time, designed to help children develop their observational skills, their oral and visual memory, and their creativity. The games are hosted by a cast of animated characters--headed up by Tom the Rabbit--which provide an audio explanation of each one (thus "Coloring-in" is presented by Marco the Dog; "Sticky Labels" by Clara the Elephant; "Jigsaws" by Lucie the Turtle; "Spot the Differences" by Fred the Rhino; "Memory" by Leon the Camelion; "Give Me" by Bob the Monkey; and "Missing Letters" by Alex the Pig). If a child cannot find the solution to a game on his or her own, on-screen help is provided. Each game has two levels of difficulty, targeted at 2- to 3-year-olds and 4- to 6-year-olds respectively. According to Visiware, Minikids TV offers, among other things, over 50 drawings to color, 350 differences to find out, 75 colored virtual sticky labels to assign, and "tons" of jigsaws to complete.
• The company has also launched the Minikids games service on Indian satellite-TV platform, Dish TV. The Dish TV deployment will make four games available at any one time, free of charge, with titles being refreshed on a monthly basis. A range of promotional activities are underway to publicize the launch of Minikids on Dish TV: they include TV and radio ads, call centers, merchandise, and kiosks in malls and other public places in major Indian cities.
• The company has launched its games on Archos' 605 and 705 WiFi media players and on its new Archos TV+ handheld device (note: the devices are part of Archos' "Generation 5" product line. Currently, two 9.99 Euros Visiware games packages, each containing four games, can be downloaded from the Archos Content Portal or from Archos' Web site. "We are happy to launch our games on this new generation of Archos media players where one can download and use of all kinds of content, and now even play games," Visiware chairman, Laurant Weill, said in a prepared statement. "Since the Gen 5 line pushes exceptional game and graphics quality, we have made the most of its specific capabilities to make gameplay as simple and fun as possible. This launch reinforces our strategy to make our popular games accessible on all types of screens (TV, mobile, Internet and portable media players from now on) and allows us to continue our expansion on an international level in cooperation with Archos."

Bravo Taps Navic to Build Ad-Supported ITV App for "Project Runway"

--Bravo also Creates "Mobile Fan Club" Service for the Show

NBC Universal cable/satellite channel, Bravo, has tapped Navic Networks to power an advertising-supported interactive TV application for the fourth season of its flagship reality TV show, "Project Runway." Significantly, the application is being offered on the networks of four tier-one cable MSO's--Cox, Charter, Comcast and Time Warner Cable--in a number of large and medium-sized markets (note: Cox is offering the app in Phoenix, Tucson, San Diego and Las Vegas; Charter is offering it in Los Angeles; Comcast in West Palm Beach and Palm Beach; and Time Warner Cable in Greensboro, North Carolina). Cable customers in those markets can use the app to respond to a series of trivia questions and to vote for their favorite "Project Runway" designs and contestants. The app presents viewers with a series of interactive overlays, that are sponsored exclusively by sewing machine manufacturer, Brother International: Bravo is touting the app as providing "a measurable in-program opportunity" for the sponsor. The overlays are synchronized to occur at precise, content-relevant moments throughout the show, and the results of the viewer votes are compiled in real time and also displayed throughout the show. "NBC Universal is committed to putting technology and resources towards advanced advertising partnerships between our networks and our partners in multiple markets," Brian Hunt, SVP of marketing and sales strategy at NBC Universal TV Networks Distribution, said in a prepared statement. "We're excited to offer our advertisers a national footprint opportunity as interactive television applications are implemented in an open standards format."

In related news: Bravo has created a "mobile fan club" service around "Project Runway." The service, which is sponsored by L'Oreal Paris, is accessed by texting "RUNWAY" to the shortcode 27286 ("BRAVO"). It provides behind-the-scenes video from the show's featured designers, timed to specific events within the show; video fashion tips from the show's judges and designers; tune-in reminders; "Runway IQ" questions, which, when correctly answered, unlock bonus content; the ability to send questions directly to the show's designers; and promotional wallpapers. In addition, thanks to a partnership with a company called Socialight, the service offers the "Project Runway Guide to New York," an interactive map (also available on the Web) that showcases the favorite New York City haunts of the show's designers and judges.

