The UK’s largest local TV broadcaster, Made Television, is launching its first ever Video on-Demand catch-up service, OnView, with the help of Piksel, which will be managing the rollout of its online live streams.
A 2014 report from PwC and IABM found that almost 73 per cent of Britons are watching TV programmes online, and this trend is only expected to accelerate. Made Television’s OnView catch up service is due for official launch April 2015.
Using the Piksel Digital Enterprise video platform, Made Television has rolled out four VoD channels for Bristol, Cardiff, Leeds, and Tyne and Wear. Channels will deliver 75 hours of content at launch, with a further 55 hours of content being added each week. The addition of live, linear channels is planned for later in the year, along with the addition of the Teesside region.
“Piksel was the natural choice to bring on board to help us launch our online offering in record time and ahead of schedule. We evaluated the market and felt Piksel had the strongest solution to meet our needs, offering us the ability to use the same platform to manage live broadcasts and VoD,” said David McCormack, chief operating officer, Made Television. “Not only does Piksel have a history of platform stability and reliability, but its business model is extremely flexible, allowing us to monetise in the way we want and get up and running quickly.”
Piksel’s cloud-based video platform will allow Made Television to deliver infinite content to desktop and mobile devices at a predictable cost without having to invest in specialised technology resources or hardware platforms. Made Television’s online broadcasts will be managed by Piksel and supported by the company’s dedicated 24-hour Live Streaming and Monitoring Center.
“We’re very pleased to be working with Made Television to personalise programming for its audiences in a way that liberates the viewing experience and maximizes the monetisation potential of its content” said Neil Berry, EVP commercial, EMEA, Piksel. “The local TV companies have opened up new opportunities for media companies to broadcast relevant content to local audiences. By utilising Piksel’s Digital Enterprise platform, Made TV will be able to analyse what their audience is watching and tailor programming accordingly. We know that new broadcasters entering the online video space need partners that are consultative, flexible, and can get them to market quickly and that’s exactly what Piksel does.”
