The Danish fibre broadband and Pay TV provider Waoo is extending its TV service to Android TV Operator Tier set-top boxes, adding third-party aggregated content and enhanced search functionality in a quest to take the coveted role of super-aggregator. The company is using the same 24i streaming platform that its current managed STB and multiscreen TV platform is built upon. 24i supplies the Android TV custom launcher, and its Universal Search functionality has been added to the equation.
Waoo viewers can now receive integrated search results from across the Waoo platform, including catch-up TV, the EPG and more than 12,000 TV and movie titles available to rent in the Waoo Bio VOD store. The Android boxes will include Disney+, Discovery+, Viaplay and the national broadcaster DR as preloaded, onboarded apps. Network PVR is part of the service.
“Aggregation is the keyword. Using our existing 24i streaming platform to reach Android TV boxes with the Google Play Store means we can offer our customers a wider range of attractive content,” declares Martin Jürgensen, Waoo’s Senior Product Development Manager. “This box is a versatile media hub in the home.”
He adds: “The new Universal Search function is already proving popular with our subscribers. As a viewer, you just have one place to go to find the content you’re looking for, so you don’t have to browse all kinds of catalogues and archives. You can just start entering the name of an actor or a show and then the result will pop up. It’s an easy way to discover content and it works across all devices including STBs, web and mobile phones.”
Joachim Bergman, CEO at 24i, says: “We are delighted to support Waoo on their step into content super-aggregation. The combination of a custom Android TV launcher and our cloud-hosted Universal Search solution is a great way to give customers what they want – quality, choice and convenience.”
Interested in super-aggregation?
This May, Connected TV World Summit will explore how Pay TV stays relevant in a world where content exclusivity is harder to achieve (due to studio direct-to-consumer services and streamers fighting for sports rights). A key theme is how to master super-aggregation (for platforms and for streaming services). You can find out more about the event here and register here.
