HBO is expanding its partnership with video-streaming optimization company Conviva to help improve the quality of HBO Now, the standalone streaming service launched for cordcutters last year.
Founded out of California in 2006, Conviva has partnered with a number of major media companies over the past decade, such as ESPN, Sony, and Sky to help optimize picture fidelity for video-streams, minimize buffering, and eliminate other interruptions. Its software essentially tracks individual viewer sessions and can predict when an interruption may occur, and take steps to reduce the likelihood of a glitch from happening by using techniques such as adaptive bit-rate streaming.
Conviva first put pen to paper with HBO back in 2011, and two years later committed to a six-year deal covering HBO Go and Max Go. Supporting HBO Now is an obvious expansion for the tie-up, given that Internet-based viewing is on the rise and the cordcutting revolution is in full swing.
“In today’s OTT (over-the-top) environment, the quality of experience is now as vital as quality of content,” said Conviva CEO Hui Zhang. In other words, the old mantra that “content is king” may be true, but content is nothing unless it’s delivered smoothly and without interruption.