Aiming to allow service providers to target viewers in the continent and also its global diaspora, Globecast has announced deals providing a range of TV Everywhere OTT services to multiple African broadcasters, including end-to-end project management.
The global media solutions provider has created live streaming OTT services, including providing CDN capabilities, for a number of broadcasters. The roster includes francophone pan-African Christian channel Benie TV; Espace TV, the largest (by audience size) privately owned channel in Guinea; national public broadcast companies ORTN Télé Sahel in Niger and Télé Congo in the Republic of Congo.
Mobile/tablet/TV apps for Android, Apple and Amazon Fire TV, which also deliver audience analytics, have been provided by Globecast as a feature when needed. Free VOD content from the channels’ existing YouTube account and news feeds from their website and social networks are also included in the apps. Globecast says that it has worked closely with each broadcaster to give them the shortest possible time to market courtesy of its TV Everywhere suite of services, project management and use of pre-approved apps.
The result claims Globecast is that new and existing broadcast customers are recognising the benefits of using a single supplier for satellite and OTT delivery, from both a technical and customer service point of view. “While there are variations from country to country across Africa, internet access – and therefore OTT service access – is characterised by the use of mobile phones as the primary device to consume content, so services need to take this into account,” said Frederic Torasso, Globecast, TV Everywhere product manager, explaining the commissions.
“The emergence of cost-effective (sub-$30) ‘smart feature phones’, such as mobile handsets powered by the KaiOS operating system, helps bridge the digital gap; with voice interactions and web app support included. Broadcasters across the continent are increasingly eager to reach these devices with their OTT video services as well as the wider African community around the world.”