We are rebuilding the product from the ground up to ensure technical reliability, and we will also be adding some great new features and functionality such as live restart and autoplay to make watching great TV and video even better” added Aoife Byrne. To achieve this, we are working with our delivery partners Fincons Group, 24i and ContentWise who are hugely experienced in delivering world-class online TV and video platforms. Audiences will also be able to enjoy RTÉ’s television channels live, on any screen.” “As well as delivering on our audience’s content needs, we want next-generation RTÉ Player to deliver a superb streaming experience. Irish audiences will continue to be able to catch up on their favourite show, but with the next-generation RTÉ Player we will soon be offering so much more: on-demand libraries with hundreds of great titles from across the genres great box-sets to binge on, and brand new short-form content, exclusive to RTÉ Player. It is a sophisticated proposition that will position us to meet evolving audience expectations and compete within a highly competitive, globalised media environment.” Aoife Byrne, Director of Content & Products for RTÉ’s digital division, said: “In order to meet the changing needs of our audiences, we are transforming RTÉ Player from being a pure catch-up TV service to being a world-class live and on-demand online TV and video platform. Múirne Laffan, RTÉ’s Chief Digital Officer, said: “The delivery of the next generation RTÉ Player is hugely important for RTÉ’s future. RTÉ Player will benefit from the combination of Fincons Group’s design and integration, 24i’s unified UI front-end expertise and ContentWise’s user experience automation capabilities. Discovery and personalisation provider ContentWise will integrate its content personalisation solution. RTÉ and Fincons Group will also work with the Dutch-based TV app development company 24i, an internet TV app company, which powers apps for leading brands like Viacom, Fuse media and Sinclair. The global IT Business Consulting company has over 30 years’ experience as a broadband and broadcast service partner and has worked with many leading companies including Sky and the largest Italian commercial broadcaster, Mediaset, as consultant and integration partner for their video solutions and OTT platform rollouts. RTÉ’s lead partner for the delivery of the project is Fincons Group.
Delivering a multi-platform experience, the redeveloped RTÉ Player will be available across web, iOS, Android, connected TVs and OTT services, including Saorview, Chromecast, Android TV and Apple TV. The new RTÉ Player experience will be a gateway into a world of great content, from box-sets and curated on-demand libraries across 10 genres, to exciting new original RTÉ Player shorts, as well as the ability to enjoy RTÉ’s live channels on any screen. It will be a world-class online television and video destination that seamlessly blends the audience content needs across live and on-demand with a curated, personalised service, with new features and functionality.
The redeveloped RTÉ Player will be RTÉ’s multi-channel television and video platform, designed and re-imagined for how Irish audiences watch television and video content online.