IRISH TV selects Tata Communications for global technology partner, OTT service provider

NEW DELHI: Indian telecom giant Tata Communications said that i has joined hands with IRISH TV, Ireland’s first ever International TV channel, to bring the network’s content directly to North American viewers for the first time.

Using Tata Communications’ Media Ecosystem platform, IRISH TV will provide a rich content experience and on-the-go access to 40 million Irish residents in the U.S. with international expansion plans to other regions in the near future.

IRISH TV will leverage Tata Communications’ end-to-end managed over the-top (OTT), playout services and connectivity to deliver content in an intuitive app format. This will make the network’s unique mix of local and Irish productions available to North American viewers across multiple formats such as iOS devices, Android, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Google Chromecast, Apple TV and SMART TV’s. Viewers will be able to access exclusive local content from every county in Ireland and Irish communities across the UK and the United States.

“It was important for us to have a connectivity partner that would not only help us launch our television offering in North America but also around the world,” said Pierce O’Reilly, Founder and CEO, Irish TV.

“We needed a global network that was flexible, reliable and would deliver a seamless, high-quality experience to our audiences. We’re excited to partner with Tata Communications to launch this new distribution capability and open up greater possibilities to the services we can provide in the future," said O’Reilly,.

The Tata Communications Media Ecosystem combines traditional video contribution services with IP-based connectivity to create a flexible and innovative global media platform. The ecosystem enables seamless global transport and management of content as a cloud-based managed service and supports global media distribution requirements, OTT and mobility applications.

“By harnessing the power of our Media Ecosystem, IRISH TV will be ideally positioned to reach the vibrant market of Irish nationals and Irish Americans living in the U.S.,” said Rangu Salgame, CEO Growth Ventures and Service Provider Group, Tata Communications.

“Our unparalleled OTT platform and video distribution capabilities, underpinned by our global fibre network, enable IRISH TV to bring its new audiences the best viewing experiences, anytime, anywhere, on the device of their choice," said Salgame.

IRISH TV has a plethora of content revolving around Irish culture, creating national and local content in all 32 counties in Ireland, and in Irish communities abroad in London and Manchester with rapid expansion across the United States in New York, New Jersey, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Washington DC, Austin and Los Angeles‎, among others.

Interested consumers can follow Irish TV on Twitter and Facebook and register via www.irishtv.com to receive an invitation to trial the upcoming app which will be available late Summer 2016.

Tata Communications delivers world-class connectivity backed by the company’s leading global fibre network. Today, over 24% of the world’s Internet routes travel over Tata Communications’ network and the company is the only Tier-1 provider that is in the top five by routes in five continents.