PayWizard boosts BT Sport subs reach
October 30, 2013
By Colin Mann
Subscriber management and billing for multi-screen media specialist PayWizard has extended the reach of BT’s new sports channels.
PayWizard’s enterprise class software was chosen by BT prior to launch to provide platform authentication for BT Sport; and has connected BT’s internal subscriber management system (SMS) to Sky’s conditional access (CA) system. It has enabled Sky customers around the UK and Northern Ireland to subscribe to the exclusive new channels and view them through their existing set-top box.
“Extending audience reach without compromising content security is one of the biggest challenges facing premium content broadcasters today. As a sports broadcaster with high value content like Premier League football and rugby union this is especially true,” said Marc Watson. “We have chosen PayWizard to help us overcome this challenge. Its robust platform and extensive experience in the media industry make it an ideal partner for such an important part of BT Sport.”
Jamie Mackinlay, PayWizard Commercial Director, suggested that PayWizard’s ability to reduce the time to market, based on an existing, proven market, was a significant factor in PayWizard being chosen for the launch. PayWizard has also been working with BT for more than six years to enable conditional access functionality for DTT-based ‘mini-pay’ service Top Up TV.
“This is a really exciting time for BT and it’s great to be a part of such a landmark project,” said Mackinlay. “Our platform is designed specifically to help companies like BT manage their content and this deal is a great example of exactly how we make that happen. We have a long history with BT and I’m really looking forward to being a part of its future as a sports broadcaster. ”