Paris, France - October 23, 2019 –Dalet, a leading provider of solutions and services for broadcasters and content professionals, today announced it has expanded integration of the Interra Systems’ BATON platform to include the Ooyala Flex Media Platform.

Cupertino, California-based Interra Systems' BATON is the media industry’s leading machine learning- and AI-enabled automated file-based quality control (QC) platform. It provides comprehensive quality and compliance checks for VOD content, in the cloud and on-premises, for linear and streaming workflows.

The expanded technology partnership enables Dalet Galaxy five and Ooyala Flex Media Platform customers to deploy advanced automated quality assurance and compliance workflows.

"Dalet and Interra have had a long, successful partnership. In the past five years alone, we have done over 50 joint Interra Baton and Dalet Galaxy projects, worldwide,” said Kevin Savina, director of product strategy, Dalet. “This has been a very fruitful relationship and we expect this success to continue with the support of Interra Baton to the Ooyala Flex Media Platform, with the next major deployment being in India.”

Dalet Galaxy five and Ooyala Flex Media Platform customers leveraging BATON integration include VDM, Telefe, Mediacorp, Bundesliga, MBC Dubai, National Archives of Singapore, BBC Wales, Mediaset, ABS-CBN and NOS Portugal.

Acquired by Dalet in July 2019, the Ooyala Flex Media Platform is an open and extensible asset management solution that simplifies and streamlines the entire content supply chain, from production to profit, significantly reducing clients’ costs and complexity while increasing their revenue. The new API-based integration is designed to address QC seamlessly throughout the supply chain, automating quality checks at various stages and powering today’s media factories from ingest through production and distribution. BATON’s QC reports can be populated automatically to metadata fields for each asset within the workflow, enabling users to see the results of the QC analysis.

“Interra Systems’ BATON integrates tightly with Ooyala Flex Media Platform and ensures content readiness throughout the value chain,” said Anupama Anantharaman, VP of Product Management, Interra Systems. “This collaboration will benefit clients of both our companies, while enabling content creators and distributors to deliver high quality content.”

“Video quality is increasingly crucial in today’s competitive M&E landscape,” said Bea Alonso, director of product marketing, Dalet. “The integration of our platforms with the industry-leading BATON QC platform provides an automated solution for accelerated delivery of high-quality, tested content, opening the door for media companies to increase their operational efficiency and better monetize their catalogs, no matter their business model.”

For more information on Dalet Galaxy five and the Ooyala Flex Media Platform, please visit https://www.dalet.com/partner/interra-systems.

About Interra Systems

Interra Systems is a global provider of enterprise-class solutions that streamline the classification, quality control (QC) process, and monitoring of media content across the entire creation and distribution chain. Relying on Interra Systems' comprehensive video insights, media businesses can deliver video with high quality of experience, address new market trends, and improve monetization.

Widely adopted by broadcast, cable, telco, satellite, IPTV, OTT, and post-production markets around the world, Interra Systems’ products enable better quality video, reduced exposure to regulatory issues, and higher customer satisfaction. Featuring AI- and machine learning-enabled algorithms, along with a flexible, software-defined architecture, Interra Systems’ solutions support a variety of deployment scenarios, including the cloud, for higher performance, scalability, and efficiency.

The company’s industry-leading solutions include BATON, a next-generation hybrid QC solution that delivers comprehensive capabilities way beyond standard automated QC; ORION and ORION-OTT real-time content monitors assuring high QoE; and VEGA media analyzers for compliance and debug of encoded streams.

About Dalet Digital Media Systems

Dalet solutions and services enable media organisations to create, manage and distribute content faster and more efficiently, fully maximising the value of assets. Based on an agile foundation, Dalet offers rich collaborative tools empowering end-to-end workflows for news, sports, program preparation, post-production, archives and enterprise content management, radio, education, governments and institutions.

Dalet platforms are scalable and modular. They offer targeted applications with key capabilities to address critical functions of small to large media operations - such as planning, workflow orchestration, ingest, cataloguing, editing, chat & notifications, transcoding, play out automation, multi-platform distribution and analytics.

In July 2019, Dalet announced the acquisition of the Ooyala Flex Media Platform business. An acceleration of the company’s mission, the move brings tremendous value to existing Dalet and Ooyala customers, opening vast opportunities for OTT & digital distribution.

Dalet solutions and services are used around the world at hundreds of content producers and distributors, including public broadcasters (BBC, CBC, France TV, RAI, TV2 Denmark, RFI, Russia Today, RT Malaysia, SBS Australia, VOA), commercial networks and operators (Canal+, FOX, MBC Dubai, Mediacorp, Fox Sports Australia, Turner Asia, Mediaset, Orange, Charter Spectrum, Warner Bros, Sirius XM Radio), sporting organisations (National Rugby League, FIVB, Bundesliga) and government organisations (UK Parliament, NATO, United Nations, Veterans Affairs, NASA).

