TiVo has signed a new “Master Services Agreement” with National Cable Television Cooperative to preserve MobiTV’s deal with the organization.
The agreement—which will give NCTC members the opportunity to continue receiving the MobiTV IPTV service—covers TiVo’s implementation and management of the IPTV service that it recently acquired from MobiTV. That includes a managed pay TV service, which uses TiVo’s licensed media software for linear, on-demand and network DVR services from its data center.
“MobiTV’s assets provide the opportunity to expand and enhance our IPTV solutions for existing TiVo customers as well as continuing to service newly-acquired MobiTV customers,” said Jeffrey Glahn, senior vice president of global sales at TiVo parent company, Xperi. “This agreement allows a seamless transition for existing MobiTV customers to enjoy the offerings at TiVo and enables NCTC to provide continued value to its members in a time of industry transition.”
RELATED: NCTC pledges to help MobiTV get to 'critical mass'
“We are pleased to have reached agreement with TiVo,” said Rich Fickle, former CEO and president at NCTC, in a statement. “TiVo’s brand reputation, financial stability, and track record in the industry provides NCTC members a strong option. Over the last three months NCTC worked on a priority basis to help ensure that the MobiTV service continued in the hands of a viable, focused provider such as TiVo.”
NCTC is an important partner for MobiTV’s Connect platform. In 2017, Fickle pledged that his organization would play an active role in getting MobiTV to “critical mass.”
Though Connect has been picked by more than 90 operators since first launching 2016, MobiTV still found itself in financial trouble and earlier this year declared bankruptcy, leading to an auction for assets including its IP/patent business and its ongoing operations.
TiVo’s winning $18.5 million bid for MobiTV comprised of $17.4 million in cash along with the APA submitted as part of the company’s baseline bid prior to the auction. The company beat out a competing $18 million bid comprised of $11.7 million in cash from Amino along with $5 million in cash from a Roku-RPX joint venture.