FilmOn TV Networks has now gone public with their partnership with Minnesota based multiple systems operator FTTH and has unveiled a brand new OTT service available at FTTHweb.com, according to MarketWatch.
According to the site’s press release, FilmOn agreed to a technology and content licensing agreement wtih MSO, FTTH to “enable its cable TV lineup within FTTH’s Minneapolis/St. Paul DMA.” FilmOn also offered over 150 linear live television channels, 10,000 movies on demand and FilmOn’s virtual public access platform Filmon.us.”
Jeffery Feldman, president of FTTH Communications, said the deal with FilmOn will help differentiate them from other cable providers. “The FilmOn platform gives our subscribers the ability to see our content virtually everywhere within the Minneapolis/St. Paul geography on iPhone, Android, Roku, PC and many other devices,” Feldman said. “The FilmOn platform adds a service that separates us from much larger cable providers and quickly adds subscribers to our all-digital cable network.”
Feldman also said that the Minneapolis/St. Paul audiences can watch everything FTTH pays carriage fees for, which includes local networks like NBC, CBS, Fox and ABC as well as the rest of FTTH’s cable tier. “To the rest of the world, it offers the additional FilmOn content package that the company has cleared for global distribution,” he said.
Paying carriage fees is something that has become a sticking point as of late; FTTH’s competitor Aereo is owned by billionaire–Barry Diller. According to the article, Diller is not paying retransmission fees, making broadcasters complain that Aereo illegally cuts into their profit, which is earned from satellite operators and other providers that rebroadcast their programming.
Even though Aereo states that the signal is broadcast without the need to pay fees due to the rental of antennas, FilmOn’s founder, CEO and billionaire Alki David said that he has always maintained the policy of paying fees.
“I am surprised that a man of Barry’s stature would stoop to these sorts of tactics,” said David. “I have always maintained throughout our legal battles with the networks taht we are pro carriage fees. Though we support Barry with his little antenna tactic, we do not condone his ‘something for nothing’ approach.”
You can read more about this news at MarketWatch.
[pictured–Barry Diller (center) and Alki David]