Dalet is traded on the NYSE-EURONEXT stock exchange (Eurolist C): ISIN: FR0011026749, Bloomberg DLT:FP, Reuters: DALE.PA.

Dalet® is a registered trademark of Dalet Digital Media Systems. All other products and trademarks mentioned herein belong to their respective owners.

For more information on Dalet, visit www.dalet.com.

Press Contact

Alex Molina

Zazil Media Group

(e) alex@zazilmediagroup.com

(p) +1 (617) 834-9600

Paris, France – August 28, 2019 – Dalet, a leading provider of solutions and services for broadcasters and content professionals, will demonstrate how its newly expanded media product lineup manages the content supply chain from production to distribution for a much wider range of media management needs and a significantly broader market at the 2019 IBC Show (Hall 8, Stand B77), held in Amsterdam from September 13th through September 17th. The recent Ooyala Flex Media Platform business acquisition combined with new product introductions spanning broadcast graphics, AI-powered content and production workflows, and IP infrastructure add even greater breadth and depth to the Dalet media management capabilities.

The expanded Dalet product offering answers the needs of existing news, sports, programs, radio and archive customers requiring solutions to enable enterprise orchestration, intensive production and multi-platform distribution workflows. For new customers and markets, including corporate brands, telcos, sports teams and leagues, Dalet now offers agile, subscription-based solutions to manage multi-platform packaging and digital media distribution workflows.

“Today, the ability to launch new services quickly at reduced operational costs is essential for content owners and distributors to remain competitive, and both Dalet and Ooyala have been helping them address this challenge in our respective areas of expertise. This was one of the key drivers behind the Ooyala acquisition,” states Kevin Savina, Director of Product Strategy, Dalet. “The Ooyala Flex Media Platform, with its strong OTT content supply chain and multi-platform distribution capabilities, is a perfect complement to Dalet Galaxy five, which is the platform of choice for production-intensive and enterprise media operations. We look forward to demonstrating that at IBC2019 alongside all the other innovations we will be showcasing on our other platforms.”

Powering the Digital Content Supply Chain & Multi-platform Distribution - Ooyala Flex Media Platform

Now under the Dalet umbrella, the Ooyala Flex Media Platform is nested within a media ecosystem that will enable a steady growth path, with a number of new features being unveiled at IBC2019. The platform now includes the ability to publish to multiple online video platforms, such as Kaltura, JWPlayer and Brightcove, offering increased support for OTT workflows and multi-platform distribution. Integration with Dalet AmberFin for orchestrated, high-quality media processing, and Dalet Media Cortex for AI-augmented workflows will also be demonstrated at the show, developing the first synergies between the Ooyala Flex Media Platform and the wider Dalet product range.

Leveraging AI to Augment Content Workflows - Dalet Media Cortex
The AI SaaS platform, Dalet Media Cortex, automatically enriches content and provides actionable insights, contextual recommendations, speech-to-text transcriptions and automated closed captioning, offering real value for both the users and the wider organization. An add-on to Dalet Galaxy five and Ooyala Flex Media Platform, the pay-as-you-go AI platform helps media organizations leverage cognitive services and machine learning across content operations and businesses. Providing the right insights, in the right toolset, with the right context, Dalet Media Cortex helps content producers, owners and publishers across news, sports, programs and radio operations make the most of their media assets and become more productive, automating mundane tasks so they can focus on the creative editorial process.

Advanced Broadcast Graphics with Brainstorm Real-Time Graphics Engine - Dalet Cube
Fully integrated across the Dalet Unified News Operations solution powered by Dalet Galaxy five, the state-of-the-art, full-featured Dalet Cube graphics platform is a major upgrade and leverages the industry-leading Brainstorm real-time graphics engine to deliver superior 2D and 3D branding and visuals. Suited for both on-air and file-based graphics creation, the Dalet Cube unified approach enables news broadcasters to easily create dynamic branding and up-level visual storytelling across traditional, digital and social channels.

Exceptional In-the-Field Multimedia Production Experience - Dalet Remote Editing
Media organizations in fast-paced production markets such as news, sports and reality TV have extensive in-the-field production needs. The Dalet Remote Editing highly scalable framework brings full-featured multimedia editing capabilities and speed to the editors working in the field or out of remote offices, as well as freelancers. Dalet Remote Editing securely connects journalists, producers, editors and other content creators to the central content hub, enabling remote users to edit, assemble, collaborate and quickly submit packages or download high-resolution media to finalize locally even in low-bandwidth situations, with no additional PAM or MAM required. The first release of the new Dalet Remote Editing framework supports Dalet OneCut natively with subsequent updates supporting Dalet Xtend-compatible third-party editing applications.

