Streaming video platform Brightcove has added another partner to its already-impressive group of associates. Vudu, purveyors of fine set-top boxes, have struck up a deal to stream Brightcove-associated content. Brightcove has, at last count, about twenty-one trillion API partners, and delivers video for big names like AOL and the NY Times. Those aren’t available on the Vudu box yet, though; it’s just launching now and the first (and only) video service to hit is Sony’s MyPlay, through which you’ll be able to watch Sony Music videos to your heart’s content. Joy of joys!
Of course, it’s just a matter of the right people to sign on the right dotted lines to get other Brightcove-supported sites and services onto the Vudu. Ad-supported content is being tentatively embraced by big media, which is almost certainly a good thing, and this is one of the first real forays into pushing it onto a set-top box. A year ago, I would have considered the idea of Sony letting me stream their content onto my TV for free a ridiculous notion, but here we are. Pleasant surprises are mighty rare in this sector.
The battle for the top of the TV set (or in the closet nearby for wifi-enabled ones like the Vudu) is getting pretty heated, and major deals like this tip the balance of power significantly. Plus, it ends up being good for the consumer as they pack more and more into a box you already paid for.
We’ve just got our one screenshot for now, but tomorrow we’ll try to put up some video so you can see how she handles.