Arqiva has taken on the remains of Project Kangaroo and is building its SeeSaw VOD service around it. But can it succeed against the likes of the BBC iPlayer, Hulu UK, MSN Video, and all the other competitors?
Kangaroo To Arqiva
When Project Kangaroo was killed at birth, there was little that the BBC and its partners could do but sell off the assets. This included the technology, infrastructure, and branding.
A buyer was found in the shape of Arqiva, a company which owns and operates the network for terrestrial TV and radio, as well as licenses for two of the six digital TV multiplexes. It hasn’t any experience in delivering online video however.
Bennie Talks SeeSaw
Arqiva has confirmed the name for its VOD service is to be SeeSaw. And not Kangaroo 2.0 as some commentators had snarkily suggested. The company hopes to launch SeeSaw in the next few months and is hopeful it will be a resounding success.
Tom Bennie, the CEO of Arqiva, recently told The Guardian:
“I think it’ll be a really missed opportunity for Arqiva if this doesn’t work. But it won’t break the company.”
He also spoke about where SeeSaw would be positioned and how it will cope under pressure from the likes of Hulu, which is expecting (and expected) to launch a UK-based service in the near future. He said:
“We certainly think that having a UK-centric proposition is an important piece in the market, and actually enhances competition rather than reduces it because we want to be inclusive not exclusive. We clearly want to get US and other content on to the platform as well as UK content.”
“We certainly don’t think we’ll be the only proposition launching. I don’t think half a dozen will survive in the long term, but I think there’s room for two or three.”
Content Is King
Bennie talks a good fight but the reality is that the UK is rapidly becoming a hotbed for online video services, all competing for the same content partners and viewers. Whether the untested Arqiva can overcome the might of the experienced Hulu isn’t clear.
As always, the fight will come down to content.
SeeSaw is already thought to have agreements in place to carry content from BBC Worldwide and Channel 4. But the BBC already has the iPlayer and provides archive content on MSN Video. While Channel 4 has recently signed a deal with YouTube.
Hulu has all but given up on this year, pushing the launch of Hulu UK back until 2010. Again, content seems to be the issue, with deals with ITV, Channel 4 (which gets everywhere) and BBC Worldwide imminent but not confirmed.
Conclusions
There are too many services competing for too little content right now. And that means some are clearly going to fall by the wayside. SeeSaw actually looks to be a good position right now, with at least some content promised for launch, and the infrastructure already in place.
It should make for an interesting launch but the longterm chances of success will depend on more content from both sides of the pond that, crucially, people actually want to watch. And that’s not yet guaranteed.
