Bonnier Broadcasting and Ericsson collaborate on Nordic video-on-demand service

Ericsson will supply online video platform C More with the OTT and subscription video-on-demand service for live TV, which is being developed by Bonnier Broadcasting.

Ericsson has been selected to provide the online video platform for the over-the-top (OTT) and subscription video on demand (SVOD) service currently being developed by Bonnier Broadcasting, a business area within the Bonnier group.

This multi-year agreement sees Ericsson provide various managed services, including content management and preparation, digital rights administration, subscriber management and billing and advertising insertion for multiple devices and platforms.

Next-generation Nordic online TV services will launch later this year. The Bonnier group's content, which includes sports, fiction series, comedies and national and international films, will be available from launch both on demand and live. In addition, they will be accessible from multiple platforms such as the web and iOS and Android devices.

Casten Almqvist, director of Bonnier Broadcasting and president and CEO of the TV4 group, states that "in the current context of digital transformation in which we find ourselves, we have to make all the technology that we put at the service of the user even more user-friendly, along with top-level local content. We have been working closely with Ericsson for a long time and it was logical that we chose it as a partner for the launch of our video on demand service C More."

Thorsten Sauer, Head of Broadcast and Media Services at Ericsson, explained: "Our long-standing relationship with TV4 for its online channels now extends to a business transformation that encompasses live and on-demand services across platforms. Consumers want access to content anytime, anywhere and on any device, something that TV4 is providing through its platform agnostic strategy. Ericsson is their partner in this transformation and our Ericsson Managed Player platform is designed to help our customers. to satisfy the needs of its audience, in a context that is constantly changing.”

The Ericsson Managed Player platform combines efficient delivery and playback of OTT content to deliver it to users efficiently. It is powered by Ericsson Mediaroom Reach, a highly scalable and adaptive, bitrate-based technology platform that enables intelligent delivery of OTT video to connected cross-platform devices. This managed service eliminates the complexities and problems in installing Internet TV updates and services to a large number of connected devices, allowing broadcasters to focus on the end user.

Ericsson has a long relationship with TV4. In 2009, TV4 selected Ericsson to manage the technical aspects of its end-to-end operations in a 10-year contract. Additionally, Ericsson and TV4 established a business and technology development forum where the two companies evaluate new business opportunities.