OpenTV puts £42m on Static

NEWS US set-top box software provider OpenTV has bought UK interactive TV developer, Static, for £42m. The UK company will give OpenTV the ability to develop interactive TV applications and channels. Static runs one of the UK's few fully interactive TV channels, PlayJam which allows gaming on digital TVs. OpenTV will consolidate all of its content efforts behind Static, which will retain its brand and all 120 employees. The firm says the deal will prove a valuable cash-cow, with OpenTV confidently predicting a positive impact on its fourth quarter balance sheets. Static's PlayJam channel currently goes out to 9 million digital TV users across Europe, but the deal with OpenTV will enable a global expansion. Static's chief creative officer Mark Rock said: "This gives us an amazing network to sell elsewhere in the world. PlayJam is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the infrastructure we've built. We hope to another two or three channels by the end of the year."