Ensequence Builds ITV App for Spike TV's Video Game Awards

--App Offered both on DirecTV and DISH Network
--DirecTV Taps Ensequence to Add Interactivity to "Passions"

Spike TV, an MTV Networks channel that targets a young, male demographic, recently tapped Portland, Oregon-based interactive TV authoring solutions provider, Ensequence, to build an ITV application for its 2007 Video Game Awards (aired December 9th). The application, which was available on both the DirecTV and DISH Network satellite TV platforms (note: this was the first time that an ITV app has been offered on both of those platforms simultaneously; together, the two platforms have around 20 million ITV-enabled viewers, giving the Spike TV app the broadest reach of any ITV app deployed to date in the US), allowed viewers to access never-before- released cheat codes for a number of popular video games (note: viewers received hints on how to obtain each cheat code by pressing a combination of numbers on their remotes, which promoted a "scavenger hunt"-type challenge that was designed to encourage them to watch the entire broadcast and explore its interactive features); play a classic arcade game; watch a selection of exclusive content, including trailers for upcoming game releases; learn about specially produced video game features; and read reviews of previous Video Game Awards winners, as well as "fun facts," game genre history, and game developers' concept ideas. "The fans of all our MTV Networks brands crave a deeper level of interaction and ITV is emerging as a powerful tool for us to meet that need," Denise Dahldorf, EVP of content distribution and marketing at MTV Networks, said in a prepared statement. "We're thrilled to partner with DirecTV and the DISH Network--two undisputed leaders in ITV--to push forward this exciting platform and provide our audiences with an even more dynamic and engaging experience around Spike TV's VGA's."

In other Ensequence application development news: DirecTV has selected the company to add interactivity to the NBC-produced soap opera, "Passions," which, after being canceled on the NBC broadcast network, is now broadcast exclusively on DirecTV's channel 101. The Ensequence-powered "Passions" application invites viewers to answer five new questions each day during broadcasts of the show, and presents them with immediate results. Viewers can play as many times as they want, in order to attempt to earn a perfect score. According to Ensequence, the app captures several key viewer metrics, including the number of viewers who opted into its interactive experience, the specific content they interacted with within that experience, the amount of time they spent within the application, and the number of times they interacted. The company says that its on-Q Publish interactive TV content management and publishing system allows DirecTV to maintain the application, by quickly and easily uploading questions, updating answers, modifying content, and assigning a manual or random rotation to questions. Because on-Q is Web-based, Ensequence says, the DirecTV team that works with the system can be distributed throughout multiple locations. According to Ensequence, the new application will allow it to rapidly create and test other applications for deployment on DirecTV: the company says it has a full DirecTV content development and testing facility in-house, and that it is an approved DirecTV development partner.

Scripps Uses VOD to Premiere New Programming

--Signs Broadband Video Deal with Critical Media
--Launches Three New Broadband Video Series on FrontDoor.com

Scripps Networks recently offered a VOD sneak preview of the HGTV channel special, "HGTV Dream Home 2008," four days before the show's January 1st linear-TV premiere. The show is designed to promote an annual sweepstakes, dubbed the "2008 HGTV Dream Home Giveaway." In addition, Scripps is premiering two new HGTV series on VOD, "Sleep on It" and "Desperate Spaces." "The HGTV Dream Home Giveaway is one of the longest-running and most successful consumer promotions in cable TV history; and this special, with its first look at the spectacular house, is a highly anticipated viewing event,” Doug Hurst, Scripps Networks' general manager of non-linear distribution, said in a prepared statement. "Premiering this special in video-on-demand is a strong commitment by Scripps to the VOD platform. Once our enthusiastic and loyal audience samples VOD with 'HGTV Dream Home 2008,' we know they will want more. We want to reward them with this additional exclusive opportunity to have the first look at two new HGTV series."

