Episodes of The Dog Whisperer and a number of other shows are live on Spotify as part of a newly inked distribution deal with Cineverse. Photo Credit: Cineverse
Is Spotify preparing to roll out video bundles – or additional subscription options that don’t feature music at all? A newly inked distribution deal with Cineverse could mark the first step on that journey for the bundling-minded platform.
The involved companies formally disclosed their tie-up today, though in the music space, coverage has been decidedly light thus far. As many know, Spotify remains embroiled in a high-stakes dispute over its unilateral bundling reclassifications, which laid the groundwork for a significant mechanical royalties decrease in the U.S.
Those reclassifications were set in motion by the platform’s embrace of audiobooks as one component of an ongoing diversification strategy. Said strategy, far from being placed on the backburner amid a seemingly robust effort to trim expenses, also includes video podcasts, music videos, and short clips.
Now, television shows and more are part of Spotify’s offering as well. At the time of this writing, video episodes of programs such as The Dog Whisperer and The FBI Files were already live on the platform and available to stream in their entirety. Plus, fans could view specials from Jeff Dunham, Jim Gaffigan, Eddie Griffin, and other comedians.
However, there isn’t yet a dedicated tab for video, with one Dog Whisperer episode simply classified as a podcast, for instance. But the lack of video-content categorization could soon change on Spotify, as Cineverse is poised to bring to the service media from its “channel partners” and its own library of over 70,000 works, per the companies’ announcement.
Addressing the news, Cineverse partnerships EVP Marc Rashba emphasized Spotify’s “massive reach and value” when it comes to affording access to video content.
“As streaming platforms and device companies continue to expand to provide consumers more and more options to enjoy content where and when they want it,” Rashba relayed, “it was natural for us to explore distribution with Spotify.
“As we have learned from the success of the Cineverse Podcast Network, Spotify has a massive reach and value, and we are now in a strong first-mover position to take advantage of this new opportunity,” concluded the former EMI and Sony Pictures Entertainment exec.
The Cineverse deal has arrived a little under two months after Spotify scored a Nebula partnership, thereby bringing more videos yet into the fold. Stated bluntly, the leading streaming service’s current bundling frenzy initiated with the quiet integration of audiobook listening into paid accounts.
Time will tell whether Spotify leans into video-specific plans from here; Cineverse and different non-music rightsholders do, of course, need to be paid in one way or another. Independent of the apparent video buildout, an expensive “deluxe” tier is forthcoming, according to CEO Daniel Ek.
