Sony and Disney sell FilmFlex VOD service

Video platform provider and content aggregator Vubiquity has acquired UK-based white label video-on-demand provider FilmFlex.

FilmFlex, jointly onwed by Sony Pictures Television and the Walt Disney Company, delivers customisable VOD storefronts for, amongst others, Virgin Media, TalkTalk, Film4 and EE.

According to Vubiquity, the deal will bring new licensing and digital storefront capabilities to its offerings.

Vubiquity recently launched the AnyVU Cloud platform, which offers a range of services including a library of content for linear and on-demand services, set-top box delivery, direct streaming and electronic sell-through.

FilmFlex’s digital storefront, assets and capabilities will be integrated into the new platform.

Vubiquity was created last year from the combination of VOD aggregator Avail-TVN and UK-base On Demand Group (ODG). ODG, which was itself involved in the creation of FilmFlex, had previously been acquired by SeaChange.

Vubiquity CEO Darcy Antonellis (pictured) told TBI’s sister title DTVE that Vubiquity’s acquisition of FilmFlex “brings us an organisation focused on the premium on-demand space” and represents a significant expansion of its content relationships around the world. “This brings an additional 20-plus new content relationships,” she said. Of FilmFlex’s 30 content relationships, Antonellis said that about half a dozen overlapped with Vubiquity’s existing licensing relationships.

Antonellis said that Sony and Disney would continue to support FilmFlex. “All of the partners work quite well together,” she said.

She said that FilmFlex’s Digital Storefront is “terrific to have available” and “attaches nicely” to the Vubiquity cloud solution.

Antonellis said that Vubiquity already had ongoing relationships with FilmFlex’s clients and that “they have a sense of our initiative” with regard to the cloud technology platform.

“We have a number of long term relationships across service providers for various forms of on demand support and that was another reason why the transaction [made sense],” she said.

Anonellis said that Vubiquity’s non-US business had recorded double-digit growth year on-year was already increasing as a proportion of its overall business.

“This [deal] is an indication of the company’s commitment to support international growth” and push into a number of new regions, she said.