A Clear Path to IP - Dalet Brio
Dalet is providing media organizations a clear path and controlled transition to IP with support for SMPTE ST 2110 in the latest release of its Dalet Brio I/O platform. Supporting both SMPTE ST 2110 and SDI standard workflows, the high-density ingest and playout platform allows media facilities to invest in their future IP infrastructure without disrupting their current operation. The cornerstone of advanced, IP-ready media operations, Dalet Brio adapts to new production and distribution environments with advanced capabilities that manage ingest, transfers and playout to and from a wide range of systems and devices. Its extensive IP support enables users to process a wide range of parallel streams including SMPTE ST 2110, ST 2022-2 and NDI for linear channels, and RTMP for digital platforms like Facebook Live, YouTube and Twitter.

Better Together - Join us for a Very Special Dalet Pulse Event!

This IBC2019, the Dalet Pulse media innovation summit will expand its platform to include Ooyala. Celebrating the joining of two great media teams and technologies, the Dalet Pulse theme this year, Better Together, will give attendees a chance to learn about the extended product portfolio and how it helps leading media organizations develop agile content supply chains, deliver unique content experiences to multi-platform audiences, and increase revenues with Dalet solutions and partner technologies. It’s also a unique opportunity to meet the expanded team.

Thursday, 12 September
Bar Restaurant Pompstation, Amsterdam
Keynote: 17:30 - 19:00

Party: 19:00 - 22:00

Register now via https://www.dalet.com/events/dalet-pulse-ibc-2019.

Book a Private Briefing to Learn More About Dalet

Take the opportunity to have a private demonstration or workflow consultation with a Dalet expert to learn how the latest products and solutions can help you better create, manage and distribute content. Book a meeting via https://www.dalet.com/events/ibc-show-2019.

Press can contact Alex Molina at alex@zazilmediagroup.com to schedule a media briefing.

About Dalet Digital Media Systems

Dalet solutions and services enable media organisations to create, manage and distribute content faster and more efficiently, fully maximising the value of assets. Based on an agile foundation, Dalet offers rich collaborative tools empowering end-to-end workflows for news, sports, program preparation, post-production, archives and enterprise content management, radio, education, governments and institutions.

Dalet platforms are scalable and modular. They offer targeted applications with key capabilities to address critical functions of small to large media operations - such as planning, workflow orchestration, ingest, cataloguing, editing, chat & notifications, transcoding, play out automation, multi-platform distribution and analytics.

In July 2019, Dalet announced the acquisition of the Ooyala Flex Media Platform business. An acceleration of the company’s mission, the move brings tremendous value to existing Dalet and Ooyala customers, opening vast opportunities for OTT & digital distribution.

Dalet solutions and services are used around the world at hundreds of content producers and distributors, including public broadcasters (BBC, CBC, France TV, RAI, TV2 Denmark, RFI, Russia Today, RT Malaysia, SBS Australia, VOA), commercial networks and operators (Canal+, FOX, MBC Dubai, Mediacorp, Fox Sports Australia, Turner Asia, Mediaset, Orange, Charter Spectrum, Warner Bros, Sirius XM Radio), sporting organisations (National Rugby League, FIVB, LFP) and government organisations (UK Parliament, NATO, United Nations, Veterans Affairs, NASA).

Dalet is traded on the NYSE-EURONEXT stock exchange (Eurolist C): ISIN: FR0011026749, Bloomberg DLT:FP, Reuters: DALE.PA.

Dalet® is a registered trademark of Dalet Digital Media Systems. All other products and trademarks mentioned herein belong to their respective owners.

For more information on Dalet, visit www.dalet.com.

Press Contact

Alex Molina

Zazil Media Group

(e) alex@zazilmediagroup.com

(p) +1 (617) 834-9600

####

PARIS—Dalet has acquired the Ooyala Flex Media Platform business, a SaaS offering for digital media distribution workflows, for $4.9 million. 

The acquisition follows a turbulent period for Ooyala, as it conducted a management buyout from previous owner Telestra in 2018 and sold its online video platform business to Brightcove in February for $15 million.

Dalet, a French-based provider of digital media management and distribution technology says the acquisition will expand its customer base in News and Production workflows, and accelerate Dalet's strategic move to increase recurring revenue models, with a subscription/SaaS-based services offering.

Ooyala is “a perfect complement to our existing Dalet Galaxy five offering in our traditional markets, the Ooyala Flex Media Platform also opens opportunities for new customers such as corporate brands, telcos, leagues and sports teams, who are looking to simply manage their media assets,” said David Lasry, chief executive officer for Dalet. “The modern metadata management and orchestration capabilities of the Ooyala Flex Media Platform bring what these organizations need to lower TCO, improve agility and reduce time to market.

“Furthermore, Dalet’s proven products and services will enable Ooyala customers to augment and expand their Ooyala Flex Media Platform. We have a technology path forward supported by expanded, world-class professional services and customer success teams that can provide the know-how and expert guidance on scaling media operations to optimize the value of their Ooyala investment.”

The transaction involves sales, marketing and engineering, professional services and support. Ooyala’s customers include Audi, Fox Sports Australia, HBO Asia, Media Prima, National Rugby League, Turner Asia, TV2, Zomin.TV, The Picture Production Company, Sky Sports, and Smoke and Mirrors.

