Developer and provider of platform, channel and content protection services to global Pay-TV operators, broadcasters and rights holders, Friend MTS, returns to NAB Show for the third year to showcase its anti-digital piracy solution, which has this year become the most widely deployed and actively used digital watermarking system in the world.
The UK company’s anti-piracy product ASiD (Advanced Subscriber Identification) uses a sophisticated but lightweight watermarking technology to identify originating subscriber accounts that are being used to retransmit live channels and events.
Friend MTS’ stand will feature a dynamic video wall that will demonstrate how the ASiD solution and unique technology works to identify individual Pay TV subscribers that are stealing and retransmitting their content, and shuts them down within seconds.
beIN, the global leader in the broadcast of premium sports, is the latest Pay TV business to contract Friend MTS and its ASiD solution. The company is using it to protect all its sports channels on its OTT platform throughout the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
The move by Qatari-based beIN means that this year Friend MTS’ anti-piracy solution has moved to become the most widely deployed and actively used digital watermarking system in the world.
At NAB, alongside ASiD, Friend MTS will demonstrate its portfolio of digital content security and automated monitoring software solutions for service providers, that deliver live and playback content to connected consumers whether distributed by means of traditional set-top-box or newer IP delivery / over-the-top (OTT) methods.
The company’s team of experts will be on-hand to discuss with visitors how the solutions can enable Pay TV providers to tackle the ever-present threat from online digital pirates, that costs the global Pay TV business billions of dollars every year.
Paul Hastings, Friend MTS
The company’s Paul Hastings (pictured), Executive Vice President, Global Sales & Marketing will explore the problem in one of the NAB Show’s panel debates.
Under the topic ‘Whose responsibility is it to protect the world’s most valuable content?’, he will investigate the steps that rights holders and broadcasters can take.
“Pirated content has never been more accessible, with unauthorised streams of entire live channel feeds now making their way into living rooms and onto mobile devices around the world via illegal streaming for Pay TV content,” says Paul. “This valuable broadcast content, whether live sports or the latest Hollywood blockbuster, can be fully protected and the pirates wiped out.
“This will be an important debate to support the world’s providers in unlocking the solution of content theft and illegal streaming, and exploring who should ultimately take responsibility.”
Friend MTS’ CEO Jonathan Friend adds: “With the proliferation of OTT platforms, broadcasters need an anti-piracy solution that can fit both broadcast and OTT. ASiD is a true step change in the fight against video piracy, with a simple and easy to install robust content protection technology that will wipe out OTT and broadcast piracy 100% of the time.
“beIN has recognised that piracy is a real and costly threat to its Pay TV business and has contracted us to deploy our ASiD services to protect their sports channels across the beIN OTT platform in MENA.
“Our watermarking system is now the most widely used in the world, as we continue to roll out the service with some of the world’s biggest broadcasting platforms.”
For more information, book a meeting with Friend MTS at NAB Show in the South Upper Hall, Las Vegas Convention Center.
Click here to visit the NAB Show site.
Friend MTS is a pioneer in the creation and provision of content protection services and anti-piracy solutions used by many of the world’s Pay-TV operators, rights holders and broadcasters. It is a leading global provider of platform, channel and content protection services. From fingerprinting and watermarking to advanced subscriber identification, Friend MTS offers a full suite of managed services to help Pay-TV operators, rights holders and broadcasters control where their video content flows.
For more information about Friend MTS: www.greycable.com.
