MUMBAI: Saffron Digital will be powering a new video digital platform developed by NBC Universal International. The video delivery platform will be used on websites in 20 countries worldwide.
The new platform will extend NBC Universal’s premium television brands online and enrich its broadcast output. Saffron Digital’s optimized video encoding platform will deliver fully protected content for the new Universal Networks brands including Syfy Universal (formerly the Sci Fi Channel), 13th Street Universal, Studio Universal, Diva Universal and the Universal Channel.
The wholly localized video will be available across the globe in both Western & Eastern Europe including the UK, Germany, Spain, Russia, and Portugal, as well as Latin America, South Africa and Asia Pacific.
Episodes of series such as V and Human Target have been streamed on the Syfy site, and selected content also features ad-loading, with advertisements integrated in the video stream.
Saffron has implemented a number of administrative features to make it easier for NBC Universal to access, upload and track the video content. Tracking enables the company to assess whether people watch video content all the way through, or whether they pause, skip or fast-forward through certain sections. NBC Universal is also able to use Saffron’s proprietary multi-device capabilities on other platforms.
NBC Universal Networks’ International vice president Web Businesses Jason Keane says, “Universal Networks’ new digital platform offers our users a rich interactive experience that complements our TV services, as we execute on our 360 digital media strategy, driving our TV audiences online so they can really interact with our brands. Saffron Digital’s proven experience in video delivery has enabled us to provide an outstanding, high quality service on our sites across the world.”
“This is a great start to our relationship with NBC Universal. This deployment enables NBC Universal to roll out high quality video across multiple platforms – this web implementation is just the beginning,” says Saffron Digital CEO Shashi Fernando.
