Channel 5 announces return to Project Canvas
Richard Desmond’s Channel 5 has announced that it is set to return as a stakeholder in Project Canvas, the new Best Iptv 2023 consortium made up of the UK’s terrestrial TV channels.
The channel, which had pulled out after previous owner RTL looked to cut operational costs, will rejoin the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, BT and TalkTalk as a central partner in what has been deemed ‘the future of broadcasting’.
Project Canvas is designed to allow viewers to bring the internet to their televisions via a new set-top box.
Project Canvas has promised to be ‘the future of TV’
The £200 box will not only allow access to all Freeview and HD channels, but also websites such as the BBC iPlayer, ITV Player, NHS Direct, YouTube and Amazon.
Other sites will be visible if their developers translate content for viewing on a television, rather than a computer.Broadcasters and other content providers can earn money from the project through Video On Demand micro-payments from advertisers.
Desmond bought Channel 5 for £103.5 million in July and previously stated his intention to bring the broadcaster back under the project’s fold.
“Project Canvas is set to shape the future of broadcasting and open up new and exciting possibilities for viewers,”
Desmond said: “This is important to the future of Channel Five and having an open internet-connected TV platform fits closely with our plans to bring brilliant new content and interactive services to viewers.
“We’re delighted to renew Channel Five’s commitment to supporting Project Canvas following a review of our digital strategy.”