BSkyB acquired the over-the-top transactional VOD provider Acetrax in April, with the news being revealed during the Pay TV operator’s Q3 results. Acetrax is the kind of company that, with the advent of connected TV devices, looked like a threat to traditional Pay TV. The fact that a leading Pay TV company has bought them adds to the feeling that major operators increasingly view OTT and connected TV devices as their turf.
In March, BSkyB unveiled NOW TV, its new Internet TV service offering access to Sky content on a wide range of Internet-connected devices, including movies and later, sports and general entertainment. BSkyB points out: “The acquisition [of Acetrax] will support the continued development of Sky’s OTT activities and further strengthen relationships with connected device manufacturers and content providers.â€
Acetrax is a pan-European provider. It currently addresses homes in seven countries and boasts that it will soon have 60 million resident embedded apps in people’s homes.
