ITV has signed a new agreement with BT to supply a range of current and library programming to customers of BT’s digital TV service, BT Vision – ITV’s first deal of this type with a set top box VOD operator.
The deal brings ITV’s most popular and best loved programmes to BT Vision’s TV Replay service – the most comprehensive1 on-demand TV catch-up service in the UK.
From December 2008, BT Vision customers will be able to catch up on key episodes of their favourite ITV titles close to broadcast, including two of the nation’s favourite soaps - Coronation Street and Emmerdale - alongside the smash hits X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent. BT Vision customers will also be able to enjoy a range of library content on demand, including ITV hits Lewis, Prime Suspect and Hell’s Kitchen, alongside selections from the An Audience With... series.
Marc Watson, Director, Content & Business Development at BT Consumer, said: “The combination of some of the week’s best shows, partnered with some much-loved series from ITV’s recent library, means that this deal is a massive addition to the BT Vision on-demand offering. I’m delighted that BT Vision customers are the first in the UK to be able to catch up get the best ITV programmes and this makes our catch up service the best of any platform in the UK.”
Ben McOwen Wilson, Director of ITV Online said: “The deal with BT Vision will allow us to be able to reach new audiences with both our catch-up and archive on-demand content. We’ve seen massive traffic growth across our online sites during 2008 and the consumption of ITV content across our platforms has been staggering; this deal allows us to add another string to our bow in distributing our content wider.”
