BitTorrent, the company responsible for developing the innovative technology that delivers gargantuan files across the Internet, is heading into a new direction. BitTorrent Executive Director for Marketing, Matt Mason, says that the company is planning to “align itself with the entertainment industry and legally distribute movies, music, and books online.” Apparently BitTorrent wants to prove that it can go beyond offering free downloads by generating more sales. So far, the company already has over 160 million users of its two software clients – BitTorrent and μTorrent.
The company says that about forty million of its users are active on a daily basis – way more than Netflix’s and Hulu’s numbers combined. Mason explains that BitTorrent is trying to groom the entertainment industry to think about its service as a partner. “It’s a constant challenge. People don’t even know we’re a company. They think we’re two teenagers in a basement in Sweden,” Mason said.
Mason adds that the company is also looking forward to expand its reach on mobile by pushing its iOS and Android apps to reach 10 million downloads next week. The company is even planning to partner with set-top box makers to integrate its software products into their hardware, allowing users to download and stream content from those devices. Although it will take a little longer for that to arrive in the U.S., Mason says that it could arrive next year in Asia and Europe.
That comes the big question: “How will BitTorrent convince the entertainment industry?” Mason admits that cutting down illegal downloading of movies and music will be a huge win for the company. “The way to solve the content delivery problem is to get out of the way of the content. No one wants to just be the pipes. We’re already the pipes and we’re good at it, so it’s a huge opportunity for us to make this transition work,” he added.
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