Wowza acquires Flowplayer

Swedish VOD platform Wowza has announced acquisition of video player specialist Flowplayer.

The acquisition, carried out in partnership with US private equity firm Clearhaven Partners, will see Wowza add enhanced player functionality, a lightweight code base and a rich plugin library, and an expanded global team.

Wowza currently has more than 1,000 customers using its Wowza Video cloud-based video platform that delivers an easy-to-start, customizable solution for live and VOD workflows.

Flowplayer, which launched as one of the first video players on the web, has evolved into  an ultra-lightweight, fast-loading player that has become a critical tool for driving website search rankings.

Wowza expands its international footprint by adding offices in Stockholm and Helsinki, while maintaining its existing locations in Berlin and Lakewood, Colorado.

David Stubenvoll, CEO and Co-Founder at Wowza, said: “Wowza simplifies the complexities of video for organisations at any scale with solutions designed for reliability, performance and extensibility. Integrating with Flowplayer to add key features, such as monetization and ad insertion, reinforces our brand promise to be the solution customers start with and the partner they scale with.”

Henrik Lovén, CEO at Flowplayer, said: “We have been early adopters of Wowza’s backend technologies and have long respected Wowza as a market leader in the evolving video streaming ecosystem. We are very excited to accelerate product development to tackle real customer challenges together, pushing the envelope of what is possible. Our customers will benefit from even more compelling functionality, quicker innovation, and greater support.”