Last checked at 18 Nov 2021 07:00
18th November 2021
AFERIAN PLC
("Aferian", the "Company" or the "Group")
Aferian's 24i powers launch of the 'Netflix of French film' in North America
Amsterdam, 18 November 2021 - Aferian plc announces today that following the deal announcement of 30th September, 24i, the streaming expert, has supported the launch of OTT service Cinessance in the US and Canada on iOS and Android, bringing a catalogue of classic and modern movies to fans of French culture and cinema who are currently underserved by the major streaming services.
The French-film streaming platform offers consumers a curated catalogue of classic and modern movies with subtitles in French and English via monthly subscription and pay-per-view options. Cinessance is available on web browsers and apps for both iOS and Android. It has support for casting via Chromecast and AirPlay and plans to expand to Smart TVs. The service has launched with films from many of the most established French studios, such as TF1 Studio, StudioCanal and EuropaCorp, with plans to expand the catalogue to 500 movies as early as mid-2022.
The service is built on a fully cloud-based infrastructure from 24i which comprises 24i's end-to-end modular streaming platform of video backend, white label front-end applications and Backstage content and application management interface. Using 24i's end-to-end productized solution has enabled Cinessance to launch its service in just twelve weeks from contract signature.
France is the second largest exporter of movies in the world, but only 3% of Netflix's catalogue features French films, according to What's on Netflix and a recent study from Unifrance. French expats, Francophiles and cinema-lovers have had no option to access the award-winning and globally recognized catalogue of French cinema.
Clément Monnet, Cinessance Founder & CEO, said: "Having lived in multiple continents in my time, I've lost count of the number of times I've tried to watch a French movie and couldn't find it online. Like many French expats, I try to stay connected with my roots and to share my culture with others, so I couldn't be more excited to share the gift of French film via Cinessance."
Joachim Bergman, CEO of 24i, said: "Cinessance is a perfect example of the end-to-end capabilities of the 24i streaming platform and getting it live and working so well within twelve weeks shows the wisdom of choosing a productized solution to side-step all the pitfalls that can slow down new OTT services in their race to the market. We are thrilled to be part of today's launch and are looking forward to playing a role in the future global growth and success of Cinessance."
-ENDS-
For further information please contact:
Aferian plc | +44 (0)1223 598197 |
Donald McGarva, Chief Executive Officer | |
Mark Carlisle, Chief Financial Officer | |
FTI Consulting LLP (Financial communications) | +44 (0)20 3727 1000 |
Matt Dixon / Gregory Hynes |
About 24i
24i offers a fast, cost-effective route to video streaming success on all consumer devices. Its expertise and end-to-end software solutions enable pay TV operators, broadcasters, and content providers to launch and efficiently operate elegant streaming video user experiences that grow their brands and revenue.
Founded in 2009, 24i is an Aferian plc group company headquartered in Amsterdam, with offices in Brno, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Madrid, Burlingame and Buenos Aires. Its end-to-end video streaming solutions bring live and on-demand video to every kind of screen, serving over 250 customers in 100 countries.
24i software solutions maximize flexibility: enabling customers to launch an SVOD service in four weeks, or a full Pay TV service in five months. 24i's experience, solutions and partnerships meet the business and technology goals of video businesses globally.
24i embodies the Dutch spirit: we work hard, innovate, and explore. For more information, please visit www.24i.com
About Cinessance
Cinessance is the French cinema streaming platform for a global audience. Cinessance wants to make French cinema accessible to anyone, anywhere, at any time.
Watch French classics and recent releases via a subscription or rent them one at a time. Available at launch on web, Android and iOS in North America.
For more information, please visit www.cinessance.com or contact media@cinessance.com.
About Aferian plc
Aferian plc (AIM: AFRN) is a B2B video streaming services company. Our end-to-end solutions bring live and on-demand video to every kind of screen. We create the forward-thinking solutions that our customers need to drive subscriber engagement, audience satisfaction, and revenue growth.
Every day, over 100 million people worldwide stream the video they love using Aferian Group interface via our growing global customer base of over 500 service providers. Headquartered in Cambridge, UK, the company has 300 staff located in offices in San Francisco, Amsterdam, Helsinki, Madrid, Porto, Copenhagen, Brno, Buenos Aires and Hong Kong. For more information, please visit www.aferian.com.