Jonathan Huberman, CEO of Ooyala will step down to “pursue other opportunities,” according to a spokesman.

“I am incredibly proud of what Ooyala has accomplished,” Huberman said. “Our talented research and engineering team has built a renowned technology platform that powers core media workflows for some of the world’s most iconic brands.

“Dalet’s strong market position and deep expertise in designing and deploying media workflows is an outstanding fit for Ooyala customers and technical teams. I am confident under their guidance, they will continue to innovate and grow.”

Paris, France – July 15, 2019 –Dalet, a leading provider of solutions and services for broadcasters and content professionals, today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the Ooyala Flex Media Platform business. The asset deal includes the Ooyala Flex Media Platform, as well as Ooyala personnel across sales, marketing, engineering, professional services, and support. The Ooyala Flex Media Platform, which is primarily sold as a subscription/SaaS offering, is a perfect solution for servicing OTT and digital media distribution workflows. The acquisition of these assets, personnel, and customers will expand the Dalet solutions offering to more verticals and tiers beyond its traditional customer base in News and Production workflows, and accelerate Dalet's strategic move to increase recurring revenue models, with a subscription/SaaS-based services offering.

“By acquiring Ooyala, Dalet significantly widens the markets it can address in terms of verticals and their respective tiers of complexity. A perfect complement to our existing Dalet Galaxy five offering in our traditional markets, the Ooyala Flex Media Platform also opens opportunities for new customers such as corporate brands, telcos, leagues and sports teams, who are looking to simply manage their media assets. The modern metadata management and orchestration capabilities of the Ooyala Flex Media Platform bring what these organizations need to lower TCO, improve agility and reduce time to market,” states David Lasry, chief executive officer, Dalet. “Furthermore, Dalet’s proven products and services will enable Ooyala customers to augment and expand their Ooyala Flex Media Platform. We have a technology path forward supported by expanded, world-class professional services and customer success teams that can provide the know-how and expert guidance on scaling media operations to optimize the value of their Ooyala investment.”

Ooyala’s customers include leading brands such as Audi, Fox Sports Australia, HBO Asia, Media Prima, National Rugby League, Turner Asia, TV2, Zomin.TV, The Picture Production Company, Sky Sports, and Smoke and Mirrors. Together, Dalet’s and Ooyala’s experienced teams dedicated to support, DevOps, and on-premise/cloud platform monitoring will better serve these premium customers.

“I am incredibly proud of what Ooyala has accomplished. Our talented research and engineering team has built a renowned technology platform that powers core media workflows for some of the world’s most iconic brands,” comments Jonathan Huberman, chief executive officer of Ooyala. “Dalet’s strong market position and deep expertise in designing and deploying media workflows is an outstanding fit for Ooyala customers and technical teams. I am confident under their guidance, they will continue to innovate and grow.”

Advisors

BrowneJacobson (London) and King and Spalding LLP (France) provided legal representation to Dalet for the transaction. Latham Watkins provided legal representation to Ooyala for the transaction.

RSM acted as accounting and tax advisors to Dalet for the transaction. SOJE Capital LLC sourced and advised Dalet on the acquisition.

For more information about Dalet and its solutions, please visit www.dalet.com.

About Ooyala

Ooyala’s flexible and configurable content supply chain platform resolves the multi-platform delivery needs of today’s content creators and distributors.

The Ooyala Flex Media Platform has become the media factory of choice for innovative content owners worldwide. It orchestrates thousands of video workflows, manages assets and metadata across multiple systems, and analyzes bottlenecks within the entire content supply chain. The Ooyala Flex Media Platform utilizes open APIs to integrate with existing systems to provide a single source of truth for media, entertainment and sports companies.

About Dalet Digital Media Systems

Dalet solutions and services enable media organisations to create, manage and distribute content faster and more efficiently, fully maximising the value of assets. Based on an agile foundation, Dalet offers rich collaborative tools empowering end-to-end workflows for news, sports, program preparation, post-production, archives and enterprise content management, radio, education, governments and institutions.

Dalet platforms are scalable and modular. They offer targeted applications with key capabilities to address critical functions of small to large media operations - such as planning, workflow orchestration, ingest, cataloguing, editing, chat & notifications, transcoding, play out automation, multi-platform distribution and analytics.

Dalet solutions and services are used around the world at hundreds of content producers and distributors, including public broadcasters (BBC, CBC, France TV, RAI, RFI, Russia Today, RT Malaysia, SBS Australia, VOA), commercial networks and operators (Canal+, FOX, MBC Dubai, Mediacorp, Mediaset, Orange, Charter Spectrum, Warner Bros, Sirius XM Radio) and government organisations (UK Parliament, NATO, United Nations, Veterans Affairs, NASA).

Dalet is traded on the NYSE-EURONEXT stock exchange (Eurolist C): ISIN: FR0011026749, Bloomberg DLT:FP, Reuters: DALE.PA.

