Brightcove, a leading online video platform, is releasing a reference solution for integrating and delivering revenue-generating video services across smartphones, tablets, computers and connected televisions. Brightcove will add support for content protection from Widevine, now owned by Google, and integration with third-party payment platform providers to facilitate the delivery of premium programming. It seems there is increasing confidence that consumers will be prepared to pay for online video, or at least recognition that advertising alone may not be enough.
The Brightcove video paywall solution incorporates payment and subscription management services from PayWizard and TinyPass. In addition to supporting Adobe Flash Access and Apple HLS encryption, Brightcove has also become a certified partner with Google Widevine, which provides content protection across 440 million devices, including over 270 million televisions, Blu-ray players, set-top boxes and games consoles.
“Media publishers are under pressure to offer paid access to their premium video content, but many are struggling to identify and knit together all the technologies that are required to deliver a great multi-screen consumer experience,” said Eric Elia, vice president of TV solutions at Brightcove. “Our new solution framework pulls together all the building blocks from multiple vendors into a state-of-the-art system that sells, delivers and protects content across PCs, smart phones, tablets and connected TVs.”
“Brightcove’s support for Google Widevine will make it easier than ever for Brightcove customers to implement DRM capabilities that are such a critical element to premium multi-screen video offerings,” he continued. “This will eliminate a great deal of the cost and complexity normally required to implement DRM across the broad range of devices that our customers are reaching.”
Brightcove plans to incorporate Widevine packaging into its Video Cloud media asset ingest process. When available, for an additional charge, media owners and licensees will be able to upload premium content and have it encrypted and packaged with Widevine digital rights management. These assets can then be delivered to consumer devices that support the Widevine technology.
The solution framework is embodied in reference applications, software, documentation and cloud services from multiple vendors that have been integrated and tested together in the context of paid video content scenarios.
This is designed to reduce risk and accelerate time to market for digital media publishers seeking to charge consumers directly.
“As part of Brightcove’s Video Paywall Solution Framework, PayWizard can help publishers drive revenue as well as offer a wider range of innovative payment options to consumers,” said PayWizard marketing director Stephen Petheram.
“With TinyPass, publishers can easily set up a paywall, subscription, or micropayment system to monetize Web and mobile content,” added David Restrepo of TinyPass.
A recent study from Accenture found that 69% of those surveyed were willing to pay a monthly subscription to watch online video, while 43% are already paying for some online video, although that includes those paying for television through subscription or broadcast licence fees, so it is surprising it is not far higher. Their greatest frustration was the presence of advertising during programming. They were likely to pay more for reduced advertising, higher technical quality and access to premium programming.
Brightcove is convinced that consumers are increasingly prepared to pay for online video, encouraged by the success of services such as Netflix. Enabling and protecting such revenues involves greater complexity, which the reference solutions from Brightcove aim to address. It will also put pressure on systems integrators that have been putting together their own solutions for customers.
Hearts, Minds and Wallets summarises research by Accenture based on an international online survey of online video consumption conducted in February and March 2012 across over 7,500 consumers.