In other Scripps Networks news:

• The company has signed a deal with Critical Media--a company that offers an ad-supported platform, dubbed ClipSyndicate, for aggregating, distributing and monetizing video on the Web--that sees the latter distributing video from Scripps' various "lifestyle" channels (including HGTV, Food Network, DIY, Fine Living, and Great American Country) to what Critical Media says are the "thousands" of Web sites in the ClipSyndicate network. "Adding Scripps Networks to our content offerings secures a strong foothold in lifestyle for our vertical networks and gives us another solid anchor brand," Critical Media CEO, Sean Morgan, said in a prepared statement. "We continually expand our roster of premium content providers as well as the number of Web sites on our vertical networks to create a winning proposition for partners, consumers and advertisers alike. We are focused on delivering a secure, agnostic environment for providers of licensed content and brand-conscious advertisers by providing an 'inch wide, mile deep' network of content for respected vertical websites. Providers' content gets swept up into syndication via embedded clips or through our jam-packed channel player that pulls content from our dynamically updating clip archives, sometimes within moments of live broadcast." According to Critical Media, ClipSyndicate is organized into around 100 "hyper-vertical" ad revenue-sharing networks, supported by a dynamically updated repository of news and information content. Content for the service is provided by around 350 video partners, including around 250 TV network affiliates; wire video services, such as AFP and AP; and cable networks, such as Bloomberg TV.
• The company has launched three exclusive broadband video series--"Savvy Woman Homebuyer," "Cool Houses Daily" and "REwrap," on FrontDoor.com, its recently launched real estate site.
• The company recently announced a broadband video deal with Maven Networks (see article in this issue).

Gotuit Powering New Broadband Video Service for Xtreme Outdoor Network

Gotuit Media--a company that offers metadata technologies which, among other things, allow end-users to instantly access the parts of a piece of video that interest them, and which can also be used by video publishers to allow end-users to make mash-ups out of their content--says that its technologies are powering Xtreme Outdoor Network's new broadband video service, www.xontv.tv. The service offers an archive of several hundred hours of video devoted to hunting, fishing and other outdoor pursuits. Using Gotuit's technologies to index and present this video archive, the service divides its video content into 13 channels, each dedicated to a different outdoor topic (e.g. Hunting, Fishing, Shooting, and ATV), and each featuring a playlist organization that allows viewers to watch full episodes or, if they prefer, to access topics of interest from within each episode. Thus, the service's Hunting Channel is organized into playlists such as Full Shows, By Species, By Method, or By Location. "Rather than simply run 30-60 minute episodes online like most video destinations, we wanted to create a unique outdoor television network experience tailored for the broadband viewer," Xtreme Outdoor Network president, Jake Hartwick, said in a prepared statement. "Gotuit's use of metadata to describe the scenes inside each video allows subscribers to have personalized viewing experiences where each viewer can choose very specific selections from the library. Also, Gotuit's turnkey services made it extremely easy and quick to deliver a polished Internet TV destination, with hundreds of hours of fully indexed, searchable video." Added Gotuit CEO, Mark Pascarella: "Too many publishers are making the mistake of cutting their library into clips, which takes too long, costs too much, is too difficult to manage and results in an inferior user experience. Using our patented technology to create rich metadata, publishers can package and present their original video library in the most effective ways for their audience."

Revver Launches Version 2.0 of its Web Site

Revver--a video-sharing site that allows end-users to monetize their videos through advertising (note: in September, the company, which matches every video uploaded with an ad, and then splits the "net" revenue generated by the video 50/50 with its creator, and shares 20% off the top with the video's distributor, announced that it had paid a million dollars to a total of approximately 25,000 video creators and sharers since the launch of its service a year previously)--has launched version 2.0 of its Web site. According to the company, Revver.com 2.0 makes it easier for viewers to locate videos and for advertisers to align with the kinds of videos best suited for their campaigns; it achieves this, Revver says, by organizing its library of video content into a broad range of navigable categories. The site also now features widgets, which Revver touts as providing "easy access to all videos, enabling users to scroll through content in each collection on the homepage such as Editor's Picks" and which also allow users to scroll through related videos on each content provider's video watch page. In addition, the new version of the site offers several new tools designed to encourage communication between its users. Those tools include a "Video Response" function, that allows viewers to post a video in response to a video that interests them; a revamped "My Dashboard" tool that allows users to program a personal contact list within their accounts, so that they can subscribe to video feeds from other users, and scroll through updates in real time; and email functionality, allowing users to send and receive messages from one another. "With enhanced discovery, viewing, and community-building features, Revver.com 2.0 makes it even easier for content creators and advertisers to engage audiences online," Revver CEO, Kevin Wells, said in a prepared statement. "This release extends our commitment to creating the best possible platform for sharing and monetizing high-quality videos effectively." New Revver 2.0 features targeted at advertisers, meanwhile, include the ability for brands to sponsor video collections (e.g. "Most Watched") on the service's home page, and to purchase banner ads on category landing pages and on creators' landing pages.

