NeuLion acquires Saffron Digital
June 7, 2016
In a move that it says creates an online video powerhouse perfectly positioned to take full advantage of accelerating adoption of live and on-demand streaming, NeuLion, a technology product and service provider specialising in the broadcasting, distribution and monetisation of live and on-demand digital video content to Internet-enabled devices, has acquired Saffron Digital Limited, a privately-held company headquartered in London, in an all-cash asset transaction. Saffron Digital helps its customers build multi-platform digital video services for entertainment delivered over-the-top to Internet connected devices.
Saffron Digital has been working with Hollywood studios and other entertainment content owners for the last ten years, gaining extensive industry expertise and experience in developing and delivering high profile, global premium OTT VoD digital services. The Saffron Digital platform supports advanced implementations of subscription video on demand, electronic sell through and advertising supported video on demand. Each of these business models are major requirements for owners and rights holders of entertainment content interested in rolling out new OTT digital services.
“Saffron Digital has a blue-chip customer base that includes Carrefour, BT, Deutsche Telecom, ITV, Tribeca Shortlist, Vidity and others,” said Jason Keane, CEO for Saffron Digital. “We are excited to join NeuLion. As part of NeuLion, we can now offer our customers a compelling OTT platform for all premium digital content with support for all types of business models.”
This extensive industry knowledge of digital entertainment services, offered in combination with the NeuLion’s experience in delivering live TV channels and live sports, offers owners and rights holders of sports, entertainment, movies and TV channels, a market leading platform, all from one company.
According to Neulion, the combined synergies of both companies can transform OTT challenges faced by owners and rights holders of live and on demand content and turn them into solutions by:
- Reducing project complexities for all content rights holders of existing and new OTT services by decreasing the number of vendors involved in their projects
- Significantly decreasing time to market for new OTT and TVE services in comparison to other technology options
- Supporting all video formats, in up to 4K, for the delivery of premium entertainment services
- Offering complete streaming and download merchandising support for all business models – SVoD, transactional, electronic sell through, and advertising; all protected with a multiple DRM implementation
- Providing market-leading pricing and promotion tools in order to maximise user conversion and revenue; user management services; full service reporting and analytics, and financial reconciliation of digital sales
- Enhancing the viewer experience with seamless delivery of live and on demand content to any device with personalised apps for viewers
- Enabling superior customer and operations support, end to end, coupled with real time OTT Dashboard to monitor, by device, viewer activations and engagement
“The OTT video market is accelerating rapidly in the US, Europe and other parts of the world, and represents a large and growing addressable market for the combined company,” said Roy Reichbach, President and Chief Executive Officer for NeuLion. “The integrated company can offer owners and rights holders of sports and entertainment a complete end to end solution for both live and on demand content that is a clear market leader.”