InPlayer will be the first video paywall to enable users to pay for video content directly from their Apple account, after integrating Apple Pay into its technology.
Apple Pay, which only launched mid-July in the UK, is now fully incorporated into InPlayer, making it possible for video publishers to let users accessing video via their iPhone, iPad or Mac to make payments directly from their Apple account without having to enter their credit card details.
InPlayer has also announced the appointment of James Smith, previously with Rightster, as head of sales to lead the company’s drive into the UK sports industry, building on the adoption of the InPlayer paywall technology in the US sports video market.
Smith brings with him more than ten years of experience working in the sports industry, in particular with sports leagues and regional clubs across the UK.
At Rightster, he was the senior business development lead for the company’s sports business, focusing on leagues, clubs and international federations.
Prior to Rightster, James headed up club partnerships at The Football League.
“James brings a wealth of sports industry contacts and expertise, as well as a keen understanding of engaging and transacting with audiences across digital platforms. He has the ability to introduce the UK local and regional sports industry to sports video monetisation strategies”, said Jean-Charles Lacoste, CEO of InPlayer.
Smith commented: “InPlayer has had a fast start in the US, in particular with the second and third tier sports leagues that don’t make it on to national TV, and is now working with a large number of leagues and sports clubs. With online video exploding and global IP video traffic estimated to reach 79 per cent of all consumer internet traffic in 2018, the UK sports market is increasingly ready for paid monetisation as well. The InPlayer technology is cutting-edge, which the rapid integration with Apple Pay illustrates. It can be leveraged across a network of syndication partners making InPlayer a powerful ally for sports content owners in a world where putting the right content in front of the right audience using traditional marketing channels is becoming increasingly expensive. I am looking forward helping the UK sports industry to start monetising their digital assets.”