Digeo Partners with Flickr, Finetune, Accedo, CloverLeaf

--Launches Moxi TV for PC

At CES in Las Vegas last week, Paul Allen-owned interactive TV products and services company, Digeo, trumpeted a new "featured services" strategy, and announced alliances with four companies--Flickr, Finetune, Accedo Broadband and CloverLeaf Digital--that will be providing content services for its flagship Moxi platform. (Note: Digeo's Moxi platform allows end-users to store, access and manage a variety of entertainment content through a single, unified menu. The platform is notable for its interface, which won Emmy awards in 2004 and 2005, and which replaces the standard "spreadsheet" EPG interface with a so-called "cross-hairs" configuration, consisting of two intersecting animated lines at right angles to each other: customers use the left and right arrow keys on their remote control to scroll through a series of customizable categories--dubbed "filters" by the company--on the horizontal line: e.g. HDTV, sports, news, movies, photos, games, MP3 Jukebox, etc.; they then use the remote's up and down arrow keys to scroll through the sub-listings of the currently highlighted category, which appear as a vertical line intersecting the line of categories. Digeo has secured a number of patents for the technology; though it is also defending a patent-infringement lawsuit that was filed against it in fall of 2006 by Gemstar-TV Guide--see [itvt] Issue 7.00 Part 1.) According to the company, the new services are "the first of many anticipated content partners," and illustrate the Moxi interface's ability to combine multiple different services into "one cohesive entertainment experience" that provides "easy access to all available content." Digeo cites a 2006 study by Adelphia as evidence of the efficacy of the Moxi interface's unified approach to presenting different types of content: according to the study, Moxi's "seamless integration" of VOD and PPV titles with regular programming resulted in Moxi-equipped customers using VOD three times as much as regular digital cable subscribers, the company claims.

Digeo says that it chose each content partner "not only for its innovative approach to digital content, but for its overall commitment to ease of use" and for its "ability to aid consumer discovery and enjoyment of new content":

• Flickr, which operates what it claims is the world's largest online photo-sharing "community," is allowing Moxi users to access their accounts from that device. According to Digeo, this will enable them to easily access any photo group associated with that account, including popular Flickr categories and photos uploaded from mobile devices, in full HD in their livingroom. The deal means that the Moxi Menu's Moxi Photos tab now allows end-users to access photos in three ways: stored online on Flickr, stored locally on their Moxi device's hard drive, or streamed from their PC hard drive.
• Finetune, an online music service that offers a library of around 2 million major-label and indie music tracks, is making that content (which can be organized into customized playlists and personalized stations) available to its members through the Moxi interface's Moxi Music tab (through which end-users can also access music stored on their Moxi device's hard drive or on their PC). Finetune claims to have 3 million unique listeners and 600,000 registered members, and says that it is adding 60,000 new listeners each month.
• Digeo's partnership with Accedo Broadband, a provider of interactive TV games, enables it to expand the Moxi platform's current ITV games offering (which features classic games, such as solitaire and poker) to include a range of HD casual games, including "Sudoku," "Texas Hold'em" and "QuizzMaster.
• CloverLeaf Digital, a provider of "walled-garden" interactive TV information services (for more on CloverLeaf, see article in this issue), will provide Moxi users with full-screen, Web-based HD content from its interactive news and information service, DotDaily. That content will include news and sports from the Associated Press; weather information from AccuWeather; lottery results; movie listings; horoscopes and more. Moxi users will be able to browse news by topic and region, or view the day's news as a series of photos, Digeo says.

According to Digeo, the four new services will be available later this year free of charge on the Moxi Multi-Room DMR ("Digital Media Recorder"), the Moxi Home Cinema HD DMR, and Moxi TV for PC (see below) products.

