Kangaroo spells end for 4oD platform

The new platform, unveiled this week under the working name Kangaroo, will launch with more than 10,000 hours of archive material from the BBC, ITV and C4, as well as a 30-day catch-up service.
It will also license content from other channels, US production houses and “anyone who owns rights of value to the public”, C4 new business director Rod Henwood said.

C4 was the first UK broadcaster to offer the bulk of its content online with 4oD’s launch at the end of last year. Around 750,000 users have downloaded 60 million programmes from the service to date. But the channel will move all of its archive, catch-up and exclusive content to Kangaroo, with a new catch-up service planned on its website, channel4.com.

Producers’ alliance Pact is in talks with the broadcasters about clarifying rights issues for indies.
According to insider sources, the Kangaroo project was initiated by C4 and BBC Worldwide, with ITV then coming on board. A Five spokesman said Five was not invited to join, despite approaching the other players a few months ago, but was considering licensing content to the platform in the future.

The service will offer low-quality streamed programming for free, and broadcast quality programming on both a subscription and pay-to-own basis. The service will be launched on PCs but it is hoped that it will be extended to Macs, cable and Freeview.

Kangaroo’s founding channels have equal stakes and will split an undeclared proportion of the revenues between them - enabling ITV and C4 to benefit from BBC programming.
Each channel will also get revenue through its own content provision and advertising, with the BBC Trust yet to approve the BBC’s involvement.

Kangaroo: the players

• BBC content available on iPlayer will be listed on Kangaroo and viewable on iPlayer. After seven days, the material will move to Kangaroo.

• ITV will retain standalone 30-day catch-up and simulcast service on ITV.com, with Kangaroo hosting web-exclusive content.

• Channel 4 will move all archive, catch-up and exclusive content from 4oD to Kangaroo and is planning a new catch-up service on channel4.com.

• Five has not been invited to join, but will consider licensing content. Continues to offer download on five.tv.

Testing times ahead

Kangaroo’s launch adds to the debate over payment for online distribution of TV content at the heart of the US writers’ strike.

“It creates a quasi-monopoly,” said David Docherty, chairman of the Broadcast Board of the Society of Authors. “Broadcasters should not be allowed to exploit this status to the detriment of
writers and performers.”

The debate spilled on to the London streets this week with a public demonstration by the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain. The organisation gathered outside the Trade Unions Congress’ London building on Wednesday in a show of support for the Writers’ Guild of America, which returned to the negotiating table after weeks of industrial action.

Meanwhile, UK interactive content producers are celebrating a joint agreement between the BBC and trade body Pact which allows suppliers to retain the rights to their own online and mobile ideas.

The move is expected to trigger massive growth in the secondary rights industry to free up content for distribution and to spur the kind of creativity demanded by commissioners wanting
multiplatform TV ideas.

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