P2P Company Azureus Announces Content Agreement with BBC Worldwide

WebKnowHow
Tuesday, December 19, 2006; 02:55 AM

Azureus, the company behind one of the most popular Internet applications for the distribution of large files, today announced a content partnership with BBC Worldwide, the first ever peer-to-peer (P2P) distribution partnership for the network.  Azureus will offer popular, high-resolution British comedies and dramas from BBC Worldwide on its new digital media platform, currently code named Zudeo (www.zudeo.com).

Under the terms of the agreement, BBC Worldwide will license international hit television series to U.S. users of the service, including Red Dwarf, Strange and Invasion Earth, debuting via broadband for the first time in the U.S. Other titles include International Emmy award-winning, Little Britain, Doctor Who, Fawlty Towers (starring John Cleese of Monty Python), Coupling, Keeping Up Appearances, League of Gentlemen and Ideal, among others. Additional content partnerships are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

“BBC Worldwide understands our commitment to providing consumers with a rich entertainment experience and our desire to offer quality content to our diverse global audience,” said Gilles BianRosa, CEO, Azureus. “We are thrilled to offer programming that encompasses such a robust fan base, as well as the opportunity to expose a new generation to cult favorites from BBC Worldwide catalogue via our new entertainment platform.”

“We are very excited to partner with Azureus and make our content available through this revolutionary distribution model,” said Beth Clearfield, Vice President, Program Management and Digital Media, BBC Worldwide. “We want to ensure that our most popular content – as well as programs that have rarely been seen in the territory – are part of the latest dynamic entertainment environment and can reach the largest audience possible.”

Recently launched this month, Azureus’ new platform, currently operating under the code name Zudeo, enables content providers to easily publish, showcase, and distribute high resolution, long form content, including video and games in high definition or DVD quality over the Internet, at no cost. Innovative service features include content discovery through search, browsing, channels and tagging, as well as easier integration with firewalls, and a completely revamped, easy-to-use interface. Enhanced features including P2P streaming will be released in the near future. BBC content, along with other premium partners, will be available on Azureus’ new platform early next year.