We are very happy to announce that UK terrestrial broadcaster, Five, has chosen to use the Brightcove platform for its ad-supported online video initiatives (full press release). Five is launching with new video websites for popular news, sports and entertainment programming. Under the terms of the deal, Five's website producers will use the Brightcove platform to manage video, create customized players, manage distribution, and integrate the new video initiatives with their advertising operations.

Commenting on the deal, Five's Digital Controller, Paul Thornton-Jones said, "Five is moving aggressively to provide greater online access to popular television programming and answer the demand from a fast-growing audience across our website properties. With Brightcove, Five has been able to rapidly bring to market an enormous volume of online video content, while spawning new revenue streams through online video advertising."

Today's announcement marks an important milestone for Brightcove. Our online video platform is now used by the four biggest commercial broadcasters in the UK, including British Sky Broadcasting, ITV, Channel 4, and now Five.   

-- Josh Hawkins

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We are very excited to announce that the British Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street, has chosen the Brightcove platform for its official online video destination on the Web, Number10TV. New website offerings will include exclusive video of the Prime Minister speeches, press conferences, media appearances, and news archives.

The 10 Downing Street initiative reflects a broader trend among government agencies, political campaigns and non-profit organizations using online video to boost the flow of information between citizens and government. These Brightcove customers include Barack Obama for President, AFL-CIO, among others. We are thrilled to see the broad, horizontal adoption of the Brightcove platform across non-traditional media publishers and we look forward to showcasing other exciting examples of this trend over the coming months.

Click here to read the full press release about the 10 Downing Street online video initiative. You can also see an interview with Jeremy Allaire about the announcement at Beet.TV.   

-- Josh Hawkins

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We are very happy to announce several exciting developments that promise to accelerate Brightcove's expansion in Japan.

Brightcove today announced the appointment of technology industry veteran and entrepreneur, Hisashige "Qz" Hashimoto, as general manager for Brightcove KK, our Japanese subsidiary. Mr. Hashimoto will drive overall customer acquisition efforts targeted at Japanese media companies and marketers. Mr. Hashimoto joins Brightcove after two years as president and chief executive officer of Paygent, a mobile escrow service he launched in 2006 and grew to 2,000 customers before leaving in 2008. Prior to Paygent, Mr. Hashimoto worked in several senior management positions for Macromedia KK including Platform Product Marketing and Channel Marketing. Before Macromedia, Mr. Hashimoto spent 14 years with Mitsui & Co., Ltd.

Brightcove also announced today that Brightcove KK has signed its first customer, PRESENTCAST, a Web TV distribution venture backed by Nippon Television, Tokyo Broadcasting System, Fuji Television Network, TV Asahi, TV Tokyo, and Dentsu, among others. PRESENTCAST has selected the Brightcove online video platform for gorin.jp, the exclusive online video portal in Japan for coverage of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. gorin.jp is backed by all of Japan's commercial television broadcasters.

Finally, Brightcove officially closed financing for Brightcove's majority-owned subsidiary in Japan (Brightcove KK) on July 18th with $4.9 million investment from Brightcove, Dentsu, Inc., J-Stream, transcosmos, Inc. (transcosmos), and Cyber Communications, Inc. (CCI).   

Here's a link to the full press release with more information about today's announcement. 

-- Josh Hawkins

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Today we announced the beta of our new online video platform, Brightcove 3. This is a big milestone for us. For the last 10 months we’ve been quietly working on a complete overhaul of the Brightcove service. We’ve changed everything from how we publish video to how producers use the service to how customers can generate revenue.

This beta is focused on three themes: contextual publishing, long-form content, and accelerating the productivity producers with new tools. Right now the beta program is only open to a select group of our premium customers, but it will be expanding over the course of the summer. The full commercial release will come in the fall.

Our SVP of Marketing, Adam Berrey, recently launched a blog and in today's post he provides a deeper dive into some of the underling themes and strategies we're enabling with Brightcove 3. 

We are very excited about today’s release and look forward to unveiling the full suite of new product innovations with the commercial release later this year. Please feel free to visit the beta website to sign up to receive updates about the beta program.

--Josh Hawkins

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We are very excited to announce the formation of Brightcove KK, a majority-owned subsidiary in Japan. The announcement marks a major milestone for Brightcove as we continue our efforts to build a global, independent company that provides leading software platforms for video on the Internet.

Brightcove KK launches with $4.9 million in new investment from Brightcove and strategic partners that will be critical to the successful expansion of our business in Japan. These partners include:

• Dentsu, Inc., the largest advertising company in Japan with a market share of approximately 30 percent Groupwide.
• J-Stream, Japan's largest content delivery network specializing in streaming media for content providers and business corporations.
• transcosmos, an existing Brightcove investor and major digital media conglomerate in Japan that owns a wide range of media properties, businesses and technology services.
• CCI, Japan's largest interactive advertising company that currently has over 30 percent of the country's digital brand marketing, a popular advertising serving technology, and online advertising network.