Dalet® is a registered trademark of Dalet Digital Media Systems. All other products and trademarks mentioned herein belong to their respective owners.

For more information on Dalet, visit www.dalet.com.

Press Contact

Alex Molina

Zazil Media Group

(e) alex@zazilmediagroup.com

(p) +1 (617) 834-9600

BOSTON—Brightcove, a cloud services provider for video, is entering into a definitive agreement that will see the company acquire cloud video technology Ooyala’s online video platform business.

The acquisition will have Brightcove taking on Ooyala’s OVP technology, which includes the video content management and publishing platform Backlot, as well as other platforms Analytics, Live and Ooyala’s underlying IP and associated patents. Brightcove will also acquire parts of Ooyala’s engineering, support and sales staff, including all of the company’s Guadalajera, Mexico, operations. Per the press release, Brightcove also intends to take on all global customer, reseller and partner relationships that are part of the OVP business.

Brightcove is expected to integrate aspects of Ooyala’s technology into Brightcove’s online video platform to boost its global offerings for customers.

This acquisition comes about four months after Ooyala management bought itself out from Telestra. Telestra had owned Ooyala since 2014, but earlier in 2018 said that the acquisition of Ooyala had resulted in more than $500 million in write-downs, and that as of last February it valued its investment with Ooyala at zero.

The deal is for a reported value of $15 million.

“This transaction, which includes immediately growing our highly skilled and committed global workforce, accelerates our ability to deliver faster innovation and deeper support for all customers,” said Jeff Ray, Brightcove CEO.

The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2019.

Ooyala has announced a partnership with the Digital Production Partnership to advance global news industry standards for the use of metadata.

The DPP’s Metadata Exchange for News is designed to establish standards for delivering news content, from planning and production to distribution and archive.

The initiative allows metadata generated in newsroom planning systems to be transferred to cameras and ingested into MAM systems, before being delivered to a publishing system.

This allows organizations to get breaking news stories to air quickly and to manage rights issues easily, as news packages and clips are clearly marked with copyright and restriction information.

DPP managing director Mark Harrison said: “News organizations want journalists and correspondents to be focused on the story, not the process.”

“With the participation of leading companies, like Ooyala, in the MAM and workflow-automation fields, we will advance more quickly toward these important objectives.”

The explosion of streaming/OTT services and channels have given the average American TV household more choices than ever before. Although Millennials are increasingly abandoning traditional TV for viewing SVOD on mobile devices, Baby Boomers are not far behind in their adoption of OTT as well, according to a new report from Ooyala.

“While older viewers remain the lifeblood of traditional broadcasters, increasingly they too are adopting OTT,” said Jim O’Neill, principal analyst for the company in its “State of the Broadcast Industry 2019.” He cited a 2018 Kagan survey that showed that VOD-only viewing among Internet adults had doubled to 12 percent from 6 percent a year earlier, with Boomers and the Silent Generation--those born before World War II--showing the biggest shift toward VOD.

In respect to UHD, consumers are “all in” on the high-res format, O’Neill said, citing a report from Futuresource that predicts double digit growth in sales into 2022 as UHD TV shipments “power past 100 million units” in 2018. China is the biggest market for UHD, followed by the U.S.

The demand for UHD/4K content will be driven by new, affordable 4K-capable streaming devices and the availability of content from services such as Netflix. “Broadcasters have upped their UHD game as well,” O’Neill said. “The promise of 4K and UHD content from the Winter Olympics and FIFA World Cup helped drive consumer interested and prompted more broadcasters to make those streams available.”

Ironically, if broadcasters are going to deliver on the promise of UHD, it won’t be via the new broadcast standard ATSC 3.0, according to the report. O’Neill cited the slow process of standards development and deployment and questions over whether consumer electronics devices will be available as mitigating factors.

“The standards have been debated for years,” he said. “Every major broadcasting conference contains multiple sessions to talk about its future, and several major players have promised to support it. The bigger problem may be a simple one: Consumers. Television sets need the right chips to take advantage of ATSC 3.0, so consumer electronics manufacturers have to be onboard.”

This impatience was reflected in a quote from Frank Aycock, a “theoretical televisionist” and professor at Appalachian State University: “It’s time to declare ATSC 3.0 DOA,” he said. “Just like Mobile DTV before it, ATSC 3.0 has not lived (and is not living) up to the hype that heralded its introduction to the 21st Century Television audience.”

“The bottom line may be that 5G is already winning the content delivery race before it has even officially begun,” O’Neill concludes.

The report recommends broadcasters wholeheartedly embrace OTT, citing the networks’ move towards creating their own OTT portals for network programming.

“Broadcasters CBS and NBCU have turned selling content to streamers into an art, even calling out impressive revenue streams from OTT sales as highlights in quarterly earnings calls,” O’Neill said. “That, more than anything else, shines a bright light on the future of broadcasting and the future of streaming. 

