Narrowstep, the UK equivalent of Brightcove, which helps host and run web TV services, has been acquired by Onstream Media. Narrowstep offers its telvOS web TV platform and Onstream has its own Digital Media Services Platform and these will now be merged into a single web TV platform to help with acquiring, storing, managing, processing, and monetizing broadcast quality video on TV’s, computers, iPods and mobile phones.
Internet advertising revenues have now reached $21 billion for 2007 according to the IAB Internet Advertising Report which says that the fourth quarter reached $5.9 billion. This was a rise over 2006 of 26% and the counting for this was carried out be PricewaterhouseCoopers. Search, display, classifieds and lead generation dominated and consumer advertisers spent 55% of the 2007 ad revenue.
UK student IPTV system Inuk Networks, which offers both free and paid IPTV services across the UK academic networks, has taken a cash injection of £9.5 million ($19 million) in its second round of funding. This was led by Welsh broadcaster S4C and venture capital firm Wesley Clover. Inuk says it will develop its Freewire platform in the UK, and expand it into Ireland and North America.
Sony’s online PlayStation Network is to start selling monthly episodes of a new high-definition show called ‘Qore,’ a combination of traditionally viewed programming and game-related video. Anyone that downloads the Qore platform can go back and forth between watching original material, such as interviews with game developers, or using game demos and other interactive features such as zooming in on examples of game art. There are more HD screens connected to PS3s than to Microsoft’s Xbox 360s, despite Microsoft having far more devices out there. Qore will show some advertising and one episode will cost $2.99 and a 13 week subscription $24.99.