Comcast Corp. and Cox Communications Inc. have decided to take interactive television into their own hands.
The two cable operators have formed a joint venture known as Double C Technologies (Comcast is majority owner) and has quickly snatched up battered interactive TV company Liberate Technologies in a deal valued at $82 million.
The move gives Comcast and Cox much greater control over their interactive services since they will own the company that will develop their interactive TV platform.
Liberate’s platform will reside within the subscriber’s digital cable set-top box and serve as the foundation for third-party ITV applications.
Steve Silva, Comcast executive VP, new business development, says he expects Comcast to roll Liberate out to subscribers by yaer's end.
