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NBC Opts for P2P for Video Service

NBC has chosen P2P CDN Pando Networks to deliver video downloads for its NBC Direct service.

NBC has chosen peer-to-peer based Pando Networks for content delivery for its new NBC Direct service, according to Dan Rayburn at the Business of Online Video. Dan says this marks a key moment in P2P's emergence as a viable delivery option for commercial video:

When NBC Direct launches out of Beta, this will be the first major TV network in the U.S. to adopt P2P and make it such a crucial part of their distribution strategy. I know some will say Joost is already doing this and the BBC has been doing it for awhile but they don't count in my eyes, for obvious reasons. The NBC Direct service will bring a lot of exposure to P2P and will help to legitimize P2P as a solution for some, not all, kinds of video delivery.

Joost uses its own P2P client, while the BBC offering incorporates VeriSign's Kontiki. Dan's blog post includes a video interview with Pando co-founder Yaron Samid from the recent Streaming Media West show.