The TV and movie streaming service will help the ISP catch-up with BT which, while signing up far fewer pay TV customers, has the more feature-rich service, with buy to keep films (TV shows are already planned) and apps to watch purchases on the move already available.
By buying blinkbox, TalkTalk will be able to benefit from its existing content deals and technical know-how and improve the service it offers customers.
But if it’s clever it’ll resist the temptation to simply fold blinkbox into the TalkTalk app which users of its YouView boxes have access to.
Unlike Sky’s NOWTV and Sky Store apps, or catch-up services such as iPlayer and 4oD, this app is only available to TalkTalk customers.
While the firm likes to boast of being the UK’s fastest growing TV platform, customers largely seem happy with the free content on offer and even those who subscribe to additional content tend only do so only a short term basis.
The company acknowledged this in November when it said the TV service “strongly appeals to family households and Freeview upgraders who wish to take a little bit of content, not a lot, and without being tied into long term contracts.”
Putting more pay content in front of customers who don’t seem in a rush to buy it isn’t going to help TalkTalk that much.
It’d be far better off bringing a fully fledged blinkbox app to all YouView boxes where it could offer films & TV shows to BT’s customers and those who buy their boxes subscription free from retailers.
This would allow it to generate income from the entire YouView platform, increasing the chances of seeing a return on the reported £4m it paid for blinkbox.
