Unicorn Media to Provide Media-as-a-Service(TM) Technology for Worldwide Broadcast of the Australian Open and Slamdance Film Festival

Unicorn's advanced platform to deliver high-quality video, Smart Syndication(TM) and real-time analytics for the Tennis Channel and Slamdance

TEMPE, Ariz., Jan. 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Tennis Channel and Slamdance have chosen Unicorn Media's Media-as-a-Service™ solution to power their popular online video broadcasts, beginning with the Australian Open, the first of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments held each year, and the Slamdance Film Festival. With online web viewing constantly on the rise, both companies were looking for solutions that provide an optimal viewing experience, syndication solutions to any screen, and the ability to provide real-time insight into content consumption and end user behavior.

The Media-as-a-Service™ solution gives media content owners such as Tennis Channel and Slamdance the ability to easily upload, manage, syndicate, distribute, monetize and analyze their on-demand or live video content, in a single, easy-to-use interface. Unicorn Media's Smart Syndication™ technology simplifies the distribution of that content to any Internet-connected device, i.e. iPhones, TiVo DVRs, Roku boxes, game consoles, Macs, PCs and more. Real-time analytics round out the service offering by giving content owners the unmatched ability to provide insight into content consumption and end user behavior.

Through its relationship with the Tennis Channel, Unicorn's Media-as-a-Service™ solution will allow audiences worldwide to view top tennis tournaments and events online at the highest quality possible, beginning with The Australian Open, January 18–31.  More than just a television network, Tennis Channel adds to its unparalleled coverage through its web site, www.tennischannel.com. With online content that cannot be found anywhere else, the site offers everything from live and archived videos to columns from veteran reporter Steve Flink and podcasts from tennis historian Bud Collins.

"Unicorn provides Tennischannel.com visitors with a clearer video picture and more streamlined point of entry," said Robyn Miller, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Tennis Channel.  "We're excited that they'll cover all of our on-demand video needs this year, from Grand Slam footage to year-round interviews, highlights, show extras and informational content.  This is a tremendous asset for our Web site."

As the preeminent organization whose sole mission is to nurture, support and showcase truly independent works, Slamdance Film Festival will run concurrently with the Sundance Film Festival, January 21-28, 2010 in Park City, Utah. Slamdance still lives by its mantra: "By Filmmakers, For Filmmakers." Slamdance has established a unique reputation for premiering new films by first-time writers and directors working within the creative confines of limited budgets.   

According to Peter Baxter, President and Co-Founder of Slamdance, "We instantly recognized the superior quality Unicorn Media brings to the relationship and wanted to provide that to our community.  Unicorn not only makes a meaningful effort to reach out and embrace independent artists and filmmaking, but backs it up by delivering the optimal solution our artists need to compete with the very best."  Adds Baxter, "With Unicorn you're not dealing with a monolith – their direct, turnkey approach ensures you know exactly who you are dealing with throughout the process -- you do not have to reach out to numerous third party vendors to get the job done."

According to David Rice, Chief Strategy Officer for Unicorn Media, "Slamdance and Tennis Channel are perfect examples of companies who have struggled with providing their viewers with a high-quality viewing experience. While it might be simple to find a player to implement on your site, it has been impossible to find a single vendor that does it all -- from media management to syndication to monetization to analytics. Unicorn Media is that solution."

About Slamdance

Founded in 1995 by a group of independent artists, Slamdance serves as a showcase for the discovery of new and emerging filmmakers and is dedicated to the nurturing and development of new independent artists and their cinematic vision.  With its renowned Slamdance Film Festival as its core, Slamdance has expanded its ventures to include the popular Slamdance.com website, writing competitions for features, shorts, teleplays and horror scripts; the Anarchy Online Short Film Competition; and a $99 Special short film production project.

For more information visit www.slamdance.com.

About Tennis Channel

Tennis Channel (www.tennischannel.com) is the only 24-hour, television-based multimedia destination dedicated to both the professional sport and tennis lifestyle.  A hybrid of comprehensive sports, health, fitness, pop culture, entertainment, lifestyle and travel programming, the network is home to every aspect of the wide-ranging, worldwide tennis community.  It also has the most concentrated single-sport coverage in television, with telecast rights to the US Open, Wimbledon, Roland Garros (French Open), Australian Open, Olympus US Open Series, ATP Masters Series, top-tier Sony Ericsson WTA Tour championship competitions, Davis Cup and Fed Cup by BNP Paribas, and Hyundai Hopman Cup.  Tennis Channel is carried by nine of the top 10 MSOs, Verizon FiOS TV, and has a national footprint via DIRECTV and DISH Network.

About Unicorn Media Inc.

Unicorn Media, Inc. has developed an innovative Media-as-a-Service™ solution that changes the way content owners deliver their valuable video assets online. Unicorn delivers a comprehensive suite of services to upload, manage, syndicate, analyze and monetize live or on-demand media content to any Internet-connected device. Leveraging a globally distributed software platform and proprietary API, Unicorn Media has developed a Smart Syndication Technology™ that empowers customers to deliver high-quality video content, cut costs, accelerate time-to-market, reduce complexity and gain a competitive analytical advantage - all through a single vendor. Founded by Limelight Networks founding CEO, Bill Rinehart, and headquartered in Tempe, AZ, Unicorn Media, Inc. has offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago and London. Unicorn Media is a privately held, self-funded company. For additional information, please visit: http://www.unicornmedia.com.

SOURCE Unicorn Media, Inc.