‘Spotify for TV’ Magine has inked a deal with German media giant Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland to launch six channels on its online platform. The Swedish startup, which closed a $19 million (€14.6m) Series A earlier this month, will now offer RTL, VOX, n-tv, RTL Nitro, Super RTL and RTL II in its subscription service package.
Magine provides TV live, time-shifted and recorded across connected devices without the need for a set top box or cables and, crucially, has the backing of the content providers, i.e. the TV companies.
The company this week boasted that the latest deal was the first of its kind in Germany. Magine is currently available on Apple devices and Samsung Smart TVs, with additional TV platforms and an Android version to come.
The team behind Magine say it provides a simple and intuitive way of watching television on any device – whether it be television, computer, smartphone or tablet. Handheld devices have the further ability to act as a remote for your television or browser.
In addition, they hope to allow users to break down the idea of a program being tied to a fixed time slot by making shows from the previous seven to 30 days, depending on the channel, available at any time. All you need is an Internet connection.
Michael Werner, chairman of Magine, said: “Magine can offer the broadcasters security on two fronts: First of all, they can maximize their reach by offering the audience new possibilities to use their content. Secondly – and even more importantly – Magine complies with existing legal requirements and procedures. For broadcasters, this business model makes Magine a reliable partner on the market.”
RTL’s Marc Schröder said: “By distributing our linear TV programs via Magine, the viewers have an additional option to receive our free TV offering via the internet. At the same time, Magine’s user friendliness is unique. That is why we see such great potential in this collaboration.”
The beta version of Magine will be available in Germany this summer, and subscriptions can be made by registration.