Hybrid TV signs Disney Media Distribution - Seven West Media
Hybrid TV signs Disney Media Distribution - Seven West Media
Hybrid TV signs Disney Media Distribution - Seven West Media
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<strong>Hybrid</strong> <strong>TV</strong> <strong>signs</strong> <strong>Disney</strong> <strong>Media</strong> <strong>Distribution</strong><br />
CASPA opens up a whole new and convenient way to get <strong>Disney</strong> <strong>TV</strong><br />
programs and movies straight to your lounge room<br />
Sydney, Australia, 1 April, 2010 – <strong>Hybrid</strong> Television Services (ANZ) Pty Limited, the creator of<br />
CASPA TM On-Demand and the exclusive licensee of TiVo® products in Australia & New Zealand and<br />
<strong>Disney</strong> <strong>Media</strong> <strong>Distribution</strong>, today announced the first <strong>Disney</strong> Video on Demand (VOD) rental<br />
proposition for both television and movie content in the Southern Hemisphere premiering on CASPA<br />
On-Demand and delivered through TiVo media devices in Australia and New Zealand.<br />
This additional offering adds to the 160+ <strong>TV</strong> program portfolio of the CASPA service, lifting it to over<br />
200 programs and over 2000 hours of <strong>TV</strong> viewing on-demand. The <strong>Disney</strong> <strong>Media</strong> <strong>Distribution</strong><br />
content offering brings the CASPA On-Demand entertainment portfolio into line with its<br />
shareholders’ brands reaching mass audiences across the <strong>Seven</strong> Network and Television New<br />
Zealand. <strong>TV</strong> content includes <strong>Disney</strong>’s most popular <strong>TV</strong> series as well as new release and feature<br />
films. This means that Australian audiences can enjoy their favourite <strong>Disney</strong> programs live on <strong>Seven</strong><br />
or 7TWO – then access the back seasons using their CASPA On-Demand service on their TiVo to<br />
download even more episodes of their favourite program. The content offering includes top-ranking<br />
<strong>TV</strong> brand names such as Grey’s Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Lost and Brothers and Sisters.<br />
“Our business is about keeping appointments with people each week to watch our programs. The<br />
fact that the CASPA service on TiVo reflects the past seasons of our top-rating shows means we can<br />
give our audiences greater depth and breadth of programming in addition to our broadcast offering<br />
– and keep our viewers loyal to our programs.<br />
“For those people who have only just begun to enjoy Grey’s Anatomy or Desperate Housewives, the<br />
ability to access and download prior seasons to ‘catch-up’ to the season we air on <strong>Seven</strong> and 7TWO<br />
is nothing but a benefit to our viewers and to our business.<br />
"Seeing this content reaching into another company in the <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Media</strong> Group and increasing the<br />
viewing audiences of the current season of our programs is nothing but good news all around. The<br />
<strong>Seven</strong> Network and <strong>Disney</strong> <strong>Media</strong> <strong>Distribution</strong> have enjoyed a partnership of more than 50 years,<br />
today this partnership extends from broadcast into broadband,” said Tim Worner, Director of<br />
Production and Programming, <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Media</strong> Group.<br />
“The media landscape is changing at a rapid pace and in response the <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Media</strong> Group is moving<br />
fast to meet the growing demand for legal content.<br />
“As broadband connectivity and technological advances continue, we are in a unique position due to<br />
our solid digital strategy that maintains live appointment viewing, consolidates time shifted viewing,<br />
provides a catch-up window on Plus7 as a convenience for our viewers and to help them keep their<br />
appointment with us the following week. With CASPA, we go even further…we allow our viewers to<br />
enjoy, season by season, episode by episode their favourite <strong>TV</strong> programs,” said James Warburton<br />
Chairman of <strong>Hybrid</strong> <strong>TV</strong> and Chief Sales and Digital Officer, <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Media</strong> Group.<br />
“<strong>Hybrid</strong> <strong>TV</strong> is an innovative digital platform which allows consumers to create their own unique<br />
media experience by accessing and viewing content according to their tastes and preferences,” said<br />
Rob Gilby, Senior Vice President and Managing Director for <strong>Disney</strong> <strong>Media</strong> <strong>Distribution</strong> (Asia Pacific).
