Intel finally stops iptv plans after sale of Intel Media

Intel no longer comes with its own iptv platform and set-top box. The company announced a release of its iptv platform last year, but the chip maker has sold the division that worked on it to US provider Verizon.

The sale of Intel Media to Verizon is expected to be completed in the first quarter of this year. The provider will take over ‘almost all’ 350 employees and will acquire everything else related to Intel’s OnCue Cloud TV platform.

Last year, Intel announced big plans for hardware and services for iptv, but the rollout has struggled with issues, some of which were reportedly related to contentious content providers. To access that content, it is necessary to be able to serve users at a rapid pace, Intel CEO Brian Krzanich claims: “That’s why the sale to Verizon, with its millions of customers for fixed and mobile internet, makes sense.”

According to the CEO, the sale will allow Intel to focus more on expanding its computing products, notably mentioning internet-of-things and data centers. Intel Media was the last business unit still involved in TV. In 2011, the company already largely withdrew from this market.