Net2TV will be making its free, cloud-based Portico TV
service available to Roku users beginning in late June.
Portico creates free, advertising-supported, long-form shows
in 30-, 60- and 90-minute lengths using content from major media brands and
indies that are then made available to Internet-connected TVs.
Roku currently has about five million users.
The agreement with Roku to provide free, ad-supported TV
channels will include programming from Discovery's Revision3, CBS Interactive's
CHOW.com and Bonnier's Popular Science.
In December of 2012, Net2TV launched its Portico TV service
on Philips smart TVs.
Net2TV estimates Portico TV will be available to 20 million
screens by the end of 2013.
"There's broad appeal to the Roku platform which has made it
possible for millions of people to enjoy the benefits of Internet-connected
TV," said Tom Morgan, Net2TV cofounder and CEO in a statement. "Roku and Net2TV
share a commitment to making television easy, fulfilling and affordable. We
look forward to helping them expand their television offering for viewers with
Portico's new style of programming, and giving a new set of television
producers access to the Roku audience."
Separately, the company also announced that in June it will
begin dynamically inserting 15 and 30 second ads into the Portico TV Service.
Net2TV is using the Unicorn Once service from
Unicorn Media to dynamically insert the commercial advertising into the Portico
connected-TV programming.