In other Digeo news: the company has launched a software application, dubbed Moxi TV for PC, which, as its name suggests, enables PC's that have a TV tuner card and that are running Windows XP to function as virtual DVR's with all the additional home media and entertainment-management capabilities--for example, the ability to view two weeks of TV listings and to organize and access libraries of music, photos and DVD's--offered by the Moxi set-top box platform. According to Digeo, Moxi TV for PC offers a "new, improved" version of the user experience provided by Moxi set-top boxes, and, while it currently supports only SD recording, incorporates many of the features that will be available in the new Moxi Multi-Room HD Digital Media Recorder (which Digeo says will be available in retail outlets soon). Digeo is currently inviting early adopters to sign up for a Moxi TV for PC beta program on its Web site, and says that beta testers will be able to download the software free of charge.

Top Up TV in Push-VOD Deal with History Channel UK

The History Channel UK has signed a deal with Top Up TV, a company that offers a pay-TV service designed to supplement the UK's free-to-air digital terrestrial platform, Freeview, that sees it launching programming from its History Channel and Crime & Investigation Network channels on Top Up TV's £9.99-per-month push-VOD service, Top Up TV Anytime. The service, which launched November 23rd, push-downloads programs from the two channels overnight to the Top Up TV+ DVR. Programs are refreshed on a weekly basis. "The Top Up TV deal is great for us in lots of ways: we like Top Up TV's market strategy, the way the service was packaged, and the user interface," Geoff Metzger, managing director of The History Channel UK, said in a prepared statement. "It significantly increases our access to the UK pay DTT market and it's the right next step in our non-linear UK brand development strategy."

Reality Digital in Broadband Video/UGC Deal with Adobe

Reality Digital, a San Francisco-based company that offers a platform that allows companies to set up brand-focused social media networks around broadband video and user-generated content, says that it has integrated its flagship Opus SaaS (note: SaaS stands for "Software as a Service") platform with Adobe Premiere Express, in order to offer a joint solution, hosted on the Opus platform and branded as the Adobe Premiere Express Service. Adobe Premiere Express is a Web-based broadband video editing tool that Adobe bills as easy-to-use (it requires no installation), and that leverages some of the design elements and functionality of the company's Premiere Elements offering. According to the companies, the integration of their respective products provides a hosted solution for online video editing, mash-up, playback and sharing. The combo is already being used by a number of major brands, including MTV, the companies say, which has tapped it to power applications such as a mash-up video contest (remix.mtv.com). "We were happy to work with Reality Digital to develop this solution and leverage its proven platform for social networking and media sharing," Doug Mack, VP of product management at Adobe, said in a prepared statement. "Online experiences should be straightforward and seamless for consumers. Premiere Express is a lightweight, Flash-based Web application that opens directly in a browser without requiring plug-ins or special software downloads. Combined with Reality Digital's moderation and management tools, it offers media companies a flexible and engaging video-editing solution to capture the attention of Web audiences." Added Reality Digital co-founder and CEO, Cynthia Francis: "We are excited to work with Adobe and have the opportunity to be first to market with a solution that optimizes social media in a way that appeals to brand owners as well as consumers. The complete solution undoubtedly alters the online marketing landscape as it creates the opportunity to generate new video assets that can translate to countless media-driven sponsorship and revenue opportunities for our clients."

The companies are billing the new Adobe Premiere Express Service as providing a "reliable and scalable" media management infrastructure that allows customers to offer consumers a "powerful suite" of Web-based tools for creating, previewing, editing and publishing mash-ups, sourced from content provided by the host site (e.g. music tracks, video and still photos). Consumers can select from an online library of media content, then simply drag and drop the selected video and audio assets into a timeline editor, the companies say. The editor allows them to perform such actions as trimming footage, adding transitions, and incorporating still photos. The finished user-generated video is then published via the Reality Digital Opus platform. Reality Digital claims that the latter provides an "unparalleled" set of moderation and management tools that allow site administrators to retain complete control over the content displayed on their sites. Those tools include user registration, media hosting and serving, and content moderation and administrative controls. The platform's frontend, meanwhile, allows site visitors to comment on and rank posted content, create favorites and personalize their profile pages.

