Irish TV announce worldwide access deal with Tata

The global Irish community will have instant multi-platform access to Ireland’s first international TV channel thanks to an historic deal announced today between Irish TV and Tata Communications.

Irish TV will be the first station to use the full functionality of multinational giant Tata’s Media Ecosystem, it was announced at the prestigious National Association of Broadcasters Show in Las Vegas.

The new deal will make Irish TV’s unique mix of local and Irish productions available to viewers worldwide with Smart TVs, and across multiple formats such as iOS, Android, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Google Chromecast, and Apple TV.

The move will also hugely broaden Irish TV’s penetration of the home market and its ever-growing presence in the UK.

From July 1, Irish TV will provide on-the-go High Definition access to 40 million Irish Americans in the US as well as to the UK and Ireland, via Tata’s industry-leading intuitive app, developed in conjunction with Irish TV.

International expansion is planned to other regions in the near future.

“Irish TV will now be able to offer an industry-leading suite of services to our viewers such as on-demand, rewind and catch-up,” said Pierce O’Reilly, Founder and CEO, Irish TV.

“We believe that OTT (Over The Top), or internet-based delivery, is the future of television, and we are delighted to be the first fully-fledged TV channel to partner and develop this new bespoke technology with Tata Communications.

“We needed a global network that was flexible, reliable and would deliver a seamless, high-quality experience to our audiences.

“The OTT technology will allow us to offer geo-targeted content and advertising solutions to clients in various markets worldwide and it will enable all content providers to deliver immediate content worldwide via Irish TV.

“This is great news for Irish businesses, content creators and Irish film producers that seek international exposure.  For example, our expansion into the US gives Irish businesses an easy route to a targeted audience.”

Rangu Salgame, CEO Growth Ventures and Service Provider Group, Tata Communications believes that by harnessing the power of the Media Ecosystem, Irish TV will be ideally positioned to reach the vibrant market of Irish nationals and Irish Americans living in the US.

“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 Mr Salgame.

Irish TV will celebrate its second anniversary on May 1 and has built a growing national and international audience for its original 24-hour daily programming mix, targeting local audiences but with a national appeal.

The Westport-based station this week opened its first office in Dublin, and announced the appointment of experienced media executive Joe Toomey as National Sales Director.

As well as production hubs throughout Ireland and the major UK cities, Irish TV also has offices in New York and regional content creation hubs in Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Washington and Austin, Texas.

Further details on the launch of the new Irish TV app can be found at IrishTV.com.