VUU’s unique platform integrates directly with streaming services to provide audiences with a vast amount of add-on information about actors, locations, music, behind-the-scenes trivia, product placements and fan-generated content.
VUU first launched on the web in the Nordics through Danish TVOD service Blockbuster (owned by TDC Group). It had already soft-launched in 2019 with a stand-alone iOS app but is now ready to offer its unique value-added content service to streaming platforms, worldwide. Christian Strømmen, CEO and one of the founders of VUU, believes that increased competition mean that streaming services have to offer audiences a much more engaging and immersive experience.
– We know that audiences are craving for extra material and more information on everything from actors, music, behind-the-scenes videos, products and especially filming locations. By gathering all this information in one place, and giving the audience answers to what is happening on their screens right then and there, VUU provides a service like no other, says Strømmen.
VUU's solution in action in a scene from Mission Impossible, shot at the Pulpit Rock in Norway. (Screenshot: VUU/Blockbuster)
Challenging Amazon
Some might point towards Amazon X-Ray as the industry standard in this area but according to Strømmen, Amazon provides only some of what audiences are looking for. And only on its own streaming platform, Amazon Prime Video.
– VUU really comes into its own where Amazon X-Ray stops. Amazon X-Ray provides only basic information whereas VUU gives you much more in-depth, engaging and interactive content, says Strømmen.
Christian Strømmen and his team are confident that they can challenge Amazon:
– We have fantastic content, some of which is exclusively generated by our own content team. Add to this a huge amount of carefully curated web articles, podcasts and videos that go in-depth and behind the scenes, and we have so much more to offer to viewers.
VUU collects information from a broad spectrum of sources, including directly from studios.
– We recently reached an agreement with NBCUniversal on delivering all their official bonus material to streaming services like Blockbuster, and we are currently working on deals with multiple international studios, explains Strømmen.
VUU displaying the different filming locations for the film "Joker". (Screenshot: VUU/Blockbuster)
Through Blockbuster’s service alone, VUU will be available on close to a million screens. But VUU has its sights set on more than Scandinavia alone: with the launch of so many new streaming services, across Europe and the US, VUU is ready for the international streaming market.
– With our flexible and easy-to-integrate technology, plus our industry-leading library of carefully curated and unique VUU-generated content for more than 2000 titles, we simply cannot wait to give audiences the world over a better viewing experience, explains Strømmen.
By joining NCE Media, the Ålesund based tech company will seek to leverage the expansive network that is established within the Norwegian Media Cluster.
– So far we’ve been actively working with our existing international network, but we see that we're missing a network on the Norwegian side. At the same time with the companies that we don’t have connections with internationally it can often be hard to get a foot in the door. We believe NCE Media and the Norwegian Media Cluster could be a great help for us in this regard, and hope to utilize the network both in Norway and in the international market. At the same time we hope we can be a contributor to other startups within Media City Bergen, says Strømmen.
Anne Jacobsen, CEO of Media City Bergen, is pleased to welcome VUU to the Norwegian Media Cluster.
– I'm impressed by VUU's solution. In what is a heavily contested market, VUU has found a smart way to provide viewers with engaging and immersive content. I believe there's plenty of opportunities for VUU in the Media Cluster, both in terms of networking and potential collaboration with other members. We are looking forward to working together with Christian and his team.
Want to learn more? Make sure to visit VUU's website: vuu.tv