Frontier launched their online video portal myfitv.com back in February 2010 to leverage the growth of online video and add value to their own broadband products. It’s more of a user friendly OTT video search engine, since the site itself doesn’t host its featured content, but rather refers viewers to the source of the content, like Hulu.
They just recently announced an expansion of content available at myfitv.com, through a partnership with with 5min Media, a video syndication network with access to 200K+ videos. The agreement gives myfitv.com viewers access to 5min Media’s library organized across 21 verticals, including 5minHome, 5minHealth, 5minFood, 5minFashion and 5minParenting. Initially, 5min will power 20 channels on my fitv, with plans to expand 5min’s offerings on the site in the coming months.
“We believe this deal supports our goal of my fitv being a major go-to site for Internet television,” says Melinda White, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Marketing and New Business Operations for Frontier.
It will be interesting to watch Frontier as they execute their video strategy. As a result of their acquisition of Verizon assets, they quickly catapulted themselves into a major U.S. telcoTV player, having absorbed close to 70K FiOS TV customers (at the time of the deal’s announcement). In addition they absorbed 164K DirecTV customers, plus they have their own resale relationship with DISH. It’s quite the complicated video strategy, for now at least.
