That ‘other’ P2P based internet TV service Babelgum has been holding its content cards close to its chest but now that it is opening its trial to people outside of its beta test, it has announced that it has signed deals with 25 independent owners and distributors of video content.
It has taken the view that instead of offering existing TV channels and programs that are already established, it will make the work of established independent filmmakers available on the platform. Rival Joost, which gets far more publicity, has signed for better known material mostly from US broadcasters.
The Babelgum partners include the Rushes Soho Shorts Festival, Ministry of Sound TV, Shine, IMG, 3DD, Off The Fence, Journeyman Films, Entertainment Rights, Film Chest and Breakthrough Films.
It will be interesting to see if this strategy backfires or opens up spectacular viewing figures. Our own research shows that there is an abundance of such material, much of it of equally high quality as its more famous broadcast material and by harnessing material that no-one has ever seen before Babelgum may always be able to have content that no-one else has viewed.
For every film that is released by Hollywood, there are ten films shot and edited which fail to get distribution rights, and on that basis, with some work, Babelgum could become the ‘alternative’ to big video, rather than another route to market for it.
Silvio Scaglia, Babelgum’s chairman and co-founder promised that he would build up a library of up to 100,000 hours of independent as well as and mainstream content, from all over the world.
For our money, looking at both betas, the Babelgum video is of better quality, the software easier to use and the materials easier to navigate so far, than Joost.