Bell to Offer HBO Content Online in Canada

TORONTO/MONTREAL: Astral Media has inked a deal that gives subscribers to The Movie Network on Canadian DTH platform Bell TV online access to a slate of content from HBO.

Available at no additional cost for Bell TV customers who subscribe to The Movie Network, the service enables customers to watch movies, series and other premium commercial-free content on their computers on-demand anywhere in Canada via a high-speed connection. The slate will include The Pacific, How to Make it in America, Big Love, Real Time with Bill Maher and Treme, as well as the upcoming new seasons of True Blood, Hung and Entourage.

"TMN subscribers expect the innovative, multiplatform delivery of our unparalleled entertainment offering, and we’re thrilled to add a robust and steady stream of HBO programming to our already-riveting content mix," said Domenic Vivolo, the senior VP of sales and marketing at Astral Television Networks. "Now, our subscribers can keep up with can’t miss programming like The Pacific and the upcoming launch of season three of True Blood through the Bell TV Online portal, anywhere in Canada wherever a high-speed connection is available."

"Bell is excited to add popular HBO programming to Bell TV Online, the first online portal in Canada that lets subscribers access commercial-free premium content at no cost wherever they are in Canada," added Kevin Crull, the president of Bell Residential Services. "Since launching Bell TV Online this fall, we have seen excellent customer response to the innovative service that adds great flexibility and added-value for our Bell TV subscribers."

Bell TV Online will now be able to deliver some 300 hours of content per week, with 25 percent of the content refreshed weekly. TMN OnLine on Bell TV Online, which will feature the HBO fare, is the online sister service to The Movie Network’s current SVOD service. This summer, new episodes of HBO’s hit series will be offered online on-demand immediately following the linear broadcast on HBO Canada (one of The Movie Network’s multiplex services).