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Siege · 16-02-10, 01:44 PM

SeeSaw to fully launch tomorrow---Tuesday, February 16 2010

SeeSaw, the Arqiva-owned video on-demand venture, will go into full commercial launch tomorrow following a successful beta trial, it has emerged.

A breakfast briefing will be held in London tomorrow morning where the service will be showcased to the wider media before being launched to the public.

According to a report in The Daily Telegraph, around 20,000 people have tried out the IPTV service since it entered beta phase last month.

When it fully launches, SeeSaw will offer over 3,000 hours of programming following content deals with BBC Worldwide, Channel 4, Five and various independent production firms.

ITV is the only remaining terrestrial networks not to have directly licensed its content, but SeeSaw has reached a separate agreement with UK distributor Digital Rights Group to access flagship ITV1 dramas such as Doc Martin and Kingdom.

SeeSaw aims to provide a comprehensive online TV viewing resource for consumers to catch up on their favourite shows and browse library material.

The firm's managing director Pierre-Jean Sebert said that research has indicated around 2.5 million people in the UK regularly watch video on-demand services such as BBC iPlayer.

"We are initially targeting this group via an online advertising campaign and then moving our marketing efforts onto TV in order to capture the 13 million people who have used both linear and web TV services but are still more reliant upon the big screen," he said.

SeeSaw was created from the technology developed for the BBC Worldwide, ITV and Channel 4 IPTV joint video venture Project Kangaroo, which was blocked by the Competition Commission.

Arqiva paid around £8m to acquire the Kangaroo assets last July and has since been working to develop the platform and its all-important content deals.

All programming on the site will be supported by one minute-long pre and mid-roll adverts, positioned to reflect the linear TV experience.

Channel 4 and Five will be able to handle ad sales around their own content on SeeSaw, but the company will take an undisclosed fee each time a programme is viewed.

SeeSaw will also draw revenue from selling advertising on the remainder of its site, along with a premium paid-for service featuring predominantly US content.

However, Enders Analysis head of internet Ian Muade urged caution about the size of the market for IPTV services, estimating that it accounts for just 5% of total TV viewing.

He said: "The majority of people will continue to watch television via their big screens in the living room. VOD services like SeeSaw are not the holy grail for broadcasters and they should not rely upon them to save their revenues or viewing figures."

16-02-10, 01:44 PM	#1 (permalink)
Siege Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 2,354 Thanks: 9 Thanked 10 Times in 7 Posts	SeeSaw to fully launch tomorrow SeeSaw to fully launch tomorrow---Tuesday, February 16 2010 SeeSaw, the Arqiva-owned video on-demand venture, will go into full commercial launch tomorrow following a successful beta trial, it has emerged. A breakfast briefing will be held in London tomorrow morning where the service will be showcased to the wider media before being launched to the public. According to a report in The Daily Telegraph, around 20,000 people have tried out the IPTV service since it entered beta phase last month. When it fully launches, SeeSaw will offer over 3,000 hours of programming following content deals with BBC Worldwide, Channel 4, Five and various independent production firms. ITV is the only remaining terrestrial networks not to have directly licensed its content, but SeeSaw has reached a separate agreement with UK distributor Digital Rights Group to access flagship ITV1 dramas such as Doc Martin and Kingdom. SeeSaw aims to provide a comprehensive online TV viewing resource for consumers to catch up on their favourite shows and browse library material. The firm's managing director Pierre-Jean Sebert said that research has indicated around 2.5 million people in the UK regularly watch video on-demand services such as BBC iPlayer. "We are initially targeting this group via an online advertising campaign and then moving our marketing efforts onto TV in order to capture the 13 million people who have used both linear and web TV services but are still more reliant upon the big screen," he said. SeeSaw was created from the technology developed for the BBC Worldwide, ITV and Channel 4 IPTV joint video venture Project Kangaroo, which was blocked by the Competition Commission. Arqiva paid around £8m to acquire the Kangaroo assets last July and has since been working to develop the platform and its all-important content deals. All programming on the site will be supported by one minute-long pre and mid-roll adverts, positioned to reflect the linear TV experience. Channel 4 and Five will be able to handle ad sales around their own content on SeeSaw, but the company will take an undisclosed fee each time a programme is viewed. SeeSaw will also draw revenue from selling advertising on the remainder of its site, along with a premium paid-for service featuring predominantly US content. However, Enders Analysis head of internet Ian Muade urged caution about the size of the market for IPTV services, estimating that it accounts for just 5% of total TV viewing. He said: "The majority of people will continue to watch television via their big screens in the living room. VOD services like SeeSaw are not the holy grail for broadcasters and they should not rely upon them to save their revenues or viewing figures."