Player+, the direct-to-consumer premium content aggregator and Easel TV have announced a partnership to launch StagePlayer+, a streaming platform where theatres, concert venues, producers, and more can stream their events.
StagePlayer+ will serve as a virtual venue for performers, festival organizers, agencies, and more can stage live or recorded online events for selling and streaming. StagePlayer+ is a fully managed, operational service as if it were a location venue including ticketing, payments, and customer care.
The concept of StagePlayer+ grew from a demand largely created by the pandemic with a need for theaters and more to be able to showcase their performances virtually.
“During the first lockdown we were asked to enable the streaming of Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag Live through Soho Theatre’s streaming video service. As a result of that show, we were contacted by theatre & production companies seeking to provide similar services,” Joe Foster, CEO of Easel TV said. “We knew we could help; we operate SaaS streaming services for the likes of Curzon Cinemas and NBCUniversal, but it wasn’t possible to provide every Performing Arts entity with its own service and many did not have sufficient content. So we partnered with Player+, applied for and were awarded, an Innovate UK grant to contribute towards the building of a streaming service for the Performing Arts; the result is StagePlayer+”
Richard Jacobs, CEO and Co-Founder of Player+ said, “Following the recent soft-launch of NewsPlayer+, we are excited to be developing StagePlayer+, the next in our series of genre-based OTT services offering a wide range of fresh content supported by enhanced discovery, enabling increased footfall and revenues for content partners.”
StagePlayer+ is set to become available to users around the world in the coming months. The platform will be accessible via a wide range of large screen Connected TV devices and platforms.