ROXi announced that it has partnered with Pearl TV and major U.S. broadcasters to deploy ROXi’s FastStream-powered interactive TV channels on the broadcaster's NextGen TV offerings. (TV Technology reported ROXI’s similar deal with Sinclair Broadcast Group back in January, 2024.)
The launch, which was announced at the 2024 NAB Show provides another example of how broadcasters are beginning to add additional content to their NextGen TV offerings rather than simply airing the same programming they air on their traditional broadcasts.
The first NextGen TV services to be rolled out will be ROXI’s Interactive Music Channels. ROXi said that it is working with broadcasters on interactive TV channels for genres such as news, entertainment, and sports.
According to ROXi, their interactive channels differ from traditional OTA TV channels in that they start at the beginning of a program whenever the viewer tunes to a specific channel, no matter what time of day it is. Viewers can also pause, fast forward and rewind the program as they see fit.
“These new interactive TV channels are exactly what younger consumers want from their media experiences,” said ROXi CEO Rob Lewis. “They’ve grown up with YouTube and Tik Tok in their pocket and expect to be able to start a program at any time, and skip any segment they’re not interested in, even on Broadcast TV at home.”
“These new channels on NextGen deliver a revolutionary viewing experience to consumers,” said Pearl TV managing director Anne Schelle. “[It will] drive demand for NextGen TVs while allowing ATSC 3.0 broadcasters to expand their market share of the growing connected TV ad market.”
“We all agree that it’s imperative we discover new ways to engage viewers, especially younger audiences who are not watching television the same way their parents do,” said Kerry Oslund, vice president of strategy & business development with The E.W. Scripps Company. “This partnership with ROXi allows for an interactive experience that brings new and exciting ways to engage with our audiences.”
