There are a number of platforms that allow publishers to host and serve video to visitors, including Brightcove and Ooyala. Today, LongTail Video is launching its self-serve video platform, LongTail.TV, which aims to be an affordable hosting option for smaller publishers.
The service is built around LongTail’s cloud-based JW Player, which can be customized and branded. With LongTail.tv, publishers can customize and embed the JW Player on their sites, add content from either their own video library or from LongTail’s Media Gallery and earn money from ads delivered from LongTail’s content providers.
LongTail’s Media Gallery includes millions of video titles from premium syndication partners, including AOL’s 5min Media as well as YouTube. Publishers that embed video titles from these partners will be paid a portion of all ad revenue generated from their user traffic.
While Brightcove and Ooyala power video for larger publishers and media companies (we actually use Ooyala), LongTail aims to a cost-effective, platform for smaller to mid-size publishers (hence the name ‘longtail’) that don’t draw as much traffic.