TownNews Acquires Calkins Digital OTT Suite

TownNews.com has purchased Calkins Media’s over-the-top business and mobile app technology, which allows media organizations to provide branded channels on all of the major streaming platforms, including Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV.

“Our content management ecosystem allows our partners to produce once, publish everywhere — be it web, mobile, social media, print and more,” said Brad Ward, CEO of TownNews.com. “So BLOX OTT is a great fit. These apps give our customers easy access to a highly engaged, rapidly growing audience.”

Susan Bell, formerly part of the Calkins Digital team — headed by Guy Tasaka — that designed and developed the OTT app suite, joins TownNews.com as senior product manager of BLOX OTT products and services.

“Calkins Media could not have found a better home for its OTT technology and client base, and I’m thrilled to join the TownNews.com team,” Bell said. “I am proud to be a part of a company that had a vision to expand its offerings and help shake up the competitive technology landscape for broadcasters and publishers.”

TownNews.com’s BLOX OTT app suite enables the creation of custom streaming channels featuring a combination of live/linear television, video on demand (VOD), podcasts and branded content. Customers can build revenue with pre-roll ads and programmatic advertising, and track progress with full analytics capabilities.

 TownNews.com’s BLOX OTT service is not only a strategy for broadcasters to reach a new, growing audience — it’s also an opportunity for newspapers and digital pure-play companies to expand their product offerings.

“Our mission at TownNews.com is to provide an all-in-one solution for all media companies to grow audience and open new revenue streams,” said Rick Rogers, vice president of sales at TownNews.com. “With our launch of BLOX OTT, we now provide another tool for our partners to do just that through dedicated and branded OTT channels and exciting new marketing opportunities such as branded native videos.”