LONDON, UK - Ooyala, a leading innovator in video streaming, analytics and monetisation, today announced that it is powering Hopster's highly popular new TV and learning tablet app for children aged two to six.
Hopster reinvents the kids TV channel by combining world-famous TV shows with an educational curriculum and gaming into a single ad-free destination personalised for each child. A subscription service, free of in-app purchases and advertising, Hopster quickly struck a chord with kids and parents alike, reaching the Top 10 chart in Apple's 'Apps for Under 5s' category within a month of its launch in December 2013.
Ooyala technology provides Hopster with a complete suite of technology and services for delivering a true TV-quality experience on tablet devices, including studio-required content protection, player analytics for viewer personalisation, and robust development tools to integrate seamlessly with application interface, payment and DRM systems. Ooyala analytics will also be able to provide real time usage data, enabling the Hopster team to optimise the app experience. And in a unique twist on viewer analytics, Hopster plans to use Ooyala technology to help parents better understand how their children have been viewing content, in order to help manage their screen time.
Citing data from the United Kingdom's Broadcasters Audience Research Board (BARB), Nicholas Walters, Hopster founder, said, "The time is right for some major changes in children's programming. Recent BARB data shows that children aged 4-15 are switching off linear TV faster than any other group. At the same time tablet viewing is up for people of all ages. Ooyala enables Hopster to be leaders in driving new content experiences for this generation of viewers who are turning away from traditional TV to new forms of consumption. Meanwhile, large broadcasters have been too slow to adapt. With Ooyala we can seize this opportunity to deliver a high-quality, personalised programming experience in a compelling digital package that fits the way viewers enjoy content today."
Neil Berry, vice president, EMEA for Ooyala, said, "The team at Hopster have achieved a great vision for how children's programming can be conceptualised for the next generation of viewers. Ooyala loves working with partners like Hopster who share our vision of a more mobile, more personalised premium viewing experience, and have the know-how to help push television into the future. Hopster is a great example of how Ooyala streaming technology and analytics can underpin that vision."
Because Hopster features some of the world's most treasured premium children's content including shows such as Madeline, Babar and The Adventures of Paddington Bear, multi-screen content protection was a key criteria. Ooyala's Digital Rights Locker gives Hopster studio-grade protection through a comprehensive suite of DRM solutions. The Rights Locker integrates with Google Widevine, Adobe Access, and Microsoft PlayReady to ensure premium content is viewed in a high quality, secure environment that meets the stringent standards of Hopster's media partners which include Entertainment One, Nelvana, DHX Media, Millimages and others.
Ooyala's Stuart Ferriera-Cole and Hopster Head of Product Mahesh Ramachandra will be speaking at BVE on 27 February at EXCEL in London at a session called "Creating the Optimum User Experience For Audience Verticals -- How Hopster is Transforming Pre-School Kids' TV."
