Roku and Clearleap Partnership Brings Pay Content to TVs
Inexpensive Roku devices could get a lot more useful to consumers, thanks to a partnership between Roku and Clearleap. Clearleap is an online TV technology platform, and this deal paves a way for premium programmers to offer branded channels on Roku.
The partnership creates a link between customers' Roku boxes and their existing paid TV services. The Clearleap platform will allow paid video-on-demand (VOD) transactions to post directly through the customer's pay TV service. Customers will be able to access free or paid VOD titles, with transactions appearing on their exisiting monthly TV service bill.
The partnership shows that Clearleap is eager to expand beyond cloud-based delivery, and to create a universal video technology platform that will work for any operator or programmer.
"Clearleap's platform opens a clear and easy pathway for premium programmers and TV operators to diversify the distribution of their content through the Roku player and will dramatically strengthen our value as an engaging living room entertainment device," says David Krall, president and COO of Roku, Inc. "This also makes a strong case for MSOs [multiple system operators] to consider using Roku players in the home with Clearleap as a complete managed VOD service."
The VOD agreement will now enter a trial stage for the next six months, and both companies expect to launch limited commercial use with a pay TV operator by the end of the year. The companies didn't give any indication on which pay TV operators will be part of the trials.
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