NimbleTV Aims to Stream TV on Devices
In a move that could hasten the slow pace of so-called TV Everywhere, a technology start-up is introducing a way to move a whole subscription's worth of TV onto the Web, with or without the subscription company's permission.
Context & Ripple Effects
TV Everywhere had already been framed as an extension beyond a cable operator's own video site in Brightcove's push to take TV Everywhere beyond cable portals, while separate coverage focused on local TV on mobile devices.
NimbleTV sharpens that distribution question by placing an entire pay-TV subscription on web-connected devices even when the subscription provider has not authorized the service. The issue is less the device than who controls the subscriber's viewing interface.
First-order effects
- NimbleTV gives pay-TV subscribers a route to watch their existing channel package through its web-based interface, reducing the subscription provider's control over device access.
- Subscription television providers face an intermediary carrying their programming to connected devices without relying on the provider's own TV Everywhere site or permission.
Second-order effects
- Providers' own TV Everywhere offerings must compete on device reach and ease of use with NimbleTV's alternative, rather than treating authenticated streaming as a provider-controlled feature.
- The service puts pressure on the economics of the pay-TV bundle: the subscription remains the entitlement, but the customer relationship around viewing can move to a separate platform.
Third-order effects
- If services such as NimbleTV gain traction, TV Everywhere shifts from operator-built portals toward independent access layers, making control of authentication and interfaces a more important part of bundle strategy.
The trend: Pay-TV distribution is moving from operator-controlled websites toward device-agnostic viewing layers that can separate a subscription from its original interface.