The best way to deliver schedules and metadata to your MVPDs and vMVPDs

Delivering metadata and schedule information to a large number of different types of platforms can be complicated, but Clipsource aims to keep your distribution processes simple. This article will go over all of the ins and outs of MVPDs and vMVPDs and explain how you can use Clipsource to feed all of the platforms that require metadata and schedule data from you.

It wasn’t too long ago that media companies had to worry about serving their schedules to just linear channels (aka MVPDs).

But those days are gone.

Now you need to think about serving MVPDs, vMVPDs and other OTT channels.

Not only is the demand to feed more channels challenging, but different types of channels often require different types of data formats.

Some MVPDs and vMVPDs translate the data on their end and some require that the data is translated before you send it to them.

Having to manage who needs what internally and figure out how each player requires it to be distributed has become too big of a project to manage internally and can easily lead to errors.

In order to successfully distribute to all of the endpoints that you need to, you need an external service such as Clipsource, that can translate your data and feed it to your desired endpoints.

Below we will go over which each of these channels and explain how to distribute data to them.

What is an MVPD?

MVPD stands for Multichannel Video Programming Distributor (aka broadcast networks).

An MVPD is a service that bundles channels linear television channels and sells them as a package.

Some of the most well-known services include Comcast, DISH, DirecTV, Verizon and AT&T.

In order to have access to channels offered by an MVPD, you need to pay a monthly or yearly fee and have a cable box that feeds the channels directly to your television set via cable or satellite.

This is the traditional way of gaining access to content.

What is a vMVPD?

VMPVD stands for Virtual Multichannel Video Programming Distributor.

VMVPDs are basically just MVPDS that deliver live channels over the internet - meaning that you don’t need a cable box to watch content.

This means you can still watch channels on your smart TV or you can stream on your computer or other devices.

One prime example of a vMVPD is Youtube TV, which delivers live linear television over the internet.

A few well-known vMVPDs are YouTube TV, Apple TV, Roku, Hulu Live and Amazon Fire TV. Services such as these offer traditional linear content from broadcast channels (e.g. ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox, etc.) just with the internet as the delivery system rather than a cable box.

How can Clipsource help you distribute data to your MVPDs and vMVPDs?

Clipsource makes it easy for you to distribute your linear and non-linear metadata to a large number of outlets directly from your internal systems - removing the need for an aggregator. Here is how.

Automatic data collection

With the Clipsource platform, you can integrate your planning system (or systems if you have multiple) and automatically collect, relate, clean, and complement information from various internal systems into one validated set of rich media EPG source data.

Now you have all of the data that you will want to distribute ready to go.

Multiple distribution options

We give you multiple distribution options to make it easy for your MVPDs and vMVPDs to access your data. The best way is by API, that way if you make any changes or updates they will appear immediately everywhere that your data’s located.

We also give you the ability for users to access your schedules via browse or download.

Translate data to meet local formats

Clipsource translates data so that it is compliant with local regulations (e.g. age requirements). This means that you can use the Clipsource API on various markets scattered around the world.

Check out Clipsource’s VOD & TV Schedule distribution service to learn more.

Are you ready to streamline your data distribution to your MVPDs and vMVPDs?

The number of MVPDs, vMVPDs and types of content distributors is not going to decrease, so the sooner you get a streamlined solution that can serve schedules and metadata to all your end-points the better off you will be in the long run.

Relying on multiple suppliers or aggregators will only cause confusion and errors as you expand. Contact us to learn how we can help you streamline your distribution and gain more exposure for your content.

Clipsource has been hired by some of the industry’s finest entertainment brands to enrich and streamline schedule and metadata distribution. Contact us today to learn more about how you can unleash the power of your programming.