Stoneroos Creates Interactive TV Apps for RTL4, Rabobank

Dutch interactive TV company, Stoneroos, contacted [itvt] last month to let us know about an interactive application it recently created for the RTL4 lifestyle program, "My First Home." The application, which is available on the UPC Digital and Tele2 Digital platforms through the end of this month (i.e. for 10 episodes of the show), is sponsored by Rabobank and is targeted at first-time property buyers: among other things, it allows viewers to calculate how large a mortgage they could qualify for. It also provides viewers with extra video content, including informational content from a real estate expert and humorous sketches by a comedian. Stoneroos says that it collaborated closely with "My First Home" producer, Networks Unlimited, on the design of the app. Playout on UPC was powered by Chellomedia Interactive, and playout on Tele2 was powered by Avinity. According to Stoneroos CEO, Annelies Kaptein, the "My First Home" application represents the first time that an interactive TV program has been played out on both the UPC and Tele2 platforms.

Stoneroos also recently created an interactive commercial for Rabobank that is running during the weekends on Tele2. The commercial's interactive application provides viewers with an overview of Rabobank's offerings, and invites them to take part in a weekly competition.

Zappware Develops ITV Services for VT4 and S.televisie

Belgian interactive TV technology provider, Zappware, contacted [itvt] last month to let us know that it is powering an interactive TV games portal for Flemish broadcaster, VT4, on the Telenet pay-TV platform. The so-called "Babalooza" portal is accessed via VT4's digital teletext service, by pressing the blue button on the Telenet remote control. Viewers are presented with a line-up of games, including "Miner," "Sharksweeper," "Snowballs," "Animal Memory," "Bubbles," "Bulls Eye" and "Planet Bloxx," and with a demo designed to help them decide which game to play. They can purchase a day pass for a single game, a day pass for all the games, or a three-day pass for all the games. According to Zappware, the portal will be updated with new games and new features on a regular basis. The Babalooza games service is part of Zappware's recently launched iView for Broadcasters/Operators product, which it touts as an "all-in" solution for broadcasters and operators. It includes a broad range of interactive services, as well as a platform for the production and management of those services, and supports various business models, including pay-per-play, monthly subscriptions and sponsored games (note: for an in-depth overview of Zappware's iView product line, see [itvt] Issue 7.39 Part 2A). "We are happy to announce this first implementation of our games portal, Babalooza," Zappware CEO, Jan Stinissen, said in a statement emailed to [itvt]. "It shows that, today, our offer for operators and broadcasters comprises all major interactive services. Furthermore, our games services also allow integration of third-party games, which is definitely an asset especially on the international market."

In other Zappware news: the company says that S.televisie, a Flemish-language Belgian TV channel devoted to "showbiz, media and people," has tapped it to build a digital teletext service on the Telenet platform. Dubbed "S.EXPRESS" and accessed by pressing the red button while watching S.televisie, the service provides news on Flemish and international celebrities, and, Zappware says, is "presented in the contemporary, flashy layout which is typical of S.televisie." According to Zappware, S.televisie staff can manage the service's content--whether that be "static information" or interactive quizzes--in- house, using the company's iView portal. The company says that the new digital teletext service is just the first of a number of new interactive services that S.televisie plans to launch using Zappware's technologies. "The digital teletext service allows us to leave the familiar paths of watching television in a classic way and to enter a complete new television world," S.televisie co-founder, Peter Labens, said in a prepared statement. "Our choice to work with Zappware goes without saying, as we found no one else mastering this new technology better." According to Zappware, S.televisie is the second Flemish broadcaster to tap it to build a digital teletext service: the first was VT4.

MGM in Multi-Year VOD Deal with France Telecom's Orange

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM) contacted [itvt] last month to let us know that it has signed a multi-year agreement with France Telecom's Orange and its "24/24 Video" service, that will see it providing new-release and library movies on-demand to Orange customers. Under the terms of the agreement, MGM movies will be available to Orange customers in France, Spain, Poland, and eventually in the UK, who subscribe to Orange's broadband TV package, as well as to its high-speed Internet package. Movies covered by the deal include all MGM's new releases (e.g. "Casino Royale"), and classics such as "Some Like it Hot," "Annie Hall," "Rocky," "Silence of the Lambs," and "Platoon." 24/24 Video currently offers a 3,000-plus-title catalog that includes movies from major studios, as well as independent French and international films, all of which can be accessed both on the TV and the PC. Titles are priced from one Euro each for a 24-hour rental with unlimited viewing rights and "trick-play" functionality (i.e. pause, fast-forward and rewind).

