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BitTorrent

BitTorrent teams with Rapid Eye Studios to produce exclusive P2P TV series

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By John McCarthy, Opinion Editor

February 11, 2015 | 3 min read

Online sharing network BitTorrent has formed a partnership with Rapid Eye Studios in a move which will see the firms jointly produce exclusive TV content dubbed BitTorrent Originals.

The video bundles will be available for download using BitTorrent for between 30-60 days before moving on to other distribution platforms with the peer-to-peer network taking a 10 per cent cut of the revenue.

The torrent client already offers content bundles allowing producers to market their goods directly to avid digital downloaders.

Among the many documentaries and albums available is Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke’s album ‘Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes’ which has been downloaded 4.5m times at the cost of $6 proving the modest success of the alternative distribution scheme.

Eric Klinker, chief executive of BitTorrent, said: “This landmark deal with Marco Weber, chief executive of Rapid Eye Studios, is a major milestone for us and an aggressive expansion into the media space for BitTorrent.

“In the last two years, we’ve become a trusted and valid channel for creators and publishers to reach a monthly global audience of 170 million fans directly.”

Klinker added that the move makes the P2P network a “serious player in the media business” helping to create a “sustainable digital future for creators of all kinds”.

Marco Weber, chief executive and founder of Rapid Eye Studios, added: “I found it fascinating to watch how BitTorrent has grown into an enormous creative community over the course of the last few years.

“Today they reach more than 170 million people; young, social, influential, and tech-savvy. It became obvious to me that original content would add a tremendous amount of value and engagement to the growing BitTorrent Bundle platform.”

The content will be tailored for the site’s large 14-25 year old userbase with the first project ‘Children of the Machine’ to begin shooting in spring.

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