Entriq, Inc., a company that provides all-in-one pay media solutions to manage, protect, monetize and deliver multimedia content to broadband, mobile and IPTV devices worldwide, today announced that it has been selected by Channel 4 to help enable its new online video-on-demand offering.
Channel 4 recently announced an agreement with Buena Vista International Television (BVITV), the international TV distribution arm of The Walt Disney Company, to acquire the exclusive UK video-on-demand rights to Seasons One and Two of the Golden Globe and Emmy-winning hit Touchstone Television series Lost and Desperate Housewives. For the first time viewers in the UK can watch full length episodes streamed on the Channel 4 website, www.channel4.com. To ensure only legitimate consumers can access the content, Entriq will provide the necessary tools to provide security for all online video content including digital rights management, geographic controls, prevention of password trading and support of multiple business models. Entriq will also provide a customer care and billing solution, including live chat and email for consumers, allowing Channel 4 to provide a personalised, secure and user-friendly consumer experience.
The entire first season of Lost is now available for download at 99p per episode from the Channel 4 website and will also be syndicated, via the Entriq network, and made available via ntl Telewest's VoD service. The first two episodes of Season Two of Lost will available from Monday May 8th and seasons one and two of Desperate Housewives will also join the line-up in the near future.
Channel 4 is using the Entriq tools for many different premium video services on an ongoing basis. During the past year Channel 4 has used the Entriq platform to enable UK consumers to stream premium content from Big Brother 6, Space Cadets, Celebrity Big Brother, the IT Crowd and other shows.
Louise Brown, Head of Operations for New Media at Channel 4, said: "The Entriq platform enables us to securely offer compelling online content to our viewers that extends and adds significant value to Lost and Desperate Housewives, two of our most popular shows. We feel that working with Entriq allows us to develop online opportunities and keep Channel 4 at the forefront of new media innovation."
Jan Steenkamp, CEO of Entriq said "We are delighted to continue our relationship with Channel 4 on this exciting opportunity, thereby further developing our successful partnership. Both of these shows have proved hugely successful for Channel 4 in the past, and we'd expect huge consumer appetite for this online content. In recent months we have seen further growth in the success of our customers' online media efforts, leading us to believe the sector is maturing, and this initiative is yet another example of this trend."