The connected TV revolution promises new distribution opportunities to content owners.
One, super-indie TV producer All3Media, is taking the opportunity to go up against companies that are usually its clients and partners.
It is launching a paid app on Samsung and LG (SEO: 066570) smart TVs to exploit its archive TV series.
The app will re-deploy 230 hours of its catalogue TV shows including Skins, The Only Way Is Essex, Midsomer Murders, Derren Brown and Peep Show from its over 20 independent production houses.
Such shows get their first live and on-demand runs with the broadcasters to which producers like All3Media license them. After that window, rights usually revert to the producer to exploit commercially as it sees fit.
Until now, the main ways producers have done so include iTunes Store and Hulu, but producers are keen for new opportunities, including going direct.
All3Media commercial director Andy Taylor (via release): “Our primary business will continue to be licensing our programmes to international broadcasters and video on demand partners such as Netflix (NSDQ: NFLX), Hulu and Lovefilm.
“The new All3Media app, however, will allow us to experiment with different payment models, to continue to get closer to our viewers and to experiment offering our content in a range of territories. It is estimated that there will be 500m connected TVs in the world in 2015 so now seems like a good time to experiment and learn about consumer behaviour”.
Payments will be processed by PayWizard. All3Media’s app is produced by EaselTV. One challenge is this – viewers have no idea who All3Media are; they only know its individual shows.