Sony Vies For Content with Viacom and Cable Providers

Sony’s online strategy takes form with Viacom and perhaps cable providers. Cbs’ hold out with Time Warner has power players like Sony looking to expand their ability to distribute content via Sony Playstation devices and TVs. Sony has already struck a tentative deal with Viacom to bring cable channels like Nickelodeon and Comedy Central to their customers. CBS, Time Warner, and The Walt Disney Co. have also taken interest. Online content has been a style choice for many including marketers and film/tv executives. Netflix and Hulu are leading the way with streaming cable and now with others taking interest networks have began to take notice. NBCUniversal/Comcast owns Hulu so there’s no reason to seek any other major online distribution but some networks see it as leverage to their content against cable subscribers who want an a la carte experience that’s more available online. The Verge reports that Intel, Google, and Apple are also seeking content deals for an “over the top” service. “The deal stresses how video and TV consumption online is drastically changing traditional pay-TV business models,” said Fernando Elizalde, an analyst at Gartner, in an email. In Europe, cable companies are already offering over-the-top services on smart televisions, and public broadcasters are releasing apps for smart TVs. Sony’s relationship with Viacom “is just one more of the emerging business models we are observing,” Elizalde said.