Ericsson buys metadata firm FYI Television

Ericsson Broadcast and Media Services has announced it is buying Texas-based entertainment metadata company FYI Television.

The company gathers and distributes TV content and linear scheduling data from over 9,000 TV networks and aggregates it for clients to use across connected devices.

Ericsson said that combining FYI Television’s US market expertise and reach with its content discovery in Europe will create a “powerful global force in content discovery”.

“As the TV industry evolves and viewing behaviour changes, we believe that high-quality, rich metadata will be a key component for a personalised TV experience,” said Magnus Mandersson, executive vice president and head of Business Unit Global Services at Ericsson.

“Combined with our capabilities in TV platforms and content discovery, we will be able to help our customers to improve the video experience and identify new revenue opportunities.”

FYI Television’s 150 employees will join Business Line Broadcast & Media Services, part of Ericsson’s Business Unit Global Services.

The deal, which was agreed for undisclosed financial terms, is expected to close in Q1 2016, subject to customary closing conditions.