• by Wendy Davis , February 8, 2006

In a move that signals an intention to significantly expand its online video offerings, The New York Times Co. has tapped Internet TV start-up Brightcove to facilitate distribution of online video content, the companies will announce today.

Brightcove will help the Times Co. syndicate video content to other Web sites via its customized video player. The company also will facilitate production of videos submitted by consumers.

The deal will roll out in the next several months with the New York Times Co.'s About.com's new "About Gadgets" videos, which focuses on technology, said Scott Meyer, CEO of About.com. He added that About.com plans to syndicate videos far more broadly than at present; currently, the company is distributing video on Comcast's high-speed portal. "The reason we went with Brightcove is because we wanted to have a platform that would scale," he said.

In addition to providing distribution support, Brightcove will help power ads that accompany the video clips, said Adam Berry, Brightcove vice president, marketing and strategy. The Times Co. will continue to sell the ads.

Founded by Internet pioneer Jeremy Allaire in 2004, the Cambridge, Mass.-based Brightcove has aggressively recruited a management team of experienced media executives, including hires from Allaire, Macromedia, ATG, Comcast, Lycos, and News Corp. In November, the company announced it hired Adam Gerber, who formerly headed up the new media strategy for MediaVest and big-brand clients like Coca-Cola Co. and Procter & Gamble.