NAB: Adobe Primetime Deployed on Comcast, NBC Sports

Also announces widespread availability of product for streamlining and monetizing multiplatform delivery of content

By George Winslow -- Broadcasting & Cable, 4/10/2013 12:01:00 AM

Complete Coverage: NAB Show 2013

Adobe Systems has announced that it has launched Adobe Primetime platform for advanced TV systems and that Comcast and the NBC Sports Group have signed on as launch partners.

Adobe Systems first announced its intention to bring together a complete platform for the delivery and monetization of content for programmers and pay-TV operators across all platforms last year and has since been launching aspects of the Adobe Primetime, which is now being formally launched.

The platform uses Adobe's video publishing, player, DRM, advertising and analytics solutions to help simplify the distribution of content, improve digital video quality and develop new revenue.

As part of that effort, Adobe has also announced technology alliances with a number of companies supplying encoders, cloud platform providers, and content delivery networks (CDNs). These partners include Akamai, Amazon Web Services, Cisco Systems, Elemental Technologies, Envivio, Harmonic, iStreamPlanet, RGB Networks and others.

In announcing the full launch of the product, Adobe noted that "Comcast Cable has incorporated several of Adobe Primetime's modular components across certain Xfinity Web properties to deliver and monetize IP-delivered video to their subscribers."

As part of deployment, Comcast is using a broad range of Adobe Primetime capabilities, including the player, DRM, ad insertion, ad serving and analytics.

"Adobe offers the right technologies to help us streamline TV services and bring them anywhere our customers want to watch their favorite content," said Sree Kotay, senior VP and chief software architect, Comcast Cable. "As the industry continues to expand where consumers watch content and the different ways they can watch it -- Adobe Primetime has created a programmable video solution that supports our multiplatform roadmap."

NBC Sports Group also launched with Adobe Primetime, and now uses the solution to offer live sporting events, including Major League Soccer (MLS) and National Hockey League (NHL) games, as well as Golf Channel content.

"NBC Sports Group is using Adobe Primetime to bring major sporting events online," said Rick Cordella, senior VP and general manager, Digital Media, NBC Sports Group. "Our viewers expect to watch television programming on any connected device, and Adobe's broad collaboration through the industry ensures that we can deliver a TV-like experience across devices while integrating their Adobe Primetime platform into our existing infrastructure."

Highlighting the importance of the effort to deliver more content to more devices, Adobe also released a study showing rising use of TV Everywhere, mobile and other digital platforms.

Drawing on close to 20 billion video starts, 10 billion ads served by Adobe media customers and the analysis of more than 450 million Facebook posts in 2012, Adobe released a Digital Index report showing that TV Everywhere adoption increased 12-fold; mobile video viewing grew by 300%; Facebook users are twice as likely to engage with video compared to non-video content; and pre-roll ads now account for 82% of all video ad impressions in long-format content.

Even though mobile video starts increase more than threefold, the report noted that 89.6% of video consumption is still taking place on desktops.

The report also noted that events like the Summer Olympics, March Madness, UEFA Euro 2012 soccer and the NBA playoffs were driving growth of TV Everywhere use.

"We are at a watershed moment when it comes to engaging with video content and ads online," said Jeremy Helfand, vice president of monetization at Adobe. "Consumption of digital video, and especially broadcast content, is growing at a staggering rate and consumers expect to be able to view their favorite content on any connected screen."