£50k available for IPTV development

VISION+MEDIA, the support body for the North West’s creative industries, is offering financial support to help companies develop content for internet television.

Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) screens programmes on the internet but also allows for more interactivity from viewers than existing services.

It is seen as an increasingly important market with revenue expected to grow from £5.9bn to £15.7bn by 2013 according to data from the Multimedia Research Group.

Vision+Media is hosting an event for interested firms on December 1 and has set a December 13 deadline for proposals.

Head of digital content Enda Carey said: “We believe that IPTV is going to be huge. Boxee, YouView and Google TV are around the corner, and existing online services such as Hulu, Apple TV and SeeSaw are here already.

“There is a massive opportunity for content and service providers to realise the potential of developing for IPTV platforms. We can help establish the North West as a centre of excellence for IPTV development. MediaCityUK and BBC Future Media & Technology are on our doorstep, and we will build on the North West’s status as the biggest creative hub outside of London.”