NEW YORK & LENEXA, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Leading news networks provider Cheddar and the National Cable Television Cooperative (NCTC) today announced an agreement to provide Cheddar to 750+ cable and broadband companies, which collectively serve over 8 million subscribers. In addition to a linear channel, NCTC members with high speed data customers will be able to add Cheddar access via its website and applications in the coming months.
Cheddar is a live business news network covering the most innovative executives, founders, products, and technologies transforming our lives and economy. NCTC members will have access Cheddar’s linear network as well as video on demand (VOD).
“Cheddar is directly addressing several key needs our members have including a unique approach to news, flexible carriage, mobile device app enabled, the ability to offer via IP set top app and/or traditional linear channel with accompanying VOD access. We were able to work quickly with Cheddar and believe they will be a nimble partner for our members in the evolving world of new video business models,” said Rich Fickle, NCTC president and CEO.
NCTC members will be able to launch Cheddar as a linear channel along with the optional VOD library. In addition, the content can be accessed via a Cheddar app on mobile devices and certain IP enabled set top boxes later this year.
For NCTC member operators that provide high speed data, Cheddar is offering their subscribers access to the networks via authentication. Starting later this year, existing subscribers will be able to log on to Cheddar’s website and associated apps and simply enter their cable credentials to begin receiving content.
“This master agreement allows any NCTC cable system to turn Cheddar on for their subscribers,” said Daniel Schneider, VP Business Development at Cheddar. “We are thrilled to offer Cheddar to the entire NCTC footprint, enabling over 8 million TV and broadband subscribers to catch the latest news, headlines, and interviews with top business executives.”
NCTC is a not-for-profit corporation that operates as a programming and hardware purchasing organization for its member companies who own and operate cable systems throughout the U.S. and its territories.
About Cheddar
Cheddar is the leading post-cable networks company. Its programming is available on Sling TV, Hulu, YouTube TV, Snapchat, fuboTV, Philo, Amazon, Twitter, 60% of smart TVs in the U.S., and Facebook. Cheddar currently broadcasts two live video news networks: Cheddar, a business news network covering the most innovative executives, founders, products, and technologies transforming our lives and economy, and Cheddar Big News, a fast-paced, young, non-partisan general news and headline news network. The company broadcasts from the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange, its street level studio in the glass corner of the Sprint Store in the Flatiron Building, WeWork in Los Angeles, and the White House. Cheddar was founded by Jon Steinberg, President and Chief Operating Officer of BuzzFeed from 2010 to 2014. Its investors include Lightspeed Venture Partners, Raine Ventures, Goldman Sachs, Liberty Global, Comcast Ventures, AT&T, Amazon, Antenna Group, Ribbit Capital, The New York Stock Exchange, Altice USA, 7 Global Capital, and Denstu Ventures.
About the National Cable Television Cooperative
The National Cable Television Cooperative, Inc. (NCTC) is a Kansas-based, not-for-profit corporation that operates as a programming and hardware purchasing organization for its member companies who own and operate cable systems throughout the U.S. and its territories. NCTC seeks to maximize current and future opportunities to ensure the profitability, competitive stature and long-term sustainability of its member companies. NCTC represents over 750 member companies in programming and technology acquisition. NCTC is actively engaged in helping network providers and suppliers evolve their business models to deploy new video/data solutions to match the changes in the media landscape.