On Demand Group, a subsidiary of US firm SeaChange International, has released details of the VOD and subscription VOD lineup it has provided to Greek telco OTE as part of the launch of the telco's new IPTV service 'conn-x TV', which was formally launched last month.
On Demand Group, which specialises in the development and management of transactional TV services, has revealed that OTE's FilmExpress transaction VOD (TVOD) service includes blockbuster movies from major Hollywood studios including: Disney-ABC-ESPN Television (WALL-E, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian), Universal Studios (Mamma Mia, The Incredible Hulk), Paramount Pictures (Iron Man, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull), and Warner Bros. (Sweeney Todd, Batman: The Dark Knight).
Also included in the TVOD service is a selection of library titles from the above studios, including Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, The Bourne Identity, Forrest Gump, and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
OTE’s FilmClub subscription VOD (SVOD) service includes a wide range of TV series from CBS (Sex and the City, Star Trek: Enterprise), HBO (The Sopranos, Entourage), HIT (Bob the Builder, Thomas the Tank Engine), Lions Gate (Mad Men, The Kill Point), and Warner Bros. (ER, Babylon 5), as well as documentaries from National Geographic. The SVOD service also includes library movies from HBO, Lions Gate, Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros., and hundreds of international and local music videos from EMI, Universal Music and Sony Music.
“We are very pleased to be able to provide a compelling TVOD and SVOD offer to OTE for its IPTV launch," said Tony Kelly, CEO of On Demand Group. "The range of movies, TV series, kids programming, documentaries and music videos will help to underpin the successful launch and regular and sustained viewing of VOD in Greece.”
The new IPTV service has initial availability in the regions of Attica, Thessaloniki, Patras, Larissa and Iraklion (Crete). Entry packages for the service cost EUR 15 per month, and offer access to VOD content as well as over 30 broadcast channels, including Greek free-to-air channels and linear content form around the world, such as Euronews, France24, Al Jazeera, Eurosport, ESPN Classic, Nat Geo Wild, Fashion TV, C Music TV, and also exclusive sports content, including football matches from England, Italy and Portugal.
The service will gradually be introduced in all major cities across Greece in 2009, according to OTE. The telco reported in its 3Q08 results that it had 924,000 DSL customers in Greece, giving it a market share of around 60%. The company is having to play catch-up with rival telco ON Telecoms however, which already claims to have over 100,000 customers for its IPTV service 'On TV'.
