The Big Ten Network announced this week the launch of BTN2Go, a "multi-platform extension of BTN" allowing viewers the ability to watch Big Ten sports live over the Internet. The service is free if a viewer subscribes to a PayTV package that includes the network. To access the service, a viewer points their browser at www.BTN2GO.com, chooses their provider, enters the provider login details, and accesses the live feed plus a host of on-demand content.
This is a growing trend amongst broadcasters. For their online presence, they look to the MVPD (Comcast, Dish etc.) to provide authentication services only, while the broadcaster owns the interface, provides the application, streams the video, and owns any incremental revenue. BTN joins an ever-increasing list of broadcasters in this approach, including CNN, HBO, and ESPN. The attitude of these broadcasters was perhaps best summed up by Eric Kessler, HBO co-president, at Newtek on May 11, 2011:
"In the traditional delivery of television consumers believe the functional pieces - the EPG, the On Demand service - fall within the purview of the distributor. In the streaming world consumers will hold HBO responsible for the interface and they expect the experience to be the same premium quality standard set by the brands content."
Although such authentication-based delivery is still broadly covered under the TV Everywhere effort of MVPDs, the implementation is significantly different from the way operators envisioned it. Operators see it as their job to take all content available through their PayTV services and make it available to subscribers on all their devices, wherever they may be. This approach puts them squarely in charge of all aspects of the consumer relationship, including online. Clearly, many broadcasters simply are not prepared to cede control in the online world to the operators (nor should they).
Following this strategy could be a very smart move for broadcasters. If sometime in the future consumers switch most of their viewing to OTT sources, it will be very easy for a broadcaster to take over the authentication piece themselves, thus cutting the MVPDs out of the delivery - and revenue - chain completely!
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