Advanced Television

FilmOn.com offers affiliate ad revenue scheme

August 12, 2013

By Colin Mann

Internet TV streaming service FilmOn.com, which licenses content from hundreds of broadcasters and premium content providers worldwide, has unveiled a system that automatically builds branded live TV sites and mobile apps, so that Internet publishers can have free access to its giant content offering that includes NBC, CBS, FOX and ABC in twelve major US cities. FilmOn also offers major European, Asian and Middle Eastern Channels such as BBC and MBC.

Suggesting that it is virally growing advertising revenues and premium service subscriptions at a dramatic rate, FilmOn is automating online TV distribution and offering affiliate partners access to what its founder Alki David describes as “the most lucrative content business” online.

According to David, in less than five minutes, affiliates can be up and running with their own web and mobile site, branded with their corporate image, preloaded with commercials and subscriptions packages. There are no set-up charges and there are several options to add the content.

FilmOn, which serves over one billion video streams a month, has partnered with leading ad networks and advertising agencies online, including Videology, Brightroll, Yume, Google, Evolve Media.

In what is described as a simple step-by-step process, an Internet publisher can create its very own branded Live TV website which also works as a mobile app. In just a few minutes they can upload logos and custom backgrounds and be online selling subscriptions and delivering advertising to global or local audiences.

Hundreds of prolific web publishers and advertisers have embraced FilmOn’s Live TV affiliate platform which comes bundled with a content library of over 600 linear live TV channels and 45 000 Video On Demand titles. Publishers include the likes of Lenovo/IBM, Blackberry, KM Player, TVGuide, Frostwire, and other major Internet publishers.

According to FrostWire’s Angel Leon, FrostWire is one of the most popular file sharing applications on the net and, more recently, in the mobile world. “From the start, FrostWire has worked to level the playing field for content creators willing to offer free content online to an audience that enjoys free downloads. Partnering with FilmOn gives us an opportunity to offer free live TV content and entertain our worldwide community in a way previously unavailable with ease,” he said.

“Within just a few weeks of testing the FilmOn platform on our mobile users, we can see the value of live TV online. This is a really attractive offering which keeps our users coming back for more everyday. With an ever growing offering of channels and the affiliate platform, we think FilmOn has everything to become the equivalent of a worldwide cable TV network for the internet across all devices, something that could bring major disruption in the TV industry.”

Jim West, chairman of the NRB (National Religious Broadcasters Association) and co-chair of the Advanced Television Broadcast Alliance, said that The WalkTV and its affiliates were pleased to partner with FilmOn, suggeting that the provider had taken ‘over-the-top’ TV to a whole new level. “I can log on to my dashboard at our branded FilmOn TV sites. From the dashboard we can see the revenue generated from online ads and subscriptions but not from just our channels but six hundred others. I can then take the analytics and upsell our original broadcast property,” he explained.

In a deeper dive into the technology, developers can use the FilmOn application programming interface (API) to develop their own applications, taking advantage of FilmOn’s global video ad network and content offering. Additionally, social television such as Cavecast and BattleCam social webcam apps and services are integrated into the affiliate network to maximise viral networking and sharing power.

FilmOn licenses its content from many premium providers in the USA, Europe and elsewhere in the world. FilmOn geo-filters its distribution markets according to its agreements with content providers and that of its affiliate partners.

FilmOn is currently expanding into Asia, where FilmOn has partnered exclusively with Lenovo/IBM, the Chinese-owned PC maker as Lenovo’s exclusive IPTV provider.

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