Wire: Hybrid TV signs Disney Media Distribution

Sydney, Australia, 1 April, 2010 (Inquisitr Wire) – Hybrid Television Services (ANZ) Pty Limited, the creator of CASPATM On-Demand and the exclusive licensee of TiVo® products in Australia & New Zealand and Disney Media Distribution, today announced the first Disney Video on Demand (VOD) rental proposition for both television and movie content in the Southern Hemisphere premiering on CASPA On-Demand and delivered through TiVo media devices in Australia and New Zealand.

This additional offering adds to the 160+ TV program portfolio of the CASPA service, lifting it to over 200 programs and over 2000 hours of TV viewing on-demand. The Disney Media Distribution content offering brings the CASPA On-Demand entertainment portfolio into line with its shareholders’ brands reaching mass audiences across the Seven Network and Television New Zealand. TV content includes Disney’s most popular TV series as well as new release and feature films. This means that Australian audiences can enjoy their favourite Disney programs live on Seven or 7TWO – then access the back seasons using their CASPA On-Demand service on their TiVo to download even more episodes of their favourite program. The content offering includes top-ranking TV brand names such as Grey’s Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Lost and Brothers and Sisters.

“Our business is about keeping appointments with people each week to watch our programs. The fact that the CASPA service on TiVo reflects the past seasons of our top-rating shows means we can give our audiences greater depth and breadth of programming in addition to our broadcast offering – and keep our viewers loyal to our programs.

“For those people who have only just begun to enjoy Grey’s Anatomy or Desperate Housewives, the ability to access and download prior seasons to ‘catch-up’ to the season we air on Seven and 7TWO is nothing but a benefit to our viewers and to our business.

“Seeing this content reaching into another company in the Seven Media Group and increasing the viewing audiences of the current season of our programs is nothing but good news all around. The Seven Network and Disney Media Distribution have enjoyed a partnership of more than 50 years, today this partnership extends from broadcast into broadband,” said Tim Worner, Director of Production and Programming, Seven Media Group.

“The media landscape is changing at a rapid pace and in response the Seven Media Group is moving fast to meet the growing demand for legal content. As broadband connectivity and technological advances continue, we are in a unique position due to our solid digital strategy that maintains live appointment viewing, consolidates time shifted viewing, provides a catch-up window on Plus7 as a convenience for our viewers and to help them keep their appointment with us the following week. With CASPA, we go even further…we allow our viewers to enjoy, season by season, episode by episode their favourite TV programs,” said James Warburton Chairman of Hybrid TV and Chief Sales and Digital Officer, Seven Media Group.

“Hybrid TV is an innovative digital platform which allows consumers to create their own unique media experience by accessing and viewing content according to their tastes and preferences,” said Rob Gilby, Senior Vice President and Managing Director for Disney Media Distribution (Asia Pacific).

“Providing consumer’s choice and convenience to access the content they love is core to Disney’s philosophy of leveraging new technology to enhance our distribution reach internationally. This agreement is symbolic of the giant strides that national broadcasters such as the Seven Network and TVNZ are making towards adopting digital media solutions that enable their audiences to watch movies and TV series on-demand, in their own time,” he added.

“It is all about the living room for us. That unique relationship every home has with enjoying their favourite TV programs and watching films in the comfort of their home. This relationship with Disney Media Distribution not only allows both the Seven Network and TVNZ’s program offering to resonate within our CASPA On-Demand service – it means that when you love a program you are now able to get more and more and more without having to leave the living room.

“As we look to the future where CASPA can be accessed and viewed on other internet-enabled devices in the home, our TV program suite is a significant competitive advantage for us and a wonderful complement to our existing movie (350+ movies), TV (2000 hours) and music range currently available with CASPA On-Demand on TiVo devices.
“We look forward to working with Disney Media Distribution in the future to build further value for our customers across any platform that carries CASPA.” said Robbee Minicola, Chief Executive of Hybrid TV.

Disney Media Distribution is the third major studio to provide its entertainment content to the CASPA On-Demand in Australia joining other major studios, Paramount Pictures and Sony Entertainment, Universal and NBC. Over the Easter school holiday break, CASPA customers will have access to additional new release and library movies and over 300 hours of TV content from Disney Media Distribution.
Since December, 2009, CASPA On-Demand has offered TiVo customers access to movies, TV shows, music videos and artist interviews to watch on-demand, either free or on a pay-per-view basis. At launch, Hybrid TV promised to continue to grow its entertainment content offering, with the view to deliver the ultimate in on-demand entertainment via the TV. The growing range of content partners will ensure Hybrid TV can continue to deliver on its promise.

From April 1, content available to CASPA users will include:
Full-length episodes and full seasons of primetime programs like Lost, Grey’s Anatomy, Desperate Housewives and Ugly Betty
New release movies like The Proposal, Up!, G-Force and Morning Light
Family favourite movies like 101 Dalmatians, Cinderella Man, Flubber, 10 Things I Hate About You and Chicago