Ooyala, a leader in content supply chain solutions for OTT, content production, and digital distribution, announced a collaboration with Google Cloud to leverage robust Google Cloud technologies for the cutting-edge Ooyala Flex Media Platform, which empowers media owners to automate their video workflows, expand their audiences and get content to market faster, and with greater flexibility and security.

One of the world’s fastest growing content supply chain solutions being used by innovative content owners to simplify millions of video workflows, the Ooyala Flex Media Platform is an open and extensible solution that powers media delivery, workflow orchestration and content monetization. The platform will now run on the modern, scalable and secure Google Cloud Platform, tapping into the Google Compute Engine for scalability and robust performance, Google Cloud Storage for unified and secured storage, and the Google Cloud global network for fast and high performing content delivery.

“We’re excited to be collaborating with Google Cloud. Around the world, media companies are looking for ways to deliver and monetize their content faster, and with far greater flexibility and efficiencies.” said Jonathan Huberman, CEO, Ooyala. “Our collaboration with Google Cloud will further strengthen our position as a leading technology provider for global broadcasters and media companies.”

The Ooyala Flex Media Platform running on Google Cloud Platform will empower innovative media owners to automate video workflows for greater efficiencies, expand their audiences globally, scale their business with confidence and drive more revenue.

SAN JOSE, CA.–Ooyala and Telstra have announced that the management of Ooyala has completed a buyout of Ooyala from owner Telstra. Telstra says it will remain a "valued partner and customer" of Ooyala.

Telstra began investing in Ooyala, a Silicon Valley-based provider of OTT, content production, and digital distribution technology in 2012 and then bought the company outright in 2014 in a deal worth approximately $270 million with plans to take the company public. But the deal has gone south since then, with Telstra, Australia’s largest telecommunications company, announcing earlier this year that it had taken more than $500 million in write-downs for its acquisition of Ooyala over the past several years.

“This was a business that Telstra purchased when the market dynamics were very different,” Telstra Chairman Stephen Elop said in February. At the time, the company valued its Ooyala investment at zero and Elop noted that its advertising technology division "has not performed well."

Ooyala’s management team said it will focus on continuing to market its Ooyala Flex Media Platform that provides cross-device playback and monetization, TV-grade live streaming, MAM-based content management, and insights-driven content creation. Customers include Audi, Chelsea FC, Dell, National Rugby League of Australia, PGA, Starhub, Sky Sports, Turner and Telstra.

“The management team is excited to take on this next chapter in Ooyala’s growth,” said Jonathan Huberman, CEO of Ooyala. “We are pleased by the tremendous market reception of our flagship product, Ooyala Flex Media Platform, and how it has enabled our OVP and media logistics customers to drive supply chain efficiencies and revenue growth through automation and AI-driven insights. We will continue to invest in Ooyala Flex Media Platform to increase our market-leading position in video streaming and media logistics. In addition, leveraging our resources and in partnership with private equity investors, we are actively exploring acquisition opportunities to further accelerate Ooyala’s growth.”

LONDON--The 2018 IBC Show is introducing the "Content Everywhere Hub," a section of the show floor covering the latest trends, strategies and developments in online TV and video. During the show’s run, Sept. 13-18, the hub will host 10 expert panel discussions and 34 product demos.

Situated in Hall 14 at the Rai, IBC Content Everywhere combines a high-quality exhibition with the Hub program designed to help visitors learn and experience how innovative new technologies are expanding the opportunities arising from the exponential growth of content consumption online.

[Read: IP Showcase Returns To IBC]

The agenda for the Hub is centered on 10 panel discussions drawing together a range of perspectives and expertise on key issues including the implications for the digital media sector of high profile emerging technologies such as 5G, Edge computing and blockchain. Other topics covered will include how to successfully grow an OTT service, how artificial intelligence and machine learning are impacting content creation, OTT distribution and monetisation, new business models and innovations in programmatic advertising, as well as the convergence of broadcast and telecoms.

There will also be 34 product demonstrations covering the entire OTT distribution chain, including online video platforms, transcoding and streaming solutions, content security options and monetization techniques. Speakers will include experts from small start-ups to some of the biggest names in technology including Google, Alibaba, CSGi, Telia, Ooyala and Roku.

SAN JOSE, CA.—Avid has integrated Ooyala’s Flex Media Platform in Avid MediaCentral. Ooyala says the integration will help media companies get content to consumers in a rapid, streamlined manner that maximizes ROI. Ooyala’s Flex Media Platform is an open, extensible video production, delivery and content-supply-chain-optimization platform that simplifies and streamlines managing, curating, orchestrating, publishing, measuring and monetizing video content.

With this integration, assets can be seamlessly transferred from cloud-based storage into existing Avid production environments. Avid MediaCentral is a modular, scalable media platform that integrates a variety of Avid products to form an end-to-end workflow that can encompass the management of newsrooms, graphics, editorial, sports, and other key production areas.

