Portland, Oregon-based interactive TV authoring tools provider, Ensequence, has secured a significant "win" in the UK. The company has signed a deal with UKTV, a commercial joint venture between Flextech Television and BBC Worldwide which operates 10 channels (UKTV Gold, UKTV History, UKTV Style, UKTV G2, UKTV Drama, UKTV Documentary, UKTV Food, UKTV People, UKTV Style Gardens, and UKTV Bright Ideas), that between them attract around 27 million viewers per month, and which claims to be the UK’s "second largest digital broadcaster." The deal, which has a three-year term, sees UKTV licensing Ensequence’s on-Q Create, on-Q Publish, on-Q Ready, and on-Q Air suites; the broadcaster will use Ensequence tools exclusively for the duration of the agreement. Since the beginning of the month, UKTV has been using Ensequence’s software to develop red-button enhanced TV applications in association with individual programs across all its channels (note: prior to the deal with Ensequence, UKTV offered only very limited red-button functionality). The companies say that the applications, which are available on the Sky platform, will all be designed to provide sponsors with lead-generation opportunities, and will feature dedicated sponsors’ areas with the goal of retaining viewers during commercial breaks.
The first UKTV applications to be created using Ensequence’s software will be available from June 5th through July 10th, and support UKTV G2’s coverage of the FIFA World Cup. Among other things, the apps promote UKTV’s mobile and Web offerings and allow viewers to take part in soccer-themed competitions. "A great deal of consideration has gone into both defining the new proposition for UKTV’s red-button services, and the selection of Ensequence from a strong shortlist of the UK’s leading ITV solution providers to help us deliver that proposition," Andrew Watt, UKTV’s head of new media, said in a prepared statement. "Ensequence’s leadership in this market and the functionality and usability of the on-Q toolset played a key role in our selection. From concept to finished product, Ensequence software will reduce our time-to-air and provide significant cost savings by making interactive TV production and testing fast and simple. It will free UKTV interactive services to deliver applications to meet the demands of channel heads keen to develop the potential of interactive within the network. Indeed, UKTV’s decision to appoint Ensequence and embark on this three-year project underlines our belief that the red button has a valuable role to play within the network s interactive proposition."
UKTV says that it plans to "maintain a busy schedule" of interactive TV applications this year: all the apps will initially be developed from 10 reskinnable core templates, and will be hosted by Red Bee Media (formerly BBC Broadcast).
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