NEW YORK and LONDON, January 28,
2019 /PRNewswire/ --
Forbidden Technologies plc (AIM: FBT),
developer and seller of market-leading cloud video platform
Blackbird, is pleased to announce that global fitness technology
giant, Peloton, has chosen Blackbird to edit its on-demand virtual
classes. Peloton is a significant addition to Blackbird's growing
roster of US customers, which includes leading sports broadcaster
MSG Networks. The U.S. is the world's largest video content market
and represents a growing proportion of the company's revenues.
Peloton is aiming to be one of the biggest global brands in
lifestyle and fitness. As part of its expanding product portfolio,
Peloton sells exercise bikes with virtual fitness classes available
to its rapidly growing one million rider community - both live and
on demand. Equipped with a 22-inch HD sweat-proof screen, each
Peloton bike allows riders to experience 14 daily live and 8000
plus on-demand classes which are available in lengths of 5 to 120
minutes. Peloton's community includes major celebrities such as
Kate Hudson, Hugh Jackman and David
Beckham.
Peloton will use Blackbird to edit all the daily rides given by
its cycling instructors from its two state-of-the-art studios in
New York and one in London. Peloton holds cycling classes of up to
35,000 riders globally at any one time. Once finished, the videos
are delivered immediately to the extensive on-demand video library
housed on the Peloton app and website for Peloton's vast global
cycling community to access.
Blackbird will significantly reduce the time it takes for
Peloton to make the high-quality, on-demand videos available.
Blackbird Edge will sync the live streams into Blackbird Cloud
where Peloton's media production team can seamlessly edit and
enrich the videos. Blackbird also enables storage and archiving of
edited classes retaining the original audio layout where users can
customise their choice of instructor and music levels to their
preferences.
The selection of Blackbird comes as Peloton has announced plans
for expansion. Founded in 2012, and backed by major investors
including NBC Universal, Peloton generated $400 million in sales in 2018 and has a market
value of over $4b. In recent months
Peloton has moved into new fitness areas with classes in treadmill
running and yoga. They have also embarked on plans for the
development of major retail and studio spaces in London.
Ian McDonough, CEO of
Forbidden, said: "Peloton has taken the world of fitness
by storm with its innovative combination of tech and media and we
are delighted that they have chosen Blackbird for the key task of
editing their videos.
"It is a fantastic endorsement of our technology. Blackbird was
selected not only for its agility and speed in the Cloud but also
for the personalized way it can handle audio tracks which is an
integral part of the Peloton experience. Blackbird will bring
Peloton significant efficiencies as it manages video from three
state-of-the-art studios and we hope to expand our relationship as
they grow. The conversion of live video into on-demand content for
extended use is a critical requirement for a multitude of sectors
and Blackbird has proven it is perfectly suited to meet this
growing need.
"Blackbird is gaining real traction in the US. Last year, we
announced TownNews had selected Blackbird to provide production
infrastructure to Meredith Corporation's 17 regional news networks
and we have growing adoption in the sports industry, including
eSports. Blackbird was chosen for the live pro-celebrity 'Fortnite'
event in Los Angeles and is being
extensively used in the live clipping of major US and European
sports by Deltatre and others."
This agreement demonstrates the strength of the Blackbird
technology and how leading companies recognise the value it adds to
the video creation process. While the fees payable are not
substantial to the company on a one-year basis, they are
commensurate with the services being provided.
Websites
www.blackbird.video
www.forbidden.co.uk
Social media
www.linkedin.com/company/forbidden
www.twitter.com/forbiddentech
www.facebook.com/ForbiddenTechnologies/
About Forbidden Technologies plc
Forbidden Technologies plc (AIM: FBT) (www.forbidden.co.uk)
floated in February 2000.
Forbidden develops, markets and licenses a powerful cloud video
platform using its patented Blackbird technology. The technology
underpins multiple applications, which are used by rights holders,
broadcasters, sports and news video specialists, eSports live
events and content owners, post-production houses, other mass
market digital video channels and corporations.
The Blackbird technology allows full visibility on
multi-location digital content, improves time to market for live
content such as video clips and highlights for social media
distribution, and results in much more effective monetization.
Blackbird® is a registered trademark of Forbidden Technologies
plc.
About Peloton
Founded in 2012, Peloton is revolutionizing the fitness industry
by merging high-design with modern technology to provide access to
live and on-demand fitness group classes led by elite NYC
instructors. With instant access to classes, performance tracking
metrics and a motivating real-time leader board, Peloton is
changing the way people get fit through a comprehensive and
socially connected-experience that makes every workout both
efficient and addictive. Peloton is sold online and in a growing
number of showrooms across the country. For more information,
visit www.onepeloton.com.