White labeling in IP TV is probably the easiest. You have content aggregators who are already used to supplying various different custom packages to service providers. The server side middleware can easily be hosted on the wholesaler’s headend. Subscriber management, billing and other back office systems work could also be carried out by the wholesaler. Perhaps the only thing you require is a brandable EPG or the client interface, which has to have flexible GUI that allows the retailer to design the interface as required. I have seen some vendor demos that offer this functionality.

My guess is however that this model will only attract tier 3 service providers who do not have enough resources for the capex involved. That is what we see in white-labeled VoIP. When some of these tier 2 and tier 3 service providers get their hands on some cash, they will prefer to have their own infrastructure. The white label may also be tried by large operators who would like to get some hands-on experience with IP TV (VoIP examples: the early implementations of SBC with deltathree and BellSouth with Pcket8). Most of all, I think your local departmental store chain would be the prime candidate to offer white labeled IP TV (VoIP example: Tesco in the UK).