Japan represents enormous market opportunity for Brightcove. Household broadband penetration has just surpassed 50 percent and the country's media market is second only to the United States (larger than the top three European countries combined). It's a great privilege to have as partners the leading digital media and advertising companies in Japan. The combination of Brightcove's technology and partner capabilities place Brightcove KK in a unique position to help media companies and marketers unlock value in this fast-paced market and accelerate business growth.

Brightcove KK Press Release

-- Josh Hawkins

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You know those student surveys they do from time to time in which it's shown just how much the world has changed (and how little students know history)? Paul McCartney was in a band before Wings? East Berlin was a city? TV comes through the air? As if.

It won't be far off before linear television becomes the butt of such historic humor. Wow, everyone had to watch a show at the same time? You mean you couldn't just search and play? You had to walk a mile, in the snow, to school, carrying a saxophone and then had to wait until 8 for Airwolf to come on?!?

Brightcove is ecstatic to be associated with the company that started all of this. Today, Brightcove and TiVo are announcing a partnership in which storytellers of all sizes will be able to deliver their programming to people's TVs via TiVo. Neat, huh?

Choice, control, convenience. TiVo's been changing lives on a regular basis since 1998. I can count on one hand the tech innovations that have had an equivalent impact on my life. Apple II, Mac, AOL (c'mon, give credit where credit is due), Web, cable modem, iPod, Rhapsody. Okay, almost one hand.

We're hoping that together, we can continue what TiVo has started by changing and, hopefully, improving people's lives by transforming how we're informed and entertained.

We will be releasing more details soon as to how Brightcove's partners can begin to take advantage of this great opportunity.

- Eric E

More background in the official press release and FAQ:
- TiVo and Brightcove partner to deliver broadband content to TiVo subscribers
- TiVo-Brightcove Partnership FAQ

Some coverage:
- USA Today: TiVo's Brightcove future (nice headline)
- Wall Street Journal (free access today): TiVo to offer video from Internet in Brightcove deal
- News.com: TiVo links with Brightcove as PC-TV lines blur
- Thomas Hawk: TiVo and Brightcove push the Long Tail deeper into your Living Room

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BRIGHTCOVE ACQUIRES METASTORIES EXPANDING ITS INTERNET TV SERVICE WITH POWERFUL RICH-MEDIA PUBLISHING CAPABILITIES

The Acquisition Promises Consumers Richer Internet TV Experiences by Giving Media Companies Powerful New Production Tools for Video, Audio and Rich Media.

CAMBRIDGE, MA AND SEATTLE, WA — MARCH 20, 2006 — Internet TV pioneer Brightcove announced today it has acquired Seattle-based MetaStories, expanding the rich-media publishing capabilities Brightcove will offer independent producers and media companies through its Internet TV service.

"Internet TV is fundamentally about delivering video programming through interactive, rich-media experiences that go well beyond what traditional broadcast and cable TV has offered," said Jeremy Allaire, founder and chief executive officer of Brightcove. "MetaStories’ rich-media publishing tools complement the Brightcove Internet TV service and significantly expand our ability to meet the broadband publishing and distribution needs of media companies."

Founded in 2000, MetaStories has become a leading provider of rich-media publishing solutions, used by a wide variety of top-tier media companies including Yahoo!, MSN, USATODAY.com, Discovery Networks, National Geographic, and Scripps Networks. These companies leverage MetaStories tools to produce innovative rich-media, video, and interactive content that ranges from Kevin Sites’ breakthrough Hot Zone on Yahoo! to Scripps Networks pioneering delivery of narrowcast broadband channels.

"We have been working closely with a wide variety of media companies to solve their rich-media publishing challenges, and we’re seeing a convergence between the needs of traditional print publishers and video programmers as they both move into the Internet TV space," said Brian Monnin co-founder and chief executive officer of MetaStories. "By joining Brightcove we are in a perfect position to meet the expanding needs of our existing customers and to help create a broad Internet TV service that will give any media company the ability to easily deliver compelling broadband experiences that include video and other content."

"Internet content is not a side business for Scripps, it is core to our model of serving our consumers," said Channing Dawson, SVP, Emerging Media, Scripps Networks. "Companies such as Brightcove and MetaStories are enabling content providers with tools and distribution to reach our consumers with innovative content, while retaining a very clear brand identity. We anticipate that this match up will yield even greater and more targeted services for media companies throughout the U.S."