[Read: Ooyala: Growing Frustration Among OTT Viewers] 

Since managing large video databases can be challenging without effective metadata management, Ooyala says its Flex Media Platform orchestrates the process by sharing metadata and analytics, automating metadata management, and leveraging advanced metadata modeling using metadata aggregated from a variety of sources. 

SAN JOSE, CALIF.—The time people spent consuming video on their mobile phones approached a half hour last year, and by 2022 mobile video will account for three-quarters of mobile data traffic, but there is a degree of frustration emerging among consumers with the OTT viewing experience. The findings, presented in Ooyala’s “Broadcast Industry 2018” report, a survey of research findings from a variety of organizations, including Zenith Media, Unisphere Research, Ericsson, and Ooyala itself, reveal an emerging paradox between the meteoric rise in the popularity of OTT content and a growing frustration among OTT viewers when it comes to accessing something to watch.

The report, which is available online (registration required), stems from navigating through an OTT world where there are too many choices. While consumers appreciate the availability of content everywhere on any device, Millennials say they are overwhelmed by so many options. Underscoring the situation, the report points to Park Associates, which estimates more than 200 OTT services are available in North America, and Hub Entertainment, which says 49 percent of viewers say there are too many TV programs from which to choose.

Millennials, in particular, say they are less than satisfied with existing OTT services, according to Morning Consult, as quoted by Ooyala. This frustration will drive improvements in areas like authentication, content curation, search and discover and personalization, Ooyala forecasts.

Content distributors are focusing on several areas to maintain viewers, and the report lays them out. They include format experimentation, social media, bundling, IP technology and original content.

According to Ooyala, 2018 will be a pivotal year for OTT as online viewing of the 2018 Winter Olympics and the royal wedding are expected to generate massive online viewership.

SAN JOSE, CALIF.—Mobile video continued its strong growth in the third quarter of 2017, according to the Q3 2017 Global Video Index report from Ooyala, and that trend seems poised to continue into 2018.

The report found that Q3 2017 saw a record high of 58 percent of video plays globally occurred on mobile devices, the sixth consecutive quarter where mobile devices made up 50 percent or more of all online video starts. Following that trends, Ooyala predicts that by mid-2018, more than 60 percent of all video plays will be on mobile devices.

Another key finding from the report was the use of mobile devices to view long-form video. Long-form time-watched grew nearly 77 percent on smartphones and nearly 70 percent for tablets in Q3 2017 compared to Q3 2016. Medium-form video consumption saw a decline, per the report.

One area of interest in the report was the use of mobile devices to watch sporting events. Mobile devices accounted for 58 percent of online sports viewing, with smartphones being used more than 46 percent of the time and tablets more than 11 percent of the time. Related findings included:

• 18 to 49-year-old males were the largest adopters of online video via smartphones;
• Video was played on smartphones four-times more than on tablets, setting a record high of 51.1 percent in July;
• Mobile accounted for nearly 63 percent of all Q3 sports-video plays, with viewing on smartphones above 50 percent and tablets at 12 percent; PCs make up 35 percent of plays and connected TVs less than 3 percent;
• Mobile devices accounted for nearly two-thirds of all viewers of geo-blocked sporting events; smartphones remained the device of choice with more than 51 percent of users.

Globally, mobile devices also had a significant presence. In the EMEA region, mobile represents 56 percent of all video plays, a 15 percent quarter-over-quarter increase; mobile represented 54 percent of all video plays in North America; the Asia-Pacific region saw 64.4 percent of video plays occur on mobile devices, the highest in the world; and in Latin America, video plays topped 57 percent on smartphones and tablets.

For more information, read the full report here.

SAN JOSE, CALIF.—It’s updates galore for the Ooyala Live, all designed to improve the system’s creation, management, delivery and monetization of live streamed events and linear TV channels.

Among the new features that Ooyala rolled out with the platform is the Ooyala Live Network Operations Center. The NOC provides 24/7 monitoring of live events and linear channels by live operation engineers to identify and fix potential issues. There is also High Availability, which is designed for customers that require continuous channel availability and uninterrupted viewing by providing multi-region auto-failover to a secondary channel if any interruptions in the primary channel occur. In addition, the system now supports low latency streaming and can block streams based on ZIP code location.

Ooyala runs the entire operation, providing a 99.95 percent uptime in addition to training, channel set-up and management, real-time monitoring, quality reporting of service and experience, and direct support from the Ooyala Live Ops team.

SANTA CLARA, CALIF.—Jonathan Huberman is the man in charge now at Ooyala, the video monetization technology provider, as the company officially announced him as its new CEO. Huberman took over this new position as of April 18.

Jonathan Huberman

Huberman joins Ooyala after most recently serving as the CEO of Syncplicity, for which he helped oversee its acquisition by Axway back in February. His previous positions also include a stint as CEO for Tiburon and president of EMC’s consumer and small business division; he also led EMC’s China growth strategies.

