Stockholm-based Voddler, the next-generation video streaming solution, today announced a strategic partnership with Indian media giant Zee Entertainment Enterprises. Voddler will build and operate a global solution for online streaming of Zee’s premium content. This is the first of a number of partnership deals with major media owners for Voddler, all powered by Voddler’s innovative streaming cloud technology VoddlerNet.
Sweden’s Voddler will build a global service for streaming of Zee’s content. The new over-the-top (OTT) service will be branded and marketed by Zee globally, with India, USA and Indonesia as initial target markets. The service is the first in a line of partnership deals for Voddler and is powered by Voddler’s innovative streaming cloud technology, VoddlerNet. The VoddlerNet cloud stores and streams larger video volumes at a superior quality than existing streaming solutions. It also saves on average 95% of normal streaming costs, as demonstrated by Voddler’s own proof-of-concept service voddler.com, which since 2010 has served millions of video streams to users in Europe.”
“Voddler is committed to bringing great content online with the world’s best cloud-based streaming technology. We’re thrilled to partner with Zee to offer their premium series and movies to fans globally. The Voddler solution scales at all data levels and makes true global online streaming feasible, both from a financial and technical perspective. To continue to build the world’s most efficient cloud-based streaming solution, we couldn’t hope for a more visionary partner than Zee,” says Marcus Bäcklund, Voddler’s CEO.
The strategic partnership deal has been led by Indian media entrepreneur Subhash Chandra and Voddler’s CEO Marcus Bäcklund. The Zee network that Mr. Chandra founded is one of the largest media businesses in Asia today, with interests in broadcasting, content development, production and delivery via satellite, cable and online. From its core market of India, Zee already delivers content to over 670 million viewers in 168 countries worldwide. The partnership with tech innovator Voddler focuses on growing that footprint online, building on Zee’s library of over 100,000 hours of television and film programming.
“Zee turned 20 years this fall. As we now step into our third decade, we are transforming ourselves from a broadcaster to a narrowcaster that will cater to every screen. Voddler’s solution, with its innovative streaming technology and almost limitless cloud solution, enables us to execute on that strategy fast and efficiently,” says Zee’s Chairman Subhash Chandra.
The first consumer facing part of the partnership will be a pilot VOD-service, built and operated by Voddler, featuring Zee premium content, offered globally for both online and offline viewing and due for release in early 2014. Initial focus markets include India, USA and Indonesia, markets with proven interest in Bollywood-content. Under the agreement, Zee has also an option to invest USD 5 million in Voddler.
Founded in Stockholm, Sweden in 2007, Voddler has developed a patented streaming cloud technology, VoddlerNet, which works both independently and integrated with existing streaming solutions. When it is integrated “on top” of server-based solutions (CDNs), it boosts CDN-performance exponentially by offloading traffic as usage grows, providing quality of service to online streaming at all data traffic levels.
Since 2010, VoddlerNet has powered Voddler’s own proof-of-concept consumer service voddler.com, which to date has streamed millions of movies from over 30 content owners, including the Hollywood majors, to users in Europe including Scandinavia and Spain. Powered by VoddlerNet, Voddler’s platform also includes such disruptive features as free collection and uploads to your Voddler LiveShelf and controlled, monetizable sharing of viewing rights, dubbed ViewShare.
To date, Voddler has a total investment of €25 million from investors including Cipio Partners, Nokia Growth Partners, international business angels and the management.