iN DEMAND in VOD Deal with New York City's Metropolitan Opera

--Company's HD Channel, MOJO, Launches on Joost, Amazon Unbox

Cable industry-owned VOD content aggregator, iN DEMAND (its owners are Comcast, Cox, Time Warner and Advance/Newhouse), has signed a deal with New York City's Metropolitan Opera, that sees it distributing all eight new performances from the second season of the latter's "Metropolitan Opera: Live in High Definition" offering to VOD systems throughout the US, in both standard- and high-definition. The "Live in High Definition" offering makes live performances from the Met available in movie theaters around the world; according to iN DEMAND, the performances will be available via VOD within 30 days of their theatrical release. The first performance to be offered on-demand as a result of the deal is Gounod's "Romeo et Juliette." Other performances covered by the deal include Humperdinck's "Hansel and Gretel," Verdi's "Macbeth," Puccini's "Manon Lescaut," Wagner's "Tristan und Isolde," Britten's "Peter Grimes," Donizetti's "La Fille du Regiment," and Puccini's "La Boheme." Each on-demand performance is available for six hours once selected, and is packaged with additional free content such as backstage interviews.

In other iN DEMAND news: the company's MOJO channel (formerly known as INHD), a high-definition channel that targets "upscale men," has launched on Joost, the broadband video service created by the team behind the Skype Internet telephony service, and on Amazon.com's digital video download service, Amazon Unbox. MOJO is currently offering a selection of its programming on the two services, that includes "After Hours with Daniel," "Three Sheets," and "King of Miami."

Music Choice in VOD Deal with EMI

Multiplatform music programmer, Music Choice, recently signed a deal with EMI Music, that gives it the rights to offer the latter's entire music video library on VOD and online. Artists and bands covered by the deal include Lily Allen, David Bowie, Coldplay, Fat Boy Slim, Gorillaz, Norah Jones and KT Tunstall. The deal also gives Music Choice the rights to feature EMI's artists and bands in its original programs, such as "Artist of the Month," "Fresh Crops" and "Tha Corner." "Music Choice is thrilled to now have access to EMI's full roster of well-known and up-and-coming artists, adding to the depth of content available on our television network and online music site," David Del Beccaro, Music Choice's president and CEO, said in a prepared statement. "EMI's artists will be exposed to a nationwide audience that has helped us build the most popular on-demand music network in the country by placing over a billion orders for our free music-related content."

emuse in Long-Term Deal with UK Broadcaster, ITV

--Company also Launches New Zealand's First Impulse-Response i-Ad

Dublin, Ireland-based interactive TV authoring tools provider, emuse, has signed a long-term deal with the UK's largest broadcaster, the Independent Television Network (generally referred to in the UK by the acronym, "ITV"), that designates it as the latter's exclusive provider of interactive TV applications for programming and advertising. The companies--which already have a longstanding relationship that has seen them working together on interactive advertising, sponsorship and broadcast-synchronized interactivity--say that they have been recently working on a number of projects as a result of the new deal, including a redesign of ITV's 24/7 interactive services menu, and the deployment of interactive applications for several high-profile shows, including "Emmerdale," "Saturday Cooks," "X Factor," "Loose Women," "Trinny & Suzannah," "I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!" and "Coronation Street." Those projects are being sponsored by a number of major brands, including Littlewoods, Peugeot, Maltesers and Carphone Warehouse. As a result of the deal, interactive TV programming is now available on all of ITV's channels (which include ITV1, 2, 3 and 4).

The deal--which sees emuse replacing a number of ITV's legacy vendors--calls for it to deliver interactive content for the broadcaster on Sky, on the UK's free-to-air digital terrestrial service, Freeview (where emuse is currently the only company to offer an interactive TV advertising platform), and on "emerging new digital media," including IPTV. ITV will also use emuse's technology to optimize and reduce its required bandwidth--which, the broadcaster says, will result in "substantial cost savings" to its ITV Consumer division (i.e. the division responsible for interactive TV). It claims that emuse's infrastructure will allow it to develop "many more applications on new and existing platforms, faster and more efficiently than has been possible to date." In addition, the broadcaster says that the deal will increase sponsorship opportunities for advertisers "by delivering increased reach, improved creative control and measurable ROI": emuse's technology will underpin ITV's mechanism for booking, creating and deploying sponsorship applications. "Having had so much success with the ITV Consumer and the ITV Sales teams over the last few years, we feel that this is a natural progression for us" emuse CEO, Patrick Rainsford, said in a prepared statement. "ITV and emuse have a great working relationship, and this enables us both to expand the scope of our mutual business to deliver greater results for ITV and their advertisers, sponsors and viewers."

