Ericsson inks exclusive multi-year feature film licensing deal with 20th Century Fox Television Distribution

Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) today announced an exclusive, multi-year feature film deal with leading international content distributor, 20th Century Fox Television Distribution, for its subscription video on demand (VOD) service, Nuvu.

The output deal includes 20th Century Fox-produced titles along with an extensive selection of global film franchises for territories across sub-Saharan Africa in multiple language. Titles include The Maze Runner, The Devil Wears Prada, Rio 2, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, The Fault in Our Stars, The Monuments Men, and Kingsman: The Secret Service, as well as film franchises such as Die Hard and X-Men.

Thorsten Sauer, Head of Broadcast and Media Services, Ericsson, says: “This feature film content deal with 20th Century Fox Television Distribution is a major milestone for Ericsson as we look to expand our new SVOD service, Nuvu. Through this partnership, Nuvu subscribers will have access to some of Hollywood’s hottest films as part of their package, localized on a market-by-market basis. Working hand in hand with some of Africa’s leading mobile phone operators, we believe Nuvu can offer a truly unique content and technology solution that meets the demands of consumers across sub-Saharan Africa.”

Nuvu is a complete end-to-end subscription VOD service developed by Ericsson for mobile operators in emerging markets, which spans both the technology platform and the content licensing. It leverages the company’s extensive over-the top capabilities based on Ericsson Managed Player and components of Ericsson MediaFirst TV Platform, Ericsson’s highly scalable modular technology platforms used by broadcasters and telco service providers to distribute video content efficiently to connected devices.

For a monthly fee, subscribers have unlimited access to an initial 3,000 local and international premium titles across a wide variety of genres including Hollywood and Nollywood movies, TV series, kids, music, gospel and education.

The built-in ability to distribute content to consumers during off-peak periods is a core feature of the service. This minimizes data costs for both operator and consumer, addressing the key cost challenge that has so far been an obstacle for VOD uptake in Africa. The platform also integrates fully into the operator’s customer relationship management and payment systems.

Ericsson is one of the leading global providers of broadcast and media services, and has worked with some of the world’s most well-known broadcasters, platforms and content producers, including BBC, Channel 4, Channel 5, BT Sport, ITV, 20th Century Fox, Liberty Global, NPO, Canal+, NOS, Bonnier Group, Sky, HBO, TV5 Monde and France 24.