The Brightcove Internet TV service allows content owners to simply and easily harness the power of the Internet to distribute content and build broadband businesses. Brightcove is already working with a wide variety of media companies including cutting-edge small production companies such as Barrio 305 in Miami, established cable networks such as Oxygen, global news networks such as Reuters, and diversified media companies such as the New York Times Company.

MetaStories main product, StoryMaker, is a rich-media publishing tool for producing interactive Flash content. StoryMaker is available as an on-demand service, and it is used by interactive producers to quickly and easily assemble video, graphics, text, and audio into custom multimedia experiences. StoryMaker gives everyone from large media companies to small production firms the ability to quickly and easily produce high-quality broadband experiences based on custom templates.

"As Yahoo! News made its first forays into original multimedia content, MetaStories was a key reason we could move quickly and with limited resources to launch projects like Kevin Sites in the Hot Zone and Richard Bangs Adventures," said Neil Budde, Yahoo! News General Manager.

Brightcove plans to continue to develop, market and distribute MetaStories StoryMaker. The product will be available as a stand alone solution and offered as an integrated component of the Brightcove service.

The companies did not disclose financial terms of the acquisition. All MetaStories employees will join Brightcove and remain in the Seattle location.

About Brightcove

Brightcove is an open Internet TV service that empowers video producers and programmers to build broadband businesses while giving viewers more choices and control over their use of video and television. Founded by Internet pioneer Jeremy Allaire in 2004 and based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Brightcove is a private company led by a management team that includes senior executives from Allaire, Macromedia, ATG, Comcast, Lycos, News Corp., MediaVest, and Discovery Networks.

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Brightcove today announced that two widely recognized advertising industry leaders have joined its management team, and the company has partnered with Publicis Groupe Media Ventures on the development of new advertising and media strategies for Internet TV.

Brightcove provides an online service that gives video producers and programmers the ability to build Internet TV businesses, many of which will be supported through broadband advertising. To lead its advertising business, Brightcove has assembled a team of proven leaders who have pioneered branded content, online creative, and interactive advertising for global brands that include Procter & Gamble, The New York Times, Discovery Communications, Burger King and more.

"The advertising industry is changing rapidly, and the emergence of Internet TV promises to give agencies and marketers major new opportunities to distribute brand messages and marketing content that engage consumers in ways that are impossible in traditional TV," said Jeremy Allaire, founder and CEO of Brightcove. "The advertising executives joining the company understand the significance of this transformation, and we are incredibly excited they will be working with us to help lead the development of Internet TV as an effective advertising and marketing platform."

Adam Gerber is joining the company as vice president of advertising products and strategy. In that capacity he will be responsible for leading the development of new advertising capabilities in the Brightcove service and participating in the standardization process within the industry. An award winning media veteran, Gerber brings more that 15 years of media and emerging technology experience to the management team. Prior to joining Brightcove, Gerber was senior vice president, director of innovation and strategy at MediaVest Worldwide, where he led emerging media and advanced TV initiatives on behalf of some of the largest global consumer packaged goods marketers including Proctor & Gamble. Gerber has also held positions at DMB&B, J. Walter Thompson, AOL, Ammirati Puris Lintas, and Mediaegde:cia working with Fortune 100 companies including UPS, Unilever, Burger King, and AT&T. Adam has been recognized by Mediaweek as a Media All-Star, and he serves on a number of industry advisory groups and standards committees.

Dina Roman is taking over as vice president of national advertising sales. In this role Roman will be responsible for developing and leading the Brightcove advertising sales team and managing ad operations. Roman comes to Brightcove with 20 years of sales management experience at some of the world's leading media brands. Most recently, she was vice president-general sales manager of Discovery Communications' interactive efforts, where she developed and led the interactive advertising sales team for six years. Prior to joining Discovery, Dina was regional director, advertising sales and sponsorships at Disney Online.  She got her start in the interactive arena in 1994 at The New York Times Information Services Group, where she and her colleagues developed the original business plans for both The New York Times on the Web and its presence on America Online. Roman started her career at Procter & Gamble, where she helped build sales for many of the company's most iconic brands.

In addition to the new management hires, Brightcove announced it has partnered with Publicis Groupe Media Ventures. Through the partnership, Brightcove is getting advice and consulting from Publicis Groupe media agencies and clients on the development of new advertising strategies for Internet TV and specific capabilities in the Brightcove service. As part of the partnership, Timothy Hanlon, senior vice president, director - emerging contacts, will be representing Publicis Groupe Media Ventures on the Brightcove Advisory Board.  Brightcove is building an open advertising platform that any advertiser, advertising agency, or media group can use, and the company will continue to work with any agency or advertiser that wants to use Brightcove to delivery advertising and marketing solutions.

Coverage:

• Broadcasting & Cable - TV Visionary Brain Drain
• TV Week - Brightcove Touts Bright Future (registration required)
• Media Post - MediaVest's Gerber Lands At Internet TV Start-Up (registration required)

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www.Jeremy will be presenting more details about Brightcove at several upcoming events. We're honored and delighted to share the stage with some of the most dynamic speakers in the industry. 

It goes without saying that these are great opportunities to hear him both on stage, and off. If you'd like to meet with Brightcove, and find one of these venues convenient, please contact us through the Opportunities section on Brightcove.com.

And a shout out to the conference organizers for spacing these events out so nicely. After all, we do need Jeremy here at the office now and then.

Next Generation Media Networks symposium
May 25, 2005
Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA

Supernova
June 20-22, 2005
San Francisco, CA

Web 2.0
October 5-7, 2005
San Francisco, CA

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Cable, Internet and Satellite Leaders Unite to Pioneer Service for Online Television and Video Distribution
Company Launches with $5.5 Million Series A Funding From General Catalyst Partners and Accel Partners

With executive leaders from the cable, Internet and satellite markets, Brightcove, Inc., was today unveiled as a new online television and video distribution company where mainstream and emerging video content publishers and programmers can offer their products directly to consumers over the Internet.

Brightcove was established to take advantage of the convergence of the Internet and television, a trend that is spawning the birth of hundreds of thousands of individual programs and channels online. The company will provide an online service that offers video publishers and programmers an Internet distribution channel for their products and will offer consumers a rich set of services for accessing and using this programming. Brightcove executives bring more than 40 years of successful experience from companies such as Allaire, ATG, British Sky Broadcasting (BskyB), Comcast, Macromedia and News Corporation.

"From production and distribution to marketing and viewing, television's business model is undergoing a significant transformation," said Jeremy Allaire, founder and CEO of Brightcove. "We are working towards a world where television and video production and distribution are much more democratized and where a creative spark, a camera, and a computer are all it takes to put television programming before the eyes of the consumer. Hundreds of mainstream video providers will make this transition, and thousands more will be born."

Brightcove also announced today that it has closed $5.5 million in Series A funding from General Catalyst Partners and Accel Partners. The funding will be used for product and service development, business development, recruiting and general operations.

Television and the Internet Converge

The market for Internet television and online video is growing significantly, as demonstrated by trends such as:

• Global adoption of broadband Internet connectivity, creating an unencumbered distribution pipe for high-quality media;
• The proliferation of home networking, connecting multiple PCs, TVs, and other devices to the network;
• The development of rich media formats that provide a quality and secure viewing experience for video across any number of devices;
• The growth of portable devices capable of carrying Internet-based video programming;
• The rapid growth in streaming video and online video and rich media advertising;
• The diminishing cost of producing quality commercial video products using inexpensive PC workstations and software

The landscape emerging from these trends is one that looks very much like the Web and Internet consumers use today; a world of open file formats and platforms available to anyone, unencumbered by physical, geographic or monopolistic constraints. Many of the thousands of companies involved in the production, packaging and distribution of television will make this shift, and many more will emerge, creating an explosion in original video programming.

Brightcove is being launched to capitalize on these converging trends and provide a service that will offer television and video publishers and programmers an Internet distribution channel for their products; and will offer consumers a rich set of services for accessing and using this programming. The Brightcove service will integrate into the broad Internet content ecosystem, and enable and service publishers of all sizes - from video bloggers, to broadcast and VOD startups, to established cable programmers.

"I haven't yet seen any of these startups straddle the whole value chain, and Brightcove might be among the first," said Rafat Ali, Publisher and Editor of Paidcontent.org. "A consumer video service, a back end service, and other allied services needed for everyone from small publishers, like bloggers, to small-to-mid sized media companies and on line VOD startups, to develop and distribute video easily and cost-effectively. In essence, an open-publishing model."

The Brightcove Team

Led by Allaire, the former chief technology officer of Macromedia and co-founder of Allaire Corp, the Brightcove founding team has more than 40 years of combined experience and successful leadership in:

• E-commerce, content management and personalization
• Rich media platforms
• Broadband consumer services
• Cable and Satellite video distribution

As part of the Series A financing, Jim Breyer of Accel Partners and David Orfao of General Catalyst Partners will be joining Brightcove's board of directors. Breyer and Orfao bring more than 20 years of experience building and supporting successful, industry leading entities including Lotus, Apple, Macromedia, Real Networks, Wal-Mart and Allaire Corp.

About Brightcove

Located in Cambridge, Mass., Brightcove develops services that offer television and video publishers and programmers an Internet-based distribution channel for their television products, as well as a consumer facing service for accessing and using this programming.

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