HAND welcomes Simply.TV and BB Media to API Program
Data Exchange Partnership to Advance Ubiquity and Global Adoption of
Interoperable HAND Talent IDs in Media Supply-Chain Workflows
New York – September 12, 2024 – HAND (Human & Digital) the first global B2B Talent ID registry platform for efficient discoverability, royalty collection, and revenue tracking of notable real and virtual humans, announced that Simply.TV, a global provider of TV metadata/EPG and metadata services across linear and non-linear sources, and BB Media, a global Data Science company, specializing in Media and Entertainment for more than three decades, are HAND’s latest new API Program partners.
As invited HAND API partners, both Simply.TV and BB Media will have API access to the HAND Talent ID registry database.
Designed for the identification of measurably notable talent in cultural industries of entertainment, sports, fashion, music, news, gaming, and more – HAND’s interoperable, ISO-level standards-based technology is available as both a unique, persistent, “forever resolvable ID” talent registry and as a business intelligence SaaS platform with an API and web UI subscription model.
Like a “tracking beacon” for talent, HAND helps automate the identification, verification, origin, and authenticity of talent-related assets in audio/visual works. It does it in two major ways: it helps content owners/providers streamline the management of talent residuals, royalties and participations – providing studios, payment processors, and content rights owners with a way to automatically track and more efficiently compensate talent and cast lists, protecting both assets and brands, and ensuring authenticity in media content. It also helps talent protect against unauthorized usages of their Name, Image, Likeness, and Voice (NILV), maintaining the integrity of content throughout its lifecycle.
Both companies join HAND’s growing set of API and Beta partners, including Sony Pictures Entertainment, AFI (American Film Institute), Fabric-Xytech, Opus Data/ The Numbers, Meta Martis, The Scan Truck, Wild Capture, and MetaRex Media.
“As innovators and startup veterans ourselves, we have been tracking HAND’s remarkable success and growth for two years now,” said Simply.TV co-founder and COO Daniel Rühmann. “We’re delighted to be API partners with HAND and look forward to the integration of HAND Talent IDs in our offering to global customers.”
“BB Media is looking forward to making the resolvable HAND Talent IDs part of our global media analytics platform,” said Tom Gennari, CEO of BB Media. “The industry is changing quickly, but what hasn’t changed is the value of the professional talent in front of the camera, bringing epic stories and thrilling sports events to life. And with the expansion of talent into digital replicas, we’ll be interested in verifying and keeping track of those as well, by working with HAND.”
“Industry standards, interoperable metadata, and network effects take time to catch on,” said Will Kreth, CEO & Founder of HAND. “But we’ve done the research – listening to the workflow pain-points of metadata governance teams at film studios, TV networks, major talent agencies, payment processors, and actor’s unions. Every single one of them has been looking for a standards-based solution to talent identity. Because the HAND Talent ID is a first-class public resolvable ID for notable talent – its ubiquity and valuable utility in the media supply-chain is only possible by working with as many successful companies as possible. Which is why we are excited to welcome two of the best entertainment metadata companies in Simply.TV and BB-Media to our API partner program.”
