Disney Channel Launches First SVOD Service in HK

HONG KONG, February 26:
Disney Channel has rolled out a SVOD service on PCCW’s now TV IPTV platform in
Hong Kong.

This new agreement marks
Disney’s second broadband service launch in the region. Last month, Disney
Channel Taiwan debuted Disney Channel@Play, featuring full-length
Mandarin-dubbed and Chinese-subtitled episodes of its programming that are
streamed via an online broadband player.

Disney Channel SVOD on now
TV is part of Disney’s wider digital-media strategy that reflects the evolving
media consumption habits of kids and families as they increasingly adopt
digital entertainment technologies. The service is designed to cater to Hong
Kong kids’ lifestyles and viewing preferences, offering the convenience of
on-demand programming and encore viewing with the selected programs on the
service refreshed and updated regularly.

The service will include
hit Disney Channel shows like Hannah Montana, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, That’s So Raven, Kim Possible, Lilo & Stitch,
American Dragon and Emperor’s
New School. The Disney Channel original movie High
School Musical will also be on the
service at launch.

From the preschool channel
Playhouse Disney, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Little Einsteins,
Higglytown Heroes and JoJo’s
Circus will also be included on
the service’s program lineup at launch.

Existing Disney Channel
subscribers in the region can access Disney Channel SVOD for a subscription fee of HK$15 a month (with a
12-month contract).

Chris Williams, the VP of
business development at Walt Disney Television International (Asia Pacific),
said: “Disney Channel SVOD greatly enhances the Disney television experience
for kids who already enjoy Disney Channel and Playhouse Disney in Hong Kong. We
are pleased to give our viewers this exclusive opportunity to access Disney
Channel content whenever they wish to watch it.”

Janice Lee, PCCW’s TV
marketing and content development executive VP, said: “This new partnership
takes now TV’s relationship with Disney to new heights and builds on a
collaboration that began in 2004 with the launch of Disney Channel and
Playhouse Disney in Hong Kong on our IPTV platform.”

Continued Lee: “Benefiting
from the choice available on Disney Channel SVOD, parents in Hong Kong can be
comfortable in the knowledge that their children are being entertained by
wholesome high-quality programming. Our launch of this service specifically
answers to the needs of our young audience who enjoy watching their favorite
program unlimited times under a fixed monthly subscription plan, and allows
parents to flexibly schedule their children’s viewing times without the
constraints of a fixed program schedule.”

—By Irene Lew