All3Media seeks to monetise archived shows with connected TV app

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Posted 20 March 2012 12:28pm by David Moth with 0 comments

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Independent TV production company All3Media has launched a new connected TV app that will allow viewers to rent its archived shows.

If it proves to be a success, this could be a new way for production companies to monetise their content.

The app will make over 230 hours of content available to rent for a 48 hour period, and includes programmes like Skins, The Only Way Is Essex, Midsomer Murders and Peep Show.

The shows will become available after their on-demand runs with broadcasters have expired. 

Prices will range from 49p to 99p, with users paying for the shows by entering a pin code (which is linked to a PayWizard account).

The app, which will go live in April, was developed for Samsung and LG smart TVs by easeltv, PayWizard and Ooyala.

Easeltv chief marketing officer Rob Walk said the app is a "test of concept" to see whether consumers will use the app and to find the correct pricing model.

I think we will see more independent companies doing this as they have a lot of very good archived content that they own the rights to. They now know that if they don't have a distribution deal they have a new opportunity to make money from their content."

He said that connected TV is a great way for brands to engage with customers, however more work needed to be put into developing user-friendly apps alongside an effective content strategy.

On Samsung and LG sets there are a lot of apps that are pretty substandard, they just look like websites on the TV screen. To get users to download an app you have to offer them content that they actually want and make it simple to use."

The All3Media app works on a similar basis to a new BBC download service that allows users to buy archived TV shows.

Labelled 'Project Barcelona', the BBC hopes its new service will rival iTunes and is trying to undercut Apple by offering production companies a bigger share of the profits.

In other connected TV news this morning, Zeebox has announced that it will integrate Mobile Interactive Group's interactive social payments and voting solution Engage into its social TV app.

This should allow production companies to run competitions, polls and integrate commerce through Zeebox.

David Moth is a Reporter at Econsultancy. You can follow him on Twitter.