Aol continues to invest in the future of TV. They’ve recently launched a new version of their connected TV app that will be available for Samsung Smart TVs, Rokus, Sony TVs and TiVo devices for the first time. Aol already helps distribute content for TV networks like E! and BBC, and this new app will provide additional reach for their TV partners. We spoke with Rob DelaCruz, General Manager of Connected TV and Mobile Video for the AOL On Network about the launch.
The new app will also provide content from their properties that include Moviefone and Huffington Post Entertainment. Aol declared in their launch of the “On Network” that this would be the first TV network to live across multiple devices. Even more so, this will help their TV partners including E!, Gourmet TV and BBC get further reach. It’s tough to say if a pre-Apple TV app store will ever live up to a future Apple one, but it’s definitely a good sign when major content distributors are investing in them.
Lost Remote: What are the new features of the app, how does it work?
Rob DelaCruz: The app is available as a free download or as an upgrade of the existing app for Samsung Smart TV, Roku, and Sony users. It’s currently in beta on TiVo Premiere DVR, with subscribers receiving full access in a few weeks. As part of the upgrade, we’ve given the app’s UI a complete makeover. It’s got a slick new look and is super easy to navigate, making it easy to find videos on your favorite topics in no time. It also features a much wider selection of content drawn from the 380,00 videos across the AOL On Network, which comprises sites like our new HuffPost Live streaming network, Engadget and Techcrunch, as well as our content partners, which include E!, Entertainment Tonight, Gourmet, BBC and Reuters.
LR: Who built it? Did you work with any agencies platforms?
DelaCruz: AOL built the apps in house and leveraged all of our current online platforms from content management to ad serving.
LR: How will this deliver extra value to your TV content partners: