Sold – Intel Media Goes to Verizon

Intel Media will be part of Verizon FiOS’ IPTV unit, following the telco’s acquisition of the service. Using Intel’s OnCue interactive platform, Verizon will launch a next-gen IP video services that are integrated with its 4G LTE network. The move came after months of speculation that Verizon one of the potential buyers of Intel Media.

Intel developed OneCue in order to launch its own over-the-top video service by the end of ’13. However, the company has struggled to sign up programmers. Verizon already has extensive video content relationships, fixed and wireless delivery networks, and customer relationships in both the home and on mobile, said Verizon chmn/CEO Lowell McAdam in a statement. "The OnCue platform and team will help Verizon bring next-generation video services to audiences who increasingly expect to view content when, where and how they want it,” he said. “This transaction provides us with the capabilities to build a powerful, capitally efficient engine for future growth and innovation. We will have the opportunity to enhance, expand, accelerate and integrate our delivery of video products and services to better serve audiences on a wide array of devices," he said.

Recently, Verizon has made quite a few acquisitions to beef up its IPTV offerings:  Prior to the Intel deal, it also purchased EdgeCast Networks in December and the assets of upLynk in November. While the EdgeCast deal gives Verizon a content delivery network and a global network of servers that can be used to handle traffic spikes and stream content to a large number of viewers concurrently, the upLynk acquisition would simplify the process of uploading and encoding live, linear and on-demand video content.