Liberty Global to deploy thePlatform's TV Everywhere platform

Liberty Global (Nasdaq: LBTYA) struck a deal to deploy thePlatform's white-label online video publishing system on its cable systems worldwide.

Publish Status panel, part of thePlatform's mpx video management system.

The agreement, which Liberty Global CEO Mike Fries announced during a keynote address at the IBC convention in Amsterdam Thursday, marks one of the largest TV Everywhere deployment agreements yet for thePlatform, which is owned by Comcast (Nasdaq: CMCSA). The company also supplies technology to Comcast, Cox Communications, Cablevision (NYSE: CVC), Rogers Communications (NYSE: RCI), Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC) and several programmers, including PBS, Starz and truTV.

Liberty Global said it will use thePlatform's cloud-based, mpx video management system as the central aggregation hub for collecting, protecting and publishing online video to its Web portals. It will also manage authorization for Liberty Global, granting subscribers access to online video content based on networks available in a customer's pay TV subscription package. Liberty counts 17.6 million subscribers worldwide, operating cable systems in 14 countries, including Germany, Belgium, Chile and Australia.

The agreement with Liberty Global is a big score for thePlatform, as it will see its technology deployed worldwide. But few U.S. cable MSOs have launched broad TV Everywhere websites such as Comcast's Fancast Xfinity TV.

While the technology is available that would allow cable operators to deliver premium online video to authorized subscribers, one of the biggest challenges distributors face is obtaining rights from programmers to distribute content to subscribers on the Web and mobile platforms. 

For more:
- see the news release

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