Simplestream takes funding to expand TVPlayer

Over-the-top (OTT) live streaming services company Simplestream has received a “substantial” amount of funding to accelerate the expansion of its B2C live TV streaming service, TVPlayer.

Simple stream said that undisclosed amount of funding, received from international growth capital firm, Beringea, will allow it to add more channel packs and multi-channel catch-up functionality to the service.

TVPlayer is a live TV aggregator of more than 45 free-to-air channels – including the main UK public service broadcasters, BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, and Freeview and Freesat channels like 4Music, Food Network, Travel Channel, FashionTV, Al Jazeera and Euronews.

The service is available online or to download as a free app from the Apple, Google or Amazon app stores.  In September, TVPlayer also launched on Freeview channel 241, bringing 16 new channels to internet connected Freeview HD TVs.

“With Beringea’s support, we will be investing further in TVPlayer as we seek to build a full TV replacement app, with live streaming and on-demand capabilities for high quality content. We are particularly excited by our content acquisition pipeline as major broadcasters increasingly recognise the ability to access a younger demographic of audience through TVPlayer and Simplestream’s Media Manager platform,” said Adam Smith, founder and CEO of Simplestream.

Simplestream provides live streaming and live-to-VOD services, and has broadcast clients including Discovery, Scripps, Box Television and Sky Bet amongst others. Alongside its consumer-facing TVPlayer service, it has a B2B product called Media Manager, which allows broadcasters to live stream broadcast content across devices and deploy catch-up services.

Beringea is an international growth capital firm with offices in London and Detroit and invests in high growth companies.