Zone tv is introducing a suite of video services under the zone·tv Studio brand designed to enable content owners and video distributors (e.g. MVPDs, vMVPDs, traditional networks and new over-the-top networks) to create self-branded, linear TV channels that can be personalized and customized by and for each viewer in the household.
Zone·tv Studio is an artificial intelligence (AI)-based service for content discovery, channel curation and video delivery. Using proprietary intelligent software built by zone·tv, video distributors and content owners can now deliver a "Spotify-like" experience, which is not based on what a programmer wants to show the viewer, but instead based on what the individual viewer wants to see. The tools create personally curated, automated thematic linear channels intended to help subscribers discover content that appeals to their own sensibilities.
"Traditional video distribution is in a state of disruption as hundreds of direct-to-consumer streaming services are emerging, making it difficult to maintain customer loyalty," said Jeff Weber, CEO, zone·tv. "Our technology means that any video distributor or content owner can build new, precisely targeted, compelling channels which enable a more relevant content consumption experience for their customers. Zone·tv Studio enables the simplicity of traditional linear channel programming combined with the intelligence power of AI to bring new user experiences to TV services."
Components of the cloud-based zone·tv Studio include:
- Zone·tv Programming Studio is designed for authoring a channel, which can be done by humans, automated by the zone·tv AI Studio or both.
- Zone·tv AI Studio assesses the channel content, enhances the asset metadata via video indexing, classifies it and incorporates additional relevant information using zone·tv's own signal networks. All channel content is stored in the cloud and interconnected with similarly themed channel content built upon a machine learning curation algorithm. By leveraging the integration of zone·tv's Programming Studio and AI Studio, content curators and the machine learning algorithm can predict viewers' preferred programming and curate services accordingly.
- Zone·tv Ad Studio allows for the management of advertising in channels and is designed to integrate with ad tech partner services for ad decisioning and ad insertion based on metadata and content parameters.
- Zone·tv Configuration Studio enables delivery of the partner's content service to any end-point device or system.
The zone·tv Studio learns what viewers prefer to watch and presents similar content, automatically and in real time. The capability is designed to let viewers create their own channels with the click of the TV remote control.
"We are giving our partners an edge not only through superior tools and algorithms, but also by breaking through the psychology of doing things the way they have been done in the past - which makes the traditional video distribution industry vulnerable. It's a very exciting time, and we believe it's our time, too," said Weber.