Leading online content rights marketplace, RightsTrade has today announced a new technology partnership with leading cloud video conferencing and events provider, BlueJeans by Verizon, to further transform global entertainment licensing and recreate a face-to-face market experience online.
The partnership will see RightsTrade integrate BlueJeans’ video conferencing capabilities into its core offering, giving users further flexibility and powerful video technology to present market lineups, explore content, and connect and negotiate deals virtually. The new platform has formally launched this month alongside this week’s American Film Market (AFM) 2020 Online, of which RightsTrade is the premiere sponsor.
As a trusted, enterprise-grade video conferencing platform, BlueJeans’ technology will enable the RightsTrade community to simply and securely connect and share high-quality video content directly in calls and video conferences (up to 30 fps video without the degradation in quality one might see from a typical screen share). These features, alongside BlueJeans’ built-in Dolby Voice® capability for stunningly clear audio and RightsTrade’s “My Meetings” hub, will allow film and TV sellers to provide content walk-throughs and share video assets directly, all within one integrated solution that provides a new level of quality and convenience.
RightsTrade CEO, Bill Lischak says, “Early on, we identified the need our sellers and buyers had in “virtual market” settings to present filmmaker presentations, sizzle reels, cut footage and other assets with the best possible viewer experience. We researched the market and were blown away with the quality experience users have with BlueJeans’ unique technological approach to video sharing. We immediately embarked upon incorporating the technology into the virtual market initiatives we had secured with this year’s Hong Kong FILMART Online and NATPE Budapest. Now we’re fully integrating this technology into our core platform as we head toward supporting exhibitors and buyers at this year’s AFM Online 2020. We could not be happier with the added power this tool brings to RightsTrade.”
“As we have all learned during this pandemic, video conferencing is a powerful medium for connecting people so they can meet and get work done productively,” said Krish Ramakrishan, Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer, BlueJeans by Verizon. “At BlueJeans, our customers always come first, which is why we worked hand-in-hand with the RightsTrade team to ensure our product was designed to suit their specific needs. With entertainment going digital right now, we’re honored that RightsTrade has decided to partner with BlueJeans and look forward to helping them transform how entertainment executives meet and negotiate licensing deals through their interactive, virtual content marketplace.”
The BlueJeans partnership is also complemented by several significant technology integrations and enhancements to the RightsTrade platform, as the company continues its mission to support dealmakers with virtual market tools. These developments include a secure HTML5 screening room with DRM studio-grade security, adaptive bitrate and personal watermarking, as well as a new Content Management Hub that allows sellers to list and manage their titles directly. This tool makes it simple for exhibitors to make changes to metadata, add assets directly into the system and share secure screeners and trailers, or push videos through to BlueJeans for sharing in virtual meetings.
Studios such as Lionsgate, Miramax and Legendary as well as talent agencies including Endeavor Content are regular users of RightsTrade as they continue licensing activities online. Since lockdown began in March of this year, buyer activity on RightsTrade has tripled.
