Updated
Yahoo today said it would expand its widget engine, release its Widget Development Kit more broadly and partner with Hisense, ViewSonic, MIPS Technologies, and Sigma Designs to increase its footprint in the network-connected TV marketplace, which is primed to explode in 2010.
Yahoo already has partnerships with Sony, LG Electronics, Vizio and Samsung. It plans to embed its software in Vizio's XVT Connected HDTVs, which are set to land in 1Q10; Hisense International's flat panel connected TVs that will ship this year to Europe and the U.S., and ViewSonic's $159 VMP media player, which also is set to ship this quarter.
MIPS Technologies, will develop an optimized reference platform running the Yahoo! Widget Engine for digital TV and set-top box applications, and Sigma Designs announced plans to support the software on its media processors.
Yahoo also announced that it was expanding its widget gallery to include Amazon VOD, Pandora, USA Today, eBay, Twitter, Facebook, CBS, Showtime, Blockbuster, CNBC, NBC.com, Napster, Radio Time, Sky News TV, Dailymotion, The Weather Channel, Betfair and My-Cast Weather.
Additionally, Brightcove also has reached a deal with Yahoo allowing its 900-some publisher customers to distribute content through Yahoo's software. Brightcove customers already taking advantage of the new distribution opportunity include Time Inc., Cars.com, TheStreet.com, Wine Spectator, Slate, and The Hollywood Reporter.
"We are constantly striving to extend the Brightcove platform to enable new three-screen distribution strategies for our customers, and our integration with the Yahoo! Widget Engine significantly advances these opportunities," said Chris Johnston, director of technology partnerships at Brightcove. "The broad adoption of the Yahoo! Widget Engine among leading television manufacturers has introduced a host of exciting new possibilities for Brightcove publishers to expand audience reach and grow their online communities."
Yahoo! TV Widgets now work on all major consumer electronic device chip architectures worldwide.
For more:
- see this release
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