24i helps Israeli public broadcaster KAN to score big on Smart TVs for the World Cup

KAN upgrades its Smart TV experience with 24i across five operating systems New app installed more than 380,000 times during the tournament

Amsterdam, Netherlands(20 Dec 2022)

24i, the video streaming expert, today announced it has enabled Israeli Public Broadcaster, KAN, to deploy new streaming applications on Smart TVs for viewers to enjoy an exceptional big screen experience in time for the FIFA World Cup. 

The KAN BOX streaming service is already installed on more than 600,000 devices in total, but with an anticipated spike in viewership as a World Cup rights holder, KAN sought a new technology partner to upgrade its big screen offering. Its goals were to provide a better user experience, more sophisticated backend technology, and additional features such as 

personalization and smart search. Innovation is a central theme for KAN’s product development, led by a desire to offer its viewers a market-leading broadcast and streaming experience. The company selected 24i as their ideal partner to help it achieve this goal. 

24i’s Big Screen SDK - a module of the 24i Mod Studio streaming platform - has been used to create branded KAN BOX apps for LG webOS, Samsung Tizen and Hisense VIDAA televisions plus big screen streaming devices running Google’s Android TV and Apple’s TVOS operating systems. The apps are integrated with Backstage, 24i’s real-time content and application management interface and integration layer. 

KAN’s key requirements included support for multiple operating systems, a right-to-left user experience, a high-quality user interface that is easy to navigate and offers access to four live TV channels and 8 live radio stations, a secure authentication system for users, and flexibility over the choice of CDN. 

Tamir Cohen, Head of Product and Deputy Chief Digital Officer at KAN, said: “As a public corporation, we always aim to give the best product behavior and performance to our users. To achieve that goal, we were looking for a strong player in the streaming field who can help us create the new home for the full Kan universe of content. We call it our ’Kaniverse.’ We have found in 24i the ideal partner who shares our values of excellence, innovation, dynamism, and high quality. That means high quality not just in all aspects of the product, but also in the 24i team who worked with us on the project. The launch in time for the World Cup was super successful and enabled us to give a great experience to hundreds of thousands of users since the first kick off.” 

The 24i-powered Android TV app, which was the first to go live, has been installed on more than 380,000 devices during the tournament. 

Dr. Neale Foster, CEO at 24i, said: “We are delighted to have been part of bringing KAN’s viewers this fantastic new, high-quality user experience with our Big Screen SDK. This project has been a sprint to the finish and a real team effort between KAN and 24i, so it’s wonderful to see them embracing the power of Backstage to get real-time control of their big screen user experience and content.

About 24i 

24i offers a fast, cost-effective route to video streaming success on all consumer devices including Smart TVs, Roku, Apple TV, STBs and phones. Its end-to-end software solutions and expertise enable OTT services, broadcasters and Pay TV operators to launch elegant video streaming services, operate efficiently and grow their brands and revenue. 

Founded in 2009, 24i is an Aferian plc (AIM: AFRN) group company headquartered in Amsterdam, with offices in Brno, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Madrid, Bath, Burlingame and Buenos Aires. 

24i embodies the Dutch spirit: we work hard, innovate, and explore. For more, visit 24i.com. 

About KAN 

The Israel Broadcasting Corporation launched in 2015 under the brand-name KAN. It is the national public broadcaster, providing multi-channel services on TV and radio and considered to be the biggest content provider in Israel. 

Under the KAN brand, there is the KAN 11 channel which offers award-winning TV content such as documentaries, dramas and comedy. KAN also offers a children’s channel, Arabic channel and eight live radio stations 24/7. 

For more, visit kan.org.il