Brightcove partners with LG to grow online video distribution to connected TVs

Online video platform Brightcove is taking advantage of what analysts say is a growing trend that will have greater penetration into the home than any other over-the-top delivery device, connected TVs, partnering with LG Electronics to give Brightcove customers the ability to publish and distribute their video content to LG NetCast-based Smart TVs.

While the partnership will enable Brightcove customers to extend the reach of their video initiatives, it also gives consumers wider choice and control over news and entertainment programming through TV access to highly popular on-demand online video content. 

"The partnership between LG and Brightcove opens up a new, global distribution channel to the living room for professional media," said Eric Elia, Brightcove's vice president of TV solutions.

Later this year, Brightcove will introduce a series of tools and support resources to help organizations take advantage of the LG Smart TV platform, including a functionally complete reference application to give customers an advanced starting point for creating immersive LG Smart TV video viewing experiences.

Piper Jaffray's Gene Munster forecast 220 million flat-panel TV sales in 2012, and said some 48 percent, 105.6 million, would be connected TVs. Research from In-Stat, meanwhile, said more than 1 billion connected TVs and connected Blu-ray players would be in operation around the world by 2015. And while other research has shown that not all Internet-ready TVs are actually ever connected, the number still dwarfs other video access options like Boxee Box, Roku, Apple TV or any of the popular gaming platforms, making LG a pretty potent partner for Brightcove.

As Elia points out, even with the influx of new OTT devices on the market, it can be tough to get consumers to install new hardware in their living room. Connected TVs make that moot, and make accessing the Internet a one-step process.

"Living room inertia is tough to beat," he said.

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