Online video service Brightcove to launch in UK

LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. online video syndication firm Brightcove announced content deals on Thursday with a host of media groups in the UK to carry video clips on Web sites, including online versions of magazines Heat, Nuts and Elle UK.

The deals will enable companies like British media group Emap Plc's Heat magazine to run advert-supported videos on its www.heatworld.com Web site. The U.S. company has also signed a deal with music recording group Sony BMG.

ELLE magazine's www.ELLEUK.com will carry Internet video coverage focused on fashion events through an agreement with publisher Hachette Filipacchi UK while leading UK publisher IPC Media will show video footage on its Nuts magazine site.

The deals with Brightcove, which follow similar agreements in the United States, come as media companies try to lure readers online and tap into the lucrative Internet video advertising market.

Brightcove Chief Executive Jeremy Allaire told Reuters advertising around online video allowed marketers to target niche online audiences through high-quality brand-building adverts that are usually reserved for television.

"(Online video) is a huge priority," he said. "Consumers are spending more time on the Internet and the ad dollars are going there so (media companies) have to figure out what are the compelling products to offer through that environment.

"Also broadband video advertising is operating at a significant premium right now so if you can deliver media products into the TV advertising space online you can achieve significant premiums."

Allaire said the launch in Britain would be the start of a wider roll-out in Europe and he also hoped to operate in Asia in the "not too distant future".

Brightcove said it had decided to launch in Britain because the UK market has a high level of broadband penetration and a growing online advertising market, making it an ideal environment for the ad-supported video content.

Brightcove already has global content deals with companies including Reuters Group Plc, MTV Networks and Warner Music Group.