• by Daisy Whitney , Op-Ed Contributor, April 2, 2012

Brightcove has had a target on its back since it launched in 2004 as one of the first online video platforms and then snagged round after round of venture funding to the tune of more than $100 million raised. But the pioneer in the online video arena has managed to keep running ahead of the pack — landing marquee clients, growing revenues every year (from $36.2 million in 2009, to $43.7 million in 2010, to $63.6 million in 2011), going public and continually launching new efforts to bring additional online video players and vendors into the fold.

The company’s newest effort, the Content Exchange, is the latest example. The recently launched Content Exchange is an interesting sort of in-house sharing program that lets Brightcove customers tap into each other’s libraries. It reminds me of how media conglomerates might share videos or resources amongst TV networks under the same corporate umbrella. The initial partners are AOL Video, Diagonal View, Internet Video Archive, NewsLook, Screenplay and Touchstorm, all of whom have massive content libraries that other Brightcove customers might want to access.

There are revenue-sharing opportunities too around the licensed content. This program gives Web publishers access to more video — something, to be honest, that most content programmers always need, so it’s good for the goose. And it’s good for the gander too, because it makes Brightcove even more valuable to its customers. Brightcove has the heft and weight to make an offering like this possible, and it’s the kind of add-on that can make a difference in customer retention.

Content sharing is also an easy way too for publishers to increase the amount of video they offer viewers. At the recent OMMA Global conference, YouTube’s Eric Meyerson, head of video advertiser marketing, said he urges brands to build their YouTube channels from a range of sources -- videos they make, videos they curate and videos customers make. The Brightcove Content Exchange relies on the same approach -- boosting a library without having to go out and shoot all the videos yourself.