“Providing consumer’s choice and convenience to access the content they love is core to <strong>Disney</strong>’s<br />
philosophy of leveraging new technology to enhance our distribution reach internationally. This<br />
agreement is symbolic of the giant strides that national broadcasters such as the <strong>Seven</strong> Network<br />
and <strong>TV</strong>NZ are making towards adopting digital media solutions that enable their audiences to watch<br />
movies and <strong>TV</strong> series on-demand, in their own time,” he added.<br />
“It is all about the living room for us. That unique relationship every home has with enjoying their<br />
favourite <strong>TV</strong> programs and watching films in the comfort of their home. This relationship with <strong>Disney</strong><br />
<strong>Media</strong> <strong>Distribution</strong> not only allows both the <strong>Seven</strong> Network and <strong>TV</strong>NZ’s program offering to resonate<br />
within our CASPA On-Demand service – it means that when you love a program you are now able to<br />
get more and more and more without having to leave the living room.<br />
“As we look to the future where CASPA can be accessed and viewed on other internet-enabled<br />
devices in the home, our <strong>TV</strong> program suite is a significant competitive advantage for us and a<br />
wonderful complement to our existing movie (350+ movies), <strong>TV</strong> (2000 hours) and music range<br />
currently available with CASPA On-Demand on TiVo devices.<br />
“We look forward to working with <strong>Disney</strong> <strong>Media</strong> <strong>Distribution</strong> in the future to build further value for<br />
our customers across any platform that carries CASPA.” said Robbee Minicola, Chief Executive of<br />
<strong>Hybrid</strong> <strong>TV</strong>.<br />
<strong>Disney</strong> <strong>Media</strong> <strong>Distribution</strong> is the third major studio to provide its entertainment content to the<br />
CASPA On-Demand in Australia joining other major studios, Paramount Pictures and Sony<br />
Entertainment, Universal and NBC. Over the Easter school holiday break, CASPA customers will have<br />
access to additional new release and library movies and over 300 hours of <strong>TV</strong> content from <strong>Disney</strong><br />
<strong>Media</strong> <strong>Distribution</strong>.<br />
Since December, 2009, CASPA On-Demand has offered TiVo customers access to movies, <strong>TV</strong> shows,<br />
music videos and artist interviews to watch on-demand, either free or on a pay-per-view basis. At<br />
launch, <strong>Hybrid</strong> <strong>TV</strong> promised to continue to grow its entertainment content offering, with the view to<br />
deliver the ultimate in on-demand entertainment via the <strong>TV</strong>. The growing range of content partners<br />
will ensure <strong>Hybrid</strong> <strong>TV</strong> can continue to deliver on its promise.<br />
From April 1, content available to CASPA users will include:<br />
• Full-length episodes and full seasons of primetime programs like Lost, Grey’s Anatomy,<br />
Desperate Housewives and Ugly Betty<br />
• New release movies like The Proposal, Up!, G-Force and Morning Light<br />
• Family favourite movies like 101 Dalmations, Cinderella Man, Flubber, 10 Things I Hate<br />
About You and Chicago<br />
About <strong>Hybrid</strong> Television Services (ANZ) Pty Limited<br />
<strong>Hybrid</strong> Television Services (ANZ) Pty Limited is the exclusive licensee of TiVo products in Australia and New<br />
Zealand. The TiVo media device is HD Digital Ready in accordance with the Australian Government’s Digital<br />
Ready Scheme, Freeview compliant in Australia and Freeview|HD compatible in New Zealand. In late 2009,<br />
<strong>Hybrid</strong> <strong>TV</strong> launched its proprietary content and service platform CASPA On-Demand in both the Australian and<br />
New Zealand market, premiering in the TiVo device.<br />
The TiVo product was originally pioneered in 1997 in the USA by TiVo Inc. In 2008, TiVo technology was<br />
brought to Australia by <strong>Hybrid</strong> Television Services (ANZ) Pty Limited in August 2008 and was launched in New<br />
Zealand 1 November 2009. <strong>Hybrid</strong> <strong>TV</strong> is owned by the <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Media</strong> Group (Australia) and <strong>TV</strong>NZ (New Zealand).
For more information see www.mytivo.com.au, www.mytivo.co.nz, www.hybridtv.com.au,<br />
www.hybridsmartstreet.com.au<br />
CASPA is a trademark of <strong>Hybrid</strong> Television Services (ANZ) Pty Limited.<br />
TiVo, 'TiVo, <strong>TV</strong> your way.', Season Pass, WishList, TiVoToGo, Stop||Watch, Power||Watch, and the TiVo Logo<br />
are trademarks or registered trademarks of TiVo Inc. or its subsidiaries worldwide. ©2009. TiVo Inc. All rights<br />
reserved. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.<br />
About <strong>Disney</strong> <strong>Media</strong> <strong>Distribution</strong> (formerly <strong>Disney</strong>-ABC International Television - DAIT)<br />
<strong>Disney</strong> <strong>Media</strong> <strong>Distribution</strong> is the integrated television distribution arm of The Walt <strong>Disney</strong> Company<br />
responsible for the licensing of branded and non-branded entertainment to all platforms in Asia Pacific<br />
including free-to-air, cable and satellite broadcasters and mobile, broadband and VOD platforms. Its program<br />
portfolio includes quality feature films, critically-acclaimed network television series, ABC news programming,<br />
the very best in animation and prestigious specials such as the Academy Awards. <strong>Disney</strong> <strong>Media</strong> <strong>Distribution</strong><br />
also oversees channel distribution of the much-loved <strong>Disney</strong> Channel and Playhouse <strong>Disney</strong> which are<br />
distributed on all major pay <strong>TV</strong> platforms, including FOXTEL, AUSTAR and OPTUS in Australia and SKY NZ in<br />
New Zealand.