Intel "OnCue" Streaming TV Service Sold to Verizon

As expected, Intel announced on Tuesday that the company has agreed to sell all assets of its Intel Media division, which is dedicated to developing Cloud TV products and services to Verizon Communications. The deal is expected to close early in the first quarter of 2014.

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Back in November, unnamed sources said the chip giant recently dialed back its streaming TV ambitions despite opening several dedicated offices nationwide, and was looking to secure a sale by the end of December. Names mentioned in the possible OnCue sale included Verizon, Samsung Electronics Liberty Global Ltd. and Amazon.

According to the new agreement, Verizon Communications will make employment offers to "substantially" all of the approximately 350-person Intel Media unit. The company will also purchase the intellectual property (IP) rights and other assets that enabled Intel's former OnCue Cloud TV platform. The Verizon-owned unit will continue to reside in Santa Clara and be led by its current management team.

Upon closing of the deal, Verizon will integrate the IP-based TV service with its FiOS video to put a wider distance from it and competing cable subscription services, and to reduce ongoing development costs. Verizon also indicated that FiOS subscribers will "benefit from elegant search and discovery, interactivity and cross-screen ease of use – integrated with the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network."

So why is Intel selling its Media division to Verizon? "This sale ... enables Intel to further align our focus and resources around advancing our broad computing product portfolio in segments ranging from the Internet-of-Things to data centers," said Brian Krzanich, CEO of Intel Corporation.

Intel's CEO also said something rather interesting, pointing to previous rumors that Intel was having a hard time landing deals with content providers.

"The critical factor in gaining efficient access to content is based on your ability to scale quickly in subscribers and end users, which is why selling these assets to Verizon makes perfect sense, with its millions of FiOS network and wireless customers," he said.

Talk of Intel dipping its toes into streaming TV sparked up more than a year ago, a cable-killer that would provide better choices than what Time Warner Cable and other current competitors provide. At one point the company was testing Intel-built set-top boxes in more than 3,000 homes. Intel's previous CEO Brian Krzanich said the company was taking it slowly due to its inexperience in the content delivery industry.

However, by September, there was talk that Intel was looking for a buyer. At the time, Intel had still yet to lock down a single major content provider.

  • icemunk
    Gobbled up by Big Telecom before it even started...
    Reply
  • masmotors
    i have no idea what this even is
    Reply
  • icemunk
    12500749 said:
    i have no idea what this even is

    It was an on-demand tv streaming service that Intel was working on; similar to Netflix. It would have hurt cable television, so instead of fighting it, they just bought it.
    Reply
  • chomlee
    I wonder if this has anything to do with Verizon successfully squashing net neutrality. Potentially they could disable anyone on there network from using netflix and only allow access to their online service.Access to online media has been slowed down to rediculus levels by the cable/satelite companies. The only hope will be when the content providers decide to all put their content online themselves with comercials either free or for a minimum cost to subscribers via smartvs or roku boxes or PS3/4 XBOX360/1.I think I speak for everyone in saying the cable satelite companies are raping the public. I left comcast last year because they raised my rates to $200 for cable tv with HBO and internet. I moved the TV to DirectTv and I still pay $100/month for HBO and basic channels. What is frustrating is that with DirectTV, I have more channels that are 24/7 comercials then I have actual channels. If my wife didn't care, I would just get Hulu and Netflix and no other TV source, but she has to have her "housewives of whatever" so there is no comprimising on that.
    Reply