SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Rovi Corporation, a leading provider of advanced entertainment discovery, data analytics, and monetization solutions, announced today that it has acquired Fanhattan, a venture-backed startup, in an all-cash transaction. Fanhattan pioneers innovative ways to discover media and entertainment on any screen, from any source, through its cloud-based Fan TV branded products.
This acquisition accelerates Rovi’s vision to deliver next-generation guidance and discovery using advanced cloud, user interface and hardware technologies. Fan TV seamlessly integrates different sources of programming, such as linear television, video on demand (VoD), and over-the-top (OTT) video into an elegant consumer experience. Fanhattan founders, Gilles BianRosa and Olivier Chalouhi, will continue to drive their vision forward as part of the leadership team in Rovi’s Discovery Products Business Group.
“Rovi prides itself in realizing innovations before the industry demands them, and we are excited to augment our next-generation guidance and discovery solutions with an award-winning unified entertainment experience,” said Omar Javaid, SVP and GM of Rovi’s Discovery Group. “We believe the Fanhattan technologies and team will complement Rovi’s advanced metadata, semantic discovery, and predictive analytics capabilities to offer truly differentiated solutions to our customers.”
Combining Rovi and Fanhattan capabilities, the company will offer customers faster time-to-market and improved flexibility deploying next-generation discovery and media experiences across multiple screens. The combined solution enables a scalable and modular cloud-based platform supporting IP and hybrid STB boxes, DVR functionality and personalized interactive user-interfaces through reference design hardware and a software development kit.
“We’re excited to take Fanhattan’s vision to the next level,” said BianRosa. “By combining our technology with Rovi’s expansive offerings and established relationships with content and service providers, we can significantly accelerate our goal of bringing next-generation entertainment discovery experience to the world.”
About Rovi Corporation
Rovi is leading the way to a more personalized entertainment experience. The company’s pioneering guides, data, and recommendations continue to drive program search and navigation on millions of devices on a global basis. With a new generation of cloud-based discovery capabilities and emerging solutions for interactive advertising and audience analytics, Rovi is enabling premier brands worldwide to increase their reach, drive consumer satisfaction and create a better entertainment experience across multiple screens. The company holds over 5,000 issued or pending patents worldwide and is headquartered in Santa Clara, California. Discover more about Rovi at rovicorp.com.
About Fanhattan
Fanhattan’s Fan TV is the simplest way for people to discover, watch and share the movies and shows they love. Fan TV combines live TV, video-on-demand and streaming services in a seamless discovery experience through one device with a touch remote. Fan TV is also available for free on the web and through its award-winning iOS app, giving customers an easy way to discover more than one million movies and shows. Fan TV also delivers a universal WatchList that brings together dozens of streaming services, as well as critics' reviews, friends’ recommendations and a daily magazine.
Forward Looking Statements
All statements contained herein that are not statements of historical fact, including statements that use the words “will” or “is expected to,” or similar words that describe the Company’s or its management’s future plans, objectives, or goals, are “forward-looking statements” and are made pursuant to the Safe-Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause the actual results of the Company to be materially different from the historical results and/or from any future results or outcomes expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors are further addressed in the Company’s most recent report on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2014 and such other documents as are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time (available at www.sec.gov). The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements in order to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this release, except as required by law.
