Vimeo is announcing a new way for large online publishers, including The Atlantic and CBS Interactive, to sell video content.
Through the Vimeo Publisher Network, partners will be able to embed a curated store from Vimeo On Demand on their own website. That, in turn, allows visitors to buy or rent those videos, and even to watch them without leaving the site, with the publisher getting a share of the revenue. (To be clear, you can can also watch later, on other devices.)
As a result, Vimeo (which is owned by IAC) and its creators get more distribution, and publishers get an additional source of income — one that could also keep visitors on their site for longer periods of time.
In the Vimeo press release, CEO Kerry Trainor describes this as “the next evolution of our VOD platform.” A spokesperson told me that the long-term plan is to open this up as a self-service platform for any online publisher.
The company first launched its On Demand program (which allows pro members to charge for access to their content) back in March 2013. It’s also been funding some of the content for Vimeo On Demand, most recently in a deal with Disney-owned Maker Studios.