• by Gavin O'Malley  @mp_gavin, May 12, 2009

Web video company Brightcove has tapped video-on-demand startup Vudu to get its partners' ad-supported content into America's living room. Expanding distribution might be a straightforward path to growth, but its execution has been anything but, according to Chris Johnston, director of technology partnership at Brightcove.

"Expanding online video distribution beyond Web sites to the living room television has been challenging," Johnston said regarding existing technological and platform-related hurdles.

Vudu's partnership with Brightcove supports multiple ad platforms, allowing Brightcove customers to maintain their existing online video monetization strategy and infrastructure while expanding their distribution reach to consumers' TVs.

This is of critical importance, according to Edward Lichty, executive vice president of strategy and content for Vudu. "Content owners can simply and easily make all of their online video available on the television without changing their monetization strategy," he said.

The first feature available in the Vudu Labs area of the Vudu service will be the MyPlay application, which offers current Sony Music videos through Sony Music's MyPlay Video Network affiliate program. Presently, music videos are already available on Vudu through its YouTube integration, while YouTube can be accessed on consumers' TVs via multiple devices.

Up against rivals like Apple, Microsoft, Sony, Netflix, and Amazon, Vudu is attempting to hold its own in the digital download-on-demand market with expanded distribution deals and competitive technology.

Last year, a slew of top Web publishers turned their corporate video content management duties over to Brightcove, including Condé Nast, AOL, and The New York Times. "Beyond the scaling ability and the uniform platform, we give publishers a more contextual video strategy," Jeremy Allaire, chairman and CEO of Brightcove, told Online Media Daily upon the Condé Nast announcement. Overall, Brightcove is now the online video platform of choice for more than 93 magazines across more than 21 publishing families.