In other emuse news: the company's interactive TV advertising arm, emuse absolutely, recently launched what it claims is the first ever impulse-response ITV commercial to air in New Zealand. The commercial--which was for Mitsubishi's Lancer automobile and which aired on the Sky New Zealand satellite platform--invited viewers to press red to request a brochure or a test drive; then, while still tuned to the channel they were watching, viewers followed a series of on-screen prompts, which appeared as graphical overlays over the bottom third of the screen, in order to specify their preferences and enter their personal information, which was sent back to Mitsubishi via the Sky New Zealand set-top box (note: emuse says that its interactive ads can match response information with address details from the Sky New Zealand subscriber database, so that viewers don't have to enter their contact info in full).

Sky New Zealand is now offering emuse-powered impulse-response interactive advertising--priced at NZ $19,000 for a two-week campaign--as an option to all advertisers on its digital channels. Mitsubishi is a client of Clemenger BBDO, which has been fairly aggressive about launching interactive advertising in New Zealand: it was the first New Zealand advertising agency to launch i-ads in that market (with a campaign for Panasonic), and has subsequently created campaigns for Quotable Value, as well as an additional two campaigns for Panasonic. According to Daniel Cook, marketing manager for Mitsubishi's New Zealand arm, the auto manufacturer decided to launch interactive ads on Sky New Zealand because of "the measurability of interactive television." Last year, emuse absolutely teamed with Sky New Zealand to launch a series of template options for "immersion i-ads" (i.e. interactive ads that take viewers to a dedicated advertiser location, where they can browse additional information and view video of an advertised product). According to the company, its partnership with the pay-TV provider ensures that "advertisers are supported in the development of i-ads through all stages of concept, design, built, transmission and providing the responses." Other brands that have run emuse-powered interactive TV ad campaigns on the Sky New Zealand platform in recent months include Coca-Cola (which claims that 17% of viewers who were exposed to its interactive ads chose to interact with them) and Gillette. (Note: emuse is also producing and hosting a new magazine application for customers of the Microsoft-powered IPTV service, BT Vision. It is the first ever commercially launched app to run on the Microsoft Mediaroom Tasman browser--see article in this issue.)

AOL Taps PointRoll for Interactive "Video Ticker Ads"

--AOL Revamps its Media Player

AOL is partnering with Gannett-subsidiary, PointRoll, to offer "video ticker ads" as an alternative to pre-roll ads on its broadband video offerings. The new ads, which are based on PointRoll's TickerBoy technology, consist of a graphic banner/ticker that is integrated within a streaming video in such a way as to avoid obstructing the video viewing experience. When viewers click on the ticker--which appears at the bottom of the video player 10 seconds into the video stream--it expands to launch a video ad, or an interactive Flash ad, within the video player window, while the program or clip that the viewer was watching pauses. If the viewer chooses not to interact with the video ticker ad, it dissolves within 15 seconds, leaving a branded text link on the top of the player; if the viewer then clicks the text link, the ticker ad relaunches. AOL is running the new ads across its AOL Network of video offerings, within the newest version of the AOL Video media player platform. "Other rudimentary overlay solutions exist, but ours is the only one that is fully interactive, offers such deep metrics and is backed by PointRoll's technology, TickerBoy," Jason Tafler, PointRoll's SVP of global business operations and strategy, said in a prepared statement.

In related news: AOL has revamped its media player platform. New features include the availability from the player view port of sharing and social utilities, such as email, bookmarking, and links to related videos; new monetization options, including 300x250 interstitials and synched text ads, as well as the new video ticker ads; a new user interface that AOL claims streamlines the control set and improves customization options; and a new development framework designed to simplify the process of adding new functionality.

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