The cloud-based OTT service Wuaki.tv aims to be available in 15 countries by the end of 2015, according to Simon Homent, the company’s European head of content.
The service, which was launched in Spain in 2010 and acquired by Japan’s Rakuten two years later, is currently available in four markets (Spain, UK, France and Germany).
Speaking at the OTTV World Summit, Homent said that Wuaki.tv is smart TV-focused and has over 20,000 titles available. It has agreements in place with all the Hollywood majors and leading TV and production companies.
Homent also identified a number of challenges faced by Wuaki.tv and other OTT services. On the technical front, they include DRM strategy for multiplatform web, TV, tablets and consoles and new formats such as 4K and Ultra HD, while in the case of market changes they include piracy and strong free and pay-TV competitors. Growth challenges include different legal environments and different content windows by market.
Homent said Wuaki.tv has spent 6-8 months building platforms, mostly in-house, so it can roll them out quickly in new markets.
Speaking about the company’s new Wuaki.tv 3.0 interface, he said its features include a branded area on smart TV UI, strong TV series section with a differentiated UI and guided full-on-TV registration process.
