Comcast to provide Web video services to rival cable operators
A division of cable provider Comcast has struck deals with three other rival cable operators to help them serve online video to their customers.
thePlatform is a Seattle-based digital media company that was acquired by Comcast in 2006 for about $100 million. The folding of its operations under the cable operator's umbrella has allowed thePlatform to invest further in its technologies.
The site generates revenue through advertising, as well as a system where providers pay for the amount of storage they use to host videos, and when a user streams a video from the site.
With the new deals, it is clear that Comcast no longer plans to solely rely on its cable television heritage to generate revenue. In fact, it likely sees the quickly growing digital media segment as a good fit for its future plans.
Deals have been signed with Comcast competitors Time Warner, Cox, and Cablevision, which call for thePlatform to publish video content and run advertising, while the partners would gain access to technologies for use in their own offerings.
"By removing much of the 'behind-the-scenes' technical complexity, we will enable them to focus their time on providing new and enhanced viewing experiences for consumers," thePlatform CEO Ian Blaine said of the deals.
A look at what these cable providers may do could be gleaned from Fancast, Comcast's recently launched video site. The service offers content from NBC Universal properties, as well as Fox-owned networks and CBS, among others.
According to comScore, videos on the site were viewed 270 million times in May, far below that of the 4.2 billion videos viewed through YouTube and other Google properties during the same period.
To be fair, YouTube largely offers user-generated content, while thePlatform only streams licensed content from commercial providers. NBC Universal recently launched its own commercial video streaming site called Hulu, which offers television episodes and other produced content.
thePlatform executives say moving beyond the PC screen is a goal for the video service. Within five years, the company is aiming to deliver as much as 40 percent of its content via televisions and mobile phones.