“Mr. Huberman has a standout record of delivering profound growth for cloud-based technologies in complex industries and is a well-suited leader for Ooyala,” said Stephen Elop, Ooyala chairman of the Board. “His dedication to customer satisfaction and keen attention to matching right solutions to the right challenges in the industry will help drive Ooyala’s next phase of growth.”

SANTA CLARA, CALIF.—IP is good business, or at least it will be according to a recent report released by Ooyala and the Digital Production Partnership (DPP). “The Business Benefits of IP Production” is a survey of almost 30 companies and analyzed the benefits of adopting IP-based processes and technology for video production. The results showed that by 2022 IP can lead more than half of the analyzed video production environments to better business benefits and return on investment.

The report sought to track where IP migrations will result in the greatest advantages. It tracked 10 different production environments and the five that will see the biggest boost are IP distribution, live streaming, single camera shooting, media management and cloud playout. These areas will benefit from technologies that reduce manual-labor costs like automating metadata insertion.

“The fact is, the move to IP has inherent benefits for many processes, but only specific environments will see the greatest benefits and highest returns today,” said Mark Harrison, DPP managing director. “Within a few years, IP infrastructure may be essential in doing business because of the impact it is having across media companies and distribution.”

Ooyala and DPP are planning to host a special event discussing the report and the future of IP production during the 2017 NAB Show. The event will take place on April 25 at 8 a.m. at Ooyala’s booth, SV1000.

Follow the link for the complete “Business of Benefits of IP Production” report.

SANTA CLARA, CALIF.—Ooyala is providing technology and reseller partners a new service that will offer full sets of technology from a single source, Ooyala Solutions Partner Program. This program features video production workflow technology, data-driven OTT systems, monetization capabilities and analytics for going digital and deploying next-generation video services, including Ooyala’s core video platform and media logistics unit, Ooyala Flex.

Ooyala Solutions Partner Program is built on a three-tier system that includes Referral Partners, Associate Resellers and Premier Resellers. Partners can move up to higher tiers as they become more successful in providing technology based on or integrated with Ooyala technology. Benefits to partners vary by tier, but include free online training, co-selling support, demo accounts, technical support seats, product discounts and executive sponsorship.

According to Ooyala, thus far more than 30 international companies have joined the program as partners, including VCS Productions, Videoelec and Digital Logistics.

Companies that are interested in joining Ooyala’s partner program can find more information here.

SANTA CLARA, CALIF.—The state of the broadcast industry rests on OTT, or at least that is what video platform provider Ooyala claims in its second annual “State of the Broadcast Industry” report. Over-the-Top services saw a raised profile in 2015 and are becoming a necessary component for broadcasters big and small, according to the report.

A key driving factors for OTT’s emergence is the fact that Millennials, as of 2015, are the largest segment of the U.S. population. Pew Research Center projected that Millennials, totaling more than 75 million, have over taken Baby Boomers. This has contributed in a shift of traditional TV viewing, as 45 percent of adult viewers no longer strictly adhere to the traditional TV schedule, instead using OTT, TV Everywhere, and other mobile services for a more individually-tailored experience. Ooyala reports that a quarter of Millennials without children do not have cable, which could result in future children of cord-cutting parents to become cord-never kids.

This is leading pay TV providers to offering OTT services. 2015 was the first year that pay TV providers suffered a net loss of subscribers during Q1, according to MoffettNathanson analyst Craig Moffett. A PwC survey reported that 79 percent of the U.S. population had some form of pay-TV service, but 78 percent also subscribe to at least one streaming VoD service. Ooyala forecasts that traditional linear channels will remain for the foreseeable future, but will become secondary compared options like broadcast OTT channels, operator OTT services, catch-up TV and multi-channel networks.

One advantage for pay TV providers in this growing OTT market is broadband. OTT gains are driving broadband home growth and helping to offset higher programming costs and video-revenue decline, according to Ooyala. Cable providers currently control 60 percent of the broadband market, reports Leichtman Research Group, and many expect them to continuing to expand their broadband presence.

Ooyala also addresses some of the new technology in broadcast, including smart TVs and connected TV video-streaming devices, and the emergence of virtual reality content. Other areas of interest for the report include programming and advertising.

To read Ooyala’s full “State of the Broadcast Industry” report, click here.

LONDON & SANTA CLARA, CALIF. – Video, analytics and advertising technology provider Ooyala, an independent subsidiary of Telstra, has announced they have acquired London-based Nativ, a provider of cloud-based media logistics and workflow software and services. This is the second acquisition for Ooyala in the last nine months; the company acquired Videoplaza last October.

With the addition of Nativ’s MioEverywhere media logistics platform, Ooyala now is able to do video production, post-production, digital content services, broadcast planning and media management for both OTT and on-air content. Nativ will operate as a stand-alone new line of business under the Ooyala brand.

“We have a very strong shared vision for enabling the world’s broadcasters and media companies to more easily, and more profitably, adapt to major shifts in TV industry technologies and business models,” said Jon Folland, CEO of Nativ who will become part of the Ooyala executive team.

Ooyala is located in Santa Clara, Calif.