blinkx STB deal
May 12, 2009
Video search engine blinkx has struck a deal with interactive TV company Miniweb that will see its services become available on digital set-top boxes in the UK. The deal will significantly widen the audience for blinkx’s search offering, which indexes a range of online video content, including content from YouTube and the various web TV services offered by broadcasters, as well as recommendation and personalisation features.
Miniweb currently supplies the white-label interactive software for Sky’s set-top boxes as an alternative to red button. This sets up blinkx for future partnerships with tailored elements of the blinkx service. Most important, it says, is the potential for interactive advertising because profiles of blinkx users can be used to target ads. It also means broadcasters could recommend specific catch-up TV shows to viewers based on their viewing context.
“This will allow web-like business models to emerge on TV," said Miniweb chief executive Andrew Carver, “which enables our business partners to benefit from valuable targeted advertising and revenue shares from TV viewer transactions.”
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